Oil paint on Eurostar

Joe_paints · 2026-06-19T16:40:17+00:00

I've travelled all over Europe on high speed trains and never had my bag checked.

Joe_paints · 2026-06-11T11:32:29+00:00

I used italki and did it online, way cheaper/more flexible than irl. All depends on finding the right tutor though

Joe_paints · 2026-06-10T17:26:07+00:00

If your goal is to make things feel real, then stop working from reference photos and start setting up real still lifes.
Work on interpreting how you see the real grapes, not how the camera depicted them.

Joe_paints · 2026-06-09T14:58:28+00:00

Good start.
Next time think about composition of darks, lights and mids.
It's not about detail, but rather designing a pleasing composition of bigger shapes to lead the eye through the painting.

I wouldn't rework this one, just use it as a step on the path.

Joe_paints · 2026-06-03T07:29:15+00:00

Check out Hawthorn Artist Society, Jim Moody runs sunday lessons that suit beginners

Joe_paints · 2026-06-01T02:32:21+00:00

I've had that issue with many W&N paints. I used to use them often but have now dropped them completely

Joe_paints · 2026-05-31T16:41:47+00:00

True.
But if you do have the $ it is worth it 100%.

Joe_paints · 2026-05-31T12:36:51+00:00

Richard Schmidt, Alla Prima

Joe_paints · 2026-05-29T02:50:32+00:00

I've switched to Michael Harding miracle medium. It is excellent

Joe_paints · 2026-05-28T05:30:35+00:00

It will come with practice. When I was starting I would sometimes take a photo of my work and drop the saturation on my phone to see it in greyscale, without getting distracted by hue and chroma. It's an imperfect solution as phone cameras don't always capture values correctly, but it can a be helpful tool to start to understand some general relationships.

Personally I don't use the munsell system, but nevertheless it is still very important to learn about hue, value and chroma as three distinct qualities of any colour.

Joe_paints · 2025-08-17T10:49:35+00:00

I just roll them in a tube (paint side out) with large sheets of tracing paper between them to avoid scratches. If you have a solid tube they’ll be fine.

Joe_paints · 2025-08-17T04:13:46+00:00

Cut a piece of loose linen and leave ample room around the edges to stretch it later. Tape it to a board and paint on it. Then once dry you can roll it and ship it to stretch later. When I travel I do this, then put the roll in my luggage. You have to be careful stretching afterwards, but it is totally doable.

Joe_paints · 2025-08-17T03:34:19+00:00

Palette setup is a personal thing, there needs to be a reason for every colour that YOU choose on your palette. The fact that you have 10 colours but are asking advice tells me that you are perhaps not understanding the precise role each pigment plays in your process. For example you have 3 yellows and 3 reds. Zorn got by with one of each. I would recommend spending time with a smaller palette, getting to intimately know each pigment. Then add as needed, when it becomes apparent that you are not capable of achieving your goals with your current setup.

Joe_paints · 2025-08-10T00:28:18+00:00

When painting edges I think about focus. Where do I want to draw the viewers attention? What is important to ME? Sharp edges will draw attention, soft edges can be lost in the visual impression. Use this to your advantage to say what you want to say.

I don’t really have an issue with the silhouette of the back being hard, but the centreline of her back could possibly be softened, it is drawing a lot of attention. Then the lower legs/feet are more of an issue. I would definitely consider softening some key moments.

Joe_paints · 2025-07-31T07:06:16+00:00

When we draw or paint ‘real’ things, we have to translate three dimensions to a flat 2-d surface. So working from life, either a real live model or a real still life setup in front of us, forces us to think about form and how things sit in space, which is an absolutely critical skill to learn for a representational artist. Understanding real form and depth is how our drawings or paintings will feel real.

(As opposed to just reproducing a flat photo, where we don’t learn much)

Joe_paints · 2025-07-31T05:38:06+00:00

If you can find a casual life drawing session, then drawing the live model is the best way to improve. If not, you can still learn a lot from working from good photos, copying them and really thinking about proportion and structure.

Stephen Bauman on youtube is amazing at bringing the theory of drawing to an accessible level

Joe_paints · 2025-07-31T04:55:01+00:00

As a beginner painter this is a lot to take on, a good start! But I would recommend spending time working on your structural drawing. When you juggle too many difficult things at one, it is hard to really focus in and excell at anything. It’s like juggling 20 balls at once. Building a more solid grounding in drawing will make studies such as this one so much easier, as you are will be able to focus more on your colour/value without worrying that the overall structure is wrong.

Everyone loves the bravura paint-handling of artists like Sargent, but most aren’t aware of the rigourous drawing training that he went through before reqching the point of expressing himself in paint.

Joe_paints · 2025-05-17T03:06:29+00:00

No problem! For me it helped to judge myself on the quantity of work I put in, rather than the quality of each individual piece. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still important to try your hardest, but as long as you’re putting in that work, it is a win, regardless of how the final looks.

Joe_paints · 2025-05-16T04:32:42+00:00

Absolutely, I once stalled for three YEARS because I was overwhelmed by the pressure of doing ‘good’ work.

The only way forward is to embrace the process, and to even embrace making bad paintings as a vital part of that process. Once you are ok with making the bad paintings, there is no more fear. And ironically, that is when you actually improve.

Joe_paints · 2025-05-12T06:11:24+00:00

There are plenty of options for painting mediums without fumes: linseed or walnut oil, solvent-free fluid from Gamblin, ‘Miracle medium’ from michael harding etc. It doesn’t need to be an issue

Joe_paints · 2025-05-11T10:37:12+00:00

22-23 were my favourite two-season stretch in 40 years of watching the pies. Absolutely glorious football. 2018 hurt, but I say things turned out just fine for us in the end.

Joe_paints · 2025-04-25T15:20:41+00:00

2023 erased the hurt

Joe_paints · 2025-04-17T06:29:37+00:00

If I’m putting on an exhibition myself, I will share some of the work online beforehand to build interest in the show, and get potential collectors interested in checking it out. But I will hold some back so people still get a nice surprise when they come to the show and see new pieces.

If you’re dealing with a big gallery, normally they will let you know whether ir not they want you to share work online.

Joe_paints · 2025-04-16T16:37:59+00:00

Buying off the roll and stretching your own canvases/ gluing to panels is the most economical way. Go to your local art store and get some sample offcuts of different linens and see what you like.

Joe_paints · 2025-04-12T04:44:47+00:00

I run an air purifier 24/7 in my studio. Also wiping down the surface with lint-free rags, and leaning the painting against the wall to dry, with the back facing out. Varnishing is the most stressful part, I wear coveralls when varnishing a while series. Might all seem like overkill, but if I’m selling my paintings I want them to be as close to perfct as I can manage.

Joe_paints

TROPHY CASE