All Blog Posts (597)

Painting Day# 9 - Crown Range

Another fantastic day - what did I do to… Continue

Added by Richard Robinson on June 2, 2010 at 19:40 — No Comments

Plein Air Painting - Crown Range

Clearing mist, top of the Crown Range.

Wow what an awesome day painting! Joined forces with Ben Ho and Mary Mai (2 great local artists) to paint above the clouds on the Crown Range - best…

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Added by Richard Robinson on June 1, 2010 at 19:38 — 2 Comments

Outdoor Painting

"Last Light, Cardrona Valley", Oil on Canvasboard, 10x8"

Thank God for the internet is all I can say...

The weather…

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Added by Richard Robinson on May 31, 2010 at 19:52 — No Comments

Progress slowly

Upgraded the Mixing Chart Colour Mix Hot and Cold1.pdf and finished a Munsell colour wheel to help composition. Coloured my blocks. Having fun, Terry…

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Added by terry clare on May 29, 2010 at 14:00 — 5 Comments

Again very gray weather today and very cold - they reckon snow’s on the way for this weekend so probably won’t be teaching an outdoor class unfortunately. Definitely felt like snow was coming today - F-Reeeezing…

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Added by Richard Robinson on May 20, 2010 at 18:43 — 1 Comment

Breaking through into free painting

I’ve learned so much over the past 4 days…

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Added by Richard Robinson on May 19, 2010 at 7:30 — 15 Comments

Plein Air Painting in Wanaka

First day painting today on this 3 week adventure. It started out rainy and totally grayed out, but began to clear at 11am so I hopped in the truck and followed my nose down the road. Had no idea where I was going - just turned left then left again and straight on till I found my spot. The hard part was just stopping…

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Added by Richard Robinson on May 13, 2010 at 20:11 — 3 Comments

Finding your own painting style

Had an interesting question from someone today about finding their own style. Thought you might like to read some thoughts on it...

QUESTION:

"Hi Richard, I'm an artist living and working in London. I have been hoping to 'find my own style' recently. Yet I've been frightened to 'let go' as it were. Do you have any advice with this?"

ANSWER:

"Your question's a tricky one - better discussed over a coffee in front of the easel I think. Everyone's different so I can only… Continue

Added by Richard Robinson on April 21, 2010 at 10:29 — 1 Comment

Letter to the Student of Painting

I just came across this letter from painter Charles Philip Brooks who runs a

teaching studio in North Carolina. He focuses on the American Tonalist

and Impressionist schools of painting. Recently he sent a letter he'd

written for his student Laurie Gayle to Artist Robert Genn, who released

it on his blog today. It is so beautiful and inspiring I thought you might

like to read it too...

"Letter to the Student of Painting"

"Your day contains a great… Continue

Added by Richard Robinson on April 10, 2010 at 15:00 — 1 Comment

Workshop in Wanaka coming soon

Hi All, will be heading down to Wanaka for a few weeks in May for lots of outdoor painting (OH YEAH!!!) and am starting to organize a workshop down there. Here's the page with the info:

http://www.livepaintinglessons.com/workshop_wanaka.php

Let me know asap if you can join me - there's a limit of 12 people.

Oh and if you hadn't heard yet, chapter… Continue

Added by Richard Robinson on April 9, 2010 at 11:03 — No Comments

Squinting and Defocusing

Hi All,

Just got one of those funny emails people send around. Usually I don't bother with them because I'm so busy, but this one actually caught my eye because...

... the email said "When you look at this picture you see it's Albert Einstein....But if you stand 15 feet away it will become Marilyn Monroe."

Being an artist who already knows the… Continue

Added by Richard Robinson on April 5, 2010 at 19:34 — No Comments

Competitions

Hi Richard,

My experience with most competitions has been that they have one winner and hundreds or many, of also rans. How about having a competition where everyone wins. Have contestants paint a small work on unstreched canvas with enough border to frame it later, for ease of rolling to mail, anything between 8x10 and 12x16. Appoint everyone winners in numerical order as having a first choice of anyone elses painting. Each contestant would have to mail there work to each other with a…

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Added by terry clare on March 25, 2010 at 13:33 — 1 Comment

growing

Hey Richard,

I was about to send you an e-mail asking for a cheat sheet pack list for my first attempt at plein aire when I noticed how much the site has grown. I wanted to send you my congratulations... I think that I was member number 35 and as of a moment ago there are 163! Brilliant! Thanks for all of the wonderful education and motivation you pass along. You help us all to grow each day. ...and if you have a pack list that I could bum off of you I will give you mille…

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Added by Amy Hinson on March 9, 2010 at 6:45 — 2 Comments

Life Drawing

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Added by Richard Robinson on February 25, 2010 at 9:11 — 4 Comments

Plein air painting

Summer Fields - 7x9" Oil on Canvas Board

$100US Click here to buy now >>…

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Added by Richard Robinson on February 15, 2010 at 19:00 — No Comments

Ch 5 Zinc White

Hi Richard,

I am currently tackling chapters 5 and 6 and I have a technical question. Is the Zinc white that you mentioned for color mixing the same as Chroma's Tinting white? I do not see a Zinc white on any of the stockist's listings... but that doesn't mean it isn't right in front of me (ha!). Thanks for your help and the new chapters.

Have a great day!

Amy

Added by Amy Hinson on February 9, 2010 at 5:19 — 1 Comment

To Glaze or not To Glaze

For a while now I have been totally undecided as to what I prefer. I have been glazeing all over my dry Oil paintings with a very light liquin oil based medium. I find it intensifes the colours and evens out the overall look of the painting.

But!

1 does it protect the painting?

2 does it stop it looking so dimensional by the evening out look it gives to the overall look?

3 Not sure I like the gloss look it leaves.

Would be interested in what others think and… Continue

Added by diane boucher on February 5, 2010 at 9:22 — 1 Comment

Mastering Color - Chapter 6 "Manipulating Color"

Took a while to get this one just right, but I'm pretty happy with it now.

It includes 77 pages of lesson notes with the 21 minute video.

Covers things like...

How can you create a mood with color?

The 3 Keys to creating true vibrancy.

What makes color 'sing'?

Value segments and powerful halftones.

Compressing… Continue

Added by Richard Robinson on January 23, 2010 at 10:16 — 2 Comments

Out of the wilderness.

Hi I joined this site last week and I have to tell you I am just thrilled to be here.

Richard you have been the light in my creative darkness. I've been in a painting wilderness for 14 months, having had full blown artist block with no desire to paint. After wandering around this site and watching the free lessons coming through my email I feel just so inspired again. I even managed to complete a small practice painting since joining here and I'm so pleased with myself. I feel a huge… Continue

Added by Elaine Fraser on January 16, 2010 at 12:09 — 1 Comment

Plein air painting

Got out painting last night from 6:30pm till 9pm just down the road in the Ruakaka estuary trying to get a better handle on this plein air painting business. Turns out it's really tricky - even after quite a bit of practice. The light wasn't quite right to continue with my previous painting so I turned around into the… Continue

Added by Richard Robinson on January 6, 2010 at 16:57 — No Comments