Last week I taught for a week at the Vermont Art Event and I also had the chance to take 2 classes as a student from 2 very skilled instructors. A student in one of the classes told me she was surprised that I would take a class being as skilled as I was in watercolor. I explained that it doesn't matter how skilled I was, it is always good to learn and pick up great lessons from a good instructor. I also told her I didn't take any watercolor instruction, but instead tried oil and acrylic painting.

Below I will go over what I picked up from each class I took last week. I tell my students when taking a class they should follow along closely to what the instructor is teaching and try to do what they are instructing, even if sometimes you may not agree with the way or what the instructor is teaching.

I also believe that you should only take away one big lesson from each class you take. If you try to learn loads of things and try to remember everything about a class, you normally forget everything. I like to pick up one great lesson from each class I take and really try to focus and learn that one thing. After each class if you remember one thing it will stick with you better and after many classes you will have mastered much more then if you try to learn loads of things all at once.

Here is a list of the big things I picked up from each class I took in Vermont.

• In Sean Dye's class the big lesson I picked up is his great technique of using waterproof India Ink to block in the scene and the value pattern of what he is going to paint on his canvas. He does his value sketch right on the surface he is going to paint on and then covers the values with the colored paint. This is such a great way to work and this can be used for oil, aqua oils and acrylics. There was much more that he taught but I focused on that one lesson so I wouldn't forget this great lesson and it will now stick with me as the way to start my paintings done in oil and acrylics.

  
  

• In Jean Pederson's class the big lesson I wanted to remember was the way she prepared her ground (surface) and paint over leaving your middle tones to show through. This is such a great technique and one I will continue to try and learn to master. She was also showing the class the proportions of the features on the face with a great display she made from clear plastic sheets. I told her she should have these mass produced because I feel she could sell these to her students, I would definitely buy this learning tool.

  
  

• I didn't take Linda Kemp's class but one day when we were talking she gave me some great advice. In one of my classes I use a sheet of plexi-glass and since I bring one for every student it gets quite heavy lugging 26 sheets of plexi-glass around to classes. Linda told me she gets thin plastic cutting boards from the dollar store and it works just as good as the plexi-glass and weighs a lot less. Great information that I will use once I get back home.

  
  

• I also picked up some great information from the Holbein folks. I found out some great information about their gouache product and I just learned they have 6 different mediums to add to their watercolors that give the watercolors different effects. I will give the mediums a try and will write about them in a future newsletter.

In the end I picked up 5 new lessons from 5 different people and they will stick with me because I focused on those single lessons. Don't try learning everything in a class because you usually will forget everything because you didn't focus on one thing. This has always worked better for me, maybe you can focus on more things and learn them all, but I just wanted you to see what works for me.

My BeckerArt Workshops and Demos in 2018​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Dillman's Fall Workshop, Wisconsin, September 9-14th, For information Click Here

Artisan Materials Expo Classes, Santa Fe,  September 27th-30th, For Information Click Here

Perquimans Arts League, Hertford NC, October 15th and 16th, For Information Click Here

Jacksonville Watercolor Society Workshop, Jacksonville FL, October 24, 25, 26 For Information Click Here