Tag: art lesson
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What to Do If Someone Laughs at Your Paintings
By Marion Boddy-Evans The start of this article came from a disturbing email sent to me by a guy called Tony, who was at art school in San Francisco. He said he has a vivid imagination and sometimes paints “odd things”. The problem was the responses of fellow students, who have laughed at his paintings (most […]
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10 Worst Painting Critiques
It can be tough knowing what to say when a friend asks you what you think about their latest painting or to give a critique. But there are some things you should never say if you value your friendship. 1. What is it? (You’re supposed to know and if you can’t tell, keep it to yourself as […]
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Four Steps in Dealing with Criticism of Your Art
Destructive criticism is not really an issue about the content of the artwork, it’s about deciding what you won’t tolerate from others. This occurs in all kinds of ways, not just art criticism. It comes up anytime someone is being rude or mean, or crossing a boundary. I’m happy to say I figured out a […]
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Painting Critique Checklist
By Marion Boddy-Evans When you’re looking at a painting critically with a view to giving a critique to the artist and, equally, when you’re critiquing your own paintings, here are some of the things you ought to consider: • Size: Remember to take a look at the actual size of the painting and try to visualize it that […]
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How to Critique a Painting
It’s only natural to want people to like our paintings, but if we’re to grow as artists, then we need statements that say a little more than simply “It’s nice” or “I love it” or “I don’t think this painting works”. We need information on what specifically is nice, loved, or isn’t working. Specific, constructive […]
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Is There a Difference Between Gesso and Molding Paste, and Can You Mix in Oils?
From Susan Tschantz It depends on how much texture you want. You can use a thin coat of gesso to mimic plaster texture. But going too thick runs the risk of it breaking and flaking later. The more ridged the support, the less likely this is, so consider painting on a canvas covered panel. These are available through […]
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Should an Oil Painting be Framed Under Glass?
There’s no need to frame an oil painting under glass if it’s painted on canvas, panel, or board. The exception is if the painting is done on paper or thin card, which should be framed under glass to protect the support from environmental damage more than the oil paint. With sturdier supports, the final varnish applied to the painting […]
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Bubble Prints
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Bubble prints are like fingerprints, except made with bubbles. You can make bubble prints and learn about how bubbles are shaped and how pigments combine to make different colors. Bubble Print Materials Bubble prints are made by coloring bubble solution, blowing bubbles, and pressing paper onto the bubbles. You need brightly-colored […]
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Elements of Composition: Rhythm
Don’t think that rhythm is something that belongs to music only, or perhaps poetry. It’s also one of the Elements of Composition, helping to lead the viewer’s eye across a painting. The example I’ve shown here is of a extreme landscape format, considerably wider than it is tall. To get the viewer’s eye from one edge to the […]
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Elements of Composition: Balance
By Marion Boddy-Evans Balance is one of the easier Elements of Composition to see, and you’ll soon discover whether your natural inclination is towards a perfectly balanced or symmetrical composition or an unbalanced, asymmetrical one. It’s not that one is better than the other, but whichever you choose as the underlying component of your composition has an impact on […]
