Blog

I don't mean look at yourself in the mirror - that would be way too deep a topic! I'm referring to evaluating your own artwork. [...]

Part of the charm of watercolor paintings is the deckled edge on the paper. Artists tear watercolor paper to create a natural, deckled edge which can then be float framed to display the decorative borders. [...]

Painting small is a great way to practice, experiment and improve your skills. [...]

This beautiful Mourning Dove caught my eye as it strolled down the sidewalk outside my kitchen window after dinner one evening. It was a subject that begged to be painted - the evening light was perfect: it cast a lovely warm glow on the bird with long cool shadows. I thought a step-by-step bird tutorial was in order! [...]

Come along, and I'll take you step-by-step through my process in creating the above painting (which includes a video demonstration!). [...]

I've wanted to write about tangents in art for some time - ever since I learned about tangents the hard way. [...]

What do escape routes have to do with art? Find out as I discuss what I call "escape routes" as a compositional element in watercolor painting. [...]

In recent days, a flock of eight Wild Turkeys has been visiting our backyard to glean underneath the bird feeders. Of course I had to paint them! [...]

When an artist asks me to critique a painting, one of the first things I do is convert their image to black and white. Why? Because in my opinion, getting the values right is foundational to creating a good painting. [...]

There are many ways artists can transfer an image to a substrate (in my case, watercolor paper) prior to painting. Tracing a photograph using a light box (or even a window), transferring the image with graphite paper, employing the grid method, and transferring by projection are all common methods used by artists today. [...]

I've been painting a lot of small faces lately — because it's fun, good practice, and because I am such a slow painter these can be completed quickly by comparison! — follow along as I explain my watercolor process. [...]

When my painting is all but finished - when I feel that the values are right and the essence of the subject has been captured- I pull out my lifting tools and get to work on creating tiny lights in strategic areas. [...]

In order to create form in a painting, getting the values right is essential! [...]

Artists paint portraits for a myriad of reasons: It might be a commission, an upcoming show, to learn a new technique, remember a loved one, or just for fun (like Portrait of a Dachshund)! [...]

Are you a multi-tasker? As a watercolor artist, I almost never work in silence. I often have something playing in the background: music, an art podcast, even a live trial (yes, trials - I find them fascinating!). [...]

You've put your heart and soul into a painting and now it's time to put the icing on the cake: your signature. [...]

We all need a place that is ours and ours alone: a place we go to think or read or create or pray undisturbed. An artist needs an art studio. [...]

I was asked to write about painting hair. I'm not referring to the technique that a hair stylist might use for the current hair painting trends (I was clueless until I googled it - I had no idea!), but my watercolor-on-paper technique for portraits. Painting hair can be challenging for an artist. There are so many ... hairs! [...]

Have you ever found yourself digging through half-empty tubes of paint in search of a precise hue you need (or think you need) for the painting you are working on? There is no need to own every color of paint that is out there! Chances are, you can create any color you want using the paint that is already on your palette.   The two-minute video below illustrates my favorite way of doing just that!     Paint. Love. Repeat. [...]

A reader asked me to provide insight on the topic of shadows on sunlit skin, specifically in regard to my painting Under the Noonday Sun. She asked, "How do you decide where to put them or is it just intuitive?" [...]

I was recently introduced to Anne Lamott's book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. (Of course, the title itself piqued my interest, though it is not about birds!)   Not far into the book - in fact I was still perusing the introduction - something I read stopped me in my tracks. Anne is sharing advice from her father, also a writer, encouraging her to write:    "Do it every day for a while... Do it by prearrangement with yourself. Do it as a debt of honor. And make a commitment to finishing things" (emphasis mine).    Bird by bird. I put the book down [...]

Last month I discussed the use of masking fluid to preserve tiny white highlights in a watercolor painting. Remember, a transparent watercolorist prefers to leave the white areas unpainted rather than using white paint (which is opaque).    I thought it was time to make a video. I've been working on large pieces and a commission, so I decided to paint a small piece for my own sanity.   I chose this female House Finch, then decided to use my negative painting technique to depict the budding branches.   And then I decided to record my process and share it with you! Sit back and watch me paint [...]

Why use masking fluid? There are many uses for masking fluid, but it is mainly used to preserve the white of the paper in watercolor.   Though I rarely use masking fluid, there are times when I do apply it for areas that I don't want to paint around, such as sunlit branches in front of a bird or whiskers on a cat; or in the case of this European Starling, which is covered in dazzling white spots. I could use a razor knife to lift them later (which I wrote about in Watercolor Techniques: Scraping, September 2021)*, but I decided to apply masking fluid to [...]

Continuing the Backgrounds Should Never Be an Afterthought theme, today I will take you through a more advanced version of my intuitive process.   Something out of Nothing. I began this piece with a beautiful reference photo of Taylor against a blank wall. I had ideas for the background, so I cropped the photo leaving room to develop that empty space.     Intuitive Backgrounds.* I always begin my portrait paintings with a triad of very watery shades of yellow, rose and blue (about 10% value). I also begin painting outside the lines in order to incorporate the background from the start. It makes no difference what color [...]

How do you decide what to do with the backgrounds of your paintings? Continuing the Backgrounds Should Never Be an Afterthought theme, today I will take you through my intuitive process.   Intuitive Backgrounds.* My reference photo was very good, and though I thought I would do something similar with the background, I wanted to allow it to evolve, rather than force it.   Underpainting. On this piece, I knew I wanted a soft, ethereal background, so I began laying in Quinacridone Gold wet-on-dry. The gold would establish the warm areas on the bird and the rooftop. I also painted outside of the lines to begin to establish the composition. [...]

As promised in my previous blog, Backgrounds Should Never Be an Afterthought, I’d like to illustrate one of several ways that I go about handling backgrounds in my paintings.   Today I will address Planned Backgrounds. Keep in mind that the background is the space around the subject that should support and enhance the subject, not detract or distract from it. Planning from the start is probably the most straightforward way to accomplish a harmonious background for your painting.   Underpainting. On 300lb cold-pressed paper, I drew almost everything that I wanted to include in the final painting. Then I applied masking fluid on tiny areas where [...]

I was having trouble deciding what to write about this month, so I put out a plea to my Instagram followers and they didn't disappoint! One of the suggestions was "backgrounds."   What is a background? I googled "backgrounds in art" and found this great definition: "The background is the space in a piece of artwork that functions as a means to support and enhance [emphasis added] the main subject matter of the piece. It surrounds the objects in the piece and may include actual objects and people, or simply be empty negative space."* I selected a few paintings of mine to illustrate the various ways [...]

I was having trouble coming up with a topic for my next blog when I had a request from a student to critique her artwork. The painting below was "not invited" into an exhibition she recently entered, and she bravely agreed to allow me to write about it here. [...]

Come with me as I take you through the steps taken to create my little jewel painting, Bee Happy. Day one.It was the end of a busy day and I hadn't had a chance to get into the studio - so I made time to at least get a few minutes in. I transferred the image to paper and blocked in some color; now I could sleep! Day 2. I decided to paint this in my jewel style, but rather than using a Micron pen for the ink lines, I planned to use watercolor alone. Working around the page, I added color: blending, softening, [...]

Would you like to loosen up your painting style and be more interpretive with your art? Is your goal is to create a piece of art that is uniquely yours? The first step is to find appropriate source material, which was discussed in last month's blog, Painting from Photographs: Intent.   Once you have a good reference photo and a clear idea of what you would like to express in your painting, it's time to put brush to paper!   Where to begin? Always keep your objective in mind. It may be helpful to jot down the title, message or mood you'd like to convey. Ask [...]

How do you choose source material for your next painting? Whether you work from life or from photographs, the first step in a successful painting is determining the subject matter, and in turn, planning your composition. [...]

A bit of my thought process in the making of a watercolor portrait revealed . [...]

It's ok to stop working on a painting when you like it. In fact, that's the best time to stop. But sometimes after days, weeks, maybe even a year, you drag that painting out of a drawer and realize it's not really as good as it could be. That's where values come in.   Value in painting is simply the lightness or darkness of a color. The darker the color, the lower the value; the lighter the color, the higher the value. The values near the lighter end of the value scale are considered high-key, while those on the darker end are low-key. [...]

There are many ways to manage or achieve whites when painting in watercolor. You can simply paint around areas you'd like to reserve as the white of the paper, or you can protect select areas with some sort of mask like painter's tape or masking fluid.   But what if you didn't save the whites? Can they be recovered?    Of course you could use white paint; but because white paint is opaque, it can sometimes look heavy and unattractive.* Larger areas can be recovered by dampening a brush and gently lifting. I use this technique for small sections of hair, fur, or fabric, or a soft highlight in an eye. (I [...]

Beginning Thoughts. Whenever I begin a watercolor portrait, I have a few ideas on where I'm going with it, but mostly I let it evolve layer-by-layer. I loved the playful expression on Taylor's face in this photo. I knew I wanted to create a fun piece, and I knew I wanted to incorporate some branches in the background.   Below, I've outlined a simplified step-by-step progression. The actual time required to complete this painting was far greater than this brief tutorial suggests!   The first wash. I began, as usual, with a very light wash of quinacridone gold, quinacridone rose, and peacock blue, randomly changing colors as [...]

Have you ever created a painting that you felt was "good" but not "great"?  Occasionally I have a watercolor painting that seems like it's finished, but there's just something it still needs...and I'm not sure what. When I get to that point in a painting, I know it's time to set the piece aside for a few days, or even a few weeks. I put it out of sight but not out of mind. My painting (Korea Veteran, above) from 2016 is a perfect example of this. Let me explain.   First, I'd like to apologize for the poor-quality cell phone photo (above). [...]

Whether you are an artist or a collector, this excellent advice is well worth the read [...]

Keeping track of all my watercolor paintings, where they are, if they've sold, if they have been entered into a show...well, inventory can be time-consuming and frustrating for this artist, to say the least. A good system takes time to create, but can save you even more time (and frustration) in the long run. [...]

I can't think of a more important tool for watercolorists than a good watercolor paint brush. There is an extensive variety of brushes out there, and every artist has their favorites. (My top choices are Kolinsky sable rounds, sizes 16 and 12 - see my supply list for details - but I also have some favorite synthetics that I have written about here). Whether you paint with the priciest Kolinsky sable or inexpensive synthetic brushes, learning to care for, clean and store your brushes can extend their working life, which will ultimately save you money.   When teaching in-person workshops, I would often [...]

I've included a short video clip from my recent watercolor workshop. In it you will see how my floral paintings come together, layer by layer, negative shape by negative shape. [...]