Teaching art has been a part of my life since the age of 15 when I taught my very first art lessons. Throughout those years and into the present, I’ve always endeavored to share what I know and what I’ve learned along the way. I just had opportunity to share some of that accumulated knowledge with a nice group of people on September 6, 2013 at the Ginger Lily, a small studio and gallery in the West Texas town of Lamesa.
In regards to the class, owner Ginger Witte, said this: “I learned more about oil painting today, than I’ve learned in the last 40 years, combined! THANK YOU! Your entire presentation was phenomenal!”
She also stated this on her Facebook page. “An amazing amount of information, wonderful presentation with examples, continuous personal attention and consistent help. Great demonstrations – a FULL day of oil painting! William Hagerman is a Fabulous teacher! WoW!”
I appreciate those comments, but I also really appreciate the students and the questions they ask. This is what makes it special for me. I never consider any questions as being stupid ones, even if they think so. Teaching forces me to translate the why’s and what’s of oil painting, often using verbal illustrations to help the students grasp certain concepts as well as offering encouragement and motivation to continue in their artistic pursuits. Plus, it reminds me of the reasons I do what I do in my own paintings. So teaching often teaches me!
The following is me reviewing and discussing some of the basics of oil painting such as how to analyze color and mix it with the classes rapt attention. Thankfully no one fell asleep during the morning lecture!
Here, I’m discussing and preparing to do a small demonstration to assist a student with the beginning stages of their painting as others also look on.
All in all, It was a fun filled day of art instruction and painting for everyone. I look forward to the next months session and see their progress.
Thank you for all the information it has been quiet helpful. When painting the main subject in either the mid ground or fore ground first do you ever run into problems painting the background around what is already painted, such as trees that have the basic leaf shapes painted? I have only seen paintings progress from the top to the bottom with the color/value scale adjusted as the work moves forward. Did you also paint the seascape in the same manner? I do see the value in your way of painting, and find it to be very interesting, just wondering do you run into issues painting around objects. Thanks for your time and attention.
In answer to your question Renee, I do not find it an issue when painting around objects. The reason is when first blocking in my values I’m not worried about the finished edges of say a tree. Therefore I can paint the sky up to the edges of a tree and then work those edges together, sometimes wet into wet, other times when it’s dry. Sometimes I don’t even put my sky in until I’ve blocked in other areas. Once I’ve got the canvas covered and ready for the next layer, typically when dry I can finish out edges and manipulate them however I want. As for the seascape you referred to and as best as I can remember I blocked in the darker rock mass first to compare the other values against it. But finishing work and details came later.
Thank you. Starting in the middle and not at the skyline first was a new concept to me. Your paintings are just the right amount of realism and just the right amount of artist interpretation to make each scene inviting and warm and to create memories of a more peaceful place and time. I will try to follow your examples when next I paint. I stopped painting for 20 years but have recently become inspired to paint again and to try landscapes this time in part to your website. Thank you again
I’m glad that you were inspired to paint again and that my website played a role in your decision to try painting landscapes.