Artist Daily

Our Newest eBook on Mixed Media Painting Techniques Has Arrived!

2012-02-10T04:38:00Z


Intimate Gathering by Russell Irwin, 2002, acrylic and torn paper on board, 48 x 60.

When I was flipping through the American Artist magazine archives for mixed media art inspiration, I was prepared to do some pretty extensive digging. I assumed that most artists tend to silo themselves in their media-specific practices and don't really diverge. But I found that artists do mix it up. Literally.

Mixed media painting is way more common than I gave it credit for. In fact, most artists mix media without even thinking about it. Doing a charcoal or pencil sketch on your canvas before applying paint? Technically that's mixed media. Combining washes of watercolor with pastel in an urban landscape painting? That's mixed media art, too.

To sink my teeth into all the mixed media techniques and possibilities that many artists nowadays are taking up, our newest free eBook, Mixed Media Painting Techniques: Combine Media to Create Inspired Mixed Media Art profiles two artists who blur the edges between media to create some really standout work.

Janet Cook's paintings of New York City pulse with life and rhythm, partly due to the fact that she is able to mix the vibrant colors of pastel with the expressive fluidity of watermedia. It gives each of Cook's scenes a sense of drama that the artist really craves, and allows her to create detailed underpaintings that have a strong enough structure so that she can put a lot of gesture and movement into the final pastel layers.


	Steppin' Out on Broadway by Janet Cook, 2009, pastel over gouache and watercolor on paper, 27 x 20.

For Russell Irwin, painting is more like mosaic art, as he uses mixed media collage elements like torn paper in combination with acrylic paint to form a richly textured surface on his paintings. The artist acknowledges that this process forces him to approach his work as if it was abstract art, where the relationship between shape and color dominates.

Art—mixed media artwork at that—is all about freethinking and experimentation. Mixing media is the gateway to the kind of exploration that allows each of us to discover how we really want to make our art, and not just what we've been taught or what is most comfortable. Mixed Media Painting Techniques: Combine Media to Create Inspired Mixed Media Art could be the first step toward this kind of growth for all of us. Download your copy now! Enjoy!

Fish, Lemons & Glass Bowls

2012-02-08T04:21:00Z

Dutch still life painting set the standard for out-of-this-world virtuosity in the 17th century, and I'll never get over the unusual mix of objects artists chose to depict: food of all kinds, polished silverware and gleaming glass, embroidered and heavily worked tablecloths, and tons and tons of flowers.

Breakfast Table with Blackberry Pie by Willem Claeszoon Heda, oil on panel, 1631.

What I sometimes forget was how symbolic all of these objects were to the audience that had the occasion to view them all those years ago. And it's also interesting to note that artists often purposefully chose to depict items that might be a challenge to paint as a way to display their painting skills.

All of this symbolism and desire to show off resulted in a lot of paintings that look over the top and a bit unreal. Take floral painting for example. Painting flowers was a focus of many artists during the golden age of Dutch painting. Symbolically, artists and viewers were interested in the nature of a flower's existence—from freshly cut and blooming to wilting and dying—because of the implied "moral" or lesson behind the work, namely that life is fleeting and death, a certainty.

Still Life with Flowers by Willem van Aelst, oil on canvas, 1665.

But fresh flowers in a painting were also a sign of supreme luxury. During the 17^th century, having a bouquet of flowers was virtually unheard of in even the wealthiest households. In fact, in most Dutch homes flowers weren't displayed in the way we are used to at all. Instead blooms were displayed one by one in small vases or tulip-holders designed specifically to hold relatively few flowers.

By creating this kind of ostentatious floral painting that depicted incredible bouquets most viewers couldn't ever hope to actually see in person or have in their homes, artists were accomplishing two things. One, pointing out the artifice of such displays as a reminder that life is not all about luxury and putting store in such things is a waste. But they were also subverting that very message—by displaying such beautiful bouquets in the first place they were sorely tempting viewers to buy the painting, essentially conveying the idea that you can't have such luxuries in real life, but this painting will give them to you and the flowers in this painting will never die.

For us to pay the tradition of Dutch painting forward and to be part of this engaging and fascinating genre means really understand the motivation for the art and the technical execution that it took to get to those amazing final works. Still Life Painting Highlights and Guide to Painting Flowers are two of the highest caliber resources that we have to offer on the subject, and they are sure to give all of us the foundation we need to have our own artistic golden ages. Enjoy!

I Heart Contemporary Painters Who Use Classical Methods

2012-02-06T04:19:00Z

Artists working today that I admire most all usually have one thing in common—they have developed their own unique contemporary practice while still utilizing classical methods. I've come to realize that I have a bias for artwork that has a well-thought-out narrative, but I'm also drawn to work that is carefully crafted and made sensitively and with care.


A mixed media painting by Marshall Arisman from his Ayahuasca Series.

Marshall Arisman is one such artist. Working with historic and traditional methods, he builds a bridge between contemporary themes and the exacting practices of the artistic greats of the past, and yet he isn't content to be a copyist with his work. Instead he chooses to mix media and create art that is layered in different drawing, painting, and sculpting techniques that combine old and new methods.

For example, in his latest instructional DVD, Modern Mixed Media, Arisman takes viewers into his studio space and shows how his creative mixed media process flows, starting with him creating visual references out of paper mache to demonstrating a wide variety of drawing techniques that include using a comb and roller. He explains how alternative methods of drawing open up creative doorways for him, and that a vast variety of textures are available to you if you work outside the box.




	A drawing from Arisman's Ayahuasca Series (top) and the artist using a comb to create marks on his drawing surface (bottom).

Arisman deeply loves his mixed media painting process; that much is obvious. He often starts with a sculptural reference, creates a charcoal drawing sketch from it, and then uses the drawing as a catalyst for an oil painting. As I watched the artist work, I intuited that Arisman is so committed to his mixed media art process because it allows many avenues of artistic exploration to open up before him.

By the end of Modern Mixed Media, I was energized and entranced. Arisman took traditional oil painting in a totally different direction for me, and I loved it. Mostly because the idea of using many media to create a final work really appeals to my own artistic sensibilities, and because of the skill and passion that Arisman obviously has. I hope you find that Modern Mixed Media with Marshall Arisman switches on the light bulb for you in the same way it did for me. And the first 500 buyers get a limited edition version of the DVD that includes signed and numbered print from Arisman. Enjoy!

Only As Good As the Hand Wielding It

2012-02-03T04:52:00Z

A painting brush isn't animate. It isn't going to teach me how to paint or go about painting art when no one is looking. It needs the hand of the artist to do its job.


Penitent Mary Magdalene by Titian, 1560s, oil on canvas.

But one thing a brush—by its very nature—is made for is emphasizing paint texture. Just think back on how early Renaissance artists worked through decades in which a smooth glossy surface was tantamount. That changed dramatically when artists like Titian and Rembrandt came on the scene.

All of a sudden, paint techniques grew to encompass how the paint sat on the surface. Paint texture came to be analyzed like it was true writing on the wall. The marks of the brush could provide endless painting lessons for oil painting students and practitioners.

You could look at the dabs of color that dot a painting and see leaves, pebbles, rain or snow. A long vertical stroke that widens at the bottom becomes a tree trunk with one controlled swipe. A gestural curving stroke becomes the shape of a reflected piece of light on a glass bottle.


		Woman with a Pink by Rembrandt, 1660s, oil on canvas.

But the most important of all painting lessons dealing with brushwork that I've learned has to do, in a way, with putting form to function. Make marks that describe the shapes you are painting. Short dabs can be ripples of water, broad strokes can follow the motion of drapery, whatever you want—the point is that we are all cognizant of how the stroke in essence becomes the form. That's the greatest reward to learning how to handle a paintbrush in varied ways—the stroke you make come together with your intention to (hopefully) create the object you see in your mind's eye!

American Artist Guide to Painting Techniques is the resource I started with when starting to delve into brushwork. There's an informative breakdown of brushwork by medium and by the kind of painting you intend to make. All in all, I've found it is a worthwhile guide to keep nearby and reference often. Enjoy!

Are Your Colors Going to Be "In" This Spring?

2012-02-02T04:06:00Z

I know it is only January, but I'm already thinking spring! And so is the Pantone Color Institute. The organization has just released their seasonal color report, and while this is specifically written for the fashion and design industry, we art-minded peeps are sure to find it equally interesting, even if we don't match our oil painting or watercolor palettes to the trends they are predicting.

Apparently hot neon colors and soft pastels are going to be the talk of the spring season. Plein air painters know what this is about-nature at its extremes. An incandescent sunset, the ocean glimmering as evening settles with lightning pulsing in the distance-all of these create the kind of environment when bright and soft colors mingle, just as fashion designer Nanette Lepore points out.

Yellow is going to be a key color of the spring season. And thinking through that, is anyone really surprised. The warm richness of yellow is what sunlight is all about. Plus, yellow is never given enough credit for being the backbone of a lot great greens.

Pantone is also predicting a couple of interesting neutrals for this year: Driftwood and Starfish. The names are less than informative, but the colors are interesting. They made me think of coastal rocks and clay creek beds.

What colors are you going to unleash in your pastel, oil, acrylic, watercolor—whatever!—paintings and drawings this spring? Let me know!

Hello, February Painting of the Month!

2012-02-01T18:41:00Z

Come like the Artist Daily page on Facebook and see our February Painting of the Month. Enjoy!

Color Wars

2012-02-01T04:04:00Z

When I asked friends and colleagues about landscape painting artists with the best use of color, the conversation got downright heated. Mostly because there's so much to consider when you look at each individual artist's color "theory" or purpose they have for the painting. Color schemes are going to vary depending on whether the artist wants to convey mood or expression; to capture the light or a time of day; or to create a dynamic composition that is less about reality and more about creating a painting that visually holds together.

Corot—I'm not sure how Corot did his color mixing, but I'm consistently amazed at how pearlescent his colors appear. He rendered form tightly with the brush, but his colors were all about a delicate, natural unfolding.

Ville d'Avray by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot,
ca. 1867, oil on canvas.

Levitan—I think if I'd had Levitan's eyes, I would know what true color is. That's what I think of when I look at his work—that the colors are so pure that it almost seems like he was painting with colored glass.


A Sunny Day by Isaac Ilyich Levitan, oil painting, 1900.

Pissarro—To convey a time of day or year with the skill that Pissarro possessed was all about seeing light when mixing colors. Looking at any one of his works, you get the sense of a chill in the air or an overcast shadow to the sky because Pissarro believed in painting in the natural settings he found in the outdoors.


Boulevard Montmartre by Camille Pissarro, oil on canvas, 1897.

Whistler—An incredible atmosphere envelopes all of Whistler's nocturnes—they go from murky to jewel-toned, shadowed yet pierced with searing light. His color theory was all about building form through the arrangement of color that is beautiful and compelling, but may not necessarily be true to what is found in the natural world.


Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge by James McNeill Whistler, 1872-77, oil painting.

One thing that sets an artist's color art abilities above the rest is his or her ability to paint light with color. Painting Light: The Cape Code School Method with Camille Przewodek was an eye opener in that regard for me. Przewodek shows how color and light are inextricably linked, and that the true test of color is how well it conveys light. Her process is an exciting challenge for any painter and one that will serve us all well when we have it mastered. Enjoy!

Let Me Arrange Your Life

2012-01-30T04:46:00Z


The grapes establish dominance in an otherwise bland still life painting setup.

Your still life! By following a few key guidelines when creating still life painting setups, you will be on your way to creating successful, dynamic paintings that really stand out. Here are a few pieces of advice to keep in mind when putting together your own compositions.

Establish dominance. A composition instantly becomes more cohesive if there is a visual hierarchy and one object commands more attention than others.

The effect should be subtle, but it is always important to have a focal point or dominate object in a still life setup to guide the viewer through a painting.

Hit repeat. An affordable and easy way to compose a still life drawing or painting is to feature one kind of object in many different positions.

For example take a dozen apples, and arrange them with one goal in mind: to place or position each apple in a different way. The same visual appeal doesn't come if you use varied items, which can sometimes lead to a composition that appears too busy.


	A number of the same objects can make a compelling still life.



	Variety is created by using the oranges and peppers as a whole and in segments and slices.

Variety with just one item. Master still life artists are always focused on how to make the most of their chosen objects, and one possible way to do so is to paint an object both whole and in parts. For example, paint an orange whole, peeled, and separated into segments.

For more tips and tricks on still life art, you can pore over an entire year's worth of articles and instruction in our new American Artist CD Collection. Every issue for the entire year is there and will get you brainstorming your next artwork in no time. Enjoy!

Make Your Mark, But Make It Different

2012-01-27T04:26:00Z

Recently, artist and our contributing blogger Daniel Maidman wrote a really insightful article about varying your mark making that I want to share because it seems like so many of us are refocusing our interest to drawing, and this is a great approach to internalize as we do that. Enjoy!


Piera 1 & 2 by Daniel Maidman.

I've been thinking about ways I personally switch up techniques. The first one I think of is variation in mark making. Consider these two drawings. Both are from the same life-drawing workshop. The first is a 40-minute pose, and the second is a 20-minute pose. In the first figure drawing, I followed my ordinary practice—the one I use for repetitive skill building. This involves tight drawing, line work as accurate as I can make it, and a patient building up of light and dark values. I have a ways to go with this approach, but getting even this far has been a work of years. These kinds of drawings were really not very good at all when I started.

The practice involves subtle marks and focuses on details. This technique promotes a narrow vision of parts, and I decided to change my mark-making for the next pose. Instead of tight rendering of individual structures, I aimed for catching the entire figure. Accuracy was a lower priority. I wanted to get the feeling of dynamic tension, the overall play of light, and the energy of the model. The pencil marks were correspondingly rougher, larger, and more visible.

As you can see, I'm nowhere near as good at that as I am at the tighter mode of drawing.

But the purpose of these kinds of exercises isn't necessarily to make a presentable finished piece. It's to force your mind, your eye, and your hand to tackle the problem of picture-making differently. By zooming back to the entire figure, I train myself to see the entire figure even in the tighter drawings. By focusing the marks on energy, I import energy back into my native drawing practice. This is one of several ways to shock the system—to encourage yourself to grow faster and stronger than repetition alone allows.

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Another way to shock your artistic system in the way Daniel is talking about is to pursue art practice techniques in detail, and our latest studio essentials—Modeling with Light and Drawing on the Dark Side—allow you to do just that, explore the topics that hold your interest with nothing else getting in the way. And check out our newest topic page on drawing basics—an overview of all the ways drawing is the gateway to all great art. Enjoy!

That Dog Won't Hunt

2012-01-25T04:12:00Z


Cirque Tents by Terri Ford, pastel painting.

It's what I thought to myself when I started to look into how to get layers of pastel to build up. It just didn't seem possible, or easily possible. But I did my research, and that dog will hunt! Here are a few tips on how to get the layered effects you want when pastel painting.

Major build-up. To get a vibrant glowing surface when painting pastel works, start by putting down a layer of color with the side of a soft stick of pastel. Then spray fixative over the area. Then apply another layer of color, and so on. You can lay down as many layers as you want, fixing in between each one. You can also allow the fixative to dry or experiment with your surface while it is wet.

Feather light. With pastels, it is easy to inadvertently blend or rub in areas, whether by resting your hand on the surface or as a result of too much blending and overlaying of color in a given passage. To brighten up an area again with visual interest, take a hard pastel or pencil and make vertical strokes over the area. It will allow the surface beneath to show through, but will no longer be a flat passage of color as it is built up with the addition of these feathered strokes.


		Architectural Remnants by Charles Timken, pastel painting.

Show us your teeth. The paper that you work with in any pastel painting or drawing should have a good deal of texture if you want it to hold successive layers of pigment. And you'll want to use the side of soft pastels so that large swaths of area are covered in color that can be layered upon with additional colors.

If you really want to explore all the layering possibilities that pastel painting has to offer, painting portrait painting is the way to go. There's nothing more dynamic than the human face, and using pastel to capture it can be an exciting challenge. Portrait artist Wende Caporale is just the artist to lead us through the process. Her new DVD Children's Pastel Portraits is a wonderfully in-depth and gives a solid foundation for understanding this beautiful medium and how to apply it to portraiture. Enjoy!

P.S. Do you have any strategies on layering pastels? Please share and leave a comment!

Do You Know All Your Lines?

2012-01-23T04:33:00Z


Two Women with Still Life by Willem de Kooning, pastel and charcoal on paper, 22 1/4 x 18 3/4 in., 1952.

The artifice of line is one of the aspects of drawing that I am most in love with. The fact that we can take line—which doesn't exist in the natural world—and create works of art that look incredibly real or full of fakery, depending on what we want to do with it, is enthralling.

And artists do so much with it. I mean, just think of all the various types of line that you might use in any given pencil sketch.

You could start with a something elementary like an outline drawing with rectilinear lines that are straight with pointed angles. A cube or an architectural blueprint comes to mind, as does Michelangelo's design of the Medici Chapel in Florence.

But that's only the start. Sketching with curvilinear or organic lines that are curving, oftentimes gestural, and free-flowing can produce drawings as various as those of Willem de Kooning or Raphael or Bouguereau.


	Michelangelo's design of the Medici Chapel in Florence is based on rectilinear straight lines and clean pointed angles.


	Egon Schiele's contour line drawing, Mother with Child (1910).

Look inside any artist's sketchbook and the drawing sketches you find will usually find yet another kind of line—broken line. Quick figure sketches often have short slash marks or hatches that are almost essential in a contour drawing, and when multiplied and layered these broken lines can become crosshatching that gives a sense of volume to a drawn object or figure.

In contrast, a continuous line can be used to great effect in a drawing because the line takes center stage. Schiele was a master with continuous line, making the whole thing look animate and alive—as much as the subject he was depicting!


Self-portrait by Raphael, c. 1495.

And then there is implied line, which is tricky to point out because the line is not actually there and the lack is what often animates a drawing. Picasso's drawing of a bull shows how exceptionally the artist uses line and the implication of line.

After talking through these concepts I feel as if I'm seeing lines everywhere, and one place where I know I can further my knowledge and passion for line while seeing great art as a final product is in the pages of our best drawing resources: Drawing: The Complete Course and The Best of Drawing. With these, I've started to better understand how I can use many kinds of line in my drawings and how other artists have used them as well. Enjoy!

Do It with a Stranger

2012-01-20T04:51:00Z


Eva Mullarky by Kristin Künc, oil on linen, 9 x 13, 2011.

I can be a really hard sell when it comes to portraiture because from a beginner painter's perspective, I'm not always sure how to get the most out of a portrait painting session. So I wanted to talk to a close friend and amazing portrait artist, Kristin Künc, about her portraiture teaching and painting practice to get some insights into how to get the most out of any portrait I decide to paint and how to make one a cut above the rest.

"An interesting hairdo." As an artist who has spent hundreds if not thousands of hours working, Künc stresses that you can't underestimate the importance of eye-catching. If you are doing just a standard head and shoulders portrait with no background, then encourage the model to bring an interesting accessory to wear during the session. It could be a scarf, earrings, a necklace, or even a unique hairdo. As long as it catches the eye, you are on the right track.

"Shy, or outgoing, or strange." A strong advocate for getting to know your model—even if just setting aside a few minutes before the session for a brief conversation—Künc encourages her students to paint the model the way they are. If they are shy—don't have them look directly out. If they have a bolder disposition, they can look right at you. If the person is strange or has a peculiar way about them, use more dramatic lighting to accentuate their expression in a way that heightens their look.

"Sounds old fashioned, but..." Künc says that the one thing that differentiates a great portrait is whether or not the underlying drawing for it is good. If not, it won't matter how great the colors are or how interesting the brushwork is. Another key necessity is a good light source where the lights and shadows are clearly distinguished on the face.


Portrait of Deiter by Kristin Künc, oil on linen, 10 x 12, 2011.		Portrait of the Fortune Teller by Kristin Künc, oil on linen, 9 x 13, 2010.


	Hill Girl by Kristin Künc, oil on linen, 10 x 12, 2009.

"Get someone off the street." Künc mentioned this to me in a tongue-in-cheek way, but she went on to explain that what she meant was that when learning to do portraits, it can be really helpful to not paint your family members, children, husband, or wife. These are the people who are apt to be most critical, and that can be hard to take when starting out. If it is a friend or stranger, you won't be emotionally attached and can approach the painting relaxed and not worried, freeing yourself to make mistakes and learn from them.

For Künc, portraiture is a way of challenging herself and simultaneously doing what she loves, and isn't that all of us really want? So if you want to further explore all that portraiture has to offer, you might be interested in our DVDs on the topic: Mastering Oil Portrait Painting with Ron Hicks, Mastering Portrait Drawing with Susan Lyon, and Mastering Watercolor Portraiture with Mary Whyte. Enjoy!

Painting with a Magical Medium

2012-01-18T04:03:00Z


Astor Place by Emily Falco, watercolor painting, 14 1/2 x 14 1/2, 2009.

It warms my heart when I hear artists expressing excitement about their chosen painting medium because artists are the ones in the business of knowing all the ins and outs of their materials. For them to articulate such positive responses about their paints, pencils, and brushes validates the artistic process and stirs an equal amount of enthusiasm in me.

Emily Falco works in watercolor, and according to her, she "thinks" in it as well. "It's a magical medium-the paints can dry out but be used again; the light is contained in the paper; and the colors blend and separate in the most unique and surprising ways," she says.

Falco's success in working with watercolor is all about embracing the washes she can achieve and their corresponding drips and fluidity. For her, this started with large-scale acrylic paintings though she eventually transitioned to watercolor art to save space. "I was drawn to the idea that I could keep many paintings in a portfolio—which takes up the same amount of space as one canvas," she says.


	Q Train by Emily Falco, watercolor painting, 9 x 12 1/4, 2009.

So that she never misses a scene that inspires, Falco always travels with a camera. "I often combine elements from different photographs in a single painting," she says, though she also savors the opportunity to paint en plein air as well. And she has learned to go with her gut—if something catches her eye and moves her, Falco acts on it with her work—but she never tries to force or speed up the process. "I'll walk away for a few minutes," she says. "I like every painting to happen in its own time."

For more on Falco and so many other artists who specialize in water-based painting and have techniques and tips to share, check out the Winter 2012 issue of Watercolor magazine. It is the first issue that will come straight to your door with your subscription, so get it while you can. Enjoy!

Where’s Your Free eBook on Life Drawing & Drawing Models? Right Here!

2012-01-16T04:50:00Z


Slumber at Chuckwalla Valley (detail) by Sharon Allicotti, drawing.

If art were a banquet, I would constantly be going back for more helpings of life drawing. It is a consistently rewarding artistic experience because I've never met a more inspiring—and challenging—exercise than drawing models.

There's just so much to take in! Every time a model makes a move, there's something to glean and work on—shadows and gesture to skin texture and how the limbs extend. Every life drawing pose reveals a whole new avenue of artistic pursuit.

If you are thinking the same thing and want to delve more into your own life drawings, 11 Reasons for Drawing Models & Attending Life-Drawing Sessions from Artist Daily is sure to spur you on. Author and artist Sharon Allicotti has a whole list of reasons why life drawings should be part of every artist's repertoire, and points out that drawing models isn't just for students. In fact, making life-drawing sketches a part of your career can result in better art for us all.

By taking life-drawing lessons, you are able to network with other artists, save substantial amounts of money on model fees, and most importantly improve your overall drawing skills of gauging proportion, assessing space more accurately, and understanding the landscape of the body.

"The body can be conceived as analogous with the manifold living and nonliving forms of the natural landscape: It's no coincidence that we speak of the trunks and limbs of trees, and find in hilly terrain the undulating forms of a reclining nude," says Allicotti.

To start your life drawing lessons, download 11 Reasons for Drawing Models & Attending Life-Drawing Sessions from Artist Daily. Download now!

And for a free eBook that goes hand in hand with 11 Reasons for Drawing Models, enjoy Human Figure Drawing Tutorial from Artist Daily: 13 Gesture Drawing Techniques. Enjoy!

Photograph Your Art Like a Pro

2012-01-13T04:47:00Z

Our contributing bloggers John Hulsey and Ann Trusty of The Artist's Road wrote a really informative blog about how to get the most out of a photograph of your painting or drawing, and I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!


Film holder frame attached to my light stand.


Lexan/polarizing film sandwich I made to fit in the film holder frames.


Note the Tiffen linear polarizing filter on the lens.

All the hard work and unique vision that we pour into our painting and drawing can result in artwork that we are proud of. The next step is to make an accurate photographic record of our art to share with friends, collectors, galleries, and perhaps to enter into juried exhibitions.

The essential component to that sharing process these days is the making of a professional-quality digital recording of our art. We have two choices—pay a hefty fee to have a pro shoot our work, or invest a small amount of money to purchase our own professional equipment and learn how to make these photographic exposures ourselves.

Ann and I have done it both ways and believe that, in the long run, it is far more economical, efficient, and fun to handle the photography ourselves. Here are a few tips we've learned along the way.

-Regardless of which brands of lights, stands, and filters you use, it is essential that you purchase a camera with a good-quality glass lens. Every image must first pass through a lens of some kind, so it is far better to get a camera with good optics but perhaps lower megapixels than the reverse! Buying a good used professional camera is a smart way to do this.

-Lighting is essential. I have an Impact Universal Film Holder frame attached to my light stand, along with a Tota-Light and heat shield. I also use a Lexan/polarizing film sandwich I made to fit in the film holder frames. The Linear polarizing film can be purchased in various sizes and cut to fit, if necessary.

-When a Tiffen linear polarizing filter is placed on a camera lens, the filter is rotated to 90-degrees from the orientation of the film in front of the lights (cross-polarization), so the hot-spots and glare on your art will disappear, and the colors will increase in saturation, depth, and fidelity. This is why the circular polarizer often sold for digital cameras won't work here.

You can really see the difference that polarizing made in these two images of my oil painting, Another Night. On the left, no polarizing, and essentially a useless image. On the right you can see how the spectral highlights (hot spots) vanished, leaving well-balanced, rich tones without the heavy influence of the red-yellow tungsten light spectrum. All that was needed was to crop the image and tweak it a little here and there in Photoshop.

A small investment in the proper filters and lights pays big dividends in the results. With most juried shows relying on the quality of our photographs to decide who will make the first cut, it is imperative that artists get professional with their photography. Without top-notch high-fidelity images to show, there is no way to get a fair assessment of our work. And that is entry-fee money down the drain. So we should do all we can to learn about taking professional-quality photos of our art. It is easy and fun, and there are sources like The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos that can really give you the photography tips and tricks you need to take high quality images of your art objects.

Do you have tips on how to use digital photography to create strong images of your artwork? Leave a comment and let us know.