I'm learning oil painting in a manner similar to the way painters were educated in the late 19th century, when the craftsmanship of oil painting was at its pinnacle. By craftsmanship I'm referring to the artist's working knowledge of materials, their chemistry, and their application, in service to a mastery of technique (before the onset of the avant-garde attempted to render this body of knowledge meaningless). Working directly from life (not photos), figure and portrait drawing, anatomy study, plein air work, and traditional atelier study (learning directly from a master of the craft, Virgil Elliott) have been central to my education process.