FAST Oil Painting Tips to Loosen Up Your Brushwork

[@DavefromLeeds]

I think this video is one of the very best ones you've done. Pulling together and reinforcing these really practical tips - most of which I was vaguely aware of, but largely ignoring - was really really helpful. I think I am already some way along the journey to looseness and expressiveness, but I will make a definite effort to employ them all in this week's painting, to get me further along that road. (One other approach that I've "discovered", not mentioned here, is to rush passages. I've found that bits that I've painted in literally 2 minutes, as opposed to 20 or 30, have tended to come out the loosest and the most expressive and the best. Now I'm not saying that that's a good idea where the greatest accuracy might be required, but it seems to be working for me. I think. I'd be interested in your thoughts on that. 🙂)

[@ronschlorff7089]

Good one, Chelsea, as usual. Yes, all you said will help and also helps not to focus too much on "getting loose", but just go paint, and using your tips. I started doing much of what you taught here when I started plein air landscapes, standing, limited palette, big brushes, focus on big shapes, values first, reduced detail, working quickly wet into wet. Some of the best portrait painters, like Sargent, were also some of the best landscape painters too, in oils and watercolor. Something to consider if you are a "one genre" or one medium painter, do two or three, especially if one is from life. Reduces burn out too, doing different stuff, and switching often. Shocking to see how many you tube vids there are online but yours is by far the best, with real information for the painter. And not some guys saying, "Now I draw woman face", and he starts with the eye, in detail, and goes on from there. Useless!! Completely useless. Also shocking how many folks have such poor refs to work from, flat, straight on photos. I've taken to drawing a sketch of the ref first and adjusting it to have say some "Rembrandt lighting" on it and actually work from the sketch rather than the photo, and I sometimes "pimp off" of some guy's ref photo on my TV on you tube. It's a good exercise, use some guy's lousy reference, make it much more "gooder" on your sketch pad, and use that to paint from, certainly for the drawing and maybe take quick look sees or two back at the tv to see a few things. Also, take many breaks, and work standing up, it's actually aerobic exercise if you do, and it may involve you taking hundreds of steps if you do in a 1-2 hour painting session. Plein air landscape painting certainly does that for you. Anyway, enough of my "blather," cheers and happy painting everyone!! ; )

[@alexis5350]

Thank you for so many helpful tips!

[@robinbartky3181]

This video is SO helpful, Chelsea! Thank you!!!

[@petermcmillan3446]

Thanks for this video. Painting from the shoulder really freed me up. I'm doing simple still lifes of fruit and veg - inspired by a Cezanne and a Renoir of apples side by side in my local gallery - and painting from the shoulder renders the curves in the subject at the first stroke! Standing back is essential. Take a few steps back, and the apple looks like an apple you could eat - get closer it looks like very nice paint marks - and then you know it's time to stop. Win/win. 🍎(Spell check doesn't like 'still lifes' over 'still lives' lol - but I checked with google, and the plural takes the 'f'.)

[@Brendan_Babs]

tip #5 was great, didn't know how to find that answer but glad I did

[@Cass_772]

Thank you!!

[@ATINKERER]

Excellent video.

[@chrissmith8873]

Thanks Chelsea for these great tips, I’ll be counting my pigment strokes I’m a pastelist & these tips transfer well)

[@astridtermaat3854]

Thanks for sharing! I really want to loosen up my painting, but fail every time.. One thing I’m also curious about is your awesome signature! Do you add it in wet paint? How did you come up with it and what is the best color to use.

[@las174]

thank you

[@toddyuratich6118]

Great advice Stepping back and paint from life rather than a 2 D image

[@flewthecoop63]

Chelsea, do you work mainly wet on wet? I love your work but I don’t enjoy waiting for a layer to dry in order to then paint on top of it. I’m hoping you are able to do all your work wet on wet because I’d love to know I can achieve a similar level and expressive look without going through the layer, dry, layer, dry method. Thank you

[@مهرانعلیپور-ك1ف]

واقعا عالی

[@AFAskygoddess]

Great tips, but I just couldn't listen to the background (noise) music. I muted you and did CC. It has a horrible frequency. Have you ever studied cymatics?

[@ChelseaLang]

Thank you for letting me know!

[@AnjaFranke-hp6dn]

Ich wünschte mir einen deutschen Untertitel. Würde gern was lernen von Dir.