Artist Daily : acrylic painting, plein air

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!

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!

Art That Reminds Me of Home

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:24:00 GMT

During this time of year I like to reflect upon and appreciate all the blessings in my life (...also eat a lot of carbs and watch TV marathons). But lately I've been dwelling on how lucky we are to have so much amazing art created and inspired by the American landscape. I would have no problem filling hundreds--thousands!--of pages of landscape paintings from East Coast to West that remind me of "home" in the broadest sense.

I could start with landscape artist Frederic Edwin Church. He traveled throughout the Americas, creating works of art that make me want to stay outdoors forever. Twilight in the Wilderness is one of my favorite landscape paintings and captures the natural beauty of America without being a depiction of a specific place.

Twilight in the Wilderness by Frederic Edwin Church, oil painting, 1860.

O'Keeffe's landscape art of New Mexico made such an impression on me when I first saw it that, in a way, it now defines that region for me more than the actual landscape does. The artist was inspired by nature and yet took that into a completely new place, visually speaking; making works that give a sense of the landscape but also bring to mind ideas about vastness, loneliness, and beauty.

Grey Hills Painted Red by Georgia O'Keeffe, oil painting, 1930.

Ruscha's roadside gas stations make me a little bit envious because they are of a time and place I never got to see--when taking to the road was an adventure and meant freedom and independence, not the rage-filled grind of today. I also love the graphic, slick, Pop qualities of Ruscha's work--how he can make a gas station feel like it is larger than life with a few diagonal lines, though he simultaneously shows the homage to be a bit absurd as well.

Standard Station by Ed Ruscha, oil painting, 1966.

California through David Hockney's eyes is a composite of a lovely urban jungle. His swimming pool paintings give a sense of the West Coast that isn't all glamour and glitz, although he does show off those elements through the bright colors and modern architecture that fills his landscape paintings--and yet there is an introspective quality to the paintings that sometimes goes unsung.

Portrait of Nick Wilder by David Hockney, acrylic painting, 1966.

Each of these artists has become iconic in American art and their landscape paintings offer unique and one-of-a-kind views of the places they were inspired by and called home. American Artist is where you can read about such artists' work in detail and discover more about how rich and varied our artistic landscape really is, all the while learning tips and methods that can help you hone your own paintings. Enjoy your subscription!

P.S. What artist or painting that is quintessentially "American" comes to mind for you? Leave a comment and let me know!

How to Paint the Look and Feel of Spring

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 03:24:00 GMT


The color in this work, Wall Street--Arches, Utah, by Carl Dalio calls to mind the scorching heat of a summer day, as opposed to the more delicate hints of color that accompany spring.

I’m a color junkie. In fashion, in design, and especially in painting, vibrant color is what gets me creative. But before the image of Mimi from The Drew Carey Show becomes forever attached to my name in your mind, I’ll point out that I can control myself…sometimes. It’s tough, though, especially now that spring is officially here and I’m starting to see hints of color everywhere.

But that’s exactly what I remind myself when I start to grab and mix 20 (okay, more like 30!) colors on a palette—right now I’m seeing hints of color. We’ve got quite a few more weeks to go before we are in the full-blown color feast of spring, so my mantra right now is: ‘color is subtle.’ Say it with me.

That means when painting, I’m not accentuating color everywhere. Instead I add in pops of color—grass green, poppy red, and lemon yellow—against a warm neutral like burnt sienna. It’s not that I’m trying to avoid high-octane colors—because really, who could resist?—but I’m using them to create more transparent layers or delicate washes, which means a lot more depth and nuance.


	Marcia Burtt takes intense colors, as in Low Tide, Pink Sky, and mixes them to natural effects.

To that end, our Best of Watercolor has been a revelation for me. It’s packed with ways to make complex and subtle color mixes, step-by-step demonstrations about how to layer color, and reveals how renowned painters like Jamie Wyeth use color more abstractly. For instance, painting a hillside doesn’t just have to be all about the green. It can become an exercise in creating rich and inviting earth tones, too, in layers of green, yellow, red, and blue, with hints of them all peeking out.

That same idea is played out in Marcia Burtt’s DVD, Mastering Plein Air Acrylic Painting, in which she creates an acrylic painting of the beautiful California coast with a varied and extensive color palette.

It’s the way that you use color—not just the color itself—that can give you the most satisfaction in your latest artwork. Spring will always be about fresh and vibrant color, but you can celebrate the season by thinking creatively and complexly about how to incorporate it. For more resource on using color to powerful effect check out all the great instructional guides in the Artist Daily online store while our Store Sale is still going on! Enjoy!

Make a Painter’s Resolution

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 04:59:00 GMT


G. Daniel Massad's pastel paintings (above, Studio, 2008) are eloquent examples of thoughtful, tension-filled compositions.

I’m starting this year by reassessing my approach to painting and recommitting to more concentrated studio time. I don’t necessarily feel that I want to completely revamp my process, but there are a few old habits that I want to break and a few new ones I want to instill. I’ve found that the more people I tell about my plans, the more likely I am to follow through, so here are my painting resolutions for the New Year:

Quality compositions. I want to spend more time critically assessing my compositions before picking up a brush. I was inspired to do this after chatting with C.W. Mundy, a self-described American Impressionist who encourages his students to deliberately choose objects that will make the most impact. In his DVD Mastering the Dramatic Still Life he shows how the angles and positions of objects can create a sense of movement and emotion, so the more thoughtful the choices are, the better your painting can be.

Explore color. In my personal style and in my home, there is color everywhere, but I tend to shrink away from a diverse color palette when it comes to my paintings. I don’t want to necessarily incorporate more color just for the sake of doing so, but I want to better utilize the colors I have. I also want to see how altering values and taking more care with color mixing can help me achieve my ends.


	Heidi Fowler's works embody a crisp sense of atmosphere that make the objects she depicts appear real. The space around the objects—power pylons in this work, No. 090.52.008—is engaging and visually interesting.

Work with the negative. Negative space is often an afterthought when I’m working on a piece, and I am still trying to remember the importance of giving the area around an object attention and visual weight. I want to come up with strategies to work better in this space, creating atmosphere and using texture and movement to communicate my ideas.

Don’t tighten up. When painting, the best results often come about when you aren’t chasing perfection. I want to create work that is thoughtful and well-executed, but I also want to spend more time in the moment, responding immediately to what I see. Ron Hicks is an ardent believer in this approach and his new DVD Mastering Oil Portrait Painting, taught me a lot about how to assess a painting as it progresses.

What are some of your art resolutions for 2011? I’d love to hear them, along with any advice on how I can reach my own. If any of the above resolutions resonate with you, check out our three newest Artist Daily Workshop DVDs—Mastering Oil Portrait Painting, Mastering the Dramatic Still Life, and Mastering Plein Air Acrylic Painting—for instruction that can make a real difference in anyone’s painting practice.

New Video Blog: See the Secret to Positioning Your Brush

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 04:57:00 GMT

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We’ve been cooking up the Artist Daily Video Blog for a while now, and I’m thrilled that it’s time to unveil it to all of you. The name says it all—it is a part of the Artist Daily blog that we will be creating in video form. There will be clips featuring interesting artists working live in front of our cameras, as well as notable instructors who give us a peek into their processes and share tips about anything and everything art-related. The videos will live in the Artist Daily blog, but you’ll stay in the loop because each new mini-movie will go out via e-mail just like this one! All you do is click on the screenshot and the video will roll. I’m especially excited about this project because I think it is a great way to glean information from instructors in real time and learn by seeing the action of the artist right in front of you.

Landscape painter Marcia Burtt is our featured artist today. She has a new DVD coming out, Mastering Plein Air Acrylic Painting, and in the video clip she discusses how crucial it is to position one’s brush at the correct angle to the canvas. Marcia’s an especially good instructor because she doesn’t put formulas before experience. She’s not going to attest to techniques she hasn’t tried herself, and she doesn’t believe there is a “right” way to approach plein air painting. It’s all experience, trial and error, and getting out there.

This is our first foray into video blogging, so let me know what you think. Leave a comment telling me what (or who) you’d like to see featured in upcoming segments and how to make this new feature a big success. Lights, camera, action!

New eBook Teaches Acrylic Painting in 7 Steps

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 03:05:00 GMT

Reading Chair, Sims House by Ronald Lewis, 1996, acrylic, 18 x 14. Courtesy Bryant Galleries, Jackson, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana.		Paintings of the sheer peaks of the Alps or serpentine glimmer of the Hudson River showcase the awe-inspiring characteristics of the natural world. But there’s something equally compelling about depictions of interior spaces. Think of how bleak and bereft Edward Hopper’s bedroom scenes are, or the sense of anticipation, warmth, and intimacy in Johannes Vermeer’s paintings of women’s domesticity. The evocations may be subtle, but they’re undeniable. Alabama artist Ronald Lewis spent years painting outdoors with oils, but changed his process twofold when he switched to acrylics and moved indoors to paint scenes in historic homes, museums, and public spaces. Painting indoors gives Lewis the opportunity to experiment with lighting and the spatial arrangements of rooms, furnishings, and reflective surfaces such as windows and mirrors. Learning how to paint with acrylics has been rewarding for Lewis as well, and he shares his knowledge of acrylics and his strategies for painting interiors in our newest free eBook, American Artist Beginner Painting Tips: Learn Acrylic Painting in 7 Steps. The art lessons that Lewis shares cover the benefits of using acrylic paints, including the fact that acrylic paints dry much quicker than oils, allowing an artist to create depth and a sense of volume by adding successive layers of color to the painting canvas with only minutes in between for drying time. There is also a step-by-step painting demonstration from Lewis that takes the reader from rough drawing to finished painting. This Beginner Acrylic Painting eBook, available for download now, is ideal for the beginner—one who is painting for the first time and looking for reliable, experienced painting instruction—as well as the more advanced student who has an interest in the range of approaches to acrylic painting, from a loose representational style to one that is more detailed.