Below is the first finished painting from my new studio, American Mountains. I’ve been struggling for inspiration lately, so I reached out to my brother for help. A few years ago, he spent about six months hiking through the American landscape. He took some wonderful photos and has allowed me to paint them (thanks Tim!). Reference … Read more
Konstantin Korovin (1861-1939) was a notable Russian artist of the impressionist, art nouveau and realism periods, and a prominent theatre designer and writer. Key Details Birth: Date: 5 December 1861, Place: MoscowDeath: Age: 77, Date: 11 September 1939, Place: Paris, FranceEducation: Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (1878-1886); St Petersburg Academy for ArtMedium: OilStyle: … Read more
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) was a Flemish artist known for his dramatic Baroque style. Key Details Birth: Date: 28 June 1577 Place: Siegen, Germany Death: Age: 62 Date: 13 May 1640, Place: Antwerp, Belgium Education: Classically educated and apprenticed to art teachers. Medium: Oil Style: Baroque Education Peter Paul Rubens received a Roman Catholic … Read more
Below is Morning Lookout. It depicts Toowoomba’s landscape (Queensland, Australia), just before the sun peered above the horizon. All of nature’s pastel colors were out to play. Reference Photo and Color Studies Here’s the reference photo I painted from: I also painted a few watercolor studies on location (see below). I haven’t touched watercolors in … Read more
This is a detailed guide on how to paint color gradations. I wrote this in light of a recent painting, Morning Lookout (shown below). It’s a study of the early morning’s subtle color gradations just before the sun peers above the horizon line. I cover: Color Gradation Meaning Color gradation refers to the transition from … Read more
I’ve been experimenting lately with color ranges and techniques. I’m particularly interested in high key value ranges, where all the colors are pushed towards the light end of the value scale. Below is a recent high-key painting based on Maleny’s beautiful landscape. The idea was to capture the midday sun’s shimmering colors and sense of … Read more
“I long to see everything, to know everything, to learn everything!” Marie Bashkirtseff A while ago I wrote about Marie Bashkirtseff’s The Umbrella. It turned out to be one of my most popular posts. Let’s take a look at some of her other work and life as an artist. Key Facts and Ideas Tip: Who you … Read more
Let’s take a look at my recent painting, Maleny, Late Afternoon. It captures the tranquil landscape as the sun’s warmth battles nature’s cool greens. Reference Photo and Study Below is the reference photo. Feel free to try and paint it yourself. I also painted the following small study in preparation. Though it ended up being … Read more
Pattern refers to the visual arrangement of elements in some kind of sequence or repetition. Think of a line of trees, a floral dress, the design of a flower, the back-and-forth sway of the ocean. Patterns are all around us. Though some are more obvious than others. In this post, I cover: Tips for Using … Read more
I recently finished Steve Huston’s Figure Drawing for Artists. A recommended read, if only to see Huston’s beautiful drawings. Huston is one of those artists who is not only talented with brush and pencil but also inspirational in his passion and philosophy on art and life. Below are just a few takeaways from the book: … Read more