From Hollywood to The Masters: My New Adventures in Fine Art

Feedback from Stephen Van Dorn

I have always been an artist, and in first grade my teacher, Mrs. Duran, had us draw a simple figure of a man walking. I still remember that drawing. I depicted him in a green crayon suit and a top hat and I believe my grandma even kept the drawing. It may still exist. From there I continued my love of drawing and coloring and always wanted to try oils, as my paternal grandmother was a painter of Colorado landscapes and elk. I got a starter set for my 13th birthday and my first painting of a sunset over the ocean turned muddy. I still have it. But I was hooked. I was accepted into honors art class in junior high school but my teacher did not teach us about under painting or glazing, strangely. Perhaps she didn’t know about it.

In college I painted a seascape which took me three years to finish, working in fits and starts, but I was so pleased with the result that I gave it to my parents for Christmas, framed, and my father teared up upon receiving it. My first attempt at a portrait was very frustrating as I was attempting to paint directly with color, rather than the under painting and glazing technique I learned from you, so I never finished it.

I teach at a local high school and the art teacher repeatedly demonstrated that she was teaching non artists how to paint well and I thought surely there is something I’ve not learned. Boy was I right!! Your site opened up worlds for me and on my first new attempt to paint a portrait, I had a very pleasing black and white under painting of Judith from Caravaggio. I couldn’t believe how well it turned out. I am now looking forward to glazing color on the painting, which is really just a detail of her face as an exercise. I couldn’t believe the thrill I experienced from painting, in a way I had never experienced before, and now I am excited for all the possibilities that lay before me as a fine artist! I am an actor in Hollywood, and now I feel like maybe I just might have a future in oils!

I think the “contemporary old master” is Leonardo because of his innovations, even though his work might be more antique in appearance.

My favourite artist is Caravaggio. The amazing chiaroscuro lighting and the realistic portrayal of skin and his compositions.

Found your website in a search for painting like the masters and was introduced to glazing. Then imprimatura and under painting followed and I realized I had been painting in a very difficult way for my entire life. Already my painting has improved dramatically and is much simpler to accomplish. I'd imagine there are many more improvements to be made to my technique that your site can introduce me to and teach me! I just don't know them yet!

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