Frustrated?

Don’t Know What to do Next?

Frustrated, Don’t Know What to do Next?

• Are you just beginning to draw or paint and don’t know where to start?



• Or have you been drawing and painting for a while now and have reached a point where you don’t know what to do next?



• Are you frustrated with trying to figure out a new technique or working with new materials?

Learn the Fundamentals

Learning the fundamentals of drawing and painting is often overlooked but starting with these always gives an artist a foundation to grow on.



Work with a Professional Artist

Working with a mentor will help to break the frustration of learning a new technique or working with new materials.



Break Through the Frustration

Working with a mentor will help to break the frustration of learning a new technique or working with new materials.


Let Me Introduce Myself


I’m Robert Louis Caldwell, and I love to draw and paint. I have been painting since the late 1990s and have been drawing since I was two years old. I have the proof; my mom saved my first drawing of a Tractor Trailer. 

My passion for creating art has evolved into sharing my knowledge with others through my weekly mentoring studios. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing that smile on a student’s face when they have created something new and spectacular.

I have been teaching since 2010, and now that I have this platform, I get the opportunity to teach from my studio into yours. During this weekly studio time, students work on their drawings and paintings in a virtual in-person studio. The class is a dedicated time each week for students to work, ask technique and compositional questions, and receive feedback through an open discussion. As a group, students learn more than just what their challenge is because all discussions/critiques are done on-screen; everyone learns from each other's challenges.

I am honored to be named an Associate Living Master with the Art Renewal Center, an organization promoting skills-based training, standards, and excellence in visual arts. All courses taught by me are ARC approved.

I love what I do, and I love sharing and helping students build their knowledge by working with color and brushwork!



Artist Robert Louis Caldwell painting at an easel.

Mentoring Studio - Tuesday Mornings

Tuesdays, 9:30 am-12 pm ET.

Level: Intermediate/Advanced

*One seat is available in this Mentorship Studio.

All classes are held via Zoom. It is extremely easy to use and very interactive.
Before enrolling, please visit the Technology Needs page to ensure you have everything needed to participate in the online class, ensuring a great experience.

What do you get with your weekly mentorship studio?

• A dedicated two and half hours a week to work on your drawings or paintings and receive feedback on your current project.


• A friendly and encouraging environment with fellow supportive students.


• Visual feedback and critiques show you in real-time what the suggested changes will look like, and then the altered image can be sent back to you.


• Artists of various skill levels learn from each other, being exposed to advanced artists and being reminded of the fundamentals.


Your tuition subscription gives you immediate access to;

  • All of the courses I have to offer allowing you to sharpen your skills with my precise and clear real-time video instruction.
  • All of my demonstration courses are where you can watch how I create some of my drawings and paintings.
  • To all of my Artists Resources, these courses cover how to gesso a panel, photograph your art, access to my Color Charts, and many more as these continue to grow.
  • To my growing reference library that you can use as you wish to create your unique compositions.
  • And as long as you are a student in the mentoring studio, you will have early access to new courses I create.
Mentoring Studio - Tuesday Mornings

Ready to start working with me? Apply Today!

To apply for my Tuesday morning weekly mentoring studio, Click on the “Ready? Apply Today!” below and fill out the application form. I will respond to your application within a few days after receiving it.

Not sure, Need More Information?

Not sure if this will work for you or if you would like to know more information about my mentoring studios. Click on the button below and fill out the application form. If you want to schedule a video call with me, check the yes box on the application form. And if you would like to visit a class before subscribing to the class, check the yes button on the application form for that as well.

I work and instruct in graphite pencil and oil paint. However, I have artists working in various mediums, such as watercolor, acrylic, colored pencil, and pastel. Any student working with me is told up front that if you are working in a medium other than graphite pencil and oil paint, I may not always be able to answer your questions regarding materials and techniques of the medium you are working in.


The monthly tuition subscription is $145 per month

  • The subscription renews automatically on the day of the month that you first joined the studio.
  • The monthly subscription covers 40 weeks of instruction per 12 months averaging 3.5 weeks of instruction per month. This accounts for holidays and time off; you might have a month with five classes and another with only two classes. 
  • Most years, I end up scheduling more than 40 weeks.
  • There are no refunds for any missed classes. If you miss a class, we can schedule a 15-minute meeting via zoom at a time that works best for you and me or attend another class on a different day.
  • If you know, you will miss several classes. You can cancel your subscription until you are ready to resume.

A Dedicated Weekly Time to Grow as an Artist


• By joining a weekly mentoring studio, you'll be joining a nurturing community of fellow artists, all learning from each other questions from the comfort of your studios.


• You can break the frustration of learning something new by working with me and receiving weekly feedback on your projects.


• You will gain access to my growing course library, Demonstrations, Artists Resources, and Reference Library.

Testimonials

Students who have taken my Mentoring Studio want to share what they have learned and gained from this course.

Testimonial from Pam Landreth
"...an artist who loves teaching and helping his students reach their artistic goals."

When I moved to Midlothian, I searched for an artist whose work I admired and provided the type of teaching that I wanted. Robert L. Caldwell was a perfect fit. Currently, I am enrolled in his weekly mentoring studio where I receive feedback on composition, painting techniques, and how to best reach my artistic goals. I have a sense of pride in how much I have grown since I began with Robert just two years ago. That's priceless.


During the COVID pandemic, we moved to an online platform. I have to say I was skeptical. It has actually enhanced my learning experience. Not only have my paintings improved but now I enjoy utilizing an application to assist in the composition process.  Robert's constantly working on providing new classes and materials online so that I can view them at my own pace. Then those resources are always available to me in case I need a refresher. 


I feel truly blessed to have found an artist who loves teaching and helping his students reach their artistic goals.


-Pam Landreth


Paints in oil and has been a student since 2019



Testimonial from Nancy Gleason
"Amazingly, this has been a better learning experience than the classroom setting."

For years I had planned to take an art class when I retired and finally about 5 years ago, I found myself in one of Robert’s art classes. I wandered in thinking I would just start painting with watercolors. That’s not how Robert teaches, and I now know how lucky I was to find an instructor that required one to learn to draw before learning to paint. Drawing with graphite taught me to pay attention to value, shapes, proportion, and perspective without the further pressure of learning how to mix and apply color.


I have learned so much about what is behind every piece of art before the canvas or paper is touched – learning how to use my camera to capture reference photos, using Photo Elements to compose, combine photos, manipulating the reference to create a more interesting picture, and taking advantage of travel opportunities to photograph wildlife and habitat.


COVID shut down Robert’s studio, and I feared that would be the end of his workshops, but he made the investment in the equipment to move our workshops to Zoom, and they became mentoring studios. Amazingly, this has been a better learning experience than the classroom setting. I often just watch and listen as he provides advice to others. I have become closer to my fellow classmates with the Zoom classes. It is absolutely amazing how Robert can illustrate what needs to be addressed in my paintings using the Photoshop tool. I am looking forward to using the online courses he has developed to revisit what he has taught me in the past.


-Nancy Gleason


Paints in Oils and a student since 2015

Testimonial from Fran Hines
"...positive critiques, honest remarks that really allow the student to learn with confidence."

Robert Caldwell is known and respected in the art world and holds many honors and awards. Prior to taking instruction for several years from Robert, I had been painting in oils since I was 9. However, I was never taught the basics of painting, composition, hue, brush strokes, and learning to paint in values. What I also didn't realize was that I didn't know how to draw. Under Robert’s individual instruction, I truly began to understand the process of drawing, how much pressure to put on the pencil, how to hold it, how to use drop lines or a grid, getting the values right in the drawing.


Robert has so much patience with his students. He has nothing but positive critiques, honest remarks that really allow the student to learn with confidence. His online classes began during COVID, and frankly, I feel that the class is even more engaged, learning through Zoom. We can see each others' works as he goes from student to student discussing her /his project. His various classes are easy to move through, and the videos can be stopped and started any time to work along with him. Just to watch him demonstrate a technique like a brushstroke is so worth the experience. He has a wonderful disposition and has been a joy to work with.


-Fran Hines


Paints in oil, draws with graphite pencils, and has been a student since 2018

Frequently Asked Questions


What if I need to take a break from classes?

If you want to take a break, click on your account button in the upper right corner and select the “Manage Subscriptions” option. Then click on the “Cancel” button to end your subscription; your subscription will end at the end of your billing cycle.

When you are ready to rejoin your mentoring studio, simply resubscribe.


What if I am sick or am going on vacation and I will miss a scheduled class?

There are no refunds for any missed classes. If you miss a class, we can schedule a 15-minute meeting via zoom at a time that works best for you and me or attend another class on a different day.

If I cancel my tuition subscription, will I still have access to the drawing and painting courses, demonstrations, and artists’ resources?

No, once you cancel your tuition subscription, you will no longer have access to the drawing and painting courses, demonstrations, and artists’ resources. They are directly linked to your Mentoring Studio enrollment.