Bill demonstrates two techniques for highlighting trees. Both help to create realism in your paintings, however, we think one is a bit more refined technique than the other. See if either of these techniques can help your paintings come alive!Notice how Bill's canvas "bounces" when his brush touches it. Bill loved a "springy" canvas. He felt like the canvas was alive! Notice … [Read more...]

Bill uses a big brush, but he does not use it like he's painting a house. Watch his brush technique as he creates what he calls a "rotating sky", that is a sky that is alive with color and movement. Like his mountains, his skies are not flat, dull, single colors. The secret to beautiful, vibrant skies is how he moves his brush. There are a lot of tips in this video clip. See … [Read more...]

This is what makes Bill's mountains so vibrant and alive. Stop this video near the end (1:05) and count how many colors can you see in this base layer. (This is before Bill adds his highlights - which are usually two additional mixed colors.) Follow Bill's method and create more beautiful paintings with almost no effort. Are you still cleaning up with harmful chemicals and … [Read more...]

One of the scariest moments in any painter's life is when you make that bold stroke down the center of your canvas. I don't know about you, but I've spent way too much time thinking about that stroke before making it myself. "What if my hand shakes?" "What if I run out of paint?" "What if..." We know what Bill would say. "Put that almighty brush on that almighty canvas and Fire … [Read more...]

Wow! A bunch of tips for you today! First, and most important, notice how lovingly Bill loads his big brush. No banging on the palette, no destroying the bristles of the brush, no beating the brush to death! This is an artist who respects his tools! Then, see how Bill creates depth in his painting as he lays the paint on the canvas. (We've seen this before, … [Read more...]