John Singer Sargent, Simplon. Lesson, 1911 John Singer Sargent rose to fame for his finely rendered oil portraits. At his peak, he was one of the most sought after artists for portrait commissions. But, he was also a remarkable watercolorist. Watercolors brought out a different side to Sargent’s work. His meticulous oil portraits feature muted…
Alla Prima (Wet on Wet) Painting Tips
Alla prima refers to a direct painting approach where paint is applied wet on wet without letting earlier layers dry. In Italian, the term alla prima means “at first attempt”. Paintings created in this approach are usually completed within a single session. This made it popular with the Impressionists, as they were able to more…
How To Make Your Paintings Look More Realistic
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…
9 Oil Painting Techniques For Beginners
If you want to learn how to oil paint, here are some of the oil painting techniques which you will need to learn. You will not need to use all these techniques in your paintings, but it is important to at least have an awareness of them. Oil Painting Technique 1 – Scumbling Scumbling is…
Inspirational Art Quotes By John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent (1856 – 1925) was an American artist known as one of the leading portrait artists of his time. His portraits are grand and express a remarkable realism. He also painted many landscapes using oils and watercolors which arguably venture into impressionism, painted with a very loose style. He painted directly what he…
