How to watch Bill’s videos

Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment. — Zig Ziglar

Researcher discovers Rembrandt videos!

Imagine the excitement this heading would create as a newspaper headline. Okay…it would take a miracle for that to happen. Can you imagine watching Rembrandt paint “The Night Watch” with its exquisite lighting? Can you imagine observing how he mixed and applied his colors? Can you imagine going with him into the Dutch countryside as he paints his splendid landscapes?

Can you imagine how a discovery like that would rock the art world? Anyone who wanted to learn to paint could watch one of the greatest masters of all time. They could examine the master’s technique over and over until it became their own. Well, you can’t watch videos of Rembrandt, but you can come close!

What if you could watch a master artist schooled in the traditions of the “Old Masters?” What if you could learn from a consummate teacher who had taught for almost thirty years?

A modern “Old Master”

Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently practicing and applying basic fundamentals.  — Jim Rohn

That modern “Old Master” is our own Bill Alexander. Bill learned his craft the same way the “Old Masters” learned theirs. Like Leonardo da Vinci, Bill was a keen observer of nature and incorporated the natural world into all of his paintings. Like an “Old Master”, Bill became one himself by teaching his skill to his own group of followers.

We have been watching a lot of Bill’s videos. They cover much of his twenty-year television career. These videos are more than just “watch me” videos. Every one of them teaches painting concepts and techniques that Bill developed during his sixty-year career. One thing we notice, in viewing these videos over and over, is how these techniques seem to just “sink in”.

This ancient Roman phrase translates: “Repetition is the mother of studies.” You know, for example, that the more times you read a book, the more you get out of it. Some researchers suggest a process for reading a book. First, you should read it for the pure enjoyment of reading. Then, you should read it a second time paying attention to what it is teaching. Finally, you read it a third time and take detailed notes. In fact, they say, you should read a particularly good book at least once a year.

Reading a book like that is a major time commitment. In fact, the last time you read something that thorough was, most likely, when you were in school.

Most of Bill’s videos are only twenty-seven minutes in length. You can watch one of his videos, many times over, in less time than it takes to watch a full-length movie.

Our recommendation is to watch each of Bill’s videos at least three times.

• First, view it for the pure enjoyment of watching Bill paint.
• Then, view it, again, for the lessons he is teaching.
• Finally, view it, in more detail, to examine the techniques he is using.

The key to learning

I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. — Bruce Lee

We are working on a project to create an archive of Bill’s techniques. We plan to document every color mixing technique, every theory, and every explanation or demonstration. If you want to learn Bill’s method, in detail, there will be nothing else like it. We’re doing this because we recognize Bill’s mastery as an artist and teacher. We want to preserve his legacy for posterity.

Bill studied the traditions of the “Old Masters”. He honed his skills to perfection through decades of practice and application. He polished his skills to a master’s excellence by teaching others.

You don’t have to hope for a miracle. You can learn from a modern day master. You don’t have to wait for the impossible. You can begin learning today. If you want to become the best you can be, the resources are here. If you want to become a master…train with the master!