How to Stop Overworking Your Paintings

Ian, I know I'm sounding repetitious, but boy, you make it look so simple. Oddly, the part that thrilled me the most was when you took the small brush and (without hesitation or fumbling or shaking) drew that roofline so beautifully. It never looks like your brush is overloaded, but you make those confident--and long--strokes and never seem to run out of color. Ever video makes me come away wanting to practice one technique or the other. I so appreciate you and your work. Have a wonderful holiday!

Overworking and trying to add detail to a painting that lacks the fundamental quality for shapes and values is definitely my biggest problem. Every time I try to do a lose painting style I find myself smothering it with completely unneccesary detail resulting in very messy painting. Thank you for great advice and demonstrating it on this absolutely amazing painting.

As a comic artist/ animator trying to get back to my classical training roots, these tutorials are absolutely magnificent, just loaded with gems and nuggets of amazing wisdom. Thank you for these amazing videos 🙏🙏

Wonderful advice. As a beginner painter, this enforces how important drawing and planning is. I always forward to seeing your lessons.

Good one Ian, as always. Every artist wants to get a "good painting", at least once in a great while. The key may be to "simplify", as the theme of this vid says, but that may not be as simple as it sounds. A good small painting is better than a bad big painting, if less impressive as to size. And it might actually sell, if that is your goal for it! The great landscape artist Scott Christensen once said in a vid of his I have on DVD, that "big is one thing, but big And ugly is a totally other thing"! Bigger paintings seem to need more detail but that may suck the life out of them. One way to get over that is to paint outdoors, you don't have much time to get too detailed or you shouldn't. And you should paint quite small, much smaller than your studio work which you may spend days on, all the while draining the energy from them, by overworking. That is easier said than done. If you are really terrible at painting in your studio, you may not want to face the ridicule of painting outdoors and have someone, make an unkind comment. That usually never happens, but it may be my own experience, and not someone's whose paintings really do suck. LOL. But seriously, even if you have done bad paintings in the studio, (and Everyone has boxes of them) look at them again and try do them much smaller; say take a 16x20 and do the same painting on an 8x10, with a big brush, one that feels awkward in your hand, not matter which hand you use, eh, Ian? You may find the "key" to making a simplified painting that way and give you the experience to translate that into a larger work, even back to the original size of the painting. It's a "trick" or method you can try in the comfort of your home, without the need to go outside and suffer the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune", or rude comments from passersby!! LOL. Actually, a little hike to a secluded spot helps too, with or without the pack mules, carrying your art supplies and camping gear!! :D Regardless, have "fun" painting, indoors or out, even though that is the very last thing you should ever expect from the painting experience. But it is a "worthwhile" endeavor, much better than mindlessly scrolling all day on your cell phone, for example!! LOL ;D

As a self-taught artist, I deeply thank you for these videos. In this channel I've found all the answers to my questions about composition, plus you're left handed and that makes everything look more comfy, at least for me 😅😅

Ian...thank you for a very straight forward explanation on thinking before painting and simply blocking out shapes to "uncomplicate" a scene!!..great job!!

Anytime I look at your painting process, it inspires me so much and I start painting on my own!!! Today's work of yours is adorable! I love how you turn simple shapes into real pieces of nature!

Hello Ian. I am a fan of Jay Maisel, the photographer. Many times he has recommended to study paintings in order to understand composition. That’s how I found you and bought your book “Mastering Composition”. Very interesting and helpful. Now I want to learn how to paint 😅 You are a very inspirational and great teacher. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and work with the world.

Hi Ian ! Thank you for another much awaited video ! I am always thrilled to see your thumbnail pencil sketches ! They always blow me away 😃! Your explanations are always simple and to the point which makes me remember them ! Thank you also for always coming up with so many explanations for any difficulties we come across while trying to paint !! You always create a sense of tranquility and serenity in your paintings and that is what I love most in your art ! I am ever so grateful to you Ian . I send you and your lovely wife Anne my sincerest Blessings and wish you health and happiness. Lorraine 🎨😁

Thank you for this.

Ian, every video you post is a gift to us. Much appreciated and many thanks for sharing all of this process.

Thanks so very much for continuing to make these. You achieve such a good balance in your work and explain your thought process so clearly.

Hi, Ian! Thank you so much for the video, it explains a lot about the planning stage of a painting. By the way, the painting is absolutely beautiful!

This might be my new favorite painting of yours. Always helpful and inspirational videos, Ian! Love from Finland

Always look forward to your clear and inspiring videos! Thank you

Thank you, Ian for another instructional painting video. Watching you paint and hearing your description of the drawing and painting process has helped my art work tremendously! I'm looking forward to your last video of 2022! Merry Christmas.

My monthly visit with my friend Ian! Your efforts are greatly valued and appreciated.

That was awesome! And great learning for me. Thanks Ian.

Love how you explain things so clearly! Thank you!