Still life scenes are perfect for learning how light works and how to design an interesting composition. The controlled environment means you do not need to worry about the changing environment, the wind blowing your canvas or your subject moving. You can have as much control as you need with a still life scene so you … Read more
One of the best ways of learning how light and color work is to paint the same subject in different environments. Claude Monet did this all throughout his career, most notably demonstrated through his many haystack paintings. Claude Monet did so many paintings of haystacks you would think he had some kind of obsession with … Read more
Today I will be discussing what the golden ratio is (otherwise known as the golden mean) and how we can use it to improve your artwork. What Is the Golden Ratio? The golden ratio is the ratio of approximately 1 to 1.618. These are extremely important numbers to mathematicians. But what do they mean to us artists? … Read more
Joaquín Sorolla (1863 – 1923) was a brilliant Spanish painter who was known for his dexterous brushwork and vibrant portrayal of light in his landscapes and portraits. He painted with amazing haste yet beautiful harmony. He quoted: “I could not paint at all if I had to paint slowly. Every effect is so transient, it must … Read more
I find it fascinating going back through the sketches of historical masters of art. It tells you so much about their craft, passion, mindset and how they learned. It also humanizes them, as you get to see that they experimented, learned and made mistakes just like every other artist. The useful thing about sketching is … Read more
Hi everyone! Here is another painting tutorial where I will show you how to paint this landscape scene with the river running through the trees. The painting is based on a photo from New Zealand (I can’t help myself but do another New Zealand painting – I just have too many beautiful photos). I enjoyed … Read more
Winslow Homer (1836 – 1910) was a brilliant American landscape painter. Here are some of his inspirational quotes: “There is no such thing as talent. What they call talent is nothing but the capacity for doing continuous work in the right way.” “The Sun will not rise or set without my notice and thanks.” “I regret … Read more
Welcome to another quick oil painting tutorial. This is an older painting I did back around 2015 based on Kingfisher Bay, Fraser Island. I painted this in oils but the process would be much the same for acrylics. The scene involves silhouettes of the long jetty and boats with the vibrant sunset in the background. … Read more
If you’re looking to make a name for yourself as an artist then at some point in time you may need to sit down and write who you are and what your art is all about – the artist statement. Even if you are not trying to make a name for yourself, it may be … Read more
Drawing is a challenging but necessary craft, especially if you want to also become a proficient painter. Thankfully there is a wealth of information available on drawing to help guide you. The challenge can be sorting through the information to find those hidden gems among the rough. To save you the effort, I have put … Read more
Here are 7 of the best oil painting demonstration videos on Youtube. We are lucky at the moment to have so much art education readily available to us. We now have almost direct access to some of the top artists from around the world. Some of these artists have spent thousands of hours perfecting their … Read more
Not many of us have the luxury of being able to work full-time as artists without care for finances. Instead, we are usually forced to squeeze in art time between our busy schedules, usually after work and family time. So here are some time-saving tips for artists to help you fit in that much-needed art … Read more