"Uphill", 22"x30" Acrylic Abstract Landscape on Watercolor Paper. This is a demonstration painting for a Live Zoom Workshop on abstracting a landscape with Acrylics.
This is an acrylic abstracted landscape on a piece of 300lb watercolor paper that I painted as a demonstration piece for a recent Live Zoom Workshop.
Learning to paint? There have never been more options
I've been painting on and off since I was twelve tears old at which time you essentially had to take weekly classes. That was really the only thing available and it was often frustrating because I had to haul all of my supplies to a class and then set them up again when I returned home. Then you had to wait until next week's class to have the instructor critique what you had done during the week and offer feedback. At the time we all accepted it because that was all that was available. Occasionally you would stumble upon a book by an artist that you admired but even then most of the tutorials only had black and white images because color printing at the time was extremely expensive. They really weren't much help. Boy, how times have changed.
Today artist and art students have the world at their fingertips, literally. Aside from the convenience, it's ALL IN COLOR! That's a big thing for "old timers" like me. So lets look at the various options that are currently available and explore the pros and cons.
BOOKS
There are books galore these days that are beautifully illustrated and offer step by step tutorials by many very accomplished artists. I personally have hundreds of them that I have purchased over the years, mostly because that's all that there was at the time.
VIDEOS
I began purchasing videos when they were only available in VCR format. Needless to say, they're totally obsolete now. They were replaced with DVD's that were more compact and had much better image and audio quality. Those too are going the way of the typewriter.
Technology is advancing so quickly that what you purchase today will most likely be replaced within a couple of years. We now have digital videos that can be streamed or downloaded into your computer. They are much more convenient and you don't need a special piece of equipment to view them. You can view them on just about any computer including your cell phone. You can watch them as often as you like and pause, rewind, or fast forward as you please. The color and audio quality if far better than a few years ago.
IN HOUSE ON LOCATION WORKSHOPS
These have always been very popular for a variety of reasons. You get to meet the instructor and spend several days interacting with an artist whose work you admire. You can ask questions, get critiques, carefully observe the way the artist uses a brush and mixes colors among other things. Another big advantage of taking an in-house workshop is that the instructor can see how you are manipulating your brushes and whether you are working too wet or too dry. Meeting other artists and sharing ideas is also a great benefit of taking workshops. I know from my own experiences taking workshops that most of the other artists are more than happy to share ideas and experiences with you. I would sometimes pick up some really great tips from the person at the next table who was using a technique or brush that I had never heard of. I also made some life long friends at some of the workshops. In addition to learning, it is an opportunity to get away for a few days to relax and have some fun. Who doesn't need that once in a while. The pros of workshops go on and on but there are also some cons that need to be addressed. Unless the workshop is within a reasonable driving distance from your home you will need to pay for travel and lodging. Airfare is not as comfortable as it once was and it's certainly not inexpensive. By the same token; spending a day or two driving each way can also be expensive considering today's price of gasoline. Upon arrival you will typically spend several nights in a hotel, or bed and breakfast, both of which can be expensive. You'll also be eating two or three meals a day in restaurants. That too can be expensive. Combine all of these expenses with the cost of the instruction and other miscellaneous expenses throughout the week and it becomes somewhat pricey. For many people it is cost prohibitive and not a viable option.
LIVE ZOOM CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
This is what I consider a workable and cost effective solution for many artists. It does not offer the luxury and camaraderie of an on location workshop but it is often an affordable, and in many ways, convenient alternative. You still see the instructor in real time and can interact with them and ask questions. You can easily see what the artists is painting, how they are using their brushes, what colors they are mixing, how they are designing the piece and much more. Depending on the instructor, you can also have your work critiqued and see the critiques of others who are taking the same class. One of the best features of taking a Live Zoom Class is receiving a video of the class for future reference. You don't need to travel anywhere, you are in the comfort of your home or studio, you're not spending money eating out, and you have most likely saved quite a bit of money for the same instruction that you would have received on location plus you get a video that can be streamed or downloaded, something that you would not get in an on location workshop. Another advantage of the LIVE ZOOM classes is it's a great resource for those who are physically impaired or is a caretaker for someone else who is impaired. I have had several of my students comment how much they enjoy the convenience of the Zoom presentations for these reasons.
There you have it. Regardless of your budget, your skill level, or your interest, there is most likely a solution that will enable to learn much quicker than you might have a few years ago. I would have loved having so many great choices when I was learning and on a tight budget.
