Learning This One Thing Instantly Improved My Paintings

🙏🏼 HOW REFRESHING that you answer the question in the VERY FIRST SENTENCE! Appreciation for that fact alone—that you got straight to the point and didn’t do the usual infuriating tease (which makes me instantly click away)—influenced me to watch the whole video. And it didn’t disappoint. Thank you thank you thank you. Subscribed ✅

I'm a digital artist, and this helped me boost my confidence to start painting my pieces instead of leaving them with flat color. Thanks.

Hey, can you do a video on the proper storage, clean up and disposal of oil paints, thinners and mediums? Would be very helpful.

I'm so grateful that you go over the basics so thoroughly

This came up in my suggested videos tonight; I've just binged about 5 others. I graduated best portfolio with a Bachelor's degree in Illustration in 2008, have worked as a free-lance artist and concept artist for over 13 years in the video game industry. I've had wonderful painting teachers. Have produced some technically well-executed oil paintings while in college. But since graduating I haven't picked up a paintbrush; I feel like I'm stuck. A blank canvas gives me anxiety. Conforming/appeasing professors in order to pass a class stripped all the creativity out of art for me. Comparing my work to other artists. Thinking every work I produce has to be a marketable, finished piece. Doubting my abilities when something didn't turn out exactly as I'd envisioned it. It all paralyzed me artistically for years. But after watching these videos where he explains the process in such an effortlessly tangible way...painting suddenly seems comfortable again. I just bought some oil paint and a canvas pad. I can't even express how grateful I am to this amazing person who's inspiring so many people <3

As a sculptor trying to learn and improve my oil painting skills, your reference to clay fruit models have inspired me to make some giant steel still life fruit. Love getting unexpected inspiration! Thanks for the lesson, too.

Agree 100%! I paint loose bold pet portraits, and I definitely use, and always have used this technique in a different way, I actually squint, and blur the reference to capture shapes rather than getting caught up in a nose or eye or detail. Thanks you for this awesome way to describe this way of painting!

Something that helps me a ton with this (which you demonstrated when showing the blurry flower reference image) is unfocusing my eyes when looking at a subject and painting the blocky, blobby shapes. I used to fixate on really small details to the point I’d have a really small detailed section with essentially nothing else around it, which overwhelmed me to the point of quitting pieces. Learning to paint the basic shapes of everything first was awesome and I actually started getting paintings done because of it!

Wow! I just learned a lot more about writing than I ever have before. I mean, not how to do it, but how to do it better. I understand plot points and lines now. It's the same thing. Find the big structure. For that you need the light and dark (reasons, motivations, tempers) and then you start chipping away at the blockiness by adding in detail. Lovely!

Thanks Chris, This is one of the best tutorials I've ever watched. My problem has always been that I get lost in detail, right from the start. In the end everything looked flat and round. This tutorial really helps me be more strategic with my paintings. I have to admit I admire the old style advertising paintings because of the exact fact that they have this blocky appeal. A great example is the Erik Henningsen advertising for Tuborg beer.

I'm a selftought painter.Your instructions are so precious and refreshing.Demistyfaying the art basics and making painting so atractiv to me again.Im so ready to explore a new dimensions of painting again.Thanks for your videos.💥👍

My goodness!!! What a fantastic gorgeous peaces of advices that you crumbled and packed beautifully in a so short video! You are incredible!!! I will see this video numerous times again and again! So worth it!!! I am feeling really inspired and you helped a tone with your expertise and advices. Congratulations!!! I’m so grateful! Sending you much love! ❤

I love every second of this 9.19 min. video. Thank you "Coach".

Thank you for doing what you do. Your helpful, direct, easy-to-digest videos are like a tonic for us artists who just need a little guidance now and then.

Your advice is always so clear and your demonstrations reinforce your advice so well, it makes your videos a pleasure to watch - and I know I'm going to learn something. Thanks for all the great lessons

Cool video! When I first started drawing, I was instructed to feel the reality of the subject. The goal being that reality is absolutely obtainable. It's not. I've since learned, it's much better to see behind the reality and see the illusion you're making.

Thank you for creating this awesome video and sharing the unique inner experience that we express through art. It is truly amazing to witness how you work on yourself and develop. You are doing great, and keep creating and sharing so we can all help each other uplift our artistic spirit.

Chris thanks for this video! Your a constant voice in my head on this learning journey.😊

I think most people know about starting with bolder shapes and then moving on to details, but you put that advice in a very intuitive way. I finally understand why sketches that only have curves do not look convincing, especially with shading without edges.

This is one of the MOST important tools I've learned. Not only does it improve your use of light and shadow but it often gets me past that paralyzed stage at the start of some projects where you sometimes just don't know where to begin. It helps you turn that mental image into something you can work with. Definitely subscribing and following this channel.