Request for Video or Workshop by Karin
 

Karin,

I wish you would do a workshop, it would be full. But I see what you mean about it taking a long time with all the drying time on a painting.

What about a video? Take us through a painting, when you get ready to work on one of your beautiful paintings, have somebody hold a videorecorder as you paint and explain what you are doing. Not the entire painting session necessarily, but as long as you feel necessary. Then 2 weeks or a month later when you are ready with the next step (I don't know how long there is between steps) you could videotape the next step.

I'm not even talking about a slick professional video, just your basic handheld video recorder. I for one would be so happy to pay you a lot for a video. I know I would learn more from watching you work (even if it's on a tape) than from taking a class, and classes aren't cheap.

Am I crazy? I don't think so. I hope you'll think about it.

Joan
Happy Easter

I think that a video sounds like a fine idea but I need some outside "expertise" on this...

First of all I'd need a video camera - any suggestions on what kind?

Also, is it possible that a camera could be on a tripod and focused on the canvas and could I switch it on and off myself?

Is it possible for me to edit out 99% of the boring stuff without expensive equipment?

Could I do a "voice over" of the visual?

I find it tough to paint and talk about painting simultaneously. (Funny thing, I have no problem painting and chatting about other subjects - must be a left/right brain thing).

Karin, I also think you should make a video. I have found a site where a classical artist has created his own painting video. He did the camera work, voice overs, editing all by himself. He makes a nice profit from these videos too.

Here's his e-mail. I'm sure he'll answer any questions you have.
[email protected]

Also, heres a page for his video:
http://webferret.search.com/click?wf...rt.com%2F,,aol

Hope this helps. Can't wait to see your video.

I too would give anything for a video made by Karin. I am very interested in her posts on glazing techniques. Sign me up!

Thanks for the URL Joseph. I checked it out and it is Alexei Antonov's video that you are refering to...

I really admire Alexei's work and sent for his video last year. I found his video extremely interesting...but even though I paint in a similar manner, I think it is not a video for a beginner. It raises more questions than it answers, and it is difficult to follow unless you know "what you're looking at"...

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Alexei makes the following statement that I TOTALLY AGREE WITH 100%!
Anyhow, if ever I can figure a way to make a video on classical painting, I wish it to be SIMPLE with the beginner in mind.

I feel that it is unfortunate that this nearly "lost" information is not widely available to all who wish to pursue it.

When I have done workshops in the past, I taught "painting principles" in general...without ever concentrating on the portrait. I felt that when the student struggles for a "likeness," he cannot focus on and master the underlying principles of classical realism. To my surprise, most "got" the principles, but did not easily translate this information into a portrait without extra help.

I guess that I would have to make a two-part video and I'm still not sure how to go about it all.

making a video
 

Karin,
I think making a video must be like many things in life where one just doesn't know all the answers because one doesn't know all the questions.
It's a process I've learned from painting, if I sit and think about painting and how to paint and what to do next, I can't figure out the 100 steps it takes for me to paint a picture. Until I get to step 12 I won't know what step 13 is, for example. It's hard for me to remember this. I just have to start and work through the problems as they come along. I think many things in life are like that and I try to remember how many things are really a learning process (for me anyway).
Maybe you can rent or borrow a video camera without making the investment in purchasing one and set it up that way. I don't know how to do the 'voice over' but I'm betting it's probably pretty easy, probably a button to push on the vieocamera. Probably somebody at a camera shop that sells videos could help you. Maybe you could even rent a videocamera from a camera shop that sells them?
It is amazing that information on how to paint in the old masters way is not readily available, as you pointed out. I do have the book on painting like the old masters, but it's just not that easy to follow. I hope you do make a video. Joan

Is it "painting like the Old Masters" by Joseph Sheppard? This is the only book that I know of...I'd love to see another....

Sheppard book
 

Yes, that's the book I have. I have only studied it, not painted from it so I guess I'm not being entirely fair when I say it's hard to follow. I just meant a book doesn't compare to a video.
Joan

Karin,

If you are really interested in making a video series, we can talk in Philadelphia.

I hired a small television production studio and cameraman at $70 an hour, and moved my studio into an extra room at the television headquarters. I stayed there for six months until the videos were finished. I would go in three or four times a week and work with the cameraman. My model, Megan, also worked as continuity (She would remember if I had already said something or not...). When we had 50 hours of raw tape in the can, we went to work doing the editing. The filming took 2 1/2 months, the editing took three months.

I say all this to give you some idea of the time commitment. Albeit my video series is 13 hours long--a marathon of information--but the amount of time needed to put something like this together is logarithmically more involved than you can imagine. I figure that it was three hours in the studio for every hour of tape, and four hours in editing for every hour of finished tape. This is why I am very glad I made the decision to hire a professional to do the camera work and the editing. I didn't have to teach myself to use a camera, and I didn't have to teach myself to do the editing. I sat next to the editor and said, "Cut here, put the drop shot there, I want the opening shot to be panned there...," and the editor did what I asked, so it was my baby, but I didn't have to learn, buy, or rent the editing equipment.

I am planning on doing one or two more videos this summer, one on sauce, and one on charcoal, and I will go back to the same cameraman and television studio to make them.

The key thing is having an extremely clear idea on how the videos will be put together-the outline. Much like knowing exactly how a painting will look before one brushstroke touches the canvas, you need to know exactly how the video will appear before one foot of tape is filmed. Otherwise it gets very expensive and very time consuming. Heaven knows, it is time consuming enough when you know exactly where you are going. It took me two years to recuperate from the time lost to the video production.

Best luck! I would love to see you put something together.

Peggy

I for one am happy to vouch for the success of Peggy's efforts. Having recently re-viewed the series, I have realized this week, as I begin a portrait of my son, how much I absorbed from the video demonstrations and the commentary. I keep wanting to paint the eye, but I know Peggy would say it's not time to drop that "poached egg" into the socket yet. And I'm especially happy to be keeping the integrity of the entire piece going at once, instead of noodling around prematurely with small, discrete areas. Even the initial lay-in, which took only an hour on a 20x26 canvas, was (in my opinion) already not a bad little painting, for the overall attention as well as the focus on a value plan. I glad you did all the hard work, Peggy, and I'm glad I've gotten the benefits.

Cheers,
Steven

I have seen some (but not all) of Peggy's video series on painting and think that it is wonderful! She is a "good explainer of things" - doesn't hold back information - and is one of those rare people who can paint and talk at the same time. (She is also a natural "ham" and it is fun to watch her).

For anyone who paints directly (a la prima) I think that Peggy covers it all. If I had to get one video on painting, this would be it.

As for Peggy's soon-to-be-made video on Sauce - I shall stand in line for one of the first copies!

Steven and Karin,

Thanks, you guys...(I'm a ham?)...for the kind comments. I am also considering a "big giant head" demo. Last week I taught a workshop where I painted a big giant head. A 24x20 canvas with two eyes, a nose, mouth and chin. By making the painting six times life size, it was very easy to see the strokes and passages that even on close viewing are difficult to see. It was also possible to take the painting to a "finish" in just a few hours, where this would be a difficult process when there is hair, background, and clothing to cover.

I did a brown eye and a blue eye, "not" nose and "not" mouth, alla prima, in the manner of Franz Hals.

Off to Philadelphia. Hope to see many of you there! (We'll miss you Steven...)

Peggy

I am one of those people who is anxiously awaiting the "release date" of Karin's instructional video or book on oil painting. I hope, she has not shelved the project , as I am sure many others would love to see her reveal the secrets of her stunningly beautiful portraits. Instructional videos make great teaching aids. I have watched and rewatched Peggy Baumgaertner's video series and can't tell you enough how well executed and informative the series is. Sure would be nice to see if others join in asking Karin to do it for the sake of those who can not attend the art workshops or have access to evening art schools / leagues. The beauty of instructional video is that its the next best thing to having a 1:1 session with your favorite teacher every day of the week. And, who wouldn't love to have a 1:1 with an artist of Karin's caliber...
Best Regards,
Omar

Blush.

Thanks for the kind words. How about if I do a step by step painting (pictures and text) and put it on a CD ROM?

Might this be useful to anyone? It would be easier for me to do right now than a viedo...and I think it could be more detailed (which might actually be more helpful).

Any other suggestions?

I for one would be thrilled to have insturction from Karin in any way, shape or form. There are a few of us out here who are struggling with the old master method and step-by-step instruction just may be the remedy.:)

My two cents...
 

This is a subject I have been watching with excitement and I must comment. I, too, would feel as priviliged as the others to purchase any instructional work from Karin.
Actually, Karin, if you took a small bit of time to create this step-by-step CD it would keep everyone busy for now and you would not have to spend so much time answering all those posts.
I've been with this forum since January of this year and have watched your popularity grow. I think it is time to bless us with perhaps even "the crumbs from your table."

(You've got to admit....2 full pages of requests for your expertise. After two months of dry leads, my last request for commissioned work was to paint two smiley faces on the back of a van. Every artists dream!)

Karin,

I, too, would be interested in CD step-by-step instruction while awaiting a series of video
tapes. geri

Me too!!!

Debra

Let's hope that CD-Rom will serve as a prelude to launching the long awaited video project. In the mean time, your fans are thrilled (or shall I say ecstatic)that Karin has given the nod to doing a step by step instructional CD. On the second thought, I prefer the CD-Rom over video. Given the huge data storage capacity of CD, Karin can impart a wealth of knowledge on her "how to techniques" accompanied by graphic details. Hmmm, I can't hardly wait....

Best Regards,
Omar