I have a dream of a community that is FUN and AFFORDABLE where EVERYONE learns something. Not just the HOW but also the WHY and how to FIX IT. While I only teach in oil paints, the lessons we learn apply to many mediums: Acrylic Watercolor Pastels Colored Pencils Digital painting …and probably more - the important thing is REALISM. And the process looks something like this: 1️⃣ Deciding what to paint and why What matters to you? What story or feeling do you want to express? Is this something personal… or something you hope to sell? 2️⃣ Designing the painting Learning how to recognize strong compositions in reference images. negative space light and shadow patterns visual flow (yes… even Fibonacci sometimes) avoiding accidental dead-center compositions 3️⃣ Planning the painting. Before paint ever touches the panel: editing reference images deciding the painting size choosing tools and supplies creating a strong sketch (and a bunch of ways to do that!) 4️⃣ Understanding color. This is where painting really starts to make sense. hue value chroma warm vs cool relationships when to deviate from your reference image. 5️⃣ Painting the thing brush selection where to start building the painting step by step stepping back to evaluate 6️⃣ Finishing the painting “How do I know when it’s done?” glazing final adjustments signatures varnishing framing So that’s the rough roadmap of the classroom. 💛🗝️💛🗝️💛🗝️💛🗝️💛🗝️💛🗝️💛🗝️ NOW HERE IS THE FUN PART!!!!! Each month the community will submit reference images. We’ll narrow them down… The community votes. The winning image becomes the painting we learn together. 💛🗝️💛🗝️💛🗝️💛🗝️💛🗝️💛🗝️💛🗝️ THREE TIERS: Freemium Members Submit your photos Vote on what the community will paint next. Open Studio Days - Free Demos Class Parties with prizes Grad School Members Everything in Freemium Full painting tutorial Group improvement sessions. PhD Members Everything in both tiers Plus 1-to-1 input and guidance. Some tutorials will also be available as a single purchase also.

The one on the left is oil paint. The painting on the right was done in acrylic paint. They were painted one year apart. ONE. YEAR. No angels descended from heaven and anointed my paintbrush. No sudden burst of divine talent. What changed? SKILL. I Stopped GUESSING. I found help. Then, I developed and tested a system to teach others to paint realism. You CAN learn this too. The painting on the left sold for $2,500. Prints and cards of it have brought in over $7,000. This is PROOF. Painting isn’t magic. It isn’t a gift only handed out to mysterious left-handed children. (Literally I used to believe that.) It’s a learned skill. And if a former Stick Figure Drawing Dropout like me can figure it out… You can too. Are you drawing anything now? Even a digital drawing is ok @Kamal Webb. Even an adult one if you are willing to share.

Drawing and painting are as different as a map 🗾 and a romantic sunset 🌅. A lot of people believe this: “I must learn to draw… then I can paint.” 〽️ 🟧 🌙 Drawing uses lines and shapes 🕯️ 🔦 Painting uses light, color, value and edge control Two completely different languages. 🎨🟡🎨🟡🎨🟡🎨🟡🎨 So how do we start you ask? I’m building classes and videos that will give you accurate starting sketches. I call them road maps 🗺️. The map tells you where to go but it doesn’t tell you what the scenery will look like when you get there. When the road map is clear, the painting becomes a lot less stressful. 🎨🟡🎨🟡🎨🟡🎨🟡🎨 What the classroom will focus on: Applying paint to a panel (canvas alternative) Accuracy Color value Paint mixing Brush selection Tools of the trade 🎨🟡🎨🟡🎨🟡🎨🟡🎨 But the real goal is simple. WINS! I want you to have confidence that you can paint whatever YOUR heart desires.

🧑🏻‍🎨 Yes YOU! I know you probably want to argue with me here and I get it. I didn’t call myself an artist until I was 50 yr old! Miriam Webster says: ARTIST: a person who creates art (such as painting, sculpture, music, or writing) using conscious skill and creative imagination. 🎯 CONSCIOUS SKILL No mystical powers. No divine talent that you were born with. Not a right brain, left handed dominant mind. A SKILL 🌁 CREATIVE IMAGINATION We all have this! Remember being a kid? Your brain was a wild playground. Then you trained it: school, career, parenting, making money. We ALL have the ability to call ourselves an artist. The only thing holding you back is You. Together, we will build your skill. Please consider inviting someone here that says “I can’t even draw a Stick Figure”. I would appreciate it.

FALSE!!!! You can learn this skill but only if you want to.