Learn about why artists may choose to stain a canvas prior to painting. Hear the benefits of using one color or another. Get insight in how to choose your stain color.

Set up, pause, paint along in this short tutorial focused on mixing just the perfect neutral to make your paintings sing!

This 20-minute demonstration describes using grayscale, multi-media paper to plan the perfect painting. Watch Lori Putnam create a small study and hear her describe the importance of this full-proof planning process.

When you just do not want to paint outside, why not paint from life indoors? Get out your plein air gear and find a spot around the house. You will stay in practice for your next plein air experience, and you may really love the results! Interiors are a perfect way to spend the winter months.

In this 10-minute video you will hear how Lori Putnam approaches painting an interior from a photo. Still images with voice-over and illustrations show you how to avoid making a painting that looks like it was painted from a photograph, give tips on how to edit the scene, and teach you that paint...

Enjoy this 15-minute explanation that will help you become an expert on painting meaningful shadows. The edges of shadows are not all the same. You will go from novice to pro once you understand why.

Lori Putnam shares her favorite oil painting surfaces and gives you suggestions on ways to find your favorite too.

In this 35-minute video you will see a complete plein air demonstration in gouache. It is suggested that you watch the previous videos about gouache to learn more about supplies. Continuing to explore, Lori shows you her latest discoveries about working in this opaque, water medium.

This video takes you one step further in your exploration of gouache. If you have seen Introduction to Gouache, you will see updates to the supplies I use, new things I have learned, and a short time-lapse demonstration showing layering.

See what happens when I begin layering more colors necessary to achieve the look of ceramic.

Too often we only get to see the beginning of a painting. In part one, we see through the initial lay-in stage and the next steps. Look for part two for the middle part of the process, and part three for the finishing.

In this 20-minute video, you will see start to finish how to work on a commission. From sketching ideas to the completed product, follow along as I paint a 60"x40" painting of Arizona Poppies. Free Commission Contract Fillable Form available for download.

Many of us want to paint all in one session or, "at the first" session. We love the freshness of it. Alla prima painting is just that. But it can be a mess if you do not know how to do it. Learn how to layer thin and thick passage of paint to produce more textured effects in the landscape.

Join me in my garden as I paint whatever is blooming. This first installment I have chosen my white peonies. I am amazed by how much color there is in these beautiful blooms. Hear how I see the colors, mix the colors, and make choices through out the full-length demonstration.

Process... everyone asks about process. How do you paint this or that and in what order do you lay down the paint? Here's a little how-to idea for painting completely bare trees. It also works equally for sparse trees, wispy trees... you get the idea.

Part one of two, Painting Chaos is a full-length demonstration of how to address some of nature's wildest scenes.
There are many ways to start a painting. Most of what I teach involves massing in large shapes, usually light and shadow. But there is so much more out there to paint than just that. ...

Due to the length of this demonstration, portions of the video have been speeded. At the end of Part One, I had just used a brayer to creatively edit parts of the detail which did not suit me. See how it all plays out as you watch the last half of Painting Chaos.

Here's a little demo for you, and a tip for lightening your load.

Learn the basics of adding people to your paintings. Crowd scenes and people walking is easy once you follow three, very simple principles.

There are many ways to shoot a perfectly color balanced photo using the settings on your camera. But sometimes you may need to make adjustments after the photo is taken. In this quick tip, you will learn how to do that using photo editing software such as Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, or similar.