Mark, do I need the Mark Carder Method DVD, etc to learn from this forum and free videos?

greendl

Mark, saw the disclaimer on another website selling the Mark Carder Method dvd's, color checkEr.
I was not sure if I needed to purchase the dvds, color checker and stuff, to be able to follow along on this forum with learing to paint. I am about a year into painting with oils (artisan) and want to continue getting better. any suggestions or advise will greatly be appreciated.

Mark_Carder

You will find everything you need to learn how to paint in oil on this site. I still have many tutorials to film, but the core instruction is all covered in the free videos available now. And it is better in my opinion than the instruction in my old dvd's. Also more topics are covered by the free vids than are covered in the dvds, that will be especially true in a couple years as I will be adding many more.

The coming soon videos on the home page should be up in about 6 weeks or so.

The still-life video that I am selling for $20 has some good instruction, but it is less about the fundamentals as it is about how I personally go about painting a still life.

LizONeal

I think you can get a lot out of the $20 video that is posted here even if you are not advanced. I just LOVE to watch Mark paint and listen to what he is thinking as he does it. A lot of info on mixing color in this one too. I am watching it for about the third time now! LOVE IT!

Vangie

I still think they're all good to have.

You do need the colour checker and the proportional divider, and if you can't make them yourself (like me... not a "handy" person), then buy the TCM ones. If you don't have all the necessary tools to make them (eg drill, etc), I would imagine that it would be cheaper to buy the ready made ones than buying all the necessary tools. Also they're well-made. Besides, these would be like memorabilia of Mark's good old TCM days.

The first TCM DVD set ("The Carder Method for painting in Oil") does have the basics, most of which are already in the DMP freebies. Below are the contents of the 2 discs.

The "Painting Portraits" 4-DVD set is really handy to have if you want some tips on painting from photographs. I'm not sure when Mark will issue something similar. If you can't wait till then, then I'd buy this set. Disc 1 contents are shown below. Discs 2 to 4 show how Mark painted the portrait, including re-mixing colours, and all his commentaries/thoughts.

Anyway, they will be like dinosaurs in a few years time... ie extinct and never to be seen on the market again... might find them in Antique Road Shows in the future might even double/triple/etc in value due to scarcity... hahahaha

Gary

Anything you can get from Mark about painting is time/money well spent. There are some differences in the first dvd sets with the new free videos but I think they are relatively minor. As Mark has said, it will take a bit of time to get all the videos he has listed on the website....so if you have the time and if money is an issue, just use the free videos. The new $20 video is great for watching Mark pick/mix the colors and values, showing you what a proper step between values is, how to draw with the proportional dividers, the use of 'golden lines', and on and on. Almost exactly half of the video is getting ready to paint (steps mentioned above) and the last half is actually putting paint on canvas. I agree with Liz, I gain a wealth of info watching Mark paint and watching him think, act and react to what is happening on the canvas.

Shirley_Gipson

Hi everyone. I agree with Gary 100%. Mark is a master! His information will never "go out of style". A growing artist learns and gains continuously from those who have mastered the skill. So blessed to have such a gifted artist share so openly with us. Thanks Mark...looking forward to the future information you share.

LizONeal

I own every Mark Carder video and love his new way of teaching here. He is much more relaxed in his teaching now. Maybe some of those other videos will show up here after the other site closes down?

Mark_Carder

Well thank you everyone for the compliments! The thing is too much information is not always better in my opinion. What I discovered when I started teaching people for the show I am filming here in Hawaii, was that I was making it too complicated before. They were watching my DVDs and getting lost in my rambling. And so I was like... "don't sweat it, just go for it, match your colors, and lay it down, go, go, go!" I would say forget the DVD, just mix your damn colors and start putting them in.

So in the new vids I try to get right to the point and I don't worry too much about all the details that in the end don't matter as much as just getting started, checking yourself constantly, but just lay it down, no matter how ugly you think it looks.

You know the rules. Check, paint in background, start w darks, paint in one step at a time, no blending till the canvas is covered... etc etc.

I really like the new way off filming short tutorials on very specific topics so people can find what they want to watch easily. Versus trying to get it all on a bunch of DVD discs which you have to search through.

greendl

this is so great, I am trying to be patient and not rush. I just have one observation. If a painting takes me more than a week, how do I keep the paint on the pallet from drying out?? I don't ever see my paints being as free flowing as what I see on the tutorials. Apparently I should be thinning the paint a whole lot more than what I am.
I had been using glass before in one of those boxes that is air tight, but the paint still seems to get hard after a few days.

LizONeal

Are you using the slow dry medium Mark uses? Keep your paint in piles as much as you can and store in a fridge between painting sessions.

Gary

Hi greendl! If you mix the paints with sdm they will stay wet for quiet a while depending on temperature, humidity, etc in your studio. However, if they still are drying up on you try putting them in the frig or freezer. Not the best thing to do if you have anything in the frig that might absorb odors. I have a frig/freezer in the garage that has mainly cold drinks (sealed cans and bottles) and have stored my open palette in the frig section for several days with no drying. I've also stored the open palette in the freezer for a couple of weeks. In this case, I let the palette sit out in my studio for about 30 minutes and its good to go.

greendl

thanks Liz & Gary, appreciate it. I have the frig in the garage with soda drinks, so will do that. I been keeping the studio warner rather than cooler, so that in itself was contributing to the paint drying faster. I use ARITSAN oils, so I'll look for some SDM.
thanks again

LizONeal

Are you actually just using the paint straight out of the tube? Mark mixes his with a lot of slow dry medium to get that thin paint he is using.

greendl

yes pretty much, way too thick. So use the SDM only to thin it. or SDM and thinner?

David_Quinn_Carder

Mark really needs to get his mixing-paint-with-medium video up…

Ronna made a good post about this: forum.drawmixpaint.com/discussion/68

greendl

I am using Artisan Water mixable oil paint, so I may need to experiment to get the right mixture to extend the drying time using ingredients that work with these paints. Wow that was quite a mixture of ingredients Ronna had. I will work on finding a recipe

Vangie

greendl, I'd be interested to know how you go with finding an appropriate sdm for your Artisan water mixable oil paints to extend their drying time.

Sometime ago I bought some Daniel Smith water soluble oil paints and DS water soluble linseed oil, and have yet to try them.
http://www.danielsmith.com/Item--i-G-284-390?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=social&utm_content=all&utm_campaign=WaterSolubleOils

Gary

greendl, I'd wait till you hear from Mark or someone else about using sdm with water mixable oil paints....you might save some money if they had a bad experience or if the ingredients are different in some way. Just a thought!

greendl

yes, I only found some mediums: Artisan Water Soluble Thinner, linseed oil, safflower oil, stand oil and painting Medium. I think the Safflower oil & Stand Oil will slow the drying time, I'm not sure what else I could mix with them. Probably the Linseed oil. Will purchase and do some experimenting. I'll do the refrigerator too.

LizONeal

Sorry, did not know you were using water sol paints. Have no clue about those. Good luck!

greendl

no problem Liz, I really appreciate all the help. MY fault, I should have mentioned it sooner.

greendl

one of the local art stores had the stafflower oil. Will try that and possible a mixture of othe SDM and see how it works.

kikiblanca

Hi greendl, I use the water soluble oils also and find that if I use a plastic covered palette (not wet) and put in the freezer it works great so that they don't dry quickly. You just have to remember to take it out a few hours before you want to paint. I read this somewhere and it seems to work. It did not affect the paints any that I could tell. I finished a couple of painting this way.

greendl

that's great news. I'm going to still add some of the stafflower oil, and do what you have recommended. I use the plastic covered pallet, and found a glass cutting board and "bed Bath & Beyond" that fit almost perfectly, Works awesome. I'm getting another one so I have two to give me more room for mixing. . appreciate the advise on the freezer.