If you are learning how to paint, you will probably go through some flat periods where creative inspiration seems lacking. The white canvas sits on your easel, bare of any paint for a day as you ponder over your first stroke. That day turns into a week, and sometimes that week turns into months or … Read more
I recently interviewed a fantastic artist by the name of Brent Cotton. He has shared some of his valuable thoughts and processes on painting. Here is a short statement from his website: “I’m inspired by mood and drama, the fleeting effects of light. I hope my paintings bring a sense of peace to the viewer, … Read more
Vincent van Gogh has got to be one of the most interesting artists of history. He is one of the most famous artists in history, yet during his lifetime he was hardly known and suffered financial hardship. I wonder how he would feel about his post-mortem fame? Despite his current fame, many people do not know … Read more
Peder Mørk Mønsted (10 December 1859 – 20 June 1941) was a Danish painter known for his realistic landscapes. He began painting from an early age and attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1875 to 1879. His landscapes are incredibly detailed, yet do not appear to be overworked. This is not easy to achieve. Many realist paintings … Read more
Are you struggling for painting inspiration? These painting quotes by some of the great masters of art should help inspire you on your own journey. These quotes offer interesting insights into the mindsets of these great artists and how they painted. If you have any painting quotes which have inspired you and are not included … Read more
George Henry (1858-1943) was a talented Scottish painter who attended the Glasgow School. His paintings demonstrate rich colors and strong contrasting elements. My favorite painting by far is River Landscape By Moonlight. This is a perfect demonstration of how you can paint the illusion of light. As you are probably aware, we are not able to duplicate … Read more
I recently stumbled across a remarkable artist named Tom Thomson (August 5, 1877 – July 8, 1917). He was a Canadian artist whose work influenced a group of landscape painters known as the Group of Seven. Thomson passed away before the Group was officially formed, however he is sometimes incorrectly included in the Group. Thomson started drawing and … Read more
Childe Hassam (October 17, 1859 – August 27, 1935) was a brilliant American painter who had a unique impressionist style. In particular, the way he used color is inspirational. Few artists have the ability to push such rich and vivid colors without the painting appearing jarring or overdone. Hassam was a busy artist, producing over 3,000 … Read more
This post will be all about the interesting style known as pointillism. Whilst this art movement was based on a somewhat misguided understanding of how color works and how we perceive it, the movement did produce some stunning artworks and techniques which you can apply to your paintings. I cover: What Is Pointillism? Pointillism is … Read more
The cliffs at Étretat seem to be a popular subject to paint. They have been painted by several famous artists such as Claude Monet, Eugene Boudin, Gustave Courbet, Gustave Loiseau and Henri Matisse. The reason the cliffs are such a popular subject to paint is most likely the naturally strong design created by the formation … Read more