Art Show and Golf

Seem like a strange pair up to you?

It’s probably not as strange as it first sounds. I just want you to think back to some of the small talk you have had with people.

If it hasn’t come up yet, try mentioning Bob Ross or Tiger Woods. You may be surprised at how much general information the people around you have about these two people and their chosen fields. This dispite the fact that no one openly admits to watching these programs.

Come Sunday morning, there is not many of us that haven’t woke up, not feeling too well from our previous decision to be someone Cool and turn on the television stopping at either a PGA someting-something or a hyper frizzyheaded guy with a paintbrush.

It’s just one of the great mysteries of this World. Not really, I think that we all crave to do healthy things and both of these feed a need in all of us.

I’m not a Golfer, but I too know several things about Golf that not only shows that I have watched it a great deal, but that it has abviouly struck something in me.

Now Art Programs-that’s another story all together!

I have watched Bob Ross almost every week until the network programming changed to something else. Rob Ross is definitely the most popular of the TV Instructional Painting Programs which may have a lot to do with his personality.

He is not at the top of my list of best Art Instructors.

My Personal list:

William Alexander - Oil Painting

He does Wet-on-Wet Oils with a lot of detail. He’s fun to watch because he gets side-tracked a lot talking about a subject and forgets that his program is only 30 minutes long. I don’t think that I have ever seen him complete a painting on the air, but he does beautiful work and technique.

My personal mentor stated that “Bill Alexander taught Bob Ross the oil wet-on-wet” and “that Bob Ross refined the technique to produce Art in 30 Minutes”.

Jerry Yarnell – Acrylic Painting

Jerry Yarnell’s School of Fine Arts is probably my favorite program and one that I learned a great deal. He not only showed you how to paint with Acrylics, but went into detail about the mechanics of building a piece of Art.

He covers proportions, vanishing points, impressionism, steering the focus, and other layout techniques. He also had no problem with actually drawing reference marks and rough sketches on the canvas–something that I think is really important to the students/potential students.

Bob Ross – Oil Painting

This energetic Artist could produce an entire oil scene painting in 30 minutes using the wet-on-wet technique and bright contrasting colors. His motions and technique are brisk and bold using either a pallet knife or brush.

His paintings can trick the viewer’s eyes to believing that it’s a detailed painting that can only be uncovered on really close examination.

Besides, he was also fun to watch and could make you smile even though you are the only one in the room.

Noted for:”We just need a happy little tree right here”.

Then comes a multitude of watercolorist that do not have a series of programs and you never see them again.

Regardless of my personal favorites, I have learned something from all of these Artists. There hasn’t been one Art Program that hasn’t given me something.

I learned a lot of the techniques for wet-on-wet oils also work with watercolors. That impressionistic scenes work better for backgrounds and give more depth to your work.

That double loading you paintbrush will give you better blending than you plan and save a lot of work.

Never think that you can’t learn something from someone, we are all here for a reason.