Our Blog


Oil Painting Tips For Beginners

Start your oil paintings with an acrylic underpainting - When you start an oil painting using oils, it can take some time for that initial layer to dry. Starting your painting with an acrylic underpainting however is a wonderful time saver as acrylic paint dries quickly and oil paint can be applied over the acrylic. Make certain you have good lighting - I didn't realize how important good lighting was until I painted outdoors for the first time. Good lighting brings out the color and also lessens the strain on your eyes. If you can, paint in a place that gets plenty of natural sunlight. If you cannot afford this luxury, purchase a good indoor light. Make sure you have good ventilation - If you are using materials like oil painting thinners and cleaners in your studio; make sure you have good ventilation. Some of these chemicals can be quite toxic so use caution when working with these products. Consider using a water miscible paint like Grumbacher Max Oil Paints. Max Oils can be diluted with water thereby eli...

 


Selling your Art Online - Website Tips For Artists

If you plan to sell your art online with your own unique website, my advice is simple: Be Different! There are hundreds of artist websites online today that are all making the same mistakes.The first problem I would like to note, is the use of long multimedia presentations that artists are incorporating into their websites. I don't think there is anything more frustrating then arriving at a website and waiting for this huge multimedia presentation to download and play. The artist may think it's cool or adds something to their work, but in all actuality, it only frustrates impatient surfers. Not all Internet users have super fast cable or DSL connections. Many are still using dial up modems and if they have to wait for something to download, they will simply leave and visit your competition. There are also sites that insist on putting unrelated banner ads or other unrelated advertising on their websites. Just the other day I was doing a search for original watercolor art. The first website I arrived at had a b...

 


Art Studio Lighting

Underestimating the need for art studio lighting is a common mistake of the casual or novice art collector. Too often, an enthusiastic patron returns home with a new work of art, excited at the prospect of displaying it in a prominent position in the home for his or her personal enjoyment and the appreciation of visitors, only to discover that, no matter where it is placed, the piece is masked in shadow, its beauty marred by poor lighting. An art lamp is the solution. Art studio lighting is as important to properly displaying a work of art as a quality frame is.Quite simply, no matter how well-lit a room may be, no enclosed space can provide adequate lighting for a piece of artwork. Art studio lighting is a must for the proper display of art. A trip to any museum or studio will confirm this fact. One will quickly notice, no matter how brightly lit the display room is, whether it has natural or electric lights, the works of art are invariable lit, individual, by art lamps or other studio lighting dedicat...