Do this to make your paintings more painterly. Exercise 1: A Painting in 50 Strokes

[@GingerLeeH]

Wow. What an interesting concept. Impressionism 50 strokes. Cool. Great. Its like compressing a million thoughts into 50. Like saying 12 qeeeks time, not 3 months, to accomplish a million things, Squeeeeeze it in, work quicker, condense..... reduce. Excellent. I draw well. Paint realistic. Many tell me. Its true. I am realistic. In my art, there is no interesting life or feeling in one big object sitting on the canvas, accurate. Trying to loosen. Trying impressionism, to flow, flop, flip around, up, down. Finding a pallette of color thats easy on the eyes, soft, gentle. Love your orange wash, back. Thank u for sharing. Most excellent. 😊

[@rabbitgregory9289]

As one commenter described it, “fabulous tutorial to overcome over-perfection.” I’m sure there’s a lesson about life here.

[@brain1fluff]

Such great timing. I've been sitting at my desk staring at a blank canvas and my reference photo for 2 days. I've mixed colours and I'm so reluctant to get started.

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mollyN2112]

THANK YOU Sir! You've helped me overcome a compulsion to paint the photograph, which is odd since I admire the Impressionists so much. 🌞

[@McSherryStudioArt]

You are very welcome Molly. Happy painting!

[@Beinhartwie1chopper]

I had to chuckle during your first stroke. Especially when you startet the U turn😊

[@McSherryStudioArt]

I had to look at it again. You mean that little frugal curl at the end of the stroke? 😆

[@suewalters3926]

Cannot tell you how much this helped. I have always rough mapped my paintings and this is has given that a process a step up. Thank you.

[@McSherryStudioArt]

I'm so glad you got something out of it, Sue.

[@williamsweeney7954]

This is helpful. Going to try it.

[@Annapaintswithwater]

Great video. Thank you. I particularly like how you keep the reference photo and your palette in frame too. It’s very helpful to see your color mixing.

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@wileycom]

I feel so fortunate to have found your channel ! (totally by chance and probably the algorithms) I have subbed and look forward to many future clips. Thank you for your time and talent. Being relatively new to painting it’s wonderful and refreshing to hear a clear knowledgeable voice on these delightful subjects!

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Welcome aboard!

[@lidanaude8022]

Really enjoyed to watch. This will help you stop from over painting for sure!

[@Dennis-Hare]

What a fun exercise! Thank you for the lesson.

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@loiseilers5058]

Brilliant! That was. That was very helpful. I can’t wait to try that method.

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@randalld92]

Just ran across your channel today when this video popped up on my feed. Immediately had to subscribe and now look forward to binging your videos. This exercise will help me dramatically, as I’m one of those people that want to jump towards details way too soon.

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Glad you stopped by.

[@maryturner7393]

Wow, I totally enjoyed this video!!! Amazing! Thanks for doing this

[@stefanstern3542]

Exciting game! Interesting to watch!... :)

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@MJ-hl1kk]

It's a nice base to start off from - lovely, vibrant colours, almost like pastel. I would take another 50 strokes to put details on the blobs :)

[@McSherryStudioArt]

That would be a different exercise though. :)

[@suelittleford3373]

Fantastic. Thanks

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Glad you liked it.

[@leschatsont9vies]

Funy and usefull ! My problem is to always end up doing "photography - or painting by numbers", I feel like a prisoner, but with this kind of exercise it will get into my head more easily

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Go for it! I hope you get great results.

[@coastalwoman19]

very helpful - thank you!

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@augustasilvis297]

I like that idea and thank u for your time bless u

[@McSherryStudioArt]

So nice of you

[@interact48]

Absolutely fantastic Kevin xxxxx

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Thank you!

[@PaulBoyle-i4k]

Great exercise Kevin I enjoyed watching it I will give it a go . Paul .

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Go for it Paul!

[@jasperwinkle769]

Thanks for a great presentation!

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@viviandibrell849]

Thank you for this great idea! Going to try it…..

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Have fun!

[@vandannadale2689]

Great exercise / advice…thanks so much! Subscribing!

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Welcome!

[@merecat]

Love this.

[@philipjones369]

Thank you for that....a great idea and it works i thought that your finished painting was great with your 50 strokes....

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Thank you Philip🙏

[@miltonwelch4177]

Great demonstration. Thank you. A lot of realistic art paintings in the galleries are nothing more than renderings of the photographs that make "general public" go "Woow!" about, as a great works of art. Nothing sinks my spirit more than seeing such a work. Also in some YT art demonstrations videos, paintings with expressive loose work at the beginning has been destroyed at the end by the chase toward the final realism of the photography. That prompted me to make a comment with the time stamp where the artist should have stopped.

[@roadbox]

This is brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing this exercise and doing it as a complete demo!!! I’m looking forward to giving it a try.

[@monadannenberg7710]

Brillant video! 👍 Thank you so much! 🙏 Although I am concerned about the poor barking dog, locked in the cellar! 😕

[@McSherryStudioArt]

I'll have to listen to that again: I was so absorbed I didn't notice the barking. There are lots of pet dogs in our street - it's hard to create a barking-free video!

[@eveking6356]

What type of paint are you using and are you adding anything to make the paint move around more easily? Thank you for this great tutorial!👏🏻

[@McSherryStudioArt]

It's oils. Just a little solvent to help 'lengthen' the paint.

[@AtmakuruRamakrishnaArtist]

Nice

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Thanks

[@patricshaw]

reminds me of Emil Nolde❤

[@TrudieTiger70]

Love this! What are you cleaning your brush with each time you change color and are you not using s medirym

[@McSherryStudioArt]

I usually use citrus oil these days. Turps is great though.

[@McSherryStudioArt]

No need for medium usually, although I do use it now and then

[@talkaboutwithshabnamriaz9272]

I have always wanted to paint like this but I had no idea what the process entailed and how to tackle it . Thank you so much for this video which is so helpful. If you were not limited to 50 strokes , would the result have been different ?

[@McSherryStudioArt]

I'm so glad that you enjoyed my video. If I had more than 50 strokes, I might end up with a masterpiece... or a mess! Who knows? I suffer from the same problem that most artists have - I find it difficult to know when my painting is finished. WIth the 50 stroke excercise, the choice to continue is removed and it shows that paintings don't need to be highly polished.

[@talkaboutwithshabnamriaz9272]

Fascinating indeed . Can’t wait to try this technique!

[@AliBaba-ke5jn]

Hi Kevin. Do you always use a limited palette?

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Not always- if I'm painting something for my own pleasure, I'll use an extended palette: Warm and cool colors and earth colours, etc. It's easier to teach with a limited palette and simpler when making videos!

[@TrudieTiger70]

Acrylic?

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Oils. I think it would be a more difficult job in acrylics. Could still do it though; maybe a higher number is strokes. Try it!

[@TrudieTiger70]

@@McSherryStudioArt your paint seems to flow so easily. Especially your wash. So maybe it’s the brand of paint I’m using. But it seems hard to move the move the paint without a medium.

[@Keith-R-Taylor]

Thank you, I really enjoyed this and it makes perfect sense, I am constantly trying to loosen my hand rather unsuccessfully so I shall definitely give this a try, in acrylics......I can't afford another medium 😂☮

[@dennisrperrin3611]

Acrylics?

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Oils in this case Dennis.

[@antoinetteneethling8657]

What kind of paint was used, Oil? Thanks

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Oils for this one but the same applies for any medium.

[@antoinetteneethling8657]

​@@McSherryStudioArt Thanks so much,here from South Africa

[@tavenchristensen3157]

@@McSherryStudioArt Except for watercolour. Haha It’s almost impossible. I used to paint in oils. I guess I allowed life to stop me. And now, I’m giving watercolour a go. It’s ok. But I do miss my oils! ▫️ Your tutorial is pulling me to start again. 👏🏼

[@tavenchristensen3157]

Extremely interesting. I feel like I must try it. Great lesson ‼️

[@naoickso6587]

Please pouvez vous nous donner les dimension en français , 5 cm / 7 cm me semble vraiment trop petite. Merci

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Mais non: Je l'ai donné en pouces. Ça fait 13 par 18 centimetres. 🙂

[@francoforleo4971]

👏👏👏👏🇿🇦🎨

[@Megzamani]

Thank you

[@McSherryStudioArt]

You're welcome

[@demej00]

Nice.

[@Beinhartwie1chopper]

Sky was stroke 5

[@libbysevicke-jones3160]

Your very talented so thank you for the video. I’m always looking for an opportunity to improve my style. Howl do object to your comment on painting from photos, you make it sound like it’s a bad thing. I mostly paint from photos as l move around a lot. I paint a lot of wild life and l find the little buggers have a very bad habit of fidgeting or flying away. They just don’t get the concept of the whole life drawing gig.

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Hi Libby. Thank you for watching my video. Regarding painting from photo references; I do it myself. If I need a position of a figure or some kind of unfamiliar object -or a reference to teach with, I'll use one. But all my paintings are either from life; informed by my life-painting experience or painted directly from my imagination. I started out the same way most people seem to - painting from photo references but in the end, I found it unchallenging and unsatisying. It's much better to paint a intensely personal painting from the imagination than a recreation of a photo, don't you think? There's more 'you' in the wonkiness; that's where the human connection is, for me at least. I prefer to see 'you' and try to figure out what this artist has to say. Make stuff up; that's what I believe! Best of luck with your painting - nobody is obliged to follow what I teach, there are many roads to Ross as my uncle says (when in fact, there are only six.) Kevin

[@kathrynmcfarlane1243]

A very difficult exercise working so small.

[@McSherryStudioArt]

You can do it! You can go a little bigger to start off. The point is that you have to depart from perfect reproduction because you can't get into detail..

[@renzo6490]

Too bad Vermeer didn't know these tips !

[@McSherryStudioArt]

You're talking about Johannes' less famous brother, Wayne Vermeer.

[@nakedanunnaki4432]

wow !!! what an interesting mess

[@McSherryStudioArt]

Thank you!