Painting trees and leaves Watercolor Demonstration
About Sandrine Pelissier
I grew up in France but have been living in Canada for the last 12 years, I am currently located in North Vancouver and work from a studio on Pemberton Avenue.
Watercolor is my medium of choice because of the unique way it allows me to render light. The transparency of this medium can make it look like the painting is lit from behind and the light is shining through the paper In my portraits, I like to tell stories about the people around me. I am very interested in childhood fantasy or fairy tales (I wish it would snow Flowers, Hair Balloon, Georgia, the Spanish dress and the Eclectus Parrot). I also like to induce a dialogue with the viewer in some paintings dealing more with introspection and mood (Mixed, In the studio).
Those portraits are not about likeness or knowing the people that are being painted, as I see my models as actors in a movie, they are the faces that will allow me to tell a story or to show emotions. Those faces are a source of endless fascination and I find the subtlety that can be achieved with watercolor well suited to the complexity of the human face.
My technique involves the accumulation of many transparent layers of watercolor. Then I like to incorporate mixed media in the background, work sometimes with some contouring. I also sometimes like to add some drawing on top of the painting or some graphic elements…
Oil Painting Wildlife Demonstration
About Shalese
Ever since I could hold a pencil, I have had a love of drawing and animals. So it was only natural that I combine my two loves. My passion for art has only grown throughout the years and my love of animals has kept up with it. When my family and I took a vacation to Yellowstone in 2009, my inspiration skyrocketed. We were able to get very close to a large bull elk—something I’ve never done before but had always wished to experience. I discovered the sublime in a powerful way, a feeling I hope is portrayed in all my art. From that point on, I have wanted to excel in the field of wildlife art while continuing my passion for equestrian art. I have recently graduated from Northwestern College in St. Paul with a B.A. in Studio Art and hope to make wildlife/equine art my full time profession.
Follow this link to visit Shalese’s Site
How To Photograph A Moving Baby – Baby Photography Tips And Lighting Techniques
Now if you’re ever scratching your head, while struggling to capture newborn beauty, then just relax… you just need to follow a couple of easy steps, and you’ll soon be struggling to put your camera away.
Really the main problem when photographing babies, is how to deal with movement, and even though a lot of digital cameras come prepared with a “Children Mode” setting, it will only present us of lighting problems…. so a manual setting unfortunately is not going to get the quality results we were looking for.
So, today we are going to explore the best way to capture perfect skin tone in low light conditions, whether indoors or outside. Let’s take a look at the following photography scenario of a baby outdoors in soft lighting conditions, so I would set my digital camera with a lower f stop, like an f/4 (this will help to softly blur out any background), with a higher ISO setting like 800 (this will help the sensor locate all additional light), and finally to counteract any movement we need to set the shutter speed to about 1/160.
It goes without saying that outdoors we normally manage to find enough light on a clear day, but indoors is a different scenario, so let’s go back to our digital camera, and explore the “White Balance” setting as the perfect tool to capture perfect indoor baby photos, especially if they are clothed in pale colors, when it’s well recommended to open your camera’s white balance adjustment and manually set it to an indoor setting. You see, even if you have overhead lighting, it will only reflect off bright colors, so on the other hand, the baby is clothed in bright shiny colors the light will reflect, although you will need to check your light meter readings to get the perfect result.
Watercolor Floral Demo – “Nymphaea”
About the Artist
Laurie Asahara was raised on the Big Island of Hawaii and grew up within the vivid floral palette of the lush tropics. Laurie’s art reflects her impressions of the areas of the Western U.S. where she has lived: Hawaii, the desert southwest, northern California, western Washington, and Idaho. Having been a floral painter for many years, Laurie took an interest in portrait painting and now captures the diverse collection of personalities she finds in Eagle, Idaho where she now resides. Laurie had an earlier career as a practicing attorney, but now devotes full time to her art.
Artist’s Statement
I am a floral and portrait painter working predominantly in watercolor. This agile medium is ideal for layering pigment into luminous washes and creating stunning depth of color. Rendering the elements of sunlight, shadow, and reflected light with transparent pigment creates a fascinating dimensionality on the surface of the paper.
Pastel Landscape Demo Step by Step
About Karen Margulis
I was born in Connecticut, grew up in South Florida and spent summers in the North Carolina Mountains. I currently live in Marietta Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. I graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in Education.
I operated a family day care for 21 years so that I could stay home with my own 2 children. We traveled every summer with the kids and tried to visit every National Park. Most of my paintings are inspired by the photos I took on these adventures.
I am now painting and teaching pastel classes and workshops full time. I am represented by several galleries in the Southeast as well as several online galleries. I am a Member of Excellence in the Southeastern Pastel Society and a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America.
Still Life Oil Painting Demonstration
About the Artist
David Gray (b. 1970) acquired a strong foundational education in art while obtaining his BFA from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. His art education has continued with independent and occasional formal studies in pictorial expression and oil painting. The resulting work reveals a personal and contemporary expression of beauty and order which pays homage to the Classical Tradition in its craftsmanship.
David’s paintings have earned several national awards and his career has been covered by major art publications including Southwest Art, Art of the West, and American Art Collector. David’s works are included in many discriminating private art collections throughout the United States and abroad.
David’s Websites:
Charcoal Portrait Demo by Nathan Fowkes
About Nathan Fowkes
I do concept art, color and lighting design for animation and entertainment projects, notable clients include DreamWorks, Blue Sky, Disney and Digital Domain.
It’s a great job but since everything is painted digitally I spend my own time painting with traditional mediums, these paintings and sketches are the emphasis my blog. I’ll post my digital work where possible as well as classroom demonstrations for the benefit of my art students.
Old Master Painting Technique – Color Banding
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.
Watercolor Painting Demonstration – Winter Ice, Potomac River
A Virginia Artist – Creating Award Winning Art In Oil and Watercolor
CHRISTINE LASHLEY — ARTIST’S STATEMENT: As a contemporary impressionist painter, I am constantly drawn to light. Nature’s unique colors, harmonies and contrasts offer a visual feast that I love to capture in artwork. I gather most of my ideas by painting outdoors. On location there is no time to second-guess choices, so the resulting brush strokes convey a sense of immediacy and vitality. My studio paintings are a chance to work larger, while retaining the freshness of painting “plein-air”. Planning first, with sketches and reference, lets me paint freely in the final artwork. Favorite subjects are portraits, still life and landscapes.
ARTIST’S BIO: Christine Lashley studied as a teen in Paris at the Parsons Art Institute and the Sorbonne, continuing on to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. She worked for several years in the fashion industry in Europe, then as a muralist and graphic designer, but turned her interest to fine art soon thereafter. Christine’s paintings have been shown nationally and internationally. With numerous works in private and corporate collections, her work has also been featured in publications such as:American Artist Magazine, The Washington Post, and Elan Magazine. A North Light Publications book: Creative Freedom, will feature two of her oils in a step-by-step demonstration.
Christine currently lives in the Washington DC area with her husband and two children, and has been an art instructor for over 10 years. She is a juried, signature member of several art groups including: the Potomac Valley Watercolorists (where she served as President), The Baltimore Watercolor Society, and the Washington Society of Landscape Painters, and a juried member of OPA (Oil Painters of America).
Drawing a Portrait with Charcoal Step by Step
About Nathan Fowkes
I do concept art, color and lighting design for animation and entertainment projects, notable clients include DreamWorks, Blue Sky, Disney and Digital Domain.
It’s a great job but since everything is painted digitally I spend my own time painting with traditional mediums, these paintings and sketches are the emphasis my blog. I’ll post my digital work where possible as well as classroom demonstrations for the benefit of my art students.
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