In this excerpt from “Starting with the Darks” by Louise B. Hafesh in The Artist’sMagazine (June 2013), Sarah Lamb leads a step-by-step demo on accomplishing her stunning alla prima approach to painting. The end result is Three Pears (oil, 13×16).Learning to Seeby Sarah Lamb“Nothing is hard to paint when you look at every object the same way.
Most pastelists utilize some form of an underpainting technique to mass in the large areas of a composition. In the end, major portions of the underpainting may show through providing a partnership and added dimension to the final painting.Getting the Values Right: No matter which underpainting approach (utilitarian or creative) you embrace, there is one factor that can’t be ignored: if the general value (degree of lightness and darkness) is not represented in the major spaces of the painting’s underpainting, no matter how beautiful the colors are, it will ultimately have to be covered.
It’s often said in sports circles that the best players often make the worst coaches. He is regarded as one of the finest hitters in baseball history, but his short-lived managerial career is considered by most to be largely unsuccessful, due in large part to his admitted impatience with players whose abilities didn’t match his own.
What Do You Know About Piet Mondrian?Art historian Hans Janssen hopes to reveal the true nature of a man “who embraced life and was completely fascinated by painting,” in his new biography, Piet Mondrian: A New Art for a Life Unknown (in Dutch: Piet Mondriaan. Een nieuwe kunst voor een ongekend leven), according to artnet News.
How They Choose Their Watercolor Supplies: Paper, Pencil, Pigment and BrushKeiko Tanabe and Thomas Schaller are two of the most sought after watercolorists working today. Their paintings are held in notable private and public collections. They exhibit their works globally and year-round. Both attended the Fabriano in Aquarello watercolor invitational event that took place in Fabriano, Italy in May 2018.
Linear perspective is a crucial but sometimes intimidating topic for artists, especially beginners. But don’t let nailing the fundamentals keep you from creating better drawings and paintings. Below, artist Patrick Connors shares his expert advice, offers easy tips and demonstrates a quick drawing exercise on the basic principles of linear perspective.
