How to Mix Grays in Watercolor for Atmospheric Perspective
About Mara
I enjoy being an artist! And I’ve been at it longer than this internet blogging stuff. In fact, blogging is all new to me! So I will start by telling you a little about myself. Our nest is not quite empty because we still enjoy the presence of our college-aged kids at home. And because they are busy with work and school I am able to enjoy uninterrupted painting sessions during the day-light hours instead of in the middle of the night like I did when they were little. A bit here, a bit there and I keep my projects alive! One project I’m working on is a cookbook. Originally written for my husband and children, I re-structure classic recipes we love, to make them healthier. I’m also writing and illustrating a series of children’s books. Finding time to Draw, paint, and teach has been a challenge while raising a family but finishing a project is very rewarding to me. And I hope you like my artwork and lessons and enjoy watching my progress with various projects!
Please follow this link to visit Mara’s website to view more of her art lessons.
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Step by Step Oil Painting Demo by Mike Callahan
About Mike
Nationally recognized, award winning artist Mike Callahan is a fourth generation Nevada native who counts himself privileged to grow up in what he believes to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains near Reno, Nevada where he still lives today. While he has been painting since childhood, he has only been painting in earnest for about the last 5 or 6 years.
Says Mike, “The topography of this area is simply phenomenal; one can go from the high desert to mountainous alpine settings in less than an hour. It is this beautiful and varied landscape that ends up being the subject for a vast majority of my paintings.”
However, if you look through the paintings on Mike’s website, you will quickly see that the Sierra landscape isn’t the only subject Mike typically paints. He also enjoys painting Western themes as well as figurative and portraits.
How to Paint a Portrait in Oil Step by Step
About Karin
Karin Wells is an artist of amazing versatility. She graduated with honors from both the New England School of Art and Design, Boston, 1965, and the Butera School of Art, Boston, 1986. Karin has enjoyed a career as an award-winning graphic designer, illustrator and sign painter. She also taught Life Drawing and Painting for many years. She has most recently studied for three years at The New England School of Classical Painting in Greenfield, New Hampshire, under the direction of Numael Pulido.
To expand her craft, Karin has traveled throughout Europe studying the Old Masters. Her art reflects the deep influence of these great works. Karin demonstrates a remarkable facility for likeness and for the use of light.
The artist is a member of The American Society of Portrait Artists, Portrait Society of America, The Portrait Society of Atlanta, and The Copley Society of Boston.
Step by Step Realistic Pencil Portrait Drawing Tutorial by Christopher Sia
About Christopher Sia
Hi, my name is Christopher Sia and I’ve been teaching pencil portrait drawing since 2006. The students from my online drawing course range from various countries across the globe, of which includes US, UK, Australia, Denmark, Canada, Italy, Singapore, Philippines, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and the list goes on.
People often ask me the question whether the time and effort I put into drawing and teaching people how to draw is worth it. My answer to them is that it does require a lot of work and does not appear to be an easy task to be done, but it’s the work that I am passionate about and love doing. I wasn’t born as talented as Leonardo da Vinci but I do believe that the skills and achievements I have today is a result of my hardworking practices. Hence, eventhough talent is a complimentary bonus but good practices will definitely bring the best out of every potential artist out there.
This free pencil portrait drawing tutorial is courtesy of Christopher Sia. Christopher is an amazing artist, as you will see after viewing the portrait drawing tutorial below. He is also the author of an equally amazing home study course called “Realistic Pencil Portrait Mastery”.
Christopher contacted me and asked if I might be interested in looking over his course and recommending it, if I felt it was something you may find interesting and helpful.
Artist Spotlight – Guillaume
Your Name: Guillaume
Location: Paris
Title of Artwork: Chistoph Leray
Dimensions of Artwork: 24×32 cm
Medium: Monolith Graphite pencils
Support: 180 g/m2
Website: http://www.tonalpainting.com
Describe this Piece: This is a drawing style I invented that is based on the Tonal Painting Method called an ‘Estompe’ which is ‘to blur’ in French. There are no lines only statements against the form. This is a portrait of the Editor in Chief of ‘Le Courrier’ here in Paris. http://www.lecourrierdelarchitecte.com/expoconcours_352 This work will exhibited in Paris the week of April 14, 2011.
(Click Image For Larger View)
Still Life Oil Painting Demo Using the Flemish Technique – Part 1
About Delmus G. Phelps
Statement of purpose within the work:
I’ve been an active painter since the mid 70’s creating works in the Realist tradition. Being inspired by the nature around me and in the things we tend to collect, I produce still life and floral oil paintings in the Classical/Contemporary Realism style on canvas and panels.
With a particular interest in sharp focus realism I produce still life works of incredible detail. My floral pieces exude a peace and serenity much needed in today’s hectic lifestyles.
Using the Flemish method of 7 layers, a 400 year old technique perfected by the Dutch Masters of the renaissance era, my paintings are meant to stand the test of time in lasting quality. Read more
Still Life Oil Painting Tutorial Using the Flemish Technique – Part 2
<< Follow this link for part 1 of this still life painting lesson
Oil Painting demonstration of persimmons on a dish Part 2
In this section, I will show how to oil paint the final color layers and finishing layers of these persimmons. Hopefully, the oil painting techniques discussed will excite your enthusiasm as much as these persimmons excited my taste buds after the painting sessions ended!
Here we go!
Last time, we left you here, with the dead layer completed. One thing to notice here. No texture, only your main elements, a few details, and mostly shadow’s and modeling of the subjects.
Acrylic Seascape Painting Demonstration
About The Artist
Cameron Weller is a professional artist specialising in a traditional style of landscape and marine painting. He paints mainly using watercolours and oils, but also uses acrylics, gouache and other media. He particularly likes painting classic boats – Thames Barges, Essex Smacks, Brixham Trawlers etc., shown in all weather conditions and many of these paintings are to be found in collections all over the world. His experience of sailing a wide range of craft has helped him capture the atmosphere required for demanding marine commissions.
His landscape paintings of a wide range of subjects, including Sussex scenes and his limited edition prints have also proved very popular. He has exhibited widely although he now concentrates mainly on commissions and was Chairman of Arundel Art Society for seven years.
Cameron is a qualified Adult Education tutor with many years experience of teaching water colour painting, mixed media and drawing, and runs a range of private classes in Worthing and Rustington. He also teaches painting and drawing at Worthing Leisure Centre, weekend courses at The Earnley Concourse, near Chichester and was a tutor at Northbrook College (Sussex) for eleven years.
You Asked: Unfinished Oil Painting…
Today’s question comes from Joyce and she asks:
“I have an unfinished oil painting and haven’t worked on it in about 5 years. It is painted in the old master’s tradition and already has about 27 layers of glazing. Is there anything I have to do to the painting in order to finish it. Do I need to treat it with oil or something else. It is a portrait and I need to re-do the nose and eye area. I am 71 so my “need” is pretty much “do it now or throw it away.” My daughter wants to frame and hang it.”
Do you have any information that might help Joyce? If so, please leave your response in the comments box below. Thank you!
Blick Presents: Liquitex Slow-Dri Acrylic Mediums and Additives
As we all know, acrylic paint dries very quickly and there are times when we would prefer the paint to remain workable for longer periods of time. You could always switch to oil paints, but for those of us who love acrylic paints, this is not an option.
Acrylic paint starts to dry and form that annoying “skin” in roughly 10 to 20 minutes. This can be rather frustrating but luckily there are mediums and additives that we can add to acrylic paints to slow down their drying time and make for a much more enjoyable painting experience.
Watch the video below to learn more about these mediums and additives by Liquitex that you can conveniently purchase online from Blick Art Materials by following the links below.
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