In this tutorial I’m going to show you the quickest and easiest way to create a nice, moody, black and white portrait with charcoal. Here are my tools of the trade. . . read more
There are a lot of ways to add texture to a painting or collage, but today’s video is probably the simplest, easiest explanation I’ve seen in a while.
Claudine Hellmuth uses very few materials and ends up with a nice texture that is both flexible (so you can use it in book-like. . . read more
Like every other painting medium, watercolors have their own set of quirks that you'll have to learn if you're going to successfully control them. One of those quirks in particular is. . . read more
It's easy to get tunnel-vision when you're working on a painting, especially when you're heading towards the finish line and the end is in sight. But before you call a painting "good" and walk away. . . read more
Pencils are just one of the many mediums in which artists communicate. They are also the most basic of mediums. They are easy to control and use and usually set the foundation for your artwork - remember outlines?. . . read more
Drawing and painting negative spaces (i.e., not just the outline of an object, but the spaces between objects) is an important technique for artists to learn. In the following video, Craig Nelson demonstrates. . . read more
In today's video clip, it's interesting to see how Jean Pederson adds depth and contrast to her watercolor portrait by simply dropping in some complementary colors. After many more layers of paint, the final result is stunning. Take a look. . . read more
Painting is a messy process at the best of times, and when you’re working fast it’s even more so - but as Anne Bagby demonstrates in today's video, a little contact paper can go a long way in keeping that mess controlled. Take a look:. . . read more
If you're looking for another way of adding texture to your collages and paintings, here's Ann Baldwin with some tips for using cheesecloth in your artwork. Take a look. . . read more
There are many ways to create texture for a collage. You can layer paper or cloth, use very thick paint, mix sand into your medium, embed objects, and the list goes on. In today’s video clip, however, Ann Baldwin will demonstrate how to. . . read more
I love to mix up media, so today I thought I’d share my technique for mixing gouache and india ink. If you’ve never tried this particular combination, I hope you will. You can get some wonderful results with it. . . read more
Getting more intense colors sometimes means using paint directly from the tube. Other times, it means planning ahead and actually layering transparent paint so that the light can bounce through and pick up more color on the way back.. . . read more
Watercolors are an amazing medium, in part because of the fluidity of the paint itself. The inherent characteristics of water (surface tension, etc) allow artists to do many things with watercolors that other mediums do not.. . . read more
Before you start a painting, it's often a good idea to draw out a preliminary sketch of your subject matter with all the right proportions and measurements. In the following video, Craig Nelson demonstrates. . . read more