Copy machine
You need to make a copy of a document, so you go down to your local office supply store. The attendant takes your original, slaps it down on the glass and, seconds later, hands you the copy. When you get home and look at it, you notice a small hair must have been on the glass. Now, that hair is part of your copy. You think to yourself, it’s too much of a hassle to go back and make them do it over again. Oh well, the copy is “good enough”.
Later, you find out that you gave away the original by mistake. Now, you have a flawed “original”. When you make copies in the future, every one of your copies will contain that flaw.
Too easy to learn
The problem with Bill’s method of oil painting is that it’s too easy to learn. It’s too easy to let flaws creep into the method. For some artists, “good enough” is fine. When these artists begin teaching, they teach students a flawed technique. Then, if those students become teachers the flaw gets passed on again.
For example, if a teacher doesn’t understand perspective, how will their students understand it? If the students don’t understand it, how will they teach it to others?
Mastering a technique
Over the last few weeks, we’ve watched about one hundred of Bill’s videos. You start to notice certain things when you watch that many. A lot of Bill’s videos seem to teach the same concepts over and over. Upon closer scrutiny, we realized that there were different twists to the concepts. The subject or mood of the painting might be different. He might show the same technique on different kinds of clouds. Bill’s method creates great oil paintings with little effort. Some artists not only think they “get it”, they think they are ready to teach.
It took Bill over sixty years to master his technique and he was the genius who invented it! It took him almost as long to master teaching this technique to others. To think that after only a few years a student would surpass this master is ludicrous!
The “Old Masters”
Why study from the student when you can learn from the master? The only reason you would study from the student is that you can not study from the master.
You can’t study with the “Old Masters” because they are no longer with us. Some of the “Old Masters” left us treatises, as well as, of course, their artwork. Most of us have not seen these treatises, except for Leonardo da Vinci’s. Figuring out an “Old Master’s” technique from examining a painting is difficult at best.
What if it were possible to find someone who studied the “Old Masters” during his lifetime? What if this artist left behind thousands of paintings to study? What if this artist left behind hundreds of hours of video? What if these videos showed you the techniques that made the “Old Masters” great?
Saving Bill’s legacy
Now the re-digitized work of a modern master, Bill Alexander, is available for you to study! We are proud to announce that Bill is now on iTunes with a bi-monthly video podcast. There are free videos and art instruction E-books to view on our website AlexanderArt.com. Bronze members have unprecedented access to our vast art library. And our “You Can Paint” Art Course will be launching a new class in just a few more weeks.
If you want to be more than “good enough” the opportunity is here. IF you want to learn from the master, we’ve compiled the resources. IF you are willing to study hard and create your body of work you can start today. If you have the desire, we will teach you the skills!
Be the best…learn from the master…be more than “good enough”!
Leave a Reply