The top Impressionists have had a tremendous influence on my personal development as an artist. They tested the boundaries of what is possible with color and demonstrated that subject matter is not the be-all and end-all in painting. They showed you can paint something just because it is pretty, without any deep underlying meaning, and you … 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
This post features 7 colorful landscape paintings to hopefully spark your inspiration, as they have done for me. In these paintings, the dominant feature is color rather than composition, value, brushwork or any other element. It is actually very challenging to pull off a painting where color is the dominant feature because if you are … Read more
The classic still life is one of the few subjects you can paint that you have almost full control over. You are not vulnerable to changes in the environment or the subject just moving. As a result, still life subjects have allowed artists to really test what is possible in terms of brushwork, color and … Read more
The seascape is a fantastic and versatile subject for painting. You could paint the glassy water on a calm day, or the crashing waves of the ocean during a storm. One of the reasons the seascape is such a popular subject is because of the unique way water seems to capture and reflect all the … Read more
William Holman Hunt (2 April 1827 – 7 September 1910) was an English painter known for his incredibly intricate paintings and clever use of color. He also founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848, which was a group of artists who rejected the mechanistic approach adopted by artists who succeeded Raphael and Michelangelo. He was actually not all that … Read more
During the many years I have been painting, there have been a number of simple practices which have helped me actually improve and keep going, despite the struggles I faced. These practices have helped when motivation was low, when inspiration seemed to elude me and when I procrastinated over that first stroke on the white … Read more
Willard Leroy Metcalf (July 1, 1858 – March 9, 1925) was a prominent American painter known for his beautiful impressionist landscapes. He initially started with portraits and illustration, during which time he would have developed his accuracy and drawing ability, but it was his landscapes that brought him to fame. The Ten American Painters Willard Metcalf … Read more
One of the most common problems I hear from my readers is…. “How do I develop my own unique artistic style?” I remember this question frustrated me in the early days of my painting journey. The question actually crippled my progress as I tried to force some kind of unique artistic style, rather than let it … Read more
I decided to put together some of my favorite color quotes by the master artists. Color is such a mysterious and fascinating area and it is interesting to read how some of the master artists viewed color. When many of these artists were alive, color was not nearly as understood or studied as it is … Read more