In one of my recent paintings I used a limited palette and a Red Oxide toned ground. I chose Red Oxide as my ground to serve as a mid-tone, allowing me to focus on the warm and cool relationships. Here was my process. . . read more
For today’s tutorial I will be demonstrating how to render a finished drawing in graphite. The images used below were taken from a portrait study done on Stonehenge printmaking paper.. . . read more
Whenever we hear the phrase, “practice makes perfect,” most of us probably think of sports or music - but it’s also very important in art. In today's video clip, Janie Gildow demonstrates. . . read more
Recently a couple of my students have asked questions about creating distance in a picture. Luckily, whether you’re drawing, painting, or printmaking the principles are the same. . . read more
In today’s video clip, watercolor artist Ratindra Das demonstrates his process for painting a section of sky using a “flat wash” technique. After mixing the paint with lots of water, he applies it to the paper in even, horizontal brushstrokes. . . read more
In today's video clip, Polly Hammett explains how she makes use of several small value sketches prior to starting on a large painting. As you'll see, the question is not WHAT to paint, but HOW to paint it. . . read more
In today’s video clip, Jan Kunz demonstrates her multi-step process for accurately painting the shadows of the face. As you can see, she starts off with a detailed drawing and base skin color, then uses a value scale to. . . read more
When painting fur, it’s important to think in terms of layers. Take a look at this demonstration by Susan Bourdet - as you’ll see, she adds at least three layers of paint to get the desired texture. . . read more
In today’s video, watercolor painter Barbara Nechis demonstrates how to paint flowers using a wet-into-wet method. As you’ll see in the clip below, she starts by thoroughly (yet carefully) re-wetting her paper. . . read more
Taking good pictures of your artwork can be quite challenging. Even if you've gotten a handle on basic photography techniques, you can't always avoid things like lens distortion. Here's how to fix lens distortion in just a few minutes using GIMP. . . read more
Painting a distant figure inside of a landscape (or any scene) is an entirely different task than painting a portrait. Not only is the person much smaller, making it harder to add details, but the focus of the painting
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In today’s video tutorial, Claudine Hellmuth demonstrates how easy it is to turn old magazine pages into interesting abstract collage backgrounds - and all you need is a little bit of metal polish.. . . read more
In the truest sense of the word, a non-objective painting is different from an abstract painting. After all, it’s not “abstracted” from real life - the artist simply creates shapes, patterns, and texture, and molds them into a final painting.. . . read more
In today's video clip, Craig Nelson demonstrates how he starts laying in colors when painting with pastels. Of course, the first thing you'll notice is Craig's drawing - he starts with an excellent sketch before ever picking up any colors.. . . read more