Opusframing.com | How-to Videos

Painting with Golden OPEN Acrylics

Opus Art Supplies — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:13:13 +0000

FCA (Federation of Canadian Artists) signature member Bob McMurray has a passion for painting the world around him. Beginning much of his work on location in British Columbia's Lower Mainland, he will later complete his paintings in his studio. Bob is always prepared for the elements and he extends his time out on location by using Golden OPEN Acrylics from Golden Artist Colors....Read more

Working with Watermedia Outdoors

Opus Art Supplies — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:01:37 +0000

We sent Opus Downtown Vancouver’s Alison Woodward to Granville Island to try her hand at painting outdoors for the first time! She rose to the challenge and shares details about working with the portable watermedia and supplies we asked her to experiment with in our latest How-To Video. Here are some observations she made about the supplies.

Prepare Your Surface
Stretch Opus Watermedia Paper over the Opus Watercolour Paper Stretcher to create the ideal outdoor painting surface. The texture of the paper works great for the mixed media techniques used in this piece.

Find the Right Location
The Garabaldi Sketchbox Easel is lightweight, portable, and carries your plein air supplies while you scout out the perfect location. Learn more about this easel in our Travel Easel video series.

Extend Work Time
Yarka St. Petersburg Watercolours come in a convenient case that both holds the paints in individual pans and acts as a mixing palette. The highly pigmented colours stay moist allowing for a longer working time and enhanced workability.

Be Efficient with Space
Short handled brushes like the Opus Allegro Watercolour Brushes, and space-saving tools such as the Clic & Go Watercup, offer compact solutions for painting en plein air. And the Koi WaterBrush has a resevoir for water, the ultimate in portability!

Add Detail & Texture
Media that allows for multiple application methods is key in offering both efficiency of space and variety in your work. Waxed-based, watersoluable Derwent Artbars allow you to draw directly on your surface, or mix with water to use as paint, working well for both washes and detail work. Their triangular shape is great on the go too as they won't roll away from you!

Paint in Style
The supple, springy, and resilient Kolinsky sable bristles of the Connoisseur Travel Brushes (available in both round and flat) are protected by a metal casing, perfect for travel in your kit or even in your pocket. Remove the cover and slip it onto the end of the handle to extend the length for painting.

Try Something New
Slip the Peerless Water Colors Complete Edition Book into the pocket of your sketchbook for a compact and unique way to transport your watercolours. It contains concentrated watercolours coated on a special paper fabric. Dip your brush in water and use it to pull paint off the sheet. Brilliant!

Watch the video above to see Alison's process, hear her thoughts on the media and tools she's using, and to view the final results!

See more of Alison Woodward’s artwork here.

Murray Phillips: A Conversation with My Canvas

Opus Art Supplies — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:58:33 +0000

Murray Phillips' love and respect for Mother Nature is portrayed strongly in his artwork. As a signature member with Artists for Conservation [an artist run group dedicated to supporting nature through the arts] his passion for nature is extended beyond just painting outdoors. From British Columbia's Bugaboo Provincial Park to the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Murray travels far and wide to capture the beauty that the wilderness has to offer....Read more

Travel Easels at Opus

Opus Art Supplies — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:07:51 +0000

Nicoli Moir, from Opus Art Supplies in Langley BC, highlights the features and benefits of some of our favourite Travel Easels in three quick and informative videos.

Whether you’re wanting to expand your practice by working outdoors, find yourself painting on the go, or simply wish to paint on a sturdy and lightweight surface, one of these easels will surely meet your needs!

Watch the videos below or click on the links to watch them in our online store to also view detailed information about each easel.

Garibaldi Sketchbox Easel (see video above)...Read more

Surface Preparation: Sizing & Gesso

Opus Art Supplies — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:10:39 +0000

Colin Mitchell from Opus Langley demonstrates how easy it is to take control of your artwork right from the start by sizing and priming your canvas with gesso. Using a combination of Golden's GAC 400 and 100 for the size and our own Opus Gesso, Colin ensures his canvas will stand the test of time. Watch the video and learn how you can begin taking those extra steps towards a completely customized final piece....Read more

Oil Painting Techniques: Glaze & Cold Wax Medium

Opus Art Supplies — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:32:27 +0000

Pierre Giroux from Opus Granville Island continues to perfect the painting he began in his previous video, Introduction to Oil Painting. In this informative How-To video, Pierre demonstrates how you can enhance your underpainting using glazes and cold wax medium techniques, adding texture and visual depth.

Watch the video to see Pierre’s process and the final results!...Read more

Fearless Nature with Marilyn Hunt

Opus Art Supplies — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:41:09 +0000

BC artist Marilyn Hunt's creative expression focuses on the small, often unnoticed details of nature. She actively seeks the beauty in the everyday and her interest lies in visually sharing this with her viewers to facilitate an engagement with the organic world.

Marilyn primarily creates Mixed Media paintings using acrylics, oils, wax, and graphite. Her quest in exploring new products is to create bold textured surfaces that best represent the message from nature she wishes to convey.

Watch Marilyn as she express her Fearless Nature in the video above and read the full exclusive article below....Read more

How To: Introduction to Oil Painting

Opus Art Supplies — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:16:40 +0000

Pierre Giroux from Opus Granville Island demonstrates how you can use your oil paints to produce stunning results with depth and clarity. He shares his approach, techniques, and preferred materials in this informative Opus How-To Video.

Watch the video to see Pierre’s process and the final results!...Read more

Animated Imagination with Jeff Chiba Stearns

Opus Art Supplies — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 08:00:00 +0000

Jeff Chiba Stearns is a Vancouver based, multi award-winning animation and documentary filmmaker. His love of pen, paper, and story is the driving force behind his creative pursuits as he continually strives to inspire others to create. Known for his award-winning animated short Yellow Sticky Notes, Jeff pushed his creative boundaries as an animator when he took upon the task of animating the whole film on Post-It notes. ...Read more

Staff Picks: Our Favourite Art Supplies

Opus Art Supplies — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:08:23 +0000

Opus Staff share the art materials and tools they love working with in their art practices!

We all have those favourite materials and tools that are a pleasure to work with but have you ever stopped to wonder why they are so special to you? We posed this question to some of the staff at Opus and the responses were as varied as materials chosen as their favourites.

Watch the video, get inspired, and share your picks below!...Read more