My journey into painting - Part 6

My journey into painting - Part 6

Teaching? As soon as I could paint just a little bit people asked whether I teach. There are two big mistake beginners can make. Number one is learning wrong things from people who don’t know it better. Number two is choosing the wrong medium. In particular water color. First thing you must be able to do is match a color from your paints. That is much easier with oils and all the steps that will follow too. From all the aspects and skills about painting there is one that touches me most: good color...  Possibly because It is so rarely seen. None of the other skills take quite as long to improve to a high level. When I see a good color painting it always blows my mind, whatever subject it is. It’s so damn precious. Good color does not just mean the precise mixing of paints on the palette. The mere copying of a photograph can be learned fairly quickly, at least with the oils. It is much more about the skill to see colors. When I first read about this I didn‘t know what to do with that. Hey teacher, i can‘t paint yet alright but I do see pretty well! I didn‘t have an idea how much painting colors from direct vision alters color vision over time. Regular study on location improves the eye like nothing else. The found color combinations get more fitting, harmonic and more beautiful. Even with oils, the most forgiving medium, this learning process takes many years and thousands of hours painting from vision. I am still far away from good color but find it fullfilling to work constantly on that particular skill.

Good color is difficult and no special supertalent ever started out with it. The more I am surprised how smart approaches to learn color are usually ignored. The blockstudy! Nothing compares to it when it comes to improvement per invested study time. 

In recent years I have been asked increasingly often whether I teach or can help with advice. I have tried it mildly, carefully, politely.... tried to explain in all detail why studying colored blocks is so rewarding, insightful, economical and fun. I did not manage to bring a single person study the blocks seriously.

Therfore I changed my approach to tough: A ballerina streches, a singer does voice exercises, a painting student studies the blocks. All others I don‘t take serious. That works well, at least for me as I am no longer wasting time. Teaching? No!