Live Lessons: "Kingfisher" with Acrylics

Kingfisher acrylic painting of a bird
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This lesson series features:
5 Hours of Instruction
5 Videos

About This Lesson Series...

Join us as we take a look at painting with acrylics on gessoed board. Watch and learn as the entire painting develops with instruction along the way. Start with a basic contour line drawing and progressively add layers of acrylic paint to develop rich colors and textures.

Resources for this Lesson...

References

Photo Reference

Finished Result

Here's what you'll need...

  • Acrylic Paints
  • Nylon or Bristle Brushes
  • Gessoed Panel or Board
  • Graphite Pencil
  • Water

Lesson Discussion

  1. I watched the recorded live lesson Pt. 2 today (Feb. 2nd). Video is fine. I googled the streaming problems yesterday and found several entries. Apparently there were streaming problems with NETFLIX as well. I did not examine it in greater detail but I do suspect selective streaming following the end of internet neutrality. We were asked to turn in our modem for a new one to handle the faster speeds but I find myself suspicious, although it is probably just what it says. But it is concerning.
    Anyway, Thank you for this lesson and your input on struggling with detail, etc. I speaks to me. A somewhat recovering “obsessive with detail” individual 🙂

    • Hi Margaret,

      Yes, the live feed kept resetting and wouldn’t even play for some users. I reached out to our streaming provider and low and behold, they changed their player format on January 30. This is what was causing the issues during the live broadcast. Clearly, there are some bugs in the new player. I am working with them to revert back to the old player, but I’m also looking into other player options. I also don’t like the net neutrality roll back. Time will tell, but I don’t think it will be good for the internet.

  2. Hi Matt, enjoying this series and learning so much. It’s really helpful when you have the photo reference and your palate on the screen to follow the process more easily and see how you mix the colours. Love all your commentary and encouragement, keeps me persevering! Thanks 🙂

  3. Love how you keep telling us to not get too hung up on perfectionism. That’s helping me and as you say the finished article is unique. I love your pic! I have to keep trying to hear your voice of reason when I get so wound up about accuracy. It would be so easy to get discouraged. I’m finding that if I keep going, even when I think it’s not looking right, it seems to turn out ok in the end:). Btw can’t get those brushes in uk. All my brushes are too soft. Any recommendations? Thanks, Matt

    • Hello Chris, when following a lesson I usually compare my results with the results of the teacher. Of course my own result looks different and of course most often I am a bit disappointed about many own result. Most often if I leave the painting over night and the next day I look at it with a fresh approach I find it much better than when I left it the day before. Because the day before I did compare it with the teachers work. But the next day I do not compare it with the teachers result but look at it with “my own view”.
      About the brushes: in the UK there is an excellent company where you could mail order or buy brushes online. They offer an amazing variety and outstanding quality at reasonable prices. The name of the company is “Rosemary”. Sometimes I do order from them when I cannot get the right brushes for me here in Germany. In my personal opinion most often their brushes are better quality even than the German high-end “Da Vinci” brand at a more reasonable price.
      This is just my personal opinion and perhaps it was a bit helpful I hope. Greetings from Germany Hamida

  4. I’m only half way through this lesson but have learned so much already, particularly listening to your dilemmas with tight and loose, thought that was just me. It’s great to hear what you are actually thinking as well as doing. Thank you.

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