On the Easel: Maryvale, Overcast

(My “On the Easel” posts give you a behind-the-scenes look at what I am working on, what went well, what went wrong, and things I learn.) Let’s take a look at how I painted Maryvale, Overcast. It’s a simple landscape with rich greens, dark trees, and a moody sky.  Reference Photo and Study Here’s the … Read more

How to Paint Like Pierre-Auguste Renoir

“For me … a painting should be something to cherish, joyous and pretty, yes pretty!” Pierre-Auguste Renoir Let’s take a look at how to paint like Pierre-Auguste Renoir. I’ve never been much a fan of Renoir’s work. That was until I saw one of his paintings at the European Masters exhibition. A Young Girl With … Read more

Creating the Richard Schmid Color Charts

I have been busy over the past few weeks creating color charts as recommended by Richard Schmid in his book Alla Prima. My charts are still in progress, but I thought I would publish this post in the meantime for others who may want to join me in doing this exercise. I cover: Be warned, … Read more

Color Mixing and Application – The Ultimate Guide for Artists

Successful use of color in painting requires a thorough understanding of both color theory and color mixing and application. I wrote about the theory in a previous post. This post will provide you with everything you need to know about color mixing and application. I’ll cover: Basic Color Mixing Terms Color is a complicated area, … Read more

How to Mix Vivid Orange

In this post, I’ll walk you through how to mix your own vivid orange using different red and yellow paints. The purpose of this exercise is to deepen your understanding of color mixing, color bias, and the limitations of our paints. What Colors Make Orange? Let’s take a step back to color mixing 101. Orange … Read more

A Guide to Color Schemes in Art and How to Use Them Effectively

This is a detailed guide on color schemes. I’ll discuss what they are, the different types, and provide master examples. What Are Color Schemes in Art? A color scheme is used to describe the overall selection of colors in an artwork. The major color schemes in art are analogous, complementary, split-complementary, triadic, rectangular and monochromatic. … Read more