American Artist has recently offered a great deal of information to those of us who enjoy working out in nature with oils, pastels, acrylics, watercolors, or drawing materials. Senior Editor Allison Malafronte did a great job organizing a state-by-state landscape painting competition and interviewing...
The 10 Finalists in the Watercolor Cover Competition offer their insights on the creative process—from finding inspired subjects to selecting materials to applying the final details. Cymbidium Equinox by Kory Fluckiger, 2004, watercolor, 27 x 19. Collection Suzanne Lindquist. Hydrangea Blue by...
Posted to
Quick Sketches
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American Artist
on
6 Jun 2008
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Filed under: painting, drawing, color, plein air, how to paint, Still Life, sketching, shading, Drawing Basics, Art Competitions, Art, Artist Daily
Painting the expressiveness of a person’s mouth helps establish his or her likeness, personality, and vitality in a portrait, yet many artists have difficulty representing that facial feature. Here’s how I teach students to paint a mouth in either oil or pastel. To read more features like...
We present the semifinalists in the pastel category. by Karen Stanger Johnston Changing Channels by Mike Barret Kolasinski, 2007, pastel on archival foam board, 12 x 24. First Place: Mike Barret Kolasinski Chicago artist Mike Barret Kolasinski is passionate about nature. He calls his pastel landscapes...
Posted to
The Pastel Blog
by
American Artist
on
7 Mar 2008
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Filed under: how to paint, Pastel, oil painting, plein air, landscape painting, art competitions, Painting, Still Life, Watercolor Painting, Drawing Basics, Art, colored pencil, Landscape Drawing, Artist Daily
It’s important to consider color theory when painting a landscape. by John Budicin West Coast Fall acrylic on canvas. It’s important to consider color theory when painting a landscape because often, as in this painting, the colors are too intense throughout the composition. For example, the...
Our critic discusses the importance of shadows and foregrounds when considering a painting’s composition. by John Budicin Sunset Edith The artist needs to consider how the shadows are placed in this painting. The interior shadows seem a bit dark, and all the shadows in the painting should show...