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 … Read more
In this post, I will walk you through one of my recent paintings based on a photo my brother took in New Zealand. I will cover: Here is the finished painting: Supplies and Equipment These are the colors I used for the painting: This is painted on a 16×20 inch thin-edged stretched canvas using oils. … Read more
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 completely in favor of the palette knife. This is a detailed guide to help you get … Read more
Muddy colors are one of the biggest frustrations for my readers. In this post, I will break down what muddy colors actually are and how you can avoid them in your paintings. I cover: What Are Muddy Colors? The phrase muddy color is often used to describe grays, browns and other desaturated colors. You will … Read more
In this post, I will walk you through this very simple seascape based on a photo from Tasmania. I will say firstly that just because a subject is simple, does not mean it is easy to paint. In fact, it can sometimes be even more challenging to turn a simple subject into an interesting painting than … Read more
I previously wrote about 11 things you should do after you finish your painting, so I thought it only makes sense to also write about what you should do before you start. I am a firm believer that some of the most important work happens before you even pick up your brush. Below are some … Read more
When you watch some of the top artists paint, you may be wondering how they do it so fast! They seem to make every stroke without hesitation and the canvas quickly takes form and fills with color. The reason they are able to paint so fast is mostly due to experience. The top artists are … Read more
The background in a painting is by nature out of the spotlight. But that does not mean it is not important! In fact, the background has the incredibly important role of providing context and contrast for the main subjects. Remember, painting is all relative. Without a dull background, how would your stunning colors and delicate … Read more
The sad reality of painting is that you will make mistakes, especially if you are just starting out. Things rarely go as planned. The drawing might look slightly awkward, the colors might not work together or you might have just made one too many strokes. In this post, I want to discuss how you can deal with making … Read more
When I ask my readers what their single biggest struggle is in painting the most common answer by far is…. “I want my paintings to look more realistic”. I think it is always important to have some quality of realism to your paintings no matter what style you paint in. Otherwise, people will be left … Read more