Is It Time For You To Start Painting?

Patricia with her finished painting, before removing the blue tape

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of teaching a painting class in France to French speakers. They are the students of my former French teacher, who now lives in France and teaches English. I taught the class in English, and Veronique wrote the English words that people didn't  understand on the whiteboard, along with French translations.

There were 13 students, two were water color painters, and I don't think the others had tried painting before. We painted in acrylics. In the first lesson, we created our drawings, using one of my buoy paintings as a guide. Some people drew freehand, using a couple of techniques to make it easier: draw from your reference photo turned upside down, and draw lines as guides on your reference photo and your paper that go vertically and horizontally through the middle of the photo and your drawing. One person traced, which is also a fine way to start.

Finished paintings, after the blue tape removal

I was pretty freaked out the first night, because I'd never taught that many people before. And I was concerned that we were using one of my paintings rather than the original photo as a reference. A week later, we painted. Everyone was excited to use the colored paints.  That night was so much fun. I loved to see how engaged the students were, and enjoyed their enthusiasm. Perhaps working from the painting as a reference was actually easier? The paintings turned out beautifully, and everyone was really pleased with their results. And they were learning English too! They all posed for pictures with their work afterwards.

We're in a crazy time right now, with lots of uncertainty. Is it time for you to pick up a paint brush and have some fun instead of spending so much time on the news? If so, I have two thoughts for you.

Two paintings we learn how to paint in the online class.

FIRST IDEA

First, I've just made my online beginner oil paintings class free of charge. It's a six lesson class that you can do at your own pace. It starts at the beginning and leaves nothing out. There's even a discussion of the supplies you'll need (some of which you probably already have) included in the first lesson.

The class is designed for total beginners, who don’t know where to buy the supplies and have never even held a brush. And for those who’ve tried, gotten frustrated, and put away their paints. If you’ve painted in watercolor, acrylic, or pastel, and would now like to try oils, it will work for you too, though there will be some review.  This page on my website, explains it all.

And let me explain why I suggest oil painting as a medium, rather than water color or acrylic. That's because it's the easiest to learn. Because it takes a few days for the paint to dry, you can scrape off bits you don't like and try again. Time is on your side, no need to rush. If you don't want to work with the solvent required for oil paint, there is a an alternative, called water mixable oil paint. It doesn't use solvents and cleans up with soap and water.  I provide a PDF on how to take the class with water mixable oils. I use them frequently myself.

Water color is the most difficult to learn, because there are no do-overs, only start-overs, which is really frustrating, especially when you're starting out, and you need to learn all the stuff that is the same for all mediums. I love watercolor paintings, and I love how easy it is to carry the gear around. Painting with water color is great for travel, but learning the basics in another medium is my recommended way to start out.

As for acrylics, the paint dries fast, and I mean really fast. If you want to change something, you can't scrape it off. You can paint over it, which is not quite the same as a do-over. You have to be careful to keep your brushes (and the paint you are working with) wet all the time. Lots of brushes have been thrown away because they weren't kept wet. If the paint gets on your clothes, they become painting clothes, the paint will not come out (with oil paint, if you catch it soon enough, you can can get the paint out). That being said, if you prefer the look of acrylic paints, you can do this class in acrylic, because much of what I'm teaching is not medium specific, and I provide a PDF to explain how. I paint in acrylic too!

SECOND IDEA

Autumn Farm (left) and Day Lilies and Lace Cap Hydrangea (right)
by Carol L. Douglas

If you have painting experience, and don't need to start from the beginning, I have another idea. My friend Carol Douglas teaches a wonderful week long workshop in Acadia National Park in Maine each August and another in October in Rockport, Maine. You can check them out here. While there are other week long workshops in Maine each summer, and I've taken quite a few, I don't think you'll learn as much from any other instructor, nor will you find a more beautiful place to be inspired.

Note: While this blogpost was written in May, 2025, it wasn't live until September 22, 2025. These things happen..