The Biggest PROBLEM Beginners have with their PAINT HANDLING and BRUSHWORK

Brushwork is fundamental in the appearance of the painted surface. Most people think that one only needs to get the right color at the right place but there is an almost infinite number of ways to apply the same color at the same spot and this is where the difference between beginners and masters lies.
Typically, a beginner will use a very limited selection of paint application techniques: the movement of the brush will most likely come from the fingers and the brush is usually held like a pencil, near the ferrule, which limits the amplitude of the stroke. Very often, the angle of the brush related to the canvas is close to 90°and the pressure is usually stronger than needed, similar to writing.
Obviously, we all went through this and it’s perfectly normal to have a more limited range of techniques at first. For a beginner, you see, painting is so new that it feels reassuring to start with a paint handling technique that feels familiar, that’s why the most common thing is to to hold the brush like a pencil. Everybody knows how to write and draw with a pencil so, when you take a paintbrush in your hand, it feels natural to hold it like a pencil.
And let’s say it right away, it’s fine ! This way of holding the brush is perfectly adapted for details and finitions, the only problem is… not everything can be about details and precision. Imagine that you visit a museum and can only look at the paintings through a magnifying glass, that would be a very poor experience because you’d miss the whole context.
Chapters:
00:00 The problem most beginners have
01:45 78,732 ways to apply the same color
at the same spot
06:44 Break
07:11 Control the amount of paint in your brush
07:45 Visualize your brush stroke
08:53 Not happy? Scrape it off!
09:03 Tight vs Loose
10:35 Use all the potential of each brush
11:07 Pick the right brush
Music :
I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie and That Kid in Fourth Grade Who Really Liked the Denver Broncos - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: chriszabriskie.com/honor/
Artist: chriszabriskie.com/
***
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***
The material I use most of the time (not necessarily in this video) :
Drawing
Equipement
✓ Kneaded eraser
✓ Plumb line
✓ Small mirror
✓ An old synthetic brush
✓ Masking tape
✓ Cutter
✓ Sandpaper or sanding block
✓ Mahlstick or Hand rest (DIY)
✓ Level ruler
Graphite
✓ Pencils 2H, HB and 2B
Charcoal
✓ If available: Nitram charcoals (H, HB and B)
✓ Square charcoals
✓ Natural charcoal box
Black and white chalk
✓ Sketch pencil Conté white
✓ Square Conté noir : HB and 2B
✓ Chalk or pencil holder
✓ Pencil sketch Conté Pierre noire : H and HB
Sanguine
✓ Sketch pencil Conté : Blood and blood Medici
✓ Crayon Polychromos Faber-Castel : sanguine
✓ Sketch pencil Conté white
Oil painting
Palette
(Extra-fine paint, recommended brands depending on availability: Lefranc Bourgeois, Winsor and Newton, Royal Talens Rembrandt)
✓ Titanium white PW6
✓ Yellow ochre PY42
✓ Burnt Sienna PR101 or PBr7
✓ Venetian red or English red PR101
✓ Permanent Alizarin crimson (Attention: do not use the traditional pigment, which is not very light-fast) PV19 or PR177 or Quinacridone Rose PV19
✓ Cobalt teal blue PG50
✓ French ultramarine blue PB29
✓ Raw umber PBr7
✓ Burnt umber PBr7
✓ Ivory Black PBk9
Brushes
✓ About ten filbert hog bristle brushes sizes n° 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12
✓ Some flat brushes
✓ Round sable brush or round Kolinsky sable n° 4, 8, 10, 12 (from the size of the nail (about one inch) or synthetic imitation
Medium
✓ Linseed stand oil
✓ Odourless mineral spirits
✓ Safflower oil
Surface
✓ Linen canvas, fine grain universal coating
✓ For studies : Canson oil-acrylic oil paper Figueras
Others
✓ Palette
✓ Foam and spalter brushes
✓ Palette knife in the shape of a water drop, no souldering
✓ A few small pots, containers, jars...
✓ Paper towels
***
#art #painting #inspiration

[@droneracer]

This week I have drawn my first picture looking at the values rather than trying to draw what I think it should look like, and it looks far better than anything I've drawn before.

[@FlorentFargesarts]

Awesome, keep it up ! 👍

[@yarnpower]

There is an excellent classic book on that topic, ‘Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain’.

[@emmettolson3499]

I wish KZbin had a picture feature cause I’m curious to see it. It’s wonderful when artists recognize their growth

[@sarius24]

@@yarnpower I read that book as a young teen many many years ago and it still stays in my mind today

[@adhdhamster]

I wish I could love react to this for you ❤

[@blygalaar3952]

I've been painting for several years now and although most of this seems like common sense, it made me realize that I've been overlooking some of the obvious powers my brush has. Sometimes I get caught up in exercising what skills I know I have, that I forget about some others.

[@MickAngelhere]

Sometimes when I’m working on a painting and it feels like it’s not working I go wild with the brush and then somehow the painting comes together

[@manicangel7796]

I believe many artist who allow themselves to finally just "let go" will agree with you. Sometimes it's not about the detail. I think the illusion of detail is way better than 97thousand tiny little blades of grass. (although the latter is quite impressive

[@MickAngelhere]

@@manicangel7796 true 👍

[@adhdhamster]

​@@manicangel7796the hardest but best lesson I've learned. I'm still trying to practice it but it made a world of difference

[@ianbrowne8871]

I think you are the most analytical of all the artists I follow on YT. It is refreshing to find an artist and teacher, who takes a problem topic and pulls it apart and then puts it back together. By going through this process, you can identify the constituent parts and then see how they relate to each other. We can then see the grammar of painting and this armed, we can practise with more confidence. All too often artist start to talk about the emotion which is of little practical help when you need to develop the skills first before you can express emotion.

[@chiricuttcomepapt5100]

Nice comment. You analyzed the analyzer. Thanks!

[@alexandrawinsor881]

Problematic topic!? What is this politics? No it’s painting. It’s not a problematic topic. It’s people holding brushes the way they feel comfortable holding them.

[@ianbrowne8871]

I am happy to people to hold brushes any way they like if it makes them happy. What Florent is discussing is the process of acquiring skills and we can consider the advice of a teacher or find out the hard way and get very frustrated. All too often when people buy a self assembly item, the last thing look at is the instructions provided. They only do this when they have made a mess of things. Painting can be good therapy but he addressing people who wish to master a skill. @@alexandrawinsor881

[@alejandraalvarez5217]

A marvelous study of a brushwork!!! I’ve done this for years, but I never paid to much attention to the detail, now I’m aware of all this possibilities... 78,732 thanks!!! I love it...

[@jsvenier]

The glass is perfect because the texture doesn’t interfere. Brilliant choice

[@thestarspark2288]

Thank you for this! It's hard for experienced artists to explain because most of us were not explicitly taught this, we learnt through practice. Super useful for beginners!

[@kathystrasters1828]

You are brilliant at explaining. Thank you. And for not wasting... Glass option, wonderful.

[@williamwinn948]

The biggest problem with beginners is they're trying to paint like masters, Just paint and enjoy the process, it will come with time And you will find your own style

[@s.larsensam8692]

Thanks. So true.? The curve is steep but as Einstein pointed out that’s why TIME exists because we can’t do everything in a moment.

[@alexandrawinsor881]

No we don’t try to paint like “the masters” we try to paint. It doesn’t matter how.

[@alexandrawinsor881]

@@s.larsensam8692um. So NOT true.

[@beatrixtracy]

But some advice is essential too. Like putting a base coat/ gesso on canvasses, don't waste good paint on cheap canvasses, paint fat over lean, the usefulness of liquin etc etc. Art equipment is too expensive to not have some basic tips. Some colour mixing advice or experimentation goes a long way. Or the advice of painting what you see, not what you think you see.

[@Timoteusmusik]

How would you know?🤡

[@citadelofwinds1564]

In discovered this channel recently, and it's hands down the best, most informative and useful art channel I've come across. I did some art classes over the years, and not one of the teachers ever taught us anything useful. There was no instruction - unless you asked about something specific - it was mostly just supervision, with the teachers pottering about their own thing while the classes were largely left to fend for themselves. There were even teachers who seemed annoyed by students asking "too many" questions. Even art books rarely touch upon things like what a difference it makes where you hold the brush. So it's really refreshing to have finally found a source that provides proper instruction and detailed advice on the fundamentals of painting. So thank you for providing these truly helpful, high-quality videos.

[@Paramocinema]

Thank you for your videos. I bought your oil painting videos and I learned a quite amount. I always like painting but I didn’t have the appropriate information. I’m glad I found your channel. Not only helped me to grow as and individual but also helped me to appreciate art from another perspective. I visited MOMA again after some time and I had a complete different experience. . I’m looking forward for the color videos next. Thanks again.

[@anthonypc1]

Lol I love how you track alllll these permutations of painterly choices we have. Quantitatively inspiring.

[@theophiluschristopher2088]

They are no rules to holding a brush.. Just flow with it... So long you get what you desire.

[@mohrkatja8923]

Thank you again.... For your generous sharing. You give importance yo the detail of so many variations which I underated and now it gives me a kick to put much more importance to my work... Gratitude🙏🏽🦋🖌

[@PursuingHeaven]

I am always overwhelmed when I watch your videos.

[@navalakshman5970]

Thanks a lot, I learned a lot from this video. These endless possibilities of brush work attract me in painting. Thanks again

[@terryhorowitz7076]

This was so interesting & terrific to watch. Brilliant! You've given me a lot to think about & try out. Thank you!

[@nadineneg]

As soon as I saw your video, I jumped to your course and wanted to thank you for your course! I have been painting for three months and didn't know what to make of it. It seemed as if I had dared to enter a magnificent encoded universe, but I happened to have left the keys behind, so I got entangled at the doorway! Thank you for providing the first key and a vital map so that one would never get lost during the trip. Thank you again! 🙏🏻♥

[@martincrawford5173]

I didn’t know there were different ways to move your arms when paintings. I use my elbows and wrists. Never thought of painting with shoulders and entire self. Thank you for these videos.

[@liv0003]

it also applies to drawing, if you draw with your shoulder instead of just your wrist you have a much wider variety of gestures which allows you to draw any shape much more easily

[@manonbrmt909]

You are amazing at explaining, thank you for your work, it’s really inspiring

[@Chocaluvr]

A mahl stick is very useful to keep your hand steady while painting above the canvas. More-so when painting in oil so that your palm doesn’t rest on the wet paint underneath.

[@ptur12345]

Why have I not heard of this before?! I've always struggled with accuracy in the latter stages of painting due to having no supports. Gonna have to get myself one of these.

[@stevenallan6515]

Thank you. Well-spoken and presented

[@ulaswierczynska4502]

Very interesting and valuable material. I was waiting for something like this, thank you ♡

[@holamissmusica]

This was so informative as well as entertaining, thank you 🙌🏾

[@lantanalanta1709]

Great lesson, thank you!

[@sambarboo4701]

I find myself coming back to this most useful video.

[@kaizze8777]

I’m a digital painter and this is so useful and makes me want to go back to acrylic and sprays

[@theartisthands]

Thank you so much for the information. Your information helps me to reflect on my own painting style.

[@tonivergara5725]

Thank you! You've wonderfully explained so much! I sketched in my youth and later painted a bit with Acrylic. Sadly, I took about a 20 year break. Though I've recently started watercolor, I know there's is a lot of information here that will be very useful!! A new Subscriber! 🎨

[@andrewsart23]

Its almost like he's talking about watercolor... I know its suggested that you paint standing up sometimes so that you can get better use of the elbow and shoulder movement in order to have more smoother strokes and gestures...

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

Excellent....also ..I salute you for not wasting materials 🙏

[@fatemaalbalooshi1980]

Excellent points , learning so much from you. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@claires9100]

"Paint loose when you paint the context, then tighter for the points of focus".

[@pantherpaw9]

As an engineer, I’m very appreciative of your explanation using statistical analysis 😊 I love it.

[@hectorherrera8316]

Thanks a lot, Master!

[@jeffh8840]

Well explained. Great information.

[@manancia8520]

Thank you for having this chanel. I reallly enjoy it.

[@k.r.5722]

Thanks so much for the video, it’s exactly what I needed and it’s broken down in such an easy way to understand as a student! ❤

[@FlorentFargesarts]

Thank you so much, glad my work can be helpful ❤️😊🎨

[@claires9100]

Je n'y avais jamais considéré. Merci de cette manière de voir les combinaisons.

[@KS-xz2rq]

Professor Florent , wonderful content!

[@Rbkamel]

Love the new video series you uploaded in last weeks If would please make tips for reuse old caves

[@studiosandi]

Well laid out!

[@jamieburton5524]

so helpful, thank you so much!

[@108bhavani]

Excellent tutorial many many thanks

[@ladyethyme]

Medium additions are huge variables too!

[@DJarry394]

If you take a look at Richard Diebenkorn’s paintings, especially his earlier figurative pieces, you can see how he scrubbed and blended on the canvas, and even picked up part of the bottom layer, AND IT WORKED! His work is breathtaking

[@ANIMExXTY]

I make more and more acute angle in painting from start to finish because it provides me the thickness with each layer ❤

[@ringtong99]

thank you for sharing!

[@Blondk100]

Thank you for this explanation I am a new painter and a pencil holder. lol room to improve

[@PanerramikVon]

Very good information!

[@DJarry394]

I like to lay the paint in at times. I hold the brush nearly at the end and balance on thumb and forefinger, and use my arm in swoops. When I was in grad school figure painting, one professor was aghast at how I put the paint on, because i didn’t carefully layer and figure everything out in the underpainting, and I scrubbed, layered, laid strokes, scraped and scribbled with the brush. He told me he thought I was going to make a mess, but always pulled it through. I may not have given the impression I knew what I was doing, but I always did. I gesture like crazy

[@bryanmartin9420]

Thanks again!

[@sadiaawanartist]

Thank you, thank you 💕... Informative video....

[@keariewashburn4680]

Thank you for your video 😊💗

[@lunaticplantlover]

Your voice is so cute, charming, kinda childish and playful sometimes, also very classy like high French bourgeois and at the same time a little bit Chinese-British-Italian and much more. Wow. Love you

[@saritaupadhyay5594]

Wow nice tips😮

[@Name-ot3xw]

I have access to a 2nd hand art store, it's been nice being able to try out new (old) brushes for a dollar each.

[@ritaparker478]

Thank you, very helpful.

[@FlorentFargesarts]

Glad it was helpful!

[@someones_daughter_]

Thank you

[@DavidConnerCodeaholic]

I try to think of everything in these terms. For the first few levels, it actually helps to study robotics a bit, since they have good methods for defining degrees of freedom for motion. There are some videos from Northwest University on robotics that illustrate what I’m referring to. To me, these ways of thinking are mostly useful for enumerating the categories of possibilities so you can ensure you try a wide set of variants more quickly. There are many difficult to learn factors which more strongly affect the outcome than the variables you have conscious control over. Like solvents, dryness of surface or paint on brush, bristle flexibility, etc. these are hard to control, but also hard to notice if you aren’t trying to notice the variables you discuss.

[@DavidConnerCodeaholic]

Thinking in terms of machine learning also gives you the valuable insight that you should approach things with the right amount of randomness, while being aware of how each variable added value or caused problems. Over time, you should develop an understanding of how these variables combine for effect.

[@shuvoDhar.5537]

Great information 👍🏻👍🏻❤❤❤

[@annasolovienko9588]

Thank you ❤️

[@jumanas4012]

thank you so much for your tips , i use this mistake one brush per color so my colors stays clean .

[@chiquitafeldberg8512]

Your so good at instruction

[@Curtislow2]

Thank you. Excellent explanation. What are your thoughts using a Mahl stick ?

[@FlorentFargesarts]

I'm a pretty tight painter so I'm a big advocate. For a more loose alla prima approach, you can do without it but I personally couldn't, I use it a lot !

[@gillesmarietta6576]

Je vous suis depuis au moins deux ans et j’ai également acheté votre formation qui est très instructive et très complète. Mais depuis un moment, étant abonné, je m’aperçois que toutes les vidéos sont en anglais ( ce que je peux comprendre compte tenu du nombre plus important de visionnage) mais ne serait-il pas possible de mettre au moins des sous titres en français ? Est-ce techniquement très compliqué ? Encore merci pour tous vos conseils. Bon courage.

[@FariKanwal]

Yes at start my painting is loose i prefer loose hand directional strokes but for end precise detailing its pencil approach

[@ghoshashok5811]

Fantastic suggestion thanks

[@FlorentFargesarts]

Most welcome 😊

[@friendlypiranha774]

I like you glass palette. Where can I get one please?

[@williamlovemo8596]

you are so very eloquent :)

[@RorianTube]

Super!

[@manicangel7796]

RE: you note section. No, I don't mind. As a matter of fact I love you for it. I can barely afford canvasses let alone waste them when I want to practice technique and this to me is brilliant.

[@KB-ty2gc]

Yeah this makes sense, this is why beginners, while they can do wonderful paintings, they will feel and fall in the beginner style, because they tend to take the same path... Even experience artists will repeat a path, but it will be an interesting one, that will form their style. I learn a lot about effect of pressure by painting with palette knives. I love knives, because you can with the angle apply pressure and make a hard edge and softly deposit a fresh layer.

[@Tililiish]

J'adore! Tu as fait un bac S? haha, merci pour ces cours!

[@fionabromby4546]

With respect all this is of use. But. The way you see your subject governs all the movement of your brush I’ve been a professional artist and art lecturer for more years than I could say! When I paint i only see the whole of the space I’m filling. No idea how I use the brush. It seems to be an extension of my brain. Hope this makes sense.

[@ronpaulick8395]

An Native American artist friend suggested letting the brush dance according to the desired feel of the painting.

[@FlorentFargesarts]

Love it ✨️🎨🖌🙂

[@kentjensen4504]

Clever!

[@jameswoodard1602]

what about separate brushes for different values? light, medium and dark?

[@alviegieghtejoso7942]

I miss your narrative painting 💯

[@FlorentFargesarts]

I'll be posting a new painting video soon 😊👍🎨

[@alviegieghtejoso7942]

@@FlorentFargesarts much appreciated, i'll wait😊🇵🇭

[@chiricuttcomepapt5100]

Thank you. May I add other factors: illumination or your work (color, intensity, DIRECTION). Air quality of your shop. Position of the work (floor, wall, overhead or in between). Flying insects.

[@roussmade7360]

to sum up the clip- possibility's are endless given color, angle, speed, brush, pressure, viscosity, .....the list goes on. so best thing to do is go practice. and feel the paint in your hand and how it moves on the canvas. stay in tune with what you are doing while you paint and practice new possibility's.

[@tumblingrosesstudio]

Thank you, getting back into painting is like learning to use chopsticks again

[@giovannisiano574]

Well, it also depends what you are painting. I see people doing photo-realistic paintings in 8" x 6" canvas. For sure they have no chance to use and elbow or, leave alone, a shoulder movement. Most is a pen-like usage with small brushes. Even for large photo-realistic works the application is very precise and using minimum amount of color.

[@maletu]

Different grips! Not just where the brush is gripped, but how fingers are arranged in the grip!

[@magdak8491]

If this is the biggest problem, then we all probably have to just stop watching KZbin and start painting. A lot. Everyone has his own handling. The introduction of genealogy tree of possibilities is the moment to stop the video and go away😂

[@DarkSnailPhotography]

Yay ☺️

[@adhdhamster]

Question.... is this applicable to all (paint) mediums. I realize at least to some degrees it is... but some details felt more directed towards oil paints specifically? Probably a dumb question... and probably shouldn't matter and I should just try everything anyway. But I i couldn't resist at least asking

[@enderjacket6384]

My favorite brush stroke: light touch, full body involved, end, obtuse angle, so slow its basically yoga, wet on wet, HEAVY texture, opaque, creamy, slightly springy, cackling.

[@great-garden-watch]

Having math anxiety😂. Seriously this is great.

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

Infact... palette could be used for practice..true

[@s7r49]

i paint with toothbrushes because i can get a pack of 5 for a buck at the 99c store. I use soft for the first half and switch to hard when I get to edge refinement and highlights. I've not used a paint brush in years. sometimes I use plastic forks and knives for some foliage

[@sibbzteunissen3393]

'Past a certain point it doesn't make much sense anymore'.. Laurant i love your videos but that quote is right. No one needs this video

[@Kliffot]

Carefull with super powerfull organic pigment like phtalos and dioxazine, wiping the brush won't be enough at all.

[@Handles-R-Lame]

when you were switching thru the brushes i expected to see a broom eventually. Lol

[@skafazzation666]

🤩

[@seanbayan798]

Does this only apply for oil painting?

[@katelosabia4181]

I believe we can apply it to all.

[@dorenandsara]

I love the glass palette! Why waste supplies in order to demonstrate something that does not involve our use of a palette? The glass is very crisp and easy to see.

[@dianecourtney2724]

✌🏼

[@dasspookez]

I barely use a traditional brush. I like other tools better and sets me apart from other artists in my area.

[@superbooster2636]

9:11 Okay... I know I shouldn't laugh at that but there's a lot of uncomfortable truth in that statement 🤣🤣🤣

[@ArtofComics]

Playback at 1.25x it works!