What Can You Learn From These Video Critiques?

Firstly, thanks for all the encouraging comments on this blog and on YouTube.  It really means a lot.  We're all getting a bit nervous because we've put so much into ArtTutor.com over the last 18 months and there still seems so much to do before the launch in July.  We'll do it though and I'm confident it will be worth the wait.

So on to this post...

I recently filmed 3 video critiques of artwork submitted by members of an ArtTutor focus group.  I think you can learn a tremendous amount from viewing the artwork of fellow artists because the problems they encounter with their pictures often mirror similar issues we have struggled with ourselves.

Or, just as importantly, a feature they've handled well can provide the solution that we've been searching for in our own efforts. Remember, critiques are about pointing out the good bits as well as potential areas for improvement!

Each critique is 7-10 minutes long and I use computer software to digitally 'enhance' each image so that you can see the before and after.

Within ArtTutor.com there will be a forum where you can submit your own artwork for critique by either myself or one of our professional tutors, free of charge.  Every month, we'll pick several images to critique that the entire community can learn from.

Enjoy the videos!

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Priority Notification List I hope you enjoyed this video. It's just one of dozens you'll find on ArtTutor.com, due to launch in July.  As part of the build up, we'll be posting lots of free goodies on this blog. Make sure miss nothing by adding yourself to the Priority Notification List below:
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Email Address * First Name *
Mediums Interested In Acrylics Coloured Pencils Drawing Oils Pastels Watercolours	Topics Interested In Landscapes/Seascapes/Townscapes Portraits Figures/Life Drawing Florals Animals/Wildlife Abstract

IT'S CHALLENGE TIME! WIN YOURSELF $50 OF ART MATERIALS

At ArtTutor.com we hold lots of things in high regard: art (you'll be pleased to know), tea breaks (with biscuits) and improving.

Improvement is the backbone of ArtTutor.com - we wouldn't be here if we didn't think you could use it to get better!

We have lots of ways to help you do this: the instruction (you can see some of the videos in our last post), the supportive community (more on that shortly), and our monthly challenges.

We'll be running competitions every month (with real prizes!) to give you a bit of an incentive to get your paints and pencils out and see what you can really do!

So to give you a little taste of what's to come we've created 3 challenges for you to have a go at. There's a real incentive too - we'll choose 3 winners per challenge and they will each get a voucher for $50 dollars (or the equivalent in your currency) for a major online art store.


Challenge #1: Movement
Gavin Mayhew's art is inspired by movement and he's been sharing some of his expertise with us.  Watch his video - An Introduction to Movement in Art (Part 1) - and have a go at recreating one of the following two images using his techniques.

Challenge #2: Watercolour Line and Wash
Joanne Thomas is a fantastic watercolourist and her loose style has proved really popular with those who bought her DVD on Expressive Watercolour Florals. Watch her video - Watercolour Line and Wash - and then have a go at one of the following images using the techniques she talks about.

 








Challenge #3: Palette Knife 
Bob Davies has been hard at work on our foundation courses because we think it's really important that you have a good grounding of the basics.  Watch his video on using a palette knife, and then use the techniques to have a go at one of the following mountain scenes.




 






















Instructions

Ok, so if you're interested, here's what to do:

• The closing date for entries is Sunday 8th July. We'll announce the winners on Monday 9th July.
• E-mail us a photograph of your artwork remembering to state your name and which challenge you are entering.
• Send all entries to art-tutor@paintboxartmedia.com.
  
• We'll reply within 24 hours of receiving your entry just to confirm we've got it. If you don't get a reply, send us it again (you may have mistyped the e-mail address).
• Please include your full name in your e-mail. 
  
• We only accept one entry per challenge but you can enter all of the different challenges if you want.
• We'll create a gallery of all entries on this blog, which we'll update every day.

Good luck and happy painting!

Choose A Lesson And Give It Go!

ArtTutor.com is nearly here! The website will be going live in July and we're already really excited about all the lessons we've been filming and all the artists that have dropped by to share their expertise!

But me and the team are quite impatient, and we don't want to wait until July to share some of our fantastic content with you, so below are the links to 5 of our favourite lessons to give you a sneak preview of what's to come!

They are complete lessons, not just snippets so we hope you find them really valuable.  We'll keep them posted on this blog until ArtTutor launches.

VIDEO #1 - Isle of Man Line & Wash

Medium: Watercolour

Artist: Joanne Thomas

Level: Intermediate

Duration: 33 Minutes

VIDEO #2 - Reminiscing

Medium: Coloured Pencils

Artist: Steve Ormerod

Level: Intermediate / Advanced

Duration: 7 minutes & 23 minutes

VIDEO #3 - Lilac Love

Medium: Oils

Artist: Marion Dutton

Level: Beginner

Duration: 49 Minutes

VIDEO #4 - Beginner's Guide To Using A Palette Knife

Medium: Acrylics

Artist: Bob Davies

Level: Beginner

Duration: 24 minutes

VIDEO #5 - Movement In Art (Part 1)

Medium: Pastels

Artist: Gavin Mayhew

Level: Beginner

Duration: 25 minutes

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Find Out More... I hope you enjoyed these videos. It's just one of dozens you'll find within ArtTutor.com, due to launch in July.  As part of the build up, we'll be posting lots of free goodies on this blog. Make sure you miss nothing by adding yourself to the Priority Notification List below:
* indicates required
Email Address * First Name *
Mediums Interested In Acrylics Coloured Pencils Drawing Oils Pastels Watercolours	Topics Interested In Landscapes/Seascapes Portraits Figures/Life Drawing Florals Animals/Wildlife Abstract

VIDEO #5 - An Introduction To Movement (Part 1)

Gavin is a real character!  His dynamic enthusiasm is perfect for a series of lessons on creating movement in art.  


Inspired by the upcoming Olympic Games in London, Gavin explores the human movement in gymnasts, tennis players and dancers.  In this first part, he looks at basic mark making before drawing a mid-air gymnast in pastel.

Title: An Introduction to Movement in Art (Part 1)
Medium: Pastels
Artist: Gavin Mayhew
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 25 minutes

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Find Out More... I hope you enjoyed this video. It's just one of dozens you'll find on ArtTutor.com, due to launch in July.  As part of the build up, we'll be posting lots of free goodies on this blog. Make sure you miss nothing by adding yourself to the Priority Notification List below:
* indicates required
Email Address * First Name *
Mediums Interested In Acrylics Coloured Pencils Drawing Oils Pastels Watercolours	Topics Interested In Landscapes/Seascapes Portraits Figures/Life Drawing Florals Animals/Wildlife Abstract

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Other Lessons By Gavin

Gavin has completed a series of 5 videos around the theme of human movement in art, progressing from representational to more abstract.  In his following lessons he looks at athletes and dancers, showing you how to capture energy and flow in your work.
 

VIDEO #4 - Beginner's Guide To Using A Palette Knife by Bob Davies

Bob has recently finished filming a compete Acrylics Foundation Course that takes you right from the basics of choosing equipment, through to techniques such as colour mixing, tonal contrast and ariel perspective.

This lesson appears early on in the course and it shows you the fundamentals of using a painting and palette knife (plus what the difference is between the two!).  You can have some great fun playing about with very inexpensive, plastic painting knives and achieve some great effects.  Give it go!
  
Title: Beginner's Guide To Using A Palette Knife
Medium: Acrylics
Artist: Bob Davies
Level: Beginner
Duration: 24 minutes

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Find Out More... I hope you enjoyed this video. It's just one of dozens you'll find on ArtTutor.com, due to launch in July.  As part of the build up, we'll be posting lots of free goodies on this blog. Make sure you miss nothing by adding yourself to the Priority Notification List below:
* indicates required
Email Address * First Name *
Mediums Interested In Acrylics Coloured Pencils Drawing Oils Pastels Watercolours	Topics Interested In Landscapes/Seascapes/Townscapes Portraits Figures/Life Drawing Florals Animals/Wildlife Abstract

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Other Lessons From Bob

Bob has also filmed quite a number of other beginner lessons, which make up the foundation courses on ArtTutor.com.  We have a Foundation Course for Acrylics, Oils, Watercolour, Drawing and Coloured Pencil (by Mike Howley).

VIDEO #3 - Lilac Love by Marion Dutton

In this lesson professional art tutor Marion Dutton takes us through a romantic beach scene in oils.  This is a great lesson for beginners because it uses the wet-in-wet oils technique (no waiting days for various layers to dry) and it's a real favourite with students in her private art classes.

If you're new to oils or if it's a medium that you've shied away from because of the perceived mess and drying times, do give this painting a go.  


Title: Lilac Love
Medium: Oils
Artist: Marion Dutton
Level: Beginner
Duration: 49 minutes




  

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Find Out More... I hope you enjoyed this video. It's just one of dozens you'll find on ArtTutor.com, due to launch in July.  As part of the build up, we'll be posting lots of free goodies on this blog. Make sure you miss nothing by adding yourself to the Priority Notification List below:
* indicates required
Email Address * First Name *
Mediums Interested In Acrylics Coloured Pencils Drawing Oils Pastels Watercolours	Topics Interested In Landscapes/Seascapes Portraits Figures/Life Drawing Florals Animals/Wildlife Abstract

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Other Lessons From Marion

Marion has also filmed quite a number of other lessons (landscapes, florals and figures), which will be released on ArtTutor.com throughout the the summer and autumn of 2012.

VIDEO #2 - Reminiscing by Steve Ormerod

In this video Steve recreates parts of an unbelievable portrait of a Greek national lady in coloured pencil.  

The challenge when filming artwork like this is that is can take tens of hours to produce, and even the most passionate student doesn't have the time or inclination to watch for that length of time...


So we had Steve reproduce 3 small key areas of the painting (the left cheek/eye area, the hair, and the background).  The result is that you get all the instruction without having to sit for hours, and seeing the original piece permanently on camera gives you that sense of completion.

I've added the first video (set up and materials) and the eye/cheek area video below.  I hope you find it both fascinating and instructive. 

Title: Reminiscing
Medium: Coloured Pencils
Artist: Steve Ormerod
Level: Intermediate / Advanced
Duration: 7min (part 1) and 23 min  (part 2)

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Find Out More... I hope you enjoyed this video. It's just one of dozens you'll find on ArtTutor.com, due to launch in July.  As part of the build up, we'll be posting lots of free goodies on this blog. Make sure you miss nothing by adding yourself to the Priority Notification List below:
* indicates required
Email Address * First Name *
Mediums Interested In Acrylics Coloured Pencils Drawing Oils Pastels Watercolours	Topics Interested In Landscapes/Seascapes Portraits Figures/Life Drawing Florals Animals/Wildlife Abstract

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Other Lessons From Steve

Steve has also filmed two other lesson for us using a similar format: Ocean Dreams and Matty, both equally as stunning I'm sure you'll agree...

VIDEO #1 - Isle of Man Line & Wash by Joanne Thomas

In this watercolour lesson, artist Joanne Thomas takes you through her loose, impressionistic style of painting.  

You've probably seen some of Joanne's floral videos.  Her range of landscapes is equally as inspiring and encouraging.  In this beautiful, rain-soaked scene from the Isle of Mann, Jo uses both watercolour and waterproof ink to create an image that anyone can reproduce.

Title: Isle of Man Line & Wash 
Medium: Watercolour
Artist: Joanne Thomas
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 33 min

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Find Out More... I hope you enjoyed this video. It's just one of dozens you'll find on ArtTutor.com, due to launch in July.  As part of the build up, we'll be posting lots of free goodies on this blog. Make sure you miss nothing by adding yourself to the Priority Notification List below:
* indicates required
Email Address * First Name *
Mediums Interested In Acrylics Coloured Pencils Drawing Oils Pastels Watercolours	Topics Interested In Landscapes/Seascapes/Townscapes Portraits Figures/Life Drawing Florals Animals/Wildlife Abstract

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Other Lessons From Joanne

Joanne has also filmed quite a number of other lessons (landscapes, florals and figures), which will be released on ArtTutor.com throughout the the summer and autumn of 2012.