Take a look at a work of art. What do you see? You likely notice characters, actions, and scenery, but if you look a little closer, you will notice movement, contrast, patterns, and balance. These are the elements of composition—various visual elements that make up a painting or drawing. They are not to be confused… Read more »
For any type of artwork, the horizon line is an essential part of making your art more realistic. It helps you to scale the subjects in your drawing or painting properly, and it provides a sense of three-dimensionality to a strictly two-dimensional surface. As such, understanding what the horizon line is and how it works… Read more »
The word “value” can take on many different meanings in the art world. There’s the monetary value that a piece of artwork may have; there is also the cultural value that a painting or drawing may have as well. For this blog post, however, we are concerned with the third type of value: that in… Read more »
We live in a 3D world. Everything around us has the breadth and depth of three-dimensional objects. Our artwork? Not so much. Drawings and paintings are done on a two-dimensional surface, but in order to make them realistic, we must make them appear as three-dimensional. Thankfully, there is one way we can accomplish this: linear… Read more »
An artist has many tools, but you have to use the right ones in order to properly translate what’s in your head onto paper. Graphite and charcoal are the two most widely used materials for drawing, and while both are carbon-based, their functions fundamentally differ. Here we go through everything you need to know about… Read more »
When people are first learning how to paint, they’re often given a single medium for them to practice with first. Both oil and acrylic are often recommended to beginners due to their ease of mastery. However, which one you choose will depend a lot on what you’re trying to achieve and your own personal preferences…. Read more »
YES. Adults can learn to draw. That’s the short answer, of course, but the longer answer is a bit more complicated. Yes, adults can learn to draw, but they have to deal with a lot of obstacles in order to do so—obstacles that are often of their own creation. The fact of the matter is… Read more »
Watercolor painting can seem like daunting work, especially for beginners. While playful, watercolors can also be hard to control and unforgivable with mistakes, two things that don’t mix well with beginners. However, there are ways to master this tricky medium. In the past, we’ve taught you some acrylic painting tips. So now, here are some… Read more »
Writers have to overcome writer’s block; artists, on the other hand, have to deal with artist’s block. It’s essentially the same thing, but instead of struggling to put words on a page, artists struggle to put paint onto the canvas. It happens to everybody, even the most seasoned artists, but thankfully there are ways to… Read more »