Artist Daily : acrylic painting

An All-Or-Nothing Proposition?

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:15:00 GMT

One of the best conversations I’ve had about art wasn’t with an artist. It wasn’t with an art historian, curator, or gallery owner, either. It was with a mechanical engineer. We went from discussing his latest design project to the artfulness of historical blueprints to Leonardo’s notebooks—and I think we may have even touched on Umberto Boccioni and Futurism.

The City Rises by Umberto Boccioni, oil painting, 1910.

Looking back on it, I’m not too surprised that someone with a scientific mind would be so knowledgeable about art. It’s become quite clear that art and technology share quite a few commonalities. Both are driven by innovation, experimentation, and observation. Trial-and-error is a cornerstone in both fields. Neither stands still for long; they are both ever-changing frontiers. So it seems natural that technology can lead artists in interesting directions, whether by making what they already do a little easier or by introducing new tools that help transform their process.


Artist Jove Wang uses a source photo to transfer his composition to canvas.

For example, digital photography means no more lugging around film, having the ability to see photos as they are shot, and being able to make adjustments in the moment. Computer programs of 3-D human poses allow artists to practice the fundamentals of rendering even if they don’t have a mannequin or aren’t yet ready to work from a live model. Software such as Photoshop allows one to manipulate photos, make color corrections, and play around with compositions.

It seems that technology, from the first metal oil painting tubes to climate-controlled studios, has a useful place in the art world, regardless of your medium or style. Allowing technology to play a part in your process is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Regardless of the source, artistic innovation always comes back to the artist—after all, a tool is only as useful as the hand that wields it. Taking advantage of technological innovations doesn’t elevate or delegitimize an artist, or make his or her execution more or less skillful. It is just another example of how an artist chooses how to paint or draw, and that choice is a deeply individual and creative right.

Building on solid technique allows artists to take their work in any direction they choose. Capturing the gesture and form of the human body is one such essential technique and if you are looking for resources in acrylic painting, drawing and sketching, or colored pencil, Lee Hammond's DVDs can help you, whether you are just starting out or want to enhance your skills.

With Instincts Like Vermeer & Vuillard

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 03:15:00 GMT

Continuing the long line of intimists from Vermeer to Vuillard, Mark Karnes makes an alluring world out of the quietest aspects of his domestic life. Like all great painters of the near-at-hand, Karnes' work reminds us that beauty is to be found everywhere, at both expected and unexpected moments, and with every turn of the head.

Interior With Sailboat by Mark Karnes, oil painting, 2005. 24 x 36.
Adapted from an article by Ephraim Rubenstein.

Karnes' acrylic-painting sketches are generally painted alla prima, in one sitting, whereas his more finished paintings develop slower. For those, he usually starts out with a surface toned with a neutral raw-umber wash. Even with the most complicated pieces, such as Interior With Sailboat, the artist starts out with almost no preparatory drawing. What is of interest to him at the beginning is the large division of light and dark. He then starts to introduce temperature changes, thinking about what parts of the light are warm and what parts cool.

At any given point, he does only as much drawing as he needs to help him place the color. Only toward the end does he pin down the specifics of the drawing. This ensures that his paintings are primarily about tone, color, and light, rather than their ostensible subject.

The particular voyage of Interior With Sailboat is taken in midwinter, when the toy sailboat generally sits in dry dock on the table. The cold winter light, rendered so beautifully in the painting, bathes the attic room that Karnes uses as a studio. The model sailboat--the subtle centerpiece of the whole painting--suggests that all is quiet, while the beam of direct light, momentarily hitting the far wall, reminds us that time is passing and that the winds will change.

For more insights on the power and mutability of acrylic painting, consider Acrylic Solutions. You'll find new and challenging acrylic-painting lessons and tips on how to create art pieces that look and feel contemporary. Enjoy!

It's Not Magic, It's a Free eBook on How to Paint With Acrylics

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 03:11:00 GMT

Interest in acrylic painting is skyrocketing. There is less and less of a bias against this medium as a newcomer, and more and more of an interest in the healthful qualities and vibrant colors acrylics have to offer.

In our free eBook, Acrylic Painting Techniques: Methods on How to Paint With Acrylics for Acrylic Landscape Painting and Interiors, you'll see what all the fuss is about concerning painting with acrylics. To start, Jeanette Chupack offers her unique point of view on how to compose and paint varied acrylic landscape paintings. Her biggest inspiration is the land, sea, and wildlife around her home. Chupack shows how she translates these images to canvas and troubleshoots along the way, including how she corrects mistakes and treats her surface for a high-gloss finish.

Rounding the Bend by Jeanette Chupack, acrylic painting, 2009, 20 x 30.

Then there is an acrylic painting tutorial devoted to interiors, so you as an artist can understand how acrylics work both indoors and out. You'll find acrylic painting techniques on how to use retarder to slow down the drying process so that you can blend colors seamlessly, plus a step-by-step demonstration by artist Ronald Lewis.

In Acrylic Painting Techniques: Methods on How to Paint With Acrylics for Acrylic Landscape Painting and Interiors, you'll also find five acrylic artists sharing their methods, materials, and techniques. It's a smorgasbord of information valuable to any artist who wants to get the most out of their acrylics. Download your copy of Acrylic Painting Techniques: Methods on How to Paint With Acrylics for Acrylic Landscape Painting and Interiors now and enjoy!

And if you have an artist-friend who would love to have access to this free eBook, feel free to forward this email onto them as well!

8 Essential Painting Tips

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 04:11:00 GMT

Sometimes I get list fever, and this is one of those days. I have made a grocery list, a list of gifts I need to buy, and a list of artists I want to look up. The only list I haven't made yet is my list of lists!

But lists are great things, especially when you are like me, learning painting techniques and trying to apply them consistently and properly. Sometimes, a list of essentials helps me keep it all together in the studio.

Moonlight by William Hook, 12 x 24.

So here is yet another list, this time of eight essential painting tips gleaned from artist William Hook.

1. Sketch carefully and solve compositional problems first so that when you are painting, no drawing issues crop up.

2. Paint the middle ground first when learning how to paint. From there you can better assess where your center of focus should be.


	Forest Edge Study by William Hook, 12 x 12.

3. Resist the temptation to vertically expand a scene, especially if you are painting a landscape. You'll lose the effect of a vast area if you do.

4. Use a big brush so that you can't obsess and niggle with unnecessary details.

5. Consistency in your treatment of the light source is key to creating a convincing painting.

6. Paint negative space late in the process and use this time to define and alter previous brushstrokes.

7. Triangulate spot colors in a painting; that is, place a high-chroma accent color in three places to create a sense of balance.

8. Simplify, but also vary, your brushwork.

If you are interested in more in-depth painting tips and paint techniques, consider the Innovative Acrylic Painting Techniques Premium Palette, which features six acrylic-painting guides--three DVDs and three books--that can give you all the information about painting processes, color mixes, and glazing that you are looking for. Enjoy!

I Don't Need You Anymore

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 04:12:00 GMT

In all the painting or drawing dabbling I've done, there is always a definitive moment that divides my experiences into "before" and "after." It's the moment I realize I don't have to worry about going back because every mistake is, in fact, a painting challenge that isn't dire or insurmountable. It just calls for a little creativity.


Rouen Cathedral: Setting Sun (Symphony in Grey and Pink) by Monet, 1892-1894, oil on canvas.

Sometimes it takes more time than I would like for this moment to arrive. But with acrylic painting, this occasion came a lot sooner than I expected--which makes sense considering how user-friendly acrylics are.

I remember I was trying to re-create a Monet painting of the Rouen Cathedral. This was at a time when I didn't have access to an easel, so I was painting on the floor. I reached across my painting and got a smear of unmixed color where it didn't belong. Breath gone, hopes dashed, on the verge...of...hysteria. But wait! Don't panic. Before I gave into my instincts to rush and fix the problem, and no doubt actually make it worse, I stepped back and waited. And waited just a bit longer. Eventually, I got what I wanted--the surface dried and I just started that section all over again. I lost some time but not much else.

This situation provided a good reminder not to lose my head, but more than anything it gave me a lot of appreciation for the fast drying rate of acrylics. And, in fact, after I learned this lesson the hard way I began loosening up and not being so fearful, because I knew that if I made a mistake, I could always reapply pigment after the surface had dried.

By painting with acrylics I learned that I didn't need my uptight fearfulness anymore. But what I did want and need was to better understand how other acrylic-painting artists work--and I'm still learning this. Finding out the perspectives of practicing artists is so helpful because I know they've really put their paint through a workout. I want to gain from that knowledge! Right now Chris Cozen's new DVD, Top 10 Acrylic Painting Techniques, is what I've set my sights on. It gives a lot of coverage and discussion to the finer points of acrylic painting that I want to know more about. Enjoy!

Do You Have Your Own Personal Symbolism?

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 04:21:00 GMT

When you think about it, you probably have a personal symbolism—objects or colors or landscape features that hold special meaning for you. These ideas can develop from our personal experiences, our culture, or books we've read.


	In the comic book realm, straightforward symbolism is expected, but in fine art personal symbolism can lead to more creative narratives. (Thor by Lee Oaks, 2010)

For example, I associate a rich-colored green with well-being and positivity. And in my mind, drums mean movement and latent power. These are my personal ideas, and because of that they can be a powerful source for narrative. I point out the existence of personal symbolism because sometimes—in a lot of fantasy-art pictures, for example—symbolism tends to be less personal and more general and widely recognizable.

We all recognize fantasy images of superheroes, for instance, because they are the figures who are biggest, tallest, and strongest...and because they often wear a cape. These sorts of recognizable symbols have their place, but I think artists of fantasy pictures often do their work a disservice by being too didactic with their symbolism.


Pastel colors can convey a lightheartedness, as in this acrylic painting by John Harrell, titled Pastel Trolley.

But when you take inspiration from your own personal symbolism (a superhero in my mind could easily be represented by objects of teaching—a ruler, desk, or book), there is character and uniqueness to the choices you make, which put your work in a category all its own. So next time you are thinking of how to convey an idea or narrative in your work, reflect on symbols that hold a personal meaning, and I think you'll find the outcome rewarding and meaningful for you and your viewers.

Personal symbolism can come into play no matter what kind of painting or drawing you create, but most of all it raises our awareness about the many things that objects, colors, and textures can communicate to viewers, which every artist should try to be aware of. In the DVD Acrylic Painting: Scenes From the City, I discovered that using unexpected colors in a painting or depicting figures in an otherwise empty cityscape can have a great deal of impact. It's up to us to decide what our personal symbols are and how to apply them to get the effects we want in our artwork. John K. Harrell does that to great effect in Acrylic Painting: Scenes From the City, and it is a lesson worth learning. And because today is a very special day—12.12.12—we are offering 12 products for $12.12, including Scenes From the City. Enjoy!

Broken, Dirty, and Torn Up

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 04:44:00 GMT

I respect Steve Wilda's approach to still life painting because he depicts objects that most people would pass by. Torn lace tablecloths, broken mugs, rusted out pots—the items that Wilda depicts aren't refined, yet the still life paintings he creates have a rough-and-tumble beauty about them that is memorable and appealing.

Coffee Break by Steve Wilda, acrylic painting.

Looking at Wilda's work makes me reassess all the objects for still life painting exercises that I may have discarded in the past. I guess I have always thought that only "certain" objects are right for still life artwork—objects that are clean and intact. But I haven't been giving the patina of time its due. Objects that show their use and those that have been broken or altered in some way can be just as interesting as ones in pristine condition.


Lemon Drops by Steve Wilda, acrylic painting.

In fact, I think that objects that show you a little bit about the life they've led have more character than ones that are brand new. I've also found that I have a stronger connection to the objects Wilda depicts because my senses are more engaged in looking at them. When I see a broken coffee mug, my mind settles on imagining how that broken edge feels, or what the texture is of the rust on the pitted bucket in the painting Lemon Drops. Instead of being a liability in his still life art, these aspects of his still life objects put Wilda's paintings a bit above the rest in my mind.

But no matter what kind of object lures your eye, start with Still Life Painting Atelier to learn all the oil-painting approaches you'll need to paint anything and everything you can find. From lessons on painting metallic and reflective surfaces to step-by-step information on texture and edges, Still Life Painting Atelier is a resource that is packed with crucial information for any painter looking for solid instruction. Enjoy!

I Must Be Doing Something Wrong

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 04:34:00 GMT

That was my first thought when I started to explore acrylic painting. The paints would dry so fast and it drove me crazy because I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. Looking back, I realize how many acrylic painting techniques I still had to learn. But I don't regret trying acrylic paints on my own.


Backlit Still Life 1 by Ken Goldman, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 14.

Yes, I experienced frustration along the way, but that was a small price to pay to begin painting without any preconceptions. I didn't think about what I should or shouldn't do, and instead let my own response to the medium guide me. I found, as many of us have, that putting just a little water into the pigment gives you so much more control over the medium (although I did go a little crazy adding water and that resulted in uneven color coating). I also discovered that I don't like palettes that are designed to stay wet, and instead prefer to first dip my brush in water and then the acrylic paint and get the consistency right by mixing it on piece of cardboard.

I also learned that if I wanted my painting to have texture, using a brush with stiff bristles was more effective. When I wanted to achieve watercolor-like effects, a soft-bristled brush was more suitable.

Now that I know the basics of acrylic painting, I want to learn how to create amazing color combos that can be achieved with acrylic painting. 500 Acrylic Mixes is the perfect place to start, and right now the 12 Days of Deals is going on, which means featured resources like this one are being offered at great prices. See what is right for you and enjoy!

Light, Light, Burning Bright

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 03:50:00 GMT

Hopefully Blake will forgive me for that little rewrite, but when I see a painting that has complicated light effects or diffuse light that seems almost prismatic I can't help but think of that adulterated line of poetry.


		New York City, Winter 2006, The Storm by Nina Maguire, 2006-2011, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24.

It happens when I look at Whistler's nocturnes and it also occurred when I looked at the acrylic paintings of Nina Maguire. The latter's art makes me wonder about the acrylic painting techniques she uses to get her surfaces to look almost like clouded glass--the colors are clear but they have an opacity to them as well.

The artist's acrylic landscape painting, especially her snowy winter scenes, shows such sensitivity to how light reflects off of and spreads out onto the white reflective surface. The diffuse light changes color as it pools over different objects, going from bluish-white to gray, green, or yellow.


Bridge Nocturne V (Tappan Zee) by Nina Maguire, 2006, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 30.

Maguire is also sensitive to how objects that "carry" the light--like snow in motion or clouds in the sky--can be depicted with acrylic paint. To effectively paint snow coming down at a diagonal she uses brushstrokes that follow the motion of the flakes. Car lights whizzing by are rendered as dabs and streaks of pigment. Painting this way allows the artist to create visual depth even though Maguire's scenes are usually quite sparse and show a lot of open expanses of sky or sea.

Painting light is essential for any successful realistic landscape artwork. 500 Acrylic Mixes gives an inside look at all the color possibilities that can allow you to create luminous color and light in your acrylic paintings for just that purpose. It's a resource to keep on hand and refer to often if you are interested in becoming a true "painter of light." Enjoy!

Paint Faceoff: Tube Takes On Jar

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 03:44:00 GMT

For those who are painting with acrylics, this can be a big issue if only because you are constantly dealing with the consequences or benefits of your decision to work with jar color or paint from tubes. What I have gathered from my acrylic painting sources, this is predominately a matter of paint quantity. Namely, how much paint do you use?


Carved in Stone by Charles Harrington, 48 x 60, acrylic painting.

If you paint on a smaller scale, painting with acrylics from tubes makes perfect sense. If you paint on a large scale, or use impasto acrylic painting techniques with a lot of built-up paint on the surface, jar paint is the more economical choice. Though obviously impasto-style painting can easily be done with tube colors as well.

I've also heard mention of the fact that acrylic paints tend to be smoother and thinner when they come from jars. This could be just one person's perspective, but it would make sense given that jar color is often used when a painter wants to mix their color with water or another medium, or cover large swaths of a canvas.

Contamination can be an issue with jar color because painters are often tempted or get into the habit of dipping their brushes directly into jars, which is obviously not a problem when working from tubes. But with tubes, artists often tell me they lose the screw-on tops and end up having to transfer the paint so it doesn't make a mess.


		Eureka Springs Walking Trail by Charles Harrington, 48 x 48, acrylic painting.

So much to consider! But whatever types of paints you use, what you do with them is the most important matter of all. When acrylic painting, one of the biggest adventures is the exploration of color, color, endless color--and 500 Acrylic Mixes gives an acrylic artist the biggest color playbook that I know of. Enjoy!

It's a Sensitive Subject

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 03:39:00 GMT

Topics and ideas that tend to strike a chord and spark debate are often that way because they are so subjective. In art, color is definitely one of those sensitive subjects because no two people see a color in exactly the same way, nor do painters always mix colors identically to create similar end results. Usually, we all go along on our own and arrive at colors independently.

Collange la Rouge by Sherry Zvares Sanabria, acrylic painting on paper, 30 x 60.

Artist Sherry Zvares Sanabria is, however, one of those painters who I'd follow around making notes as she goes about her studio practice because I'd like to know exactly how she gets many of the colors in her acrylic painting work. Painting with acrylic on board, Sanabria creates interiors and old building facades that are very architecturally informed and filled with subtle variations of light, with every surface an understated but beautiful color.


Blue Chamber by Sherry Zvares Sanabria, acrylic painting on paper, 40 x 60.

Painting with acrylics, Sanabria captures the richness of color-and that is usually ascribed as the domain of oil paints. But her skill in making color appear transparent and glowing shows she knows her chosen acrylic painting techniques very well. Her paints are loose, almost like watercolor washes. She doesn't just go from tube to surface. Instead, Sanabria is really forceful when she applies paint, working it into the surface, rubbing it down with a cloth, and then going in again. She also doesn't spend a lot of time building color on her palette away from the actual painting. Instead she does a lot of color mixing right on her surface.

Our newest book, 500 Acrylic Mixes, shows you how vast and varied an acrylic painting palette can be and, more importantly, shows you how to create all those hues for yourself. If you want a skillful use of color to be a predominant part of any painting you create, 500 Acrylic Mixes is definitely worth a look. Enjoy!

AAA: Abstraction is an Asset to Your Art

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 03:42:00 GMT

Abstraction is a key part of how you paint or draw anything. It is seeing completely with the eye, and not allowing the brain to contextualize what we are seeing. But turning off the brain is no small task! I've found that painting with acrylics has given me a bit of insight into abstraction for two reasons: when painting with acrylics, each layer dries fast--so I can practice seeing (and painting) abstractly over and over again in a fairly short period of time. Also, the paints are opaque, so gesture comes more strongly to the fore in any work because it is much less about blending than about making successive layers work together.

Earth and Shade II by John Harrell, acrylic painting.

As I've confessed before, I'm usually a slowpoke ditherer when it comes to painting, largely due to the intimidation factor. When painting with acrylics, I found my speed because those paints dry fast! But that means that as soon as they do, I can go in again. I really enjoy the fact if I try to paint a figure or aspect of the landscape too literally, I can wait a few minutes, assess what I've done, and experiment more abstractly right then and there.


		Sun Lovers by John Harrell, acrylic painting.

We all know that acrylic paints dry opaque unless you add a medium to make them more transparent. This solidity or opacity has proven helpful to a lot of artists who want to build up their abstraction chops. That's because you can see your gesture completely in every stroke you put on the canvas, as opposed to brushwork that layers on in a more transparent way. Exploring gesture in an acrylic painting is especially exciting if I use a palette knife because the entire surface of the painting is looser, more textural, and all about big shapes and color.

John Harrell puts abstraction and acrylic painting techniques together in compelling way in his new DVD, Acrylic Painting: Scenes from the City. He explores how to take two aspects of art that are the most interesting--the figure and landscape painting--and put them together to create appealing compositions and a beautifully painted surface that can be appreciated abstractly and on the basis of representation. Enjoy!

4 Paintings That Rock & Why

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 30 May 2012 03:56:00 GMT

And what do they all have in common? They are all done with acrylic painting techniques.

Peter Drake's Mother W/Out is an unusual but fairly uncomplicated composition that makes the viewer question if the figure is real or a figment. The way the artist has diluted the paint near the back of the head and along the edges of the dress give the figure almost transparent edges. The paint loses body and becomes lighter in some areas, and maintains its density toward the core of the figure's body.

Mother W/Out by Peter Drake, 2004, acrylic painting
on canvas, 30 x 29.

A Bigger Splash is an iconic image from David Hockney, and one that shows the typical characteristics of acrylic paint with its flat slabs of lively color. Enough said!

A Bigger Splash by David Hockney,
1967, acrylic painting.

Take any work of Jose Manuel Ballester and you will feel so much in spite of yourself. The works are starkly monochromatic and almost plain in their lack of any kind of ornamentation, but there is so much energy there. In Untitled, notice how deft the artist is when it comes to painting with acrylics, as the surface of the painting is both built up and almost wash-like in different passages.

Untitled by Jose Manuel Ballester, acrylic painting on glued paper on board, 1995.

In Naomi Campbell's Those Little Understood, the artist started painting with acrylics and added water-soluble oils that allowed her to layer quick brushstrokes over her ground without disturbing its surface. Although more of a sketch than anything else, the painting has a good grasp on muted colors without being dull or boring.

Those Little Understood by Naomi Campbell, 2011,
acrylic painting with water-soluble oils.

What intrigued me about all of these paintings is that while they may have all been created with one type of paint, that is where the unity ends. There is such a diversity in these artists' methods that the only way to really understand them is to steep myself in all kinds of painting techniques--not just one kind. And that is where the special issue publication, The Complete Painter's Handbook, comes in. From watermedia to pastels to oil paints and more, the technical painting know-how is there and if you are seeking insights into painting essentials, this is a "must" for you. Enjoy!

What Do Painters Really Do?

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:43:00 GMT

Do you know how frustrating it is to love something, but not necessarily know everything about it? That's sometimes the way I feel about color. I have such a visual lust for color--learning new colors, discovering new paint mixes, figuring out how different light sources effect hue--but I have so many holes in my body of knowledge.

One way I've learned a lot about the dramatically different uses of color is by studying plein air painting. Because "light as color" is practically the mantra of plein air artists, discussions with these painters about their plein air art or studying their outdoor painting offerings yields pearls of wisdom about what painters really do that are virtually priceless.

Ebb Tide, Otter Point by Marcia Burtt, acrylic painting, 18 x 30.

In Ebb Tide, Otter Point by Marcia Burtt, I see how powerful counterchange can be, where you place light shapes against dark to create dynamism out of what is a fairly simple composition of water and rocks. It doesn't sound too romantic, but when you look at the dark craggy edges of the rocks shot through with rivulets of rich blue water and white spumes of sea foam--it's pretty incredible. I looked at this painting for a good ten minutes alone, just going with the implied movement of the sea.

Marc Dalessio's Canal in Maastricht is a plein air painting with a much more tonal effect. The mood of the painting is fairly quiet and a bit somber, but the charm comes from the same quietude, and the artist keeps the snore factor well away with the smattering of greens and yellows underneath the bridge.

Canal in Maastricht by Marc Dalessio,
35 x 25 cm, oil painting on panel.

If you are hungry to learn more about the colors you love, 600 Watercolor Mixes is an ideal resource for you. It shows how wide and varied color creation can be in the most fluid medium around, and the elegance and clarity of your colors will shine through whatever you decide to paint with this guide at your side. At least, that's my own dearest hope for you! Enjoy!

Is That Goat Wearing a Pink Suit of Armor?

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:20:00 GMT

Whether or not Thomas Woodruff's paintings are to your taste in terms of subject matter is one thing—although who doesn't love maniacal butterflies and tigers prowling through lush, jewel-tone landscapes?—but the artist definitely knows how to put a painting together compositionally. And when it comes to painting with acrylics, the surprising subtlety, formations of space, and the variety of surface treatments that he utilizes makes it obvious that the man knows what he's doing.


		Beastie Variation, Sanguinic by Thomas Woodruff, 2009-10, acrylic and acrylic gouache on heavy rag paper, 66 1/2 x 46 1/2.

Looking at all Woodruff's latest paintings, which were exhibited at the PPOW Gallery in New York City earlier this year, I was amazed by all the angles the artist incorporated into the compositions. There were diagonals cut by verticals, 'X' arrangements with objects circling around them, hourglass formations, a series of verticals disrupted by horizontal banding-the list goes on. But it's plain to see that Woodruff isn't doing this just for effect. He doesn't want to confuse or repel the viewer. Instead, these strong though fairly complicated compositional arrangements give us a way to experience the work without getting overwhelmed—the eye can simply follow the path the artist has created.


Still Life Variation, Phlegmatic by Thomas Woodruff, 2009-10, acrylic on linen, 60 x 40.

In terms of acrylic painting, I have to say I was surprised that Woodruff was actually painting with acrylics. The "bold richness" so often ascribed to oil paintings is an apt description for his acrylic works as well. The amount of paint he uses is fairly consistent across any given work, but he really is a master manipulator when it comes to varying the wetness of his brushstroke. He works wet into wet, wet on dry, and even what looks to be dry over dry to create a stippled effect in some passages.

For more insight into acrylic painting applications, our special issue The Complete Guide to Painting is what I'm reaching for. The editors of American Artist have really outdone themselves pulling together this comprehensive resource and making it appealing and relevant to painters across media. Every painter will find something worthwhile within The Complete Guide to Painting. I can just about guarantee it. Enjoy!