“A Little Black Book for My Younger Artist Self”
By Kimberly Brooks I remember the first time I ever painted in oil as if it were yesterday. Already an avid sketch artist and having dabbled in acrylics, I was
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Technique
Leonardo and Light
According to Mark Balma, Leonard Da Vinci was an innovator in the realm of painting, as well as his many other inventions. In the previous tradition before Leonardo, painters would
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LEONARDO DA VINCI Painting Techniques
2019 is Leonardo da Vinci’s 500th Anniversary. In the articles and videos that follow on this page, Leonardo specialist and artist Mark Balma explores Leonardo’s painting materials and techniques.
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THE MAKING OF A PAINTING
David and Goliath – a painting by Samuel Shelton. The Process: I started the painting by making a traditional hide glue gesso which was painted in a number of layers
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The Progressive Focus Method For Painting a Portrait In Oils
By William F. Martin For years I struggled, attempting to paint a portrait that displayed a relatively accurate likeness of the subject. I tried gridding, sketching, accurate drawing, using “classic
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Unusual Textured Gesso Effects
Many people use Masonite or birch boards rather than canvas for painting supports. Usually, artists use boards because they desire a smooth surface, allowing for great detail. But sometimes there
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Our Monitors are Fooling Us
Most of us have replaced our CRT computer monitors with LCD monitors, creating a significant problem for artists. LCD monitors are thin and light, and may produce less eye fatigue
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PHOTO EXPOSURE PROBLEMS – A SOLUTION FOR ARTISTS
Recently someone asked about problems with underexposed images on a camera. Sometimes if you are at a gallery reception, messing with the f-stop is too much of a hassle, and
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A BETTER MAULSTICK
Painters often use a maulstick to steady their hand when working on details. The Dutch word “maalstok” means “painter’s stick”. The traditional maulstick has a bulb on the top covered
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COLOR UNDER-DRAWING
An artist friend in California sent an email with this idea. Historically, charcoal and pencils have commonly been used for under-drawings on canvas. The problem is, graphite can show through
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