Behind-the-Scenes: How I Paint From Life
Michelle Darwin Michelle Darwin

Behind-the-Scenes: How I Paint From Life

Top tools, quick composition process, painting plein air, and more

See the process I follow and the tools I use when painting from life. I share recent paintings of interior scenes painted around the house, as well as a few studies done plein air around the neighbourhood.

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Behind-the-Scenes: How I create studio paintings
Michelle Darwin Michelle Darwin

Behind-the-Scenes: How I create studio paintings

Top tools, sketching process, and more

Do you ever make something that surprises you and then go back over and over trying to figure out how you did it? What was it about that piece that just came together for you? How can you do it again?

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A little slice of everyday life at home in an old house… Coats waiting patiently. This little closet beneath the stairs holds coats and boots which are happily grabbed on the way out to check the gardens or walk to the ocean! 🤗 #interiorpai
The previous owners made this simple custom shelf to fit below the stairs. It’s perfect for baskets of scarves, books, and things you grab before heading out the door! 🧣✨ 🎨 This painting was made using just a few tools and a simple process t
Turns out I painted a similar scene several years ago at our home in Montréal (swipe right to see!). I love how a few simple marks of colour with the brush look JUST like the familiar objects I’m capturing fairly quickly in these little
I love creating paintings of everyday scenes around the house. This is the dining room on an overcast morning. The wood stove was crackling brightly. This painting was made using just a few tools and a simple process that I shared on the blog along
I grew these three sedum plants from cuttings last fall. (Did you know you can clone a whole plant from ONE single leaf?!) 🌱 They rooted a little late, so I kept them inside for the winter. They’ll soon be ready to jump into the gardens much t