The 4th of July: Art Takes on America

Posted on by Monica

The 4th of July: Art Takes on America

Happy 4th of July! Independence Day! America’s Birthday! and all that.

 

I’ve done occasional art about America throughout my art life. And by “art about America” I don’t mean landscapes. What I mean, or at least what I picture, is either art that is loudly and unapologetically patriotic, or art that rags on this country and our issues.

My art falls into the ragging category, of course.

Any art I’ve done about America revolves around one of two themes: war or critique.

War, because I was a military brat, whose father served around the world and most notably in my memory, spent a year at war in Iraq. We were separated for a year that dragged on, punctuated by the fear that he might show up on the news one day. I watched the news, partly out of fear and partly so that I wouldn’t grow complacent. Wouldn’t accept this as normal. Wouldn’t stop worrying.

 

You’d think I would get patriotic with this theme, and sometimes in my sketchbook I did. But my final products lean toward depressing, rather than proud.

4th of July War Art Make it stop

Most of the time, my American art is less personal. Instead, it critiques larger forces. This is my “angry art.” The work that bubbles up in response to terrible events that I am otherwise helpless to address. Like Ferguson. Police brutality. A deeply flawed criminal justice system.

4th of July Ferguson_Police4th of July Ferguson_Uncle_Sam

Or the current disaster in our White House.

4th of July Fractured

4th of July white-house-lowered

I’ve aimed my weapons at general issues too, like greed and corruption.

4th of July Corruption Eagle

The eagle above has claws of money digging into its paper feathered chest. It chokes on bills shoved into its beak.

Subtle, right?

For this photo op, I carried it around the DU business school, held to my chest like a baby, with pride and defiance. No one really noticed the message. In fact, most people barely seemed to notice the eagle at all.

Is that where America is today? Too concerned with our individual lives to notice the problems staring us right in the face? Or worse, not recognizing them as problems at all?

I begin my July 4th bitter, wondering how we got here, and where we took a wrong turn. But perhaps it was because we did nothing to stop it. Perhaps we just became complacent.

 

 

 

Art of Seattle: All the Art I Crammed into My 4-Day Trip

Posted on by Monica

Art of Seattle: All the Art I Crammed into My 4-Day Trip

Recently I went on a trip to Seattle for a friend’s wedding. You might have seen my travel blog post on it. Whenever I’m in a new place, and I have the time and willing travel companions, I check out local art.

At best, I come away powerfully inspired, with a new favorite artist or two, and spend the rest of the day in a haze of excitement. At the other end of the spectrum, I feel nothing and have just spent a few hours wandering around a cool building (referring to both temperature and usually architecture). So with little to lose, it’s always worth a shot.

This trip was primarily a solo one, so with no art-adverse acquaintances in tow, I visited quite a few museums. To the point where I’m left wondering if I should have spent more time on other sights.

In four days I visited:

  • University of Washington Burke Museum
  • University of Washington Henry Art Gallery
  • Seattle Art Museum
  • Tacoma Museum of Glass

I guess that’s only a museum per day.

 

Day 1: Wedding Near the UW

The reason for my trip was a wedding on Saturday. Since it was near the University of Washington campus, I decided to hang around there the morning of the wedding day.

With the help of the one hour time difference, I was wide awake by 6:30 am and out the door of my Airbnb by 8. After killing quite a bit of time with coffee, a nice homeless man, and wandering the neighborhood, the campus museums were open. I started with the Burke Museum.

This museum isn’t actually an art museum; their official title is the Burke Museum History and Culture.

 

What made Burke interesting for me was that the history and culture are different from Colorado’s. Imagine that! But seriously, I forget that the US is so vast that individual regions have completely different histories. The histories and cultures of the Pacific Northwest are beautifully diverse, and the imagery that surrounded me were rare and new.

Totem poles and Pacific Native American art in particular captured my interest.

art of seattle Totem outside of Burke

The fluid geometric shapes combined to create whales, bears, and eagles held a beautiful appeal. I found myself wanting to incorporate these styles into my own artwork. And then wondering about appropriation.

On a loosely related note, I had to take a picture of this Vietnamese display, featuring a distinctly Korean table. I know because my family has this exact same table at home.

art of seattle korean table in vietnam

But who knows, maybe they use similar tables in Vietnam…?

 

After Burke, I rushed to the Henry Art Gallery so I could make it before the wedding with enough time to grab lunch. Although I sped through this museum, a few pieces caught my eye.

Jacob Lawrence’s Eight Studies for the Book of Genesis was the first exhibit I wandered into, with bold silkscreen prints of a pastor mid-sermon. With only blocks of color and abstract faces and forms, Lawrence captures the energy of sermons he attended at a Baptist church in Harlem.

Several MFA Thesis exhibitions followed, one with dreaded chairs that you want to sit on, but aren’t sure if they’re meant to be chairs or art. In this case, they were both; the artist invited viewers to sit and experience the piece, entitled Waiting Room. A surprise on the plastic leaves of the waiting room plants keeps you engaged while you rest your feet. Needless to say, I liked this one.

 

Another exhibit addressed police brutality with a more research-like approach. Components of this activist art included surveys, pillows, and protest photos.

 

But the standout piece was a massive installation entitled Fun. No Fun.

By artist Kraft Duntz featuring Dawn Cerny, Fun. No Fun. was composed of two massive rooms. The first, Fun, featured giant wooden scaffolding with stairs and ramps to walk down. At the bottom, brightly colored objects like toys, books, and cushions were scattered about the floor but carefully arranged.

art of seattle henry art gallery fun no fun

An empty, boring hallway led to the No Fun. part –  a massive empty room with white walls. But on the right, the room hosts a circular staircase, which leads you to an attic-like room that’s warm and humid. The temperature was so different that I walked around and marveled for a bit at an art installation that manipulated the atmosphere itself.

But with nothing interesting to photograph and no time to reflect for too long, I soon made my careful way down the stairs, through the wooden scaffolding of Fun, and out of the museum.

I actually missed seeing the Chuck Close and James Turrell pieces, which are only like, the most famous artists in the Henry right now. Kicking myself for not looking more closely at the map.

 

Day 2: No Museums, but Public Art

That’s right. I didn’t visit any museums on day 2. What a waste. But I visited Pike Market and the international district with an old friend, which was pretty great.

The public art in Seattle was awesome. I’m sure there’s plenty of fun public art in Colorado Springs too, but being from here, it just becomes part of the landscape.

But with my fresh tourist traveler eye, I snapped photos of several amusing arts. A squid bike rack, for example.

art of seattle squid bike rack at pike

Or a horse on a wall.

art of seattle horse on a building

 

 

Day 3: Solo = More Museums

Monday was my day to explore Seattle completely on my own, with no obligations. Except, well, the touristy ones. I headed to the Space Needle just because I felt I should. There, I was among my own kind — noisy, chattering, confused, photo-snapping tourists. I could let loose and wander around in circles as many times as I liked without anybody questioning me.

After some Space Needle photos just to say I’d been there, I stopped by the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. There was a long line and expensive tickets, so I decided on the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) instead, where I could see multiple artists for a more reasonable price. No regrets here – I saw plenty of Chihuly later anyway.

Since we’d missed it the previous day, I swung by the infamous gum wall on my way to the SAM.

art of seattle gum wall covered

To quote my newly wedded friend Mimi out of context, “Is this art?” I don’t know. But it was gross and weird and fascinating at the same time. Anything that stirs up that many conflicting emotions seems worthwhile to me.

art of seattle gum wall straight on

art of seattle gum wall window bars

Finally, I arrived at my museum of the day. The Seattle Art Museum looked impressive but was actually just plotting to disappoint me.

art of Seattle art museum exterior

All around the museum were large fliers and banners advertising a Yayoi Kusama exhibit…that would begin two weeks later.

art of seattle seattle art museum lobby

After I swallowed my disappointment, I opened to museum brochure to find that both of their special exhibits had already ended: The Migration Series by the same Jacob Lawrence from the Henry Gallery, and a Seeing Nature collection that included Monets, Manets, O’Keefes, and Klimts.

SAM…how could you?

Still, I entertained myself by finding a Nick Cave soundsuit, more Pacific Native American masks, and being more interested than I’d expected in their porcelain room.

art of seattle nick cave soundsuit at seattle museum of art

art of seattle masks at the Seattle Art Museum

 

art of seattle porcelain room at Seattle Art Museum

 

Day 4: Tacoma Glass Art

On the final night + day of my trip, I went down to Tacoma and stayed with another Fulbright Korea alum. We had a great time catching up, but normal people have to work on Tuesdays, so after breakfast, I set out on my final adventure.

Like most days I killed time with coffee until places other than cafes were open. And one of my final visits was to the Tacoma Museum of Glass.

The Washington State History Museum and the Tacoma Art Museum were nearby too, but I held myself back. And since I missed out on Chihuly, the Museum of Glass seemed like a good choice.

Lo and behold, I started my visit by crossing the Chihuly Bridge of Glass.

art of seattle Chihuly bridge of glass

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV0KsdODbkojrDeRhuXPAN2aCY7T5N09nT8rDU0/?taken-by=monicartsy

Then it was on to the main building. A major highlight of Tacoma’s Museum of Glass is their “hot shop,” which lets you watch artists spin and blow glass right there in the studio. The hot shop is clearly visible from a distance – it’s the giant metal cone below.

tacoma art of seattle museum of glass hot shop

That’s not to say the actual exhibits weren’t interesting. The first exhibit featured ocean art. But these were nothing like seascape paintings.

art of seattle tacoma museum of glass squid

Glass captures ocean life in a remarkable way. And of course, the ocean is a novelty for this Coloradan, so I loved these pieces.

art of seattle tacoma museum of glass ocean life

While there were stunning glass works throughout the museum, my favorite was actually getting to see the artists at work.

art of seattle hot shop in tacoma museum of glass

art of seattle hot shop in tacoma museum of glass close up

I’ll leave you with one more piece of ocean art, a fish that startled me when I stepped on it — one of my first steps into the Seattle-Tacoma airport.

art of seattle fish art i sea tac airport

Learn How to Art: What is Watercolor?

Posted on by Monica

Learn How to Art: What is Watercolor?

I LOVE watercolor. It’s a type of paint that I’ve always been drawn to: light, delicate, and detailed, with the painting origin’s – water –  clearly visible. It’s fascinating that watercolorists can achieve such a wide variety of effects by manipulating pigments with water.

Like my other favorite medium, scratchboard, watercolor can be unforgiving and doesn’t look kindly upon mistakes. It has a reputation as the hardest type of painting to master, but in a way, it’s also the most accessible paint. All you need to do is add water.

What is Watercolor paint

 

What is Watercolor Paint?

Watercolors might be the oldest form of paint in existence. Some scholars suggest that Paleolithic cave paintings in Europe may have been done with a medium similar to watercolor.

Watercolor is a water-soluble paint that has pigments held together by gum, which then dissolves in water, leaving only the pigments when dried.

It’s a light paint that leaves transparent colors. One benefit, or skill of watercolor, depending on how you look at it, is the ability to work with the white of the paper you use. Unlike other paints, there’s no need to completely cover your painting surface, especially if you want to preserve bright whites in your work.

What is Watercolor Backyard Shed painting
One of my first from an independent study on watercolor

The Many Forms of Watercolor

Watercolor is a versatile paint, both in the way you can use it and the forms it takes.

You can find watercolors in tubes, liquid, or pan sets. However, water-soluble crayons and watercolor pencils  are two unique forms of this paint. You can’t use crayons or pencils in the same ways regular paints, but they contain the same water-soluble pigments and can closely imitate the appearance of watercolor paint.

There are a few interesting sets out there too, like this watercolor wheel set that I really want to try. It looks perfect for painting outdoors.

Or this brush pen + watercolor combination travel kit that makes paint feel a little more like calligraphy or inking.

Watercolor pans or cakes refer to the rectangular watercolor sets you probably tried as a kid. Once paint cakes were revolutionary, but today most professionals use highly condensed watercolors that come in metal tubes. They look very similar to small tubes of acrylic or oil paint.

You only need to mix a little paint with water to get rich colors. But you aren’t quite finished after you’ve purchased the paint. Some other components you need or might want are:

  • Brushes
  • Watercolor paper
  • Painter’s tape or a weak masking tape
  • Gum tape
  • Masking fluid

Of course, don’t forget a palette of some form and paper towels or rags – unless you have many, many brushes, you’ll need to clean and dry brushes in between colors.

 

Brushes

Fortunately, brushes are usually labeled “watercolor” if they’re suitable for this paint.

You can choose either natural or synthetic brushes for watercolor. The cheapest brushes you’ll see are probably synthetic, created to imitate the texture and durability of natural hair brushes.

The best quality you can go for are Kolinsky sable brushes. They’re actually made from the hair of a weasel native to Russia. They’re also the most expensive.

Other sable brushes really do use the hairs of a sable. These brushes are still excellent quality. Be aware that some brushes use a synthetic sable mix.

Squirrel, ox, goat, and pony hair brushes are also good quality, but don’t retain their shape as well as sable. They’re well-suited for flat, wide brushes, not fine points.

What is Watercolor palette and brush
A simple, synthetic, student-grade brush, size 6 round

Don’t Underestimate the Paper

The paper you choose for a watercolor painting is very important. Not only because you’ll mostly be seeing the white of the paper in your finished artwork, but because your paper needs the ability to hold water without wrinkling.

Regular drawing paper will become wrinkled and warped when you apply water. Watercolor paper is thick and “pressed” which helps it withstand moisture. You can also “stretch” your paper before painting on it to prevent warping. I’ll go into stretching a bit later.

When shopping for watercolor paper, you might see paper labeled with something like “300 lb cold-press.”

What? I was super confused when I first started shopping for watercolor paper.

Paper technicalities

There are three types of watercolor paper, but the first two are the most common.

  • Hot-pressed
  • Cold-pressed
  • Rough

These features refer to the paper’s texture.

Hot press paper has the smoothest texture. It dries the quickest and makes it easier to paint wide, even layers of color.

Cold press paper has some tooth or texture to it. When you think of watercolor paper, cold press is mostly likely what comes to mind since it’s the most commonly used.

Rough watercolor paper is exactly what it sounds like, and has even more texture than cold-pressed paper. The finished painting might have a grainy look to it.

 

Weights

Each paper is also labeled with a weight, which refers to how much one ream of paper (usually 500 sheets) would weigh. The higher the pounds, the better quality the paper.

Standard watercolor paper weights are 90 lb, 140 lb, and 300 lb, but there are other weights between and beyond this range. Papers below 300 lb should be stretched to avoid warping.

 

Stretching Your Paper

To keep your paper smooth while you’re painting, it’s a good idea to stretch your paper beforehand. You stretch watercolor paper by first soaking it. There are two ways to soak your paper.

 

A. Completely submerge your paper in a pan, sink or bathtub for 5 to 10 minutes.

Lift your paper out of the water, letting the water drip off. Then place it on a flat surface, like a drawing board or panel, and smooth it out using a sponge. Blot out any excess water.

 

B. Place your paper on a flat surface, then use a large brush or sponge to evenly wet the paper. Then flip the paper over and repeat on the back side.

Then secure the edges of your paper to your flat surface and let it dry. Tape is the most common method, especially gummed tape, but some artists use staples.

The next time you apply water, your paper will have already been stretched out so it shouldn’t warp.

 

For my classes, I’d always use Strathmore’s student grade paper (140lb cold-press), but they have a nicer professional-grade papers too. Stonehenge and Arches were the paper brands spoken the most highly of by my professors.

 

Keep the whites

With how unpredictable water can be, it gets difficult to preserve white space in watercolor works. You can’t always create the crisp lines you can with acrylic or tempera.

Masking Fluid solves this problem. You apply masking fluid before you begin painting, so any areas you want to keep white are preserved. You can either do this for areas you want to be white or other colors that you want to keep distinct from the rest of your work.

Once you’re done painting, you can simply pull the masking fluid off.

If you’re not sure you really need masking fluid, you can try a household substitute first: rubber cement. Rubber cement might not come off the page as neatly as masking fluid, but it’ll give you a feel for what this technique is like.

What is Watercolor painted doors
Second from the left: A door I painted with watercolor and gouache.

Required Work

It’s a good idea to make a color chart when you get a new set of watercolors, so you know what the colors will look like. You can’t see exactly what the colors are like from the printed color on the tube, like you might with acrylic or oil. A light wash will look different than wet on wet techniques or drops?

You should also experiment with different techniques.

A color grid is another way to test your colors and learn how you can create new colors by layering them.

What is Watercolor Door closeup
My roommate was just as baffled as you might be, and now I am too. Why DID I paint this door?

Watercolor techniques

There are several techniques watercolor techniques out there, and this is only the most basic list. If you’re just getting started with watercolor, you should definitely try these techniques to learn the extent of what you can achieve with watercolor.

  • Wet on dry – just regular painting
  • Wet on wet – wet paper causes the paint to “feather” out
  • Dry on wet – creates a lighter type of feathering
  • Dry brush – rough, textured look that shows off the brush bristles
  • Salt – creates snowflake-like designs when sprinkled onto wet paint

Try experimenting with other types of material to use with watercolor. One fun idea that’s gained recent popularity is using instant coffee to paint like watercolor. Since coffee will only give you brown tones, you could experiment by adding colors with paint.

Well-Known Watercolor Works

Pros:

  • Artist has full control over opacity
  • Transparent paints create interesting layers
  • Works with the white of the paper
  • Wide variety of techniques
  • Few materials needed
  • Dries quickly
  • Easy clean-up

Cons:

  • Known as the most difficult to master
  • Water can be hard to control
  • Hard to cover up mistakes

Best for:

  • Quick painting sessions
  • Sable, squirrel hair, or synthetic brushes
  • Combining with other media, such as pencil, pen, gouache

 

More Learn How to Art posts:

 Learn How to Art: What is Oil Paint? 

Learn How to Art: What is Acrylic Paint?

Learn How to Art: What is Tempera Paint?

Learn How to Art: What is Tempera Paint?

Posted on by Monica

Learn How to Art: What is Tempera Paint?

Despite being lesser known today, tempera has a longer history than oil or acrylic paints.

Monks in the Middle Ages used tempera paint for illustrated manuscripts like the Book of Kells. Frescos (think of the Sistine Chapel) can also incorporate tempera paint. Oil paints hadn’t been invented yet.

FYI, this post includes affiliate links to Blick Art supplies, which just means that if you make a purchase through a Blick link in this post, I’ll receive a small commission. Affiliate links will never affect the price you pay.

 

What is Tempera Paint?

what is tempera paint acrylic

Tempera is a permanent, water-soluble paint mixed with an organic medium. In the past, painters used egg yolk as the medium, which is why you might have heard of “egg tempura.”

Egg yolk-based paint dries into a matte sheen.

Today, tempera paint manufacturers often substitute egg yolk for other glutinous mediums. But to keep the paint non-toxic, manufacturers still stick with organic material.

Keepin’ it Organic

Organic material may be non-toxic, but this also means it will spoil over time. Just as it’s easy to tell when an egg has gone bad, you’ll know if your tempera paint has spoiled from the smell.

Fortunately, only liquid tempera is perishable. Once the paint has cured, tempera lasts for a very long time. Curing is different from drying. Once all the paint solvent has dissolved and only the coating or pigment is left, the paint is cured.

Like any paint, it’s best to store tempera in a cool, dry place and make sure the lid or cap is always secured. You should also avoid putting used paint back into its original container since it’s already been exposed to air.

 

Famous Tempera Artists Who Used Tempera

 

The Real Stuff

The original tempera paints are available today as “egg tempera.” Egg tempera imitates the original egg yolk-based paint that the masters used. (I’m sure there are differences, but I’m not an art historian so these details are beyond me.)

Much of the confusion around tempera paint comes from the variety of paints labeled “tempera.” Most people know tempera as a kids’ poster paint. I’ll get into that later, but first I’ll focus on the benefits of using the original “egg tempera” paint.

 

Fast drying

Tempera paint dries quickly, posing the same conveniences and challenges of acrylic painting. Achieving a smooth, blended look can be tricky.

You’ll also need to get used to mixing your colors quickly. You won’t have the luxury of spending as long as you want to perfect your shades and tints like with oils.

Even though tempera dries quickly, the process for layering paint is more like oil. Each layer of paint needs time to dry and cure before you apply more paint on top.

 

Color, Color, Color!

If the color changing properties of acrylic frustrate you, you’ll appreciate tempera, which has no notable color changes in its lifespan.

Tempera doesn’t yellow over time like oil. The color doesn’t change as it dries, like acrylic. Nor it does turn more transparent over time, something I didn’t even know could happen to paintings.

 

This One’s for You, DIY-ers

If you have any interest in creating your own paints, tempera is a perfect choice. The ingredients are very simple ingredients and, with the exception of pigments, you can find them all at home.

You’ll need an egg, powdered pigments, and water. The Society of Tempera Painters has a quick guide to get you started.

The only drawback is that you can’t make large batches. Only create as much paint as you’ll need for that day, otherwise, your homemade tempera paint will start to smell.

 

what is tempera paint brushesThe Cracks in the Facade

Besides being perishable, tempera paint may be starting to sound pretty good. But it has another challenge that you’ll need to address.

Cracking.

If you fooled around with tempera paints in your youth, you might remember how the paint would get kind of dusty as it dried and start to crack. To be honest, I thought this was pretty cool as a kid. I remember crinkling the paper on purpose to get the paint to crack.  But I wasn’t losing any masterpieces.

When it dries, tempera paint can feel brittle and chalky. To prevent cracking, you need to choose the right painting surface and monitor your paint’s thickness.

Picky on the Surface

Tempera paint requires a rigid surface. If you apply tempera to a thin, flexible material, you face a high chance of flaking and cracking. Painting on paper spells nearly certain doom for your painting unless you’re intentionally looking for cracks. Even painting on canvas can result in cracks and flakes.

Of course, there are artists who make tempera on paper work. They might do some extra priming or have a super secret technique. But if it’s your first time using tempera, I’d recommend a wooden board or panel primed with gesso.

Layer Thickness

Tempera also requires thin layers of paint. It’s very different from oil in this respect, so if you’re used to oil painting techniques, tempera will require some adjustment. Tempera becomes brittle as it dries, making it unable to support thick layers.

It’s not suited for impasto (applying paint directly from the tube), knife painting, or thick, textured strokes. Instead, you’ll need to build up thin layers to avoid cracking.

 

Tempera Paint: The Child’s Medium

The most well-known type of tempera paint is probably poster paint. You’ll find this paint at nearly any big box store in the kids’ arts and crafts section.

Tempera paint is a popular choice as a kids’ paint because it’s non-toxic, very fluid and able to cover a lot of ground, cheap, and washable.

Tempera’s organic material makes it safe for kids, even if when ingested. Of course, I wouldn’t encourage any paint consumption.

Although the paint was traditionally made with eggs, many manufacturers who produce child tempera paint today use a substitute. So almost any tempera poster paint you find will most likely be egg-free and it’s safe for children with egg allergies.

Tempera paint works well for both crafts and finger painting.

What’s the difference between finger paint and tempera paint?

Common finger paints are non-toxic and may use a special formula with extra benefits. Some might claim that they don’t stain your fingers or fingernails. Others might include moisturizing agents to prevent your skin from drying out. But I’m not up to date on the latest finger paint technology, so I couldn’t verify any of these claims.

But tempera paint is just as safe and convenient for kids as finger paint. Tempera also has the benefit of being more versatile. Use it for regular painting or the finger variety.

Realistically, there probably isn’t much difference between a paint like this Crayola Finger Paint and a Washable Kids’ Tempera Paint. The Crayola does claim that it will not crack or rub off a surface, which if true would be a benefit over tempera. Unless your kids like the cracked paint look. Which they might.

 

Why Use Tempera Paint over Acrylic?

People tend to be more familiar with acrylic than tempera. So what’s the verdict? Is one better than the other? The answer is either “not particularly” or “it depends.”

Acrylic might be easier to use. It does let you use a wide variety of techniques, including thick and textured layers.

Tempera has a color advantage over both acrylic and oil paints. While some might say that oil paints give a richer color – okay, I certainly have that impression – there’s something nice about the consistency of tempera paint. The colors remain pretty much exactly as you placed them onto the surface. But know that you’ll need to use a high-quality egg tempera paint to get this color quality.

When done correctly – on a rigid surface and with thin layers – tempera has a nicer finish than acrylic, and looks less plastic-like. But if you want to paint on unconventional surfaces, acrylic might be the better choice.

In the end, it depends on what kind of painting you want to do.

Pros:

  • Color stays consistent
  • Smooth, matte finish
  • Fast-drying
  • Permanent
  • Non-toxic

Cons:

  • Perishable in liquid form
  • Only thin layers – no thick or textured painting techniques
  • Prone to cracking and flaking
  • Needs a rigid surface
  • Cheap poster paint variety is the most common

Best for:

  • DIY paint-making
  • Kids’ crafts, including finger painting
  • Any space (no toxic elements & doesn’t require ventilation)
  • Natural or synthetic brushes, and well-suited for watercolor brushes

 

More Learn How to Art posts:

Learn How to Art: What is Oil Paint?

Learn How to Art: What is Acrylic Paint?

Learn How to Art: What is Watercolor?

 

 

Satisfy Your Craving for a Progressive, Meaningful Story: As the Crow Flies Review

Posted on by Monica

Satisfy Your Craving for a Progressive, Meaningful Story: As the Crow Flies Review

Have you ever wished there was a webcomic that addresses pressing societal issues in a natural but fun way? And has artwork that’s fun to look at?

Well, look no further than As the Crow Flies!

 

as the crow flies review colored pencil shavingsAs the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman is a surprisingly intricate work of art and I love it.

Those two points are reason enough for me to share an As the Crow Flies review with you. But this webcomic’s story adds even more depth, biting into an ordinary-looking donut only to find that it’s Boston creme. (Score!)

Gillman’s work is pleasantly sweet and tasty…except when it’s tackling some hard truths. They don’t shy away from complex issues, like racism, homophobia, and Christian hypocrisy.

But Crow reveals and tackles these issues in an accessible way – through the experiences and musings of a 13 year old at summer camp.

In an interview with Pipe Dream Comics, Melanie Gillman says:

“I concocted a camp that would allow me to talk about the subjects I wanted to tackle in the story – specifically, the intersections of racism, homophobia, transphobia, and classism you find in Christian spaces and (worse), supposedly feminist ones.”

That’s a lot to pack into a webcomic. Gillman builds tensions quickly, setting up the atmosphere of the Christian camp and shrouding future plot points in mystery.

But As the Crow Flies never gives you more than you can handle. There’s space for reprieve and reflection.

Scenic interludes with intricately-penciled mountains, rocks and trees let you stop and enjoy the art, another major selling point of this webcomic.

For those of us who’ve been waiting for a story like this, the reading itself feels almost cathartic.

 

The Plot

Charlie is a queer, black teenager who we meet on her way to Camp Three Peaks, a girls’ Christian summer camp in the mountains. The environment she finds at the camp appears less than welcoming, but before long, Charlie discovers an ally.

For one week, the girls will follow the trails established by Beatrice Tillson, a feminist settler who started this women’s expedition. The women in her settlement made an annual pilgrimage to a shrine they built atop of the tallest of the camp’s three peaks.

Led by their camp counselors, Charlie’s group will visit the shrine and take part in a mysterious women’s ceremony. No one will reveal the content of this ceremony, but Charlie and her friends begin to poke holes in the exclusive rhetoric surrounding this event.

 

The Artwork

Beautiful? Fun? Adorable?

You can take a look for yourself and decide.

as the crow flies review colored pencil sharpener and shavingBut consider this. Gillman’s work on Crow is all colored pencil. And they use up an average of 1.33 colored pencils per page.

Think about it. Have you ever completely used up a colored pencil? How long did that take? (And I’m not talking about breaking them.)

Full disclosure: I don’t think I’ve ever used up a whole colored pencil. I just have nubs scattered around the house.

The point is, this is a whole new level of colored pencil art. And it’s pretty cool to see an art supply as ordinary and accessible as colored pencils be used to create a whole webcomic (well, in-progress).

It’s easy to forget, or not realize in the first place, how much you can do with colored pencils. Gillman makes me want to reach for my basic Derwent set right now.

 

Closing Thoughts

As the Crow Flies has been nominated for the Eisner Award, a comic award that’s a pretty big deal. There’s even a Kickstarter going for a print edition of volume one, to be produced by Iron Circus Comics.

The Kickstarter closes on Wednesday, June 14th, which is why I wanted to get this post up now.

But guess what?

They met their goal yesterday morning! So physical copies of As the Crow Flies will soon be released into the world. But if you were really jazzed about this comic and ready to support it, you still can!

If they meet their stretch goal of $30k, Melanie will create a bonus comic, WHICH WOULD BE AWESOME.

Regardless of what you do with your money, check out As the Crow Flies here – I mean, it’s free and better than scrolling mindlessly through Facebook.

You can also see more of Melanie Gillman’s work on Tumblr, support them on Patreon, or follow them on Twitter.

Learn How to Art: What is Acrylic Paint?

Posted on by Monica

Learn How to Art: What is Acrylic Paint?

Ah, acrylic paint.

The most common paint.

Easy to use and easy to clean up. The amateur favorite.

But don’t let its reputation fool you. Plenty of professionals use acrylic too.

Acrylic paint has some strong benefits, but also has a few unique drawbacks that you might not have known.

 

FYI, this post contains affiliate links for Blick art supplies. This just means that if you click on a product link in this post and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Click here to learn more.

What is Acrylic Paint

Acrylic Paint

Acrylic paint is the most modern type of paint, developed in the late 1940s. It contains a synthetic polymer binder to keep color pigments together. The result is a shiny finish that some say has a plastic-like appearance.

 

An Incredibly Versatile Media

Acrylic paint lies somewhere between oil paint and watercolor, at least in thickness. With this paint, you can use a wide range of techniques. Just mix your acrylic as desired.

Acrylic paint can be as thin as tempera, as transparent as watercolor, or layered on thick like oil paint. It’s a modern convenience in the art world. But naturally, there are some drawbacks as well.

 

The Image Problem

Let’s get this one out of the way first.

Many in the art world – critics, collectors, and even artists – look down on acrylic paint. Not only does it lack the prestige of oil paint; acrylic is the very opposite.

Many acrylic paintings are labeled “mixed media” or “synthetic polymer paint” to avoid the negative stigma of acrylics.

Now we can get into the real pros and cons.

 

Color Changing Challenge

Precise color can be a little difficult to achieve with acrylic. You might leave a painting overnight only to come back the next day to find that the colors are…different. Are your eyes playing tricks on you?

Nope.

Acrylic paint changes color ever so slightly when it dries. Most often the color darkens. With professional grade acrylics, this change is subtle, but in student-grade paint, the change is more noticeable. So be prepared for a little variation from your chosen colors.

If you want a medium that captures and keeps the complexity of your painstakingly mixed colors, oil paint has a clear advantage.

 

Speed Dry: a Blessing and a Curse

The biggest benefit of acrylic over oil is drying time. Acrylic paint dries very quickly, usually in 15 to 30 minutes. Of course, drying time varies based on how much paint you’ve applied, whether you’ve added any mediums to your paint, and to some extent, the humidity in your area.

I like to compare it to painting my nails in dry Colorado vs. super humid South Korea. You need a lot more patience in South Korea. But with acrylics you don’t need patience. You need speed.

Because acrylic paint dries quickly, you need to work quickly so the paint on your palette and brushes don’t dry out. Even if you’ve only dabbled in acrylic painting, you’ve probably had this experience:

You want a color like teal or pink.

So you squirt two colors out of their tubes, and begin the process of mixing, and adding, and mixing some more until finally, you have the color just right.

You apply some of that beautiful color to your canvas, and then move on.

Later you think, wouldn’t it be nice to add more of that teal I made earlier?

Well it’s too late. You dab your brush into the teal, only to find that it’s now rock solid.

What a waste!

It’s hard to spend much time mixing colors with acrylic paints – you need to be fast. But if you really need more time, you use an acrylic retarder or gel medium with your paint to slow the drying process. More on this later.

Layers Galore!

Although the quick dry can be frustrating, it also has benefits. Acrylic paint is easy to layer, since you don’t have to wait days before your paint has dried. You can also create crisp, clearly defined shapes with acrylic, while oil makes it easy to use soft blended edges.

Of course, there will always be artists who push boundaries and use acrylic and oils in surprising ways. Thanks to these mavericks, it’s not always easy to tell whether a painting is oil or acrylic.

 

Surface Freedom

Acrylics in particular make it easy to push the boundaries of paint. You can paint on just about any surface – no primer needed. Paper, canvas, wood and metal are all fair game for acrylic paint.

Acrylic paint is also ideal for any DIY projects like say, making cute pots to feed your succulent obsession. Not that you have one.

acrylic paint brushes

Brushes

Unlike other paints, you can use both natural bristle and synthetic brushes with acrylic paint. Natural bristle brushes are best for oil paint and leave thick brush marks. Synthetic brushes produce a smooth, blended effect and are best for watercolors, as a thin paint.

Acrylic paints lie in between oil and watercolor, so both types of brush hair work fine. However, natural bristle brushes are more sensitive and need to be cleaned off quickly to preserve their quality.

Acrylic painting requires you to keep brushes in water longer (when change colors or cleaning) and this isn’t great for bristle brushes. However, synthetic brushes have a coating that makes them more water resistant.

Of course you never want to leave you brushes soaking in water too long because that can loosen the ferrule, or the metal part of a brush that connects the bristles to the handle.

 

Medium: Add a What Now?

Acrylic paint can come in ready-to-use tubes, condensed tubes that look similar to oil paints, or jars. While most people know about ready-to-use tubes, you might not have known that there are several additives for acrylic paint, just like oil.

By mixing in mediums, you can control thickness and glossiness of your paint, or try new techniques. Unlike oil, acrylic paint mediums aren’t necessary, but they can provide some nice perks.

You can thin your paint with water, but too much water can loosen the pigment binding in your paint. So for a more transparent paint, try mixing in a fluid additive or glazing medium. It’s best to test out these mediums before applying to your painting to see if they change color and dry completely clear.

Thicken your paint with a gel medium. These mediums can function the same way as thinning mediums to be mixed with your paint. However there are also texture mediums that you apply to a surface and paint over when dry.

An acrylic retarder slows down drying time. These mediums can give you more time to mix colors or even let you blend colors on the canvas as you could with oil paint.

Varnish is a related product that you paint over the surface of a completed painting. Using varnish gives your painting a glossy sheen (or matte cover) that protects it from outside elements.

 

Famous Acrylic Paintings

These are just a few well-known works of art that were done in acrylic paint.

Pros:

  • Versatile
  • Allows for wide range of techniques
  • Dries quickly
  • Great for layering
  • Paint on any surface
  • Great for crisp lines and sharp boundaries
  • Several mediums available to tailor the paint
  • Color doesn’t change with age
  • Clean up easily with water

Cons:

  • Color changes when it dries
  • Need to mix and apply color quickly before paint dries
  • Mixing or blending on a canvas is difficult

Best for:

  • Quick paintings
  • Layering colors
  • Creative DIY projects
  • Any space
  • Both synthetic or natural bristle brushes

 

More in the Learn How to Art series:

 

Learn How to Art: What is Oil Paint?

Learn How to Art: What is Tempera Paint?

Learn How to Art: What is Watercolor?

Learn How to Art: What is Oil Paint?

Posted on by Monica

Learn How to Art: What is Oil Paint?

Different types of paint can get confusing. How can you choose between oil paint, acrylic, watercolor, and whatever else might be out there?

I once did a goodbye painting for a coworker. I was leaving the country and wanted to leave a meaningful gift.

Once I gave a coworker a painting I’d done as a goodbye gift. She thanked me and then asked if it was oil.

Definitely not! I thought, thinking of how much of a hassle it would be to do oil paintings in the small room I lived in at the time. How many supplies I’d need to get. How I’d need to paint in a well-ventilated area. How much of a hassle cleaning up would be since I didn’t know where to dispose of toxic material in South Korea. But I limited my response to:

“Oh, no it’s acrylic.”

The complexities of oil paint are like a well-kept secret from people outside of the art world.

I’ve done art my entire life, but I had no idea how oil painting worked until I took a class in college.

Just about everyone has painted with tempera paints in elementary school or acrylic in middle and high school art classes. But all anyone seems to know about oil is that it’s a sophisticated paint used by the greats.

Maybe I now have you wondering,

  • What’s so special about oil painting?
  • What’s the difference between acrylic and oil paint?
  • What even is tempera?
  • Would it be easier to go with watercolor?

oil paint brushes

This post will be the first in a series on paints. By the end, you’ll understand the difference between acrylic vs. oil, know what tempera is made of, and learn how you can use salt with watercolors.

Today I’ll go into oil painting.

 

Why Use Oil Paint?

Oil paint, as we’ve established, is fancy. The most famous artists in the world have worked extensively in this media: da Vinci, Van Gogh, Vermeer, Manet, Monet, and Rembrandt are just a few artists who excel in oil.

Oil paint has a certain prestige, but when you’re just trying to decide what type of paint to use, that doesn’t matter. Let’s get into what does.

 

So. Much. Color.

Color is the greatest benefit of oil. Oil paints have a high concentration of pigment, which leads to fuller, richer colors than other paints.

Oil paintings also retain their original color. Let me explain. When acrylic paint dries, it usually darkens. A low-grade acrylic paint might change color significantly.

oil painting colorful palette

Consistency is Key

Oil paints don’t change color when they dry, and that’s reason enough for many artists to choose oil over acrylic. However, oils do change over time. Ever notice how old, famous paintings tend to have a golden sheen to them?

That’s because the binders in oil paint start to yellow with age. But this is over the course of decades or even centuries.

oil paint renaissance annunciation-strigel
Closeup of Bernhard Strigel’s The Announcement to Anne and Joachim, 1505-1510

Lose Yourself in the Process

Oil paintings will often take up more of your time. These paints dry very slowly, so if you want to do any layering with distinct colors, you’ll need to wait. An oil painting can take days or even weeks to dry, depending on the thickness of your paint and humidity levels.

On the plus side, if blending colors is more your style, this is easy to do with oil. Your paints won’t dry out on your palette for days, leaving plenty of time for mixing colors. You can also blend right on the surface of your painting. Just don’t forget to keep that brush clean if you want to keep your original color.

 

Painting Surface

For oil, you need to use a prepared surface, like a canvas that’s bee coated in gesso. Oil paint is corrosive, so you can’t just paint on anything. You can prime the surface of a canvas or board yourself or purchase a pre-primed canvas in an art supplies store.

 

In Addition to Paint, You Need…

While many beginners use student grade acrylics straight from a tube, you shouldn’t do this with oil. Oil paints need a medium, like linseed oil or dammar varnish. Professional painters develop their own preferred mixtures and ratios of paint to medium. There are several “right” ways to mix your paints.

You’ll also need to take extra steps for cleanup.

Being oil based, you can’t simply wash your leftover paints down the drain. You need to use turpentine or mineral spirits to clean your brushes, palette, or any other surface. Use a rag or paper towels dipped in turpentine to clean surfaces.

Since these substances are toxic and flammable you need to dispose of them properly and store them in a safe area.

You should also paint in a well-ventilated area.

oil paint messy materials

Oil paints are a little more costly than any other paint. But they contain a high concentration of pigment, making them stunning. Rest assured that if you decide to learn oil painting, you’ve chosen one of the artsiest of all art media.

 

Oil Paint Pros:

  • Rich color
  • Easy to mix colors and achieve your ideal consistency
  • Color doesn’t change when paint dries
  • Easy to manipulate on a surface
  • Allows for smooth blending
  • Prestige

Oil Paint Cons:

  • Dries very slowly
  • Requires a prepared surface
  • Requires strong-smelling, toxic and flammable thinners and additives
  • Yellows with (significant) age
  • More costly than other paints

Best for:

  • Slow painters who want more time to mix colors
  • Well-ventilated area
  • Natural bristle or sable brushes

 

Other Posts in the Learn How to Art series:

Learn How to Art: What is Acrylic Paint?

Learn How to Art: What is Tempera Paint?

Learn How to Art: What is Watercolor?

How I Became Obsessed with Succulents (And Why It’s Good for My Art)

Posted on by Monica

How I Became Obsessed with Succulents (And Why It’s Good for My Art)

If you follow me on social media, mostly Instagram, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve recently gotten into succulents. Some might even say I’m obsessed with succulents.

obsessed with succulents instagram

Maybe just a little.

So I’ve ended up doing succulent art. Go figure.

But seeing as I’m obsessed with them, and this is basically a post about succulents anyway, I’m going to give you my full succulent journey. With pictures, of course.

Let’s begin our journey.

 

Rewind to 2015

The succulent trend was out in full force. But I was living in South Korea, far away from hipster trends.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t know about the succulent trend. I mean, I had the Internet. The fastest Internet in the world, actually.

I’d heard about succulents and seen them around. But it wasn’t until one appeared in my friend Arria’s apartment that I really thought about getting one. It was just SO CUTE.

But I had one barrier. Being in Korea, everything felt temporary to me. I had less than a year left there. I was traveling around the country a lot. I didn’t want to commit to getting something I couldn’t take back to the US, like a plant.

 

Return in 2016

Fast-forward to my return to Colorado a year later. After just a month of being back, I decided to start a freelance writing business. One of the first gigs I landed was ghostwriting for a content creation agency. This meant I wrote about virtually anything.

Occasionally, I wrote for a gardening website that was one of the company’s consistent clients.

The client had asked for several specific plant care articles. One of my assignments was on Haworthia Attenuata or the Zebra plant. It turns out Zebra plants are a popular indoor succulent. (And being a zone 10 plant, they couldn’t survive outdoors in most of the US).

 

The more research I did on this plant, the more attractive it seemed. Just look at those dark mysterious stripes:

obsessed with succulents haworthia attenuata closeup

Photo by Stephen Boisvert licensed under CC by 2.0

After writing (and doing research for) my article, I had the knowledge to care for one, so why not finally get a succulent?

Feeling like a potentially capable plant parent, I did some browsing at Home Depot. With some advice from my sister, I picked out three succulent varieties:

  • Sedum adolphii or “Golden Sedum”
  • Sedum hernandezii
  • Crassula Species Asstd.
obsessed with succulents first trio sedum crassula
From left to right: adolphii, hernandezii, crassula

obsessed with succulents art bucket arrangement

Sedum adolphii / Golden Sedum

The Golden sedum was actually my favorite at the time, but don’t tell. It looked the most like the typical succulents you see on Pinterest and Instagram. I had to have one of those, right?

 

Sedum hernandezii

This sedum doesn’t seem to have a common name, but it’s easy to remember since it appears to be named after someone named Hernandez. Why do so many plant names have that double “i” at the end?

 

Crassula Species Asstd.

So I didn’t actually look closely at the name of this one before I bought it. I got home only to realize this was some sort of mystery Crassula.

Being a research-fueled plant parent, I was upset. How was I supposed to provide proper care when I didn’t even know the exact species?!

I made do. And later I deduced that this plant was Crassula perforata or “String of Buttons.” Bam.

 

Hunt for the Perfect Succulent Container

The biggest appeal of succulents, besides their cute planty selves, is growing them in cute containers. So the next logical step was to find a picture-worthy container.

Okay, well I wasn’t that set on a fancy container.

I spent a few minutes digging around in my room and found a random bucket I’d been using as a pencil holder. Voila! Cute succulent container.

obsessed with succulents art bucket container

obsessed with succulents art bucket container top view

 

I didn’t put much effort into this one.

But now I go to a store like Target and can only see containers for what they’re really worth – their succulent cuteness potential.

obsessed with succulents cute container

The Sketching Begins

Making yourself do art, when you should actually be writing, blogging, marketing yourself, and pitching to new clients, to name a few, is a task.

I could always be doing something more to further my business. Since writing is also a hobby, and I identify as a writer, it also feels like there’s more at stake to my work.

Art is an equally valuable hobby, but I’m not trying to use it to pay my bills. So art gets thrown to the curb quite a bit.

Fortunately, art can apply to just about everything. I can take my excitement or interest in one thing, like social justice, and do art about it. Orrrr, I can take my new obsession with succulents, and all the excitement that comes with it and transfer that to art.

And that’s what I did.

I’ve been sketching my new plant babies when I feel uninspired or just want to do some relaxing art. It’s been fun because I’m still in that honeymoon stage with my plants and I like just looking at them.

It’s also relaxing. I can focus on putting marks on the page instead of trying to think up some grand art concept. I really need to shake off that art school (and IB HL Art) mindset.

obsessed with succulents colored pencil art sketch

Perhaps this post is premature, since these are only quick colored pencil sketches. Or maybe this is just to say, expect more succulent art in the future. Much, much more.

 

Propagating Succulents

My other favorite part about growing succulents is how easy they are to propagate. I already knew all about this, since I had to write articles on various plants and how to propagate them. So boy was I ready.

I started propagation from day one, using leaves that had fallen off of my succulents during transport or repotting. One leaf from the hernandezii was already growing its own plant! Currently, it seems to have stagnated a bit, but maybe I’m just too excited.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT9J2l3jEQkM-EhJVqkzYmBwqBc5niJ5Ol4s3A0/?taken-by=monicartsy

obsessed with succulents propagate in water

obsessed with succulents pup progation

I rooted my first leaves in water because it seemed cool and I could watch them grow each day.

Out of the three plants I tried, only the hernandezii leaves rooted, and they’re still doing well. But I envy those photos with fifty gazillion succulent leaves all sprouting teeny tiny plants.

Maybe someday.

obsessed with succulents art hernandezii pup

The Obsession Advances: More Succulents!

I didn’t stop at three, oh no. I frequented the garden sections of Home Depot and Lowe’s and eventually got my sister to split a plant with me.

  • Pachyphytum bracteosum
  • Sedum rubrotinctum

obsessed with succulents pachyphytum and sedum

For myself, I chose a Pachyphytum bracteosum, with puffy pale green leaves. Together, we got a pot with four Sedum rubrotinctum and split them.

obsessed with succulents aurora and pachyphytum

 

The Succulent Outdoors

Eventually, my mom noted, “don’t we have those kinds of plants in the front yard?” AND WE DID.

obsessed with succulents cobweb sempervivum

In my parents’ front yard, nearly buried under the mulch were three Sempervivum plants. These are also known as “Hen and Chicks” because they propagate easily on their own by producing “chicks.”

obsessed with succulents hardy succulent sempervivum

After some deliberation, I cleaned out a pot, took some chick cuttings, and potted them.

obsessed with succulents outdoor sempervivum

Don’t worry. I have plans for that empty space in the middle.

 

Foray into Online Succulents: No Hope Left for Me

I should mention that this whole time, I began following more and more succulent blogs. Pinterest and Tumblr became notorious time wasters. But also sources of endless entertainment.

Many people buy succulents online, especially if the plants don’t grow well in their region or they want a particular plant.

obsessed with succulents pups propagation

You’ll remember that the Zebra plant was what had gotten me into this whole mess.

Tragically, I still haven’t been able to find one. On my very first succulent shopping trip, I spotted a Zebra plant at Home Depot. Just one. It looked a little worn, so I opted for Golden Sedum and Co instead. I now regret that decision.

I haven’t seen a single Zebra plant in stores since. Except for a couple that were included in a larger succulent arrangement. No thanks. I can arrange them myself, thank you. Why take the fun out of it?

obsessed with succulents sedum water root

So my online browsing turned into seriously searching. I wondered whether Etsy was really a valid place to buy a succulent. Many online places didn’t have Zebra plants in stock yet. Was the world conspiring against me?

obsessed with succulents sedum hernandezii water root

Instead, I ended up purchasing a few Sempervivums to pot with my existing ones outdoors. No, I didn’t buy a Zebra plant. Since it started me on this journey, it only seems right to finish this journey properly – to someday handpick a  Zebra plant in person.

 

I still search for a Zebra plant sometimes often, drawn into home gardening stores as if to a siren’s song.

obsessed with succulents haworthia attenuata zebra plant potted

Photo by Stephen Boisvert licensed under CC by 2.0

 

 

7 Easy Art Tutorials to Help Anyone Get into Art | Why Do Art Bonus

Posted on by Monica

7 Easy Art Tutorials to Help Anyone Get into Art | Why Do Art Bonus

Today I have an art tutorial roundup for you.

You can think of this post as a secret/bonus part 4 to the Why Do Art series.

The idea for this post only occurred to me after I finished up Why Do Art. But after hearing about why it’s so great to do art, wouldn’t it be nice to have a list of easy art tutorials to help you get started?

7 Art Tutorials to Help Anyone Get into Art

There’s an endless supply of art tutorials online. You don’t have to attend an art class to learn to draw (although there is definitely value in having a real person right there to guide you). But let’s assume you aren’t committed enough or don’t have the time to attend a class. Simply Googling “art tutorial” is overwhelming.

That’s why I’ve gathered a list of some of the best art tutorials for beginners. There’s a little something in most major art media, so you can pick what appeals to you.

Let’s get started.

 

Pastel Portrait Tutorial

pastels art tutorials

I chose to highlight this pastel tutorial first because this artist’s website is so colorful, light-hearted, and fun. Hence the name of the site.

Thaneeya from Art is Fun has tons of drawing and painting tutorials. I like this pastel tutorial in particular because it’s so clearly laid out. This portrait isn’t a realistic one and the subject is a little silly, which gives you permission to explore and experiment with the material, instead of trying to obtain a perfect standard.

 

Scratchboard Basics Tutorial

scratchboard tools-art tutorials

You knew I had to include scratchboard in here somewhere, right?

This scratchboard tutorial from Russ McMullin of Scratchboard.org is a little different from Thaneeya’s approach. You don’t just get a  simple walk-through of one piece.

Russ guides you to an understanding of how scratchboard works – hint: it’s not just drawing in reverse – packing in plenty of important details. There’s an overview of the tools you need and an interesting technique for getting a drawing outline onto a piece of scratchboard.

All scratchboard artists seem to have a different way of doing this. Russ’s method is definitely on my to-try list.

He even goes into how you can correct mistakes on scratchboard, something I’m still learning myself.

 

Painting with Coffee Tutorial

cup of coffee-art tutorials

I break from the traditional art media here to bring you coffee.

Yes, coffee! You can even paint using a lot of simple household objects, and coffee is one of my favorites. Instant coffee works best, as you’ll learn from Zakkiya at Inkstruck.

This bright and tastefully designed coffee painting tutorial just makes you want to keep scrolling. If you like watercolor, or you feel like you’re someone who would like watercolor, coffee painting is a great place to start!

Bonus: you only have to deal with shades of brown – none of that confusing color mixing!

 

Comprehensive Watercolor 101 Tutorial

watercolor strokes-art tutorials

How could I give you a tutorial on coffee but not watercolor?

Although this watercolor tutorial is a little incomplete, and I’m not sure if it’s on track to get updated again, its watercolor tips are thorough and tastefully designed. The author is an architect, so that would make sense.

James Akers has some wonderful images with handwritten notes that give this post a personal touch. You can imagine that you’re learning from some kind-hearted Internet teacher,  or that you’re copying the notes of a highly organized and also artistic classmate.

 

Melted Crayon Art Tutorial

Crayons art tutorials

So while I was doing research for this post, I found that no one really wants to do plain old crayon art. The cool thing now to do is melted crayon art.

And actually, it does look pretty cool.

I like this tutorial from Steph at 52 Kitchen Adventures because her post looks beautiful and hey! who says a cooking website can’t have an artsy post now and then?

 

No Drawing Tutorials?

Wait, you might say, what about regular old drawing? Don’t you have any tutorials for that?

Well, sure, there are tons out there. But a lot of drawing tutorials are like those boring step by step drawing books I’d check out from the library as a kid. They were fun, to some extent, but even I grew bored of them quickly.

You’d follow each step exactly, drawing the shapes and adding eyes, ears, fur, and then bam! your masterpiece was done! Except yours always looked a little wonky. And when you held it up side-by-side with the example, all you could see were flaws.

That’s not very fun.

I cringe thinking about going back to those books and tutorials, so I didn’t want to share any of that here.

Good art tutorials need some flexibility.

So I’d much rather refer you to posts that go into technique.

 

Beginner Drawing Art Tutorials

pencil sharpen drawing-art tutorials

Fortunately, there are people doing much-improved tutorials and guides over those “how to draw [insert noun here]” books.

I especially like Darlene’s tutorials at Rapid Fire Art. I found her page through this tutorial on drawing hair, which is pretty legit. She goes into a lot of detail and explains the rationale behind what she’s showing you.

Darlene also has a beginner’s drawing course that she’s in the process of teaching. You can currently view the first two lessons. A unique twist on this course is that she’s using her non-dominant hand for examples so she can progress along with you.

Of course, learning to draw and learning to draw with your non-dominant hand are different beasts, but her main point is to show that you don’t need precise control over a pencil. Be willing to be loose!

 

Digital Painting Tutorial on Rocks

rocks sea-art tutorials

Don’t laugh. Rocks are really hard to draw or paint. And I recently came across this great digital painting tutorial on DeviantArt. User ichan-desu presents a cute and funny tutorial that’s at the same time really useful.

DeviantArt, Tumblr, Pinterest, and probably other sites I don’t know about are full of brief, informative tutorials like this one. I definitely recommend wasting a few hours scrolling through the millions of distracting– looking for specific tutorials on these sites. They’re great. Huge, even.

 

 

These are just a few easy art tutorials to help you get started. Do you have any favorite art tutorial bloggers or websites? Or have you tried any of the tutorials above?

Let me know in the comments!

 

Previous Posts in this Series:

Part 1: Why People Who “Can’t Draw” Are Wrong

Part 2: 5 Non-Artists Who Do Art (And It’s Awesome)

Part 3:  Why People Who “Can’t Draw” Should Do Art

 

 

 

Why People Who “Can’t Draw” Should Do Art | Why Do Art, Part 3

Posted on by Monica

Why People Who “Can’t Draw” Should Do Art | Why Do Art, Part 3

I need art in my life.

And I’m a firm believer that you need art in your life too.

I’m fortunate. I’ve been encouraged to make art. As a result, I’ve had more chances and been given more leeway to practice and hone my skills.

But most people haven’t.

why do art

 

Maybe you realized early on that a classmate was much better at art than you. Or a teacher was less than impressed with your school art projects.

Whatever the reason, you’ve decided you “can’t draw.” We’ve already talked about how this mindset is a lie.

Now I’m going to give you 6 concrete reasons to make art and go into how art impacts our lives.

 

1. Art can help you de-stress.

Who doesn’t need to de-stress?

A 2016 study shows that spending 45 minutes making art decreases the cortisol levels in your brain. Cortisol is a hormone in the brain responsible for your “fight or flight” response. A little cortisol keeps up alert during potentially dangerous situations.

But when high cortisol levels remain in your brain for an extended period of time, it starts to have a negative effect on your health. That’s why it’s so important to have ways to de-stress.

And the great thing about this art and cortisol study?

Art reduced stress in all participants, even if they weren’t skilled artists.

You can take a look at the study’s abstract here if, like me, research is your thing.

 

2. Art is good for your mental health.

This is a broad statement, but it needs to be said. There are several specific ways that art improves mental health and can be a tool for managing mental illness.

Let’s get into the specifics.

why do art emoji brain

 

3. Art helps you process traumatic experiences.

Our brains store traumatic memories as images, not words.

So art can help us access, articulate and work through difficult experiences.

Drawing an image can be the first step toward processing an event or emotion. It then works as a gateway toward being able to explain your thoughts with words.

why do art child drawing

This is why you see all those TV shows with little kids’ traumas/crimes/domestic violence revealed through their drawings.

But art isn’t just for getting over past or childhood trauma. It works for current events too.

After I read up on how art helps trauma, I found that it lined up with my experience. I’m the most driven to do art during difficult times.

In my life, this has ranged from the death of a friend to large-scale tragedies.

The Ferguson non-indictment, Charleston Emanuel AME shooting, and Pulse nightclub shooting are just a few recent examples when I felt moved to just create something.

Why do art Emanuel AME portraits

In part, the reason I am so moved to do art during these hard times is because there’s nothing else I can do. Art gives you a sense of doing. It requires physical movement, planning, and forethought. And it presents you with something tangible when you’re done.

 

4. Art helps you move on and re-imagine your life.

We grieve and heal from one-time events. But some circumstances stay with us.

Several research studies examine the effects of art on cancer patients.

One of these studies was a case study on three women with cancer.

Over the course of art therapy sessions, these women used art therapy to process their illnesses and identify coping mechanisms that they would use for the duration of their treatment.

In another study, doing art reduced stress and negative emotions in a much larger group of cancer patients.

However, art hasn’t just been effective for people with cancer.

Drawing helped people with heart disease visualize their condition. This is important for the next point.

 

5. Art can help therapists and other health professionals tailor treatment.

Art therapy exists for a reason.

Drawing helps patients articulate themselves. And being able to explain yourself isn’t just good for your mental well-being.

It also helps art therapists or other health professionals understand how a patient perceives their illness and make changes accordingly.

In the heart disease study above, researchers concluded that seeing how patients visualized their illness could give health professionals a better understanding of the patient’s perspective.

While this might not sound like a big deal, it could help us develop more accurate and nuanced treatment for several different illnesses.

Research consistently indicates that drawing is a useful way to supplement traditional methods of collecting data and track patient progress.

 

6. Art can help you focus.

You don’t have to be struggling through difficult times to get any benefit from art. Just as art can help you de-stress, it also helps you focus.

We’ve all probably seen this in action.

Do you doodle during telephone calls? Long lectures? Meetings? Conferences?

It turns out, there’s a scientific reason behind this habit.

why do art phone notes

Mindless art, like doodling, helps us focus on listening especially when the content is boring. That would explain why notes from my business classes were packed with doodles, while my sociology notes remained fairly clean.

However, there is a catch. Art can help you focus on what you’re hearing, but it might actually impair your visual memory. So if you’ve been doodling during a lecture, you might have difficulty recalling visual information like graphics or images.

But doodling while talking on the phone?

Keep it up.

 

So, Why Do Art?

If you’re still asking, I’d honestly be a little disappointed. But if you cheated and skimmed to the end for answers, the answer is this: why not?

What do you have to lose by doing some art? You’d be taking care of yourself, letting your subconscious have free reign for a short while, and maybe even improving your focus and productivity.

So find an art form that sounds fun (or at least not too scary), and give it a try!

You might even enjoy yourself.

 

Other Posts in This Series:

Part 1: Why People Who “Can’t Draw” Are Wrong

Part 2: 5 Non-Artists Who Do Art (And It’s Awesome)

Bonus: 7 Easy Art Tutorials to Help Anyone Get Into Art