Oil paints are one of the most popular artistic mediums, and for good reason. They are versatile, archival, and economical. But it can be a struggle to pick up. There are some “rules” you need to be aware of and the techniques can take some time to become familiar with. This guide covers most of the … Read more
As some of you already know, I ventured on the Overland Track in Tasmania recently. The scenery there was stunning and of course I managed to take many reference photos to paint back in the studio. I recently put the finishing touches on a painting based on the following reference photo. Here is a step-by-step … Read more
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
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
Plein air painting is a highly recommended practice, especially for landscape painters. It helps you hone your skills by forcing you to paint with a sense of urgency as the light quickly retreats or otherwise changes. I made a commitment to myself to do more plein air painting. Not just to improve my painting skills … Read more
It’s a great feeling once you finish a painting which you have long worked on and you are satisfied with the result. But your work does not finish there. There are a number of tasks which I recommend you do once you finish a painting. These tasks may not provide any immediate benefit, but let me assure … Read more
Your paintbrush should feel like an extension of your arm. But, all the different kinds of artist brushes which are available can sometimes only add confusion to the painting process, rather than making it easier. In this post, I discuss the different kinds of artist paint brushes that are available for you to use. Anatomy … Read more
Oil paint is inherently slow drying compared to other painting mediums such as acrylic, watercolor or gouache paints. Because of this, you have much more time to manipulate oil paint on your canvas before it dries. This is one of the reasons why oil paint is so widely used by artists. So how long does … Read more
The most difficult strokes to make in an oil painting are the first and last strokes. The first strokes are because you may not know where to start and the last strokes are because you may not know when to stop. This post is all about how to start an oil painting to help you … Read more
This post will discuss how you can mix your own earth tones. Earth tones are browns and ochres such as raw umber, burnt sienna and yellow ochre. I cover: The purpose of this post is not to show you how to replace earth tones on your palette. Instead, it is merely to demonstrate that earth … Read more