pochade_palette

Adjusting the background to improve light affect

Hello, everyone! 

I'm back at it after a lovely vacation and I'm excited to share with you a demo I previously created for our top-tier supporters on Patreon. Rather than taking up another session for that tier, I thought it would be interesting to give you a glimpse into my creative process when I need to complete a painting and send it off to the gallery. 

I truly hope you enjoy watching the demo! 

As we move forward, next week's focus will be on landscapes ...

Arizona Landscape

In preparation for a trip out to Arizona, I've decided to do a quick little study for you guys! Hope you like it, please be respectful of the photo and do not make a painting from this image. Enjoy and comment below!

Painting from a Drawing part 2

Ideally when you are making a painting from a drawing you will have a lot of time and freedom to experiment. 

It's not an easy task and requires a lot of practice, I remember being absolutely blown away at the thought of being able to construct something that is not done from life. 

Memory was a big part of the 19th century and artists trained their memory quite extensively. You shouldn't always have to have a photograph to be able to be creative. If you fail, try again....

New Inspiration: John Ottis Adams

Portrait study of an elderly woman. When you view paintings like this, it's hard not to want to jump up and grab your palette and rush to go try to create something as beautiful as what you are beholding. Though that is a temptation, what I would like you to think about is how a simple subject, can be so breathtakingly beautiful just because of the way the artist interpreted the subject. 

There is always opportunity to say something new, we just have to believe it can be done. And ...

Time-lapse of 2 hour demo

One of the benefits of using a time-lapse video demonstration is that it allows you guys to see the subject matter from a different perspective. Instead of just showing a real-time demonstration as usual, the time-lapse version can help highlight the key points and make them stand out.

I noticed I jump around a lot more than expected. This particular demonstration there was a lot of back and forth with the drawing so I guess that makes sense, if you are interested in seeing the whole ve...

Sold through Ann Long Fine Art

I like to share when sales happen, though I don’t do it all the time. This was a demo at the highest tier so it pertains to the platform. If you haven’t had a chance to view any of the demos from the Flower Painting tier I do a deep dive into my techniques. Much of the same thing as the $25 but you get to witness gallery paintings being made, and sold. I think it’s worth it for the advanced artists in the group.

Enjoy and stay blessed!

Developing a Painting from a Drawing

Developing a painting from a drawing can be a rewarding and challenging experience. It allows the artist to capture the essence of a scene or subject, while also having the freedom to explore new possibilities and techniques in the process.

In this video, we will explore the steps involved in developing a painting from a drawing.

The first step in developing a painting this way is to review the initial sketch. This may involve redrawing some areas to correct proportions or adding ...

New Product Release

Introducing our hand-crafted brush wrap made from natural cowhide leather, perfect for the fashionably conscious plein air painter. This brush wrap provides protection for up to 14 short handle brushes, making it the ideal choice for artists who need to travel light but want to ensure their brushes are safe.

The brush wrap features genuine leather brush protection to keep your brushes from getting damaged while on the move. The secure leather strap holds the brushes in place, making sur...

Jules Bastien Lepage portrait of Sarah Bernhardt

Bastien Lepage is someone I talk about frequently, and there's a good reason for that. 

In my opinion, his unique blend of brushwork and form modeling is unparalleled. Take, for example, his iconic portrait of Sarah Bernhardt, which exhibits his masterful handling of paint and his willingness to leave certain choices unresolved or push them to a higher level of sensitivity. 

For those looking for inspiration, I believe this painting is an excellent one to study. It's a v...

New Color Mixing Demo

I couldn't leave you all without a lesson so I got up early to figure out a fix to my technical problem from last night (Monday).

Enjoy! I'm on the road today, I'll try answering questions but if there is a little delay that is why.

Thanks!

Edges, Glazing and Inventing Shape Design

This demo is addressing a few questions from you all, it discusses some things we have covered in other lessons but it is always good too see a recap. Also, a lot of reinterpretation of what I remember from this demo that was done from life for a workshop.

Enjoy! Comment and enter the discussion, I would love to hear from you.

"Simple Gesture"

Beauty can be simple.

Maybe when this piece is eventually collected by someone, it can be a simple gesture to their spouse of love and affection? 

I hope so.

Boats on the Seacoast at Étaples

Again, came across another painting and I just had to share. Sometimes certain things hit me in the gut! This was one by Charles-François Daubigny

"In October 1870 Daubigny and his family went to London to seek refuge from the Franco-Prussian War; this scene of beached fishing boats is thought to be the first painting he signed and dated upon his return to France in June 1871. The subject is one he had helped to popularize in the prior decade, when vanguard artists inc...

Demo of Background Techniques w/ Glass

Thanks to everyone who suggested recommendations for new videos; I decided to start the month off with a demonstration illustrating my background paint application and how it corresponds to a clear glass.

Enjoy!

Landscape Painting Gear

Recently I purchased a collapsable stool for my painting setup and I absolutely love it! I wanted to share a quick image I took this morning... Soon this will be up on our website for sale, along with the Pochade Palette and Carrying Case offered as a combo deal.

One of the most important aspects of plein air painting is the need to keep your setup extremely light. When you are out in nature you do not want to be weighed down by heavy equipment, as this can limit your mobility and make ...

Unfinished Tadema's

Images like these have inspired me for a long time. I have always been fascinated by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema's random blocking in of flat shapes of color and rendering out other areas almost to completion. Included is a photo of Tadema at his easel, with an unfinished painting that recently went up for auction (painting is the following image)

I love imagining I could walk up and look at what was on his easel; these are not all the known unfinished paintings out there, but some of my f...

Work in progress (Portrait Update) and new series

Here is an image from last night after 4 hours on the painting. I've been enjoying this process and even though it is difficult at times, you can see how the color harmony comes together.

I build the painting up in layers, that is why I prefer to paint in short sessions; 4 one hour sessions, instead of 1 three to four hour sessions.

I have a long way to go on this to make it successful, but for now I will take a pause and let the work speak to me in the studio. I will continue on ...

Portrait Painting session 4

Wow, this was one of those sessions where it felt like it was going horribly wrong and then it ends up not looking so bad at the end. I wish I could trust my instincts more. We'll see if we continue on this, maybe I will take a break and paint something easier for some basic exercises and get back to difficult stuff again later. Does that sound better? Any ideas on videos? Leave in comments below. Thanks!

Alphonse-Étienne Dinet, Man in a Large Hat

Another painting I've recently learned about... I love when this happens! So many brilliant things going on in this picture it is hard to count. A few that are close to my heart are color harmony and brushwork, but beyond that is the subtly of values of ambient light vs. direct light. This is extremely hard to execute, some others are the bold choice of composition. It may look funny at first glance but if you were in the excruciating heat, this is a good idea;) His sincere expression and hum...

Portrait Session 3

There is a lot of texture building and scraping in this session, carving out the likeness like a sculpture and searching for color harmonies that are more and more life-like.

Pochade Palette Multistream Master Copy

Master study by Isaac Levitan with guest artist James Zamora

Portrait Painting session 2

New Work

This is my latest piece completed and ready to go out to the gallery. 

"Blooming Peonies" 18x16 in, oil on panel

Portrait Painting Session 1

Enjoy! This was a fun one to start.

Preparation Studies

This is a little pencil sketch I did this morning thinking about some of the concepts around portrait art and the anatomical form associated with it. Hopefully I can expand and articulate what is going on in my mind as these structural components come to life. 

This is an "invented" doodle, about 2" wide with pencil on paper

Portrait Painting in February

There's no time like the present.. I just decided that for the Monday evening sessions on the $25-$75 tiers, I will be doing a new portrait painting for you all.

There are still a lot of ideas I want to explore on this platform, but for now I will keep it going with solid predictable content. 

See you Monday for a new series on portraiture!

A Natural Approach part 16, Final Session!

Well, after 16 sessions I think it's finally done. I enjoyed very much filming this last session. If you have any additional comments please, as always let me know. I can't wait to try out some new stuff for the platform.

Best,
Michael

Other artists on this platform?

I've been brainstorming ideas for a very long time about ways I could host other talented painters in ongoing conversations about art. 

It's been a goal to offer a platform for artists to paint together (virtually) in an interactive environment that is far better than Zoom. It's sounds easier than it appears, but if you try to produce something with good video feeds from different locations around the world, you'll soon find out it is actually super difficult to achieve. Especially...

Stack Process Lead White

Recently, Inas asked me about my white I use and it got me thinking. Why did I stop using Stack Lead White? 

The main reason was that it is always sold out. I do know the owners of the company and probably could get some if I wanted, but I've resorted to what is fastest and purchased some of the dry pigment today, so I will be grinding my own soon. In the meantime, here are some photos that inspired me.

I will update everyone here when I have some made. 

All white ...

This piece speaks to my soul

Sometimes you come across art that speaks to you in a certain way, this is one of those pieces for me. It hits me at a very deep level about a human experience. It may be partially due to the intense subject matter, but I think honestly it is more about the way the artist handled the light coming into the room. 

His subtlety and care for moment (painting it from life) is infused in the piece forever. It's a real experience that was captured by the artist's brush and spirit combined...