Artist Spotlight

Édouard Manet, The Absinthe Drinker, 1859

Édouard Manet – The Bridge Between Realism and Impressionism

By Dan Scott / October 21, 2019 / 54 Comments

Édouard Manet (1832-1883) was a French painter who bridged the gap between Realism and Impressionism. In this post, I take a closer look at his life and art. I cover: Key Facts Unlike many of his contemporaries, he was fortunate enough to be born into a wealthy family in Paris on 23 January 1832. His father … Read more

John Singer Sargent, Fisherman in Valle dAosta, 1907

How to Paint like John Singer Sargent

By Dan Scott / September 11, 2019 / 55 Comments

John Singer Sargent (1856 – 1925) was a remarkable and prolific artist, having created over 900 oil paintings and 2,000 watercolor paintings during his life. You will notice that I use his work to illustrate many of the posts on Draw Paint Academy. In this post, I take a closer look at his work to … Read more

Sir Winston Churchill, Rocky Scene in Sicily

Sir Winston Churchill – Painter and Prime Minister

By Dan Scott / August 21, 2019 / 38 Comments

Most people know Sir Winston Churchill for his role as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945. But few know that he was also an avid painter. In this post, I take a closer look at some of his paintings and his life in the arts. I cover: “Painting is a companion … Read more

Alfred Sisley, Rest Along the Stream, 1878

Alfred Sisley – The Overshadowed Impressionist

By Dan Scott / July 14, 2019 / 36 Comments

I don’t write about Alfred Sisley as much as I should. Despite being one of the figureheads of Impressionism, he is overshadowed by some of his more famous contemporaries, such as Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. In light of this, I wrote this post about Sisley’s life and art. In this post, I cover: “Every … Read more

Isaac Levitan – Russian Master of Landscape Painting

By Dan Scott / July 3, 2019 / 65 Comments

Isaac Levitan (1860 – 1900) was a master Russian painter known mostly for his remarkable and diverse landscapes. He is one of the first artists I look to whenever I am in need of landscape painting inspiration. In this post, I take a closer look at his life and art. In this post, I cover: … Read more

Albert Bierstadt, California Spring, 1875

Albert Bierstadt – Vast and Luminous Landscapes

By Dan Scott / June 10, 2019 / 59 Comments

Albert Bierstadt (1830 – 1902) was a remarkable German-American painter known for his vast and luminous landscapes. In this post, I take a closer look at his life and art. I cover: Key Facts About Albert Bierstadt He showed artistic talent from a young age, starting with crayon drawings then moving to oils in his … Read more

John Atkinson Grimshaw – The Inventor of Nocturnes

By Dan Scott / May 19, 2019 / 33 Comments

John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836 – 1893) was an English painter known mostly for his moonlit nocturne paintings. As James McNeill Whistler once said: “I considered myself the inventor of nocturnes until I saw Grimmy’s moonlit pictures”. In this post, you will learn more about his life and paintings. Just be mindful that he did not … Read more

Winslow Homer – Illustrator, War Artist and Master Painter

By Dan Scott / May 13, 2019 / 33 Comments

Winslow Homer (1836 – 1910) was a remarkable American painter who mastered several mediums, including oils and watercolors. He lived a fascinating life; working as a commercial illustrator, an artist-correspondent for the Civil War, being published on commemorative stamps and achieving financial success as a fine artist. He did all this as a largely self-taught … Read more

James Gurney, Dinotopia - World Beneath, Steep Street

James Gurney – Artist, Teacher and Creator of Dinotopia

By Dan Scott / April 22, 2019 / 17 Comments

I am pleased to have James Gurney share some of his thoughts on art, business and learning. James created the illustrated book series Dinotopia, wrote Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter, writes a daily blog on Gurney Journey and is a skilled artist and teacher, among many other things. How Did You … Read more

Nicolai Fechin, The Lady in Purple, 1908

Nicolai Fechin – Key Facts, Style Breakdown and Master Paintings

By Dan Scott / April 3, 2019 / 56 Comments

Nicolai Fechin was a master Russian artist known for his dynamic paintings and intricate drawings. His art is a stunning mix of academic brilliance and creative exploration. In this post, I cover: “Fine painting is simply a matter of putting the right colors in the right places on canvas.” Nicolai Fechin Key Facts Nicolai Fechin … Read more