Paint with patience

See light and dark before you see hue — this alone makes paintings look real.

1. 1Pick one colour and only change its lightness.
2. 2Paint five bands from nearly black to nearly white.
3. 3Now paint a simple ball: light side, mid tone, shadow, and a soft reflected light.
4. 4Squint at your screen — the shapes should still read clearly.

Edges tell the eye what to look at.

1. 1Use a large brush at low opacity for soft transitions.
2. 2Keep one crisp edge where the light hits — everything else stays softer.
3. 3Blur the background edges so your subject steps forward.

Block in masses, then refine. Detail added too early locks in mistakes.

1. 1Cover the whole canvas with three flat shapes: sky, ground, subject.
2. 2Correct proportions while everything is still flat and easy to move.
3. 3Only then add smaller shapes inside each mass.

Fewer colours make stronger paintings.

1. 1Generate a palette in the harmony tool and use only those swatches.
2. 2Mix greys by putting a little of the opposite hue into your colour.
3. 3Save the result and compare it with a free-for-all painting.

Finish something small, often. Finished beats perfect.

1. 1Choose one simple object near you.
2. 2Five minutes on shapes, ten on values, five on the final accents.
3. 3Stop when the timer stops — then save it to your gallery.