This section of the website is more personal and much less formal :) You can consider it as a personal blog page.

As a self-taught artist, I spent years and years, searching for answers to the same question: 

"Why does my painting look not realistic?"

Why did the details seem to be assembled? Why are my colours fade? Why do my oils look like gouache? Why does it look like a child painted it? Why, but why, cannot I paint like this one or another one great modern artist?.. Why doesn't my artwork speak to me? Where is the magic of the painting?? Why does the painting result make me suffer???

And the answer was simple: 

A lack of painting technics.

I showed some painting talents at the early age, being baby, actually. Always drew things for school presentations or associative events. I started painting oils at the age of 14, without any prior experience or an art teacher. But as many artists, who come from a middle-class non-artistic family, I followed the steps of the dozens of "counsellors" and made my way to the professional life through some appealing studies for a stable job... 

And now, twenty years later, I feel myself finally free to do what I always supposed to be doing. Something that tore my sole apart, that made me change professions, companies, even countries, in a constant searching for the light. The artistic, creative light that sometimes cleared my paths and guided me to the next levels; the same light that burnt my professional start-ups and made me, demotivated and devastated, abandon all my calculated future projects... Does the situation look familiar to you? A financial consultant, a lawyer, a marketing manager, a lorry driver, a doctor, a factory worker, a teacher, a mother of three kids, a military officer - who are you, my fellow artist? How old are you? Where do you live now?  

No matter what you answer to these questions. You can be anything, any age, anywhere. But you are an artist. And if you do not paint now - you're an unhappy artist.  

The moment you decide to start painting thoroughly, seriously, professionally  - this is going to be a first step to your own happiness; to something that will give a meaning to your life. Ready? Then here we go. We start being a professional artist. 

Can we achieve the level of magical "others" without a sound academic background? 

Surely, yes. 

To make it easier for you, I have assembled all the academic information I found necessary to improve my painting, and things I discovered during my painting years, in two large sections: 

- Applied Painting theory basics;

- Tutorial step-by-step paintings and tips for seascape oil painting.

These sections are to be filled with my own articles on drawing, painting and, especially, oil painting techniques and basic rules, that I found extremely useful to apply in my artworks. The sources are numerous, academic and not (art forums, blogs, book chapters, journal articles, etc.); and none of them is used in its original form. All the illustrations to the articles will have a reference to the original source. In case if you find some texts or images conflicting to copyright terms, please feel free to report them via "Contact" form, and the issues will be treated or removed immediately.

The materials are created for non-commercial use, they are free of charge and can be reproduced non-commercially (cannot be resold!), with an obligatory reference to this website "www.marina-art.ch" and its author, Marina Bogacheff.

All articles are personal and discussable. Feel free to comment them and ask questions in the form provided below.