Learning How to Paint Part 1 - Three Secrets to Success

You cannot learn how to paint in just a few weeks - the old masters spent years as an apprentice to master artists, and many more years refining their skills. You have to plan your learning program and work on it every day if you want to be a great artist. You need to build your foundation on solid principles. I believe there are about 500 to 1000 individual skills or chunks of knowledge you need to know about to become a good artist. I think the word 'talent' is overused in the art world. Talent only plays a role with the one or two painters that become elevated to the status of a great master. For the rest of us, it is not talent, but knowledge combined with a lot of hard work. Some people just have to work harder at it than others. That is what makes you a good painter.
Happy painting
Barry John Raybould
Virtual Art Academy

Category:

Howto & Style

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• oil painting
• art
• how to paint
• learn to paint
• art instruction
• old masters
• drawing
• how to draw
• online art lessons
• art course

[hyp0aktiv]

@RodrigoVdacosta

I agree with you. Half of my life I was convinced not to be able to paint. Now I´m painting since a few months and have reached a high level in this short time - not by reading books but by talent. Value, color, etc. - these are terms I have learned on youtube :-).

[RodrigoVdacosta]

... Actually, painting is not anything looking like economy. Even if artists have to work hard, really, the most important is talent; without it the people may even work hard but it won't be never enough.

When somebody said that art is 90% of work and 10% of inspiration... possibly, that guy has never known inspiration, only work. So, his painting or whatever surely will tell about it, because it won't have the inspirational light... Talent is the best friend of inspiration...