Black is a very polarizing color in the art world. Some people swear by using black, and others avoid it all together. In this post, I want to try and clear up some of the confusion around black and provide you with some information on how to use it in your paintings and how to mix … Read more
A reader wrote to me the other day asking for my advice about pricing one of his paintings. I thought I would use this as a chance to put together a post about how to price your art to help anyone else having the same struggle. I cover: What Determines the Price You Can Charge … Read more
When you sell a painting, it is important that you are able to get it to the buyer in a safe condition. So much effort goes into creating a painting that it would be a shame for it to be damaged in transit. I recently had to say goodbye to one of my paintings and … Read more
When you start painting you will make all kinds of mistakes. That is just part of the journey. Making mistakes is not an issue in painting, provided you are able to identify the mistakes and learn from them. The problem when you are a beginner is that you will not be able to see most … Read more
Most people will be familiar with the artist’s color wheel, but many do not understand how to properly interpret it. The color wheel is essentially the visible spectrum of colors wrapped in a circle and it is a useful tool that helps explain what happens when we mix our paints together. In my opinion, the … Read more
William Wendt (1865 – 1946) was a German-born American painter who was known for his bold and colorful landscapes. He spent much of his life painting the California landscape and his prominence earned him the title “the dean of Southern California artists”. Many of his paintings feature lush trees, rolling hills and a beautiful sense … Read more
In this post, I will walk you through one of my recent paintings based on a photo my brother took in New Zealand. I will cover: Here is the finished painting: Supplies and Equipment These are the colors I used for the painting: This is painted on a 16×20 inch thin-edged stretched canvas using oils. … Read more
The artist palette is an essential piece of equipment for holding and mixing your paint. There are many different types of artist palettes you can choose from, such as the classic wooden palette, or more contemporary options like glass or disposable palettes. In this post, I will run through some of the different options so … Read more
Setting up lighting for your art studio has to be one of the most frustrating aspects of being an artist. I only recently got my studio lighting to a point where I am generally satisfied. Before that it was either too dim, bright, cool, warm or glary. It has been no easy task getting to … Read more
I recently got a pleasant email saying one of my paintings had sold. It was a small study I did a year or two ago based on a gloomy New Zealand landscape. I’ll cover: Unfortunately, I was not all that prepared for the sale and it was more stressful than it needed to be. In … Read more
The palette knife is not just a tool for mixing paint on your palette. You can actually use the palette knife to create some pretty stunning effects in your paintings which are not possible with a brush. Some artists ignore the brush completely in favor of the palette knife. This is a detailed guide to help you get … Read more
Muddy colors are one of the biggest frustrations for my readers. In this post, I will break down what muddy colors actually are and how you can avoid them in your paintings. I cover: What Are Muddy Colors? The phrase muddy color is often used to describe grays, browns and other desaturated colors. You will … Read more