Collecting fine art isn't all that hard. You don't have to be an art history expert or an art critic to become an art collector - ANYONE can collect art. Here are a few suggestions for new art collectors:. . . read more
Contemporary artists have a completely new platform available to show their thoughts, artwork, and sketches to the world. With a laptop and internet access, your sketch blog can always represent the now. . . right now. . . . read more
Painting or drawing your self-portrait is a daunting task, but worth the effort. If you haven't painted yourself lately (or if you're just looking for a new project) here are six reasons you might want to give a self-portrait a shot:. . . read more
It's much more important to learn to SEE what you're painting than to follow the traditional rules of painting. Here are 8 "rules" of painting that artists don't always need to follow.. . . read more
Ah Imagekind. . . you sold out. But I'm not disappointed—far from it. I think now you've got a chance to really take off (fingers crossed). And that 15-20 million selling price was obviously a good deal for the founders. . .. . . read more
Twitter.com is a fairly new microblogging platform which limits its users to 140 characters per post - approximately the length of an instant message. At the same time, anyone can "follow" another person on Twitter and receive all of their posts.. . . read more
Google and Yahoo offer easy ways for blog or website owners to make a little money from advertising. But is it worth it for artists? What are the pros and cons to putting ads right next to your art?. . . read more
I couldn't help but notice that the recent review of CafePress on EmptyEasel was a less than an enthusiastic endorsement. However, in my opinion some types of art (or some artists) might actually be better suited to CafePress's range of products than a strictly "fine art" printing ser. . . read more
As artists, we need to surround ourselves with "investors" - people who will encourage us, keep us motivated, and perhaps on occasion buy our art. Thankfully, through the internet today, it is easier than ever to do so.. . . read more
I've grown to expect some unusual things when I visit artists in their studios. Art studios are often messy, funny smelling, and dusty. There's artwork all around, frequently stacked up into big piles, sometimes organized and sometimes not.. . . read more
How do you find a career that fits you, the artist? Ever thought about leaving your current job but didn't because you weren't sure if your next job would be any better? Here's a method that has always helped me visualize how good or bad my jobs are. Maybe it'll work for you too.. . . read more
I don’t write about politics much here on EmptyEasel—and for good reason, this is an art website after all—but I’ve started to see an interesting similarity between the changing art world and the mainstream media’s political coverage of the 2008 US presidential election race.. . . read more
Do you watermark your artwork online? You know, by adding some sort of copyright statement right over the top of your images? From my perspective, it’s not really necessary - and it’s even a little off-putting. Here's why. . . . . . read more
Years after his death, Bob Ross is still teaching artists how to paint in his "Joy of Painting" series as well as many other art books and videos - and even though I don't agree with how he taught painting, I DO think it's important to show both sides of any discussion. Continue reading. . . . . . read more