Assignment for December 2, 2025
Take an Area out of Focus–
Then Re-Develop it
- When a passage becomes tight or over-handled, soften it deliberately. Use a larger brush, blur edges, merge shapes, or lightly wipe the area. The goal is to loosen your hold, not erase the work.
- Pause and look. With detail reduced, the essentials appear—clearer shapes, truer values, and the larger movement of the form.
- Re-develop the area with greater clarity and a lighter touch. Add structure slowly, refine only what’s needed, and let edges and transitions carry more sensitivity than before.
- Think of this as backing the car out of a ditch—a brief undoing that clears a cleaner, more intentional path ahead.
- Above all, don’t protect anything. Paint through forms—not around them—to stay fluid, confident, and responsive.
Approach #2 — Controlled, Linear, Committed
Build a clear, deliberate map. Draw with the brush, slow the pace, and commit to clean placement.
- Draw with your paint.
This is when you “draw with your paint”: place contours with the brush, thinking in clear, linear boundaries and measured angles. - Work one area at a time.
Develop each area a bit, follow the contours, keep the paint texture smoother.. - Focused study.
You may choose not to cover the entire canvas with this approach—that’s fine. Zero in on one area and let it be a study.
Assignment for Wednesday November 19, 2025
Paint a small study from life — a flower, a single object, or any form — and begin the block-in with a cloth or paper towel, just as we’ve done in the past and saw again on Wednesday.
- Keep it relaxed, and stay broad longer than you think you need to.
- Let the painting unfold without tightening too soon.
- Remember that details are painted the same way as masses — just on a smaller scale.
I’ll paint the floral above if you’d like to paint along.
Assignment for Wednesday November 12, 2025
Choose a painting that’s nearly done. Identify two areas—ones that are visually rich and already hold plenty of information.
Then put them “over the top” with subtle, deliberate finishing moves.Focus
- Select two passages that deserve refinement (edges, color, texture, small accents).
- Keep the rest of the painting mostly intact—let the variety of finish direct the viewer’s attention.
Methods
- Thinned paint layers — work lightly on top; wet-into-wet is mostly past this stage.
- Glazing — transparent, dark over light on a dry surface; strengthens color and adds detail.
- Scumbling — semi-transparent, light over dark on a dry surface; softens details/edges and unifies the surface. White with another color or two is almost always used here
Notes
- As you refine, inaccuracies you missed before will appear—good! Correct them calmly.
- Use a light touch—caress the canvas rather than push the paint.
- Stay focused and persistent. You’re after small, cumulative changes, not major surgery.
Assignment for Day, Month, Date, Year
Title of Assignment
Assignment: Take an Area Out of Focus, Then Re-Develop It
- When a passage becomes tight or over-handled, soften it deliberately. Use a larger brush, blur edges, merge shapes, or lightly wipe the area. The goal is to loosen your hold, not erase the work.
- Pause and look. With detail reduced, the essentials appear—clearer shapes, truer values, and the larger movement of the form.
- Re-develop the area with greater clarity and a lighter touch. Add structure slowly, refine only what’s needed, and let edges and transitions carry more sensitivity than before.
- Think of this as backing the car out of a ditch—a brief undoing that clears a cleaner, more intentional path ahead.
- Above all, don’t protect anything. Paint through forms—not around them—to stay fluid, confident, and responsive.