How to Paint a Copper Pot in Acrylics

acrylic-copper-pot-painting-tutorial

A Step-by-Step Video Tutorial

Morning class! This week we’re going to learn how to capture the brilliant qualities of reflections in copper, using acrylic paint.

I absolutely love how vibrant this copper pan is surrounded by the dark range. Notice how, even though the background is a dark subject, there is still a lighter tone on either side of the pan to bring it forward.

Copper makes a great subject, allowing us to work with a complementary colour palette of orange and inky blue, deep blacks and vibrant colour glazes.

So let’s get started…

Downloading the reference photograph

There’s a downloadable reference image and drawing guide that you can work along from at home.

The photo below can be ‘right clicked’ and ‘Save image as’, so you can print it out and use it as a reference image alongside the video.

copperpot-acrylic-still-life-tutorial

You can also download a High Resolution 20 x 25cm Reference Image here (opens in new tab)

Downloading the Drawing Guidelines Reference

copper-pot-gridlines-small

You can also download a High-Resolution Guideline for Printing here (opens in new tab)

Materials you will need:

Brushes

Palette Knife

  • RGM Classic Line, Medium size 45, Diamond-shaped, cranked (angled) handle. I use an RGM 45 for mixing the paint.

Support

  • I demonstrate on a 10 oz cotton duck canvas, 19mm Profile, 20 x 25 cm (about 8 x 10 inch) that’s had 2 coats of white acrylic gesso applied by the manufacturer.

Other Materials

  • Kitchen roll/paper towel
  • Clean water
  • Tear-off palette or stay-wet palette (In this tutorial I demonstrate on an A3 size white tear-off palette)

Paints – The Colour Palette

I use a mix of Golden Heavy Body colours & Winsor & Newton Professional Acrylic (also called Artists’ Acrylic). I use student grade paint for the coloured ground.

Coloured Ground

  • Pale Umber (Winsor & Newton – Galeria)

Main Painting

  • Titanium White (Golden)
  • Carbon Black (Golden)
  • Burnt Umber (Golden)
  • Cadmium Yellow Light (Golden)
  • Cadmium Orange (Golden)
  • Burnt Sienna (Winsor & Newton)
  • Phthalo Blue (Red Shade)

Glazing

  • Permanent Alizarin Crimson (Winsor & Newton)

Mediums

glazing-liquid

Acrylic Glazing Liquid (Gloss) Golden Paints. This will extend the working time of the paint and enable thin applications of the paint with smooth smokey blending. What I like about Glazing Liquid Gloss as a medium, is you can use it in any ratio with your paint and it still brushes well and remains a nice paint film integrity.

Step 1. – Choosing a Coloured Ground

winsor newton galleria pale umber

Using a warm neutral ground colour gives a good base for the oranges of the copper pan and also acts as a highlight colour for the reflected light on the front of the range.

I’m using a pre-mixed student grade acrylic from Winsor & Newton Galeria range, called Pale Umber.

choosing a paint colour

It doesn’t need much water to dilute it as the paint comes in a softer body straight from the tube.

If you haven’t got a Pale Umber, you can mix a similar colour using the same pigments found in the Galeria pre-mixed tube:

  • Titanium White – PW6
  • Yellow Iron Oxide – PY42
  • Red Iron Oxide – PR101
  • Mars Black – PBk11

decanting paint

Decanting the Galeria paint due to the paint having a softer, more liquid consistency than the heavy body.

I then transfer the paint to the canvas using a size 45 angled palette knife from RGM. Using a palette knife can be a good way to initially move the paint around the canvas before swapping to a brush for smoothing out.

Pro tip: I would usually paint coloured grounds on a flat table surface, but to illustrate the technique during the tutorial, I demonstrate working on a vertical.

Step 2. Painting the Coloured Ground

painting-coloured-ground-with-purdy-monarch

Smoothing out the paint texture using a 1.5 inch Purdy Monarch XL Elite brush.

I’ve dipped the brush into a touch of water and work over the canvas in both directions. I take off most of the paint using the edge of the palette knife so it only just covers the surface. I’m taking care not to build up this layer too thickly as I want the next layer to ‘grab on’.

Step 3. Drawing out Guidelines

measuring the ratios

Having a guide for your drawings can really help to create space around the main subject and keep your composition in check.

One of the most common mistakes when drawing out a still life subject is to make the main subject too big. The guidelines give you an outside edge to work to. (See: Are You Making Any of These 7 Compositional Mistakes with Your Still life Paintings?)

Measuring the ratios around the metal pan gives us breathing room for the object to sit into.

Step 4. Drawing Freehand

drawing pencil onto canvas

pencil-drawing-guide--willkempartschool

When you’re drawing out the copper pan it will feel small – too small, even when you’ve measured it out from the guidelines, but stick with it. Once the pan has got colour and form everything will feel in scale.

When you’ve got the guidelines down, you can finish the rest of the drawing freehand. I’m using a 3B Mars Lumograph pencil and sketching in the shadow shapes, indicating the slight curve at the edge of the pan.

Step 5. Painting the Negative

painting the negative shape

I start the painting using Carbon Black heavy body paint, diluted with water. Ivory Black or Mars Black would also work fine. I use the paint straight from the tube in the very darkest areas of the painting and then lift the pressure off the brush and dilute with water to give a charcoal-like-grey for the mid-tones.

thin watery wash acrylics

I’m thinking in black and white at this stage, looking for the shape of the pan to appear by painting the negative space around it. You can see a similar drawing technique used in this urban sketch tutorial of a bike, where the background goes in first to establish the drawing position of the main object.

Scrubbing in the tones in the background, thinking how the tones would work in a charcoal drawing first.

Step 6. Adding Dark Accents

rosemary-and-co-small-brush

I then swap to a small round brush to paint in a fine line at the base of the pan and refine the corners.

tonal block-in

Tonal block-in of the background using Carbon Black on a Pale Umber ground

Step 7. Blocking in the Copper Pan

Adding burnt umber

I want to establish the contrast between the warm colours in the pan and the cool colours in the background so I swap to a Burnt Umber and block-in a thin layer to give a warm base for the subsequent layers.

Step 8. Adding Blue

mixing a colour string with acrylics

I now introduce a Phthalo Blue (Red Shade) and mix a little with the Carbon Black to create a blue-black. By mixing in Titanium White I create a 4 step tonal colour string to use in the blue areas of the background.

building us a blue black

I work down the colour string, going progressively lighter towards the base of the copper pan.

Step 9. Introducing an Orange Glaze

golden-acrylic-glazing-liquid-gloss

Using a glazing medium allows you to work longer with the paints in thinner layers, especially when working upright at the easel. I’m using Acrylic Glazing Liquid (Gloss) from Golden paints.

I add a flat orange glaze using a Burnt Sienna from Winsor & Newton, this has a lovely vibrant undertone to build a warm base for the copper pan. I’m now using a synthetic long flat brush, a Size 4 Evergreen from Rosemary & Co.

glazing with burnt sienna

The first glaze is thin and even, using Acrylic Glazing Liquid

orange-glaze-acrylics

Step 10. Adding our Lightest Light

adding the lightest light

Adding white to the Burnt Sienna pigment mix gives us a more opaque application of colour.

I can then paint some pure Titanium White at the top of the reflection to push the tonal range in the painting and give us the brightest tones to judge our next mixes against.

Step 11. Looking for a Dark Pattern

how-to-paint-copper-pan-with-acrylics

I mix a muted brown using the Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna to paint in the darker shapes of the reflective surface. Emphasising the dark lines within the reflection makes the lighter areas appear to shine brighter.

Step 12. Introducing Brighter Pigments

mixing cadmium yellow light

For the final stages, I really want to push the chroma (saturation) of the colours, so lay out Cadmium Yellow Light and Cadmium Orange onto the palette.

adding-cadmium-orange-acrylics

A touch of Cadmium Orange to bring a vibrancy to the reflections

Step 13. A Warming Glaze

still-life-painting-acrylics-copper-pot

Working with some Permanent Alizarin Crimson I can reinforce the warm red colours on the shadow side of the copper pan

Step 14. Final Blue Glaze

adding blue glaze to the background

To finish the background I add a thin blue glaze to bring up the intensity of the colour next to the copper.

final-copperpot-acrylics-tutorial

The finished painting.

I really hope you enjoy the tutorial and have a look at some previous student success stories with this lesson.

This Post Has 123 Comments

  1. Cynthia Rodríguez

    Hi Will
    This is an amazing piece!
    Oh my God…thanks for sharing !!!
    You are absolutely a great Artist!!!
    Cynthia R. Costa Rica

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Cynthia, nice to hear from you and thanks for your kind words, really hope you enjoy the painting.
      Cheers,
      Will

  2. Charles Parry

    Once again, as always you prove to be the best most amazing tutorial master I have ever come across.

    The latest Copperpot tutorial is absolutely stunning, amazing and all the other adjectives you can utter.

    I can’t wait to have a go!!

    1. Will Kemp

      You’re too kind Charles, looking forward to seeing your results.
      Cheers,
      Will

    2. C Carstens

      I Totally agree Charles….Just absolutely stunning..

      We are learning from the BEST

      Can’t wait to start and see the end-results!!

  3. Ali Campbell

    Oooooo. Can’t wait to have a go! (Off to the shop for more supplies first!)

    1. Will Kemp

      Good one Ali, really hope you enjoy it. Cheers, Will

  4. steve r welham

    cheers another great lesson thank you it was truly superb
    kind regards steve

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Steve, really pleased you enjoyed it.

      Cheers,
      Will

  5. Connie Rodriguez

    Even though my work is more expressionistic, I always enjoy your tutorials. You are a great teacher. It was fun watching the pot come ‘alive’ with paint and having the photo image to keep referring back to.

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Connie, hope you’re doing well, I’m really pleased you enjoyed seeing the development of the painting.
      Cheers,
      Will

  6. Roger

    Hi Will, a very detailed and instructive demonstration, I throughly enjoyed it. Is your Acrylic portrait course similarly demonstrated ?

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Roger, thanks for your kind words. Yes, the acrylic portrait course follows similar teaching practices and close-up’s of the brushstroke techniques, using classical teaching methods with the contemporary medium of acrylics.
      Cheers,
      Will

  7. andy Anand

    great teaching lesson, I have been painting fall leaves and colour, my problem was to get a bright copper hue for the falling leaves, this is just what I was looking for Thanks a million Will keep in touch Andy

    1. Will Kemp

      Brilliant one Andy, great to hear you can use the colour mixing techniques in your landscape painting, that Burnt Sienna can be so handy!
      Cheers,
      Will

  8. Karina

    I absolutely love your style Will! Thank you for your artistry! I’ll do my best so I can share my painting with you.
    Hugs from Nicaragua!

    1. Will Kemp

      Good luck with the tutorial Karina, really looking forward to seeing how your pot turns out.
      Will

  9. Roy

    Hi Will!
    thanks a lot for this tutorial. It was exactly what I needed today and I am happy with my result.
    regards Roy

    1. Will Kemp

      Cheers Roy, so pleased the tutorial was a timely one for you.
      Will

  10. Joan Rockwell

    Will, I just love the details you give, and I can’t wait to do this painting. The metallic reflections can be very challenging!
    Thank you for your help!

    1. Will Kemp

      Pleased you find all the details helpful Joan, yes, reflections can appear a bit daunting to start with, but just take it one step at a time and I think you’ll be super pleased with the results!
      Will

  11. Noreen

    Will,
    Thanks so much for this new tutorial. You are the shining light for people like us who are still feeling their way through…
    You are too good!
    Noreen

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Noreen, thanks for your very kind comment and great to hear that you’ve been finding the tutorials helpful in your painting journey.
      Cheers,
      Will

  12. Kim

    This is awesome. really wonderful to have this tutorial. I cant wait to try it this weekend !

    1. Will Kemp

      Good one Kim, had a great time painting it at the weekend.
      Cheers,
      Will

  13. Christel

    Hello Will,
    A big thank you for this new course from your french fan :))
    I don’t unfortunately have time to paint (we were seriously flooded) but I download all the course (like the glazing portrait) for later
    It will be as usual a real delight to make them… even without your talent Maestro ;)
    Big kisses on your cheeks as we make it here and to Vanessa too
    christel

    1. Will Kemp

      On no Christel, so sorry to hear about the flooding, hope you’re all safe and the damage isn’t too bad. Wishing you a dry spell.
      Will

  14. Janet

    Thank you for sharing this amazing tutorial. The warmth and the highlights in the piece just make me want to keep looking at it. I can’t wait to give this a go!

    1. Will Kemp

      Great to hear it Janet, so pleased you enjoyed it.
      Will

  15. Yeside

    Once again, you’ve ticked another box. Thank you so much. Can’t wait to try this out.

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Yeside, hope your painting goes well.
      Will

  16. Tomas Fernandez

    This is great! Thanks a lot Will, you are an inspiration to me!
    Tom

  17. Stewart Hase

    Hi, neat. I suppose this could be done with oils in much the same way.

    Stewart

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Stewart, yes you could use the same colour palette just adjusting for drying times.
      Will

  18. Carol

    What a hero you are to me. Thank you again and again.

    1. Will Kemp

      Very kind of you to say so Carol, hope your painting turns out well.
      Will

  19. Jose Gama

    Hi Will veeeery good ! The same with brass?
    Hug
    Jose

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Jose, yes, the same method, just adjusting to more of a yellow ochre base pigment.
      Will

  20. Cynthia

    I’m wanting to try this in oil. Any tips?

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Cynthia, is you are using an acrylic ground base, just add a little more water so you have a good surface for the oil to adhere onto.
      Cheers,
      Will

  21. Adeline

    Hi Will,

    Thank you! What’s so wonderful about your video is that it’s making people just want to paint!

    How do we determine what background colour to choose for a painting?

    Regards
    Adeline

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Adeline, it often depends on the type of mood and feel that you’re after in your paintings, this article on choosing a colour for studio walls looks at the same principles of how the colour can affect the style of painting the working on.
      Hope this helps,

      Cheers,
      Will

  22. Penny

    Thanks Will, just what I needed for my current still life painting. I’m using oils, but I hope with a bit of adjustment this will work for me too. Penny

    1. Will Kemp

      Good one Penny, really hope you enjoy the lesson.
      Will

  23. Lily

    I started painting about an year ago after I found your tutorial on the apple. I was so encouraged by your words and the way you teach. Thank you so much!!!
    I’ ve done all the paintings that I found on your site and I will definitely try this one. So once again many thanks!!

    1. Will Kemp

      So pleased to hear it Lily, really glad you’ve found the tutorials helpful in your painting journey.
      Cheers,
      Will

  24. John McCloskey

    This is the high standard of online tutorial we have come to expect from you, Will. Calm, articulate, measured, with the focus always on the canvas and brushwork. Most of us would have recoiled in horror at this copper pot challenge but your inspirational guidance makes it accessible to all. Like many others I can’t wait to try it. Thank you so much. John.

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks very much John, yes, there can be an initial sense of anxiety when faced with a reflective subject, you’ll find when painting the copper pan there is quite a lot of the painting when it appears that it doesn’t look at all like copper and then suddenly it will turn, it’s having faith to paint beyond the tipping point!
      Hope you enjoy it.
      Will

  25. Maria Crean

    Hi Will. I was looking for inspiration and I always turn to your tutorials when my artistic mind gets a bit muddied. This was just what I needed for my Thanksgiving vacation. I might add some fall fruits and veggies somehow for a holiday themed painting. Gratitude abounds for your wonderful tutorials.
    With thanks,
    Maria

    1. Will Kemp

      My pleasure Maria, hope it helps with your composition.
      Will

  26. Ellen Scarisbrick

    I’m going to get my acrylics out again and give it a go!
    Thanks so much for providing me the incentive.
    Ellen

    1. Will Kemp

      Good one Ellen, here’s to a creative painting weekend!
      Will

  27. Liz

    Aloha,Will, beautiful painting! What is the shadow behind the pot? Is it O.K. To just tint gesso with a little acrylic paint and a little water for colored ground? I’ve been doing this ‘short cut’ and wonder what you think about it. Thanks! -Liz

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Liz, on the left of the image I think it’s a wooden spoon, I don’t include it in the final painting. Yes, if you’re painting the gesso onto a raw canvas tinting it can work well.
      Cheers,
      Will

  28. alex

    Hello Will,
    Thank you for yet another great informative tutorial.
    Can I ask how to keep Acrylics wet on the palette, after maybe mixing colours
    that can be difficlut to re- mix again, I know of the wet box for longer storage.
    But when working the paint over some time obviously drying on the Palette
    can be a problem. Thanks again for your Tutorials.—–Alex.

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Alex, you can use a stay-wet palette that will keep the paint wetter for much longer. They work best when the palette is on the flat.

      Cheers,
      Will

  29. Maria

    You had me at “morning class!” (That greeting always makes me so happy) This looks like another terrific tutorial, I can’t wait to have a go at this! Thanks Will!!!

    1. Will Kemp

      Ha, ha, morning Maria! really hope you enjoy the lesson.
      Will

  30. CHERYL

    GORGEOUS! LOVE THE COPPERY REFLECTION, COPPERY? IS THAT A WORD, SOUNDED GOOD TO ME. HA HA. THIS STEP BY STEP HELPS ME A LOT AND INSPIRES ME.

    THANK YOU WILL!

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Cheryl, pleased you’re feeling inspired, good luck with the tutorial!
      Will

  31. Julie

    This is marvelous — thank you so much for being such a generous (and effective) teacher.

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Julie, pleased you found it of help.
      Will

  32. Aya

    Hi Will,
    I love your videos, seeing how the painting develops. Gives me the goosebumps.
    The copper pot looks so metal! I can almost hear the sound of it.
    Fascinated how you can actually see so much colour and tones in it and add the right colours. I would have stopped very early on and have been satisfied with it, but not really knowing how to make it look better! How do you do that?

    Thank you so much for such a great tutorial!!
    You are a great teacher and artist, no flattery intended.

    1. Will Kemp

      Really pleased you enjoyed it Aya, and thank you for your kind comments. Yes, it’s a common issue to stop the painting process just before it all begins to make sense on the canvas, the more colours and tones are on the painting, the more references you have for your eyes to judge the relative intensities and hues of the object you’re observing. Hope you get that ‘a-ha’ moment when working through the tutorial!
      Will

  33. Teresa

    Thank you for sharing your talent!

    Cheers from Utah in the US

    Ps. My grandfather was a Kemp. We must be cousins

    1. Will Kemp

      Ha, ha good one Teresa, really pleased you enjoyed it!
      Cheers,
      Will

  34. Alastair

    Thanks Will.

    Excellent tutorial and video as usual, and good reference photo. Finding the right subject’s often hard and I often struggle. I think I’ll have a go at this in the next week or two, although I’ll probably use oils. If I do, and it’s presentable, I’ll post a link.

    Cheers, Alastair

    P.S. Your “light and dark” comment was apt because I’d just been to the Beyond Caravaggio exhibition on at the National Gallery.

    1. Will Kemp

      Hey Alastair, nice to hear from you, thanks, really pleased you enjoyed the tutorial and hope the inspiration from the Caravaggio show helps with the piece!
      Will

  35. Galina

    Dear Will,

    this is a really nice tutorial, which was definately a lot of work to prepare!
    The result painting is beautiful!

    Thank you for sharing, Galina

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Galina, thanks very much for your kind comments, so pleased you enjoyed it.
      Will

  36. Bernie

    Absolutely fascinating. Very many thanks for sharing with us.

  37. sherrie

    Hello Will,
    I love you’re painting video’s!! You are such an amazing teacher. This was a great practice demo. So glad you’re back to posting your video’s and so kind of you to do this for us beginning artists!

    1. Will Kemp

      Really pleased you enjoyed it Sherrie.
      Cheers,
      Will

  38. Harbans Mody

    I am a professional photographer & an artist.

    Many thanks for the wonderful acrylic painting lessons.

    Best wishes.

    1. Will Kemp

      Really pleased you enjoyed it Harbans.
      Will

  39. gail veasey

    Thank you for another great tutorial! Really enjoyed painting this. Thank you. How about one for painting something silver? And where can we post our finished efforts?

    1. Will Kemp

      Great work Alastair! you’ve got the darks and lights judged really well and love the impasto touches on the white reflections. It’s also nice how you’ve got the broken edges of the pale blue next to the smooth transitions within the reflections of the copper.

      Cheers,
      Will

  40. Linda C.

    Hello Will,

    As always, you do not disappoint. I love this tutorial and will be creating this one tonight! I would like to thank you again for sharing your knowledge. There are many tutorials out there, but I find your classical background and your artistry the quality that I would love to learn and present in my work.

    Best wishes,
    Linda from AZ

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks very much Linda, really pleased you’ve been enjoying the tutorials, good luck with the copper pot!
      Cheers,
      Will

  41. Matthijs

    Hi Will, I tried this one in oils and I was satisfied with the result, but my orange made with azo yellow and alizarin crimson was way less intense than yours. Do I need cadmiums for a better result?
    Cheers,
    Matthijs from the Netherlands

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Matthijs, yes, azo yellow is a semi-transparent pigment, so it can take a higher ratio of yellow to get the same amount of coverage that can be achieved with a cadmium yellow which is an opaque pigment.
      Cheers,
      Will

  42. Sophie Hernandez

    Bonjour Will !
    Je vous écris en français afin de vous le faire travailler comme vous me faites travailler mon anglais à chaque toile que je réalise grâce à vous !!!! ;)
    Merci énormément pour vos vidéos gratuites, je me régale à chaque fois que je commence une toile.

    Thank you very much for you free vidéo it’s always a great plaisir to paint your models.
    the first paint, I have do, was “the apple” and now it’s in my parents kitchen and they are very pround of me !(thank’s to you)
    Sorry for my english I look for my words sometimes and perhaps that my sentances were not really easy to understand.

    thanks you so much and have a good day
    Merci énormément de me permettre de m’épanouir en peinture, c’est avec vous que j’ai débuté l’acrylique !

    xxx
    Sophie

    1. Will Kemp

      Merci beaucoup Sophie! so pleased you enjoyed the tutorials and your painting turned out well.

      Cheers,
      Will

  43. Lisa Jameson

    Fabulous tutorial! I have always wanted to paint but never had time or instruction. Your instruction is clear and so helpful. With your tutorials, when I find the time, I feel like I can really make progress. I so enjoy watching these beautiful paintings take shape. Thanks so much for your generous and kind nature in helping so many people realize their dreams of creating beautiful art. You’re the best!

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks very much Lisa, hope you enjoy the tutorial.
      Will

  44. Cris

    Hello Will,

    Thank you for this nice tutorial. I had some colours in my mind, but you have surprised me with the crimson glazing. :)

    Well, I also would like to tell you a short story. Today I had to fill in a questionnaire, and when they surprised me with the “What is your favourite sound?” question, the first thing came in to my mind was: “When Will Kemp says ‘Moring Class!’ ” :D Of course, I could not write it down, but yes, this is my favourite sound, no doubt. :D

    Thank you for this art school, I think I cannot find words how I like it.

    1. Will Kemp

      Morning Cris! really pleased you enjoyed the tutorial and thanks for your kind words on the lessons, very much appreciated. Enjoy exploring the site and experimenting with some new painting techniques.

      Cheers,
      Will

      1. Cris

        Wow, it was cute. :)

        I have already explored many of your tutorials, the last one was the acrylic palette knife technique, which finally was not really mine. How is it possible that I can paint easily with a brush, but not with the palette knife?

        Anyway, the colours you used there (https://willkempartschool.com/acrylic-palette-knife-techniques-part-1/) were amazing, did you follow some rules when choosing them, or just simply used your imagination? I always wanted to change my colours on my paintings, but I never had enough valor to do it. Why do you paint yellow skies and violet mountains? I mean it is nice, really, but I am afraid if I do that people will not accept it. :(

        1. Will Kemp

          Hi Cris, for this painting I exaggerated colours in the reference and then used the complementary colours yellow and purple. In this colour scheme the colour choices act to bring out the colours of the environment (the purple heather from Scotland) and harmonise into a painting.

          Hope this helps,

          Cheers,
          Will

  45. Linda Wilson

    Wow thank you for sharing, it is so good to watch this work step by step, what a brilliant finished work.
    Regards, Linda.

    1. Will Kemp

      My pleasure Linda, really pleased you enjoyed the lesson.
      Will

  46. Ali Campbell

    Loved having a bash at this. The way you break down the techniques is incredibly helpful.

    1. Will Kemp

      Good one Ali, really pleased you enjoyed the tutorial.
      Will

  47. Sarmed

    Looks awesome. Going to try it for sure. Thanks!

  48. Micki Jerry

    Will,
    I just moved to the desert southwest in the US. I decided that I was going to look for an instructor to up my painting game. I cannot find anyone with your teaching skill. I truly appreciate your methods and your manner of sharing your talent. Any skills I have currently, I have obtained from you. I may ramp up my online learning and forgo the instructor here. Thanks and cheers!

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks very much Micki, really pleased you’ve been finding the teaching style suits you, good luck with the copper pot study, hope it goes well.
      Will

  49. ping

    Dear Will,
    Thanks for sharing this project. What a great opportunity to enjoy not only the creation of vibrant colors, but also the art of mark-making. Here is my first trial of it using student paints of similar colors and acrylic paper (https://goo.gl/photos/LutjsZ7tJYiQHx9N6) . There are many things to learn in this project, and for sure, I will come back to it again and again. Thanks again!

    ping

    1. Will Kemp

      Hey Ping, it’s worked really well! really like how you’ve got the darker copper colours in clear blocks going into the centre of the pan, it shows the viewer that quality of the reflective surface and shape of the pot without losing the lovely painterly feel. The drawing has worked well and the placement within the composition is spot on.

      Cheers,
      Will

  50. rob

    Hi will! What are the measurements of the canvas you used to paint this painting?

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Rob, details are under the material list :

      ‘I demonstrate on a 10 oz cotton duck canvas, 19mm Profile, 20 x 25 cm (about 8 x 10 inch) that’s had 2 coats of white acrylic gesso applied by the manufacturer.’

      Really hope you enjoy the painting!
      Cheers,
      Will

  51. Ina Jones

    where can I see other people’s attempts at the copper pot?

  52. Vanesa Galizia

    Hi Will!! You make me think that I can paint, I’m so happy about that!! All your tutorials are amazing and I really enjoy them…not only a great artist, you are such a great teacher… just passing by to say. thank you so much! I will be buying the acrylic course as soon as possible.
    Cheers!! :*

    1. Will Kemp

      So pleased to hear it Vanessa, hope you find the acrylic course helpful.
      Cheers,
      Will

  53. Randy Infuso

    Great video! It actually inspired me to pick up my brush and follow along! I must say, it was amazing how easy to follow your instructions. I have one question: When you change brushes, what do you do with the brush you are not using? Doesn’t the acrylic start drying into the bristles? Thanks.

    1. Will Kemp

      Glad you enjoyed it Randy, when changing brushes I rinse the brushes and dry the bristles with paper towel in-between swapping them.
      Cheers,
      Will

  54. Glorisha Rivera

    The very first video i every watch to learn how to paint, amazing tutorial.

    1. Will Kemp

      So pleased you enjoyed it Glorisha.
      Cheers,
      Will

  55. Fiona

    Thanks so much. I really enjoyed doing this and your instructions were so clear and helpful.

    1. Will Kemp

      That’s great to hear Fiona.
      Cheers,
      Will

  56. Kurt

    Hi Will,
    How do you think this would work out using the limited palette of cad’ yellow, perm’ alizarine crimson, burnt umber, & ultra’ blue?
    Would pre-mixing a black and orange on the palette be helpful?

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Kurt, yes the would work, and premixing both the black and orange would also help.
      Cheers,
      Will

  57. Bob

    Hi Will,
    My usual art class is now socially distanced so I looked around for some on line help and inspiration ( too much staring at blank canvas !) for the winter months. Finally found what I need in your classes. Started with this one and found the way you took me through the painting to be really clear and helpful. On to the next one !

    1. Will Kemp

      So pleased you found it helpful Bob.
      Cheers,
      Will

  58. ted trill

    HI Will.
    First of all thanks for your generosity on this. I’m about to start the copper saucepan. Can you suggest a mix as a substitute for Phthalo blue/ red shade? I’ve looked at the PB content and can’t find anything similar. Thanks

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Ted, you could use a Phthalo Blue and add a touch of Ultramrine Blue to warm it up.
      Cheers,
      Will

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