Nature is one of the best places from which to gather reference. I’ve been working on a piece that is set during twilight. Using my memory, I made several attempts at a twilight color and value scheme in color studies but the look and feel just wasn’t coming across....
Jul52017
Plein Air at Twilight
Dec292016
DIY Sculpture Stand
I want to sculpt more but I didn’t really have a good spot to do it. Based on the sculpture stands I’ve seen I created my own. I wanted something with adjustable height, fairly lightweight, easy to move, stable, and something I could make myself. I can’t weld but...
Nov302016
Getting Organized
Slowly but surely I’ve been getting my work space more organized. Recently I made a file organizer for various projects and tasks. I wanted to use some of the supplies I already had around the house so opted to sew my own (plus I enjoy making things so this...
May252016
Quick Display Labels
This saved me some time so I thought I’d share. I needed display labels for my art for a show. Instead of printing them out on card stock and cutting them out by hand, or mounting the labels on foam board, a friend suggested I try something different. I...
May42016
Quick Tip for Mats
I like to have a clean presentation of my work. Sure that outer edge of the mat might be hidden under a frame eventually, but that’s not what a customer sees. They see the matted print. Sometimes when cutting a picture mat the outer edge gets fuzz or looks...
Sep302015
Checking My Work
When working on a picture it’s easy for things to look “right” after a time, even when there’s a drawing error. Here’s a list of several ways I use to check my work, looking for drawing errors, or weak design. Shrink it I shrink my work to check if the design...
Jun32015
In Search of Sketch Tools
I like sketching. In my explorations to keep it fun and simple, there are a few technical issues I’m trying to resolve. Part of the “issues” have to do with personal preference for comfort, ease of use, and immediacy of art making. Plus exploring different options and combinations of...
Feb112015
Book Recommendation
As the name suggests, “The Painters Handbook: Revised and Expanded” by Mark David Gottsegen is a reference for painting. I think it’s excellent. I’ve had for years. I mainly use it for information relating to oil painting and studio/materials safety but it also covers other paints and other useful...
Nov122014
Color Board Mixing Tips
Several weeks back I posted a bit about mixing the Richard Schmid color boards. Here are a few more pointers. Instead of using Matte Medium as surface prep for the canvas board, use Matte Varnish (I’ve been using Liquitex). Using the Matte Varnish was a recommendation from someone else....
Oct82014
Color Mixing Boards
Based off Richard Schmid’s boards as he describes them in his book “Alla Prima Everything I Know About Painting”, I’m creating color boards using the Paxton Palette. (We use the Paxton Palette at The Atelier). Ivory Black Raw Umber Alizarin Crimson Indian Red Light Red Cadmium Red Light (this...