Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Johannes Vloothuis
Landscape Painting Tips
You have probably heard the term “asymmetrical or abstract shape” which is rarely defined. Most of nature’s shapes are symmetrical. Trees tend to be too round. Many rocks are geometrical shapes. We artists are to improve over nature. Here is an easy way to determine what an attractive landscape shape is. Visualize the shape as a silhouette. In your imagination, split it into two halves. If both halves are obviously different, you have a well-designed shape.
Insight on Painting Seascapes
Seascapes are probably the easiest painting subject because the information is quite repetitive. Once you learn the anatomy of the waves, you can create many variances of them in different settings. In most cases the eye of the wave becomes the focal point. It is also important to establish an interesting visual “roller coaster” movement that carries the human eye over the top of the wave creating a harmonic visual thrust.
Using a Photo Reference for a Landscape Painting
In this blog I decided to show you the before and after from photo to painting so you can see how independent an artist can be from relying too heavily of photo references. My criterion is if you cannot improve the photo then don’t paint it. I have been teaching live online classes to hundreds of students for over 5 years. One of the points I emphasize the most is to teach them to free themselves from photo dependency and rely on artistic truth rather than literal truths.
Why Learning Principles of Art is A Good Idea
Learn the Principles of Great Art to Improve Your Paintings From Johannes Vloothuis If you are happy with your landscape paintings, you can skip this article. But maybe you have admired the work of other artists and sighed, wondering why your paintings were not as intriguing as theirs. You hunt for beautiful reference photos and when you find the perfect one, you say, “This is it! My next painting!” But the reality of what you paint is not what you imagined.
How to Clean an Oil Painting
Learning how to care for your paintings once they dry is an important part of the studio process. Oil or acrylic paintings are better protected when they are varnished, which is also important to bring out sunken darks once the medium has dried. But learning how to clean an oil painting is quite a simple task and another way to protect your work. Learning how to clean an oil painting is as simple as 1-2-bread.
Focal Point Strategies and Placements in Your Paintings from Johannes Vloothuis
8 Ways to Create a Focal Point in Your Painting During my years of experience I’ve noticed that many artists tend to ask what my focal point will be before I demonstrate a painting. Fortunately there’s a universal answer to this. For there to be a focal point, there needs to be a peripheral area that’s not that much in focus. If everything is in focus, then the focal area becomes weakened. Santa Fe by Johannes Vloothuis What is the focal point in art, therefore?
Check Out These Secrets for Painting Convincing Water Reflections
Water is one of the most sought-out subjects in paintings. In this mini-tutorial, you’ll learn valuable pointers on painting water reflections.
How to Establish Mood for More Impactful Paintings with Tips from Johannes Vloothuis
Some of the most popular subjects for me that sell really well are are rustic buildings with flowers. Pet portraits are also bestsellers, and landscape paintings are popular too. These top subjects are just based on my own experiences. There is more to making art that sells beyond subject matter. That includes establishing a certain mood in a landscape painting or other scene to increase the appeal for all viewers, regardless of who they are or what genres they might be drawn to at first glance.
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.
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.
Tips for Painting Edges: The Value of Hard and Soft Edges
Johannes Vloothuis is back with more expert advice that will help you better understand how to paint. This time he is tackling the timeless subject: painting edges. Learn how to handle edges within your paintings in a variety of mediums, and then see Johannes in action in Paint Along: Landscape Painting, All About Edges. Handling edges is a skill that all fine artists will need to learn sooner or later.
Drawing Trees: Art Tips to Lead You to Landscape Success
Nature isn’t always pretty. Trees, hills, sky — they come in all shapes, colors and sizes, and some of those are definitely NOT painting worthy … at least not until the artist gets a hold of them. Then it is up to us to put a spin on these elements and make them our own. Johannes Vloothuis is on the same page, and here you will find his tips on how to draw trees from his DVD, The Complete Essentials of Painting Trees.
Canvas Painting for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know
Canvas Painting for Beginners Sample painting by Johannes Vloothuis In a previous blog I discussed the different grades of watercolor paper so, in all fairness to the other mediums, this art supplies tutorial will give insight on how to prepare your canvas for the opaque mediums: oil, acrylic and pastel. In leading art stores you will find already manufactured canvases and canvas boards.
Check Out These Secrets for Painting Convincing Water Reflections
Water is one of the most sought-out subjects in paintings. In this mini-tutorial, you’ll learn valuable pointers on painting water reflections. You can find several conditions of water in nature, which are important to consider when planning a landscape painting: Unless water is running over a down slope, the wind is what disturbs it, creating the diverse reflections and variances listed above. Many professional artists depict water moving lazily (above, right).
Understanding the Different Grades of Watercolor Paper
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. If manufacturers of these materials dispelled the word “paper” and substituted it for “cotton sheets,” watercolor would have more associated formality because oil and acrylic paintings are also painted on cotton surfaces.
Landscape Composition Rules
| Added on 22 May 2007 313 13 clicks A very detailed guide with many tips about landscape composition. Written with traditional landscape painting in mind, it represents a useful resource for digital artists and designers. Author: Johannes Vloothuis URL: http://photoinf.com/General/Johannes_Vloothuis/landscape_composition_rules.html Source: -
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Johannes
Contact Johannes, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack