The Carder Method

I don't usually like painting methods that are inorganic and formulaic, but I have to admit that The Carder Method stands out for a few reasons. First, Mark Carder's work is on a much higher plane than I expected, and second, he has created a really cool color checker device to help choose correct colors. Third, his students seem to do pretty well with it.

I would warn against constructing an entire painting by using dividers and a color checker. I think they're great tools to check your work, but put yourself into it, and don't let the devices make all your decisions.

Here's a page of sample video clips from his DVD.

Here's Carder's portraiture website.

Another Lipking video

Here's another Lipking demo. Not the best video quality, sorry to say, but you get a feel for his method.

Looking at Jeremy's site, It appears that his new DVD has been released, and at a lower cost than I expected!

Cat with Wisteria

This was a bit of serendipity. I had been battling some out-of-control wisteria in my yard, and looked to YouTube for gardening answers, when I came across this delightful watercolor demo of a calico cat with, you guessed it... wisteria.

I was spellbound. I'm in the middle of a ten-year love affair with my own calico, and this really caught my imagination.

Enjoy

Countdown to Jeremy Lipking's video

I previously posted about Jeremy. He's a shining star in the realist world today. A real talent.



He emailed me this morning to announce he will soon be releasing his long-awaited DVD.

Here's a teaser...




Here's Jeremy's website.


Published by Tony Pro

Great YouTube video by Seamus Berkeley

What a great portrait! He worked in oils on paper*. I'd really like to try that, but have so little time to paint at all these days.

Here's Seamus' website.

*Correction... See comments. It was on loose canvas. Thanks Seamus.

Zhaoming Wu video released!

Stop the presses! I just saw that Wu's first video has been released!!! I've been checking the publisher's website weekly for about a year anticipating this. It won't disappoint.

Here's the publisher's page, which gives a hint at Wu's technique.

You can rent it at this link, but be prepared to wait. (I'm in line ahead of you!).

Here's his website.

Istvan Sandorfi painting from photos

This French artist demonstrates how he paints a collage-like picture from photo references. He combines vintage images with new photos of his own model for an slightly surreal effect. All work is done from photos.

Here's Sandorfi's main site

The best Figure Drawing books ever

That's the assessment of this blogger. All of the books are available for download.

They may have an out-dated look, but they're full of timeless instruction.

How to draw Einstein

Lon Haverly videos

I've known Lon from an oline forum I frequent these last few years. He's drawn literally thousands of portraits from live models -- a wealth of experience any of us would envy, as models are usually hard to come by.

Lon was in business drawing portraits in a mall for many years. Talk about pressure. He had to get it right every time. Later, he had his own public television show. I never saw the show, as it was not available in my area, but I assume these Google videos are actual clips from the program.

Be sure to visit his website as well.

Aldo Balding Demo

Aldo Balding hails from Kingston Surrey, England. I first heard of him in 2003 when he burst onto the Strokes of Genius portrait artist forum, and declared the American artists to be "absurd" for their excessive flattery of their sitters.

He was right, of course, but made few friends in the process.

A skilled portraitist, his website, and his blog chronical his ongoing quest for honesty in portraiture.

Here's a recent demo he posted on WetCanvas.

Thanks to A B Alding (I'm not kidding) for submitting this oil portrait demo. :)

UPDATE: Here's another one by Aldo

New Dan Thompson video

Here's another reader contributed link.

American Artist Magazine's website has a great new video by Dan Thompson. He works with a live model, and starts out with only one color, and two brushes (one to apply paint, and another to erase). He works his way up to a two-tone grisaille by the end of the video.

This is a work in progress. The text above the video promises part two will be coming soon. At the beginning, Thompson laid out "twenty or thirty colors", and only used two, so it's possible this will stretch into a three-part demo.

Here's Dan's website.

And, check out all these other demos at the American Artist site!

Thanks Dierdre.

UPDATE: Here's the second and final video.

New Scott Burdick Demo

Burdick has added yet another great demo to his website. I love these. I wish Susan would do another one too.


Rent Scott Burdick videos from SmartFlix.

Douglas Flint -- Still Life in Oil

Douglas Flint shows his step by step process for developing a still life from a setup in his studio. He starts with a more detailed drawing than most, and uses a fairly gray palette.

Visit Flint's website.

William Hosner still life -- Reprint from American Artist Magazine

Like many, Bill Hosner started his art career in the grueling illustration field. This is a baptism by fire that teaches quick visualization and accuracy, but from which many artists long to escape. Hosner now works as a fine artist, and has posted on his website a reprint of an American Artist Magazine article featuring his pastel technique.

Art Classes on XTrain.com

This is a reader-submitted link (thanks, Dave).

XTrain.com offers video classes on a variety of topics, including art lessons by Ron Lemen. Ron's videos seem to be professionally produced, and full-length. This is an excellent free resource that may become a pay service in the future (I'm speculating) so enjoy it now!

Time Lapse portrait by Barrett Bailey

Someone on Wet Canvas posted this a while back, but I'm just discovering it now. Barrett Bailey has an impressive CV and over 15 years experience as a professional artist. In this video demonstration, he compresses a two-and-a-half-hour drawing process into a two minute video. Check out his website for more drawings and other great stuff!

Jeremy Lipking Demo

Jeremy Lipking has made quite a splash for such a young artist. Don't hate him for his talent. Learn from him.

One thing I like is his use of grays, and those cool flesh tones.

His website has a teaser promising an upcoming video. You can bet it will be a hit.

This great demo is not on his website. I don't know why, but who cares! He's sharing some great stuff here.

Hey Jeremy, we want that video!!!

Note: Lipking leaves great Easter eggs on his site. Some of his paintings are clickable. Click for a detailed close-up Here, and here and here (my favorite) and here.

Picasso work in progress

Here's a Picasso in progress filmed in 1955 by French director, Henri-Georges Clouzot, who also filmed Picasso creating 20 artworks. The film is now available in DVD format, which (as luck would have it) is also available through NetFlix. So I get to see it free! Yes, it's already at the top of my queue.

John Budicin's Plein Aire Landscapes

Here's another link sent by Dierdre. This very nice demo shows the very simple massing of forms in the early stages of a plien aire landscape painting.

John Budicin paints outdoors from life, never photos. "When I want to paint, I head out the door to find a scene that will spark my interest. This may take hours, or it may take minutes."
He says.

He begins with elementary shapes and colors, making them more specific as he works the painting.

Very nice stuff.

Huihan Lui

Huihan Liu studied at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art in China. Here is a three-hour demonstration he conducted at the Donner Ranch in New Mexico in 2002. These are stills from a home video, but the technique shows through, and there is ample narration by Ron Sanders.

Special thanks to Dierdre for providing the link

Nathan Fowkes charcoal portrait

Personally, I 've never been able to use a construction method like his, but his results are so good, I may give it another try.

Here's Nathan's main site.

Painterly Realism: Constructing a painting from your photographs

Kenney Mencher demonstrates how to photograph your subject, then compose and paint the final piece.

Kenny's site

Roger Bansemer videos online

Roger Bansemer is a plein aire artist who produces his own web art-instruction series. He has an easy manner about him, and seems to greatly enjoy what he does.


Here are some of his programs...

• Painting on Location in the Foothills of North Carolina
• Landscape Painting on Location
• Landscape painting on Location on the Blue Ridge Parkway
• Painting demonstration done near the Outer Banks NC
• Landscape Painting on Location "The Garden"
• The Art of Seeing Color Clearly
  
• Landscape Painting - Light leans towards Color
• Painting on Panel Board
• Seascape Painting

Demonstrations & Interviews at artshow.com

I was delighted to find that my little blog is at the top of the Google search results for "art demonstrations", so I decided to see who was in the number two spot.

I found this very nice collection of demonstrations and interviews from artshow.com.

Craig Nelson Snippets

Craig Nelson has several DVDs on the market, and I just ordered one, but I have never watched one. To entice the buyer, his publisher offers these short promotional videos that are like a brief demonstration in themselves.

In fact, the website offers tons of snippets for various artists.


Rent Craig Nelson's DVD videos here

Philip de László Paints a portrait

This is a reprint of an old black and white article of a painting demonstration by Philip Alexius de László, who was a contemporary of Sargent.

While you're there, check out the rest of the site. A great resource provided by Cynthia Daniel of A Stroke of Genius.

Finally, An Advanced Charcoal DVD

Don't you just love the great charcoal work being done these days! The online tutorials are few and far between, and don't compare to watching the artist at work.

Today I learned that Casey Baugh has published a DVD demonstrating advanced charcoal techniques. It's inexpensive for an art DVD, and it's also available for rent at SmartFlix

Landscape Painting on Location with Roger Bansemer

Roger's website

Free Newsletter with Lessons

ArtAcademy.com offers free art lessons by email, in their monthly newsletter. The newsletter concentrates heavily on drawing. You know how I feel about drawing. It's abolutely essential, so you might as well take advantage of the free lessons!

Portrait with Skidmarks -- Chris Saper

Chris paints a portrait, then drives her SUV over it. Skidmarks aside, it's a good demo.

Jazz Art by Ann DeLorge

Ann is a local artist (at least to me she is), who paints abstracts of jazz scenes, as well as depictions of some of New Orleans' other favorite subects.

Here she demonstrates how she paints a jazz painting.

Still-Life Demo Video

This is a 30-minute video. Just click the play button and sit back.

Clayton Beck

I picked up a copy of American Artist (Dec. 2005) at the library today and saw their cover story on Clayton Beck.

His cover painting reminded me of Scott Burdick's work. I went to his site and found two demos online. One for an oil portrait, and one for a charcoal portrait.

Another Bill Whitaker Demo

This one was painted from a live model at the Scottsdale Artists School.

Bill's style is very highly finished, yet he doesn't draw a detailed drawing, or use grids, or other such nonsense. A lesson to us all.

An Online Ink-Drawing Book

This was just released by the Gutenberg Project, an entire 19th century pen and ink manual.

Pen Drawing, an illustrated treatise, byCharles Maginnis

UPDATE: Here's another one. The Practice and Science of Drawing, By Harold Speed.

Hand Drawing Tutorial

Hands are harder to draw than faces, in my opinion.

Ron Lemen's Skintone Tutorial

Get those fleshtones right!

Fred Flickstone

Fred (his real name is Ron Somethingorother) has posted a variety of useful tutorials at the Concept Art website (a highly recommended site).

Here's his Head Tutorial 1

Head Tutorial 2

Figure Drawing 1

Figure Drawing 2

Color theory 1

Color Theory 2

There may be others. I'll post them if I find them.

Sargent's Painting Methods

Here's a PDF document detailing John Singer Sargent's painting methods. He refused to share this information because

"As to describing my procedure, I find the greatest difficulty in making it clear to pupils, even with the palette and brushes in hand and with the model before me; to serve it up in the abstract seems to me hopeless."

But one of his students documented his techniqiues. This is very enlightening. He had no qualms about abandoning a painting that he had spent weeks working on. He'd ditch it, and start over on a new canvas if he was the least bit dissatisfied with it. That's an important lesson in itself, because I see too many people try to salvage a painting that's not working. There's much more information than that, but if even one of the lessons in this document helps you, you'll be a better artist.

Rent Art Instruction Videos

Here's a link for a video rental business I found recently. They have instructional videos on several topics, including art. Their selection is limited, but they told me that they are eager to add new titles, if people request them.

I've ordered a Scott Burdick video. I'll get to watch it for $20 instead of buying it for $95. You can rent individual disks for $10, or entire sets.

There are some videos I think I'd rather own, but renting them first, as a preview, is a great option!

Wildlife painting by Martin Ridley

Here's a step-by-step tutoral that takes you through the process of culling photos, field sketches, and other resources into a cohesive landscape with geese.

Ridley's main site

A New Approach To Painting Startlingly Realistic Paintings

This demo is done in an attempt to sell a specific product -- a spray medium -- intended to aid in applying paint. The product may be worth buying, but I haven't tried it, and don't know anyone who has.

The approach makes sense. The painting is executed by establishing a basic value/color scheme, and developing it from there. Details are saved until the very end, as they should be.

Debra Jones

Debra is a regular on WetCanvas.com, and I have admired her work for some time.

Yesterday she posted this very nice sequence of images of a portrait she had painted from life. It's not a demonstration in that she added no instructive commentary, but the images speak volumes about her process.

Here's her website.

David Leopoldo Benavidez

David Leopoldo Benavidez demonstrates how he paints a portrait in a loose painterly style.

Often beginners believe that loosley painted pictures are done quickly, and with abandon. This is not true, despite what you see in the movies. It's a careful process.

NOTE: For some reason, the direct link doesn't work. Click the "Gallery" link, then scroll to the "Portrait Demonstration" link.

Rebecca Alzofon Teaches Prud'hon's Technique

This is an advanced tutorial, spanning many pages. Alzofon discusses Prud'on's works, then dissects his technique, and proceeds with a step-by-step demonstration. The results are stunning.

Also see Rebecca's three-value drawing tutorial.

Cyrille Jubert Teaches Watercolor

This French artist specializes in dog portraits. Here's a watercolor dog portrait demo.

ArtsStudio.com

This site doesn't have demonstrations in the truest sense. It's a company that sells hand-painted copies of master paintings. They do, however, show photos of the paintings in progress. There's no instructional text.

The finished works look just like the masters (at least online they do), so you may gain some insight into how to paint better.

The site offers many examples of their works, going back to 1999.

Jimmie Arroyo's "Hacel"

Jimmie Arroyo is beginning to make a splash in the art world. Seems every time I turn around, he's winning another award.

Here's a demo he posted of a portrait of Hacel. I liked this portrait so much, I bought the original!

See Jimmie's website here.

Igor Babailov

Igor Babailov makes his living as a commission portrait painter, and has received due notoriety for his work. Go to his demo page, and scroll down for three demos -- Drawing, Oil and Pastel.