M8 (Jan Matejak) - Let me share something about the word "talent" that's thrown around a lot. I often hear people say, "I can't paint or draw because I have no talent for it." Can you learn to paint without being born with talent? Absolutely, YES!
Yes, you might be thinking that's not the case, and I get it. I used to believe that artistic talent was something you had to be born with, too. But after 20 years of painting, I've completely changed my mind.
Painting is a skill, much like any other craft, and I firmly believe anyone can learn it! Sure, those with natural talent might pick it up quicker and find it easier, but talent alone won't get you far without the drive to learn, hard work, and persistence. Talent means nothing without effort and determination. So, grab that brush and start creating—anyone can do it!
M8️⃣ART
Friends, I just released my new free app — M8 Painting Tools.
It’s designed to help you analyze your artwork more clearly. You can check your values, study the distribution of light and shadow, or explore your composition using different built-in guides. You can also download your analysis directly to your phone or computer for reference. The goal is simple — help you push your art to the next level.
Note: The tool is still in beta, so you may run into a few bugs or imperfections. I’m actively improving it and adding new features over time — including tools like a color checker.
If you have any ideas, feedback, or features you’d like to see, drop them in the comments — I’d love to hear from you.And if you get really bored… there’s a small mini-game on the landing page 😄
App LINK : www.m8paintingtools.com/
1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 28
View 6 replies
M8️⃣ART
M8 Value Checker App (Early Access) and M8 tools
Most paintings don’t fail because of color… they fail because of value. Whether you’re working in layers or painting directly, everything depends on how well you control your values. If the values are off, the painting falls apart—no matter how good your colors are. That’s why I built a simple web app to help with exactly that. You can upload your reference, click anywhere on the image, and it instantly shows you the value using a 20-step scale—the same one I shared before.
So instead of guessing, you can actually see what’s going on. Where your lights really are, how deep your shadows go, and how your midtones connect everything together. This makes it much easier to simplify your reference and break it down into clear value relationships before you even start painting. And that’s the key to a strong underpainting.
Once you have that structure in place, everything else becomes easier—color, edges, atmosphere… it all starts to fall into place. You can also use the app while you paint, not just before. At any point, you can check your work against the reference and see if your values are drifting—something that’s very hard to judge by eye alone, especially after staring at the painting for hours. It’s a simple tool, but it solves a very real problem. And if you learn to rely on value first, your paintings will instantly feel more solid, more believable, and more controlled.
This is the first working version, and I’ll keep refining it and pushing it further.
If you have any ideas for features you’d like to see, ways to improve the app, or anything you feel would make it more useful, drop them in the comments. I’d really like to shape this together based on what you actually need in the studio.
www.m8paintingtools.com/
1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 32
View 6 replies
M8️⃣ART
Below are three images. Two of them are AI generated, and one is a real, handmade painting.
Look closely at the light, edges, brushwork, atmosphere, and structure.
Question:
Which one do you think is the real handmade painting?
Vote below in the comments:
A / B / C
And if you want, write in the comments why you chose it.
Was it the brushwork? The lighting? The structure? Or just intuition?
I’m curious how many of us can still tell the difference.
I’ll reveal the answer in the next video. 🎨
1 month ago | [YT] | 58
View 19 replies
M8️⃣ART
Working on a new still life setup for the next lessons — thinking about rich contrasts between soft petals, reflective metal, and transparent glass, all built step by step in layered oils. Which composition would you like to see developed into a full painting? Drop 1, 2, 3, or 4 below and let’s choose it together. 🎨
1 month ago | [YT] | 140
View 20 replies
M8️⃣ART
My friends, just a quick heads up — this Thursday at 7 PM Central European Time I’ll be going live on here on my Youtube.
It’s going to be a relaxed Q&A session, so if you’d like to hang out, talk painting, ask about technique, layering, underpainting, color mixing — anything art-related — this is your chance.
Make sure to turn on notifications so you don’t miss it. See you there! 🎨
1 month ago | [YT] | 13
View 0 replies
M8️⃣ART
WIPs from my studio (What I'm Working On)
Ok, guys, here are a few studio shots of what I’m currently working on and what you can look forward to. As always, everything is being documented on video.
The first piece is a still life that you voted for in one of my previous posts. This time, the workflow is slightly different than usual, and I can’t wait to share the details with you.
The next underpaintings are focused on paleoart, and the last two large paintings are done without underpainting, using a direct painting approach.
I’ve got even more pieces in progress, and I’ll be sharing everything gradually on YouTube 🙂
So stay tuned!
1 month ago | [YT] | 91
View 3 replies
M8️⃣ART
Almost 25,000 of you.
Thank you all so much for being here, for watching, commenting, sharing, and supporting my work. I truly appreciate every single one of you. Because of you, a dream I once had quietly in my head is slowly becoming real.
This milestone means a lot to me — and it also means one thing:
back to work.
I’m already focused on the next goal.
Let’s go for the next 25,000. 🚀
Thank you for being part of this journey....and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE! :)
1 month ago | [YT] | 10
View 0 replies
M8️⃣ART
OK guys! My brand-new book is out now on AMAZON. Available as Kindle, Audiobook, and Paperback. Check it out !
3 months ago | [YT] | 8
View 0 replies
M8️⃣ART
Thanks again for voting, friends! The winner is Artwork #3, and it will be featured in the next workshop 👌 Your input really helps, so I’d love to ask for your opinion one more time.
I’m currently finishing a book about how a lifetime of long studio hours has affected me — both mentally and physically. It loosely follows the topic of my latest video and goes a bit deeper into the reality behind years of work in the studio.
I now have three different cover designs, and I’d genuinely love to hear what you think.
👉 Which cover do you find the strongest?
👉 Which one would actually make you curious enough to click and see what the book is about?
Your feedback means a lot to me, so thanks in advance for helping out again.
Please vote below ⬇️
3 months ago | [YT] | 4
View 0 replies
Load more