Starting a LARGE Painting? 😉

A peek into my latest studio project. When taking on a large painting it helps to have a few small studies to pave the way. Then take your time and paint the large one when your energy and motivation are up. Large paintings are a marathon completed in short sprints. If you know what I mean. 😊

🎨 Materials:

[pennydefreyne]

Lovely colours and beautiful light! Can’t wait to see more!

[joannemurphy]

I finally had a chance to watch this video and am so glad I did! I paint with a friend once a week for 1 1/2 hrs. so usually it is a smaller piece that I can almost complete in one sitting. However, I started an 18x24 a couple of months ago of a subject dear to my heart. But, there are weeks that I'm just not feeling in the mood and so I sit and chat instead. I sometimes feel "guilty" that I should be working on my piece. Malcolm, you have affirmed my choices to just sit out sometimes!!! Better to sit out then not like the painting when I'm done. Today, my friend and I meet again and I can't wait to get back to my painting. So I'm expecting I will see that energy you mention shining forth. Thank you!

[glyniscameron]

Love your encouragement and your lessons thank you

[terrierose]

Really good advice, I have been avoiding a large painting because of fear of failing, or not being able to finish it well. I will try your approach.

[karenleroux]

I’m looking forward to seeing more already 😊

[UNCLEBOB]

Thank you for this good advice.
I enjoy all your videos.

[Eva-iyvy]

Your large paintings are as vibrant and luminous as the small ones. Its a matter of space. I feel more comfortable with small medium canvases.

[vesnabreskvar]

Can't wait to see your demonstration!
I dream of one day making a large painting...

[federicomuciaccia]

that small study is truly lovely (I prefer its colors to the ones of the bigger version). can you please make a video about it or maybe provide a bigger photo of it, in order for us to be able to study its colors in more detail?

[joannemurphy]

Also, Malcolm, I really like the colors and feeling in your smaller version of the cacti and look forward to seeing your finished, larger piece. Good luck!

[dlp]

I've been wanting to try a palette knife painting and though I have done a small one, I felt a larger format might be a better fit. The advice you give here will kick start me in that direction. Thanks.

[ilmasfutehally]

Thank you Malcolm! I love these short and punchy videos of yours. This one is a little gem, and I hope to use your advice to go to bigger canvases sometime soon. So far I am very comfortable in my A4 bubble!

[charlenekolesnik]

Thanks Malcolm! This is exactly the confirmation I have been wanting because I have been working on a bigger painting recently and I have been beating myself up for not finishing it right away. I have left it for a couple of days now and I am actually looking forward to getting back to it. 😊

[carolbailie]

Looks good so far, can't wait to see it progress. Hope your motivation stays up. I prefer cooler season for most activities. Starting to feel it now (less humidity) ... so maybe I'll also be motivated (and patient) for a bigger oil painting. Subject matter, is my biggest hurdle lately.

[natalykenny]

Thank you, Malcolm, This is so helpful! My new year resolution was to start painting bigger, my largest size so far was A3. I did a couple of portraits 12 x12 inches and a couple of paintings 12 x 12, and realised that that shouldn't be a goal, my goal now shifted to the mileage- paint everyday if possible 😀 ❤️❤️❤️

[jansplanet]

Great advice. I have tried larger painting format, with no success, before joining the live Chanel. At this stage I enjoy the smaller formats that you encourage us to do, large paintings can have large problems & experience is needed to negotiate them.

[sheenawilson]

Your small painting looks amazing and your large one already looks beautiful, and I’m sure it will be stunning when complete. Are you using really large brushes? Keep going Malcolm you inspire an awful lot of us, thank you 😀

[lindseyB_]

I just started my first “big” painting of 16x20. It was so intimidating. I stared at it for a long time but i finally got going on it. It is still a work in progress. I mucked up my proportions and i probably could have easily hid it with a smaller painting but being so bit its very obvious to me, so i may re-do it eventually. Its a great learning experience though!!! I look forward to your future video

[abovegroundlevel]

Beautiful already - looking forward to seeing it develop. Great advice too ;)

[marinashaduri]

Thank you, Malcolm for sharing with us your preferences and thoughts about large canvas. Honestly speaking, I still fear to paint scenes of nature (such as land/seascapes) on big surfaces. Maybe lack of confidence... Maybe lack of patience... I prefer alla prima painting (within 1-2 hours) on A4-format maximum. Besides, when I try to copy some of my paintings, they are never similar and equally good (even if the format of a copy is the same). I think I need more practice to overcome the fear of "big failure".