Learning to See

Inspiration and practical advice for aspiring realist artists

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How to Loosen Up Your Painting (and Why You Shouldn’t Do It)

May 19, 2017 By: Paul50 Comments

As much as it surprises me, even within realist art I notice a tendency for people to see painting loosely as something desirable and painting “tight” as somehow restrictive and undesirable, limiting in some way. Even the word “tight” seems to have pejorative connotations in connection with painting. Why paint loose? I do think there

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Close to the Edge: How Edge Control Helps You Create Depth in Your Paintings

February 24, 2016 By: Paul14 Comments

Edge handling is a fundamental skill of drawing and painting. I’d put it up there with drawing accuracy, values and colour as one of the most important skills of realist art. The reason I place such importance on edge handling is the great potential it has for creating the illusion of depth. Types of edges Although

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Hi, I’m Paul

I'm a (mostly) self-taught artist. I paint realism in oils, mostly still life. I share my work, my evolving process and what knowledge I've gained on my own learning journey here, in the hope that it might help you on yours.
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