Malcom, I just discovered your channel and absolutely LOVE all of your videos! I’ve been a tight painter for a really long time and your videos are that breath of fresh air I’ve been looking for. Your explanations and tutorials are exceptional! I’ve really been able to loosen up and appreciate brushwork in a way I never have before. Thank you for making a huge difference in how I approach my art! 🌻
Thank you so much for your art videos Malcolm. I recently got back into painting and your videos are extremely helpful and make me feel better about my art. You’re like no other and I appreciate the time and effort it takes to create these videos ❤️
Ah, it helps to watch your videos many times. In the stage I'm at, I think I need to do as you say, and block in one day, come back the next to add layers.
It's remarkable how similar our painting strategies are. Well done sir, i especially like how you are conscious of stroke shapes and interactions to complete the whole. I like to use texture to create depth then use other perspective techniques to create different rhythms of focus and horizons that dont exist in reality but draw your eye to different places and have it still make sense. Keep up the good work
Watching your demonstration Malcolm, I thought this is my tendancy. I like to see the brush marks in a painting. But when I do it, it ends up looking too tight & blended. Your video/demonstration gives me the confidence to use thicker paint. Very inspiring, thanks so much for uploading.
Malcolm, I'm watching your videos over again. Haven't try your technique yet but your paintings and talent are so inspiring, can't wait to start. Thank you!
I completely agree with your thoughts on this, for me the thick paint strokes make the personality / mind and mood of the artist apparent, if you have thin paint, applied flat and blended nicely everywhere it feels like rendering which has no information other then exactly what is physically in the scene. I got annoyed with this flat, thin rendering as I've started painting with real oils(without thinner), and just started grabbing loads of thick (expensive) paint, the process felt authentic and how it is 'supposed' to feel, with a hint of unpredictability. I was glad to see a couple of videos then when I searched from artists I respect that say how important it is. I do wonder about a kind of technical point, since I'm new to oils I'm not sure how it should feel but when I am wiping my brush between strokes 1) the brush tends to get drier and drier 2) it's hard to keep my colours clean. I find myself reaching to dip into some linseed oil which isn't always what you want. Should the brush feel quite stiff / dry, or do you keep dipping into medium to your brush feeling smooth and flowing? Is it that you the brush starts feeling dry when your amount of paint is has just gotten too low, i.e. it's a sign you need to make sure your piles of paint are always substantial enough. I'd be interested to hear your thought
Two solutions can help. First try mixing piles of paint beforehand. Add oil if required and mix using your painting knife until the paint is buttery soft. Second is your brush will get to a point where a rinse in white spirits is necessary. That stiff or dry brush may need a good cleaning. Then resume painting and wiping the brush.
I love your style and am desperately waiting for you to apply these principles in a course on gouache painting of urban landscapes! I am trying to get competent enough in this new medium - new to me - to attend the urban sketching symposium in Buenos Aires next year! So please, can you help? PS I know that you do teach about gouache, but I am not at all interested in painting the countryside.
I SO needed to hear this right NOW, having started an autumn scene but wanting heavier strokes in shadows but finding it needed to cover the canvas first. Loosening up for anal realists is rough!
I use to paint in this form of painting....with a small to medium squared off brush for entire painting, or I laid the paint on a bit thicker. This was when I was in Independent Study Art in High School back in 1982. I may be revisiting this form.
Thank you - For the most part the second layer is still wet. In practical terms it may be the next day when I have reconsidered the painting and decided which parts need more work. Then go in with thicker paint in those parts. Usually highlight areas that need to stand out more. It is seldom that the entire painting needs a third layer. Another aspect is the "fat-over-lean" idea. When adding thick paint it is best to place it over wet paint to minimise the chances of cracking. Also to make sure the top layer is thicker than the bottom layer. If your third layer is thin and it is over a drying thick layer - then cracking is likely. In short I prefer to work wet-into-wet or wet over properly dry. Not something in between.
No, but you need a paint that is soft from the tube. Maimeri, Van Gogh and REmbrandt, for exaple, are soft and workable. Otherwise you can work a little linseed oil into the paint to get it nice and soft.
Very helpful. It's my desire to start using thick paint but I still have a fear of what to do with it once its there. Agree that flat blended paintings are drab. I need to move away from that single layer and thicken up
Thanks for your demo. One thing I like in a painting is the feel of texture. Although I like your method but at the end I do not feel the texture - say of the leaves of trees- in the painting. Can we show texture in your method?
For sure you can take the painting further with more impasto and smaller shapes to get the texture of leaves. One thing to keep in mind is your distance from the trees - for example a distant tree will not have the texture of leaves, only light/dark shapes. But a close up tree you can show that texture and it will make sense to the viewer.
Hello, Malcolm, my problem remains that I don't know what to do about the initial block-in layer of thinned paint. I am allegic to solvents. Is there an alternative method? I am familiar wih the concept of fat over lean, so i am concerned. Perhaps in a 2-layer painting it doesn't matter? Yours, C.P.
No mediums. Just soft oil paint straight from the tube. With bristle brushes you can pick up a lot of paint and control the brushstroke. Oils stay in place. Acrylics tend to flatten out. This means using impasto mediums for acrylics. Extra costs and complications but can get better results
Round one: I ended up with a muddy mess and lost my depth of field. Clearly trying to do too much too soon... but it will be dry soon enough and I can go over it again!
I have a question. Do you use a medium for a second layer of thick paint? I searched and researched about this, but my curiosity was not answered. Some writers use Medium, while others use a 5:5 mix of Medium. Some writers only use Gamsol. It's frustrating because each method is different.
No mediums at all if possible. Certainly not for the thick second layers. Use paint that is buttery out the tube and you can use it easily with a bristle brush. Maimeri Classico, Rembrandt for example.
Thank you for your tips on painting! I really enjoy watching your videos and also listening to your south african accent as I lived 4 years there and left it for Kenya in 2017. SA always in my heart! Regards.
@@MalcolmDewey do you just use paint from the tube or do you put a diluted layer with turps then the paint from tube then to u add any medium to the top layer
@@harrymonk6 Never use turps except to clean your brush. I prefer to use paint straight from the tube. Only use a little white spirits or medium when doing your first block in or composition drawing. From there use no mediums or spirits if possible. The more of these in your paint the more issues with drying times etc.
I love Malcolm,s art lessons and also I like his personality . Calm with positive energy.
Ah thank you Eva!
Love your voice Malcolm it's calm that makes us want to listen more. You also go straight to the point of your teachings. Thank you 🙏🤗
Malcom, I just discovered your channel and absolutely LOVE all of your videos! I’ve been a tight painter for a really long time and your videos are that breath of fresh air I’ve been looking for. Your explanations and tutorials are exceptional! I’ve really been able to loosen up and appreciate brushwork in a way I never have before. Thank you for making a huge difference in how I approach my art! 🌻
You are very welcome
Thank you so much for your art videos Malcolm. I recently got back into painting and your videos are extremely helpful and make me feel better about my art. You’re like no other and I appreciate the time and effort it takes to create these videos ❤️
You are very welcome
I have watched this tutorial multiple times and is still enjoyable
and educational...
I really appreciate your calm approach to painting, and am fascinated with your Impressionistic style you use. Thank you Malcolm!
It's a pleasure, thank you!
I LOVE this style. I'm practising it now. Thanks for your tips
Ah, it helps to watch your videos many times. In the stage I'm at, I think I need to do as you say, and block in one day, come back the next to add layers.
Sounds good 😊
It's remarkable how similar our painting strategies are. Well done sir, i especially like how you are conscious of stroke shapes and interactions to complete the whole. I like to use texture to create depth then use other perspective techniques to create different rhythms of focus and horizons that dont exist in reality but draw your eye to different places and have it still make sense. Keep up the good work
Thank you very much
Very well explained and easy to follow instructions. I will definitely have a go!
Thank you!
Watching your demonstration Malcolm, I thought this is my tendancy. I like to see the brush marks in a painting. But when I do it, it ends up looking too tight & blended. Your video/demonstration gives me the confidence to use thicker paint. Very inspiring, thanks so much for uploading.
It's a pleasure 👍
I love this approach and just starting.
Thank you!
What an inspirational video❤️
I will try to follow your suggestions. Thank you, Malcom
Excellent, thank you!
Malcolm, I'm watching your videos over again. Haven't try your technique yet but your paintings and talent are so inspiring, can't wait to start. Thank you!
Excellent, thank you
I completely agree with your thoughts on this, for me the thick paint strokes make the personality / mind and mood of the artist apparent, if you have thin paint, applied flat and blended nicely everywhere it feels like rendering which has no information other then exactly what is physically in the scene.
I got annoyed with this flat, thin rendering as I've started painting with real oils(without thinner), and just started grabbing loads of thick (expensive) paint, the process felt authentic and how it is 'supposed' to feel, with a hint of unpredictability. I was glad to see a couple of videos then when I searched from artists I respect that say how important it is.
I do wonder about a kind of technical point, since I'm new to oils I'm not sure how it should feel but when I am wiping my brush between strokes 1) the brush tends to get drier and drier 2) it's hard to keep my colours clean. I find myself reaching to dip into some linseed oil which isn't always what you want. Should the brush feel quite stiff / dry, or do you keep dipping into medium to your brush feeling smooth and flowing? Is it that you the brush starts feeling dry when your amount of paint is has just gotten too low, i.e. it's a sign you need to make sure your piles of paint are always substantial enough. I'd be interested to hear your thought
Two solutions can help. First try mixing piles of paint beforehand. Add oil if required and mix using your painting knife until the paint is buttery soft.
Second is your brush will get to a point where a rinse in white spirits is necessary. That stiff or dry brush may need a good cleaning. Then resume painting and wiping the brush.
@@MalcolmDewey Thanks a lot for the info, I will keep it in mind!
I love textured painting, I’ve done a few, but need more practice, thanks for the tutorials & tips
it's a Pleasure, Thank you
I love your style and am desperately waiting for you to apply these principles in a course on gouache painting of urban landscapes! I am trying to get competent enough in this new medium - new to me - to attend the urban sketching symposium in Buenos Aires next year! So please, can you help? PS I know that you do teach about gouache, but I am not at all interested in painting the countryside.
Ill keep that in mind. Perhaps a demo soon. Thanks
Wow. I love it.
Thank you!
Great Job there..,😉
Thank you!
Love the paintings!! I’m going to try to do Impressionistic! I’m just starting.
Go for it!
I SO needed to hear this right NOW, having started an autumn scene but wanting heavier strokes in shadows but finding it needed to cover the canvas first. Loosening up for anal realists is rough!
😄 Yes it is not an overnight thing! Glad this is helpful.
I use to paint in this form of painting....with a small to medium squared off brush for entire painting, or I laid the paint on a bit thicker. This was when I was in Independent Study Art in High School back in 1982. I may be revisiting this form.
Have a go!
Amazing
When you said sometimes a third layer of paint has the second layer skinned over thank you once again I love the heavy impasto. Flint
Thank you - For the most part the second layer is still wet. In practical terms it may be the next day when I have reconsidered the painting and decided which parts need more work. Then go in with thicker paint in those parts. Usually highlight areas that need to stand out more. It is seldom that the entire painting needs a third layer. Another aspect is the "fat-over-lean" idea. When adding thick paint it is best to place it over wet paint to minimise the chances of cracking. Also to make sure the top layer is thicker than the bottom layer. If your third layer is thin and it is over a drying thick layer - then cracking is likely. In short I prefer to work wet-into-wet or wet over properly dry. Not something in between.
Fabulous...I'll give this approach a try Malcolm. How do you feel about impasto mediums, cold wax, etc. MANY thanks
Thanks John, I cannot seem to get into mediums. More to think about which can be distracting 😄
Thank you, i don’t know if you still make videos but this was very helpful’ ♥️
I do! thanks
Thank you. Very helpful…
You're welcome!
Did you let your block-in dry before you started the second layer? Thanks for this video
If possible work wet in wet. Far better results this way as edges look better. You can push paint around and make subtle changes.
Excellent video. Enjoyed much. Thank you.
Thank you Andrew.
Thank you, I just discovered your channel and I'm enjoying your videos and your paintings. Very inspiring! :) Do you use a medium for this style?
No, but you need a paint that is soft from the tube. Maimeri, Van Gogh and REmbrandt, for exaple, are soft and workable. Otherwise you can work a little linseed oil into the paint to get it nice and soft.
@@MalcolmDewey Thank you!
Beautiful, very beautiful, thank you 🙏🏻
Thank you very much Reneta.
Very helpful. It's my desire to start using thick paint but I still have a fear of what to do with it once its there. Agree that flat blended paintings are drab. I need to move away from that single layer and thicken up
Thanks Michael - it is definitely a process of trial and error, but worth persisting.
Bloody good style...I love it
Thanks my friend.
Thanks for your demo. One thing I like in a painting is the feel of texture. Although I like your method but at the end I do not feel the texture - say of the leaves of trees- in the painting. Can we show texture in your method?
For sure you can take the painting further with more impasto and smaller shapes to get the texture of leaves. One thing to keep in mind is your distance from the trees - for example a distant tree will not have the texture of leaves, only light/dark shapes. But a close up tree you can show that texture and it will make sense to the viewer.
Gouache is perhaps not the best medium for texture...?
Amazing work
your absolute right
Hello, Malcolm, my problem remains that I don't know what to do about the initial block-in layer of thinned paint. I am allegic to solvents. Is there an alternative method? I am familiar wih the concept of fat over lean, so i am concerned. Perhaps in a 2-layer painting it doesn't matter? Yours, C.P.
Yes, a few drops linseed oil or safflower oil with thin the paint.
Thank you. Yes, I did know that -- but how does it affec the fat over lean principle? That is my concern.?@@MalcolmDewey
No problem - subsequent layers will be thicker and therefore have more oil. @@chayita7
Are You using some medium like alkyd medium for oil? Impasto is much easier in acryl than oil. ??
No mediums. Just soft oil paint straight from the tube. With bristle brushes you can pick up a lot of paint and control the brushstroke. Oils stay in place. Acrylics tend to flatten out. This means using impasto mediums for acrylics. Extra costs and complications but can get better results
Thanks!
Wonderful, thank you Olga!
Round one: I ended up with a muddy mess and lost my depth of field. Clearly trying to do too much too soon... but it will be dry soon enough and I can go over it again!
Good, all part of the challenge 👍
Malcom would the color and thickness of the paint be less saturated and thick in the distance?
Very inspiring…
Thank you
I have a question. Do you use a medium for a second layer of thick paint? I searched and researched about this, but my curiosity was not answered. Some writers use Medium, while others use a 5:5 mix of Medium. Some writers only use Gamsol. It's frustrating because each method is different.
No mediums at all if possible. Certainly not for the thick second layers. Use paint that is buttery out the tube and you can use it easily with a bristle brush. Maimeri Classico, Rembrandt for example.
Great job my new friend ❤️
Thanks for sharing full watched 😊
New artist here show same love 💕
Thanks man - subbed!
I am using oil as medium, do I need to wait the layer to dry before apply the new layer to prevent from blending?
No, but it does mean careful brushwork. One stroke parallel to the canvas and so on. Watch a few of my demos to see this.
White is like adding milk to water, clouding it but it's rough to get bright PURPLES without it.
True, just a little, working color back in to keep the richness.
Thank you for your tips on painting! I really enjoy watching your videos and also listening to your south african accent as I lived 4 years there and left it for Kenya in 2017. SA always in my heart! Regards.
Thanks. - that is good to hear. Glad they help you.
Wow
How do u make to oil paint look like blood with layers and it being thick paint to make it like 3d
Thank you. Keep the paint thick without adding too many mediums. Put lots on your paintbrush and apply - and practice :)
Doesn't the thick paint wrinkle when it starts to dry? Thank you
I have not had this with artists paints.
@@MalcolmDewey do you just use paint from the tube or do you put a diluted layer with turps then the paint from tube then to u add any medium to the top layer
@@harrymonk6 Never use turps except to clean your brush. I prefer to use paint straight from the tube. Only use a little white spirits or medium when doing your first block in or composition drawing. From there use no mediums or spirits if possible. The more of these in your paint the more issues with drying times etc.
@@MalcolmDewey so i can build layers of wet paint from the tube without any wrinkling etc
Thank you for you're reply
@@harrymonk6 Pleasure - also see this demo th-cam.com/video/LUoilZRhZQU/w-d-xo.html
The problem with “wet on wet” with acrylics is that they dry way too fast.
Yes, especially with large paintings. Smaller you can get away with it if you work quickly.
I wonder why I like to look at impressionistic works, but I hate making them.
Sometimes I say the same thing 😄