Are you dreaming of warm sun on your face and soft breezes carrying the scent of wild flowers or sea spray? Well, if you’re like many of us, old man winter has wrapped you in a blanket of snowy white. …
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I know that lots of artists may look down their noses at the thought of doing preliminary drawings, but those folks are either master craftsmen who have painted their subject matter hundreds of times, or they are wide-eyed novices who …
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Maybe you have a complete failure hiding away in your closet or there’s a stack of Great Aunt Millie’s attempts at painting stowed away in the attic since 1974. Don’t toss those canvases in the trash – upcycle them to …
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When you’re mixing colors on your palette, it’s easy to wind up with a muddy mess. To keep your colors crisp, clear and clean, let your paints mix naturally on your support for a fresh and spontaneous look. Things like …
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The New Year often gets us in the mood for new beginnings, gives a renewed sense of self-determination and a desire to set new goals. If you’re looking for something new to challenge you this year, consider an art journal. …
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If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to try a new painting medium, check out milk casein. This ancient paint is an emulsion of milk protein, pigment and water that’s very versatile. It’s sort of like the precursor to …
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Sure, you’ve made New Year’s resolutions that have lasted maybe a week or two. But those resolutions weren’t fun. They involved sweating or depriving yourself or doing something else that really wasn’t natural to you. But making a New Year’s …
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Now that winter is officially with us, outdoor painting is somewhat limited for those of us in the Northern climes. And that means you’ll be scrounging around for items to include in your still life compositions for the next few …
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This topic isn’t the most important thing you may ponder as you’re learning to paint, but at some point most art students pause to consider the best way they sign their work. How to sign it and where to sign …
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With Christmas fast approaching, choosing the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday shopping list is high on your to-do list. When it comes to getting creative, you’ll find a wealth of art instruction books that will delight every budding …
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When you’re a beginning artist, there’s so much to learn and remember that it’s a bit overwhelming. One common problem for a beginning watercolor student is deciding on which type of paper to use. With watercolor, the support you choose …
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Colored pencils are great gifts for every artist on your shopping list this year. Whether you need an extra special gift that’s the best present under the tree or a small, extra tuck-in to stuff in a stocking, you’ll find …
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It wasn’t until the Renaissance that artists actually thought about creating depth in their paintings. Until that time almost all paintings portrayed holy figures and little attention was given to the background. These icons, however beautiful, were flat and one …
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The holidays are fast approaching, and it’s time to dig out that bag of tricks to keep the kids occupied and help them get into the holiday spirit. Whether your children want to help festoon your home with fun and …
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Color theory teaches us that green is not a primary color, and it is created by mixing a yellow pigment with a blue pigment. This is great lesson to learn, and you’ll find there are many choices to create an …
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People tend to be creatures of habit, and we all tend to repeat the things we’re most comfortable with. For an artist, this can be a deadly rut of repeated themes, subject matter, color palette and technique. If you’re feeling …
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I love doing piddley, intricate detail work. I can spend untold amounts of time getting each stamen of a flower painted just so and even more time adding the finest highlights and touches of color to bring my piece to …
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