Steve Curry: Finding Your Voice: Painting with Creative Expression

Steve Curry Offers:

• Knowing exactly what you will focus on in your scene
• How to use sketches and thumbnails for reference
• The secret to using references to inform, not as something to be “copied”
• How to edit your scene down to the basics for powerful impact
• Ways to find the “energy” of the scene you will be painting
• Keys to composition for clarity
• Color theme secrets you can use immediately
• A simple layout option using panel proportions
• What color to use to block in initial shapes
• A shape secret that changes the way you look at ALL shapes
• Why pre-mixed “cheat” colors are a HUGE advantage on your palette
• The best way to highlight shapes for impressive effect
• A secret retouch technique that makes colors easy to match 
• A technique to push contrasts where needed
• How to address mistakes in real time 
• Why objects that are too close to the edge are a distraction
• A way to view your final painting that can impress potential buyers
• Use ONLY this color for your palette
• This many tints is all you need to establish a composition
• And more….

THIS video is like a double feature. Not in length, but in content. 

You’ll not only get an incredible lesson in painting from a true master, you’ll get a few key insider secrets he learned from his career in the advertising industry. And, as we all know, a successful ad agency only becomes successful when the ads it produces garner attention and get results.

So this video is a real treat. When you listen to and learn from Steve, you’ll find your skills increasing to a whole new level, AND you’ll come away with an understanding of what will truly set YOUR paintings apart from everyone else in the marketplace.

“Keep it simple, and edit out what you don’t need.”

– Steve Curry

Simplification is Power

Details can be distracting. With too many things going on in a painting, the viewer can get confused. The eye doesn’t know where to go, and rather than get sucked in and emotionally involved, the viewer will likely just move on. 

Steve Curry has proven that less is more when it comes to composition and design.

Meet Steve Curry

Steve Curry is a landscape artist who has accumulated an impressive collection of awards from various art shows across the country. From the United States Library of Congress to being the Featured Artist at the Museum of Natural History, Steve has impressed tens of thousands with his talents.

His artwork hangs in seven galleries from California to Oregon to New Mexico.

“Find your own voice; it’s what sets you apart from the rest”

                                                              – Steve Curry

A History You Can Connect to…

Steve Curry drew constantly as a child. Using crayons, pencils, or markers, Steve would draw everything in sight. He would draw his army men, cars, cowboys, anything. 

With the added encouragement of his entire family, who were all artistic, Steve’s interests grew and developed.

He attended college focusing on advertising. After college, he worked in advertising agencies. After a few years of that, he started his own agency, and ended up running the agency for many years. 

Then, when the thought of retirement came, Steve was facing the question of what to do. That’s when the thought of returning to his art roots took hold. That began a second career of over 20 years now.

Fire Up Your Imagination

Over decades in advertising, the power of imagination fueled many creative efforts. Yes, facts were important. Research was done. Market surveys were done. Ultimately, however, the success of each campaign came down to one thing: imagination.

The same is true with your paintings. The success of your art career will come down to the power of your imagination. So how do you fire it up?

In this video, Steve will take you through that journey. He will give you tips on how to find the scene elements that inspire YOU. 

Notice what we said there. The focus isn’t on finding the scene that inspires you. No, it is on the elements of the scene that inspire you.

And we’re not saying you must find elements that are inspiring to others. No, these elements must inspire YOU. 

About the Elements

Entire paintings can be created around only one element that was found in nature. The remainder of the scene could be a figment of your imagination. 

Steve has painted en plein air for many years. During those thousands of hours outside, he has developed an ability to find the ONE thing that inspires him. (Or it may be more than one thing.) But often his finished paintings have elements he found in reality AND elements he found in his imagination.

Does this place exist?

What is the Real Secret to Painting like Steve Curry?

One of the first things Steve will share with you is the power of being an original. The goal is never to copy a scene, a style, or an artist. Be your own person. That’s what is at the heart of his new video. He will help you FIND YOUR VOICE.

Easy to Learn From

You’re going to revel in Steve’s easygoing, sometimes comical teaching style as he speaks to the objects in his paintings. This lighter-side instruction makes painting with Steve an absolute joy. When you’re having fun as you learn, you’re much more likely to retain the information and apply it in your own artwork.

Chapter Outline

Materials & Tools: brief review of Steve’s Limited Palette and CHEAT colors (4 mixes he has made to speed up his painting process).

Subject & Composition: Do a pencil Thumbnail Sketch (what Steve says is “one of the first rules” of painting). Saves time, gives you a roadmap.

Underpainting: 

• Block in of main shapes
• Subtract out paint–lightening areas, removing some paint, moving paint around–like FINGERPAINTING, then adding paint back in to darken as needed. 
• The goal is to get this stage to a LOVEABLE Thing… a well-composed painting that works so you don’t have to change things once you get into the full color stage.
• Capture the personality of the trees.
• This stage is the “EVOLUTION of the DESIGN SOLUTION.”
• Some HIDDEN ADVICE on why you shouldn’t give away or sell “bad” art.

Block In: Main Color Direction

• Starting with the darks, mix and add in the colors of the landscape
• In keeping with the stream-of-consciousness flow, Steve discusses creativity and makes a great reference to Saul Bass’ “Why Man Creates” video.
• Steve pays homage to Ken Auster for his amazing use of brushes and materials used to create.
• You’ll also see Steve thanking artist Dennis Sheehan for his method of “Landscapes from Imagination.”
• Mix colors for each element of the painting and block in entire surface

Block In: Build Color 

• When it's ok to use white
• Why adding an outline on the outside of an object can make a highlight pop
• “Drive the paint responsibly”

Develop Darks, Lights & Details

• Series of subtle additions or subtractions to develop all areas of the painting

Final Adjustments

• Adjustments to unify the painting and mute out the CANDY color

Extras: 

• High Speed View–a timelapse of the demo painting
• Exhibit of Works–a slideshow of inspirational paintings from Steve
• Interview with the Artist–conducted by Eric Rhoads