Highlights of Spring Semester 2026 (Part 2)

Hey Guys!

As promised, I'm posting my painting takeaways in this blog. You'll soon find out that it's not just painting but also about food and friendship. ^^

Painting 2

Takeaways

• If you've read my previous blog, you'd know I struggled with oil painting drying faster than I anticipated! This semester, I found out why. It’s because I love to work in layers, which speeds up the drying process. Fewer layers actually make it slower to dry. I have yet to find out the logic behind this, so maybe next semester, I can provide an answer!

• My professor has a great eye for perspectives. I learned so much more about perspective under her wing. I learned that there can be several vanishing points as long as they all line up on the horizon line. In reality, things may not all line up, so depending on the eye level, I can have multiple lines leading to different vanishing points.

• Carlson’s Theory of Angles tells us, in general, that from brightest to darkest are the Sky, Ground, Angled Planes, and Vertical Planes. (This is a rule I often forget!)

• When in doubt about how to draw an object, focus on the shadow shapes. This was the second time I've heard this in a slightly different way. It sounds simple, yet hard to grasp.

• To paint a monochrome base, it's ideal to start with burnt sienna and add burnt umber for the darker values!

• Don’t skip mixing color strings or multiple colors – mixing colors takes a lot of time. Often, a good painter spends more time on the palette than on the canvas. I shouldn’t have been lazy and afraid of wasting paint! It’s important to get the colors right!

• Color harmony requires a balance of saturation and unsaturation! This is so crucial to a good painting.

• I learned how to glaze with Galkyd gel! It's a technique to add a little paint to the gel, creating a translucent spread, and then quickly spread it on the top of the painting. The painting does dry faster, so I must work on it immediately after spreading on the top. This process makes the painting look prettier but I yet to figure out exactly what it does.

• I also learned about color temperature – this is still something I’m working on so maybe I’ll explain more next time. :)

• Plein air may still need a story line to form a good composition.

Peer Advice

• Again. I would recommend Paint Coach for anyone who needs help with oil painting. He’s an absolute gem in the oil painting world. He even started YouTube shorts! At the moment, mostly plein air painting advice.

• To do a seascape mastercopy, I watched the demo video from E. John Robinson, who had a unique habit of having two piles of white! One for his cool/dark colors, and the other for his warm/light colors.

• It’s a good idea to turn the brush sideways to paint without “digging into” the painting to protect the existing layers.

What I Wish I Knew

• Maybe unlucky, Florida weather is a lot more unpredictable than I had realized. During January and February, it’s very chilly. We had days when we were unable to paint at certain locations because it was too cold and windy, even after the hurricane season. Be prepared for studio days!

• At first, I was dreading this six-hour-long course, but I soon found it to be more of a blessing than I anticipated. Three hours go by fast in a regular class period, yet six hours go just as fast, if not faster, in this class. Hence, it’s important to stay on track and take a regular lunch break. That way, I can still paint from life when all the original, good colors are still there.

• Heat and bugs are no joke in this class! Be sure to wear sunscreen and bug spray whenever possible. Also, be wary, as once, after returning from lunch, I found love bugs dead from consuming my oil paint. Some were even bugging on my canvas. My professor said it's because they like white!

• I also recommend buying something like this! They’re super comfortable and protect me from the sun. I did have to wear a t-shirt underneath, but they are great! I do recommend buying more than one, as you may get it covered in paint.

• Speaking of paint, I wish I knew not to be scared of using white. White is a very key color in painting. Yet don’t add too much to make the painting chalky; add just enough to drive colors in the right direction!

• If cost is not a concern, a Julian easel is the best choice. However, I found it super heavy and not very easy to set up. Instead, I used a quick portable easel with a small palette to mix colors. I also got a cart to store everything inside! This was super helpful for me, but it may not work for everyone.

• It can be hectic to rush back to campus for the next class due to traffic! Also, do stay safe. As a child, I was told not to talk to strangers. This is especially true in locations that aren’t exactly safe. When we painted downtown, we were forced into an unpleasant conversation.

Favorite Memory

• I found that I became more confident in oil painting. I believe it’s because my professor introduced us to so many great artists! A standout for me is Camille Przewodek. She passed away not too long ago, but her legacy still lives on. Her use of color paired well with my love for impressionism. I tried out her style and made my most successful painting so far. My professor said I could sell this painting! She also would have put it in the display case at our school if I hadn't painted a sequel below it. Several other professors loved this painting and praised it highly, too! :)

  (Since I'm still new to this style, it's still a hit-and-miss game for me. The sequel was painted on a tighter deadline, and when I realized my composition wasn't good, it was too late to change. So, don't paint two paintings on one canvas unless you're 100% confident! Yet, I may be able to make a great sequel once I get time and technique to fix the second one.)

• I’m so grateful to my friend group – because of you guys, each class was so much fun! Carmarys was our prized chauffeur! Bridgette made me laugh, especially when she and Carmarys both were our star singers! The Ratatouille theme song was everything, guys! :D Both Yuzu and I are foodies, so our favorite thing to do is to eat at different restaurants. A couple of my favorites are below! :) I highly recommend all of these restaurants and dishes!

  • Spanish Point: Mojo Cuban Sandwich (So good, I ordered it twice in a row!) + Hot Chocolate (So-so, but extremely worth it on a very cold day.)

  • Shelby Gardens: The Green Orchid Restaurant (Shepherd’s Pie, which was on special, so may not stay on the menu, but it’s one of the best I’ve had, especially paired with the salad. If you like edible flowers, be sure to ask for extra - they're free and super delicious. I also admire the GLORIOUS cheese pull coming out of that Shepherd's Pie!)

  • Downtown: Bella Napoli (Eggplant Parmigiana - one of the best I've had! They really don't skip on the eggplant! We also went to a pho restaurant. They have the best pho meat I've tried!)

  • Downtown: Main Street Creamery (I got the blueberry lemon and toasted coconut; Yuzu got the mint chip. This is truly one of the BEST places to get ice cream, and it’s gluten-free! If the place looks familiar to you, you would be right. Izzy, Kiara, and I also went there on Valentine's Day!)

  • Cortez: Starfish Company (I must say that this place was my absolute favorite! Seafood is my favorite food, and this place served the BEST seafood I had for a long time.) Yuzu and I shared the Star Combination – a sample of everything. Everything was caught locally (the grouper is even caught on location) except for the scallops. Delicious! The oysters were my favorite! I plan on driving back real soon.

(Additional tip on Cortez: Grab a number to secure your spot in line! Make sure you have your cash ready - they only take cash. This guarantees you'll be one of the first to be served! Also, pure comedy moment in our friend group! We doubled on the 6-7! XD)

Photo Credit - Yuzu

• Besides food, all four of us especially enjoyed our trip to Jungle Gardens. It was mostly like a field trip! I enjoyed the petting zoo the most. I have always loved dwarf goats so this moment was extremely lovely, a moment of me with beloved Lady Elizabeth, the goat! She later became the staring composition in my illustration. :”)

Video Credit - Yuzu

This was such a sweet moment, I'm so glad we got this on tape!

• We also had a great time at Shelby Gardens and got to sneak into their inventory and library! It was super cool!

• Yuzu and I spent an enjoyable evening hanging out and making Japanese food. We had such a great time till past midnight. (Thankfully, it was during Spring break, haha!) From left to right, top to bottom, we made Japanese avocado salad (Yuzu's favorite), gyoza (Which I refused to believe its Chinese origin), banana cake, tamagoyaki/Japanese omelet (my mom and I fought over the last piece), and bean sprout & cucumber salad! :D

• I also met with a great painter! I’ve always been captivated by her story/paintings. She gave me great feedback that I’m hoping to really lock in when I do more plein air this summer.

Personal Reflections

• I realized that I felt so much freer and more satisfied this semester after I trusted my intuition and adopted a more painterly, brushy style. I still admire those who paint in a more Academic style, but I’ve found that for plein air, I really enjoy being “loose.”

• I realized that I need a full day or two to focus on one painting from start to finish, as I like working wet on wet! If I had to complete other homework at the same time, it tends to make my painting dry before I can go back to finish.

• After I did the following oil painting for my illustration assignment, I found that oil painting was not as frustrating as I thought. My illustration professor was really impressed and said I should do oil painting more often. I joked that I actually really hate oil, and he said, “Really? You shouldn’t hate it because it loves you.” Haha, I think oil, and I have a love-hate relationship with each other.

I still can't believe I'm beginning to like oil paint... :")

Till Next Time,

Isabelle

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." ~ Romans 12:12