I recently put the finishing touches on a painting based on a photo from my Bali travels. It was an overcast day and we were walking through a temple which was claimed by monkeys. The temple was situated amongst the trees on the top of a cliff. The winding path around the side of the cliff … Read more
In this post, I discuss how you can paint under different light sources. This post is a follow-on to my post about color temperature. Introduction The single most important factor which determines what colors we see is the light source. It is light which allows us to experience color. Light is also what unites all … 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
Color temperature generally refers to how “warm” or “cool” a color is. But if only it were that simple. It seems every artist has a different interpretation of what color temperature means in art. In this post I want to break down color temperature and what it means for us artists. What Does Color Temperature … 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 area I have been really interested in lately is gesture drawing. I have found it to be a fantastic way to improve how I see as an artist and train my understanding of form and anatomy. Over the past few months, I have spent about 10 to 20 minutes a day doing some simple … Read more
Google Arts & Culture (formerly Google Art Project) is an online initiative that provides public access to extremely high-resolution photos of artworks and cultural objects. The initiative has partnered with many museums to provide intimate access to some of the most famous paintings in history. Below are some of my favorite master paintings up close. The first … Read more
The age-old question – are black and white actually colors? This is an interesting question to ask, especially for us artists, as it raises some interesting discussions about what color is and how we see color. The answer varies depending on your perspective. I discuss why below. From a Scientific Perspective From a purely scientific … Read more
The Zorn palette refers to a palette of colors attributed to the great Swedish artist Anders Zorn (18 February 1860 – 22 August 1920). It consists of just 4 colors yellow ochre, ivory black, vermilion, and titanium white. Cadmium red light is commonly used in place of vermilion by modern-day artists. Whilst this may seem like … Read more