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Each day, people from all over the globe travel to Paris to visit the most famous oil painting in the world, the Mona Lisa . Many are just curious, and want to see the real thing for themselves. Some admire the famous enigmatic smile, the perfect proportions and ideal composition of the piece. Still...
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"A line is a path that can offer an interesting and varied journey, rhythmic and with occasional, pleasurable surprises. Thus is one tempted to take the journey again. " -Krome Barratt, Logic and Design: In Art, Science, and Mathematics Creating representational art is challenging; a satisfying...
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A long time ago I read a quote from artist Nathan Goldstein and it has always stayed with me. He implied that artists are truly artists once they learn something and then forget it. I took that to mean I didn't have to study too hard in college since I was supposed to just let it eventually disappear...
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There's no shame in your game if you haven't heard of this kind of perspective drawing ...or lack thereof. I kind of pride myself on knowing a good bit about how to draw perspective (although my actual execution of a perspective drawing is usually totally crappy) and I'd never heard of zero...
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Painters and draftsmen alike puzzle through perspective drawing issues. They almost have to if they want to establish any kind of sense of space in their work. Without linear perspective, all that remains is the flatness of the surface-and no artists with representation or realism on their minds are...
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There are many wonderful exhibitions happening in New York City this summer, and one of the shows that has left a lasting impression with me is "Édouard Vuillard: A Painter and His Muses, 1890-1940" at The Jewish Museum. Visiting this exhibition introduced me to Vuillard's life and...
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Philadelphia Story II--Spires by Sarah Yeoman, watercolor painting, 14 x 20. I don't mean literally shrink it, but if you take a photo of your painting and reduce it to thumbnail size and it still holds together compositionally, you've got a good piece on your hands. Very Large Array II by Kisu...
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These four oil paintings have something in common. Yes, of course, they were all painted by George Inness (1825-1894), one of the greatest American landscape painters of all time. But there's something else, an incredibly valuable lesson. Have you spotted it yet? Clearing Up by George Inness, oil...
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I was born and raised in the suburbs, with rural farmland and city centers nearby so I have an unbiased appreciation for both. I'm attuned to the natural elements around me and I love to be outdoors, but I also get so energized by the sights and sounds of the cities I visit or live in. And sketching...
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One of my favorite still-life artists is G. Daniel Massad. He plays with space in an incredible way. His pastel paintings are stark, eerie, and lovely all at once. Above, Three Plums and Rosehip , 2005, pastel, 11 x 10 7/8. What I love best about still life painting is that I have absolute control—over...
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Air and Water: Blue Skies with Water in Shadow 2009-10, oil on canvas encased in lead, 72 3/4 x 52 x 2 1/2 in. All works by Adam Straus. Courtesy Nohra Haime Gallery . As an artist who has painted the natural world for over 20 years, Adam Straus has a complicated connection to his environment, one that...
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During a recent workshop in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, William Jameson provided instruction in plein air oil painting, but he knew it was just as important to offer encouragement and direction to students while they enjoyed the experience. by M. Stephen Doherty William Jameson beginning a demonstration...
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Denise LaRue Mahlke believes that being an artist is a calling that involves preserving, celebrating, and sharing in God’s creation. That’s one of the reasons she challenges herself to strive for excellence as a pastel painter and a teacher. by M. Stephen Doherty Morning Peace 2006, pastel...
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Because most of his Pennsylvania landscapes begin with his photographs, Peter Fiore considers his paintings reorchestrations of reality. “A painting is what I envision,” he says, “not necessarily what nature gave me.” by Linda S. Price Barn at Bowman’s 2006, oil on linen...
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For New York City artist Ellen Buselli, painting is centered on translating what she sees to canvas, which is why she finds observing and understanding the nature of color and light so important. by Linda S. Price Classical Light 2007, oil on linen, 20 x 21. Private collection. The corners of the background...