How to Paint

How to Paint « Series from 2018

Series from 2018

Broadcast info
Genres: Documentary

Practice painting in the company of an award-winning artist and professor.

Not only will you learn how to select tools and apply techniques, but you’ll develop the visual skills and muscle memory that make painting an infinitely adaptable form of artistic expression.

These 24 lessons feature hands-on demonstrations that bring the art school experience into your own home.

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The Painter's Toolkit

Begin by learning how to embrace the physicality, messiness, and freedom inherent in the earliest stages of a painting. Professor Allman demonstrates how to practice loose, dynamic paint strokes using your entire arm - not just your fingers and wrist - and also goes over some of the basic supplies you will use when starting out.

Getting Started: Surfaces and Brushwork

You have your (acrylic) paints and your brushes, now what? First, learn what kinds of surfaces are best for beginning painters and how to choose the one that works for you. Then, follow Professor Allman as he walks you through a demonstration on creating gradients, and get to know the kinds of brushes you will use to achieve different lines and effects.

Fundamentals: Establishing Value

Value - the spectrum of light and darkness in an image - is crucial to the way our brains translate images into meaning. See why understanding value is more important than understanding color, and develop your ability to pinpoint value differences in your subjects. Follow along with a demonstration on how to break an image down into its fundamental values.

Fundamentals: Building Volume

This episode opens with a brief look at the rendering of three-dimensional forms using light and shadow, known as volume, and why it is easier to achieve than you might think, once you know how to look at the effects of light. Paint geometric objects using your new understanding of light sources, cast shadows versus form shadows, and reflective effects.

Fundamentals: Basics of Color Theory

Understanding color is about discerning the subtle differences in value, hue, and saturation. Professor Allman introduces practical color theory and shows you how to break colors down into a simple matrix so you can create the shades you need. Learn how to directly mix paints and the principles of optical mixing as you create your own 12-step color wheel and value scales.

Fundamentals: Creating Color Palettes

Why is color like musical notes? In this second look at color, learn how context and interaction is key, and why a limited palette of four or five colors can be surprisingly powerful. Create a quick painting from a monochrome reference image, using just four colors, while utilizing ratio, value, and temperature to do the heavy lifting of the piece.

Fundamentals: Compositional Choices

Putting It All Together: A Simple Landscape

Creating Linear Perspective

Creating Atmospheric Perspective

Putting It All Together: A Still Life

Working with Oils

Traditional Oil Techniques: Grisaille

Working with Acrylics

Playing with Mediums

Painting Water and Clouds

Painting Trees and Bark

Painting Rocks and Mountains

Painting Light

Painting Glass

Painting People

Getting Creative: Composition

Getting Creative: Surface and Texture

Getting Creative: Space and Dimension