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Articles by Art Mediums
Drawing Nature as the Seasons Change with Mark & Mary Willenbrink
Have you ever experienced the peace of walking through the woods or the excitement of a storm gathering on a beach? Or how about what Mother Nature is showing many of us today, right outside our doors, as the seasons change? Artwork provides the ability for us to capture those moments and share them with others, and really savor our days even though they never seem to stop flying by. Drawing nature — from wildlife you see to landscapes you love — is a way to “keep” a moment in time.
Richard McKinley Says Artists Must Know Their Purpose
Historically speaking, the term “masterpiece” referred to a piece of work done by an aspiring apprentice or journeyman wishing to ascend to the status of master craftsman. If the submitted work of art was deemed worthy, the applicant was given membership, or guild certification. The apprentices put everything they could into this project. Painting a masterpiece was, essentially, a showcase of all they had learned as well as all they were capable of.
10 Art Supplies I Can’t Live Without | Rae Missigman
Tools a Mark Maker Loves Most Artists are usually ardent collectors and lovers of art supplies. Rae Missigman, author of Paint, Play, Explore: Expressive Mark-Making Techniques in Mixed Media is certainly one. In her studio, vintage pots, tins and containers overflow with brushes, pencils, inks, mark making tools and more. She loves being surrounded by the tools that enable and empower her to create.
Back to the Studio with New and Improved Art Supplies from Top Makers
SPONSORED New and improved art supplies make all the difference as we shake off the days of summer and commit to time in the studio and art-making activities. Check out this round up of materials to inspire an entire autumn season of painting, drawing and creative exploration. LIQUITEX ACRYLIC GOUACHE The ultra-pigmented acrylic—intense colors with a flat matte effect. No brushstrokes, no cracks and no need to dilute. Superb fluidity and application, with a permanent water-resistant finish when dry.
Collaboration in Printmaking at the Salmagundi Club in NYC
At one art club, printmaking brings veterans and beginners together for a lively evening of art making. Printmaking often serves to bring artists together. Because most artists don’t have a printing press in their home or studio, they likely produce their work using a shared press at a printmaking studio, art school or other organization. In such settings, artists can trade techniques, offer inspiration and critique work.
Wildlife Paintings and How to Paint Them from Juror Dawn Emerson
In both the fields of pastel drawing and wildlife art, Dawn Emerson is one of the best artists working today and a welcome voice of instruction and guidance when it comes to creating wildlife paintings. As a juror of art competitions, she shares what she looks for. 6) Put Drawing First “Drawing to me is to me a way of experiencing the world,” Dawn says. “Seeing is a process of discovery. I strive to blend my love of eastern with western approaches to painting by combining ink with pastel.
10 Mixed Media Art Supplies She Can't Live Without
Her Favorite Mixed Media Art Supplies There are art supplies you love and art supplies you simply can’t live without. Yes, each artist on her or his own creative desert island would choose a different group of ten art supplies and Sandrine Pelissier is no exception. Author of Painting Imaginary Flowers: Beautiful Blooms and Abstract Patterns in Mixed Media, Sandrine gives us her list of mixed media art supplies that she simply wouldn’t want to do without.
An Art Journal Helps You Generate Ideas, Test New Creative Waters and Reflect
Keep an art journal to trace your creative path by Cathy Johnson Art journals open doors to our unique brands of creativity as places to plan, dream, respond to something that catches our eye and process the events in our lives. Inside we can sketch; test new colors, tools or materials; practice a variety of washes or techniques; doodle; plan larger works; try out concepts and compositions; and even complete paintings.
25 Watercolor Flower Tips from Watercolor Instructor Birgit O'Connor
Painting a Watercolor Flower: Petals and More! Birgit O’Connor is completely blissed out on watercolor flower painting — and as the author and instructor behind Watercolor Flower Painting, she certainly deserves the reputation! — and spending time painting flowers has taught this popular instructor a lot.
All Media Art Competition 2018 Winners
We’re pleased to present the winners of Artists Magazine’s recent All Media Art Competition. This group of artworks showcases a diverse range of styles and subject matters. The artists are from points across the globe and bring their unique perspective to their work in a way that is worth honorable mentions and more.
How to Paint on Copper | Preparing Copper Plate
By Candice Bohannon How to paint on copper – raw copper plate Copper plate, if properly prepared, is a smooth, archival oil-painting surface that’s been used by artists for hundreds of years with stunning results. I purchase my copper plates from a printmaker’s supply company online. I usually use .050-inch (16 gauge) thickness, but a thinner plate is perfectly fine for painting on copper. Following is a demonstration on how to prepare copper plate for painting with oils. 1.
How to Paint Landscapes/Seascapes
Painting Seascapes with Atmospheric Progression with John P. Osborne There’s a formula of sorts for determining the subtle atmospheric progression of colors and color values. “No matter what we’re painting and how important the figure, still life or landscape,” Osborne says, “there’s a light average value and a shadow average value, and when you add the halftone between the two, or the middle value of the palette, you have form.
Tinting Graphite: How to Add Color To Your Drawings
Have you ever drooled over the look of those old-fashioned photos? You know the kind. The black and white, soft focus photos that have slight additions of color? Those hand-tinted photos of the past have a unique, recognizable look to them. As artists, we can create something similar. I love the look of the “Hammond Blended Pencil Technique.” The gentle tones and smooth blending give drawings a very soft and realistic impression.
Art Brushes 101: From How to Customize Your Brush to What to Use and When
Brush Tips for Every Artist Want to stay on a sure stroke with a little brush savvy? Here are tips on the art brushes you are most likely to use, plus how to customize your own and what brush to use and when. Don’t Stop at One Use two or more identical brushes when painting. They’ll let you continue your work with the same types of brushstrokes. Also, you won’t have to rinse your brush every time you change colors — and your color mixtures will stay pure on the brush.
Artist Eric Wiegardt Shows How It's Done
Award-winning watercolor artist Eric Wiegardt often finds that the rules of composition and the theorizing that often goes with it are rigid and not all that helpful. Because the rules never seemed to fit his watercolor painting at hand, Wiegardt devised a simple process for evaluating his paintings that has worked well for him over the years and a way to focus in on an area of dominance to assure you catch a viewer’s attention.
Is Mixed Media the Best of Both Worlds? Pastel and Watercolor
Editor’s note: We’re happy to announce that Johannes Vloothuis has a brand NEW BOOK available! Click here to get your copy of Landscape Painting Essentials today! In part one of this two-part series on mixed media, I made a reference to combining oils with acrylics. In this part we will discuss the amazing compatibility of pastels and watercolor. If you are a watercolor artist, surely you are very aware of the difficulties of paint application and control.
Figure Drawing: How to Draw a Child
Our newest figure drawing demonstration comes from one of your favorite teachers, Sarah A. Parks! Two of her Drawing Secrets Revealed video downloads are included in an exclusive offer along with the eBook Figure Drawing in Proportion by Michael Massen. Click here for this Figure Drawing Made Easy collection today. ~Cherie Figure Drawing: How to Draw a Child by Sarah A.
Why Use the Marabu Art Crayon
Sponsored by Two Demos Using the Marabu Art Crayon Enjoy the buttery-smooth quality of a wax-based medium that has superior blendability? Looking for an art material that is highly pigmented and water-soluble for transparent effects and reductive techniques? If so, the Marabu Art Crayon could be the perfect art product for you. For creative experimentation, this is a dynamic crayon fit for a variety of surfaces and treatments.
Exploring Watercolor and Gouache
How does watercolor differ from gouache? What are their individual characteristics, and how might each best be applied to a mixed-media art practice? These very questions got artist Cassia Cogger thinking: “What would happen if you paint the exact same picture with each material? How might they differ?” Below, Cogger sets out to answer her own question, with a quick demo on watercolor and gouache to find out how they compare.
Understanding the Different Grades of Watercolor Paper
Demystifying Watercolor ‘Paper’ Photo courtesy of Getty Images The usage of the term “paper” with regards to watercolor is a misnomer. In a way, this name devalues the price for watercolor paintings in galleries. It suggests the surface is not permanent because the image is painted on paper, and isn’t much different than a print or a poster.
Color mixing for artists, mixing green, painting with watercolor
Q. Spring is here, and I want to capture her natural beauty. The trouble is, I can’t find any greens in watercolor that really look like the greens of spring. Any suggestions? A. I don’t think there is one shade of green available in watercolor that depicts the beauty of nature in any season. That’s why I’ve always mixed my greens. My watercolor instructor taught me to mix sap green and sepia (Winsor & Newton only). Those two colors alone can produce many wonderful greens.
Watercolor Portrait Demo by Mario A. Robinson
Esteemed portrait and figure painter Mario A. Robinson uses a monochromatic block-in to achieve light, medium and dark skin tones. Follow along as he creates a medium skin tone for his watercolor portrait of LeAnn: I painted LeAnn using a cool light to illuminate the subject. The light cooled the warm tones of the skin, as well as the shadows. Understanding how to use lighting effects when working with models can elevate the level of a painting.
What is Fugitive Color? Watercolor Painting Tips From Birgit O'Connor
Fugitive Colors and Watercolor Painting by Birgit O’Connor It’s a little surprising that many watercolor artists are not really sure what “fugitive color” means, nor do they even care; they simply want to paint with colors they like and that’s about it. That’s fine but, if you intend to sell your art or teach a course in watercolor painting, you need to know what fugitive color means. So what is fugitive color?
Being Part of the Green Art Movement
Being Part of the Green Art Movement Happy Earth Day, Artists! May your land-, sea-, and skyscapes be as lovely today as they ever were. It’s not a day to preach or chide or feel down on yourself. Just a day to celebrate Mother Nature and raise awareness as an art community of green art ways–simple solutions you can do starting today in your studio to keep your ecosystem going strong.
How to Add Quick Pops of Color to Your Art
Artist Ward Jene Stroud first saw Brusho in action while attending a bimonthly demonstration at the Oregon Society of Artists. The presenter owned a small local art store and had just returned from a big art supply trade show filled with new art innovations and products — one of which was Brusho. “I’ll never forget the moment I saw the total color-pocalypse [the presenter] created when he sprinkled some little crystals onto wet paper,” recalls Stroud.
What Is Abstract Art?
Artist Mark E. Mehaffey answers the question “What is abstract art?” and shares his abstract art techniques by presenting five examples of compelling compositions and solid designs for eye-catching paintings. By Mark E. Mehaffey You may ask yourself, Just what is abstract art? In order to define it, first let’s take a look at some of the ways a painter can organize his efforts when painting in an abstract or nonobjective way.
6 Ways to Spruce Up Your Landscape Pencil Drawings!
From rocks, mountains and trees, to rushing and still water, you’ll love these achievable landscape pencil drawing lessons from favorite art instructor, Claudia Nice! After a review of art materials, such as drawing paper, a range of pencils and the marks they make, erasers, and more, Claudia takes you through steps to draw landscape elements in this unique drawing tutorial! Drawing Tip 1: Eliminate Potato Rocks! Use sandpaper or even real rocks with crags and fossils to create realistic...
Watercolor Painting FAQs Answered By the Expert Artist
Fruit and Artichoke Half by Laurin McCracken, watercolor painting. Get a Stellar Watercolor Painting Every Time With These Tips There are certain aspects of painting that are true essentials: Basic elements such as perspective, value, shape, color and texture, for example. Add to this the principles of design, elements for specifically painting landscapes or portraits, and then top it off with the ins and outs of using one of the most popular mediums, and you have a recipe for watercolor painting.
A Step-by-Step Demo by Ora Sorensen
In the January/February 2009 issue of The Artist’s Magazine, Ora Sorensen explains how to use the different hues that are perceived as “white.” A Rainbow of White Painting white is a colorful experience! Blue Glass (oil, 42×42) by Ora Sorensen By Ora Sorensen White-on-white paintings are not necessarily without colorful hues. In fact, these paintings can reflect all colors and shimmer with vivid iridescence like the hypnotic color refractions thrown from a prism.
Draw the Perfect Cat with These Easy Colored Pencil Tips
Draw a Realistic Cat, Starting Meow! Colored pencil cat by Mark Menendez Have you ever followed a bread crumb trail when scouring the internet which led to watching hours-worth of funny cat videos on YouTube? It’s OK. We are all friends here. I have done it, too — and on more than one occasion. Although this post doesn’t include any funny cat videos (though you may want to venture off to YouTube cat land after this), it will focus entirely on cats.
Get Inspired by These 5 Top-Shelf Pastel 100 Winners
Celebrating the 19th Annual Pastel 100 Winners The vast array of talent entered into the 19th Annual Pastel 100 Competition was so extensive we couldn’t stop with just sharing the work of the top five overall pastel prize winners. Below, we’ve put together an inside look at the Pastel 100 winners of the Landscape & Interior, Portrait & Figure, Still Life & Floral, Animal & Wildlife and Abstract & Non-Objective competition categories. After all, who doesn’t love to stare at incredible art?
Pastel Demonstration | How to Paint Snow
A Pastel Demonstration That Will Make You Pine for the Next Winter White Out It’s the season of snow flakes and slush, flurries and icicles. How to evoke the crisp, clean look and feel in your next painting? This pastel demonstration from Liz Haywood-Sullivan details just what to do, including the hardest trick to pull off — getting your color values right.
Painting Weather in Pastel - Artists Network
It’s fascinating how the same landscape can change depending on the time of the day, season of the year, and the specific kind of weather. We asked three pastel artists—Don Williams, Margi Lucena and Margaret Evans—about painting weather in a landscape. Is there a specific kind of weather or atmospheric condition that you especially enjoy painting?
A Quick Guide to Drawing 6 Facial Expressions that 'Wow'
One of the many challenging aspects of drawing is that if you want to learn how to draw a face, it’s not really just one subject you need to learn, it’s many. This is because faces showing different emotions hardly look the same. A happy face looks very different than a sad face, or a surprised face. And on top of this, of course, no two people’s faces are the same to begin with.
Abstracted From Nature | Acrylic painting techniques from Tesia Blackburn
So much of the time reality is overrated, especially in art. You want to take what you see and balance it with what you feel. Your art isn’t in the depiction of objects but in the new language you are creating with color, gesture and form. Creating art abstracted from nature is all about starting with something “real” and then pulling it and stretching it into something new. Artist Tesia Blackburn demos and explains how to play with abstraction to convey your message.
7 Tried-and-True Tips for Painting Loose in Watercolor
Think Different, Paint Different Painting loose can appear effortless, but it actually requires a shift not only in process but also in thinking. However, once you learn to literally “let loose,” relax and embrace the process, the results are powerful, freeing and have an almost effortless quality. Ready to try loosening up your painting approach? Below, award-winning watercolor artist Bev Jozwiak shares seven tried-and-true tips for achieving a more relaxed painting style.
Practicing Intuition | 9 Underpainting Exercises
Editor’s Note: North Light Shop has recently released the Pastel Painting Journey: Alla Prima with Richard McKinley kit. Included in this kit are three new DVD workshops teaching you how to paint alla prima, pastel impasto techniques, and composition and design all for landscape painting. Plus, you’ll get a travel sketch box and palette, pastel paper and environmentally friendly soap.
Watercolor on Crinkled Rice Paper by Cheng-Khee Chee
This article on watercolor painting by Cheng-Khee Chee was adapted from the Brushing Up column in the November 2013 issue of The Artist’s Magazine. Winter Pleasure (watercolor and Chinese ink, 25×40) by Cheng-Khee Chee I’ve lived in Minnesota for more than 50 years. One of the most exciting aspects of Minnesota life for me is the changing seasons.
Here is an Artist's Guide to Drawing the Human Head
Practice–But Not Work We are fierce believers that drawing the human face takes practice, but it isn’t work. That is because there are rules to follow and an effort to put behind it, but the process isn’t anything but something to revel in if you have artistic leanings.
Watercolor Paper Challenge: Will This Brand Live Up to its Reputation?
Have Your Pick in Watercolor Papers What watercolor paper you choose to work with when painting with this medium is key. Your paper’s weight, size, brand, whether its cold pressed or hot pressed, etc., can all influence the final outcome of your painting. Artist Birgit O’Connor wanted to put one well-known brand of watercolor paper to the test. After rigorous testing, she shares her findings below. Will it live up to the hype? Read on to find out.
A Landscape Drawing Lesson AND Free Caran d'Ache Pencils! - Artists Network
Welcome to your chance to win a set of quality drawing pencils from Caran d’Ache! To celebrate this special offer, we’re sharing the following free excerpt from Drawing for the Absolute Beginner by Mark and Mary Willenbrink. Featured is a step-by-step landscape drawing lesson on composition. In the comments below, tell us: If you could travel anywhere in the world just for drawing landscapes, where you would love to go?
Painting Magic with Sfumato - Artists Network
In this pastel painting, I purposely employed the principle of sfumato. Painting is a magic show. We are the illusionists. By arranging a pattern of shapes, values, and colors, we represent on a surface what is not really there. Ask viewers of your paintings: “What is it?” and they will respond with a description of the scene before them. After a brief pause, inform them that it is indeed a depiction of those elements, but more importantly, it is a painting of those recognizable objects.
5 Watercolor Techniques You Can Learn from Famous Watercolor Artists
Learn the watercolor techniques — for composition, design elements and focal point — of famous watercolor artists such as Winslow Homer, Andrew Wyeth, J.M.W. Turner, John Singer Sargent and Edward Hopper. Watercolorist’s Essential Notebook is the resource to choose after soaking up this masterful inspiration. Reinvent scenes that rival any reference photo you have and learn the joy of watercolor so you keep painting, your way. Enjoy! — Courtney 1.
How Do Acrylics Work? - Artists Network
Painting With Acrylics For Beginners When it comes to painting with acrylics for beginners, there are so many techniques you can learn, mediums you can experiment with, and ways to discover your own creative style. But if you start your acrylic painting journey with a strong foundation, as you’ll see here, you’ll have a better understanding of how acrylics work. It’s information that will save you time and money, as well as improve your painting arsenal of knowledge.
Painting Christopher Pierce Sight-Size Figure, oil painting method
Christopher Pierce, who is featured in The Artist’s Magazine (June 2011), shows step-by-step how he created a life-size figure painting in the tradition of two famous artists: J.S. Sargent and H.S. Tuke. For Alex: Homage to J.S. Sargent and H.S. Tuke (oil, 84×50) by Christopher Pierce I wanted to do a grand painting in the tradition of two artists I respect—J.S. Sargent and H.S. Tuke.
30 Remarkable Works of Art You Don't Want to Miss
Introducing This Year’s Annual Art Competition Winners For the past 34 years, we have witnessed the pursuit of excellence in the form of our Annual Art Competition. Every year brings us new, compelling art from across the globe, pushing boundaries and rendering work that both recognizes the present and honors the past. We welcome these works of art as part of Artists Magazine for their boldness and their beauty. And we hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Just interested in a specific subject?
How To Choose the Best Brushes for Oil Painting
Hey beginners, don’t be intimidated by oil painting — especially when you have the fundamentals right here for you! Here we talk about one of the cornerstones of oil painting: brushes. What kinds there are, how to use them and how to take care of them. Jump into this overview of some of the basic know-how you’ll need, including recommended brushes for oil painting and tips for cleaning them.
Alla Prima Painting Means Getting to the Fun By Applying Paint to Canvas Now
Dawning, Gates Diptych, right panel by Peter Fiore, oil painting. Article contributions from Kenneth Cadwallader. This Way of Painting Works for Everyone It’s exciting to start something new. It’s especially exciting when you succeed at something new. If you are a beginner painting for the first time or someone with more experience who is still trying to find the best way to express your creative side, alla prima painting is the way to go. It is a “jump right in, the water’s fine” approach to art.
Loosen Up Your Watercolor Painting With a Three-Step Value Study
It Can’t Get Much Easier Than This Lately I’ve been filled with impatience. I’m on a short fuse when dealing with everything from friendships to traffic to stubborn pots of water at dinnertime (can’t you boil any faster?!). One person I am not impatient with is artist Andy Evansen. He’s given me, and therefore you because I share like that, a three-step value study to remove the guesswork—and white outlines—from my watercolor painting process. Finally, someone who understands my need for speed.
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