In this post, I provide you with some guidance on how to paint mist, fog, smoke, and other transient effects. These effects are typically challenging to capture on a flat surface due to their elusive and fleeting nature. Many artists seem to be either too timid with their approach, or too bold. I cover the following…
Color Saturation – The Ultimate Guide for Artists
What is Color Saturation? Color saturation refers to how vivid, rich, or intense a color is. It is one of the three elements of color, with the other two being hue and value. Below is a saturation scale showing what happens when you take a vivid red and gradually lower the saturation until you have…
Fundamentals of Art – The Building Blocks of an Artwork
The fundamentals of art are what I consider to be the building blocks of an artwork. They are color, composition, value, form, brushwork, and perspective. The fundamentals are generally universal across different mediums and styles. Learning them will help you become a well-rounded and versatile artist. Color I like to break color into two parts: color…
Emphasis in Art
What is Emphasis in Art? Emphasis is a principle of art which refers to the use of visual elements to draw attention to a certain area, usually a focal point, in an artwork. There are many ways you could go about using emphasis in your art. Usually, it involves contrasting different elements against each other.…
Harmony in Art – What It Is Plus Master Painting Examples
What Is Harmony in Art? Harmony is a principle of art which refers to how well all the visual elements work together. Elements which are in harmony should have some kind of logical progression or relationship. It should just look like it works. If there is an element which is not in harmony with the…
How to Paint Waterfalls
Waterfalls are a fantastic subject to paint, particularly as a study of edges, color, and movement. But they can be challenging, with all the twists, turns, breaks, reflections, and turbulence as the water crashes down through the rocks. In this post, I will provide you with some guidance for how to paint waterfalls, using master…
How to Simplify a Complex Scene
I recently spent a night at the beautiful Secrets on the Lake in Queensland, Australia with my partner, Chontele. We stayed in a secluded lodge, nestled amongst the dense rainforest. I used this trip as a chance to test out some of my new plein air painting equipment. But, despite the stunning nature which surrounded…
How to Paint Grass
In this post, you will learn fundamental tips for painting grass. The idea of this post is not to show you a strict, step-by-step process. Instead, I want to take the fundamental ideas and theories and show you how they can be applied to painting grass. This is much the same format as my earlier…
How to Use Framing to Improve Your Compositions
Framing as a composition technique involves positioning shapes and other elements to “frame” and draw attention to certain areas in your painting. For example, you could position a tree or building to frame your focal point in the center. The idea behind framing as a composition technique is much the same as why we physically…
Edges in Art – Everything You Need to Know
Edges in art refer to the transition between two shapes of color. Most people do not fully appreciate the importance of edges; color and composition usually get all the spotlight. In this post, you will learn everything you need to know about edges. Nicolai Fechin, The Lady in Purple, 1908 What Creates Edges? We see…
