Have you found your perfect artist signature for your paintings? At the start, I struggled with how to sign my paintings. Such a simple thing, yet I just could not get my head around it. With some practice though I settled on a signature (and by practice I mean hundreds of signatures on an old canvas). … Read more
Here is a step-by-step oil painting lesson based on my painting, “Milford Sound, New Zealand”, oil on canvas, 16×20 inches. The painting is based on a photograph taken by my sister, who is currently living in New Zealand. The painting follows my usual process of: Toned Stain Sketch Block in Detail Step 1 – Staining … Read more
Oil painting is a fantastic medium and was the generally preferred choice for old master painters. Oil paint is slow drying and versatile, allowing you to easily manipulate it on the canvas. I started out with acrylic paints but was quickly frustrated by the extremely fast drying times and the changing in colors as the … Read more
Here is a step-by-step guide through my painting, “Golden Beach, Caloundra”, 20×28 inches, oil on canvas. My parents own a unit at Golden Beach, Caloundra and this is a scene from just down the road. The painting is based on a photograph I took of the scene. Whilst this is painted using oils, the principles … Read more
Acrylic paints are a great medium for beginners looking to get into painting. They are simple to use (once you get familiar with the quick-drying times) and are much easier to clean up than oil paints. My painting days started with acrylics. They allowed me to learn all the general painting principles without having to … Read more
What is the hardest painting style? A very common question, especially among those who are just starting out with painting. It is a strangely difficult question to answer. At first thought, most people would be quick to say realism or hyper-realism is the most challenging (as many people tend to think the primary goal of painting … Read more
Here are my top 10 painting hacks. 1. Stain the Canvas If you are just starting out, I would suggest you stain your canvas in a dull tone to give you a more balanced ground to paint on, rather than trying to paint on a glaring white canvas. White is an extreme value to paint … Read more