I just got back from a 4 day workshop with artist Carlo Russo on Whidbey Island near Seattle. The workshop was on painting flowers. I love Carlo's work and wanted to learn his oil painting process. He asked us to buy a set of round pointed sable brushes which are never used by most of the artists I've taken classes and workshops from. Turns out Carlo is a true renegade. He was told by an art teacher in the university he attended that he would end up painting in antique shops if he continued using those brushes. He's now in some top galleries and making a good living selling his art. He also paints on very smooth double primed linen canvas to get the look he wants. He starts by using very thin paint to block in the picture. Then he lets that dry and next uses thicker paint not mixed with medium. The most important thing I learned was that I shouldn't clean my brush by swishing it around in solvent when I'm painting. Too much solvent makes the brush more likely to pick up the paint I'm trying to cover. He wipes off most of the paint on a paper towel after one dip in the solvent. I painted the above painting in the workshop. It's a 9 x 12 inch oil on a linen panel available in my Etsy shop. Below are some photos of the workshop demos done by Carlo. To see his work, check out his website.
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