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Moonrise, La Giudecca, Venice by JMW Turner, 1829, watercolor painting, 8 7/8 x 11 1/4. Delicacy, luminousness, light, and color--these are what you can expect when you look at a watercolor painting . But details? Heck no--or at least, not much. With watercolor art, you just aren't going to see a...
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Tulips in a Square Vase by Susan Van Campen, 2006, watercolor painting, 23 x 30. Taking a sketchbook out into nature to create a flower drawing can be as helpful as any studio session. Studying the organic forms of a flower as they occur in nature allows artists to sharpen their skills with gesture,...
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We have always felt that as plein air painters we are observers of the landscape—recording moments and places that can rapidly transform with fleeting changes of light. In a pure landscape, figures and animals are rendered small and insignificant against the vast and awe inspiring backdrop of nature...
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When I was young and taking art classes, I was always stumped when my teachers would let us decide individually what to paint. There were just too many creative options and I would simply shut down. One time I went home in a funk, stressed out about what to do, and I said to myself, "Well, toss...
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Dutch still life painting set the standard for out-of-this-world virtuosity in the 17th century, and I'll never get over the unusual mix of objects artists chose to depict: food of all kinds, polished silverware and gleaming glass, embroidered and heavily worked tablecloths, and tons and tons of...
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The grapes establish dominance in an otherwise bland still life painting setup. Your still life! By following a few key guidelines when creating still life painting setups, you will be on your way to creating successful, dynamic paintings that really stand out. Here are a few pieces of advice to keep...
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Two Women with Still Life by Willem de Kooning, pastel and charcoal on paper, 22 1/4 x 18 3/4 in., 1952. The artifice of line is one of the aspects of drawing that I am most in love with. The fact that we can take line—which doesn't exist in the natural world—and create works of art that...
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I get excited and a bit chagrined whenever I discover oil painters of the past that I've never heard of. I realize that I'm no walking encyclopedia, yet I like to think I've got sound footing in oil painting . But the history of fine art oil painting is vast, so I'm going to cut myself...
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Don't give up your plein air focus over the winter months. Try to paint from life indoors and keep sketching. ( Melting Snow by Ben Fenske, 60 x 75, oil on canvas.) For some of us, winter weather is just a bit too unpredictable and chilly to spend much time outdoor painting. But if you're like...
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Orange and Holly by Alan Bateman, acrylic painting. Alan also won our Move Over Hallmark! Holiday Card contest . It's the time of year for decorated garlands, ribbons and bows, and cheery lights, all of which have me in a festive mood to create a few seasonal still life paintings incorporating objects...
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In the December/January issue of American Artist magazine, the editors and staff put out feelers throughout the art community to find artists who are established or up and coming, and deserve recognition. They had limited space in the print issue, so I thought to continue the watch list with several...
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This being the day after Thanksgiving, we celebrate leftovers in my house—and pretty much all other activities that result in eating. So I thought, why mess with family tradition? I'm devoting today's column to one subject matter I rarely cover in my work: food! But it isn't just any...
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The Remains by Joe Gyurcsak, 2007, oil painting, 24 x 24. If I start my morning with a bit of artistic inspiration, it really carries me through the whole day, just like a wholesome breakfast does! And today is a very good day because I was able to begin by going through the "pages" of our...
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Delphinium by Sherrie McGraw, oil painting, 8 x 10. Sherrie McGraw's work always surprises me because she doesn't allow the objects she is painting to dictate how she paints. Instead, McGraw paints to articulate form, masses, and her own ideas or concepts. The result of this approach is a painting...
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This is a blog about drawing people from one of my favorite co-workers, Cate, the online editor of Cloth Paper Scissors . Enjoy! Proportion is key to life drawing. When I was a kid growing up in Michigan, I was privileged to take classes at Cranbrook Institute of Art. I have two memories of this experience...