Learning a new Medium

I love this old red truck.  I have painted it at least a half of dozen times. So when I decided that I wanted to learn how to paint with acrylic, what better subject matter to practice on. I am still a devotee of oil painting. The depth and luminosity of an oil can’t be equaled. Painting with oil requires a great deal of skill and finesse and I have worked in oil for 50 years plus.  That is not to say that painting with acrylic or watercolor doesn’t also require skills that must be learned and developed. Of the three mediums oil painting is certainly the most expensive  Generally the price that you pay for an oil painting is higher than an acrylic, although this is relative to what kind of prices an artist commands.

So I painted the old red truck in acrylic and posted it on Facebook. An artist friend who is quite accomplished complained to me that he had seen that old red truck before. GUILTY! But I love to paint it. My brother Michael (RIP), was quite an accomplished artist in Galveston in the early 2000’s. He painted at least two dozen trolley cars. They were beautiful. He couldn’t paint enough of them, and they flew off the gallery walls. There was a romance and nostalgia in those trolley cars, much like I see in the old red truck. So this is probably not the last time that I will paint it.

I am learning how to manipulate and paint with acrylics so that I can offer students a less expensive way to learn painting. There are many similarities in the way one works with acrylics and oil. Acrylics and oil are much closer in process than oil and watercolor. Students often come to me and want to learn how to paint with oil, but when they find out the price of their supplies, they are put off. Although still an investment, acrylics are cheaper than oil.

I have used Acrylics to paint a half of dozen paintings. The last couple of paintings have helped me begin to understand the nuances of the medium. I enjoyed painting “Late Summer” . I will continue to work in Acrylics along with oil and watercolor. Stay tuned.