Fine Art Tips, Business and Social Media Advice
Do we need to give ourselves permission to smile? To Play? To have Fun? During Yoga, my instructor said, “Allow the corners of your mouth to stretch out to your ears.” We all smiled, but, I was surprised at how unsmiling my facial muscles had been just moments before. The word that flashed neon in my mind me was, “Allow.” Do we also need to give ourselves permission to do the same when it comes to our art? Some of us can be so … [Read more...]
Digital art is somewhat of a dirty word in certain circles, and some artists don’t even consider it to be a real art form. I think the problem is that a lot of people don’t really know how to understand what digital art is, and we tend to fear what we don’t understand. Many times when friends come to our house, they admire the framed print of a digital painting I made of my girlfriend last year. When I'm asked about it I say something … [Read more...]
When I entered graduate school, I first experienced the raw difference in quality art materials and supplies. There was such a huge distinction between the materials I used in the shop (the scene shop) to the materials I used in the studio, and I could immediately see the results in both different types of paints, and in different papers, and substrates. It wasn’t an intentional experiment to find better quality, but it sold me on how … [Read more...]
As I was preparing for a recent plein air painting trip, this guest post submission caught my eye. Painter, Martin Banks reflects on his experiences of working from nature, and the challenges of painting en plein air. Working From Nature en Plein Air Working from nature is important for the artist in a number of ways. It beats working from photos hands down, although I have to say there is a role for the photograph too. What’s the point of … [Read more...]
Traveling, painting and photography are among my biggest passions, and I love it when I have the opportunity to do them all at the same time! Having just returned home from our annual family vacation in the US Virgin Islands in the beautiful Caribbean, I thought I'd share a few pictures and facts I have learned from my time there. Normally, there are only two seasons in the Caribbean - dry and rainy seasons. The dry season usually lasts from … [Read more...]
Having an efficient and well organized art studio is important to the productivity of any artist. The other day I was considering buying a new artist's taboret. I was ready to place the order, and then I realized that I could easily save money by turning my old TV stand into a new taboret! Here is how I did … [Read more...]
There is strong evidence that supports Leonardo da Vinci's use of Sacred Geometry, also known as the Golden Ratio or Golden Number, while creating the Mona Lisa. Last spring, I learned about the use of the Golden Ratio when I took a painting workshop from the very accomplished painter, Michael Workman. Understanding the elements of scared geometry will help elevate and enhance your own artistic compositions. Besides the Mona Lisa, the … [Read more...]
Over the past few months, I have been on a creative journey in order to expand my own artistic repertoire. Having been a traditional artist for my whole life it is fun to learn some mixed media techniques - like how to crackle paint. My mixed media art instructor, David deVillier, taught me how to crackle paint over the top of an acrylic painting. I thought some of you might enjoy this demo. The quick little video below shows how to give a … [Read more...]
We can learn a lot about an artist by looking at his or her working palette. The daubs of paint, stubs of pastel, or puddles of color left behind on the palette are an intriguing trace of the working methods and psyche of the artist. Some painters prefer to organize their palette from light to dark pigments, while others place their paints from cool to warm. Many methodically arrange their paints in the same working order each time they … [Read more...]
Drawing perfect freehand circles is never an easy task. However pencil artist, Nemo makes it look easy. Nemo’s popularity has grown to where he has given up his 40 hour a week career as a graphic designer to be a fulltime artist. Some of you might remember Nemo from the Fine Art Tips #PowerArtists series which showcased many of the art rockstars of social media. He also wrote the popular post, "How to Find Your Own Artistic Voice." I hope … [Read more...]
Lori McNee is a professional artist who specializes in still life, and landscape oil paintings. She is an exhibiting member of Oil Painters of America, Plein Air Painters of Idaho, serves on the Plein Air Mag Board of Advisors, and is an Ambassador Artist to Royal Talens. As the owner of FineArtTips.com, Lori blogs about fine art tips, marketing … Click HERE to read more.
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