-
I really think artistic breakthroughs happen most often when you are outside of your usual mode of working, and that includes where and how you work. Think about the times when inspiration has struck you. For me, these moments are often when I am outside of my element entirely, open to new ideas in general...
-
Intimate Gathering by Russell Irwin, 2002, acrylic and torn paper on board, 48 x 60. When I was flipping through the American Artist magazine archives for mixed media art inspiration, I was prepared to do some pretty extensive digging. I assumed that most artists tend to silo themselves in their media...
-
Pages from Sabin Howard's drawing sketchbook and a finished sculpture. We just put a wrap on the winter issue of Drawing —you'll be seeing it in your mailboxes and on newsstands in February, and can order it in the Artist Daily Store as well. The cover of the new issue is something of a...
-
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...
-
Slumber at Chuckwalla Valley (detail) by Sharon Allicotti, drawing. If art were a banquet, I would constantly be going back for more helpings of life drawing. It is a consistently rewarding artistic experience because I've never met a more inspiring—and challenging—exercise than drawing...
-
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...
-
When I think about how to draw the sights around me, my mind immediately starts envisioning line. For me, it is foundational for any good drawing. And I'm not alone. When I first saw artist Steven Ketchum's work I was amazed by all the ways he used line--and line alone--to make so many interesting...
-
Taking just a few minutes to survey a scene and sketch it can help work out any challenges you might come across with the orientation of objects, color, and more. Okay, it isn't a he or a she, but an 'it': composition! I know, not the handsome hunk you were hoping for, but composition is...
-
Kinder Love by Jason Bard Yarmosky, 2011, pencil drawing, 18 x 24. Frontal Study of Naked Man by Leonardo, 1503- 09, pen and ink drawing, 9 1/4 x 5 3/4. Looking East by Kerry Brooks, colored pencil drawing. I'm excited to report that the fall issue of Drawing is here—it hits newsstands November...
-
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...
-
Here it is: Make better art by learning from better artists. Duh, right? But I don't think that way often enough. I'm all about looking at artwork—more and more and more artwork—but sometimes I don't really put my thinking cap on when it comes to gleaning what artists are saying...
-
Farm Visitors by Hardie Gramatky, watercolor, 1971. I can't get over the fact that Watercolor magazine is celebrating its 25 th year. For a quarter of a century it has been the eyes and ears of watermedia artists all over the country, and has featured dozens of amazing artists in its pages. To honor...
-
Looking at Leonardo da Vinci's sketch of birds I imagine how the artist likely thought about more than just the birds themselves. He would have been caught up in ideas of flight and soaring in air. That's the power of a sketch. It can transport you. I have a sketchbook that I take everywhere...
-
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...
-
Judith and Her Maidservant by Artemisia Gentileschi, 1613, oil on canvas. I'm not one to put artist before artwork. If I like the painting or drawing, it has nothing to do with who the art-maker is. But that doesn't mean that I don't believe in acknowledging an incredible group of working...