Posted on 6 September, 2023

Bill’s egret – paint what you see, become the artist you can be!

Rather than talk about writing in this month’s post, I  hand the stage to a visual artist to discuss his own career and development in that field. I met Bill and his lovely wife Eileen more than twenty years ago in Charlotte, North Carolina, and am delighted that we have remained firm friends long beyond our period as workmates. I hope you find his insights as fascinating as I do.

My name is Bill Moore.  I am a retired insurance executive who lives in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with my wife of 50 years, Eileen. I started oil painting at the age of 50.   I have no formal training, but needed a hobby to relieve the stress of my job.  Twenty-three years later, I am doing commission paintings of wildlife and our beautiful low country.  I wrote the following article to encourage others to give painting a try. It is an incredible hobby that anyone can learn.  Bill Moore

 

“Learn to paint? – I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler!”

Every time I suggest oil painting as a hobby to a friend, this is what they say.  In fact, most people believe they have no artistic ability.  The reason is, they have never learned how to!  If you attempt to draw a person’s face, you will likely do it exactly the way you did in grammar school.  That is not because you have no talent, it’s because your skill level has never improved through learning.

Painting is a learned skill, just like driving a car.  As time goes on, you quickly learn what brushes help you to create the illusion you are trying to create, how to mix paint to get the color you want, how to take a small photograph and create a large painting, etc.   And that learning is the fun part!   You will find the learning curve to be steep.   Your third painting will be far better than your first.  The detail of your paintings will improve and your own style will evolve.

In my case, I started creating art for our home, our family and friends.  Start with a small canvas and simple subjects.  Try to recreate a painting by a favorite artist.   Do some reading.  A break through moment for me was reading, “Drawing on the right side of your Brain”, by Betty Edwards.  One thought in the book was an AH, AH moment. “Don’t try to paint a specific object like a tree, or a stream, paint what you see!”  Breaking the process down into single strokes of color, size and juxtaposition opened the door for me and the quality of my work leapfrogged. Many of the points I make in this article are gems from Betty.

Over time, you will develop a process of how to tackle the project.   For me, it starts with a photo copy and the creation of a grid on both the copy and the canvas.  An old tried and true method of increasing size.  Next is drawing the main subject on the canvas using the touch points of the copy subject on the grid as a guide.  I’m pretty precise with the measurements because it is important to get the dimensions of the subject correct.

Now the fun part.  I start with the background with no detail other than some basic color changes.  I call this stage, “getting some paint on the canvas”.    Next, I’ll do the same thing with the subject matter.   Then it is time to let the painting dry for a day or two.   In the following sessions, I will add detail gradually until I get the painting the way I want it.   (The hardest thing is knowing when to stop!). I find that I need to limit myself to 3 hours in each session or I will start to get tired and sloppy.  Most paintings will take four or five sessions depending on the size and level of detail required.

Well, that is my process.   Yours may be different.  Every artist puts their own spin on things. How much paint to use, color pallet, canvas size, abstract or realism.  It is all part of developing your own style.

But you can’t do it without taking that first step.   If you stick with it, you will have a life- long hobby that is fun and rewarding.   This post features a recent painting I did for charity.   It is one of my favorites because it exemplifies the style I have evolved to.   Creating art for gifts, charity or even for a little income is really fun.   In addition, it is something you can do your whole life.

 

So go get some brushes, a few canvases and some paint and do what Betty says, “paint what you see”.

Good luck.  If you have questions, write to me at WM992117@gmail. Com.  Bill Moore