TESTIMONIALS
I started off painting by buying books and trying to learn from them, I bought a DVD from a well known artist and followed an online class as well and I can say without a doubt that Mark's DVD is by far the best. When I was at university, I had art for a year and the artist who gave the classes told me to leave and get married because I was no good — I could not draw a shell the way he wanted. I wanted to draw it realistically. I never drew or painted until we moved to Ireland and I was bored with the long cold winter days. I wish I had this method when I started. I want to be the best I can be and I am sure that The Carder Method is the best available method to get there.
Dear Mark,
I don't know what to say. You have probably heard "thank you" a thousand different ways. I just wanted to add mine to the list. I spent hundreds in books and videos. Each time I would run out and buy all the materials listed, paint, and become horribly disappointed. My paintings were very amateur and I did not know why. I even vowed two years ago to find a school that would teach me to paint classical realism. Every one I found was too far away and too much money, and I was never that impressed with the students' work.
When I found the Carder Method I waited over six months before I purchased the DVD. I was afraid I was falling into the same pitfall I had before. Then I saw your talk at an art supply store posted on YouTube. I decided to give the method a chance.
I never expected the results I am seeing. After fifteen years of self study, books, workshops, etc. . . I learned more in the first ten minutes of painting with your method. This has been a very surreal experience for me. Deep down I know I am doing well; but on the surface, when I look at my painting, it's as if someone else has painted it.
Mark, your DVD is excellent. I just finished watching it last night and will be watching it again. You explain things extremely well.
My fine art education is in sculpture and drawing human anatomy. I did take some painting only to get through school. I had several professors and none of them explained things the way you do. I always had a feeling in painting classes there was this big secret and gift that some were privy to but most were not. Throw in a lot of 'art speak' and you've got one confused student (hey and I paid mega bucks for the courses too). I did manage to get with one really great professor who approached things the way you do. He was really well respected here by many professional artists to this day. His name was Nick Damascus. He was phenomenal. Your video reminds me a lot of Damascus and his approach to painting.
You are beyond an excellent instructor.
The DVD has been the best money I ever spent on the new love I have for painting. I have bought numerous books and DVDs, done tutorials online, and spent hundreds of dollars for a little bit of knowledge. Almost all of that knowledge has been thrown out the window. I encourage you who may be considering purchasing the DVD to give it a try. I am positive you will love it.
I love your video, it is like you are inside my head and focusing in on my areas of weakness.
- I am the queen of washed out still life paintings. Thank you so much for your detailed explanation of how to do this.
- Drawing.... so often I don't realize my drawing is off until I am far along in a painting. Now I have the tools to fix the problems before they happen!
- Palette discipline. I don't have any and it holds me back. I have puddles all over the place and dip into them willy nilly with not so great results.
- Use of medium... Again... I tend to let my paint dry out too much and then scrub into the canvas .... pretty much kills the color.
- Importance of values... I am delighted in your explanation of mixing paint.... get the value right first and then adjust the color. That is brilliant! I wish someone had emphasized that to me earlier in the game.
I know these tools will help improve my game.
I have been a professional artist for 15 years now, and have bought hundreds of books, DVDs, and the like...never once writing to the author to give my opinion or critique.
But you sir are a genius and have given me a renewed energy that I had seemed to have lost painting and drawing for a living. Your method took away 15 years of chaotic struggle through colour theory and hundreds of unusable piles of paint.
Your work is incredible and your calm personality seems very approachable.
I've just watched the entire video. What a pleasure to constantly hear from Mark that one can do this, no technical ability required, I've done pretty well on my own, learning and attempting for the past 4 months and what I constantly do is scrub and scrub trying to make my eye see it just right, and just the way I want to. What a pleasure to hear how to "boldly lay in your color" over and over again.
I can't wait to send in pictures of my completed still lifes, something i've been wanting to do now for many many years. I have all the confidence in the world and am headed out tonight to buy materials.
Thanks, just bought the DVD. I have been painting occasionally for 20 years, never had a real system to streamline my process- this is just what I needed. Can't wait to get started.
Hi Mark,
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for putting together the oil painting DVD. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness in explaining every possible detail along with reiterating the points that you know are critical when painting realism. I picked up a brush for the first time a year ago and knew I was supposed to paint...at the tender age of 44. Your DVD has helped me so much! I can't wait to get started. I was fascinated to see that there was very little blending (or no blending) on the olive oil container and red box. Pretty amazing stuff.
I was lost amidst oil paints of every colour and confused by a dozen 'How To Paint' books by different authors. All I wanted was to understand how to paint; not be told which tube of paint I should purchase because it is one of the artist's favourite colours. Then I found 'The Carder Method' and it simplified everything so much that at last I could breathe easily again. Symbolically I took all those books and tubes of paint and threw them in the dustbin. After one month I found I could look at any object in a room and I knew which paints to mix to match it. The method is genius. Mark takes the student through the entire process: setting up a studio, preparing a canvas, setting up a still life, mixing and applying the colours and varnishing the finished painting. I sold my second painting and have just sold another. I haven't looked back.
