Stan Prokopenko Interview

On this podcast, Jeff sits down with Stan Prokopenko to discuss life as a fine artist and teacher at the Watts Atelier.
For more information about Stan Prokopenko: www.stanprokopenko.com
For more information about the Watts Atelier:
www.wattsatelier.com
Watts Atelier Facebook Page:
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Sign up for Watts Atelier Online here:
online.wattsatelier.com Free Trial of Watts Atelier Online:
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[@ProkoTV]

"Alla Prima" by Richard Schmid

[@yoyolol22]

Okay

[@pranshje2703]

This stan prokopenko guy seems like a nice guy, he should definitely start a youtube channel

[@MarshalSheyth]

I chuckled good i love it alot

[@zikraaftabkhan1789]

He already have a channel named Proko

[@Maxer110]

@@zikraaftabkhan1789 It was a joke poking fun that Stan (Proko) Is already a big youtuber.

[@phooolramyadav3347]

Yeah I think he should

[@mrken-jl9qo]

he said he got 'let go' from watts. I wonder what the reason was?

[@thespontaneoustomato2676]

This "Stan" guy looks really cool. He should make a channel on which his most popular course is on the Human Anatomy for artists. Maybe he could even have a premium version of the course with extended lessons, 3D models you can spin around and ebook versions of every lesson.

[@LoveBystroem]

And you know maybe even do a basics course after that!

[@wasumyon6147]

This is the sleepiest I've ever seen Proko.

[@TMIvey-gk4mw]

I just discovered Proko this past year and he is so night and day energy wise - he has really come into his own.

[@naregm5492]

stan studied with you guys? EVERYTHING IS MAKING SENSE (mind blown)

[@kingpen1179]

He seems like a nice guy, he should start a channel and probably deserve a 2.2 million subs

[@nelsonferreira-aulasdearte]

Proko seems like such a great guy. His personality really comes across, the type of person I immediately feel like being best friends with!

[@darinhuddy7776]

I am constantly impressed with the fact that every Watts lecturer's main goal is to just keep plugging away at their daily artistic practice. BRAVO!

[@bartholoclumpdink7246]

Stan in such an inspiration to me. Thank you for this interview.

[@mirceaflorianhamza9330]

You are inspire me, Stan! Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I love your creativity and work!

[@katherandefy]

I lost soooo much by stopping altogether for several years. I hope I never do that to myself again. It is taking so much to regain. A discovery however is that it doesn't matter if you start where you left off or if you take off in an entirely new direct (unfamiliar terrain .. which is what I ended up doing just to hit the "restart" button and get my head back in the art), either way it is possible with enough effort. My gosh tho I felt like an adult learning to walk again.. no joke. Awesome interview. I love these podcasts being on youtube. VIsuals to go with the interview is great.

[@snikesblue]

Simply an amazing artist, blows my mind everytime!

[@ryuuy6313]

I don't know why but proko looks such a nice guy for some reason

[@ryuuy6313]

He is the human embodiment of innocence

[@warpatato]

Akko!

[@AleadaA]

He look a little devilish to me. cute but trouble!

[@crowofcainhurst]

He always reminds me of Moriarty. Look innocent but crazy.

[@LeonardoDali40]

Stan, you inspire me to keep growing as an artist, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@jkn928]

Thanks Jeff and Stan! Great information and interview!

[@st.valentineArt]

Young Stan Awww He's so cute!

[@pjlewisful]

I enjoy how real yet informative this talk is. I jotted down the names of other artists mentioned and will Google them. I still think my favorite video, Stan, was is the one on gesture drawing. I helped my fashion illustration drawings.

[@guyporter6105]

Stan you are so into art , you are an inspiration

[@AleRees]

Excellent interview. Inspiring and informative. Thank you!

[@klaina1234hjk]

Stan is brilliant!

[@megan7788]

Proko looks so cute here 😊

[@lanadelrey3821]

Time has not been kind

[@eivomtv1846]

@@lanadelrey3821😂😂

[@PGMT22]

Greetings from internet world. We come in peace

[@normanlockington9200]

Great job guys. Keep going. Both of you.

[@HrHenker]

Thanks for video!

[@whathefuckisthis]

those bernini studies on the wall look beautiful

[@KuracPickaSisaPeder]

He's like the art teacher I never had. Even though I went to art school. I learned more in his videos than in 4 years of art school.

[@DESBERRY]

Thanks to both neurolinked and Stan Proko for the reply regarding the author of the book, Alla Prima. High grade recommendation .... I'll buy a copy

[@iceman77922]

stans such a badass when it comes to teaching art.

[@hubbert22]

a very honest interview!

[@hunmiliengtipi9218]

Wow, this feels nostalgic!

[@rosamontero946]

Yay it's stan!

[@holijay5502]

This interview is like looking into a new chapter of my life.

[@FearlessP4P1]

stan has a charming smile

[@magdalenaholt4594]

ooooyy!! seeing you guys pickled!!❤️

[@DaBoneman]

Amazing insight

[@pleasantflowers9343]

Even though teaching through the internet is taking your time and limiting your painting time, there's a good advantaged to that and that is getting more fans of your artwork Stan! :-)

[@brylidan]

omg i cant belive i ffound this channel this late

[@eskimo05w]

@ 1:44 On the right side of Jeff is one of my "wall hangers," a study of a Bernini sculpture, David.

[@fernandopalenzuela]

Nice interview. I'd like to hear about where he is now.

[@IdoPeretz0]

sten is the man!!! :)

[@jsnlu369]

and a possibility of getting his name/artwork out into the world too! (i want to buy that lumberjack painting)

[@AndyNolan]

Jeff, any chance you could put up the names/links of the artists Stan mentioned please? Really good to see this interview, thank you.

[@Morkeskrig]

+Andy Nolan Ilya Repin, Nicolai Fechin, Morgan Wesitling, Casey Baugh, David Kassan, Richard Schmid

[@AndyNolan]

Thank you Morke :) appreciated

[@Morkeskrig]

You are mostly welcome

[@DESBERRY]

Thanks for the suggestion Artur. Much more manageable ... half the cost!

[@neurolinked]

@DESBERRY I think the book was that: "Alla Prima" Everything I Know About Painting - Richard Smith Great Stan !

[@billnye8143]

Legend

[@Barely_Here]

Gasp, it's Stan

[@dougg1075]

Proko is a very good teacher.. and still a punk:) ( kidding) man he’s gonna be like wine. Can’t wait to see how far he goes. HE MAY GO ALL THE WAY!

[@bubbapinks5175]

jeff watts looks like such a badass

[@ShirleiBarnes]

I like this

[@Amonny]

Proko!

[@OlivioSarikas]

@Jeff Watts - is it better to specialize in a subject early on (maybe after 1-2 years of training), instead of trying to do everything? And: can you become really good at something when you not specialize - like, can you ever become really good at portraits, if you paint landscapes at the same time?

[@AliRazaCredulousDreamer]

Great question my friend. Also looking forward to its answer.

[@pardismack]

I'm still beginning in my journey but I think that you have to have an overview on everything first so then you can identify what you have a problem in doing. First, I recommand knowing all perspective techniques even without making complex scenes, then the skeleton (specially the skull) then an overview on musculature, then gesture then specializing on portraits because it's the most complex thing, hands, landscape... By doing all of this you'll find your passion and you won't be limited or avoiding something

[@KimCyunHi]

One great painter once said: learn to paint one thing and you can paint anything. As long as you can draw well, that is. All subjects are alike, there's drawing, values, color and edges. Now if your ambition is to be able to paint from imagination, then you have to study a bit harder when it comes to anatomy, for example. In any event, you have to gather a certain amount of experience painting different subjects if you want to work in design or illustration. If your main goal is fine art, you can specialize in anything right from the start, just bear in mind that you might have problems branching into a different subject after you've sort of established your name.

[@OlivioSarikas]

not sure what painter said that, but i know from experience that that is not true. not that i want to disagree with you, but even the masters of the past invited other artists to help them paint things they knew they couldn't do as well on their own. that said, it depends very much on the style and technique.

[@KimCyunHi]

It may not be an absolute, but it is true in my experience. I learned mostly through painting portraits, and extrapolating from that to landscape and still life wasn't difficult at all, although I did have a solid formation in drawing. Jeff Watts himself said in one of his Friday Night Live videos that the principles of painting apply to any subject and it's just a matter of judging how to apply the techniques to a different subject (or something to that effect).

[@dashinvaine]

Who are the artists you mentioned as inspiration? Didn't quite catch, apart from David Kassan.

[@Morkeskrig]

+dashinvaine Ilya Repin, Nicolai Fechin, Morgan Wesitling, Casey Baugh, David Kassan, Richard Schmid

[@Purplexity-ww8nb]

I'm 59 years old and disabled and I have just now decided to become a professional artist. What's the difference between a good pencil and a bad pencil?

[@michellekhorozyan5055]

7700Purplexity the good pencil is of good quality and is well…good, but a bad pencil is not of good quality and is well…bad. Hope this helps!

[@SebastianTinajero]

7700Purplexity the quality of lead used on good quality pencils will be richer and smoother and easier to work with bad pencils have cheaper lead that is harder to work with

[@user-ku8qy3xh1t]

On this I-just-decided-to-become-an-artist stage - there is no difference. But later when you achieve some skill, you will feel the diferrence.

[@Night-Taco]

That was a really good answer

[@danielrko9895]

yeah good luck

[@itsmeagain7246]

proko rules

[@nerueru5756]

I"m sorry. No disrespect meant. I was really distracted by trying to hear. I subscribe to Proko, I don't know why I'm not used to it. Would you consider putting up a transcript of your interview? I am an English speaker, but I get slowed down deciphering accents. Captions can be a savior

[@pratik1213]

Whats the name of the artist that he mentioned after Casey baugh at 8:17 ????

[@decahedronical]

pratik1213 David Kassan, he also has a KZbin channel!

[@Nunyabeeswax777]

Man I wonder if Stan still has the time now that he has a wife and a kid.

[@Metal-Spark]

Five years is a long time, you can do a university course or get a teaching degree in that time, possibly both.

[@SDW90808]

Great vid, but coming it at 20:30 is a great vignette. Fun backstory. With Russian Ukrainian ancestry, I'm very envious.

[@QiQigoat]

how old is he?

[@solortus]

Jeff, did you start your studio at age 21? and how'd you do it?

[@adelarscheidt]

I tried to kill your fly...

[@TheCSJones]

So that would mean Stan's 28 now? I've been curious about that.

[@hughmungus7690]

thx lol

[@lindakopec7036]

SSSSooooooooo where's the follow up? :)

[@congobelga6470]

Thie is the brother of the Azov commander Denis Prokopenko?

[@hughmungus7690]

so nervous xD

[@LoveBystroem]

Look at little baby stan

[@tuaregcreative]

26yrs!!!!!!!! am 32 and starting anatomy studies.....am f*kd!! jeeez

[@TMIvey-gk4mw]

Hey, don’t feel bad. I’m posting this 10 years after your comment so if you were 32 and you’re 42 now I’m 58 and going back to art school. Don’t feel bad.

[@Lydomina]

5 years older than me and he's teaching at an art school. What am I doing with my life? *facepalm*

[@anthonypc1]

Proko lookin like a youth

[@DESBERRY]

Well, I've just done an Amazon search for that book and I'm afraid that at a cost of £135.00 it's beyond my budget. Oh well!

[@_trismegistus]

I'm just out here, ploppin through internet world.

[@DESBERRY]

Fine interview, humorous, informative, but you refer to a book - "Alla Prima" - but didn't mention the author.

[@graphicjules]

The one I am finding on Amazon is $800? errr

[@kingVoklee]

26?! FML... Gotta catch up quick. I'm already 28 :\

[@qigong1001]

you

[@johnadams2063]

Watts seems a little light in the lofers .

[@drawslashplay7384]

Proko is a lot more timid than he is in his instructional videoes.

[@zepps88]

This was 6 years ago

[@aryankhemka1412]

3rd comment!

[@seriousmax]

The use of the word "hunger" bothers me. My immediate association is with hunger for sex or something like that, lol. But hunger for drawing (wtf?).

[@FearlessP4P1]

hunger for sex? lol only a rapist can know that need

[@seriousmax]

+FearlessP4P1 don't tell anyone.

[@pardismack]

thirst for sex, hunger for drawing

[@ductile12]

it's too bad the interviewer can't learn to ask a question and then be quiet...

[@brunosinga]

Dude.. no