Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Learn how to recognise 6 traps that prevent your paintings from looking real - AND how to fix them!
In this video, we're just going to talk about the nuts and bolts of a painting, and the things Mark has observed people doing over the years that kill your paintings.
These traps all spin off the three foundational skills of making realistic paintings:
Perception Skills
Conceptual Skills
Physical Skills
In no particular order Mark goes through the following traps:
Dead shadows - Using black in shadows kills your painting. Look for opportunities to add pure colour to shadows.
Patterns - We're hardwired to look for patterns to help create a sense of security, and then when we paint, the patterns are subconsciously what we want, not what's actually there. Our brain takes shortcuts with observation - it will think there's a pattern whether there's one or not. We have to train ourselves to look for the broader patterns and then let go of it when we're replicating it in a smaller sense.
Texture issues - In the same way there's no straight lines in nature, for the most part things in nature aren't perfectly smooth or flat, so there's going to be some sort of texture there. Creating texture by holding your brush loosely, changing your brushstrokes for example, will add heaps of realism.
Your physical skills - Brush technique is SO important - and because it is a skill you can hone it with practise. You will be amazed and surprised at how your paintings will improve if you spend a bit of time regularly practising gradations.
Lack of understanding of colour in relation to light - this is a powerful concept that once understood, will absolutely transform your paintings.
Perspective - structural and atmospheric - get these right and just like Bon Jovi said you are halfway there!
These are Mark’s observations, he’s not going to die on a hill protecting them, but hopefully they're useful for you too.
00:00 - Introduction
00:22 - Three skills to make a painting
01:08 - Your perception skills
01:42 - Dead shadows
03:20 - Patterns
05:55 - Texture
08:08 - Illusion of perspective
09:21 - Structural perspective
09:40 - Atmospheric perspective
12:05 - How colour relates to light
14:20 - The importance of gradation
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCIzzJZa8_Obui-WGHgdUnng/join
For more great acrylic painting tips, techniques and tutorials to improve your painting processes, make sure you check out Mark's tutorial website at:
explore-acrylic-painting.com
For Mark's tutorial products including his Beachscapes Paint Recipe Book, downloadable and streamable DVDs on painting water and waves, painting "start to finish" downloadable tutorials (the V-Logs) and ebooklets, go to his shop here:
explore-acrylic-painting.com/shop.html
Want to look at Mark's available works? For limited edition prints and original paintings go to his art website at https://www.markwaller.com.au
In 2016 artist Mark Waller experienced a profound spiritual awakening driven by a near death experience. Having never really written before, he was suddenly and completely compelled to record his story by a force outside his experience and understanding.
His compelling journey of discovering universal “truths”, revelling in the divine mundane and the shocking reality of living with cancer is truly emotive, enlightening and poignant.
To order Mark's book "It's All About The Light": https://www.markwaller.com.au/mark-waller-books/its-all-about-the-light/its-all-about-the-light-shipping-now
For more info on upcoming workshops (or digital one-on-one lessons), go to:
explore-acrylic-painting.com/workshops.html
Mark uses Atelier Free Flow Artists Acrylics and Atelier Interactive Artists Acrylics by Chroma Australia.
Mark uses Micador for Artists Future and series 1300 brushes (amongst others, usually whatever is within reach). Micador is a fantastic Aussie company doing their best for the environment. For more info on their sustainability efforts see https://micador.com.au/green_earth
Thanks so much for watching! Make sure your subscribed for more videos, and hit that notification bell to get all the latest clips :D
Annnnnd, check out our stories via mobile or tablet too!
Facebook:
facebook.com/exploreacrylicpaintingcom
facebook.com/MarkWallerArtist
Instagram:
instagram.com/explore.acrylic.painting
Tikky Tokky:
tiktok.com/@explore.acrylics
Learn how to recognise 6 traps that prevent your paintings from looking real - AND how to fix them!
In this video, we're just going to talk about the nuts and bolts of a painting, and the things Mark has observed people doing over the years that kill your paintings.
These traps all spin off the three foundational skills of making realistic paintings:
Perception Skills
Conceptual Skills
Physical Skills
In no particular order Mark goes through the following traps:
Dead shadows - Using black in shadows kills your painting. Look for opportunities to add pure colour to shadows.
Patterns - We're hardwired to look for patterns to help create a sense of security, and then when we paint, the patterns are subconsciously what we want, not what's actually there. Our brain takes shortcuts with observation - it will think there's a pattern whether there's one or not. We have to train ourselves to look for the broader patterns and then let go of it when we're replicating it in a smaller sense.
Texture issues - In the same way there's no straight lines in nature, for the most part things in nature aren't perfectly smooth or flat, so there's going to be some sort of texture there. Creating texture by holding your brush loosely, changing your brushstrokes for example, will add heaps of realism.
Your physical skills - Brush technique is SO important - and because it is a skill you can hone it with practise. You will be amazed and surprised at how your paintings will improve if you spend a bit of time regularly practising gradations.
Lack of understanding of colour in relation to light - this is a powerful concept that once understood, will absolutely transform your paintings.
Perspective - structural and atmospheric - get these right and just like Bon Jovi said you are halfway there!
These are Mark’s observations, he’s not going to die on a hill protecting them, but hopefully they're useful for you too.
00:00 - Introduction
00:22 - Three skills to make a painting
01:08 - Your perception skills
01:42 - Dead shadows
03:20 - Patterns
05:55 - Texture
08:08 - Illusion of perspective
09:21 - Structural perspective
09:40 - Atmospheric perspective
12:05 - How colour relates to light
14:20 - The importance of gradation
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCIzzJZa8_Obui-WGHgdUnng/join
For more great acrylic painting tips, techniques and tutorials to improve your painting processes, make sure you check out Mark's tutorial website at:
explore-acrylic-painting.com
For Mark's tutorial products including his Beachscapes Paint Recipe Book, downloadable and streamable DVDs on painting water and waves, painting "start to finish" downloadable tutorials (the V-Logs) and ebooklets, go to his shop here:
explore-acrylic-painting.com/shop.html
Want to look at Mark's available works? For limited edition prints and original paintings go to his art website at https://www.markwaller.com.au
In 2016 artist Mark Waller experienced a profound spiritual awakening driven by a near death experience. Having never really written before, he was suddenly and completely compelled to record his story by a force outside his experience and understanding.
His compelling journey of discovering universal “truths”, revelling in the divine mundane and the shocking reality of living with cancer is truly emotive, enlightening and poignant.
To order Mark's book "It's All About The Light": https://www.markwaller.com.au/mark-waller-books/its-all-about-the-light/its-all-about-the-light-shipping-now
For more info on upcoming workshops (or digital one-on-one lessons), go to:
explore-acrylic-painting.com/workshops.html
Mark uses Atelier Free Flow Artists Acrylics and Atelier Interactive Artists Acrylics by Chroma Australia.
Mark uses Micador for Artists Future and series 1300 brushes (amongst others, usually whatever is within reach). Micador is a fantastic Aussie company doing their best for the environment. For more info on their sustainability efforts see https://micador.com.au/green_earth
Thanks so much for watching! Make sure your subscribed for more videos, and hit that notification bell to get all the latest clips :D
Annnnnd, check out our stories via mobile or tablet too!
Facebook:
facebook.com/exploreacrylicpaintingcom
facebook.com/MarkWallerArtist
Instagram:
instagram.com/explore.acrylic.painting
Tikky Tokky:
tiktok.com/@explore.acrylics
