Let's Make a Painting

Step-by-step landscape demonstration for beginning artist.

2016-04-12T21:34:00.001-07:00

Learn to oil paint in the style of the old masters with Jon Houglum in this video series. Houglum covers
fundamental lessons and techniques involved in painting a simple mountain landscape scene. Demonstrations are directed to the absolute beginner but others can benefit, especially if you have trouble with deciduous trees, as I do.

The following 5 videos are actually excerpts from DVDs sold on his website, however they are not skimpy on detail. Over an hour of instruction all together. He covers how to mix color, then focuses on painting a lacy tree. Finally a step by step landscape that includes trees.

Part #1. Houglum covers how to prepare canvas, how to mix colors, the color wheel, basic drawing and painting techniques.

Part #2. Houglum demonstrates how to paint a tree in three steps. How use lights and darks to get visual interest.

Part #3. How to paint a mountain scene with oils, step 1.

Part #4. Here video jumps ahead with background nearly completed.

Part #5. Adding tree and tips for making the painting vibrant by darker darks and lighter lights.

Artistic License

2016-04-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

Artful Inspiration

2016-03-28T18:15:00.001-07:00

Artful inspiration, studio notes and interesting blog bits
from artists that may inspire your creative muse!

"A Gentle Breeze" by Kimberly Kelly Santini

Working thru the Uglies

Have you ever had a painting that sunk deep into "The Uglies" ... that stage where the artist is still working things out, and nothing quite yet meshes or works visually? Reading this blog post from Kimberly Kelly Santini (Painting a Dog a Day) as she
struggles with "A Gentle Breeze" may lift your spirits and inspire you to keep going!

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Watercolor by Ray Campbell-Smith

What Shall I Paint?

From inspiration to composition and several steps in between. Professional Artist Ray Campbell-Smith discusses the importance of being selective when composing a painting.

"Most artists are naturally inspired by subjects with strong visual appeal which almost cry out to be painted, but there are occasionally times when we want to paint but have no particular subject in mind and may even suffer from the artistic equivalent of 'writer's block'." In this article, Campbell-Smith points out landscape composition changes that can turn an unimpressive scene into a more interesting composition.

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Oil by Johannes Vloothuis

Tip of the Week from Johannes Vloothuis

Visualize your painting first: If you buy canvases at your local art store, chances are they already are wrapped in plastic. You can use a magic marker and draw the main masses on that wrapping before doing it on the bare canvas.

Johannes Vloothuis is a Canadian born artist who specializes in landscape painting in watercolor and oils. Besides painting, he has been teaching for over 20 years and feels proud for having helped so many amateur artists turn into professionals. He doesn't believe talent is necessary to become a good artist. Correct guidance and constant practice will achieve great results. Johannes, in cooperation with Wet Canvas and North Light, frequently holds online classes and paint-alongs. Some are free and some aren't. website

Johannes has finally published a book containing his secrets to painting beautiful landscapes. "Landscape Painting Essentials" is a cherished one in my own personal library and I totally agree with publishers statement: "Johannes Vloothuis makes the process a whole lot easier with the essential techniques, key concepts and expert advice he shares in this book."

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Russell Black "The Old Barn"

On Being Creative...quoting Russell Black

Knowing what you want to paint and why are the most important considerations in planning a painting. Be creative. Be different.

I often speak about doing something different with your work and not painting exactly what you see out there. It comes down to this, we tend to copy and report instead of interpret or express. This often happens to beginning artists (and some long timers as well). It is easy to copy from a photo. ....our job as artists is to be creative, if for no other reason than for our work to be different than everything else out there.

My Personal Philosophy: I am a painter. I take a brush loaded with bright, clean color and make marks on white paper. The brush marks, if correctly done, will suggest a subject. My thoughts, intentions, and emotions go into each stroke to communicate my feelings about the subject to you, the viewer. This is the essence of art.

By it's very nature, art is a translation and not a transcription. Nature cannot be copied, only suggested. The world around us is three dimensional and my paper has only two dimensions. I see color and texture with my eyes, but my palette has only a few colors on it and my brush can only make a limited number of strokes to convey texture to you. What I experience, therefore, must be translated into the language of art.

How to Paint a Dog Portrait

2016-02-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

In this series of short videos, artist Rollie Brandt paints a small 8" x 10" acrylic portrait of
the family dog 'Hurley'. She takes time and paints with a tiny brush. The photo of which colors she used is unclear. As far as I can tell, her colors are: Liquitex Unbleached Titanium or Flesh, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Yellow Ochre, Alizarin or Naphthol Crimson, Ultramarine or Phthalo Blue, Cobalt Blue, Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Raw Umber, Black and Titanium White.

Knife Painting Demo by Christian Jequel

2015-06-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

'Harvest' by Christian Jequel

In the following video, Christian Jequel, a French artist based in Provence, performs a
real-time demonstration of the knife-painting technique he has mastered. You'll be amazed at the illusion of detail he creates with one stroke. Painting with just a knife, he simultaneously express form, shade, light, and color. All done without preliminary sketches.

Painting Sasha the Border Collie

2015-04-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

Caroline Stanley shows us her animal portrait painting techniques in this short video
demo. She's using oils on a 20"x20" canvas, beginning with an underpainting that peeks thru in places giving life and warmth to her portrait. I particularly like the extreme close-up cropped composition she has created. It makes for a unique portrait of this Border Collie.

Caroline says: "Please note: this is not all in a days work! Its more than 8 hours of painting spread out over 3 weeks (I just wear the same painting shirt every time!)."

Paint Monet's Waterlilies

2015-04-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

Painting demonstration excerpt from the Emmy-Award winning PBS TV Series
"Landscapes Through Time". Host David Dunlop paints "Monet's Waterlilies". David describes the evolution of Impressionism from its experimental beginnings with Monet and his friends -- Sisley, Renoir, Bazille, Pissarro - to its later stage (and beyond) of explosive color, loose brushwork, complementary color effects, vivid sunshine and sensual delight.

David will discuss and demonstrate Monet's painting process as he paints "waterlilies" on location in Monet's carefully cultivated waterlily garden at Giverny, David discusses Monet's philosophy and lasting influence on painting as he pursued sensation with color. In paint, David will present Monet's aggregative techniques and his revolutionary new language for releasing color from the outlines of static shapes.

Telling a Story

2015-04-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

Haleiwa by Richard Robinson

Today we have some painting tips from artist and instructor Richard Robinson. Robinson says: "Start thinking about adding more interest, more story to your paintings."

Autumn Landscape by Michael Lang

2015-04-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

"Autumns Place" by Michael Lang

Here we have a start to finish expressionist landscape painting demonstration by Michael Lang. Various techniques used starting with an underpainted wash of color and loose brushwork to establish the composition then adding controlled strokes of strong, brilliant color. That's a blending brush in his left hand, used throughout the painting process to quickly blend the acrylic paint. Near the finish he adds transparent blue washes in selected areas using acrylic matte medium.

How to Scan Your Finished Artwork

2015-03-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

Do you have trouble getting a good photo of your paintings? Try scanning :An Alternative to Digitally Photographing Your Painting.

Thomas Kinkade Behind the Scenes

2015-02-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

New Day Dawning - Kinkade

Thomas Kinkade paints 'A New Day Dawning' in this rare half hour video demo. From a blank canvas to a completed studio masterwork, this is an amazing peek into his artistic process.

Paint Ship on Stormy Sea

2014-09-16T18:07:00.003-07:00

Seascape oil painting demo by Alex Yzakov with English translation. Easy wave technique with brilliant turquoise water. It's not real clear, but I believe the colors mentioned in video are: Cad Red Light, Cad Yellow Light, Turquoise Blue, Cobalt Blue, Violet, Cerulean Blue & Titanium White.

Misty Landscape Technique

2014-09-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

In the following video Wilson Bickford shows us his technique for creating a foggy landscape or "misty morning" effect. This can be done with oil or acrylic paints as long as the first layer is completely dry before beginning the glazing technique.

Demo: Seascape at Dawn

2014-08-30T17:47:00.004-07:00

In this 2-part video demo, Michael Lewis shows how to prepare for and then paint ocean waves at dawn. He also explains the special challenges of painting the ocean and beach. He paints with a limited palette of Ultramarine Blue, Cad Red, Lemon Yellow and White.

Michael says: "My first goal is to introduce art and teach drawing and painting skills to anyone who desires to learn. Each artist grows and matures in their own way but all artists share the same first steps mastering the fundamentals. My second goal is to share my knowledge and experience with those of you already painting but running into difficulties, as we all do, now and then."

How to Paint Horses

2014-07-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

Two Horses by Margarita Potorocha

Painting 2 horses in a foggy atmosphere using a variety of techniques with oils....brush, knife, wipe out and finger painting.

How to Mix Black

2014-06-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

Part 1

Part 2

Watercolor Demo of a Dog Portrait

2014-02-28T20:49:00.000-08:00

Golden Retriever by Ron Krajewski

Self-taught artist Ron Krajewski (Dog Art Studio) shares his technique for painting pet portraits with watercolor. He also paints with acrylics. See more at ronkrajewski.com

So...You're An Artist

2014-02-21T20:28:00.003-08:00

Joyce Hicks 'Homestead' Watercolor Demo

2014-01-16T17:39:00.000-08:00

Artist and author Joyce Hicks is known for her romantic cottage, country and coastal scenes. In this 17 minute speed-painting video, Hicks demonstrates her watercolor technique, Hicks says: "I’ve always been able to see places and things in an idealistic way, but it wasn’t until I discovered painting that I was able to express and interpret this personal view. My art is not always a true rendition of what is actually there but how I wish it could be. If the old white homestead is a bit neglected, then I will just capture it in sunlight to discover its real beauty. If there is only one withered rose on the old trellis then why not one hundred in full bloom?"

Painting Beautiful Watercolor Landscapes: Transform Ordinary Places into Extraordinary Scenes
New book by Joyce Hicks covers a wide range of topics and
reveals her personal techniques for transforming the landscape.

Palette Knife Portrait Demo

2014-01-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

The challenge for you as a painter is to successfully represent 3D objects on a 2D surface. One way to meet this challenge is with this knife-painting technique demonstrated by Carl Samson, who describes his methods for creating the portrait shown above. Authors says "Using the palette knife technique lets you quickly push the side plane behind the picture plane—without losing the structural integrity of the form with too much blending. Also, the palette knife allows you to freely paint the visual impression. The knife does the work for you by unifying and softening these receding planes without destroying their underlying structure."

How to Paint a Miniature Landscape

2014-01-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

How to paint a miniature original in 1/12th scale, suitable for dollhouses, roomboxes and dioramas. Acrylic paints are used on watercolor paper. The finished painting is given a light coat of varnish and framed.

Watercolor Demo: House in the Mist

2013-12-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

The subject for John Lovett's watercolor and gouache demonstration is a beautiful old house looking over Sydney Harbour. In the photograph it looks a little lost, tucked in amongst all the other houses and overpowered by a collection of boats. With this painting we will try and give the house a more mysterious atmosphere by simplifying the composition and using a wash of white Gouache.

Worst Mistake Acrylic Painters Make

2013-12-06T17:30:00.000-08:00

Michele Theberge

Do you know how much water is OK to add to your acrylics? Ever heard of the term "underbinding". Michele explains what the art conservators know, but most artists have never been taught -- how much water can be added to the paint without destabilizing the paint film.

Painting clouds and thunderheads with Jerry Yarnell

2013-11-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

In this video, artist, author and TV personality Jerry Yarnell demonstrates painting clouds and thunderheads in acrylic. This is a demo of a specific technique rather than a complete painting and is almost a full half-hour long.

How To Paint a Red Tree

2013-10-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

Artist and author Karen Margulis offers tips for painting brilliant Fall foliage and avoiding dull and washed out colors. Karen is a pastel artist but these color tips apply to all mediums.