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I recently spent a night at the beautiful Secrets on the Lake in Queensland, Australia with my partner, Chontele. We stayed in a secluded lodge, nestled amongst the dense rainforest. I used this trip as a chance to test out some of my new plein air painting equipment. But, despite the stunning nature which surrounded…
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In this post, you will learn fundamental tips for painting grass. The idea of this post is not to show you a strict, step-by-step process. Instead, I want to take the fundamental ideas and theories and show you how they can be applied to painting grass. This is much the same format as my earlier…
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Framing as a composition technique involves positioning shapes and other elements to “frame” and draw attention to certain areas in your painting. For example, you could position a tree or building to frame your focal point in the center. The idea behind framing as a composition technique is much the same as why we physically…
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Edges in art refer to the transition between two shapes of color. Most people do not fully appreciate the importance of edges; color and composition usually get all the spotlight. In this post, you will learn everything you need to know about edges. Nicolai Fechin, The Lady in Purple, 1908 What Creates Edges? We see…
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Rhythm in art refers to the arrangement of shapes in a way which creates an underlying beat. It is similar to the rhythm of music, but instead of notes and sounds, we use colors and shapes. The best way to learn about rhythm in art is to see it in action. Below, I take a…
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In this post, you will learn fundamental tips for painting leaves. Many painters seem to get caught up in all the intricate details when painting leaves. They use a small brush to painstakingly depict every single leaf on a tree. But, despite the effort, the end result often looks overworked and tedious. These tips will…
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A split primary color palette refers to a palette of colors with both warm and cool variations of the primary colors (being red, blue and yellow). The purpose is to mix a wider gamut of colors. I explain this in more detail below. Color Wheel Using Just the Primary Colors Mixing a color wheel using…
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There are two systems which determine how we see color – subtractive and additive color. As an artist, it is essential that you understand these two color systems so that you can make informed decisions about the colors you use. Subtractive Color Subtractive color is how we see color in paints. It is the result…
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In this post I walk you through how to mix your own vivid orange using different red and yellow paints. The purpose of this exercise is to deepen your understanding of color mixing, color bias and the limitations of our paints. What Colors Make Orange? Color Bias – Warm and Cool Yellows and Reds What…
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This is a comprehensive guide for absolute beginners looking to get started in painting. In writing this, I considered what I would do if I had to go back and learn painting all over again. I have broken the guide into 7 simple steps you can follow: Step 1. Consider Why You Want to Take…
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