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Ever since my trip to Venice, Italy, last year, I have been looking at paintings of the city by 19th-century artists such as Sargent and Whistler, as well as contemporary artists such as Steve Rogers and Leonard Mizerek . I've become more aware of how these artists exaggerated color relationships...
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I recently met an artist who said, completely nonchalantly, “I never sketch, I never throw out a painting, and I’m always pleased with my final work.” If only we could all be so lucky! Sometimes when I’m writing an article, such as an exhibition review for Drawing, I get in a...
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Lake Louise Steps 2008, pastel, 24 x 18. Collection the artist. By subtly layering pastel, Marlene Wiedenbaum creates a luscious and convincing sense of the world. by John A. Parks In her pastel painting Path With Trees to Hidden Pond, Marlene Wiedenbaum presents a resplendent view of a glade whose rich...
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Brian Riley
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27 Oct 2009
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Filed under: Drawing, American Artist, Workshop, oil, watercolor, sketch, pastel painting, John A. Parks, en plein air, Hudson Valley, American art, focal point, fine art, Sennelier, kneaded eraser
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Model James Orona When I was photographing George Towne’s step-by-step demonstration for the December 2009 issue of American Artist, I took 15 minutes to draw James Orona, the model who was posing for George. My Conté crayon sketch turned out not to be an accurate portrait of James, so I...
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I admit that I am not one who adores painting on location. If the truth be known, when I visit a national park, I'd rather be exploring and walking around—taking photos of everything that strikes my interest. Oh yes, I've paid my dues by lugging my oil painting equipment to remote vistas...
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Curt Walters painting at the Grand Canyon. None of us want to be stuck in the rut of painting the same subjects over and over again, so we try different landscape locations, select new groups of still life objects, or join a sketch group that hires models to pose. We discover that it takes a while to...
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Although I am known for using vibrant colors to create what appear to be playful, spontaneous images in my watercolor paintings, the key to the success of these paintings is the value structure of the compositions. Here’s how I teach others to use studies to plan effective compositions. by David...
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In the new atelier she opened in Rome, Andrea J. Smith teaches students to use a limited palette of colors when painting exactly what they see from a measured distance away from the subject and the easel. by M. Stephen Doherty Andrea J. Smith made corrections on a student’s sight-size drawing at...
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Brian Riley
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21 Aug 2009
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Filed under: Drawing, Workshop, oil, Smith, Expand From a Limited Palette and Focus, Andrea J, sketch, draw, portraiture, still lifes, portrait painting, lithographs, grisaille, Stephen Doherty, landscape painting, Bargue, sight-size method, Judith Pond Kudlow, Jacob Collins
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I recently returned from a trip to Colorado, and while on that trip I got into quite the (heated) debate with two figure painters who claimed that plein air painters who sell their on-site sketches are bringing down the overall value of art. The idea that plein air sketches should not be sold as finished...
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In honor of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage, the art community prepares to celebrate the extraordinary history of painting along the Hudson River. by John A. Parks Scene from The Last of the Mohicans, Cora Kneeling at the Feet of Tamenund by Thomas Cole, 1827, oil, 25 3/8 x 35 1⁄16...
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Brian Riley
on
17 Jul 2009
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Filed under: American Artist, oil, plein air, The Sublime and the Beautiful: Painting the Hudson Valley, Hudson River School, sketches, sketch, sculpture, John A. Parks, portraiture, landscape painting, Frederic Edwin Church, Asher B. Durand, John Ruskin, Hudson Valley, art market, American art, John Beerman
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Kevin Macpherson , Kenn Backhaus , Joe Anna Arnett, and James Asher —four professional artists who are featured in the new PBS series Passport & Palette —will all leave their particular corners of the country to convene in Central Park this Saturday, July 18, for a day of plein air painting...
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California landscape painter Frank Serrano is a popular instructor of plein air painting, generously sharing his knowledge and experience with students and helping them develop a foundation in the fundamentals of painting outdoors. Here we present two step-by-step demonstrations, taken from his book...
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American Artist
on
22 Jun 2009
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Filed under: Plein Air, American Artist, oil, en plein air, Weekend With the Masters, Frank Serrano, How to Paint en Plein Air, Tips for Landscape Painting, Sketch, workshop, How to Paint, underpainting
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Digital art isn't new. But when a friend told me that people are now creating art on their iPhones, I imagined that the art wouldn't be anything remarkable. Then David Kassan emailed me an example that he said he sketched very quickly from previous studies. Like anything Kassan does, it was actually...
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I can't speak for anyone else, but I sure enjoyed Drawing Day 2009 ! I went to Central Park with a friend, loaded down with drawing material, painting supplies, and Gatorade. Several scenes screamed out for depiction, but we kept walking through the crowd (evidently there was some kind of footrace...
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In the Watercolor Fundamentals article in the Spring 2009 issue of Watercolor , I explained how to set up and paint a basic floral still life. This time I will demonstrate a more involved arrangement of roses and delphiniums. As I’ve suggested here, you might want to practice drawing and painting...