In this, the first drawing tape from Signilar Art Videos, the viewer is taken on an extensive journey into the realm of figurative drawing. No matter what the medium, drawing, is the basis for all good painting.  Burton Silverman is the perfect artist to guide us through, because of both his extensive knowledge of drawing and from having taught drawing for more than 45 years as part of his painting classes.  Silverman starts the viewer out by explaining the importance of drawing, and to see in graphic terms the shapes and values that are used to compose a picture.”  He says he works from the outside in, doing a gesture outline from which he then finds the subtleties of shading and high lights.   He calls drawing a kind of sculpting, cutting out the shapes and then detailing them.  Silverman does two complete drawing on this DVD, one on toned paper with charcoal and one on white paper with pencil. Both are completed Silverman masterpieces. And with the running commentary he gives, this DVD is an extraordinary lesson in “Drawing as the language of vision.” We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.         

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Portrait of a Young Girl: Jenny Video

Double Set 3 Hours, 45 Minutes

Burt says so many important things about what he is doing and how he works, that all of it is meaningful for the serious painter. First, Burt does a very precise drawing, spending a good fifteen minutes on developing it. He says this allows him time to decide what the model says to him and why he wants to paint her. Then Burt starts working in oil on a toned canvas about which he talks.  He lays in the simple figure, makes adjustments, and begins the process of creating this work of art.  Burt continually explains what he is doing and what he is thinking. He talks about the flow of the figure, the extreme difficulty of doing a adolescent’s portrait, the simplification of the background, and about his wonderful philosophy of painting. “There are already more paintings than people in the world,” he says, “so one better have a pretty good reason to paint the subject.”  Burt’s clear and distinctive teaching abilities shine throughout, and he has a gentle humor that also makes it fun. He admits his mistakes and explains how he is going to correct them. If you really want to know Silverman’s method of painting, here it is, complete and at its best.

"Print of Jenny" 20"X14" picture size 14" 7/9 X 10"

$50 Signed by Burton Silverman / $25 Unsigned  Call 1-800-205-4904 to order

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Breaking Rules: My Friend Wes 

1 hour, 45 minutes demonstration

In the beginning of this video, Burt explains clearly what he feels it means to be a portrait painter, the difficulties, objectives and purposes. The artist starts the painting with a neutral wash over which he loosely brushes in the position of his sitter.  This is a wonderful character study of Wes. Brut is always full of anecdotes and insights into the painting process, making this total  demonstration that much more enjoyable. From the loose drawing, Silverman rethinks the figure’s position and correct’s the size. He makes you feel totally comfortable about making such corrections. You clearly see every stroke that is made, every color that Burt uses, and listen to what this artist is thinking.  This is a wonderful opportunity, to watch this very prolific and accomplished painter complete the study of a male character, up close and personal. 

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Painting the Figure, Teresa

In Water Color, Single DVD 1 hour, 45 minutes

In this videotape, the viewer has the opportunity to experience the extraordinary technical mastery of this artist. Burt is both controversial and candid as he unravels the secrets of his watercolor techniques. The video has everything, from taping down the paper through the corrections of the design down to the last stroke on the model’s fingers. He uses careful design, wonderful and unusual color and some very new and different methods to get the affect of the light and modeling that he desires. Burt uses brushes and paper towels to erase, big mop brushes and cross strokes to color large areas and pencil or charcoal to correct. Silverman explains everything as he paints. We recommend it for watercolorists and oil painters alike.

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Sight and Insight:

The Art of Burton Silverman

(Book)

Limited Edition $200.00 (Signed by Burton Silverman) Only 4 copies remaining 

 -- Call to order 1-800-205-4904 --

"Burton Silverman has propelled representational painting to a new plateau. From a purely technical standpoint, his handling of oil painting is remarkable. He is a virtuoso in the manipulation of the medium. However, his true genius is in the way he enriches our vision and enhances our perceptions through his art." International Art Magazine.  This book is a retrospective of twenty-five years of work, containing 137 reproductions of his work, 88 full color plates. On each page, Burt talks about his methods, his reasons, and the intent of each painting. This is a very worthwhile book for students of the Silverman method or painting in general.