intake. Workshops are a most in my opinion. The advantage of a workshop is not only are you exposed to the instructing artists knowledge base, but that of the other participants too. I can say with all sincerity that I have learned something new from one of my students every workshop I have run. Workshops give you the opportunity to see things first hand. Such things as touch, consistency, mixtures and brush weight that you can not see from a book or video. Do not get me wrong, my art book library is well over 50 books, but there is no replacement for hands on training. Video is a great second choice. They give you live action instruction which I feel gives you more insight to a technique then trying to learn it from a series of freeze frame photos in a book.

Take as many workshops as you can with as many DIFFERENT instructors as you can find. Expose yourself to different techniques and styles and let experimentation determine if you will incorporate what you have learned into your style. I have taken many different workshops over the years in many different fields. I have participated in workshops on art, photography, business and investment. To this day I actively participate in several workshops or classes every year.

In the end exposure is the key. Some people are more comfortable with video and learning in the comfort of their own home, others like to read and print is the most effective format. Workshops will always provide the most effective source for hands on learning, but they are not the only source. For those of you interested in my instructional video line, use the “instructional DVD’s” tab in the header graphic on all my main pages.