My Haphazard Journey of Art from proffesional to student again

Feedback from Michael Willingham

I was a gifted artist since I was real young. I was back then very fixed on teaching myself drawing techniques and was well advanced in drawing and painting. I even taught it at a private school but for 9 years I worked as a commercial artist and I came to a halt in my improving and venturing forth as a artist and when I left that industry, I was like a lost sheep and could not find my way. I couldn’t even take up the pencil for a long while. But my love and concentration and deep desire need to be rekindled. Slowly I began to dabble and return back to my roots of art. But some old habits die hard and the years I had to take shortcuts to get the job done really made me come down to brass tacks and realize that I need to skid to a halt and start over again.

When I finally purchased oils and canvas I didn’t know know what to do. I started using them like acrylics only it took longer to dry but I felt I was missing something vital, something primal in my soul that I needed to capture not rekindle. Here was a medium I really did not understand as to all of its potential.

Going to art museums and seeing works of art by the masters and hearing about the techniques had intrigued me like nothing I had ever experienced before in all my years of artistic pursuits. It is in oils I had found myself, but like a child I am in this place as to where do I go next. I have taken a few simple oil classes but these did not teach techniques other than the mix paint on pallet and splash on approach or wet on wet Alla Prima. I am not satisfied at this but am hungry and thrust for something to really instruct me truly and throughly and no taking shortcuts but to apply patience, understanding, and rebirth that inner me to wake up and find the medium and to be satisfied with my artwork like I have never before.

I think the “contemporary old master” is Sargent. When I went to a special viewing of the masters at our Art Museum I was incredibly astounded and inspired by his style and it was when I started learning or rather hearing about the words “under-painting”, glazing and scumbling. I never heard these things when I was in art school!

My favourite artists are the Brothers Hildebrand Their style and use of color even in their acrylic medium is astounding and inspiring.

My main challenges in art is starting over from scratch since my other media,s has been strictly watercolor and acrylic

I also want to know how to underpainting, glazing, grazille, all of it!