Sometimes it only takes a small adjustment or two to improve your paintings. I’m sure I’m not the only artist who has looked back on their work from years ago and thought, “If only I had done this or that differently, the results would have been so much better.”
We. . . read more
If you paint on canvas—either in acrylics, oils, or watercolor—you’ve probably noticed that your unframed paintings look much better from the front than they do from the side. Anytime you catch a glimpse of those raw canvas edges, they look startlingly white against the painted. . . read more
“Watercolor batik” is an amazing technique that combines melted wax and watercolors on rice paper to create an exciting-looking painting. Today I’ll be explaining how I use this technique in my own paintings.
If you’re ready, let’s get started!
First, I ink in my. . . read more
Like many artists before me, I am addicted to the magical glow of the early morning or late evening sunlight known as the "Golden Hour." Masters like Corot and Inness made great use of the Golden Hour. . . read more
As artists, we often obsess about the many and varied elements of our work. Everything from subject matter to color theory and paint handling come under close scrutiny. But there’s one aspect that many of us often overlook. . . read more
During a recent still life painting I took some photos to show how I go about my painting process. I’m sure many of you probably do it differently, but that’s the great thing about painting—you can almost always learn something from seeing how someone else does it.
First off, I. . . read more
After discovering the beauty and freedom of watercolors over twenty years ago, I instantly fell in love with the spontaneous nature of this medium.
I love to see pure transparent colors flowing freely over wet paper, forming exciting shapes and patterns out of nothing. The challenge, then, is. . . read more
There are many styles, methods, and techniques for painting fur. But I've had a few people ask me how I paint fur, so I thought I'd share my way of doing it. . . read more
What’s an accident?
According to wikipedia, an accident is an “Unintended external action which occurs in a particular time and place, with no apparent and deliberate cause but with marked effects.” Usually an accident causes a negative outcome, which you try to avoid, if at. . . read more
Collage (pronounced ko-lahj’) simply means pasting or gluing papers or objects onto a surface. Its name is derived from the French word coller, meaning “to paste” and was first used as a fine art medium in the early 1900’s.
When we think of collage today, we might think of the. . . read more
I usually like to do several things at once. So when I paint I have always had background noise. . . perhaps a book on tape, the occasional movie, or at the very least some music. But last week I suddenly. . . read more
Are you looking for some new textural ideas for your next artistic creation? If so, you’re in luck! Here are eight easy methods for adding texture into your work. . . read more
I have a goal as an artist (actually I have many) but one very high up on my list is to have a solvent-free, toxic-free, and cruelty-free art studio. The ultimate peace, for me, is to never have to worry about. . . read more
For those looking for a more inexpensive way to create texture in your painting, I suggest you look into using FLEXALL® patch material, which can most likely be found at your local hardware store. . . read more