How I Cracked Sargent's Brushwork (And Won an OPA Gold Medal) | Alla Prima Portrait Painting

Video Description

🎯 Watch the Free Masterclass: Learn to Compose Like Sargent 👉 https://painterly.work/48xzOXo (Open it in a new tab so it’s ready when you finish watching!) 👇 More resources for experienced painters: 🖼️ View & purchase available paintings: https://www.chelsealang.com/ 🧑‍🎨 Apply to work 1:1 & build a cohesive body of work: https://painterly.work/4gGuYZV 📥 Download the free expressive painting guide: https://painterly.work/46zPDud 🧭 Explore the program that helps painters go from tight to expressive: https://painterly.work/424cWuM Are you an experienced oil painter feeling stuck in a tight, mechanical process—desperate to paint more like Sargent but convinced that expressive brushwork is just something you’re born with? In this video, I’ll show you exactly how I broke that myth wide open—and won the OPA Gold Medal doing it. You’ll see a side-by-side of my before and after paintings as I walk you through the exact system I used to transform my style. It’s not magic, and it’s not talent—it’s a repeatable, teachable process. If you’ve tried all the tricks to loosen up and still feel stuck, this step-by-step framework is for you. 📌 In this video, you’ll learn how to: • Build a clear "North Star" to guide your brushwork • Reverse-engineer Sargent’s expressiveness without imitation • Practice like a dancer: break it down to build it up • Use simple, focused studies to finally see growth • Shift your mindset from perfection to process 💬 Comment "Sargent" below if you’ve ever been told expressive painting can’t be taught—or if you’re ready to prove otherwise. 🖌️ Want to use the exact same materials I did? • If you'd like to use the same paints I used to make this painting, you can purchase my palette at Vasari! http://vasaricolors.com/products/a-set-chelsea-lang-core-portrait-palette — Use code PAINT at vasaricolors.com for 20% off • If you'd like to purchase my official brushset that I used to create this piece, visit: https://www.rosemaryandco.com/brush-sets/teachers-sets/chelsea-lang-set?u=CHELSEA 📖 CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:40 But here's the twist 1:26 So what changed? 2:24 setting the stage 3:59 Step 1 – Build your North Star 5:29 Step 2 – Learn from the dancer’s playbook 8:05 Step 3 – Reverse engineer, don’t just admire 10:06 Step 4 – Practice in bite-sized exercises 10:39 Step 5 – Mindset M U S I C All music courtesy of Epidemic Sound! If you want to get royalty free music too, use my referral link to support me, at no extra cost to you: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/zdldb6 DISCLAIMER: Some of the above links (those marked with a "*") are third party affiliate links, meaning I make a small amount of money off your purchase.