Easy Steps to Great Composition in Painting❗ (Full Demo) 🎨

In my Free painting course I demonstrate how to get the big shapes, values and composition so that you start your painting off well. Composing your painting is vital. Color and brushwork cannot save a poor composition so it pays to take a little time to figure this out. This demonstration shows how I can go from a composition in two values to an advanced color study very quickly. Great for plein air painting too. Find a link to the free course below and try it for yourself.
✅ Free Painting Course: hi.switchy.io/PowerPainting

[@claraedouwesdekker6389]

You did it again! Bravo and thank you.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you too!

[@caroleschulz4641]

Thank you so much I really like your style of loose painting. It’s giving me confidence again to paint.

[@MalcolmDewey]

My pleasure 😊

[@marcaurele3115]

On apprend beaucoup en regardant vos demos ! Magistrale demonstration de peinture ou la maitrise des ombres et de la lumiere est parfaitement enseignée ! Un très grand merci ! Bonjour de France !

[@dianecharest8365]

Nice work. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Its a pleasure!

[@natalykenny2069]

A beautiful demo! Thank you, Malcolm, sooo much! It really helps to understand how to render the light.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thanks Nataly, glad you enjoyed it.

[@user-eq2cw2db7h]

Really lovely job, 👍🌳🎨🖌️😍 from Frances uk

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you so much 😊

[@evgeniyagoldobina1402]

Watching your demos, it’s always amazing how initial mass shapes start making sense after just couple of magical clarifying brushstrokes! thank you for sharing!!

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you - Glad you enjoy it!

[@brcansenerdem9221]

Thank you Malcolm Dewey. Step by step. Noten, colour, brush. Very good and tutorial lesson.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you!

[@thorevjen7592]

I appreciate your down to earth and easy instruction.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you!

[@vivianeboveri2170]

It was beautiful!!! Very interesting to see you building your vision of the landscape. It always surprises me. Thank you for sharing your art with us.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Glad you enjoyed it, thank you

[@santawilliams5641]

Lovely thanks notan an important step 🙂

[@joanspecking5383]

Your demos always amaze me, your colors and shapes are great!

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thanks so much Joan!

[@domingorodriguez3450]

Learning a lot from your videos Malcolm, Thank you so much for this demo, you’re amazing! 🙂

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thanks so much!

[@elizabethlineham4065]

Thankyou Malcolm, so much to learn and fortunately your explanations are so explicit and easy to follow. 😊

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you, I'm happy to hear that.

[@elizabethjensen8640]

This is awesome. Thank you for explaining as you go, about the shapes and colours you choose - it really shows the process and how the painting is developing. Often when I paint, I doubt and dither about which colours to choose - your videos and tutorials are eminently helpful.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you Elizabeth

[@zareekhan7313]

Thanks a lot ❤

[@louiselavoieparise9416]

Thank’s for that beautiful démo!

[@MalcolmDewey]

It's a pleasure!

[@sussafleur5072]

Hello Malcolm, sending greetings from Europe, Prague. Love everything about Your lessons - Your paintings, personality, the way You explain to us all about Your art, step by step. And I love Your voice too... Wishing all the best

[@MalcolmDewey]

😊 thank you, much appreciated.

[@johannespretorius7967]

Malcolm your are a good tutor. Thank you.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you!

[@patwilson236]

Really interesting to hear your thought process as to why you using certain colours,thank you ,I’m learning loads .

[@MalcolmDewey]

You’re welcome 😊

[@vs3151]

Beautiful painting. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills

[@MalcolmDewey]

It's a pleasure, thank you

[@morvenb7759]

Thank you for sharing! I'm enjoying your course :)

[@MalcolmDewey]

Great to hear that 😊

[@picaza2]

Lovely, thank you.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you Sharon

[@robertduncan4109]

Very educational and inspiring. I am still working on impressionist style without copying or imitating another artist style. It is taking a lot of practice, paint and patience, but I feel that I am closer to my painting style goals.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Excellent, it is a fulfilling journey 🎨

[@maryosullivan1058]

Fabulous I learn something new from you all the time go raiibh maith agat!☘️☘️☘️🍀

[@MalcolmDewey]

I'm glad! Thank you

[@RaymondThePainter]

Your videos really help. I appreciate them. I’m trying to get into Impressionism but the composition has always been a huge weakness for me.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thanks, yes it starts with composition.

[@nicoleweddepohl]

Thank you

[@MalcolmDewey]

You're welcome

[@rosegardenia8101]

I love your demos and your work. I so enjoyed painting a reference photo you shared (I think it was a village lane). Would you consider posting your reference photo from this demo? Thank you.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Sure, please drop me an email if possible or contact via my website.

[@Anadiaz-br1jr]

Make it look easy but is not. Beautiful demo thank you

[@MalcolmDewey]

Pleasure, thank you!

[@dorothyscott701]

I truly enjoy your tutorials and I always learn so much ♥️

[@MalcolmDewey]

I'm so glad!

[@ganjajay]

Very fascinating way of developing a composition. Would you do the block in with acrylics the same way?

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thanks, yes the same with acrylics.

[@faerygarden]

What size brush are you using in this piece? I have trouble getting the right strokes on the painting and I also end up smudging some colours together by mistake

[@MalcolmDewey]

Mostly size 6 bristle. Also size 8.

[@mona2242]

Extremely helpful Demo, I did 12 yrs of Fine Arts and never ever learned this. Never too late to learn . Now, I love your work here but I ‘m wondering if it would be ok to add some greens to the upper left . Your opinion? Thanks

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you - Not sure about attracting attention to the upper left, but you can try and see. Only one way to find out 😉

[@callmedeno]

Do you have recommendation for smaller brushes working at about the size you are here? I just realised today one of my problems is that I've been using too big a brush for certain situations, like wondering why I can't render lips on a portrait at this scale with a fat filbert. The one small brush I have is completely bendy, any suggestions for type of hair, brush type (synthetic, hog?)

[@MalcolmDewey]

My smallest regular brush is a #4 long flat bristle. Hog for oils. Synthetic for acrylics. For small shapes try cutting in the negative shape to adjust the positive shape. Always have a rigger brush for occasional fine lines etc

[@Anadiaz-br1jr]

I am working on a commission piece 37x47 many reference photos but did not use any because I wanted to simplify but got lost and now ready to give up. The panel board is so big so much space I don’t know how to solve it. Yo are so right when you say need to establish composition from the start. Do you have another demo painting big and broken brush strokes which I find so difficult to do. Was doing abstract don’t want details.....

[@MalcolmDewey]

Yes, big paintings need plenty of planning. Do a few small versions first. Then scale up when happy with the composition.

[@Anadiaz-br1jr]

@@MalcolmDewey thank you

[@425chang]

Just wondering shadow area should use more transparent paint then opaque, right?

[@MalcolmDewey]

Yes, which mostly means much less white paint. Sometimes no white paint at all so your color is similar to a glaze in that lower layers influence the shadow.

[@joanistotler8804]

Malcolm, this is turning out so lovely. Taking the shadow on the pathway I have such a tendency to go too gray and lose the color, neutralizing everything and ending up with mid tones. Any suggestions for someone like myself who's a bit timid when it comes to using more color? I did find your video about keeping your colors clean very helpful. Thank you.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Take a leap of faith. Use blue and make a colorful shadow. Leave it for the day then if you dislike it go over it. Very often a pause helps to get your mind off the loop of doubting automatically. These are habits to break. Have fun!

[@joanistotler8804]

@@MalcolmDewey Thank you this is a wonderful idea!! I would love to take your free course, but my computer simply says the site is not secure and won't let me in. :O(

[@MalcolmDewey]

@@joanistotler8804Unfortunately your computer is wrong. All my sites have full ssl certificates.

[@joanistotler8804]

@@MalcolmDewey Yes, I felt completely fine about it - must have some kind of a firewall, but not tech savvy, but hope I can figure it out. Thank you, Malcolm

[@joanistotler8804]

@@MalcolmDewey Well, I clicked on another button and it let me in that time! YAY

[@louiselavoieparise9416]

Malcolm, What kind of paper are you painting on?

[@MalcolmDewey]

It is regular matte board that I have applied gesso to.

[@ileanaforment2422]

Hi Malcolm I can't see any links

[@MalcolmDewey]

In the description below ( if using mobile) or on right if on desktop. Click on view more.

[@maggieborjanovic6135]

What's the other yellow?

[@MalcolmDewey]

Yellow deep and yellow lemon

[@Anadiaz-br1jr]

Love the figure there