Virtuoso brushwork is a defining feature of many of the great artists. They wielded their brush like it was an extension of their arm and paint flowed effortlessly onto the canvas. They knew when to paint thick and when to paint smooth. When to paint with delicate attention and when to simplify the detail. When…
How To Oil Paint Without Using Solvents Or Mediums
One of the most common reservations artists have with oil painting is the use of harsh chemicals like solvents and mediums. To a beginner, these additional supplies can seem overwhelming. Painting is hard enough without the added confusion of mediums and solvents. But you do not need to use additional solvents and mediums in oil painting.…
Planning A Painting – Turning A Simple Idea Into Something Worth Painting
Painting is all about taking an idea and communicating that idea to other people using paint and brush. Most people only talk about the physical process of how to apply paint to the canvas. But it is also important to consider what happens before you pick up your brush – the process of taking that…
Notan – What It Is And How To Use It In Art
Notan is a Japanese term which literally means “light dark harmony”. Artists use “notan studies” to explore different arrangements of light and dark elements in a painting, without having the distraction of other elements like color, texture and finer details. In practice, this involves painting the darks with black and the lights with white (known…
Landscape Painting Tutorial – New Zealand Landscape With A Red House
I recently put the finishing touches on this painting which features a secluded red house amongst the beautiful New Zealand landscape. I will walk you through how I painted it and what went on behind the strokes of my brush. New Zealand, Red House, Oil, 12×16 Inches Supplies Used I recently invested in some Rosemary…
How To Use Black In Your Paintings (Plus How To Mix Your Own)
Black is a very polarizing color in the art world. Some people swear by using black, and others avoid it all together. In this post I want to try and clear up some of the confusion around black and provide you with some information on how to use it in your paintings and how to mix…
How To Safely Package Your Sold Painting
When you sell a painting, it is important that you are able to get it to the buyer in a safe condition. So much effort goes into creating a painting that it would be a shame for it to be damaged in transit. I recently had to say goodbye to one of my paintings and…
7 Most Common Painting Mistakes Beginners Make (And How To Avoid Them)
When you start painting you will make all kinds of mistakes. That is just part of the journey. Making mistakes is not an issue in painting, provided you are able to identify the mistakes and learn from them. The problem when you are a beginner is that you will not be able to see most…
How To Paint This New Zealand River Landscape
In this post I will walk you through one of my recent paintings based on a photo my brother took in New Zealand. Here is the finished painting: Supplies And Equipment These are the colors I used for the painting: Burnt umber Ultramarine blue Cobalt blue Viridian green Alizarin Crimson Cadmium red Cadmium orange Yellow…
The Ultimate Guide To Palette Knife Painting
The palette knife is not just a tool for mixing paint on your palette. You can actually use the palette knife to create some pretty stunning effects in your paintings which are not possible with a brush. Some artists ignore the brush all together in favor of the palette knife. This is a detailed guide to help you…
