Compiled by Christina Angelo
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by color, confused by perspective, or frustrated with your tools, you’re not alone.
Inspired by John Pototschnik’s teachings, let’s break down five common artist frustrations and the simple changes that can transform your painting experience. ✨
💭1: “I feel lost with drawing & perspective.”
The Fix: Get a book on perspective, start at page one, and work through it page by page, recreating all the drawings shown. Don’t move to page two until everything is understood on page one.
💭 2: “I’m overwhelmed by color. I don’t know what to pick or if it’s ‘right.’”
The Fix: Focus on value first. Work on location using only black and white.
💭 3: “I have so many colors and still never know what to mix.”
The Fix: Limit the palette to just the three primaries + white. Mixing your own colors sparks creativity and makes choices easy.
💭 4: “My plein air setup feels heavy.”
The Fix: Simplify, simplify. Limit your tube colors to only three; that alone will save a lot of space and weight.
💭 5: “My brushes & paint never behave the way I want.”
The Fix: Buy the best paint and brushes you can afford. Clean the paint off gunked-up tubes. Thoroughly clean brushes at the end of each day.
And if you want to continue learning from John & expand your world of color, check out his PaintTube Art Instruction by Streamline book + video course bundle here.
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Blog post prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Plein Air Today
