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…
Rhythm in Art – Master Painting Examples
Rhythm in art refers to the arrangement of shapes in a way which creates an underlying beat. It is similar to the rhythm of music, but instead of notes and sounds, we use colors and shapes. The best way to learn about rhythm in art is to see it in action. Below, I take a…
How to Paint Leaves (Without Getting Caught up in the Details)
In this post, you will learn fundamental tips for painting leaves. Many painters seem to get caught up in all the intricate details when painting leaves. They use a small brush to painstakingly depict every single leaf on a tree. But, despite the effort, the end result often looks overworked and tedious. These tips will…
Split Primary Color Palette – Using It to Mix Vivid Secondary Colors
A split primary color palette refers to a palette of colors with both warm and cool variations of the primary colors (being red, blue and yellow). The purpose is to mix a wider gamut of colors. I explain this in more detail below. Color Wheel Using Just the Primary Colors Mixing a color wheel using…
