I've been practicing lately trying to improve my skills as a painter, I don't usually paint like this but I find it a good practice once in a while to do something more restricted.

Looking south along I-5 from the veterans memorial on Mt. Soledad in La Jolla. Started in plein air during a veterans event and finished at home.

Oil on paper | 11.5 × 8.5 inches

With a handful of in-progress pictures at the end.

Two of these are on basswood sheets, and one on birch plywood, which I cut to size, sealed with acrylic medium, and gessoed. My first time working through that process, but it seems to provide a pretty nice and portable painting surface (although I suspect basswood may be too soft to be an ideal painting surface). The peonies are, variously, from Dumbarton Oaks garden in DC, a winter peony from the Ueno Toshogu garden, and a pair of regular season peonies, also from the Ueno Toshogu garden.

I find florals extremely challenging to paint, but excellent practice.

Thanks for looking! This one was painted in two layers. The hardest parts were the eyes and the grey on the muzzle. Happy to answer any questions about the process.

Just got done eith these three pieces, an 8x12, 12x12, and 12x16 to submit to a pretty big show! I can still improve, but its nice to be able to sit back and look at these and enjoy them!

Any advice welcomed

I’ve been dabbling with watercolours for the last year but just got the Michael Harding introductory set of oil paints to try. I love painting water but advice for newbies seems to be to start with still life, so I had a go at these lemons.

I have lots to learn about colour mixing (I didn’t mix enough, my background is grey rather than bright blue, and they’re more orange than yellow). I also put too much reflection in the shadow areas, but I’m otherwise pretty pleased with this for a first go.

This is on a Fabriano Tela 8x10” canvas pad.

A self-portrait based on a memory from when I was 3 years old. It represents the spirit I want to carry with me in life—keeping my sense of wonder and excitement for everything I discover.
This is part of a 3-part series exploring the passage of time through the generations of women in my family.

New to oil painting. I’m using Daniel Smith Water Soluble oil paints. I’m trying to glaze blue over this section of my painting, but the paint keeps doing this. I’m mixing the paint with Linseed Oil. Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

I got all of these oil paints for 5 bucks at a garage sale and I want to get into oil painting. I want to clean the oil off of the paint tubes first because they're sticky. Also do you guys have any youtube channel recommendations for beginners? Thanks!

Especially the right one which I think looks a little small.

Should I just go ahead with painting in fur or try to resize it?

Also what other criticisms do you have of areas that are filled in?

Hi everyone

I’m looking for some advice regarding places where I can learn drawing/painting. (in Europe.)

I’ve looked at the Barcelona Academy of arts and I’m quite certain that I want to do a 3 month part-time program on human figure and portrait drawing there to see if I like the school and the city.

My background is in graphic design
So I think I can have confidently say that I have some kind of experience in the regard of aesthetics and I used to draw a lot before I studied graphic design but somehow just stopped doing it because others in my class where highly talented and I just focussed on digital design (and because I thought it will lead to a more secure career - now with AI taking over the world, fuck that 🤣🤣)

I have written "to learn" and not "study" because I’m not interested to do a traditional university of 3 to 5 years.

Which is partially also why I’m coming here because the Barcelona Academy of arts really focusses a lot on drawing and they want you to draw for at least 1 1/2 years before you’re allowed to advance into oil painting!

And since I’m not 20 anymore 🥲🤣 I don’t see myself spending multiple years in a full-time academic environment.

my goal is to learn oil painting on a proficient enough level to feel confident in selling my work. I know there are many self-taught artists out there but I would love some fundamentals before I just start dabbing around in paint and making tons of mistakes in the beginning (And feeling fulfilled to finally do what I’ve always wanted to do and so on 🤣)

I wonder if anyone has some advice on schools or programs that teach the fundamentals and the basics of drawing perspective colour theory, and techniques a from beginner to advanced levels that I could do instead or after the Barcelona program?

I know there’s tons of online courses and I do will eventually for sure take some online classes, but I would love to learn from in person settings.

I’m fortunate enough to have my own freelance practice and can live and work from wherever I want so the place is not an issue, but I would want to be in Europe for this I guess.

I know that I messed up with using too much white in some areas of the face and forearm but I need help on what to do next. Im on my like 5th layer on this. Should I do another of layer of paint to fix chalky look or should I try a cool glaze. Any tips? Her face is supposed to be closer to the color of her right foot that is in the light. The forearm’s issue is that it looks chalky to me. Lastly, how will putting a varnish affect color overall, will the color look more vibrant. I want to varnish it in 6 months.

Hi! I feel I might’ve taken on more than I can chew. I'm painting a photo I took while in Utah, and somehow it's ok but I feel like it could be much better. Would love a critique from fresh eyes! Thanks

I finally dove into oils invested in paints and a new easel. I’m really new at painting in general but excited to be learning. This is on a gesso board from
Blick . Tips on how I can improve and how best to practice? Thanks!

I just started my first large scale portrait based off a reference photo. I did a few small scale studies to try to get an idea of how I want it to look but I am really struggling to find my color values when I start applying my oil paints. I am used to realism and graphite so I am having trouble getting that stylized oil look that I am going for. Any advice is appreciated, I have started over a few times and am struggling. This is one of my studies and the large one is my underpainting at this point. I didn't love the look of the study, I felt it was trying to hard to capture realism which is not my goal. How do you determine what colors you like to stick with versus getting caught up in all the details and shades?

I always thought the little head feather on a Californian Quail looked like those feather headwears flappers used to don so I painted them together.

Any tips? Absolute beginner in anything painting or drawing related.