Bill Alexander Painting Tips: Still Life In Vase pt 1

Each Saturday we will have tips and instructions from Bill himself as he walks you through “Still Life In Vase.”

Points To Consider:

  • Bill starts with a dry, black canvas. He primed it with flat, latex paint and let it dry overnight. (Do you know that black gesso is the same thing as flat, latex house paint?) Get it at the hardware store instead of the art store and save money!)
  • Bill doesn’t spend much time mixing colors on the palette. He prefers to mix on the canvas.
  • He applies a lot of paint with his brush first. This gives him the opportunity to add a lot of paint quickly.
  • He knows what the painting is going to look like before he paints his first stroke. He has decided where the light is coming from ahead of time so he can lay the colors on the canvas accordingly.
  • Notice how much Bill is moving his brush and how hard he is pressing the paint into the canvas. He wants to leave a lot of paint and because he is creating a background, he wants the paint to go deep into the canvas. This helps him later when he adds the next layer of paint.
  • Once he has the colors where he wants them, he uses his knife to add texture. He wants the background to look like he “struggled” when he really didn’t at all.
  • Notice how Bill is holding the knife. We slowed it down a bit for you because Bill had such a short time to paint, he had to move quickly.
  • Bill did not paint this fast in his own studio.

Stay tuned next week to see what Bill does next to his painting.






Rural Lifestyle & Entertainment Shows
The affable and unassuming international singing star Daniel O’Donnell is one of Ireland’s best known performers – from Australia to Alaska.
Dailey & Vincent are BACK ON RFD-TV for another great season, brought to you by Gus Arrendale & Springer Mountain Farms. Join them as they welcome scores of fabulous bluegrass, country, and gospel music acts as special guests!
Join popular polka performer Mollie Busta as she hosts the weekly “Mollie B Polka Party” on RFD-TV! The one-hour program features the nation’s top polka bands and a wide variety of ethnic styles produced on location at music festivals from around the country.
For more than 20 years on the air during its original run, HEE HAW did more than simply make people laugh; it made an unforgettable mark on country music and became an American Institution.
First introduced to RFD-TV on Larry’s Country Diner, The Malpass Brothers, modern day troubadours, bring you their very own, brand-new show to RFD-TV. Viewers can enjoy traditional country music from the brother duo of Chris & Taylor Malpass, a featured celebrity guest on each episode, and loads of clever humor.