Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is there a workshop scheduled for my area?
A. All of my workshops are listed on my website, blog, and other social media. If you don’t see you’re state/city listed, it’s unlikely a workshop is scheduled there at this time.
If you are a workshop administrator for an art school or club, please contact via email (dkthepainter@yahoo.com) with your group’s information, keeping in mind that my workshop schedule is usually several years out.
Q. What paint colors and art tools do you use?
A. My complete palette and supply list can be found HERE. Note: These colors represent my standard palette, no matter what I’m painting (still-life, portrait, landscape, etc.), however I do keep an open mind and try new colors whenever possible to continue my learning pursuits.
Q. How is your studio lit/what sort of lighting do you prefer?
A. Natural light from large north-facing windows provide the most consistent daylight, and the cool temperature of the light enables me to see the most color in my subjects. When this ideal situation isn’t a possibility, 5500kelvin-temperature fluorescent bulbs work perfectly to duplicate the temperature of the preferred natural light. I use the swirly looking bulbs that screw into any standard fixture, and are available at most discount stores. I avoid warm incandescent bulbs like the plague (especially for still-life).
Q. Besides oil, are there other mediums that you enjoy working with?
A. I love to draw with charcoal, especially on toned papers like Strathmore's "Toned Gray" sketch paper. I use mostly General's charcoal pencils and Windsor & Newton vine charcoal.
Q. Do you have any tips on brushwork?
A. Yes! You can read about it HERE.
Q. Do you ever paint from photographs?
A. Rarely. Mostly, because so much valuable information becomes obscured in photographs, and no apparatus can perfectly duplicate what the human eye is capable of perceiving. Except for a few paintings that could not possibly be painted exclusively from life (a pose too difficult for a model to hold, a moving object, etc.), I try my best to paint what is physically in front of me.
Q. Do you take commissions?
A. No. I need the freedom to paint as I please, and am not currently taking commissions.
Q. Do you have DVDs?
A. Yes! Visit the STORE on this site to purchase my latest DVD, "Antique Jar & Summer Fruit". Or if you prefer, the video can be downloaded HERE
Q. Have you been published in any magazines?
A. Just about all the major ones have featured my work, some of them several times. Art magazines are a great source of information, and a wonderful way to get your work noticed. Some recent articles can be found in Art of the West, Southwest Art, Pratique des Arts (for our French reading friends), American Art Collector, Workshop Magazine, American Artist, and Artists on Art.
Q. What is the best way to make a living at being an artist?
A. First, establish what “making a living” means to you, and then set practical goals to carry out that ideal. Stick with those goals, become a problem solver, and above everything else… practice, practice, practice! You won’t succeed at anything without practice!
Q. Do you offer personal courses or private critiquing sessions with artists, in person or via the internet?
A. No, not at this time.
Q. What book/s would you recommend to a beginner?
A. “Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting” by Richard Schmid. I recommend his book to anyone, beginners and accomplished artists alike. www.richardschmid.com
Q. What should I do when my work is criticized by others?
A. If it’s solicited: Take it, weigh it in your own mind, make the most of it, and grow. It it’s unsolicited (as so much of it can often be): Remind yourself that you aren’t painting for the critics and their elusive approval, but rather for yourself and those with the capacity to love and appreciate what you do. Above all, don’t let it stop you from giving all of yourself in whatever ways you can.
Q. Where can I see more of your work?
A. My galleries are...
West Wind Fine Art
Legacy Galleries
Gallery 1261
Montana Gallery
A Sense of Place
Q. I don't like to deal with galleries. Do you sell directly through your studio?
A. My galleries are some of the finest in the world for their unprecedented commitment to quality and friendly service. They are very loyal to me, and do their best to promote what I do with enthusiasm. I would never consider undermining their hard work to sell my paintings at a discount.
Q. Who are your favorite artists (living or deceased)?
A. There are so many today that are taking art to new heights, it’s difficult to keep up with them all. But those whose work I seem to return to again and again are…
Richard Schmid
Nancy Guzik
Quang Ho
Daniel Gerhartz
Susan Lyon
Jeremy Lipking
Clyde Aspevig
Josh Clare
Those who’ve gone on before us…
John Singer Sargent
Anders Zorn
Edgar Payne
Henri Fanton-Latour
And many others!