Artist Daily : still life

New Free eBook on the Color Wheel and Color Schemes!

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:35:00 GMT

It feels right to talk about color and art during this time of the year, when flowers are blooming, trees are budding, and skies are (mostly) blue. After months of dull-colored scenery, everything seems to be flourishing wherever I look, which makes me want to do whatever I can to capture that beauty and vibrancy in my art.


Cafe Terrace at Night by Vincent van Gogh, oil on canvas, 1888.

In our latest Artist Daily eBook, The Color Wheel and Beyond: Color Theory, Mixing Colors, and How to Create Complementary Color Schemes, the groundwork is set so that you can focus on color whether you are painting an indoor still life, an outdoor painting, or hoping to spend studio sessions looking at masterworks by famous artists and being able to visually understand what you see and why it evokes certain reactions in you.

To start, you'll find an introduction to color theory and the basic tenets behind how we interpret the spectrum of colors in The Color Wheel and Beyond: Color Theory, Mixing Colors, and How to Create Complementary Color Schemes. Then there is a whole chapter focused on color mixing and how to create and use a complementary color palette, a foundational part of any color-mixing lessons.

There is also a chapter devoted entirely to color mixing for the landscape painter or plein air artist, including how to mix colors with correct values and how to create harmonious color relationships in your work.

Whether we are viewing or creating works of art, understanding the basics of color-from color schemes and contrasts to basic color theory and mixing color for varied effects-means giving yourself the opportunity to see how artworks are created stroke by stroke, layer by layer. With this information you can start to explore your subject matter in new ways and articulate your own ideas about color. So download your free copy of The Color Wheel and Beyond: Color Theory, Mixing Colors, and How to Create Complementary Color Schemes now, and enjoy!

And if you know a fellow artist who would appreciate The Color Wheel and Beyond: Color Theory, Mixing Colors, and How to Create Complementary Color Schemes, feel free to forward this to them!

What Artists Reveal with Self-Portraits

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:25:00 GMT

When I walk through a museum or gallery, there are certain paintings that I breeze past and others that always draw me in. Self-portraits definitely fall into the latter category. I’m always intrigued by how artists choose to represent themselves and perpetuate their own personal mythologies.


My World by Daniel Graves oil on linen, 59 x 49 3/8, 2010. Images courtesy Eleanor Ettinger Gallery.


Homage to Gretchen Rogers by Gabriela Gonzalez Dellosso, oil on linen, 16 x 12, 2010.

True, a self-portrait at its most basic is a simple likeness. Historically, in fact, artists used self-portraits as a kind of calling card, attesting to their ability to capture a likeness and giving a sense of their capabilities. And, yes, self-portraits are convenient exercises because the model is always available and works for free. But a self-portrait can evoke and reveal much more when taken beyond the bounds of straightforward exercise.


	Mertz Self-Portrait by John Morra oil on canvas, 28 x 40, 2010.

In many self-portraits, the artist’s status can come into play. Centuries ago, Diego Velázquez famously depicted himself as an accomplished, courtly, and knighted painter situated among royalty in Las Meninas, raising both his status and the status of the practice of art. Contemporary artist Daniel Graves riffs on the theme in a more subdued way in his self-portrait titled My World. Graves stares confidently out at the viewer, gesturing emphatically with brush in hand. His surroundings are presumably his personal studio, where objects seem to signify the artist’s interest in classicism and his focus on the study of the human form and anatomy.


	My Father's Son by Frank Arcuri, oil on linen, 14 x 12, 2010.

John Morra’s Mertz Self-Portrait shows the artist as something of a humble tinkerer. The artist, dressed in a worn pullover sweatshirt, stands in the center of the composition, the ostensible focus of the painting. But on further study, it is the quirky objects surrounding Morra (many of which often appear in the artist’s signature still life paintings) that steal the show—quite possibly the artist’s intention.

Then there are those artists who use self-portraiture as a chance to take on a silly, somewhat self-deprecating persona, as Frank Arcuri does in his painting, My Father’s Son, in which the artist plays a bit of a class clown by pinching a paintbrush between his nose and upper lip. Or the artist can use the self-portrait as a way to honor and acknowledge a fellow artist. Gabriela Gonzalez Dellosso’s Homage to Gretchen Rogers, the early-20th-century American artist, does just that.

In Hunter Eddy’s Self-Portrait, a darker set of emotions is explored. The artist positions himself directly in the foreground of the painting, bare-chested and starkly gazing out at the viewer. Self-doubt, uncertainty, and stoicism all seem to reside in his gaze. In much the same way, Dana Levin’s Max and Me shows Levin holding a small child (her firstborn) so close to her face that his head partially blocks our view of the artist, though her distant, somewhat vacant expression is still apparent.


Self-Portrait by Hunter Eddy oil on linen, 19 3/4 x 15 3/4, 2010.

Max and Me by Dana Levin,
oil on panel, 10 x 8, 2010.

Obviously, self-portraiture is an expressive outlet that can lead an artist down many different roads. But a successful self-portrait, like any other piece of art, starts with a meaningful, sincere idea from the artist. Self-expression isn’t any one thing. It can be geared toward a realistic depiction of your face and physicality, or less so. Most of all, artists need to push to design and imagine without limits, strengthening their own creative points of view.

For inspiration and portrait painting tips from contemporary and past masters alike, take a look at the 2012 CD Collection of The Artist's Magazine. Enjoy!

Watercolor Painting Pencils? Sure, Tell Me Another One!

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:38:00 GMT

For just a few seconds, I thought that watercolor pencils were some kind of April Fool's come lately prank. I mean, everything I think of and know about watercolor painting is that it is fluid and kind of uncontrollable. In a pencil, how can watercolor art still have that same looseness? But then I thought about the reverse of this-watercolor pencils might mean no more watercolor paintings going off the rails. With a pencil, I would be able to guide the forms more and give them the overall shape that I want, right? Well, I was a little right and a little wrong. Watercolor painting pencils can give you a bit more control, but the fluidity of the medium is still there.

Farmers' Market Peonies by Kristy Ann Kutch,
watercolor painting, 2002, 15 x 20.


Step 1-2. Adapted from Drawing and Painting With Colored Pencils: Basic Techniques for Mastering Traditional and Watersoluble Colored Pencils (Watson-Guptill, New York, New York).

Here's a step-by-step watercolor tutorial on using the wet-in-wet watercolor-pencil technique to create a lovely peony painting from watercolor artist Kristy Ann Kutch, so you can see for yourself!

Step 1 & 2: Prepare a line drawing of a peony blossom using either a light blue, lavender, or HB pencil on hot-pressed watercolor paper. Save the central light-colored stamen area of the peony with masking fluid, and allow it to dry.

Step 3 & 4: Stroke on dry layers of these watercolor pencils, beginning with the lightest values and ending with the darkest: light magenta, pink madder lake, light purple pink, and mauve. Dissolve these layers by stroking from the lightest to the darkest areas with a damp, size 6 round brush. Wet only one petal at a time. The top petal in this illustration has been wetted and the pigment dissolved into a wash.


		Step 3-4.

Step 5: Touch a wet, size 2 rigger brush directly to the lead of a violet or pink carmine watercolor pencil so the entire brush is saturated with pigment. Lightly dab the brush's tip with a tissue. Touch this brush directly to the wet petal area, and drag it through the length of the petal in one continuous stroke. Only brush in one direction. The wetter the petal, the more the color will spread and flow. Repeat this process for each petal, but be sure to wait until adjacent petals are dry to keep each petal distinct.

Step 6: When the entire blossom is dry, peel away the making fluid, and apply strokes of cadmium yellow and cadmium orange to the stamens. Wet them with either the fine tip of a colorless blender marker or a wet size 2 round brush. If desired, enhance the colors with either traditional or watercolor pencils in the appropriate color. Use a Tuscan red Verithin pencil on the stamens and along the petal edges to refine these details.


Step 5-6.

Did this open your mind to the possibilities of how to paint with watercolor pencils? It certainly did with me! For more watercolor painting tips and watercolor lessons from professional artists and skilled watercolor instructors, consider a subscription to Watercolor Artist magazine. It will have all the inspiration and methods you need to keep your art going strong! Enjoy your subscription!

6 Tips on How to Draw Anything Accurately

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 03:56:00 GMT

Drawing is a fundamental skill for artists, emphasis on "skill." That means there are basic drawing rules and approaches that work, including these six tips on how to draw anything accurately.


Delmonico Building by Charles Sheeler, 1926, lithograph drawing. Adapted from an article by M. Stephen Doherty.

1. Start by drawing shapes, not identifiable objects. You'll hear this advice over and over again in art classes and workshops. To understand what it really means, think about the way children draw faces. They know that a face has two eyes, two ears, a centered nose, and two lips. No matter how the person facing them is posed, children will insist on including all the features, even if they can only see one eye, one ear, and a protruding nose. They draw what they know, not what they see. To some extent, adults do exactly the same thing.

2. Consider the negative shapes as much as you do the positive shapes. Students often find it difficult to determine how to draw an arm that extends away from a model's body or the distance between two objects sitting on a table. The way to do that is to imagine that the "negative space," or the open space between the model's body and her arm, is a solid object with a height, width, and length. The same technique can be used when trying to determine how far one building is from another or how high a head is above a model's shoulders. It helps to deal with the negative space in the same way you deal with the positive shapes.

3. Visualize and draw the lines you can't see in order to draw the visible lines accurately. Sometimes the best way to draw something that is partially concealed from your view is to continue the lines as if you could actually see it. For example, if you want to determine the curvature of a bowl filled with fruit, draw the complete circular top as if the bowl were empty, and then erase the sections that are obstructed. And if you want to know how far a leg extends beyond a person's waistline, drop an imaginary plumb line from the waist to the floor, and then evaluate the shape of the triangle formed by the leg, floor, and plumb line.

4. Draw connected shapes, not disconnected shapes. It's very difficult to calculate how far a person's head is from the bottom of his or her feet, the distance from one ear to the other, or the distance from a far tree to one in the foreground unless you draw all the shapes in between. That is, after guessing at the total height of a standing figure and establishing a scale for the drawing so that it fits on the sheet of paper, work your way down from the head to the shoulders, from there to the waist, on to the knees, etc, so that you can judge each shape in relationship to the others.


	Boxer by Charles Demuth, drawing.

5. Draw light guidelines between shapes to better judge the distances between them. Artist Robert Liberace recommends to start by making very light, straight lines between all the component parts of the figure or still life objects to guide your hand as you begin to refine a drawing. Then gradually add more lines using Conté crayons, graphite, charcoal, or colored pencils to darken the edges of the shapes and the shadow patterns in between.

6. Start by drawing the lightest values and build to the darkest. Most artists find that it makes sense to gradually build from the lightest areas of their drawings to the darkest so they have an opportunity to make adjustments along the way without damaging the surface of the paper or creating ugly smudges where they have erased inaccurate lines.

For more drawing ideas and tips, think about adding one of Daniel Greene's DVDs, including Portrait Drawing, to your art-resource library. You'll discover this artist's unique methods on viewing your subject and creating drawings that resonate with the portrait drawings done by the Old Masters and Impressionists alike. Enjoy!

No Two Shadows Are Alike

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 03:21:00 GMT

I am usually heartened when I hear disagreements about matters of art and technique. Maybe I'm just combative that way, but more likely, I think I take such debates as a sign that there are more artists coming to the table, that the field is growing and evolving, and that there's no end in sight. This can only mean good things for someone like me, who spends her whole day looking at art.

One area in which artistic schools of thought differ is how to approach the matter of shading. Classically inclined artists tend to standardize levels of shading. Drawing light and shadow is codified and controlled. On one hand, this allows an artist to get a handle on shading shapes relatively quickly. On the other hand, this gives the appearance of those shadows a level of sameness from artist to artist. You can often recognize how someone was taught shading techniques because they employ them in a certain way.


A still life painting by Renee Foulks.

Other schools of thought approach shading differently and allow for more variation and less segmentation in shadow areas. An artist who typifies this approach is artist Renee Foulks, who has a great deal of depth and little systematic transitioning in her shadows. The artist works a lot slower as a result of this, because she deals with shadow areas on a case-by-case basis.

A work by Yasuyo Tanaka demonstrating suminagashi.

And sometimes "shading" is nothing of the sort. For example, suminagashi is an ancient Japanese technique that produces swirling marble patterns by mixing water and oil. The results trick the eye with their subtle gradations, and I know several artists who are exploring this technique as a way to better understand the abstract qualities of shading.

Knowing these differing approaches exist gives artists a great deal of options in the area of shading. Drawing shadows in perspective correctly, learning how to use types of shading appropriately, and exploring the nuances of crosshatching are some additional steps to take in order to begin to achieve artistic mastery in drawing. For more on advanced drawing skills and how you can leverage those skills through painting, consider learning from the greatest artists of all time in the special edition: 75 Greatest Artists of All Time. It and many other CD and print resources are 50% off right now. Enjoy!

The Perfect Blend of Literal and Abstract

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 03:53:00 GMT

When I say "the perfect blend," I feel a little bit like I am describing a gourmet coffee flavor, but there really is a perfect blend that exists in pastel painting. For me, the crème de la crème of pastel drawings combines a certain level of literal representation with a modern sense of the abstract.

The Curmudgeon by John Philbin Dolan, pastel painting, 12 x 16.

What I mean by literal

When I say a great pastel painting should be "literal," I mean, in part, that when you look at the painting you should know what or who is being depicted. But the idea doesn't stop there. I also mean that such works put the vibrant colors of pastels to good use describing forms, atmosphere, and light. They use line and texture thoughtfully to give a sense of an object's surface quality and shape.

What I mean by abstract

An artist who can couple the literal in his or her pastel drawing with abstraction visually pushes the versatility of the medium, emphasizing with each stroke the way that the painting comes together as much as the narrative that is being visually shown. The two should be dealt with as one. For example, working the side and the tip of the pastel as well as blending and scumbling are basic techniques of pastel painting. But when you start to link subject matter with these formal techniques--that's where the magic happens.

Coup de Foudre by Marie-Elise Larène, pastel painting.

It can be a difficult idea for me to wrap my head around. It has been described to me as looking at a Monet painting and seeing separate dabs of color while simultaneously seeing the flower grove or the lily pad. You see what the artist is painting as well as the way he paints it. This also means that you don't have to just paint what you see--you can push your visuals further for the sake of the feeling you want to evoke.

I'm nowhere near an expert in pastel painting, which is why I seek out insightful and established artists to take pastel lessons from in order to learn more about how to get my own "perfect blend." Claudia Seymour is one such artist, an expert when it comes to the bright, glowing, vivid quality of pastels. Her DVD, Pastel Painting Techniques: Still Life Flowers makes her time-honored subject matter accessible and invigorating. She shares compositional strategies, tips on capturing delicate features of your subject, and pastel-drawing instruction on dimension so that your objects can really have the look of three-dimensionality. Enjoy!

I Want to Be By His Side

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 04:27:00 GMT

If I had a time machine and could travel back to learn how to oil paint from any artist in history, I would not spare a second thought setting the clock to circa 1895, smack dab in the middle of the era when Odilon Redon was refining his fine art oil-painting and pastel-painting skills.


		The Cyclops by Odilon Redon, c. 1914, oil on canvas, 64 x 51 cm.

In addition to learning exactly how he worked, I'd also get a chance to be by the artist's side and observe what went into Redon's color choices--so many of which combine and juxtapose improbable objects and colors together--as well as how he came to let his imagination run free. Redon was a wonder at incorporating basic things--landscape elements, flowers, figures--into paintings that appear at turns dreamlike and nightmarish. He seemed to paint what was in his heart and in his head more than merely allowing his perceptions and observations to rule.

Redon wrote, "I have often, as an exercise and as a sustenance, painted before an object down to the smallest accidents of its visual appearance; but the day left me sad and with an unsatiated thirst. The next day I let the other source run, that of imagination, through the recollection of the forms and I was then reassured and appeased."


Woman with a Yellow Bodice by Odilon Redon, c. 1899, pastel painting, 66 x 50 cm.

Reading this makes me equally sad at the idea of the artist coming away from his studio unfulfilled and somewhat lost. But it also sparks hope because he sought a way to make his paintings come alive and did so by being true to himself.

For oil-painting tips on color and composition that you don't have to travel back in time for, consider C. W. Mundy's Mastering the Dramatic Still Life video download. It gives insight on how to build visual interest with color, highlights, and compositional tools. And it's 20% off right now, so you are able to immediately access top oil-painting instruction from the convenience of your own home. Curl up and enjoy!

You Have to Lie to Get What You Want

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 04:25:00 GMT

I may have grabbed your attention at the risk of making you think I'm a big fat fibber, but I do think that when it comes to landscape painting, you sometimes have to lie--or at least exaggerate--to get what you want. This is based on personal experience--maybe I'm unlucky, but I do not step into a landscape of wonder and majesty every time I go outside. Finding a place worthy of being documented in a landscape oil painting doesn't happen to me regularly.


		Rocky Landscape by Hercules Seghers, 1600s, oil painting.

Instead, when I walk out of the house, usually I'm struck by how ordinary everything is. But that doesn't mean painting landscapes is an endeavor that should grind to screeching halt. Artists just need to learn the rule of pushing it.

Suppose you've settled on a subject for your next landscape oil painting, but no unicorn has trotted in to make an otherwise normal scene truly exceptional. If you are second guessing yourself about what you've chosen to paint and are considering something drastic like starting over, don't! Instead, you have to start to push it--and everything is fair game. From the angles of a cluster of trees, to the colors in the sky, to the patterns made by the wind in a grassy field, everything can be enhanced or firmed up to give you a stronger composition than what you started with.


Landscape by Camille Corot, 1800s, oil painting.

I don't know if this strikes some committed landscape artists as insincere or wrong, but it works for me, mostly because I don't believe your subject should have ownership over you as an artist. You get to make the decisions, and that means changing, moving, and pushing things to get your message across--and that is the most important aspect of painting landscapes, cityscapes, people, still lifes, or anything else.

For more landscape painting techniques, check out landscape ebook title TK. It is a solid resource for artists interested in firming up their technical abilities, and it just might give us all the inspirational nudge we need to get out there and paint what we see in front of us--as well as what we want to see in front of us. Enjoy!

No One Could Beat Rembrandt

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 04:18:00 GMT

When it comes to being able to draw with a paintbrush, no one can touch Rembrandt. He was able to turn abstract brushstrokes into forms with texture, weight, and liveliness. He could turn two swipes of a painting brush loaded with white paint into the coarse cloth of a girl's sleeve. He captured ruddy and calloused hands with just two or three colors and no more than a dozen strokes of the brush.


A Girl With a Broom by Rembrandt, oil painting.

But it is the way that these strokes were applied that makes all the difference. Rembrandt didn't let thoughts of anatomy override him, nor did he micromanage his strokes. He made a stroke abstractly--as if he were not painting forms at all. As a result, the viewer sees the paint articulating as much information as possible. Because of this, Rembrandt's work is very subtle--each stroke does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of conveying information.

For example, a dab of reddish paint around a paler area indicates a knucklebone poking at the surface of the skin of the hand in A Girl With a Broom. It sounds simple, but the way Rembrandt applies the paint conveys the lax way the girl is holding her hand, with the muscles at rest, as well as the chapped texture of the skin that has been exposed to hard work.

To build up your ability to make each stroke count and learn how to paint as Rembrandt did, try painting a simple still life with a large brush and only black, white, and burnt sienna. Focus on communicating with each brushstroke, since you don't have color to fall back on. It may be a frustrating exercise, but well worth it as you begin to recognize how to make your brush move in different ways and "say" more than one thing.

To enhance your art techniques and solidify your painting process like Rembrandt did all those years ago, you can also see if any of the downloads from Creative Catalyst are right for you. These resources cover the essentials of art-making and all kinds of subject matter, so I'm almost positive you'll be able to find one that is in step with what you are working on in your own studio practice. Enjoy!

It Was a Secret Love Affair...And the "Resolve to Save" Sale Continues!

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 05:16:00 GMT

I love stumbling upon facts about artists that make me rediscover them and consider their process in a whole new light. That's the kind of moment I had when I discovered that Roy Lichtenstein, the king of Benday dots and comic-book narratives, loved sketching. He started almost every day drawing sketches, and almost all of his paintings started out as quick pencil sketches.

Preliminary sketches for the painting As I Opened Fire by Roy Lichtenstein, 1964.

Lichtenstein's process was, in fact, heavy on drawing. He would do preliminary sketch drawings, proceed to more fully rendered drawings, and then do collages before arriving at the paintings and prints he's so well known for. What's unusual about his sketching techniques is that he was not one to refine or perfect just one version of a drawing. Instead, with every new colored pencil sketch, he would drastically change his colors and compositions, exploring several possible versions for each artwork.


Collage for Still Life With Reclining Nude by Roy Lichtenstein, 1997.

He would also often erase and rework sketches so that the several sketch drawings made in preparation for one painting would often look drastically different, giving you a sense of the artist's mindset as he created, discarded, and revised ideas until he was satisfied.

We are lucky to know about Lichtenstein's predilection for drawing sketches, because it isn't something that he publicized. He thought that this part of his process was strictly for the studio and not one he was entirely comfortable revealing. "My style is not one of give-and-take," he once said. "I don't want traces of all that activity going on."

But those traces give me a greater sense of the artist, and that is precious information indeed. When I read artist profiles or am taught techniques from an artist, it gives me a truer sense of where they are coming from in their work, which helps me figure out how I want my artistic process to evolve. Right now, there are several top resources available through the Resolve to Save Sale at the North Light Shop that can help you evolve your artistic process as well, so see what appeals to you and take those oh-so-pivotal steps forward.

Add Water and BAM!

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 04:03:00 GMT

I recently had an Emeril Lagasse moment--and it happened when I mixed pastels with water for the first time.

Three Sunflowers on Blue by Jimmy Wright, pastel painting, 30 x 41.

A while back, I confided that I wanted to start an earnest study and exploration of pastel painting. That resulted in me mucking about on my own for a few hours--I just let myself play as I created a pastel drawing. First, I spent time seeing what the stick of pastel can do in terms of mark-making. I varied the pressure I applied to the surface of the paper; I tried holding the pastel like a pencil and also experimented with running it across the paper on its side. I smeared it with my finger, and then reached for the water.

BAM!

At first I thought, what have I done? But I started playing around with the water, applying washes to my pastel-painting paper, and the colors all started to blend together. It was lovely. I tried using a spray bottle, too, which yielded interesting results--the pastel powder got drawn into the droplets of water and ran down the surface when I tilted the paper.


		Sunflower with Red Leaves by Jimmy Wright, pastel painting, 41 x 29, 1996.

So for my first un-chaperoned tour of pastels, I think I taught myself a lot about pastel painting--mostly about being brave when it comes to trying different things. I felt really liberated. So I hope you get a little fearless with your art, too. Nothing but good can come of it!

I've only touched on one aspect of pastels, but there are plenty more pastel-painting lessons waiting to be learned. For compelling and interesting pastel instruction, check out Claudia Seymour's latest pastel lessons DVD, Pastel Painting Techniques: Still Life Flowers. It offers insights from a professional artist who always shares the best of her artistry with us. Enjoy!

He Truly Had the Joy of Sight

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 04:26:00 GMT

It’s quite sad that 18^th-century painter Luis Melendez died poor and relatively unknown and yet he is now recognized as one, if not the, greatest still life art painter of his day. His style and approach as a still life artist breathed new life into a genre that was already well established, and most importantly he did things differently when it came to composing his works. All of which solidify his standing as one of Spain’s greatest artists.


		Still Life with Melon and Pears by Luis Melendez, oil on canvas, 18th century.

Melendez did not in any way scorn the achievements or focus of the still life artists that preceded him. Like Zurbaran and Juan Sanchez Cotan, he knew how to present light effects, texture, and color of the objects in his paintings of still life.


Still Life with Fruit and a Jar by Luis Melendez, oil on canvas, 1773.

What he did do differently was bring those sumptuous fruits, glistening glassware, glimmering copper pots, and crusty bread closer to the viewer in the picture plane. He dropped his vantage point as well, allowing the viewer to peruse the objects from a slightly elevated angle.

These are small modifications and yet they give the viewer a better look at the objects by more fully turning them to the light. The details of texture and light that Melendez adds to the surfaces of the objects makes it seem like they are being held in the viewer’s own hands. The result is everyday objects presented in a monumental way, reinforcing the joy of sight that must have provoked the artist to pursue still life painting with such rigor.

For more still life painting inspiration—and techniques that you can start using today in your own works—explore the newly launched 2012 CD collections from The Artist Magazine, Watercolor Artist, Pastel Journal and Southwest Art. Enjoy delving deeper into the art you love!

Our Free & Brand New eBook on Figure Painting

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:44:00 GMT

When I paint figures the work seems to matter more--I find that I'm more focused on the process than when I am just drawing fancifully from my head or creating a still life. And by "matter" I mean that the intensity is ratcheted up just a bit and I just feel really invested in what I am doing. The flipside to all the enthusiasm and focus I bring to the table is that I can be tough on myself when figure painting.


		Model in a Hat by Leonid Gervits, 1998, oil on cardboard, 22 x 20.

I can easily get into a negative mindset when I think about all the figure painting artists I know who are waaaaay better than me, and I will slow down or sometimes stop painting entirely. Never mind that these individuals are experts at figure painting because they are professionals full-time artists!


Pink Lady by Alex Powers.

My greatest strategy for fighting off any negative vibes is to really focus on painting figures like my role models would, which is why our new, free ebook Human Figure Painting Tutorial: Painting Figures Like the Old Masters and Using Figure Paintings to Express Your Feelings, is great. You'll find strategies from portrait artist Leonid Gervits on techniques that go all the way back to Velazquez, plus how to paint figures and faces to express feelings and opinions, and how to capture the essence of an individual and not just a likeness. There's also tons of artwork to inspire you, and you'll hear directly from the artists about what works and doesn't work for them when they are painting figures.

All in all, if figure painting inspires you, but you are like me and need a little help to get over any nerves, Human Figure Painting Tutorial: Painting Figures Like the Old Masters and Using Figure Paintings to Express Your Feelings is a resource from which you can glean tips and painting strategies to use every time you pick up the brush. Download your copy now and enjoy!

P.S. If you have any art-minded friends or family who might find our eBook useful, be sure to forward this link to them. Thanks!

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!