Teacher
Richard is a talented full time artist, who loves painting and teaching.
Never hit painter's block again!
"Bali!" 24x36" Acrylic on Canvas by Richard Robinson
Turn your memories into endless inspiration.
If you're like me (and most artists) you've wasted countless hours trying to figure out what to paint next. So frustrating!
Did you ever think that you'd like to capture the memory of a special time or place on canvas but didn't know where to start? This lesson is for you.
In this painting lesson, I'll guide you step by step through the process of turning your cherished memories into beautiful works of art. Whether it's a favorite landscape, a treasured moment, or a loved one, this session will teach you how to capture the essence of your memories on canvas.
Perfect for beginners and seasoned artists alike, "Paint Your Memories" offers tips on colour selection, brush techniques, and composition to help you create a personalised masterpiece. Let's transform your memories into timeless art together!
This demo is in acrylics but it's fine for oils too.
Just 5 steps
I’ll guide you all the way.
Start loose
Pick a memory, any memory. Choose a few colours or a colour scheme that speak to you about that memory. Using only large tools to start with, GO NUTS.
Variety is key!
Now's your chance to try new paints, tools and techniques - anything interesting you can lay your hands on. In this one I've used a water sprayer, splatters, scratching, rubbing, wiping, squeegy, plastic wrap, metallic paint and alcohol inks. Sooo much fun. Let's aim for variety in everything from colour, to shapes, to texture and line. Don't hold back.
Digital Design
Let your intuition lead you again, this time with composing your memories onto and into your abstract layer, digitally or manually. I'll show you how to use photoshop (and other tools) to design your dreamscape. The first step is photographing your abstract painting and then working on top of that with mulitple layers. Easy when you know how.
Big Shape Blockin
Before we start with more paint we need to preserve the abstract layer, so we give it a coat of gloss varnish (or similar) and let that dry well.
Next we lay in some broad areas with more opaque colours to float your memories on to. The trick here is to not obliterate the layers beneath so you need to slow down a bit and think about which parts you'll be preserving and how you'll do that.
Think, fast dry-brushing, broken texture, thinner paint at the edges, spray and blotting/wiping. The good news is, if you've protected your abstract layer first, you can always wipe this next layer off and try something different.
Finishing touches
Finally you get to pick up your little brushes! There are 3 keys to making your images look like slightly indistinct memories:
- Colour. Use colours that are close to what they're layering on top of, mainly. This helps retain the overall abstract quality of the painting, especially when viewed from a distance.
- Transparency. Where possible leave your image transparent to the underlayers, making parts of it indistinct and dreamy.
- Edges. Using soft and lost edges on parts of your image will enhance that dreamy quality, because memories aren't sharp images.
I'll take you step by step through this whole rich process and you can choose which parts you'd like to try out in your own work.
The Art of Healing
Of course not all memories are of sunny holidays but you can use this workshop as an opportunity to paint out some of your darker memories if you feel the pull to do that. No one needs to see them and perhaps you would benefit from venting them onto canvas. Then burn it and dance around the fire in peace.
“Every child is an artist; the problem is staying an artist when you grow up” – Pablo Picasso
Enjoy!
