How to Paint

If you want to learn to paint or increase your skills, I have some excellent resources that have helped hundreds of my students learn to paint and gain confidence.

All resources on this page are free for you to download and reproduce for personal use.

Video demonstration of why you are unable to paint realistically.

How to Mix Color Part 1

This 7 minute video explains why "what you think you see" keeps you from drawing and painting realistically. Forget perspective, tricks, and tips and you will be amazed how well you can mix color, draw, and paint.

Video demonstration of an easy way to mix oil or acrylic paints.

How to Mix Color Part 2

This 9 minute video demonstrates how to mix any color you can see in nature using just 5 colors and 7 steps. Forget about the color wheel, warm and cool colors and just mix the color you want to match!

How to mix paint to match any color

How to Mix Color Guide

This is the FREE guide used to mix color shown in the "How to Mix Color Part 2" video. It also includes the typical names found on acrylic and oil paint tubes used in the video.

A list of colors to purchase that work with the Color Mixing Guide

Colors to Purchase

This document lists the colors used in the Color Mixing Guide and in my video demonstration on mixing colors. The colors listed are popular brands and are readily available.

Material list and how to select a photo to paint from

Acrylic & Oil Painting Material List

If you are taking one of my workshops here are the material lists for Acrylic Painting and Oil Painting.

A quick guide to oil painting from start to finish

Quick Guide to Painting

This one page document summarizes the steps required to complete a painting.

Everything you need to know about oil painting

Technical Guide

This 4 page document will give you the technical information you need to paint in oil without overburdening you with details.

Colors to use for intense oil and acrylic paintings.

Intense Modern Palette

The colors included in this palette occupy the most space around the perimeter of the color wheel, giving painters the greatest color mixing potential and intense colors. I would NOT use this until you master the 5 color system.

Best lights to use for oil and acrylic painting.

Studio Lighting Setup

This handout gives you an easy to understand and implement method for getting the proper amount of light on your painting. It also eliminates glare on your painting.

Photo of artist-teacher Michael James Smith.

Michael James Smith

Watch Michael James Smith explain AND paint photo-realistic sky, clouds, water, grass, trees, pets, fur, facial hair and so much more.

Draw Mix Paint tutorials

Draw Mix Paint

Learn to mix and paint in a loose painterly manner at Mark Carder’s drawmixpaint.com. He covers how to complete a painting from start to finish.

Pexels free stock photos.

Pexels Stock Photos

Pexels is an excellent place to find and download free, royalty free resource photos for  your art. No permission needed to use photos.

About Bendykowski and his art. FAQ'a.

Unsplash Stock Photos

Unsplash is an excellent place to find and download free, royalty free resource photos for  your art. No permission needed to use photos.

Photo of JP Sears of Awaken with JP.

Awaken with JP

JP Sears is a comedian that takes an unapologetic stand for freedom, free speech, and encouraging people to live free from fear.

Home page of the Art Story home page.

The Art Story

The Art Story is an excellent place to view artwork, learn about the artists that created them, and the general flow of the history of art.

Material Lists for My Classes