https://www.zincblue.com/articles daily 0.75 2026-10-02 https://www.zincblue.com/articles/from-photo-to-painting-plan-a-new-forest-autumn-mentored-by-blue monthly 0.5 2026-10-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/dad61dc3-5b40-45e9-87df-91b8a5c75eba/autumn+new+forest+.jpeg Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - Our starting point The New Forest in Autumn https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/7c82af1d-fd1f-494f-bed2-b25e24ed667d/Screenshot+2026-10-02+at+09.24.40.png Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - Make it stand out What would happen if we introduced a little knife impasto and reduced the detail? Tom Thomson’s work might be a great way to visualise that move in our reference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/8f1beaa5-2956-4ede-96e6-f702275287dd/Screenshot+2026-10-02+at+09.43.34.png Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - Make it stand out Sometimes the composition sorts itself out - but it’s always good to check. I opted for portrait. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/34cbdf74-9acf-4a48-9687-c88d4e88ddc3/Screenshot+2026-10-02+at+09.29.52.png Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - Plan like a Pro I always paint to a plan; now you can too. Each of the stages can be clicked to get exact recipes for them with interactive help in oils, watercolour or the media you prefer to use. Zinc will even advise on exact colour mixes from a palette you set. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/750601d9-8e4e-4e33-9148-ae200b7ceb14/Screenshot+2026-10-02+at+09.30.40.png Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - Make it stand out Seeing colours in the work is not the same as seeing which are important and why. ZincBlue helps with that. After a few paintings you’ll be seeing and evaluating colour relationships like a pro. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/80701f56-0d77-4964-97b8-22caf0af9379/Screenshot+2026-10-02+at+09.32.14.png Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - Make it stand out Temperature matters. We want autumn , so warmer might intuitively feel like a good choice , but is it ? ZincBlue visualises that it would shift our colour plan from blue and orange to blue and violet; not a great trade. ZincBlue lets you see how complex decisions might play out , saving time and frustration, whilst fueling your creativity https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/d7b24d9a-0c54-40d0-a1ab-e8417e5e79e5/Screenshot+2026-10-02+at+09.32.34.png Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - Make it stand out David Hockney Anyone? High saturation might work if that’s your thing - but I’d go back to blue for a long chat about style changes to pull that heightened chroma off. For our version I’ll be going for the mid with a nod to higher here and there. The colours stay within gamut by the way - so if yoyu did chose the vivid one ZincBlue would tell you the best options from your palette - modern pigments over a white ground in this case. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/a22aa013-6196-4b58-bd35-3d70b169b0fb/Screenshot+2026-10-02+at+10.23.52.png Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - Make it stand out This ‘colourful’ picture is suprisingly dark, because vivid colours such as orange are not as light as most painters think. With that warning in hand its easier to see how this can be comoposed to make more of that lit trunk and patch of light in the sky. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/44969cf5-b8cb-4761-93dc-ed49ea94161e/Screenshot+2026-10-02+at+10.31.16.png Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - Make it stand out Notans are the best way to see value structure. ZincBlue lets you adjust them until you have the insights you need to mass the work compositionally. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/d8b12379-4735-4a80-845c-8b9119cbf070/Screenshot+2026-10-02+at+10.30.50.png Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - Make it stand out Colour blocking is a great way to keep your work looser, you’d be suprised what you dont need to detail. If you need more detail , fewer or more colours or even mixing advice - it’s all there https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/1790935349921-CWP34LRUI6P03K1BDEEV/Aut+1+.jpeg Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - Starting Reference https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/1790935350105-R96GHJTBAPV0T4CVPTSF/aut+2.jpeg Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - More contrast and a little looser but still realist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/1790935352446-SE0N620F942UT3LZ0FH0/Aut+3.png Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - My preferred level of detail https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/1790935351132-QIUR9K4J0YNQ09GWH2ZU/Aut+3.jpeg Articles - From Photo to Painting Plan: A New Forest Autumn, Mentored by Blue - A little more visual punch perhaps? https://www.zincblue.com/articles/why-a-painting-course-should-start-with-your-painting monthly 0.5 2026-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/52363cba-06be-4fc3-adf5-452062f95c96/Screenshot+2026-09-22+at+10.50.51.png Articles - Why a painting course should start with your painting - Make it stand out How good is this work? What should I paint ? ZincBlue starts with the questions every painter asks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/13f4aa29-184f-4ff0-a24d-b6e303f3bb00/Screenshot+2026-09-24+at+19.38.33.png Articles - Why a painting course should start with your painting - Make it stand out You could scour YouTube for a painter working a bit like you , OR you can get tailored advice on the work you’re actually doing. ZincBlue makes finding the right information easy - and it helps you to put it into practice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/1790435246836-JRM5N066IVTDV303BTO2/Screenshot+2026-09-25+at+08.21.28.png Articles - Why a painting course should start with your painting - Make it stand out All of these work, and you will pefer the one that works best for you. ZincBlue helps you to see the options and make the changes you prefer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/3f481e04-02ed-4042-b693-8690f9d28786/Screenshot+2026-09-25+at+08.20.26.png Articles - Why a painting course should start with your painting - Make it stand out Seeing that it wiorks - and kbnowiung why it works re not the same., ZincBlue teaches you the big ideas which make better paintings as you work. https://www.zincblue.com/articles/painting-is-circular-so-is-zincblue monthly 0.5 2026-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/7ea62d64-cbba-4a0b-aad9-a693029402c3/Screenshot+2026-09-24+at+19.39.40.png Articles - Painting Is Circular, so is ZincBlue. - Make it stand out Wrong is a problematic concept in painting. None of these colour temperature options is better or worse than another, but any of them might be ‘wrong’ for the set up a painter has chosen, or become wrong as it develops . Painting is a series of weighted decisions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/bd85ac68-e38a-4649-8fb2-39ac725ecc0e/Screenshot+2026-09-24+at+20.11.51.png Articles - Painting Is Circular, so is ZincBlue. - Make it stand out Value is a great exanmple of where ZincBlue can make very important but very un-intuitive things, easy to visalise. Even experienced painters find it hsard to visualise the effect of value changes on colour leed compositions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/a3405552-313f-45af-9f05-569e02c60b60/Screenshot+2026-09-24+at+20.35.17.png Articles - Painting Is Circular, so is ZincBlue. - Make it stand out Each of the steps here is relative to the other - so each has a built in chat so users can discuss how it works and is working https://www.zincblue.com/articles/working-with-zinc-from-inspiration-to-a-painting-plan monthly 0.5 2026-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/7c059036-20c8-4649-848f-7ed6de89145d/Screenshot+2026-09-23+at+16.35.50.png Articles - Working with Zinc: From Inspiration to a Painting Plan - Make it stand out Welcome to a detailed preview of some of the studio planning features that the Zinc engine can bring to make your painting time more rewarding, educative and sucessful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/f9ca25d2-bcdc-4faa-aa19-a73ff8e43380/Screenshot+2026-09-24+at+20.29.02.png Articles - Working with Zinc: From Inspiration to a Painting Plan - Would a moonlit background make the image more sublime? Zinc measures images and can cross visualise aesthetic choices withour creating hallucination or AI slop - your image remains your image. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/1790336180676-YNI2N66GEUACCQPNFOHY/reference+image+SQS.jpg Articles - Working with Zinc: From Inspiration to a Painting Plan - Original reference https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/1790335486997-D3SG04UIJ2TSJOBNTBDW/grim+1.png Articles - Working with Zinc: From Inspiration to a Painting Plan - Reimagined with a Grimshaw Nocturne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/1790335485508-NT9UWVP8J6NWTM0DMX1L/grim+3.png Articles - Working with Zinc: From Inspiration to a Painting Plan - With increased value contrast https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/1790335485280-32RT6X6XB2ITUDS6E3XA/Gim+4+.png Articles - Working with Zinc: From Inspiration to a Painting Plan - increased value & chroma https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/1790335525517-IPY6PVMD22YR6BCPQS0M/parky+2.jpeg Articles - Working with Zinc: From Inspiration to a Painting Plan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/6efea626-bf8e-4520-87cf-6f8a93a95cf2/Screenshot+2026-09-25+at+12.49.10.png Articles - Working with Zinc: From Inspiration to a Painting Plan - Make it stand out Painting is an Art, but Its also a craft. The difference between success and frustration is rarely lack of skill as much as having a plan to use the skills you have. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/055efa1f-defd-4040-b026-6e5a70cd93f1/Screenshot+2026-09-25+at+12.50.52.png Articles - Working with Zinc: From Inspiration to a Painting Plan - Make it stand out There are thousands of free colour resources online. None of them are about your painting . 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The ZincBlue Engine makes it easy to see those choices and apply the wide lesson to your work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/0b3df2dd-8d0d-41ec-af3f-e0352dcbc9dd/Screenshot+2026-09-24+at+11.46.39.png Articles - ZincBlue - an answer to AI Art. - Make it stand out The ZincBlue engine compares your work to over 700 known tube colours in masstone, tint, shade and tone and reports against the palette you tell it you have. Personalised colour tuition using the colours you like to use in oil, watercolour, acrylic or gouache. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a9b098cab4007319886a19d/1790435330059-XM2312P46VNFASMOZLCN/Screenshot+2026-09-24+at+20.29.02.png Articles - ZincBlue - an answer to AI Art. - Make it stand out What would happen if? 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