Old Masters Academy

How to paint like the Old Masters using modern materials

Painting

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I am passionate about painting

Artwork by Diana Licon

I have been painting for a number of years exploring a variety of mediums and styles. Art is healing for me through many instances in my life, including the drowning death of my only child. I do not have a child to leave behind, but can create artistic “children” that may last for hundreds of years.

I currently work in both oils and acrylic. I am exploring impasto techniques and have read that the old masters have explored and incorporated impasto in their work. I believe that Rembrandt, Titan and Rubens are a few who found value in this technique. I would like to learn more about this topic too. …

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I want to make my living off my paintings

Artwork by David Miller

… I started an art degree in college, but later switched to Information Technology to cover the cost of living and raising a family. I’ve been working in IT Security for quite a while now, but my love has always been painting.

I fall asleep at night thinking about painting. After I finish painting for the evening, I’ll take a picture of my progress, and then I will lie in bed and critique my work for long periods of time. When my eyes won’t stay open any more, I close them and start thinking about how I might paint tomorrow, and I visualize the brush strokes and the colors. I reflect on what I did that really worked and what didn’t. I do this almost daily. I am happiest when I start painting and all the way through the process. …

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A Tribute to my Great Grandfather, an Old Master of the Philippines

Artwork by Miguel Peralta

Ramon Peralta was a well known oil painter in Philippines and also my great grandfather. During the 19th century, he reigned in the art industry a long with artists such as Juan Luna (painter of spoliarium) and Fernando Amonsolo. They learned their oil painting techniques and competed in art competitions within Europe.

Being told this story growing up, it lead me to a path of artistry. From when I was young till now, I have been exposed to many different art mediums. I enjoyed graphic design, painting, sculpting, drawing, makeup artistry and even the performing arts. Though I have tried a variety of ventures, there is still a fire in me towards oil painting.…

…I want to be able to share the word one day about the wonders of your Art Academy. I lack the knowledge on the old Masters techniques and I wish to help contribute bringing it back. Although paintings are a great way to make a mark in history, I believe education is really the true way to keep an art alive.

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I’m old – But Not a Master Yet ….

Artwork by Carol Rickless

Hello, I’m Carol and am a recent retiree who always loved doing art; drawing, painting, crafting and designing. My dream in high school was to go to college and major in the fine arts. But then, I started work, put myself through a local college and got a ‘safe” degree, Sociology. I finished my working career as an administrative assistant, not a particularly creative job!

I’ve taken many classes in acrylic, watercolor and decorative painting as well as drawing courses. I enjoy going to museums and art galleries to see how artists handle their medium and what inspires them. I belong to our local art league and have made some wonderful friends.

My artistic challenges are color mixing, shading and learning how to “see” what my oil painting needs to move it to the next level. I would like to learn more about good composition.

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Painting is new to me

Artwork by Denis

I have done about 75 paintings, all in 2017. I am in a low place in my life after a job loss and loss of my independence.

All my work is in acrylic. I have not done anything this year. I am not sophisticated enough to have a clever answer as to the whys and wherefores of my work and what I want. …

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I’d like to be more efficient in painting

Artwork by Patrick Shields

I’m an artist that likes to create whatever I’m feeling like. I have a multitude of “styles” if you will, though I look at it like I’m just creating whatever I want. Art takes me to an energized state of imagination while I’m “conjuring,” and a contemplative state (most of the time) while I’m working. That old 1% inspiration and 99% prespiration thing.

I like the feeling I get when I complete a piece and now have something in the world that represents my own vision.

Some of my artistic challenges are, what I consider, a need to streamline my process. I really just mess around until I feel it’s done. I’d like to be more efficient. I also wish I could keep the “whole picture” in my mind as I’m working instead of focussing on one little bit at a time. I like when I see an artist work up a piece section by section whereas I tend to address the whole work with the one thing I’m dealing with at that time, such as highlights/glazing/etc. Though I remember one of Odd Nerdrum’s students saying that he repainted a figure’s arm about 6 times! I guess I’d like to learn how to proceed methodically through a painting without having to redo so much of it. …