The drama of this charcoal and pencil drawing by Lilian Wescott Hale is in the bold contrast of value of the figure's skin, dress, and hair. I love all kinds of art: super complicated installations, amazing marble sculptures, and virtuosic canvases...

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.

Story from New Smyrma Beach by Judy Pfaff, watercolor, oil stick, lace and doilies, 45 x 20, 2004. I'll admit that I have quite a few art idols. But I reserve my teen-girl Beatles shriek for a select handful, and Judy Pfaff is one of them. She's...

Joe Paquet (see our Voices of Experience interview for Members ) reminded us of this profound quote from poet Rainer Maria Rilke: "If your environment seems poor, blame yourself. Tell yourself you are not poet enough to call forth its richness."...

What makes an artist an artist? Certainly, we are unique individuals with our own creative impulses and drives, but we do have so much in common. So step away from the canvas, put the paintbrush down, and see how many of these "signs" apply...

Darrell Brown paints simple, seemingly timeless "portraits" of fruits and vegetables. A few days ago a reader came to me with a good point: If an artist running a workshop can talk about the philosophy behind his or her oil painting art, all...

As much as the stereotype of the solitary painter working alone and shutting him- or herself off from the world makes artists seem mysterious and cool, I’ve found that artists tend to be fairly social creatures, and their cool factor isn’t lessened by their sense of community. Sometimes this is situational—you are in a painting or drawing workshop or class, and you swap stories and commiserate and encourage your fellow students because you are working through the same issues and assignments.

L.S. Lowry's The Fever Van uses one- and two-point perspective. Knowing the basic methods of linear perspective drawing is key to creating the illusion of distance and space in your artwork. And thankfully, it’s all based on one simple idea—that...