Isaac Levitan (1860 – 1900) was a master Russian painter known mostly for his remarkable and diverse landscapes. He is one of the first artists I look to whenever I am in need of landscape painting inspiration. In this post, I take a closer look at his life and art. In this post, I cover: … Read more
John Singer Sargent rose to fame for his finely rendered oil portraits. At his peak, he was one of the most sought-after artists for portrait commissions. But, he was also a remarkable watercolorist. I cover the following in the post: Watercolors brought out a different side to Sargent’s work. His meticulous oil portraits feature muted … Read more
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 … Read more
In this post, I take a closer look at Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers series which he painted in Paris and Arles. The series highlights van Gogh’s progression in color and style. It also provides some interesting links between van Gogh and another famous artist, Paul Gauguin. In this post, I cover: Key Facts and Ideas Below … Read more
Post-Impressionism was an art movement that roughly lasted from 1886 to 1905, from the end of Impressionism to the start of Fauvism. It included artists such as Paul Cézanne (the “father of Post-Impressionism”), Vincent van Gogh and Georges Seurat. The movement was generally an extension of Impressionism, but with more focus on the artist’s subjective … Read more
Albert Bierstadt (1830 – 1902) was a remarkable German-American painter known for his vast and luminous landscapes. In this post, I take a closer look at his life and art. I cover: Key Facts About Albert Bierstadt He showed artistic talent from a young age, starting with crayon drawings then moving to oils in his … Read more
I recently visited the Queensland Art Gallery for the first time since I was a child. In my opinion, it was not as impressive as the Art Gallery of New South Wales, but there were still some beautiful paintings worth seeing by artists such as Sir Arthur Streeton and Edgar Degas. I will walk you … Read more
In this post, I will be taking a closer look at The Scream by Edvard Munch, which features a dramatic display of swirling lines, distorted forms and exaggerated colors. I cover: Key Facts Here are some of the key facts about The Scream: The original was painted in 1893 using oil, tempera, and pastel on cardboard. … Read more
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. I’ll cover: What Creates Edges? We see edges every time there is … Read more
In this post, I take a closer look at The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt. This is a masterful demonstration of composition and accuracy. It is also a change from the colorful impressionist landscapes which I seem to favor. In this post, I cover: Key Facts About the Painting Rembrandt painted it in … Read more
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. In this post, I cover: The best way to learn about rhythm in art is to see it in … Read more
John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836 – 1893) was an English painter known mostly for his moonlit nocturne paintings. As James McNeill Whistler once said: “I considered myself the inventor of nocturnes until I saw Grimmy’s moonlit pictures”. In this post, you will learn more about his life and paintings. Just be mindful that he did not … Read more