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
In this post, you will learn fundamental tips for painting leaves. I cover: 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 … Read more
Winslow Homer (1836 – 1910) was a remarkable American painter who mastered several mediums, including oils and watercolors. He lived a fascinating life; working as a commercial illustrator, an artist-correspondent for the Civil War, being published on commemorative stamps and achieving financial success as a fine artist. He did all this as a largely self-taught … Read more
Tonalism was an art movement that emerged in the United States during the 1870s and was characterized by hazy and atmospheric landscapes and muted color palettes. In this post, I will discuss some of the key facts, ideas, artists and take a closer look at some master Tonalist paintings. I cover: Key Facts and Ideas … Read more
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 and cover the following in this post: Color Wheel Using Just the … Read more
Contrapposto is Italian for “opposite” or “counter”. In art, it refers to the natural standing position of the human body, with weight leaning on one leg and a shift in the body to counter this. Michelangelo’s David is a perfect example of this. Putting the weight on one leg forces David’s hips, spine and shoulders … Read more
In this post, I take a closer look at Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. I cover the following: Key Facts It was painted between May 1884 and March 1886 and is one of Seurat’s larger paintings at 81.7 x 121.25 inches (207.6 × 308 cm). It is a great example of pointillism, … Read more
There are two systems that 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. In this post, I cover: Subtractive Color Subtractive color is how we see color in … Read more
I am pleased to have James Gurney share some of his thoughts on art, business and learning. James created the illustrated book series Dinotopia, wrote Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter, writes a daily blog on Gurney Journey and is a skilled artist and teacher, among many other things. How Did You … Read more
I recently visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. There were many stunning paintings by masters of our craft, some of which I have previously written about on this website. I will walk you through some of the paintings I saw, as I understand many of you may not be able … Read more
In this post, I’ll 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? Let’s take a step back to color mixing 101. Orange … Read more
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 … Read more