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  • #995187

    Hi all,

    I’m a relatively new/beginning artist, and I’m looking to improve. I’ve focused primarily on drawing this summer, but I’ve been curious more and more about the Virtual Art Academy.

    I wanted to see what people’s impressions were before I bought into it. I’m looking for something that I can work on long term and focus on the underlying structure of my painting, the fundamentals, as it were. If there’s another option to investigate, I’m all ears. In any case, I just wanted to get some general advice.

    Thanks, and Happy Independence Day,
    Bill

    #1271028
    ntl
    Default

        There’s a drawing forum here with “classes” in the CLASSROOM https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=19

        Many forums here have sections on learning. search youtube for techniques and artist by name, some have instructional videos. There’s a lot of free information if you look. Google it!

        #1271029
        kalacombrink
        Default

            Hi Bill, I joined the Virtual Art Academy course in April 2014. I chose it for its affordability and flexibility to do it in my own time at home. It turned out to be a lot more comprehensive than what I expected. Have a look here:
            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1418419&highlight=VIRTUAL+ART+ACADEMY for more reviews. I will definitely recommend it to anyone serious about their art.
            I see your post is dated March 2017, sorry for the late reply and I do hope you decide to give it a go!

            #1271031
            maemenz
            Default

                Hello, Bill. I”m a beginning artist too (started November last year) and I tried learning techniques online through youtube and other sites. Sure there are a lot of free instructions you can get but the difference is that with VAA, you learn the fundamentals of fine arts – from creation to techniques to understanding colors and materials – and how to apply them based on accepted principles of composition. In other words, you learn how to paint or do art (oil, acrylic, watercolor) in stages that build up. Try the first three workshops and see how you feel about it. I highly recommend VAA. Oh, did I mention it’s also affordable? And you can learn at your own pace?

                #1271024
                jknecht
                Default

                    I joined VAA a while ago and have been working my way through the lessons slowly. Overall, I am very happy with the materials and the assignments. Money well-spent in my opinion.

                    #1271032

                    I recently joined the VAA and have noticed significant improvement in my painting even after the first workshop. It helps you determine what is wrong with a painting and how to make it a more dynamic painting.

                    I have found it be be a much better method of learning than browsing blogs and youTube.

                    Information on the internet is so compartmentalized with variable quality that I found myself spending so much time looking for specific, high quality answers and guidance. It gives you general information about painting in a logical progression. Detailed Information is in one place.

                    You just have to make sure you do the assignments. Some of the assignments took a lot of time for me to feel that I had completed them successfully.

                    I plan on continuing through the program.

                    #1271033
                    bsvillela
                    Default

                        After going through a thorough research about online alternatives for studying art, my personal conclusion was that the Virtual Art Academy (VAA) is, by wide margin, the most comprehensive, in depth and well-organized painting course available in the internet.

                        Unlike most tutorials and color mixing recipes I usually found online, VAA’s philosophy is rather to provide the students with detailed information about all aspects of painting – color theory, brushwork, drawing, composition, techniques, materials – in an organized manner, in a way to allow for short-term improvements while optimizing the learning curve throughout the course.

                        And, while the VAA curriculum, by itself, is already among the most valuable literature about art I could find (both online or offline) – for its depth and comprehensiveness –, the online platform adds a lot more to the learning experience, since the exchange in information and experience with other students is of immense help.

                        Finally, what is most unique about the VAA, in my opinion, is that its creator Barry J. Raybould not only has a successful career as an artist himself – with an economic brushwork style and distinguished understanding of color – but he was also able to distill his own knowledge and experience into an accessible and effective method (as can be proven by the works of some of his earlier students).

                        Especially if you are serious about learning art and (as was my case) can’t enroll formal art schools, I would say there’s zero chance you will regret joining the VAA. In fact, I truly believe that, in the future, people will still learn to paint through Barry’s method.

                        #1271018
                        Ron Francis
                        Default

                            It looks as though the teaching is based on impressionism and maybe plein air.
                            Those of you who have studied there, please correct me if I’m wrong

                            If you haven’t seen them, there are some student examples, (impressionism and abstract) on this page at the bottom of the page.
                            https://www.virtualartacademy.com/about-us

                            I don’t think you would get all that much out of the VAA if you are more interested in realism.

                            Ron
                            www.RonaldFrancis.com

                            #1271020
                            b123
                            Default

                                It looks as though the teaching is based on impressionism and maybe plein air.
                                Those of you who have studied there, please correct me if I’m wrong

                                If you haven’t seen them, there are some student examples, (impressionism and abstract) on this page at the bottom of the page.
                                [url]https://www.virtualartacademy.com/about-us[/url]

                                I don’t think you would get all that much out of the VAA if you are more interested in realism.

                                That is a good question Ron, and I can completely see why you might think that, but I would have to disagree. I deliberately designed the curriculum of the Virtual Art Academy to help someone paint anywhere in the continuum from pure naturalism to pure abstraction. As part of my research when I was creating the Virtual Art Academy knowledge base, I studied with David Leffel (very realistic portraits and still lifes), and Daniel Sprick (highly photorealistic skill life subjects, landscapes, and portraits).

                                This is how I view things. All painting styles fall along a continuum. This starts from pure naturalism at the one extreme, in which there is no interpretation of what you see – you just capture it as it is. To pure abstraction at the other extreme – in which there is little or no relation in the painting to anything real.

                                And there are any number of styles in between these two extremes:

                                  [*]pure naturalism
                                  [*]photorealism
                                  [*]classical realism
                                  [*]surrealism
                                  [*]impressionism
                                  [*]post impressionism
                                  [*]expressionism
                                  [*]abstract expressionism
                                  [*]pure abstract

                                Every style except the last one is realism. I can see that your style is just a little towards the top of the scale than mine (nice work by the way – very creative, and I can see it requires a lot of skill.)

                                To answer your question, I think the first thing is to ask yourself what knowledge you need to paint well? Then see which of it applies to the impressionistic style, and which to areas higher on my list in the continuum.

                                This is what I think you need to know to paint well, based on my experience of twenty years teaching. (it is not a complete list of course, but it gives an overview of what we are talking about)

                                Key:
                                I – applies to impressionism
                                CR – applies to classical realism/photorealism/surrealism or anything near those positions in the continuum

                                SKILL AREA
                                Drawing
                                – triangulation, angular transfer, and envelope techniques I CR
                                – basic proportions and accuracy I CR
                                – mass drawing techniques i
                                – sight size technique CR
                                – plumb lines, levels, angular relations I CR
                                – perspective I CR

                                Form
                                – planes of the light and shade I CR
                                – reflected lights, half tones, highlights etc I CR
                                – form versus cast shadows I CR
                                – values I CR
                                – hue changes on a form I

                                Composition
                                – focal points and focal areas I CR
                                – eye movement I CR
                                – shape design and space division I CR
                                – contrasts of line, shape, color, temperature, saturation etc. I CR
                                – rhythm lines I CR
                                – unity I CR
                                – harmony of line, shape, etc I CR
                                – organizational structures i CR

                                Concept
                                – narrative I CR
                                – emotion I CR
                                – idea message I CR

                                Notan
                                – basic notan design I CR
                                – flattening values I CR
                                – dominance I CR
                                – gradations I CR

                                Observation
                                – values I CR
                                – color (basic hue and value) I CR
                                – color (advanced hue/saturation/value changes on a form) I
                                – itness (inherent character of a subject) I
                                – common landscape elements ocean, trees, rocks I CR

                                Color Design
                                – color wheel theory I CR
                                – color harmonies I CR
                                – color threads I
                                – color bridges I
                                – color contrasts I CR

                                Brushwork
                                – edges I CR
                                – blending I CR
                                – glazing I CR
                                – optical color mixing I
                                – expressive/descriptive brushwork I
                                – multi-colored, side-by-side brushstrokes i

                                Process
                                – value studies I CR
                                – color mixing I CR
                                – underpainting I CR
                                – multiple layerig CR
                                – alla prima process I

                                Materials & Equipment
                                – pigments I CR
                                – glazes and mediums I CR
                                – use of specialized equipment: value finders, mahl sticks, viewfinders I CR
                                – plein air equipment I

                                Contrary to what many people think, impressionism is very difficult to do (well). A good impressionist painting conveys the maximum of feeling with the minimum of brushwork. This means that whatever brushstroke you put down must be very accurate – in the right place and of the right color. You only have a few hours to finish the work if you want to capture the feeling of a place. This is not at all easy and requires a deep knowledge of all the principles and techniques of painting.

                                I think that the only difference is that higher up the continuum you just apply the principles to smaller and smaller shapes and continue adding detail. This just takes more time.

                                I think the student work on the Virtual Art Academy website just reflects that a lot of students enjoy expressive brushwork, and so that is what they try to do.

                                I hope this clarifies things for people who are interested in learning more about painting. I’d be happy to answer any questions anyone might have.


                                ____________________

                                Barry John Raybould

                                My Paintings, My Blog

                                #1271019
                                Ron Francis
                                Default

                                    Thanks for the detailed response Barry.
                                    I agree with your overall philosophy of a continuum and the list of subjects look comprehensive.

                                    Ron
                                    www.RonaldFrancis.com

                                    #1271027
                                    arcitek
                                    Default

                                        Thanks for the detailed response Barry.
                                        I agree with your overall philosophy of a continuum and the list of subjects look comprehensive.

                                        Hello Ron,

                                        I am not sure how you can take an art academy of any kind and say it focuses on a “style” which is what realism is, just another style out of many. Painting in a certain style does not make a painting “good” or “bad”. In my opinion, a good art teaching program would focus on the substance of a painting and not the style. I have been a student at VAA for the past 4 years and I can honestly say that a style of painting has not really been the focus of the program.

                                        Barry has pretty much broken down the program curriculum in detail so there is no reason for me to further elaborate on that. What I can tell you as a student is that what I have taken away from the program so far is the emphasis on developing a very solid understanding on drawing, design, composition, value structure, lighting, color theory, color mixing and all of the critical elements that make up a good painting regardless of style or medium.

                                        What I really appreciate is that the lessons on the fundamentals of good design, value structure and so on are touch on at almost every level of the program, from the initial lessons up through the advanced portions of the course. It is hard to dispute that there is no such thing as focusing too often on things like limited value ranges, tonal control and relationships, good drawing, understanding edge control throughout a painting, atmospheric perspective, understanding how to create areas of focus and when to use more or less detail and all of these elements of good painting.

                                        There have been a couple of well known artists that have visited on wet canvas, some more representational and others more impressionistic, that offer their own workshops and courses and you will find they focus on the same things: understanding values, good composition, mixing color, etc. The fact that so many experienced artist are basically all focusing on painting fundamentals should tell the student something. The difference between a workshop or other online types of teaching material is that VAA treats it much, much more thoroughly and in a setting like an art academy.

                                        My recommendation is to sign up for the VAA trial and take those few days to peruse the lessons and reference material and see for yourself.

                                        #1271034

                                        Hi Ron,
                                        I have just completed my first year at Virtual Art Academy and the in-depth knowledge one receives can be practiced in any style. This academy does not teach a particular style. Students are free to choose their subject and style of painting. At VAA we learn to see what a painter needs to see and practice the same. We are taught to explore both classical as well as contemporary art and artists. There are many students who are painting in tight realism at VAA.

                                        I would recommend you to try the course.

                                        #1271021
                                        b123
                                        Default

                                            As an aside, this is why in my own training I did not confine myself to one teacher or to one style. Instead I sought out master artists who painted in every style possible, from complete abstract, to impressionism, to hyper realism.

                                            As the students above are pointing out, the course material in the Virtual Art Academy reflects that variety. My philosophy when writing the Virtual Art Academy painting class material was to extract the core principles that apply to all art, irrespective of style or technique.

                                            It’s also what I like about seeing all the student’s work in the Virtual Art Academy – the styles are all so different, unlike other schools where the students all copy their master’s style. Since the Virtual Art Academy teaches the core principles, the students are all free to develop their own style, and use any technique they want. I think you only get that freedom when you have mastered the fundamental principles.

                                            One of my student sent me this quote that sums this philosophy up nicely:

                                            “A great thorough-going man does not confine himself to one school, but combines many schools, as well as reads and listens to the arguments of many predecessors, thereby slowly forming a style of his own…” Kuo Hsi, artist-priest, 11th century China


                                            ____________________

                                            Barry John Raybould

                                            My Paintings, My Blog

                                            #1271025
                                            jknecht
                                            Default

                                                I recently switched from VAA to New Masters Academy. This decision was more a result of my learning style than anything negative about VAA. The materials on VAA are top-notch, and I really like the structure of the coursework and the fact that most lessons have assignments to help the materials settle.

                                                For me, and this is not a criticism of VAA in any way, I found that I benefit most from demonstration. Seeing the concepts being applied in real time by someone who knows what they’re doing is turning out to be not only educational, but also inspiring. The format of VAA is just different – a lot more reading and short video clips.

                                                I wish NMA had the assignments that VAA has, or that VAA had the video lectures that NMA has.

                                                I should also note that I was probably not the best student. As you can tell by my posting history here, I tend to return to art in short bursts and then I let life take over again. I think I would have gotten much more out of it if I had been able to stay more consistent.

                                                #1271022
                                                b123
                                                Default

                                                    Hi Jeff,
                                                    We are in the process of adding more demonstration videos to the program. We now have 18 full length demonstration videos, and we will shortly be adding a series of videos of basic watercolor techniques.

                                                    I do think however that there is a danger of students ending up just copying the style of the teacher with a program that focuses too much on demo videos. This is why I like to create a balance of focused assignments on skill building in addition to demonstration videos. Good painting cannot be taught by demos alone in my opinion. You can only teach basic techniques that way.

                                                    The problem is that basic techniques, contrary to what many new students think, are only a tiny part of what goes into making a good painting. The real key to making a good painting lies in compositional and design skills, and the ability to control values and color harmony, as well as understanding key concepts such as unity, contrast, dominance, rhythm and so on. And unfortunately these are things you can’t pick up by watching a demonstration video, since they go on inside the head of the artist.

                                                    All you see in a video is the result of that prior learning. So by watching the video, the best you can do is end up making a (probably poor) copy of that picture. You won’t be able to execute your own ideas without those fundamental skills and a knowledge of those underlying principles. Having said that though, i do agree they enhance the program which is why I am in the process of adding more to the Virtual Art Academy program. I tend to add these demo videos to the later lessons though in order not to restrict the style of new students too soon.


                                                    ____________________

                                                    Barry John Raybould

                                                    My Paintings, My Blog

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