AMERICAN

Painting ARTIST ®

Highlights
Instruction

from
Master Teachers
Painting the Mouth
by William A. Schneider page 6

Jeffrey Reed: Introducing the Basics of

Painting
by M. Stephen Doherty page 12

Al Gury: Teaching Fundamentals

in a Historic Studio
by M. Stephen Doherty page 20

How to Create Your Best Paintings Ever

by Mary Whyte page 32

3 Views of the Same Scene

by Bob Bahr page 40

Johnnie Liliedahl: Using the

Old Master Grisaille Method to
Manage Values and Opacity
by M. Stephen Doherty page 48

Ismael Checo: Color, Richness, and Light

by John A. Parks page 64

Seeing Nature With Fresh Eyes

by Molly Siple page 72

Painting Classical Floral Still Lifes With

110 Skill and Understanding
by Scott Royston page 80

Using Subtle Tones to Express Deep Emotions

by M. Stephen Doherty page 88

Joseph McGurl: Developing a Critical

Advantage
by M. Stephen Doherty page 96

Jeffrey R. Watts: Learning the Structure &

Discipline of Painting “Controlled Chaos”
by M. Stephen Doherty page 110

48 12
COVER
Jeffrey R. Watts instructing a student during a
workshop held in Nicolai Fechin’s studio.

Copyright © 2009 by Interweave, a division of Aspire Media,

all rights reserved. Title registered ® in U.S. Patent Office.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either
in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner.
American Artist Highlights is printed in the U.S.A.

20 64

FEATURED
TEACHERS
Meredith Brooks
Abbott
page 72

Thomas S. Buechner
page 40

Nancy Bush
page 88

Ismael Checo
page 64

Thomas Gardner
page 40 96 72
Al Gury
page 20

Johnnie Liliedahl
page 48

Joseph McGurl
page 96

Martin Poole
page 40

Jeffrey Reed 6
page 12

Scott Royston
page 80

William A. Schneider
page 6

Jeffrey R. Watts
page 110

Mary Whyte
page 32

32 40
 AMERICAN
ARTIST
Highlights ®

Editor’s Note
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
M. Stephen Doherty
MANAGING EDITOR
Brian F. Riley
SENIOR EDITOR
Allison Malafronte
ART DIRECTOR
James B. Bogner III
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Austin R. Williams (646) 841-0050
PROJECT MANAGER
Bob Bahr
PUBLISHING
Synthesize What You Learn PUBLISHER
David Pyle
All of the articles in this issue were originally published in American Artist or MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR
Jim McIntosh (513) 961-0034
Workshop magazine. We organized them into this Highlights magazine so that MEDIA SALES MANAGER
you would have a convenient guide to the best instruction available for creat- Mary McLane (970) 290-6065
ing artwork with a variety of art media and in several different styles. ONLINE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Karyn Meyer-Berthel
Often the best art teachers, including those profiled in this issue, have AD TRAFFICKERS
strong personalities and convictions. Those strengths help their students Teresa Warren • Melissa Brown
make great strides, but they can also restrict the development of an inde- CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
Bob Kaslik
pendent and individual form of expression. The challenge, therefore, is for a CIRCULATION MANAGER
student to take as much guidance from a great teacher as he or she can man- Sheila Derrington
WEB BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
age and then to seek additional instruction to expand on that base of knowl- Tricia Gdowik
edge. These articles suggest ways of starting with a strong instructor and syn- MARKETING MANAGER
thesizing that person’s approach with instruction from other great teachers. Annie Hartman Bakken
Jeffrey Reed has earned his place in art heaven for working patiently and PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
diligently with students who enter his class with almost no understanding of Nancy M. Pollock
drawing and painting (page 12). In a calm, organized, thoughtful way, he PRODUCTION EDITOR
introduces them to the basic concepts of relative value, brush handling, color Nancy Arndt

mixing, and composition, and he helps them begin to discover their individ-
ual personalities as artists.
Johnnie Liliedahl probably has more experience than most teachers in
offering both short- and long-term classes in drawing and painting (page 48). FOUNDER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Linda Ligon
She has been providing detailed instruction in classical techniques for years, CEO: Clay B. Hall
PRESIDENT: Marilyn Murphy
both in art schools and workshops. What is most remarkable about her teach- CFO: Troy Wells
VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING: Bob Kaslik
ing is that almost everyone who participates in one of Liliedahl’s classes VICE PRESIDENT, SALES & MARKETING: Stephen Koenig

leaves with a solid understanding of how to apply the concepts and skills he VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION: Trish Faubion
VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNOLOGY: T.J. Harty
or she was taught. VICE PRESIDENT AND DIVISION PUBLISHER FOR ART AND JEWELRY: David Pyle

Those who are ready for the challenges of painting landscapes outdoors
couldn’t find a better teacher than Joseph McGurl (page 96). He does an
excellent job of explaining how to translate the forms, colors, and atmosphere
found in nature into oil paintings, and he is generous in sharing the knowl-
edge and experience that make him one of the best landscape painters in the
country today.
Send editorial mail to American Artist magazine, 29 W. 46th Street, 3rd Floor,
New York, NY 10036.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part
without the consent of the copyright owner, Interweave Press, a division of
Aspire Media.
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M. Stephen Doherty PRINTED IN U.S.A.

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mail@myAmericanArtist.com

4 highlights from master teachers