Monday, November 30, 2015

Hundreds of Artists Are Doing It | Art Workshops Online

The following message is from our ArtistsNetwork team, and will let you in on a little secret about learning how to paint at home. Now’s a great time to start–North Light Shop’s exclusive painting and drawing kits are 15% off (limited time offer, while supplies last). You can also scroll down for an exclusive landscape painting demonstration and a 34-minute video preview of one of his Paint Alongs. Enjoy! ~Cherie

Why Hundreds of Artists Are Taking Online Classes with Johannes Vloothuis

1. They receive valuable information that can make their paintings more beautiful.

2. Students often express gratitude for being able to learn how to paint in the comfort of their homes–most students haven’t skipped a single course since beginning the series.

3. These courses are affordable. To travel to a workshop, it’s easy to spend up to $700 on expenses such as food, gas, lodging, and the class fees.

4. The online art classes have a personal feel compared to an in-person class, where you could be part of a 20-member group, struggling for a good view of the instructor’s painting demonstration. When learning to paint with Johannes at home, you see what the high-definition camera is broadcasting, literally over his shoulder. This gives you as close a view as the artist himself!

5. Johannes is well-known for verbalizing the complexity of techniques in simple terms while thinking out loud.

6. You have the ability to participate in a live text chat–ask Johannes questions and exchange ideas with fellow artists.

It’s common knowledge amongst top professional artists that there are more than 150 embedded secrets in landscape paintings. Your art will be only as good as a reflection of how many of these painting secrets you know. Johannes will reveal these necessary pointers that many other artists keep as secrets dearly to themselves. The live online art workshops contain demos in several mediums, and the next one begins December 5. Take 15% off Johannes’s Landscape Painting Essentials collection, and other exclusive painting and drawing kits at North Light Shop. As a special bonus, scroll down to see a 34-minute excerpt from one of the art workshops and view a step-by-step landscape painting demonstration in Johannes’s blog post!

Photo reference for landscape painting | Johannes Vloothuis art workshops, ArtistsNetwork.com

This is the Grand Teton viewed from Jackson Lake in Wyoming. The pink highlights are what motivated me to paint this scene. The landscape painting demonstration that follows was done in a live art workshop session.

Landscape painting art workshops | Johannes Vloothuis, ArtistsNetwork.com

I tend to give a wash with acrylics on the blank canvas so that some of this can glow through and the little specs of light where the brush did not cover the canvas completely, will add sparks of highlights. I prefer to get the darkest value in first. That way I can work in the rest of the values correctly by sheer comparison.

Landscape painting art workshops | Johannes Vloothuis, ArtistsNetwork.com

Now comes the general block-in. In this stage I’m only thinking about creating large abstractly designed masses in their correct value and overall color. I decided to make the mountain the predominant mass.

Landscape painting art workshops | Johannes Vloothuis, ArtistsNetwork.com

If you want your painting to feel more three dimensional, make your horizontal plane lighter than your vertical plane. I used burnt sienna for the shallow water. This makes the lake look natural and not resemble swimming pool water.

Landscape painting art workshops | Johannes Vloothuis, ArtistsNetwork.comOnce I complete the block-in, I tend to work on the center of interest early. This way I can make sure all surrounding areas are subdued. In this landscape painting, I added the sky and the mountain highlights. You can appreciate the mood setting. Paintings with moods are usually more successful.

Landscape painting art workshops | Johannes Vloothuis, ArtistsNetwork.com

I recommend you think of evergreen trees in one mass rather than depicting them individually. Make sure none of them are the same width and height. Also check the negative spaces in between them and vary those as well.

Landscape painting art workshops | Johannes Vloothuis, ArtistsNetwork.com

Apply negative painting to “carve out” the forms. This will result in a convincing 3D illusion.

Oil landscape painting demonstration by Johannes Vloothuis | ArtistsNetwork.com

‘That Time of Day’ (oil landscape painting) by Johannes Vloothuis

How the online art workshops work:

Johannes has created more than 100 paintings live while hundreds have watched. He provides the artists who wish to paint along with him with all the reference images as well as the canvas preparation and size. He diversifies into many different themes but will stay within the boundaries of landscape painting. Most paintings are done on a 12×16 and 11×14 inch area, and the composition is already thoroughly planned out ahead of time.. As a  student, you’ll download and print a template. You’ll then place this over tracing paper and transfer the image onto your canvas, watercolor paper or pastel paper. Landscape painting template by Johannes Vloothuis | ArtistsNetwork.com

Once the art workshop starts, Johannes will explain why he decided on a certain scene. He scrutinizes the reference photo and explains how to overcome all of the pitfalls while comparing this to the template drawing. No stone is unturned during this painting exercise. This is where he reveals painting secrets. Students often feel this is the most valuable moment of his online art workshops because making the transition between a reference photo to the painting is where problems typically arise–in this gap is where all the techniques are needed.

In the next stage it gets even more entertaining. This is where the paint is applied. Johannes believes all the thought and planning should be done before painting–then the artist can feel loose and free without falling into stereotyped procedures. You’ll often see him work randomly. He likes to depict what is already clear in his visual memory first. After this materializes he will add the more vague areas. Johannes applies a vital principle–to paint the way the eye anatomically perceives–so he concocted the term “peripheral area.”  You will also constantly hear him make reference to visual melody in eye movement. There is so much to learn!

You can acquire so many more painting techniques when you experience an art workshop online with Johannes Vloothuis! Give it a try! There’s a new course starting December 5, 2015. The fee is only $19.99 for three Saturdays of four hours each. For more info: http://improvemypaintings.com. Meanwhile you may want to watch this 34 minute excerpt from one of the classes here.

Reviews of Paint Alongs (art workshops) with Johannes Vloothuis

“I’ve been taking Jo’s online Paint Alongs for the past six months and, wow, has my artistic eye improved–not to mention my painting skills.” ~Mary

“I’ve been taking online art classes from Johannes now for about four years. My painting has improved in leaps and bounds. Over the years I had taken many many notes of the hundreds of tips and important things he was teaching to his students, which all helps to take your paintings to the next level.” ~Elaine

“Fantastic learning experience! You cannot beat Johannes when it comes to learning the ‘how-to’ of painting in any medium!”~Connie

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