[Steven Rosati]

Jean,

Tim is right, it takes hundreds of paintings and many, many years of life drawing to even dream of getting close to the quality of the Master Bouguereau (lets not forget the raw talent and interest one has to be born with).

Here is my advice to becoming the best "Master" painter you can be. Find the best "master" nearest to you and ask if they can offer you private lessons (expensive but priceless). Visit the museum every day and study every painting very closely, know them inside out. Read, read and read more about all the past Masters and how they painted. Collect as much information possible and keep it close by when painting. Make copies of their paintings from the best print you can find, or from the actual painting if you're lucky.

Be ready to make thousands of mistakes and correct them to the best of your abilities. Unfortunately there is no quick way to paint like the Masters, there are many books and articles on the internet that can explain the methods which help quite a bit but what it comes down to is practice, practice and practice more, now I must get back to practicing what I'm preaching, good luck.

Steve