Tag: learn to paint

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Monday Morning Art School: five ways to create focal points

By the time you read this, I’ll be embarking on my first day of two weeks of teaching—first at Schoodic Institute in Acadia National Park, and then in the Berkshires. (Schoodic is now closed, but there’s still room in the Berkshires.) This morning I’m starting with composition and focal points.

Focal points are crucial in painting. They guide the viewer’s eye and create visual interest and impact. Not everything in a painting should compete for attention. Focal points help establish a clear visual order, telling the viewer where to look first. This hierarchy makes the painting more readable and engaging.

Understanding focal points is fundamental to intentionally designing your paintings. Focal points influence and interact with rhythm, value structure, color, edges, and detail—in short, the most critical elements of design.

For a more in-depth description of focal point, see here.

How to Create a Focal Point:

Here are five ways to create focal points in your paintings

Line—the human eye naturally follows lines.

Line is the boundary between two shapes. There are two fundamental kinds of line: actual lines, which are visible marks, and implied lines, which are suggested by a sequence of objects—like a row of trees or the gaze of the subject.

Line directs the eye, so you can use it to guide the viewer through the painting.

Value contrast—the eye sees shifts in value first.

This makes it the most important design element in visual art. Value contrast defines form and structure and creates the illusion of depth and volume. But most importantly, it controls the viewer’s eye.

Because of the physical construction of our eyes, we are drawn to areas of strong contrast. You can use value contrast to highlight focal points, draw the viewer through your composition and emphasize what’s important (and downplay what isn’t). That’s the theatrical power of chiaroscuro right there.

Chroma contrast—use high-chroma focal points in contrast to a neutral background.

Lobster pound, 14X18, oil on canvas, $1594 framed includes shipping and handling within the continental US.

First, some definitions. High chroma means intense, pure, vivid color. Low chroma means dull, neutral, or grayed-out color.

Passages of high chroma against low chroma draw attention and create focal points. Our eyes are drawn to areas of strong chroma contrast. For example, a splash of bright yellow in a painting full of muted tones instantly commands attention.

Varying chromatic intensity also adds emotional power, creates depth and space, and supports color harmony.

Warm vs. cool contrast—use warm tones against cool tones to create focal points.

Heavy Weather (Ketch Angelique), 24X36, oil on canvas, framed, $3985 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Contrasting warm and cool colors draw the eye. The viewer instinctively notices where temperatures shift, especially if warm and cool are placed side by side.

Warm vs. cool contrast is one of the most useful tools in a painter’s toolbox. It helps create spatial depth, especially when describing light and shadow. It adds emotional tone. Used properly, it creates color harmony.

Place focal points at strategic compositional points

Placing focal points at visually strategic points in a painting is essential. You would be unwise to place focal points on the edge of the canvas, for example. That looks unbalanced and will encourage the viewer’s eye to just leave the picture entirely.

Careful placement of focal points guides the viewer’s eye naturally. These have to be considered in relation to each other, and their placement is as important as the patterns of darks in your painting.

Strategic placement always takes into account the shape and orientation of the canvas. It’s about using the visual geometry of the space to strengthen the painting’s design.

I have just two workshops left in 2026! Reserve your spot:

Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace:

Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters

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Monday morning art school: loosen the grip of self-judgment

Above the Arctic Circle, 6X8, oil on archival canvasboard, $348 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Recently I’ve been writing about the crippling problem of self-judgment—here and here, for example. Here are some exercises you can try to loosen self-judgment’s death grip on your painting.

These exercises work because they focus on the process, not the product. Your goal is to build confidence through the act of painting. You do this by letting go of the idea that you can perfectly represent anything—either the vision in your mind’s eye or the scene in front of you. (I’ve never painted anything that matched my initial vision, and yet I’ve happily surprised myself many times.)

My goal is for you to focus on the joy and curiosity of painting. The happier you are with a brush in your hand, the better you’ll get at painting.

These exercises are not a replacement for good technique, and they don’t stand in for regular learning. They’re quick ‘practice swings’ that detach your idea of self-worth from your limitations.

Hare Bay, Newfoundland, 12X16, $1159 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Paint solely from your imagination

This means no reference and no trying to match your painting to anything in front of you. It’s a chance to swish paint around and just feel what your brushes can do.

Let your memory do the work

Draw from reference (real world or photos) and then paint solely from memory. After about twenty minutes, you’ve memorized the scene anyway. Do you like the results more than slavishly copying reality?

The 20-brushstroke painting

Read how to do it here. It’s a good way to stop yourself from overworking or overthinking.

The 20-minute painting

Set a timer. Paint. When time’s up, stop. No re-dos.

The goal, like the 20-brushstroke painting, is to break the habits of overworking or overthinking.

Athabasca River Confluence, 9X12, $696 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Copy a failed painting

Take a painting you hate and paint it a second time, without belaboring the fix.

What changed the second time around? (Note: this will work for bad paint application or drawing, but never for bad design.)

Paint in monochrome

Paint a scene using in only one color. Limiting color choices frees you up to focus on value, shape and brushwork. What do you lean on when you can’t rely on color?

Paint something with no planning

While I don’t recommend a steady diet of this, painting something without preparatory drawing can free you up to use raw and expressive brushwork. How much have you been perseverating on ‘getting it right’?

Paint with the intention of tearing it up when you’re done

Think of this as an Etch-a-Sketch experiment. Knowing something is temporary frees you from perfectionism. You might be surprised how strong your work gets when you stop being attached to the outcome.

Moonrise, 12X16, $1159 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

I have just two workshops left in 2026! Reserve your spot:

Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace:

Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters

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Monday Morning Art School: why is instruction important when learning to paint?

Beach erosion, 9X12, Carol L. Douglas, oil on canvas, private collection.

I’ve been both a student and a self-learner, so I speak from experience. Painting instruction provides structure, feedback, and foundational knowledge that self-teaching lacks.

Painting is made up of design elements like value, color, composition, edges, and brushwork. Instruction helps you learn how these elements work together.

Without guidance, we can spend years reinventing the wheel. A good teacher—and the emphasis has to be on ‘good’—helps you skip those detours and make real progress faster. You’re no longer guessing, you’re working with a purpose.

A good teacher can point out technical problems or compositional issues you wouldn’t notice on your own. Learning technique from an expert gives you tools to express your ideas more clearly and with confidence.

More than anything, painting is about learning to see—not just to recognize objects, but to observe light, shadow, shape, proportion, and color relationships. A good teacher trains your eye to notice what really matters.

I have three different paths to learning painting available now. Isn’t it time to choose one and get started?

Beach toys, 9X12, oil on canvasboard, Carol L. Douglas, private collection

Option 1: Workshops

Sea and Sky at Acadia National Park

This is my longest running workshop, in America’s first national park. This is a student favorite and personal favorite. Enjoy all-inclusive accommodation or join us as a commuter. August 3-8, 2025.

Find Your Authentic Voice in Plein Air, Berkshires, MA

The Berkshires are easily accessible from NYC and Boston, and a perfect blend of natural, historic, and agricultural beauty. August 11-15, 2025.

Immersive In-Person Fall Workshop, Rockport, ME

Spend a week of deep art engagement in Rockport, Maine, with fellow artists. This five-day session will open a new chapter in your journey as an artist. October 6-10, 2025

Beach Saplings, Carol L. Douglas, 9X12, oil on canvas, $869 framed.

Option 2: Zoom classes starting in mid-August

Don’t be confused because the names of these classes are similar; they’re two different approaches to the same question. The Monday night class is for those who need more guidance on the nuts-and-bolts business of painting. The Tuesday night class is for those who need critique and overall direction. If you have questions about which class to take, email me and we’ll chat.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation: For Intermediate Painters Mondays, 8/18 – 9/29 6-9 PM, EST

This class is perfect for anyone in an early or intermediate phase, or returning after time away. No pressure, no jargon—just encouragement and direction.

This relaxed, supportive class is designed for artists who want to build confidence and paint in a community setting. Bring any work you’ve done (even if it’s just sketches or photos!) and I’ll help you take the next steps. 

You’ll learn:

  • How to strengthen your summer paintings
  • Foundations of good composition and color
  • Tips for setting up and painting from life or photos
  • How to give and receive useful critique

What I Did on My Summer Vacation: For Advanced Painters Tuesdays, 8/19 – 9/30 6-9 PM, EST

This critique-driven class is for artists who are ready to refine their work and push it further. Bring in pieces for serious, constructive feedback—finished or in-progress—and use weekly exercises to rework, reframe, or respond to your summer output.

Each week offers:

  • In-depth group critique
  • Guided prompts to explore composition, editing, and intention
  • Focused painting time with optional instructor feedback
Fish Beach, Carol L. Douglas, 9X12, oil on archival canvasboard, private collection

Option 3: Work at your own pace, from your own studio

Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters

If you’re looking for more consistent, beautiful results in your painting, you need a repeatable protocol. In this online course, discover a system that will reliably improve your oil paintings. New for 2023, I’m offering a 7-part online course. Each class includes video content, quizzes, and exercises to do in your own studio at your own pace.

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What does it mean to paint with your own artistic voice?

Carol L. Douglas painting at Acadia National Park
Lauren Hammond painting this lovely landscape at last year’s Berkshire workshop.

What does it mean to paint with your own artistic voice? For many of us, that question remains even after years of making art. We learn technique, we study the masters. But deep down, we want to know what makes our work uniquely ours.

Voice vs. style

Your artistic voice is different from your style. Your voice is your personal, authentic point of view—what you want to say through your work. It reflects your values, interests, emotional tone, and subject matter choices. Your voice comes from who you are, not what you do.

Your style, on the other hand, is the visual language you use to express your voice. Style includes recognizable elements like brushwork, color palette, composition, and technique.

While style is what viewers notice first, it’s not fixed; it evolves and changes. Your artistic voice is much more important. It’s what you’re saying and why.

Cassie Sano’s painting of Undermountain Farm’s Victorian barn from the Berkshire workshop.

Teasing out your artistic voice

That’s the heart of Find Your Authentic Voice in Plein Air, a five-day immersive plein air painting workshop the second week of August. It will be held in the pastoral beauty of the western Massachusetts Berkshires, a place I really love.

Finding a style is illusory; it’s a moving target and nothing you should concentrate on. This plein air painting workshop invites you to leave behind mimicry and perfectionism. Instead, step confidently into your own creative point of view. I’ve designed it not just to improve your technique, but to reconnect you with the why of painting—to discover what moves you, and to translate that honestly onto the canvas.

The Berkshires provide a perfect setting for this kind of deep creative work. Rolling hills, shaded glens, historic farms, orchards and vibrant meadows offer subjects that are varied but never overwhelming. We’ll work outdoors each day, with each different location designed to capture different moods and light.

The Berkshires are calm and contemplative, although they have their dramatic moments. But I assure you that no two days are the same, and no two paintings will come out alike.

We’ll start with quick value studies, gesture sketches and color notes. From there, we’ll move into longer painting sessions. While these are to some degree self-directed, I’ll be making rounds, offering personalized feedback and encouragement.

Topics range, but we’re always addressing the core question: What are you really trying to say with this painting? Of course, I don’t really want you to answer that with words, but with visual imagery.

If a subject speaks to you, paint it. If a painting starts to veer in an unexpected direction, follow it. This plein air painting workshop encourages risk, revision, and rethinking, all in the service of finding something true.

The Berkshires landscape ranges from the pastoral beauty of Shaker communities to wilderness.

By the fourth day of every workshop, common patterns begin to emerge. You might notice you’re interested in the patterns of dark and light, or you may love quiet compositions. These patterns are signposts pointing toward your authentic voice.

I’ve been teaching plein air painting workshops for a long time, and I’ve noticed that by the end of the week, students are painting better and more confidently. They know what elements call to them, and they have the tools to answer that call with clarity and presence.

Find Your Authentic Voice in Plein Air is more than a plein air painting workshop; it’s a creative reset. It’s for painters who are ready to go beyond technique and into expression. It’s for those who want to see the landscape—and themselves—with new eyes. And it’s for anyone who’s ever asked, “What do I have to say as an artist?”

On a completely different note

Disco Fever
Thursday, July 17, 2025, 5-7 PM
19 Elm Street, Camden

Tomorrow is our disco night for Camden’s Third Thursday Art Walk. We’ll be at Lone Pine Real Estate, at 19 Elm St., Camden from 5-7 PM. My buddy Nate Quinn will be the DJ, and we’re featuring paintings by Rachel Houlihan (who has been giving me the gimlet eye about this disco idea all month), Stephen Florimbi and me.

In that we’re shooting for a Studio 54 vibe, I’m bringing champagne along with soft drinks and wine.

For all of you who’ve asked, here are my Betsey Johnson sequinned platform sneakers. I’ll only be wearing these if I’m NOT painting.

I have just two workshops left in 2026! Reserve your spot:

Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace:

Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters

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Why don’t I teach shorter painting workshops?

Camden Harbor from Curtis Island, oil on canvas, $2782 unframed includes shipping and handling in continental United States.

I’m teaching an advanced painting workshop this week. Today is the third day, and when my students departed yesterday, they all looked a little tired. OK, a lot tired. It’s a lot to work from 9 to 4 in open air, while trying to integrate new concepts.

A fellow teacher once told me that she had been asked to compress a four-week beginner course into two days. “I think it’s a disservice,” she said. “That’s a lot of information to compress into a much shorter time. So, either it’s a very shallow dive or there’s so much information compressed so tightly that half of it gets lost.”

I’m terrible at taking pictures while teaching, but one of my students set up in the shade of an old schooner, and I thought her easel looked darn cute there.

I am often asked about shorter painting workshops as well. They fit neatly into a weekend and the cost is lower, so they’re easier to sell. If they’re subject-based, like ‘painting sunsets,’ they can work because these painting workshops are inherently shallow. They work best for people who already know the rudiments of painting; otherwise, they’re a bit too much like sip-and-paints.

But two or three days are insufficient when it’s a question of really developing style, color fluency, composition and form. And if you understand these concepts, you don’t need a special painting workshop on sunsets or water; you have the tools to paint anything you want.

Downtown Rockport, 14X18, oil on archival canvasboard, framed, $1594 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

What can go wrong? A lot.

Basic protocols for watercolor and oils run to about seven discrete steps, depending on how you break them down. Here are, roughly, the steps for oil painting:

  1. Set up your palette with all colors out, organized in a useful manner.
  2. Do a value drawing.
  3. Crop your drawing and identify and strengthen big shapes and movements.
  4. Transfer the drawing to canvas with paint as a monochromatic grisaille.
  5. Underpaint big shapes making sure value, chroma and hue are correct.
  6. Divide big shapes and develop details.
  7. Add highlights, detail and impasto as desired.

Let’s just consider #2. It’s almost useless for me to just tell you to do a sketch. In fact, if I did that, you’d have to wonder why you didn’t just draw on the canvas instead. You need insight into what you’re looking for, what makes a good composition, and different ways to do that preparatory composition.

Maynard Dixon Clouds, 11X14, oil on archival canvas board, $869 includes shipping in continental US.

I can (and sometimes do) rattle off a lecture on these points, but that is the just the start of the process of discovery. Unfortunately, in a two-day painting workshop, that’s about all the time we’d have for the step many artists consider most crucial to the development of a good painting. You, the student, then go home and consult your notes. They become a slavish list of dos-and-don’ts, rather than a framework for a deeper understanding.

It’s far better that I start with an exercise that allows you to build understanding of composition on your own. That, in a nutshell, is the difference between a book and interactive teaching. It’s why people take painting workshops in the first place.

That kind of teaching takes time.

Arthur Wesley Dow, the popularizer of Notan, had his students work for weeks on line before they eventually graduated to masses and then finally to greyscale and color. His students included Georgia O’Keeffe, Charles Sheeler, Charles Burchfield, and other 20th century art luminaries, so he was definitely onto something. Learning to paint properly takes time.

This is a revision of a post from 2022.

I have just two workshops left in 2026! Reserve your spot:

Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace:

Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters

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Monday Morning Art School: maximize your painting workshop

Main Street, Owl’s Head, oil on archival canvasboard, $1623 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

The hardest thing for a teacher is the student who says, “yes, but…” to everything one tells them. I should know; I tend to be one of those myself. I know what it means to stubbornly protect what I already know, to rely on my own skills instead of opening my mind to new concepts.

The Vineyard, oil on linen, 30X40, $5072 framed, includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Come prepared

Study the supply list, but don’t just run right out and buy everything on it. Every teacher has a reason for asking for specific materials. In my case, it’s that I teach a system of paired primaries. You can’t understand color theory without the right paints. Another teacher might emphasize beautiful mark-making. If you don’t buy the brushes he suggests, how are you going to understand his technique?

A tube of cadmium green that I once bought for a workshop and never opened still rankles. I never want to do that to my students. When you study with me, I want you to read my supply lists. If something confuses you, or you think you already have a similar item, email and ask.

(If you find yourself buying something for one of my classes or workshops and not using it, would you let me know? It means I’m missing something.)

Bring the right clothes. I send my students a packing list for clothes and personal belongings. But modify it for the weather you’re expecting. Don’t ignore the insect repellant and sunscreen.

The Surf is Cranking Up, 8X16, oil on linenboard, $903 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Know what you’re getting into.

“How can you stand this? It’s all so green!” an urban painter once said to me after a week in the Adirondacks.

There are no Starbucks in Acadia National Park or on the clear, still waters of Penobscot Bay. If you’re dependent on your latte macchiato, you may be uncomfortable at first. But the beauty of America’s wild places more than makes up for it. (And somehow, there’s always coffee, even where there’s no cell phone reception.)

Take notes

There’s a sketchbook on my supply list; plan on writing as much as you draw. If you write down key points, you’ll remember them far better than if you just read my handouts.

Listen for new ideas and ask questions. If I can’t stop and answer them mid-stream, save them for after the demo. Participate in discussions and know that your voice is valued; I’ve learned more from my students than from anyone else.

Home Farm, 20X24, oil on canvas, $2898 framed includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Be prepared to get down and dirty.

I’m not talking about the outdoors here, I’m talking about change and growth. I am highly competitive myself, so it’s difficult for me to feel like I’m struggling. However, it’s in challenge that we make progress. Use your teacher’s method while you’re at the workshop, even if you feel like you’ve stepped back ten years in your development. That’s a temporary problem.

You can disregard what you learn when you go home, or incorporate only small pieces into your technique, but you signed up for the workshop to grow and change. You can’t do that if you cling to your own technique.

Connect with your classmates

There’s power in those relationships. Exchange email addresses. Keep in contact. Follow them on Instagram or Twitter. You’ll learn as much from each other as you will from me.

This was originally posted in March, 2023, but since I’m teaching a workshop starting today, I thought it was worth repeating.

I have just two workshops left in 2026! Reserve your spot:

Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace:

Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters

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Monday Morning Art School: where do I start?

Downtown Rockport, 14X18, oil on archival canvasboard, framed, $1594 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

“I want to learn to paint but have no idea where to start,” a reader wrote. That’s a common problem, one that can express itself with questions about cost or not knowing what medium to pick.

First, the pernicious lie of talent

I’ve written extensively about talent, but I’ll just note that in art, as in everything, success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.

How to choose a medium

There is no one ‘best’ medium. I’ve had students work in oils, acrylics, watercolor, gouache, pastel and even egg-tempera. Every painting medium has the potential to be highly-detailed or highly-expressive.

Home Port, 18X24,, $2318 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

I usually ask students what painters and paintings they like, and work back from there. A person who is gaga over Edgar Degas’ pastels should probably consider pastels; a person who loves the luminosity of Wolf Kahn’s oil paintings need look no farther than oil paint.

There is no one ‘safer’ medium, because the hazards of artists’ paints lie in the pigments. The same pigments are used across all mediums, and the risk has declined considerably. Industry has brought us many safe analogues for older, more toxic pigments.

Oil painters once used turpentine as solvent, but that has been replaced by odorless mineral spirits. Acrylic polymers have low toxicity, but we dump the residue into our sewers and their environmental impact is an area of ongoing research. Watercolors and gouache use tap water as well, but they aren’t plastics; their health and environmental impact is nil. Pastels are often sold in sets without the individual pigments identified. For that reason, they shouldn’t be used without gloves or a skin barrier. Where there’s pastel dust, a good HEPA filter is imperative. All of these risks are manageable, but they do require consideration.

There’s no one medium that’s cheaper over the long haul. Whereas oil painters go through more paint, watercolor brushes are more expensive. In my experience (and I’ve used them all) the costs average out over time.

Camden Harbor from Curtis Island, oil on canvas, $2782 unframed includes shipping and handling in continental United States.

Where do I start?

I’m happy to share my supply lists, which you can find in this blog post. However, what you need depends on what you’re trying to do. For example, studio painting uses the same pigments and brushes as plein air, but the easel requirements are very different.

Starting to learn to paint can feel overwhelming. There’s fear of doing it wrong, of wasting time or materials or of making something that doesn’t match the vision in our heads. Don’t let that last one scare you; I’ve been painting for almost sixty years and have never quite matched the vision in my head.

One of the rookie errors of learning to paint is to try to buy your way to success. Art supply companies make their millions on impulse buyers. That can take the form of paints and brushes you don’t need, or it can take the form of cheap materials that will never do what you want them to do.

Forsythia at Three Chimneys, oil on archival canvasboard, $869 framed includes shipping and handling in continental United States.

I believe you will save money and time by taking classes first. Above all, don’t agonize. I’ve made a million dumb mistakes, but they’re part of the learning process.

I used to have a student who started every painting by telling me, “I’m going to give this to ___ for ___.” It wiped her out, every single time. We should always start with the process, not the result. Every painting we do is practice for the next one that comes along.

I have just two workshops left in 2026! Reserve your spot:

Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace:

Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters

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Finding your artistic voice in the age of social media

Best Buds, 11X14, oil on canvasboard, $1087 framed includes shipping and handling in continental US.

On Wednesday, I wrote about the influence of social media on art. That leads to an inevitable question: how do we find and maintain our authentic artistic voices while navigating a world driven by visibility, algorithms, and market pressures?

Artists have always struggled to find a balance between creative freedom and commerce. That’s especially true for those artists with unique viewpoints. Vincent van Gogh is a prime example of an artist who couldn’t sell his work but profoundly influenced art history. There are others who’ve waited lifetimes to be recognized, but who stayed true to their inner vision.

Then there’s the question of purpose, which I addressed here. Whether you think your art should sooth, heal, provoke or simply entertain, understanding why you make art helps you in finding your artistic voice.

In Control (Grace and her Unicorn), 24X30, $3,478 framed, oil on canvas, includes shipping in continental United States.

The arts and craftsmanship

Craftsmanship is so contrary to our digital culture that it can be a form of resistance. Finding your artistic voice may be as simple as slowing down and focusing on technique and observation. That’s especially important as we see AI eking out more territory in the visual world. What AI can’t do, right now, is copy the individuality of human creations, that gap between our inner vision and what comes off our paintbrushes.

Lean into your own story

I’ve been working on narrative painting for the last six months. Even though that’s not what’s easy for me to sell, I still think it’s the right move for me. In the age of mass-produced, digital artwork, the personal trumps the analgesic quality of much mainstream art. What we know and live is grounded, honest, and impossible for computers or copyists to imitate.

Tilt-A-Whirl, oil on archival canvasboard, $869 framed includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Be selective in using social media

I’ve spent several months trying to embrace Bluesky, despite thinking that my blue-haired church lady self isn’t a great fit there. Now Bluesky is flatlining. I can hustle to try to find the next new thing, but that’s like a dog chasing its tail. Yes, we should embrace social media platforms, but not to the point where they take over our lives.

My goal is to accept the social media game but on my own terms. Doing that successfully is a constant battle, both against my own lack of engagement and the inscrutability of what’s trending.

Ice Cream Stand, oil on archival canvasboard, $869 framed includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Experiment

I have a student who has been experimenting with combining watercolor with gouache. You might think that sounds simple, but it requires planning to merge passages of opacity and transparency in the same work. I’ve been delighted by her finished work. Breaking from what she knew seemed to help her sidestep the compositional and brushwork habits she’d learned in watercolor. To some degree, the medium is the message, as Marshall McLuhan famously said.

I have just two workshops left in 2026! Reserve your spot:

Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace:

Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters

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Monday Morning Art School: what medium should I choose?

Apple Blossom Time, oil on archival canvasboard, $869 framed includes shipping and handling in continental US.

I’m often asked about the best medium for the beginning artist. That’s like assuming that there’s a one-size-fits-all catsuit.

No medium is inherently easier or more difficult than another. They all have their challenges and rewards. Similarly, no medium is inherently more toxic than another; the toxicity of paint lies in the pigments, not the binder. You can avoid toxic pigments in any medium. And, perhaps most importantly, once you get past the entry-level supplies, they all hit an expense plateau, so you might as well choose what you like.

But don’t be surprised if you end up working in more than one medium. I use them all, and my great regret is that I don’t have more time to experiment.

A tiny painting done with Golden Open Acrylics.

Acrylics are fast-drying and versatile. You can layer and finish paintings quickly. They clean up well with soap and water, and inexpensive acrylic paints are available at most department stores at a low price (although you get what you pay for).

That same quick-drying characteristic is a minus when it comes to working slowly or en plein air, which is why most manufacturers now offer retarders. Retarders help, but never give you the open time of oils. Acrylics can also darken as they dry, and their final feel is more plasticky and less buttery than oils.

You can work acrylics leanly, but adding too much water breaks down the bonds. If your goal is transparency, you need to use an acrylic medium designed for glazing.

Rachel’s Garden, ~24×35, watercolor on Yupo, museum-grade plexiglass, $3985 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Watercolors are the most portable medium. With a travel kit, a brush and a sketchbook, you can paint anywhere.

Watercolors have a luminous quality that comes from the paper reflecting back through the pigment. They’re fast and spontaneous, and you needn’t worry overmuch if you screw something up; just paint something else. Cleanup is, of course, absurdly simple. Just rinse your brushes, wipe off your palette, and head home.

Of course, that’s all true until you set out to create something brilliant. The downside of watercolor is that errors are hard to fix. Once pigment sets, it’s often there to stay. That means you need to plan ahead. And getting consistent results takes practice and patience.

And good watercolor paper ain’t cheap, as my friend Becky constantly reminds me.

Oils offer the richest, most vibrant colors. Since they dry very slowly, you have tons of time to work, blend, tweak, and perfect your transitions, if that’s your thing. Oils have a centuries-long track record for durability without fading, and you can go from thin glazes to thick impasto with the same material.

Oils can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to dry to the touch, but don’t be fooled; that painting is still wet inside, which is why it can’t be varnished immediately. You will need odorless mineral spirits and a good brush soap to clean your brushes. The cleanup is a bit finickier than with other mediums, but it needn’t ruin your life.

Gouache is just opaque watercolor. It dries to a matte finish, and can cover underlying layers. It’s reworkable and fast-drying. It’s an excellent learning medium and is often used by illustrators because it’s quick.

Once dry, the paint layer can be easily scuffed or reactivated by moisture, so varnishing can tricky. Colors don’t always dry accurately, and gouache doesn’t blend well.

You need to work on a stiff board or paper, because gouache will crack if laid down too thickly or not on a proper support.

Shenandoah Valley, long time ago and far, far away… in pastel.

Pastels are expressive and tactile and support a wide range of styles.

There’s no need to learn brushwork with pastels, since there aren’t any brushes. Blending is simple and intuitive, as is layering and creating texture. Pastels, like oil paints, have a good record of longevity.

Finished pastel paintings are fragile, and need to be framed or fixed (which may change the colors.) Pastel dust is also potentially hazardous; more so, in fact, than any paint-bound medium. So pastelists should work in well-ventilated areas and wear some kind of gloves, since pigments can be absorbed through the skin.

My Tuesday class is sold out, but there’s still room in the Monday evening class:

Zoom Class: Advance your painting skills

Mondays, 6 PM – 9 PM EST
April 28 to June 9

Advance your skills in oils, watercolor, gouache, acrylics and pastels with guided exercises in design, composition and execution.

This Zoom class not only has tailored instruction, it provides a supportive community where students share work and get positive feedback in an encouraging and collaborative space. 

I have just two workshops left in 2026! Reserve your spot:

Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace:

Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters

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Spring flowers

Forsythia at Three Chimneys, oil on archival canvasboard, $869 framed includes shipping and handling in continental United States.

I was chuffed to get home from Malta to find hyacinths blooming along my driveway. The pieris japonica along my patio is singing its heart out, and the forsythia is starting to color up. Long delayed, the first signs of spring are finally here in midcoast Maine.

“What will you be teaching in the first class of Advance your Painting Skills?” a student asked. “I want to know what we’re painting!”

As I’ve mentioned, this is a bespoke class, based on students’ needs, but there are certain things every painting class should stress. Color is critical, and what better place to start than early spring flowers?

Lilacs, 12X12, private collection,

Learning how to paint, for the midlevel painter

We have six three-hour classes, which isn’t a lot of time to get things done. But here are the fundamental concepts that I will be stressing in this class:

Project workflow

That’s a fancy way of saying the artist has a process in place from idea to finish. That includes preparatory sketches and an order of operations appropriate for your specific media. For watercolors, that usually means light to dark. For oils and other solid media, that means dark to light and fat over lean. For everyone, it means big shapes to small shapes.

While there are exceptions to these rules, they should be locked down before you start puttering.

Bridalwreath spirea, private collection. They’re just starting to bud out now.

Color theory

That’s where we’ll be starting Monday night. Color theory is more than just the color wheel (important as that is). It includes warm vs. cool colors and color harmonies.

Mixing paint

Using the right color from the start is the secret to not flailing around. It’s a question of method.

Composition and design

If there’s one thing I natter on about, it’s composition. That includes balance, rhythm, movement, value, and focal points.

Brushwork

Brushwork, like handwriting, is highly individual; we don’t need the equivalent of the Palmer method. However, grip, angle and bristle type have a big effect on the results.

Miss Rumphius’ garden, private collection.

Working from life

Working from life is the best way to become adept at painting. While we can’t always avoid reference, we’ll learn how to simplify and strengthen our designs based on the real world. And we’ll explore the difference between working from life and working from photos.

The ability to critique our own work

I like to think of this as developing executive function in painting—to see how things are going wrong before they’re a disaster and to fix the problems in midstream.

An art vocabulary

Learning how to paint should include developing an art vocabulary and a familiarity with the canons of art. Seeing how master artists executed important concepts helps us understand how to apply those same ideas in our work. In every class, I try to show students great works of art that illustrate key concepts in every class.

My Tuesday class is sold out, but there’s still room in the Monday evening class:

Zoom Class: Advance your painting skills

Mondays, 6 PM – 9 PM EST
April 28 to June 9

Advance your skills in oils, watercolor, gouache, acrylics and pastels with guided exercises in design, composition and execution.

This Zoom class not only has tailored instruction, it provides a supportive community where students share work and get positive feedback in an encouraging and collaborative space. 

I have just two workshops left in 2026! Reserve your spot:

Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace:

Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters