Welcome to my Epiphany page! I invite you to think of this video collection as a unique art bookshop, with hallways of many doors that open to new worlds, each taking you on a distinct journey. Every “door” is labeled with a topic that I studied, worked with and taught for over 30 years. I offer videos featuring topics such as portraiture, painting animals, land/seascape/plein air, Victorian watercolor, foundational drawing, composition and technical nuts and bolts – plus more to come! My teaching style is easy to follow, comprehensive as well as supportive, encouraging you to develop the confidence you need to paint and create whatever interests you! More videos and some live sessions will be added every month to keep you inspired and motivated!

In time, I hope you’ll explore them all. A well-rounded art education will help you improve in other areas of your artistic endeavor, no matter which path you choose to take. The comprehensive study of art will give you a wide array of techniques and disciplines, and you may discover new joys of other mediums and interpretations. I have developed a systematic way of teaching these different artistic disciplines that I know you will find informative and inspiring. I have seen incredible results from students from all over the world utilizing the methods and techniques waiting to be discovered behind every door!

While you’re here, I hope you’ll peek into each room to see what is available right now, and what is coming in the future. The videos in each section are listed in order of progression. I encourage you to watch the first video, “Introduction to Jessica Henry Fine Art: Artist, Know Thyself,” describing what to expect from my Epiphany Fine Art library.

So, please enjoy browsing my art bookshop, all open to you!

Jeanne Rosier Smith Pastel lessons

If we haven’t yet covered a topic you’d like to see let us know and we’ll add it to the list  Thanks! Send us an email

Paintings by Jessica Henry Gray

Introduction to Jessica Henry Fine Art

Artist Know thyself

Welcome! Thanks for checking out my Epiphany page! What is art? It is the means of communicating something of value from one heart to another through creativity. Knowing who you are and how to express the beauty that you enjoy in the world around you are the essence of our journey. This introductory video will explain to you why I feel that a solid well-rounded art education is so vital to every artist. I will clarify how I want to help you along in your journey to better communicate how to tell your story with your own art. Thanks for watching and I look forward to getting to know you better!

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Welcome!!

Reference Materials

Jessica Henry Gray Materials List
Materials List

Free Videos

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Capturing the beauty of changing trees in reflected water, using photo reference
137 views
Our growing group of Epiphany and Newsletter subscribers asked Jessica about converting plein air "studies" into studio paintings, colors of shadows, and more…. In Jessica's demo, she shows how to convey distance between objects in plein air paintings.

painting by Jessica Henry Gray

Silver Subscription Videos

Videos Added in the Past Three Months

7 videos found
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Discover how a simple, easy-to-manage palette of seven colors can produce any color you desire. Jessica draws on her many years of plein air painting to give you the best of all worlds: few colors to manage, and a full spectrum of colors to capture ...
3 views
Part 2. Discover how a simple, easy-to-manage palette of seven colors can produce any color you desire. Jessica draws on her many years of plein air painting to give you the best of all worlds: few colors to manage, and a full spectrum of colors to ...
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Every portrait tells a story about its subject. But sometimes the story is so rich and vital that the artist becomes editor, deciding not just how to capture their subject's character, but how to present their story. Join Jessica as she talks about ...
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In Part 2, Jessica continues blocking in Sean's portrait using a limited palette.
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Part 3 covers painting hands and a background scene of a field behind the castle, with a dark history.
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In Part 4, Jessica completes the background and starts making final decisions about furnishings.
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Jessica wraps up Sean's portrait in Part 5, making finishing touches on facial features and hands.

COMING SOON:

  • Drawing Using the Comparative Method
  • Drawing from the Still Life
  • Victorian Watercolor
  • Plein Air: Thumbnail Sketches and Composition
  • Foundations and Introduction to Still Life Painting
  • Setting Up a Still Life
  • Portraiture: Mixing Skin Tones
  • Making Everything Better: Color Theory and Mixing
  • Making Everything Better: Finding Inspiration In Nature
  • Making Everything Better: Composition
  • Making Everything Better: Efficiency (“The Triangle” and more….)

SPECIAL EVENTS:

Archived Demos and Q&A Sessions with Jessica

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Each season presents plein air artists with unique colors that can stretch their color-mixing skills. For her spring studio demo, Jessica will select a scene of typical early-season colors.
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Capturing the beauty of changing trees in reflected water, using photo reference
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In this Demo, Jessica talks from behind the camera, pointing to several of the diverse greens in her scene, and explaining her method of mixing them on her palette.
137 views
Our growing group of Epiphany and Newsletter subscribers asked Jessica about converting plein air "studies" into studio paintings, colors of shadows, and more…. In Jessica's demo, she shows how to convey distance between objects in plein air paintings.
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We again welcomed Epiphany and Newsletter subscribers. I critiqued two participants' paintings and answered questions. I did a live commentary as we watchd a recent video, showing how to paint underwater rocks. The full video is being released as a ...
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Too often, artists undervalue still life. In this session, I discuss how the process of selecting, lighting, arranging and painting still life presents artists with rewarding challenges that both develop their skills and yield beautiful works of art!
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We welcomed Newsletter subscribers to this session. It was a great group of old friends and new faces! I critiqued two lovely paintings by group members and then spoke on how, without knowing we're doing it, we can turn art into a source of stress ...
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In this session I critiqued four paintings from the group and we talked about efficiency -- a key to enjoying painting more and getting better results. Then I did a one-hour demo of a scene I loved, from a great trip to Ireland last summer.
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Join Jessica for an inspirational three-day workshop at Epiphany Fine Art in beautiful Norton Massachusetts, painting stunning fall colors! In this workshop Jessica will demonstrate how to select a scene, establish your composition, and develop your ...
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Join Jessica for an inspirational three-day workshop at Epiphany Fine Art in beautiful Norton Massachusetts, painting stunning fall colors! In this workshop Jessica will demonstrate how to select a scene, establish your composition, and develop your ...
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Join Jessica for an inspirational three-day workshop at Epiphany Fine Art in beautiful Norton Massachusetts, painting stunning fall colors! In this workshop Jessica will demonstrate how to select a scene, establish your composition, and develop your ...

Drawing

There is no other discipline in the two-dimensional art world so important as the ability to draw. No matter what you wish to accomplish with your art, learning to see and understand visually what you are looking at is at the heartbeat of every form of art. In this session, I endeavor to “draw” upon my 28 years of teaching all age levels. I have seen even children grasp difficult concepts of drawing because the process was broken down into simplistic steps that are easily understood. Bear with me in this process. I know the lessons begin with a very elementary foundation; however, I utilize those methods throughout every one of my future videos across all areas of interest. These foundational skills will be the bedrock upon which you build all your precepts of drawing and painting going forward. Think of these beginning lessons as scales that every great musician was required to master. The more fluid you become at mastering these steps, the more success you will see for yourself as a developed artist.
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There is a lifetime of subject matter to study when it comes to understanding the horse and working out its descriptive form. But we must begin somewhere! I will be adding more equine videos in the future, but for now, we begin here. In this first ...
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Working on the internal features of the face we break down the form of the eyes, muzzle and the ears.
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This video covered the basics of understanding how a mane and tail function and lay on a horse. I also demonstrate how to draw the hoof, its function and mobility.
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Every discipline must begin with the understanding of some basic principles. This video demonstrates the basic principles of drawing that will carry you through all your artistic disciplines, with practice.
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Most of us have some extra waiting time every now and then. What better exercise for the artistic mind than to practice some quick drawings while out and about. In this video I show you how to capture a quick tree from life.
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This first lesson in a three-part series is the preliminary stages of a portrait demonstrating Sight-size drawing technique. A portrait was chosen because I want to demonstrate that the process of drawing is not complicated, but rather a series of ...
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In the second video of this three-part series, we will work further on the portrait that was begun in the first lesson. I will develop the portrait working out the contours of the face and begin laying in the values.
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In this final drawing sight size video, I work to finish the portrait drawing. I hope that you will see that there is nothing complicated or daunting about drawing anything you want! Its all a matter of observation, taking your time and careful ...
Drawing
Topic Videos in order:

  • Fundamentals of Drawing: The Four Major Tools
  • Drawing Sight-Size
  • Drawing Using the Comparative Method
  • Drawing from the Still Life
  • Drawing from Nature
  • Drawing Horses
  • Drawing Human Anatomy, Part 1: Hands
  • Drawing Human Anatomy, Part 2: Torso
  • Drawing Human Anatomy, Part 3: Legs and Feet
  • Drawing the Portrait, Part 1: Bone Structure
  • Drawing the Portrait, Part 2: Features
  • Drawing the Portrait, Part 3: Features (continued)
  • Drawing the Portrait, Part 4: Capturing Expression
  • Drawing with Pen and Ink
  • more to come….
Jessica Henry Gray drawing of a young boy
Drawing by Jessica Henry Gray

Watercolor

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In this video I will share with you what I carry with me when I want to do a little plein air work with my watercolors. It's a fun treasure hunt example for the individual looking to set up their own plein air kit of watercolor and pen and ink ...
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Watercolor painting is such a delightful painting medium with ease of materials, packing and accessibility. Many people feel intimidated by it's unpredictability and permanence. In this video, Jessica will demonstrate the basics of Victorian ...
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Jessica continues to present basic watercolor techniques such as broken color. Master these basic essentials, and there isn't anything you can't watercolor paint! Soon you'll be packing up your watercolor kit to take with you anywhere!
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In this Victorian Watercolor video, we use the techniques from the Watercolor Foundations Lessons 1 and 2. Together we paint a lovely fall scene of a lakeshore cabin and a small boat. Be sure to pause the video when more time is needed.
Watercolor
Topic Videos in order:

  • Introduction to Watercolor
  • Building on What You Know
  • Victorian Watercolor
  • Victorian Watercolor: Pen and Ink
  • Watercolor Journaling

Landscape Plein Air

25 videos found
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"Living Waters" is one of Jessica's most intricate landscape paintings. Drawing her inspiration from a rushing river in Glacier National Park, Jessica shows you how to capture cascading and still water, underwater objects, sky, forests and the people ...
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"Living Waters" is one of Jessica's most intricate landscape paintings. Drawing her inspiration from a rushing river in Glacier National Park, Jessica shows you how to capture cascading and still water, underwater objects, sky, forests and the people ...
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This is the complete lesson, shown in part in our May 13th Q&A. In it, I paint a lovely scene of a natural waterfall near a historic sandstone quary in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. In my voiceover, you'll learn how I make decisions about composition, ...
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Join me as I finish the waterfall plein air. In part two, I focus on the underwater portion of the scene, painting the bottom, the water itself, the reflections and the object that emerge above the water level.
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On a warm, sunny, February afternoon in Northern Ohio (a phrase I've never used before), I went to plein aire at a nearby wildlife habitat. The video opens with my search for a great scene to paint. Finding a view full of your "loves" -- interesting ...
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In Part 2, I finish the painting following the plan I laid out in the thumbnail sketch. Boisterous geese, local row boaters and some camera-toppling wind gusts, make it another great plein air experience.
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I open with two short "Special Features." In the first, I discuss scene selection. I had hiked down a beautiful wooded creek with many interesting and beautiful potential subjects. I briefly discuss how I arrived and my decision about what I would ...
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In part two, I add the details and textures that will help me arrive at "what I loved" about this view. You are welcome to paint along with me, or find a scene that you love, and enjoy the process of capturing it on canvas
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In Part 1, I introduce you to this beautiful, misty river scene. I talk about how I decided on this particular composition, working through a thumbnail sketch that helps guide me throughout the rest of my painting. I finish Part 1 by showing you how ...
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Part 2 will show you how to mix and block in colors. I also paint in the starkly beautiful winter tree branches.
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In Part 3, I add details to the water and branches and check to be sure I've accomplished my goals for the painting. …and get a visit from a local trout!
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In this first part, I demonstrate how to sketch out a composition and use paint to lay in the design on canvas. Working through the changing mist and sky, I share how you can efficiently make your work capture your initial impression faster.
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While finishing the study, I discuss the use of values and colors to achieve distance and atmosphere. I then talk about utilizing the correct amount of detail to capture interest in your focal area by making selective choices and eliminating extra ...
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Join me as I demonstrate how to mix the beautiful colors of fall, whilst outdoors using my favorite method! I use my standard limited palette to arrive at a wide array of the gorgeous colors of autumn.
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There are some steps In every plein air painters routine that are a must if you are looking to increase your efficiency in the field; and that is the practice of doing a thumbnail sketch before every painting. By doing a sketch ahead of time, you ...
13 views
In this three-part video series, I share the method of working with a palette knife. The use of a palette knife is very different than using a brush, and I hope to demonstrate in this video, the many different ways to hold and manipulate the knife ...
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In Part 2, I continue painting distant fields, the trees behind the lavender and begin laying in the lavender rows.
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In Part 3, I lay in the lavender rows and the grassy aisles between them. I show techniques for using the palette knife to depict the rows' shape and direction. Finally, I zoom in on the details showing how short strokes with a dry knife added texture.
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Efficiently packing for plein air painting is the first step to having a successful time enjoying the great outdoors doing what you love. In this short video I will show you the best options for keeping your equipment lightweight and essential.
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In this video I will demonstrate how to find a scene to paint in a park setting, develop your thumbnail sketch and block in the values on canvas
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This lesson will see you through blocking in the value and color masses, mixing greens and will further develop the painting begun in lesson 1.
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Wrapping up the painting from lessons 1 and 2, this video will demonstrate how to work through keeping your first vision, tightening up the composition and how to know when you’re finished.
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Everyone loves fall colors, water and reflections. In this video series, I will demonstrate how to capture a lovely fall pond scene with simple basic steps so you can confidently master plein air painting fall color, water and reflections. Starting ...
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Working through the painting in the first video, I demonstrate the middle passages of this forest, water and reflections scene. There are definitely layers of a complicated scene and I break down those complexities to show you an easy process.
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Wrapping up the set of three videos on painting fall colors, water and reflections, I share the finishing touches of capturing the life and energy of a forest scene. Often people ask how you can know when you’re finished and I share how you can know ...
Landscape Plein Air
Topic Videos in order:

  • Packing for Plein Air
  • Thumbnail Sketches and Composition
  • Getting Started with Plein Air Painting
  • Painting Water, Reflections and Fall Colors
  • Painting Trees
  • Painting Water
  • Painting Skies and Clouds
  • Painting Cityscapes
  • Painting from Photos
  • more to come….

Painting Animals

9 videos found
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There is a lifetime of subject matter to study when it comes to understanding the horse and working out its descriptive form. But we must begin somewhere! I will be adding more equine videos in the future, but for now, we begin here. In this first ...
11 views
Working on the internal features of the face we break down the form of the eyes, muzzle and the ears.
13 views
This video covered the basics of understanding how a mane and tail function and lay on a horse. I also demonstrate how to draw the hoof, its function and mobility.
14 views
Capturing our furry friends on canvas is the artistic desire of many! In this set of three videos, I demonstrate my simple approach to capturing a likeness of a sweet border collie. No matter what animal you’d like to paint, the principles are all ...
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In this second video of painting animals, I demonstrate the middle passages of working through more of the blocking in of values of the Border Collie. I also show how you can use brushwork to demonstrate the flow of animal hair and develop form. ...
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In this third and final video of painting the Border Collie, I share how to finish the eyes, nose and all the remaining details that make up the character of the animal.
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Nothing says majesty and grace like the noble horse. I am excited to share with you a clear simple step-by-step process to capturing a horse head portrait in this video set of three. (Please note: In this video series, my canvas is slightly tilted ...
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In this second video of painting the horse head, I will carry you through the process of blocking in the values and refining the form with brushwork.
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With the values in place for this third and final video of painting the horse head, I will wrap up the portrait with finishing touches of correcting any issues, developing more of the character around the eyes and painting the sculptural, cool ...
Painting Animals
Topic Videos in order:

  • Border Collie
  • White Horse Head
  • more to come…

The effort of every artist is to convey what moves them through a means of selection, color and light. Studying the still life has a profound impact on the artists ability to clarify those elements that are vital to demonstrate the simple truths in nature.

When a still life takes on that feeling of transcending reality it becomes a painting of a moment recorded in history of beauty, captured and bathed in immortal temporal light. There is an unbearable stillness to the movement and energy created by the eye, hand and heart of the artist who can see beyond the surface. Nothing is arbitrary. Everything becomes poetry.

Still Life

9 videos found
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In this first video of a two-part series, I will explain the very basics of beginning a still life. This is part 1, where I demonstrate toning a canvas, blocking in, and massing in colors and values
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Part 2, of the first lesson in still life foundations will focus of further developing the apple and lime still life. I will show more about mixing colors, establishing light, dimension and will cover use of brushwork. These first two still lifes ...
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Jessica introduces this 7-part series on her still life, "The Day is Done." Most often, you'll see Jessica outdoors, painting plein air studies where changing conditions make quick decisions and rapid brushwork essential. But she also loves settling ...
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Jessica shares her method for still life set up, including lighting, backgrounds, object selection and how to arrange the objects to create visual flow. Once arranged, she creates a thumbnail sketch framing the scene in a way that allows the objects ...
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Jessica paints a "study" of the still life, working quickly in the style of plein air paintings. Critiquing her study, she plans improvements to be applied to the final painting. This video ends with a 3-minute overview of the 20 hours of painting ...
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Although Jessica paints multi-part subjects by moving around the canvas, developing each object a little more with each pass, we edited this video to isolate her work on each object. In Part 4, we show Jessica's work on the vase, the hourglass and ...
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In Part 5, we show how Jessica paints the tea cup, with it's fine porceline design, delicate gold leaf, translucient tea and even a hint of steam. It's a master class on fine detail in still life
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Watch as Jessica paints a classic older book, with engraving, script title and gold guilded pages.
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In this final episode of the Day is Done series, Jessica shows you how to paint and sheer cloth that runs through the arrangement, and the background -- and how she makes changes as she evaluates how the background should best support the subjects of ...
Still Life
Topic Videos in order:

  • Foundations and Introduction to Still Life Painting
  • Setting Up a Still Life
  • Developing a Concept
  • Painting Light
  • Painting Air
  • Painting Dimension
  • Painting Space
  • Capturing a Mood
  • Plein Air Still Life
  • more to come….
Jessica Henry Gray Still life painting
Jessica Henry Gray Still life painting

Master Copies

Isaac Newton said, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” When working to master a skill, say learning to play the piano, no one expects the beginner to compose and develop their own symphony. The student will study Beethoven, Chopin and Mozart. There is no difference in the efforts of an art student. We learn best by studying the masters and strive to understand what they did, why they did it and how they managed to arrive at their approaches and conclusions. In this series I will demonstrate master copies of varying artists, discipline and subjects.

No videos found
Jessica Henry Gray artist master copy painting
Jessica Henry Gray artist master copy painting
Master copy videos will be uploaded shortly
Master Copies
Topic Videos in order:

  • Sargent – Master Copy
  • Peder Mork Munsted – Master Copy
  • more to come….

Portraiture

13 videos found
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Painting portraits may seem a daunting challenge, but I want to show you that it can be managed with the understanding of some essential concepts. In this video I discuss how I go about smiling painting eyes with life and sparkle.
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Painting the portrait is one of the most challenging disciplines of painting known to artists. In this section of painting portraits, I begin with the foundations of portraiture. We first discus the skull, and I demonstrate a simple sketch of a skull ...
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In this second video lesson of the foundations of portrait painting, I begin the painting of this gentleman by toning the canvas and demonstrate how to use my comparative drawing method to capture his likeness on the canvas.
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In this final video of the foundations of portraiture, I will demonstrate the finishing touches of sculpting out the form by using three basic values (light, middle tone and dark) to create the illusion of depth and facial topography.
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In this three-part video series, Color and Character, I will carry you through the next stage of portrait painting with working through color mixing! First, we begin with the drawing of our subject. I demonstrate in this first lesson, again the ...
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In this second video lesson of the Portrait studies, Color and Character, we delve into the weeds of really looking at mixing color. I explain the use of cool and warm color and I block in the foundation. I also begin to work through the capturing of ...
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Wrapping up the final video of this set of three in our Color and Character study, I demonstrate the importance of refining, looking and checking all areas that will need work. Then I isolate passages that need accents, and ask the question, “Did I capture
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This delightful three-part series in painting the portrait, I take you on a journey of painting a sweet little girl. This series will focus on using your brushwork to create form, understanding cool and warm in painting portraits while still ...
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In this second video of painting this sweet little girl, we take a closer look at refining the form and capturing the look of a child. There are wonderful palette shots demonstrating mixing skin tones. Edge work is also discussed as it pertains to ...
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In this final video of panting a young child, we polish up the structure, push the cool and warm vibrancy and finish painting her hair, clothes and develop a simple background that does not distract and enhances the glow of the child.
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In this three-part video series, I break down the process of portrait painting as it is more like sculpture than drawing. I want to emphasize the importance of considering facial topography in these videos. This first lesson will cover the likeness ...
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The second video lesson in this series about sculpting form will see the portrait come to life more by developing the three main values and building some descriptive form using color and brushwork.
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In this final video lesson about sculpting the portrait, we will see this painting come to a close with the addition of some final touches, discussion on paint quality, and using backgrounds to define edges and create atmosphere.
Portraiture
Topic Videos in order:

  • Foundations in Portraiture
  • Painting a Young Woman – Color and Character
  • Painting a Child – Sunlight Study
  • Seafaring Man – Sculptural Form
  • Mixing Skin Tones
  • Portrait Features: Eyes
  • Portrait Features: Nose
  • Portrait Features: Mouth
  • Portrait Features: Ears and Jewelry
  • Portrait Features: Hair and Beards
  • Portrait Features: Fabric
  • Capturing Personality
  • more to come….

Paintings That Tell a Story:

Narrative Paintings

5 videos found
1 views
Every portrait tells a story about its subject. But sometimes the story is so rich and vital that the artist becomes editor, deciding not just how to capture their subject's character, but how to present their story. Join Jessica as she talks about ...
1 views
In Part 2, Jessica continues blocking in Sean's portrait using a limited palette.
1 views
Part 3 covers painting hands and a background scene of a field behind the castle, with a dark history.
1 views
In Part 4, Jessica completes the background and starts making final decisions about furnishings.
1 views
Jessica wraps up Sean's portrait in Part 5, making finishing touches on facial features and hands.
Narrative Paintings
Topic Videos in order:

  • Developing the Story
  • Working Through the Middle
  • Finishing – Knowing When to Stop
  • more to come….
Jessica Henry Gray artist painting
Jessica Henry Gray artist painting
Paintings by Jessica Henry Gray

Making Everything Better:

The Nuts and Bolts of Great Paintings

This video section will contain useful topics for every student who wants to broaden their understanding of composition, perspective, art materials, painting surfaces, lighting, brushes; shopping for, sizes, and care of, varnishes and mediums, color theory and mixing, travel, and much more. Check here for any sort of studio help that doesn’t involve the explanation of painting any thing in particular. 

4 videos found
6 views
Discover how a simple, easy-to-manage palette of seven colors can produce any color you desire. Jessica draws on her many years of plein air painting to give you the best of all worlds: few colors to manage, and a full spectrum of colors to capture ...
3 views
Part 2. Discover how a simple, easy-to-manage palette of seven colors can produce any color you desire. Jessica draws on her many years of plein air painting to give you the best of all worlds: few colors to manage, and a full spectrum of colors to ...
16 views
Join me as I demonstrate how to mix the beautiful colors of fall, whilst outdoors using my favorite method! I use my standard limited palette to arrive at a wide array of the gorgeous colors of autumn.
18 views
There are some steps In every plein air painters routine that are a must if you are looking to increase your efficiency in the field; and that is the practice of doing a thumbnail sketch before every painting. By doing a sketch ahead of time, you ...
Nuts and Bolts of Great Paintings
Topic Videos in order:

  • Color Theory and Mixing
  • Finding Inspiration In Nature
  • Composition
  • Efficiency (“The Triangle” and more….)
  • Troubleshooting Your Paintings: Being Your Own Teacher
  • Painting Surfaces
  • Perspective
  • Watercolor Pochade: A Complete Kit for Plein Air Watercolor
  • more to come….
Jessica Henry Gray artist picture