PAINT TALK: Bad Habits

[@EyeLean5280]

Agree on the tracing advice. Yes, it has its place but you won't do it well if you're not experienced at drawing. When looking at a tracing, it's pretty easy to tell whether it's been used as a tool or a crutch. Learn to draw first, trace when it makes sense to later.

[@brendajeannewyche]

This comment made me relax my shoulders. 🤣 Thanks. ❤️😊

[@Manalive77]

You are an awesome teacher, Chris! In this vid you reconfirmed everything I have learned in the last 12 years. And, these were all important reminders to me. You really have a VERY effective way of communicating and explaining things. I fell that, unlike some others on line, you are the real deal. I recently moved to a new state and haven't painting for some time now. I just finished setting up my studio and you have really inspired me to get painting again. Thanks for your generous teacher's spirit !

[@alexwhite5724]

I dont know why its so pleasant to see your videos

[@BJones-yw4dd]

I've heard this same crucial, wise advice from other, much older professional artists -- you're offering a great service, Chris. :-) PS you might mention the many kinds of chromatic (i.e. mixed) blacks that we can mix ourselves, e.g. alizarin crimson and sap green, makes a warm , transparent black which can be adjusted according to whether you need a greener or a redder dark

[@DK-pl8xd]

The only things I trace are pieces of art I’ve drawn, or painted myself. Thank-you so much for all the encouragement. I could write a book on all the ways you have helped me push my art forward. 🎨❤️

[@paintcoach]

Glad to be of help!

[@hinakhabalooch]

Our teacher told us take a step back n check your work and that tip was game changer..btw I squeezed my painting tubes becz I always step on them 😂.. Happy painting every one

[@marykahn6803]

Thanks! You've inspired me to bring it all down, back up (literally and figuratively) and just practice practice practice these important lessons.

[@IoniIvyAquilina]

I like the step back tip to paint.. never thought of that! Thanks

[@paintcoach]

It seems so simple but most people don't do it enough. I don't do it enough! lol its so easy to get caught up in the painting and not take the time to step back. Thats why I paint with my arm fully standee to be as far away as I can.

[@drew5903]

Thank God for you. Someone who talks absolute sense. It's brilliant that you are so real and down to earth. Your teaching is so spot on. 6 ppl need to go over this video again, humble themselves and listen to very solid advice.

[@jessejzetteart5180]

Black is amazing color, when u know how to mix it and know how to handle the values.

[@outsidethepyramid]

Is black not used in the football painting behind him?

[@pianomanwithapianoplan504]

@@outsidethepyramid he means not using it to darken colours, instead you should use colour theorie to darken colours, but it’s alright to use it as a background colour, or for something that is actually black

[@brendajeannewyche]

So true! When I first started painting, I was intimidated by drawing. & I DID trace some of my stuff. But truth be told, I found tracing & then having to transfer the trace onto my board, difficult, too. So I figured, if I’m still gonna spend so much energy on tracing, I may as well just try to draw it right on my surface. & Thanks to that mindset, I can now draw things that I’m actually proud of. You really helped me introducing the proportional divider. That instrument takes a lot of frustration out of the process. Thanks so much for ALL of your super helpful instructions, Chris❤️😊

[@chantelmcskimming6633]

Hi Chris!! Just found your channel - I am totally enjoying your videos. I only use watercolor (and of course pencil for drawing) but have found your advice and coaching excellent for any art form -Thank you!!!

[@johnfoster5489]

Great advice. I had some of those bad habits myself. When I switched to oil paint I automatically started looking for brushes. I found oil painting brushes were much longer than ones I used for Acrylic and watercolor. Wasn’t hard to do the math as to why. Wasn’t for poking myself in the eye, lol. I started out cheap as possible. I used just black and white with a few mediums to start. Eventually got a zorn assortment of color then added a little more colors gradually. But habits like trying to go too detailed too quick and trying to get paint to dry faster we’re among my worst. I’ve come to appreciate the longer dry time now, even try to extend it in some cases.

[@johnfoster5489]

My worst was trying to do everything. Pencil drawing, charcoal, colored pencils, pastel pencils, oil pastels, watercolor, acrylics, chalk pastels, oil painting, gouache, even wood carving to making my own paper. It just got to be too much.

[@mogalcat3091]

I wish I'd seen this video when I started out 2 years ago! Really useful, thank you.

[@JackRainfield]

Great advice! I always laugh when I paint because my hands are too clumsy to do fine details. I don't like hyper-realism but I don't have to even worry about it.

[@eddievaliant8956]

I'm totally a tracer. But my focus is hyperrealism. I have the tattooist mentality. The painting portion of my work takes weeks. With clients there isn't enough time.

[@ZainaDancer]

Exactly! I'm the same way.

[@keepyourshoesathedoor]

Gotta do what you must.

[@cheers2023]

He did say there is a time and a place! So you're good 👍

[@lindamathews1117]

This was really a great video, and you hit the mark on so many issues. Especially feeling very committed to a perfectly painted or drawn portion and not wanting to get rid of it, even though you know it is not working cohesively with the total picture. Very hard to do. And we all are tempted to buy all kinds of colors, thanks for the reminder.

[@elletuppen4844]

Brilliant advice...less is more. Thank you for the great guidance🌈❤️

[@garyklett405]

Thank you for the tips. Yep, guilty of pretty much everything you mentioned !

[@gwendalynselfshakir2008]

I have learned to make myself each thing I do like paint a bush or tree I step back n look from afar and different angles.makes all the difference in the world!

[@judymotley9319]

So glad to see this. Just took a 2 day oil painting workshop although I have painted with watercolors and acrylics for years. Your advice is helping me understand the fundamentals that were encouraged and why I shouldn't get into more detail at this point. Thank you . PS: I live in Richmond. VA. Nice to know someone so talented has his roots here.

[@sinman66]

Probably the most useful of all videos on painting tips I have seen so far!! Great channel, keep up the good work!

[@jodestella2746]

Thank you for these reminders.

[@granmabern5283]

Nice chat. Very helpful. I have way too much stuff in my art room! Time to regift

[@larrykandros6507]

I love your videos. You’re an awesome teacher!

[@babba7117]

Thank you so much!! You keep it real, simple and to the point!

[@michaelkitching1387]

Fantastic channel, fantastic paintings. Your painting style is that which seems to be inherent in all quality impressionist artists. I wish I could do it. Please could your do a video on mixing greys, if you get time. It is the hardest thing for me to master. I see a grey (in the sky) and can never mix it properly, especially those really light almost neutral greys. My greys always look purple or brown, no matter what....I use Ultramarine, Cad yell, yell ochre, aliz rim, pthalo gr, cobalt b, and burnt s...Maybe it's my palette. Many Thanks, learning a lot.

[@jamespowell3126]

Best advice and videos on oil painting on the internet. Your crushing it my man! Also, if he can talk legibly for an 18 minute video while gutting that chaw?!.... you should pay attention 😉

[@rewired1108]

Thank you Chris.....fantastic

[@PeaceInfinite]

Dude your are amazing. Thanks for sharing. Greetings from South America.

[@JourneysPalette71]

I always acquire good information on painting from your channel 👍👍👍💕💕

[@21ruevictorhugo]

Here’s something super for getting a far off view of your painting. You’ve probably noticed that on a lot of apartment doors there's a little lens in the door you can look through to see who's out there. Go to the hardware store and buy one and keep it in your paintbox. When you look through the lens you’ll see you painting as if you’re across the room from it. I have one in my studio and one for pochades boxes.

[@3Bears-j7k]

Thank you for the great advice

[@jbbumpy]

very helpful. Especially the point about not worrying too much about detail

[@harperbye]

Thank you so much for these videos! They are really helpful.

[@paintcoach]

Thank you for watching

[@merjauotila1162]

Love that painting behind you 😍

[@MattiasWirf]

"When it looks like a perfect outline, they traced it". However, that effect occurs also when transferring your own sketch with tracing or in other ways. I usually do that for the the final paper I do inkdrawings on, because I dont want to have a messy paper. And I don't want to sketch on the fancy, expensive paper ;)

[@EmilyBemilyBop]

Clicked for the painting advice, subbed for the steelers merch

[@brendanknight9821]

A note on black: It doesn't exist naturally, as it is the complete absence of light. There will always be light present, even in the darkest of shadows, and it requires careful observation to understand what light is present there. Really enjoying your content, thanks.

[@brendanknight9821]

Also on your limitation of colours on the pallet; it will also ensure your colours remain cohesive together within the painting.

[@carolynderricks3226]

Hi Chris, I’ve been playing around with my oils, and thought of another question. Do you prefer oils over all the other paint media, and why? Do you also have an acrylic channel? I come from an acrylics background and am used to the layering work you mention, and adjusting to this long drying time of oils is difficult!

[@grandpa_eric]

Talking about brush size at 3:30 in the video. What do you think of James Gurney who literally saws his brushes in half, works with watercolor/gouache mix, and gets loose effects, and quite outstanding. Is it the brush size or how you apply to medium?

[@genreartwithjb5095]

The first ten years of my painting education was actually NOT painting at all. It was drawing and breaking into comics. I spent years getting my drawing chops to the point where I finally got an agent after 5 years. The agent thing didn’t last long but it was 5 years getting my drawing to the point where I could get work and another 5 years post getting an agent and doing mainly unpublished paid indie work. But what comics did for me was force me to learn how to turn form and understand shapes inside and out. I was forced to become really really good at the human figure. Then ten years out from art school I was teaching at a local budget Atelier in NY in charge of their comics class and I started hanging out with a seasoned painting teacher who was trained at Cecil studios. He sort of taught me the painting end of stuff on our down time. I had a studio at the school and practiced constantly, three years later and I got my first painted book cover commission and and now mainly sell painted products at shows and continue to teach. My journey is by no means close to over but the point of this long winded post is to emphasize DRAWING. If not for my training at a figure artist doing comics I would never have been able to unshackle myself from photo tracing.

[@scottgirard3988]

Thanks Coach!

[@ionlyemergeafterdark]

I agree with you about avoiding tracing. When you learn to draw freehand reasonably well, it is enjoyable, no trouble, easy and quick, as long as you don't be too precise and concentrate mainly on the big shapes. Also drawing is more satisfying and tracing gives a boring overly precise effect.

[@callmeacab]

Focusing on the big picture has ALWAYS been the hardest part for me. I am going to re-watch your vids before every painting until it clicks.

[@genreartwithjb5095]

Lol 20 years in and I still do a couple of these. I’m guilty of sitting too much, and sometimes I get too close to the board but generally I’m constantly taking photos, doing greyscale filters to photos and inverting stuff to check proportions and shapes but yeah I need to step back more. I actually have to try to not waste color so I don’t have an issue with not mixing enough etc.

[@CaptainKirk1963]

My favorite coach

[@kaiballington55]

I love this channel and Chris is both an excellent painter and teacher, but there are A LOT of commercials.

[@TheopticnerveX]

Thanks Paint Bro!

[@genreartwithjb5095]

When you say tracing are you referring to photo tracing? Bc if that’s the case I agree. If you are tracing your own underdrawing or reinforcing a drawing in sepia I think that’s totally ok. Sometimes alla prima is the way to go but if you are doing a painting with heavy duty 2 d perspective an underdrawing is crucial

[@nunyabusiness164]

Solid advice!!! I usually draw everything in myself alla prima, but there was one time I felt it was a better decision to use the projector: a painting based on a double exposure photo I'd taken myself, edited, and printed myself. I was proud of that photo and I didn't want to change a thing about the layout. Usually I'd never trace, not only to get in some drawing practice but because I'm compositing multiple crappy photos into one picture.

[@leyyaadam8773]

I work on commission, I have projects lined up so tracing helps me save time , it takes forever to draw it out , If tracing cuts that then what ever helps me make a living. But I still love this channel and appreciate all the advice

[@michaelmcewan432]

Massive help again, always look forward to hearing your advice, I am painting a collage, like the one behind you, it's a rugby player in 3 different positions, and badge, he has a green kit, shorts and top, but struggling to figure out the background, which is green as well, any tips

[@paintcoach]

michael mc ewan with collages it’s all in the planning. I recommend doing a mock-up in photoshop if you can. This is a lot about graphic design which I’m honestly not the best at. Maybe look at old movie posters from the 50s and 60s. A lot of those are just collages of the characters in the movie. Good luck!

[@michaelmcewan432]

@@paintcoach, thank you 😁

[@alphotheone]

Yes, changing mediums is a strange or difficult (Pastel, to WC to OIL ) transition, such fun and always a challenge.

[@kristantobudiprabowo]

Thank you so much

[@karenlipman79]

Hi Chris- Can you suggest tips on water based oils? I love you informative videos. You are a fountain of helpful info. Thanks a bunch.

[@Artbycarrie]

I was always taught to never use black. I use Payne’s grey. Not sure how you feel about that colour?

[@elgoogernut]

Thanks Chris. I struggle to get tonal grades done on my grey palette, as I find it hard to get gradual tones.

[@double2mo382]

Great advice! Best video on bad habits I could find. Was looking at a book on oil painting for beginners and it said get rid of your bad habits. I thought OK now what are the bad habits so went looking for videos of advice. Liked yours the best!

[@paintcoach]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Welther47]

I often see the bad habit of replacing black with blue or purple. So shadows are just that blue or purple. I create these weird colour schemes where concrete streets are straight-up blue. The banishing of black or green is just silly, in my opinion.

[@paulallentaylor6034]

Have you tried or experienced painting the image to near completion across the canvas with unpainted canvas ahead of it. If using white canvas for instance, the image is finished as it grows across the canvas. Poorly asked perhaps..thx

[@jackiemckendrick142]

Hi Chris just starting with oils as i have been trying to draw pencil portraits rather than paint but really enjoy your paint talk and advice. Could you please tell me exactly what brushes i need. I am in the uk so i buy a lot from local stockists or amazon. Thanks Jackie

[@demej00]

Yeah, don't trace - just cheating yourself of a good opportunity to learn drawing. I paint out of the tube. I'm poor and can get 20 paintings out of a set of the tiniest tubes of acrylic. I love black. I despise hyper-realism - possibly because I can't do it. I agree with most of what you say. Especially big brush, less emphasis on detail and learn to draw. Stand back to compare photo or sitter to artwork. And finally, when my painting is "finished", I attack it with some scumbling, dry brushing, washes, and emotional strikes that look good at a distance. I am not afraid of losing my painting - it is always a better piece after this final session to me.

[@carolmurphy]

Chris thanks for the advice - I've got a question, how do you keep track of the fat over lean layers? I'd really like to hear you talk in some detail about all that

[@sarahorton3575]

Hi Chris! Thank you so much for breaking down the barrier of working with oils. You're quick and concise, and I'm hooked! So I've discovered working with just linseed oil isn't ideal. Going to buy my first bottle of paint thinner soon but I'm still unsure about how to properly store paper towels and rags within the workflow?

[@Tedzee8]

3:27 doing it all the time for details and abstract paintngs ! xD One day i will get more insurrance and maybe will make lines holding my brush at its bottom xD

[@africo9104]

That was a brilliant video !

[@patrickwelch3274]

Simple stuff but critical. Love the alarm idea. I can paint and five hours go and I wonder where the time went. One idea is body care. I find my shoulders go forward and back can get sore. I know you could talk for hours. One question I always have is what to keep in and what to leave out. Wrinkles, hard edges , chroma issues. Another topic is use of photos that don’t show what we know is there in structure of face or body. - eye sockets rarely show. The color of eyes often are dark. Do you put in what you know is there ( blue eyes) when you only see gray.

[@Bikewithlove]

At the end of the day a real painter needs to study from human anatomy, and that’s where you pay your dues in art classes, sketch clubs, hiring art models, etc. for the unparalleled opportunity to draw from observing a live person in real space/time. You’ve got to know what’s under the hood to be able to be inventive when required. A truly skilled painter can draw and paint a full human figure entirely from their imagination. When you can do that, you can paint a canvas a single color and it’ll have a masterful quality that a novice couldn’t do with the same materials. It’s like playing drums - you can hear a difference between the same four notes being played by a novice vs a seasoned pro.

[@kennethsharman5712]

Hi Chris I was given a box of tubes. of oil paints and most of them is a little slower to squeeze out but they do come out semi soft and most of them are Rowney product am I right in using them as I’m thinning the paint with odourless thinners would like your advice please Ken

[@lankabhumi1114]

Thank you

[@kathryngunty9594]

I use water based oils and noticed cracking on the face of my portrait. I am HORRIFIED! It was during a HOT time in the summer and I was using water and linseed (Compatible with Artisan water based oils) and I THINK I SCREWED IT UP THAT WAY. HELP? I have read that it is not repairable. Can I SAND it down and repaint it? If so--do I need to use gesso again? Would that be a problem over any oil paint residue? This painting is a gift to a large institution. I don't want to screw it up more. Please help!!!!

[@billyknippers6983]

tracing is a tool for accuracy .... i use a projector is that wrong ?

[@odissey100100]

Is it ok to use different brand of oil painting or should we stick to one? And what about the density of the painting? Some are transparent, semi-transparent and others are opaque. Do we have to choose one and stick with it?

[@bryanwilson8396]

Why did you black out the Steelers logo?

[@hunglikahorse10]

If you don't have room to step back and look at your work, take a photo of it instead. I do that and upload to my computer and brother the "mistakes " will pop.

[@gkp76]

What should I use to paint an animal with black fur?

[@jessabear1988]

You rock with these videos! 👍🏼🙂

[@jrlakin370]

Great 👍

[@AnimalLover101195]

(thinks about my tiny 5'2 body and tiny short arms) maybe working like 2 feet away from the canvas will work???? Also, I currently have a teeny tiny corner of my bedroom to do art and that's it. I just started and I'm definitely someone who puts too little paint on the palette and the brush. Because I was always told growing up for just about everything 'you can always add more but you can't take it away.' So it's hard to drill that out of my head for painting. But yeah I get what you're saying and why you shouldn't do that.

[@fusehenry]

An oil painting course I'm taking has me using Acrylic brushes on my oil paintings, but I want to work with oil paint brushes. Can you recommend a good brand of oil paint brushes? It seems like all reviews are unreliable these days. Every brand on the market has people giving them one or two stars for bristles falling off or being both amazing and terrible. What are a few good brands? Do you happen to know of a set of essential brushes I can buy in one pack?

[@diamondprettygirl]

Grumenbacher brushes for oil.

[@granttheking98]

Always seek to get better at drawing but know that Chuck Close the hyper realist artist pretty much always used a grid to create his paintings. It’s not a beginner thing, heaps of professional artists use the grid or tracing techniques too. Even the Dutch masters were thought to use camera obscura type devices or other methods we would consider tracing to get their drawings accurate. Don’t let weak drawing skills stop you from painting

[@geoffreybowman67]

Do you live in Pittsburgh?

[@MelanieElaineH]

How about mixing magenta and cyan? Are they brighter?

[@kaiballington55]

I battle my bad habits every time I oil paint. My worst bad habits are over blending and letting the painting get muddy.

[@alphotheone]

Is drawing free hand first then tracing for transfer. Never trace other people (s) work, but it is OK to become inspired.

[@michaelbutler2053]

Great video

[@fereshmahta6113]

do you have courses on drawing?

[@fereshmahta6113]

for saving time i got more colors. because I found out it is more convenient. but in the future, I will just buy the primary colors.

[@JTonyArts]

My class used to make fun of me because painting after painting I would complete start to finish with a single brush. The edge of a large brush is a small brush.

[@JTonyArts]

I get back from my canvas, but damn my arms get tired and I keep having to break just to recover.

[@maryleblanc8595]

Where do you buy your geneva paint dip from

[@chrislogemann5885]

Drawing is very important, but I wanted to point out that Caravaggio, Raphael, Frans Hals, Vermeer, Velázquez and Ingres - used lenses to trace out their pictures. Hockey talks about this in his book secret knowledge

[@Morticia147]

I don't consider tracing as a "bad habit", it's just a different approach on the process. The old masters also uses every tool they could their hands on. They useds grids, mirrors and so on to get the drawing onto the paper.

[@keepyourshoesathedoor]

That’s not the same thing. Even tracing your own art is fine. The only problem is tracing photography or someone else’s work.

[@doctirdaddy4876]

if you are working on a commission the client doesnt care if you traced the outline

[@peachloverboii1025]

That’s illegal :0

[@garyjenson8262]

I would imagine if you get the perspective and values correct your mind will fill in the rest. If you don't your mind won't.

[@amandagermany5933]

Remember, kids, Tracing, not even once. It's a gateway crutch. LOL!

[@cloverhoney6203]

Grids are my crutch!

[@BJones-yw4dd]

Mine too. :-) But I know plenty of excellent pros who use grids (incl. da Vinci!) LOL

[@fereshmahta6113]

one brush for dark, one brush for light.

[@Chronomatrix]

Why is using a grid a bad thing? It's just a simple way to make sure things are proportionate and into place.

[@MagicPie2013]

Your advice is always spot-on. My dad also oil paints and taught me the basics. He's been paining since the 60's and says the only colors he's ever used are white, red, blue, and yellow. Rarely black. I love your channel, Chris. You are a life-saver.