Hello 

Here's wishing everyone a safe and happy 4 of July!

This week's newsletter will show you how to simplify complicated subject matter.
Scenes like big cities tend to be complicated for many of my students, but when you take and simplify the big values and composition, the city scene becomes less complex.

This week there WILL be class on Thursday and on Saturday, hope to see you there.

This 4th of July weekend, there will be NO BeckerArt Paint Parties at The Studio.
Last week I updated the Paint Parties and the parties already are starting to fill up. Sign up early so you don't miss out, seats go fast. Paint Party Schedule call 815-385-3990 to sign-up.

My Saturday Classes at The Studio McHenry are pay-as-you-go this summer at $20.00 per class.
NO Saturday Class this Sat. AUGUST 1st. 

My Thursday Class will NOT meet  JULY 30th, or AUGUST 6th

Here is the photo used for this demonstration that I did in Beloit. This is a complicated subject that I simplified.

Step One: draw in the complicated subject matter and don't feel like you have to draw in everything you see in the reference material. Not every window in the city needs to be drawn in.

Step Two: Block in large area washes and work from back to front and light to dark.

Step Three: Bring in the detailed darks, those darks create details and dimension.

Step Four: Work in putting in all the details to finish.

Here is a better shot of the final painting, showing off the color better. I left the other steps less colorful to show that the large values of the composition are just as important and maybe even more important than the color.

My next workshop out of state is in Vermont for the 19th Annual Vermont Art Event in South Burlington, July 28th to August 1st. If you are in the area those days, stop by to take a workshop from a choice of 7 different instructors. Make sure you take at least one of my classes!
 Click HERE to download the Catalog.

Next year on October 5th, 2016, Dillman's will be hosting me to do a workshop in the Greek Islands.
This is going to one of the best workshops ever! 
All watercolor supplies for my class on this trip will be included.
For all the information on this workshop go HERE

If you are looking to enter a competition that pays out some real big award money, this is the place you should be entering your work in. PLEIN AIR SALON COMPETITION 

"Anything can be any Color"

This is one of my oldies but goodies...... it means that when you are painting and for instant, even though an Orange is orange in color doesn't mean in your painting that the orange has to be painted an orange color. Lighting and reflective light many times changes the local color to another color.