How to learn to paint: free resources and advices, recommended books for aspiring painters
This page is a frequently updated collection of my thoughts about art, tips on how to paint, useful resources especially for self-taught painters who make a great effort to improve in art. Please take it "as it is", and you may also suggest useful resources.
Learning to paint: my way (hard but efficacious)I am a selftaught painter. I believe, as it is my own experience, that you can learn to draw and/or paint studying and practicing hard, possibly every day. You must be motivated, you must be alert and sensitive. If you never admired nature, if you never observed a human face in detail, if colours and forms cause no reaction in you, how do you want to be a good painter? Don't get fooled by right brain theories. Yes, you have to switch your brain in order to be able to observe reality but it is not enough. You must work, draw and paint, and refine your sensibility. Read books about art, go to exhibitions, observe grand masters' works. Let art get into your soul and mind. If you want to be a really good artist, art must be your main interest, you must feel it, see it in everything about you. If you work hard you'll see results. Don't rush, be patient. Be humble but positive and self-confident. Enjoy your lifelong travel through art. Progress is guaranteed on long term. Sometimes it's very difficult, sometimes easier, there are many frustrations but also rewarding experiences.
Check out the free resources "I learn the techniques and I'll be able to create art effortlessly" FALSE!Whatever are you'll skills, it will be always an effort, also because as you learn you'll wish to get to higher levels. Recently I have read this phrase on the site of a Web Academy: "Creation is an Effortless Perfection!"
Real art is never effortless, it requires the whole person, as some famous painter said. Many great artists have actually suffered while creating, it requires attention, concentration, enormous effort because it comes from the soul. You touch the sky when you paint. No pain, no gain. Watch a videoclip from Ave Maria - Modigliani: Andy Garcia | My reviews on Art BooksBuy art booksFree art tutorials and references
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Photorealism? What is the purpose?
Let's suppose you've done a photorealistic painting or drawing, spent weeks or months working on it. Now what? Where are you as artist? What is your message, your emotions? Where is your style? If it is really photorealistic it seems a photo, so it doesn't add anything to it. It simply reports reality as it is, like a copy machine. So actually two photorealistic artist paint or draw very similar works. The situation changes when the artist has an original idea and represents subjects, environments that actually do not exist or change them in order to communicate something. In that case there is real creativity.
Photorealism surely requires a very high technical skill and a great amount of work and attention, but in my opinion, if mechanically applied, it lacks of what distinguishes real art. Real art communicates, has a message, creates a world and invites the spectator into the painting or drawing. It's magic. If it happens, the artwork has fulfilled it's mission.
So photorealism for me is OK when there is a sincere desire of communication and an original idea, else it becomes a useless showoff of technical skills.
Photorealism surely requires a very high technical skill and a great amount of work and attention, but in my opinion, if mechanically applied, it lacks of what distinguishes real art. Real art communicates, has a message, creates a world and invites the spectator into the painting or drawing. It's magic. If it happens, the artwork has fulfilled it's mission.
So photorealism for me is OK when there is a sincere desire of communication and an original idea, else it becomes a useless showoff of technical skills.
Realism, my way between photorealism and abstraction
in the painting I used a mix of realism, photorealism and abstraction
I am not a fan of photorealism, Though I admire the technical skill the photo-realist artist makes show of, I do not intend to follow this way. It's time consuming and it has nothing to do with creativity. It registers simply the reality as does a photo, so what is the point? I like to paint reality as I see it, in my own style.
On the other hand, I do not like abstract, non representational art. I may like its colors and forms, appreciate it as decorative art, but when looking on a painting I like to recognize the subject and perceive the message. For the same reason, as a painter, I like to communicate through my paintings directly to the viewer, without need of art critiques that explain the meaning behind. I do not need them. I want the viewer, even the simple people, to be able to understand instantly the subject and significance of my paintings.
Nevertheless, I enjoy integrating in my art photorealistic and abstract details. So, technically spoken, I do some details in photorealism (the eyes, for example), some in abstract or impressionistic style (the background, the clothes, etc.) and others in realistic way. There are no formulas though. I change it when I want, because for me it is important to express myself freely.
On the other hand, I do not like abstract, non representational art. I may like its colors and forms, appreciate it as decorative art, but when looking on a painting I like to recognize the subject and perceive the message. For the same reason, as a painter, I like to communicate through my paintings directly to the viewer, without need of art critiques that explain the meaning behind. I do not need them. I want the viewer, even the simple people, to be able to understand instantly the subject and significance of my paintings.
Nevertheless, I enjoy integrating in my art photorealistic and abstract details. So, technically spoken, I do some details in photorealism (the eyes, for example), some in abstract or impressionistic style (the background, the clothes, etc.) and others in realistic way. There are no formulas though. I change it when I want, because for me it is important to express myself freely.
My basic method : monochrome underpainting - adding color - finishing
See the step by step demos below
 Original artwork step by step alla prima painting |  Master copy: Repin's hunchback step by step painting demo |
Master copies - How to paint like the masters (please do not!)
I am not a copyist, I do master copies only occasionally, for study purposes. I never make a perfect copy anyway as it seems stupid to me to do so. I think every serious painter, professionist or not, has to find the own style, subjects and ideas, and become in this way really original. In my opinion doing master copies are exercises to try out various techniques and styles while you're developing your owns and must never become your main production. The purpose of art is not producing nice pictures but communicate a message about your vision of the world and about you. So if you do only copies means that you have nothing original to say.
So to the question "How paint like the masters?" I'd respond: you don't have to. Study the masters, their style, their brushworks, learn the techniques that help you to express yourself, because that is the purpose of art.
So to the question "How paint like the masters?" I'd respond: you don't have to. Study the masters, their style, their brushworks, learn the techniques that help you to express yourself, because that is the purpose of art.
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