Top 20 Animal Artists From the Renaissance to the 20th Century

From the earliest times, artists have created vivid images of animals as a means of manifesting beliefs, theories, and social interactions. Starting in the Renaissance, artists began studying the anatomy of animals and included them in the backgrounds of their paintings. However, the specialty of animal painting developed until the 17th century when daily life … Read more

Top Ten Gouache Artists From the 18th to the 20th Century

The technique of gouache has been around since ancient times. However, the term was first used in 18th-century France to describe a type of opaque paint made from pigments bound in water-soluble gum. Over time, the unique qualities of gouache resulted in its growing popularity. In particular, plein air artists and illustrators increasingly used it … Read more

Top 20 Drawing Artists From the Renaissance to the 20th Century

Since Paleolithic times drawing has persisted as a multifaceted form of human expression. Particularly, as is the case with other media, drawing began to flourish as an independent art form during the Renaissance when artists created detailed studies of the human body. As time went by, drawing turned into a fundamental component of every artist’s … Read more

Top 20 Famous Still Life Artists

Since ancient times artists have portrayed arrangements of inanimate objects. However, still-life painting turned into an independent genre until the late 16th century when Flemish and Dutch artists captured intricate compositions of everyday objects. In the early days of the art form, these scenes were used to represent prosperity and were also infused with religious … Read more

Art Movement Timeline

Let’s explore some of the most significant modern art movements and their key characteristics. 1872 – 1892 Impressionism Masters of color and light. Marked a radical departure from the realistic academic painting that had dominated the eras prior. Key artists: Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Mary Cassatt. Learn more about Impressionism… “When … Read more

A Closer Look at Claude Monet’s Poplars Series

Let’s take a closer look at Claude Monet’s Poplars series. I’ll cover: Key Details Monet painted the Poplars series in 1891 and 92. He did paint poplars on a few earlier occasions. The first was Meadow with Poplars painted in 1875. Another was Poplars in the Sun, 1887 (shown below). These early paintings are not … Read more

12 Famous Night Paintings and Why They Work

Let’s take a look at some of my favorite night paintings and why they work. I’ll also provide some tips for painting the night at the end. Aert van der Neer, Moonlit Landscape With Bridge What a stunning depiction of moonlight. Van der Neer contrasted brilliant highlights against stygian blacks. The moonlight gently outlines the … Read more

Claude Monet – Master of Color and Light

“Monet is just an eye, but God, what an eye.” Paul Cézzane on Claude Monet If you forced me to choose an all-time favorite artist, I would have to go with Claude Monet. Discovering his work led me down an endless rabbit hole of color, light, and the challenge of capturing life’s fleeting effects on … Read more