This is an exercise I do with my class. I find that many students start to noodle their paintings, yet they want to "be looser" with their paintings. So, I set up one object at a time, light it and ask them to paint the object in only ten strokes. I allow the drawing, done with a brush and in a neutral tone, to be created without counting. Then, as I start to apply the paint, the counting begins! I create one stroke with one color, reload my brush changing the color or hue either slightly or dynamically, and then apply the next stroke. Although this may seem like a swift process, it actually demands that the student think, look and take the time to make the right choices.


The Onion is an example of beginning with just the 10 strokes and then continuing