Thursday, October 30, 2008

Watercolor Painting Technique

You can incorporate many different watercolor painting techniques into your works. One of the more basic watercolor painting techniques is called a flat wash, and is used to cover large areas of your oil painting on canvas. It is done by dampening your oil on canvas, and spreading your paint from the top to the bottom using a large brush to move the color quickly and in broad strokes. Another good watercolor painting technique is called the wet in wet, and requires wetting your canvas with a spray bottle before applying your watercolor. watercolor painting technique You can achieve the opposite effect with a dry brush technique that uses a dry surface and a pigment. This watercolor painting technique can actually add texture to your work. For best results, it is a good idea to combine a number of watercolor painting techniques into each work to add focal points and create maximum impact.

If you are thinking that watercolor painting might be a fun hobby for you to try, your next step should be into your local fine art gallery reproduction or craft store to find supplies and perhaps get advice from a professional as to how to get started. There are classes, books and instructional videos that can teach you the basic watercolor painting techniques. Unleash your artistic ability by creating a watercolor masterpiece today!

Friday, October 24, 2008

American Portraits of the Late 1700s and Early 1800s

Descended from the Mathers, a family of famous clergymen in colonial Massachusetts, Mather Brown moved permanently to England in 1781 at the age of twenty. Under the tutelage of Benjamin West, he began oil painting biblical subjects and scenes from Shakespeare. The greater influence on Brown's portraits, though, was the fluid style of Gilbert Stuart. If anything, Brown was even more flamboyant than Stuart in his application of richly colored, thickly textured paint. In William Vans Murray, for instance, Brown outlined the sitter's eyelids in bright red. The hair, cravat, and curtain were rendered with pirouettes of a dancing brush.

Murray studied law in London from 1784 to 1787 before returning to his farm near Cambridge, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay's Eastern Shore. He later served in Congress and as minister to France. In addition to other prominent Americans abroad, such as Thomas Jefferson, Brown's clientele included members of the royal family.

This patronage sparked sarcasm from an exasperated, anonymous English painter: "Mr. West paints for the Court and Mr. Copley for the City. Thus the artists of America are fostered in England, and to complete the wonder, a third American, Mr. Brown of the humblest pretences, is chosen portrait painter to the Duke of York. So much for the Thirteen Stripes—so much for the Duke of York's taste."

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Wall Painting Technique-Make Your Room Look New Again

Wall painting is a magnificent way to add rich tone to any room. Depending on the shade you choose, you can lighten, clean up or cozy up your room. You can make tiny rooms appear larger or ample rooms emerge more inviting. Paint is low-cost, easy to apply and can serve as a beautiful background to your space – provided that it is done right. Providentially, there are some simple steps to pursue that will ensure that your interior tinted space will look great and last for several years.

Wall Painting Technique -Selecting the Right Paint

The initial step is to find the finest paint for the wall you need to work with. If you are painting a workplace or dine room, your choice will be very different if you are looking at vinaigrette up a kitchen, lavatory or kids area. For rooms that do not suffer from as much wear or tear, you can have your predilection of a flood of variety and shades.

If you are functioning with a room that sees constant use, you will be better off if you decide a washable paint that is. In rooms that see plenty of wetness, like your lavatory, a paint that will oppose mildew is a good idea. If you have any queries about the finest wall painting for your job, you can check the sticker on the paint can or ask a professional at the home development store were you shop.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Sponge Painting Technique

Sponging is one of the simplest painting techniques to learn. It requires a base coat of one color that is tinted above with another one. The second coat is applied with a sea sponge that is evenly dabbed at random over the entire wall. Depending on the colors that you utilize and the technique you handle your sponge, the effects that you can enjoy from this sponge Painting technique are nearly vast.

There is actually no right or wrong way to sponge paint, but there are a couple of rules of thumb to make your walls most pleasant to the eye. A good sponge painting technique requires you to keep the touch of the sponge fairly light, so your upshot is a subtle one. You also want to sustain an even tone to the walls, with no lighter and darker spots in areas. It is a fine idea to practice on a board or other sample material before taking the sponge to the bulwark of your room.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Faux Wall Painting Technique

If you are looking for a way to jazz up your walls with a little bit of money and a lot of creativity, look no further than the faux wall painting technique available. With a little paint and some know-how from books, websites and home improvement stores, you can create effects on your walls that will add color and texture to your rooms. Many of these faux wall painting techniques are very easy to learn and simple to accomplish if you are willing to take the time to do so. Others will be more successful with the aid of a class that instructs students on proper faux wall painting technique.

Faux Wall Painting Technique the Finishing Touch

You can create a stencil border over your base coat using templates and stencil paint. You can even paint murals and stories across one wall that will serve as a focal point for a room. There are patterns available for murals as well. Decorating is no longer just about applying paint to walls. With the many faux finishes you can achieve through various faux wall painting techniques, you can give any room an artistic flair.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Comb Painting Technique

Another painting technique that requires a little more practice is combing. This technique is done with a squeegee that has teeth like a comb. Just like sponging, combing begins with a base coat of one color that is allowed to dry thoroughly. Next, a second color is applied and the comb is drawn through the paint while it is still wet. The effect is a textured appearance that can look like straight lines, zigzags or waves. The Comb Painting technique is usually very inexpensive, since the tools involved are simply two hues of paint and a squeegee comb.

Creative Comb Painting Technique

If this Comb Painting technique seem too basic for your artistic flair, there are many other comb painting techniques that involve multiple colors and additional tools for application. There are techniques that can give you a faux marble or granite look by using special paints in three or more colors and a sea sponge for blending, and a comb for addition texture.

You can create a stencil border over your base coat using templates and stencil paint, use your squeegee to add a unique texture. You can even paint murals and stories across one wall that will serve as a focal point for a room. This Comb Painting technique works especially well in children’s areas. There are patterns available for murals as well. Decorating is no longer just about applying paint to walls.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Flower Painting Technique

Many types of flowers have meanings that are normally connected with them. You may be familiar with the creative view that the rose of different colors indicates diverse things. For example, red roses tend to symbolize passion, while yellow roses typically mean longstanding friendship. Pink stands for young love and white often mean purity. Other flowers carry similar meanings, so when you consider adding a flower painting technique to your repertoire, think about the meaning that you want to convey through your oil paint.

Flower Painting Technique Stenciling

A number of techniques can be used to add flowers to your Oil painting. One of the easiest methods is through stenciling. Stenciled flowers can be painted on walls as a border, furniture as an accent, or even on articles of clothing using fabric paint. If you can't find a stencil that tickles your fancy, there are also numerous flower stamps available.

Stamping can be used in place of stenciling on just about any surface as well. For those who desire to become a bit more adventurous with their flower painting technique, you can learn many techniques for freehand projects. One of the most popular is One Stroke Oil Painting that offers instructions for creating many different types of flowers. This flower painting technique works extremely well on vases and flower pots, as well as walls and furniture. If you eventually wish to take freehand a step further, try covering a landscape painting with misty watercolor flowers or bright flowers painted with oils.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Face Painting Idea

One should learn to imagine how the finished face painting idea would appear. Not experiment while face painting. One can also use awash bits of cotton wool to create a bumpy nose or big eyebrows and for an extra-ghostly effect, after the face painting idea has been completed, one may apply dusting of flour.

It is also a good idea to use a stencil if one is not good at freehand painting or is short of time. A quicker alternative would be to use temporary tattoos though some people may have skin that reacts badly to them and one may even use glitter to create a quick and dramatic effect, though it does spread too much and is also hard to remove.

One should also have a mirror on hand so that the people that have had their face painting work done can see the results and having a high stool on hand will save the artist (that is, you) from excessive bending for long periods, when painting many faces, and thus prevent back aches.

One should also have a ready stock of tissues on hand as face painting requires a lot of wiping of the hands as well as brushes. Also, face painting is often messy, though fun, and baby wipes work faster and is also useful to clean up any mistakes along the way.

It is always a great satisfaction to see the excited look of a child’s eyes when your face painting idea takes shape and comes to life.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Self Portrait

A Self-portrait is a depiction of an artiste, haggard, tinted, or sculpt by the artist. Even though self-portraits have been made by artist since the earliest period, it is not until the Early resurgence in the mid 1400s that artists can be often identified portraying themselves as either the main issue, or as imperative characters in their art work.

With improved and cheaper mirror, and the advent of the panel portrayal, many painter, sculptors as well as printmakers tried a few self-portraiture. The plausible example by Jan van Eyck of 1433 is the first known panel self-portrait. He tinted a separate picture of his wife, and he belong to the public that had begun to commission portrait, already more general among rich Netherlanders when compared to south of the Alps. The genre is esteemed, but not until the resurgence, with improved wealth and curiosity in the entity as a subject, did it become really popular.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Portrait Painting

Portrait painting is a genus in painting, where the intention is to portray the visual manifestation of the subject, most frequently a person. A well executed picture is anticipated to illustrate the inner essence of the subject not just a physical image.

The phrase 'portrait painting' can also explain a painted portrait. Portraitists make their portraits by commission or are enthused by appreciation or fondness for the subject. If an artiste portrays him or herself, the end result is called a self-portrait.

Portraits can describe the subject 'full body', 'half span' or 'head and shoulder'. Beside human beings, flora and fauna, pets and even lifeless objects can be elected as the subject matter for a portrayal.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Oil sketch or Oil study

An Oil sketch or oil study is an fine art work made chiefly in oil paints, and which is more abbreviated in managing than a completely finished work of art. Initially these were fashioned as introductory study or modelli, particularly so as to gain sanction for the design of a larger custom-built painting. They were also used as design for specialist in other media, such as printmaking or wall-hanging, to follow. Later they were formed as sovereign works, often with no thought of being stretched into a full-size picture.

The common medium for modelli was the sketch, but an oil sketch, even if made in a limited choice of colors, could better recommend the tone of the estimated work. For an artist with excellent technique, the fabrication of an oil sketch may be as fast as that of a drawing, and a lot of practitioners had splendid brush skills. In its speediness of finishing the oil sketch may be used not only to express progress and transient effects of light and color, its gestural nature may even symbolize a mimetic parallel to the act of the subject.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Oil painting Techniques

Traditional oil painting technique often starts with the artist drawing the figure onto the canvas with charcoal which is watery paint. Oil paint can be mix with turpentine or artist rating mineral spirits or other lean vehicle to make thinner, faster aeration paint. Then the artist build the figure in layers. A vital rule of oil paint application is 'fat over lean'. This means that each added layer of paint must be a bit oilier when compared to the layer below, to permit proper drying.

As a picture gets additional layers, the paint must get oilier or the final canvas will break and peel. There are a number of other painting medium that can be used in oil painting, include cold wax, resins, and varnish. These added medium can support the artist in correcting the translucency of the paint, the shine of the paint, the thickness or 'body' of the paint, and the ability of the paint to grip or hide the brushstroke. These variables are strongly connected to the expressive capacity of oil coat.

When we look at original oil paintings, the various character of oil paint allow one to sense the choice the artist made as they apply the paint. For the spectator, the paint is motionless, but for the artist, the oil paint is a fluid or semi-fluid and must be stirred 'onto' the painting surface.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

History of Oil Painting

Oil paint was certainly developed for ornamental or useful purpose in the High Middle Ages, although latest study indicates it was famous in the far east centuries earlier. Surfaces like shield - both those used in tournament and those hang as embellishment - were more durable when tinted in oil-based medium than when painted in the customary tempera paints.

Nearly all source, in general Vasari, ascribed northern European watercolorist of the 15th century, and Jan van Eyck in particular, with the "discovery" of painting with oil medium on wood panel, however Theophilus basically give instruction for oil-base painting in his treatise. Early Netherlandish work of art in the 15th century was however the first to create oil the usual painting, pursued by the rest of Northern Europe, and after that Italy. The popularity of oil stretch through Italy as of the North, starting in Venice in the late 15th century. By 1540 the earlier method for painting on board, tempera had become all but vanished, although Italians persistent to use fresco for barrier paintings, which was more harder in Northern climates.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Landscape painting

Landscape painting depicts landscape such as valleys, trees, mountains, rivers, as well as forests. Sky is almost forever included in the sight, and weather typically is an element of the work of art reproductions. In the opening century Roman frescoes of landscapes bedecked rooms that have been potted at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Conventionally, landscapes painting depict the exterior of the earth, other than there are other sort of landscapes, such as moonscapes, for instance.


The word landscape is as of the Dutch, landscape meaning a wad, a patch of cultured ground. The word enters the English vocabulary of the expert in the late 17th century.

Early on in the fifteenth century, landscape painting was recognized as a genus in Europe, as a setting for human action, often articulated in a religious topic, such as the themes of the Journey of the Magi.

The Chinese custom of "pure" landscape, in which the miniature human figure simply give scale and invite the viewer to contribute in the experience, was fine established by the time the oldest existing ink paintings were executed.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Maine artist receives award in France

Damariscotta Artist/ Sculptor Jacques Vesery was selected to participate in "Les tourneurs et leurs Projets" during the "Art and Passion du Bois" festival in Breville (near Cognac) France, August 30-31, 2008. This competition brought together 6 wood art

professionals to create work in a public venue. Three prizes were awarded including one by a jury of professionals and local dignitaries.

The theme; "Him and Her"....The challenge; Complete a piece in two days. Jacques' thoughts on how his work would relate to the theme; Two turned forms representing Male and Female specifically, yet to convey several ideas. Although the forms may relate to non-realistic seaforms or creatures and each single form, being unique with an ability to stand alone..... together represent a combined relationship. As with any relationship between two objects [not necessarily human, but including plants, animals and man-made objects] the intent was to reveal compatibility, similarity, individuality and the importance of unity as well....no matter where one comes from or what side of an ocean.

Jacques received the highest honor, the Professional Juror's Award which is based on the criteria of technique, creativity, relation to the theme and emotional provocation. With this comes the honor of returning to Breville in 2009 as President of the Jury for the next competition. He is the only artist outside of France ever to be accepted to this event.

More images and information is available through the artist and/or Cerise Boisseaux in Breville at cerise.boisseaux@gmail.com

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Two first Place Photographs at Oxford County Fair

Tere K. Porter, O.D. has been rewarded for his keen artistic eye with accolades at the Oxford county Fair. Tere was awarded a first place in Landscapes for a scene of Mount Washington with snow and fall foliage at lower altitudes, and first place for a close up photograph of a Blue Flag Iris.

Tere was born in Aroostook County and after receiving a high school graduation gift of a 35mm camera from his parents in 1960, has been taking photographs ever since.

When Tere's children were in junior and senior high school in Oxford Hills, he switched to video taping of all of their music concerts. He continued this after they graduated for the Music, Art Reproduction and Drama Boosters Club to help support the SAD 17 fine art reproduction program until about 2000.

"I like video for action and sound shooting and I have video taped many of our vacations such as, our trip to Alaska," said Tere "but still photographs are and always have been my first love."

Tere is known for his fondness of nature photography as he strives to capture the feel of a flower blossom, a sunset of vivid hues, or the brilliance of fall foliage.

"I have recently converted my office to be an Office/Gallery," Tere says. "I have 40 photographs hanging in the waiting room of my office which is located at 66 Paris Street in Norway."

Visitors are encouraged to call ahead of time at, 743-6271. Anyone interested in Tere's work can view 2600 examples on his website, where images can be purchased. The website address is tereporter.photostockplus.com.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Oil Painting Art Reproduction

In oil painting art reproduction, an under painting is an initial layer of oil painting applied to a ground, which serve as a base for succeeding layers of paint. Art reproductions under paintings are often called oil painting monochromatic and help to define color values for later art reproduction oil painting. There are several different types of art reproduction oil painting, such as verdaccio and grisaille.

Oil painting art reproduction gets its name because it is oil painting that is intended to be painted over in a scheme of working in layer. There is a popular misconception that oil painting art reproduction should be monochromatic, perhaps in gray-scales. In fact, a multi-color oil painting art reproduction is much more useful and was used extensively by oil painting art reproduction artists such as Giotto (whose oil painting art reproduction techinque is described in detail by Cennino Cennini).

The colors of the oil painting art reproduction can be optically mingled with the subsequent oil painting art reproduction, without the danger of the oil painting art reproduction colors physically blending and becoming muddy. If oil painting art reproduction is done properly, it facilitates over painting. If it seems that if one has to fight to obscure the oil painting art reproduction, it is a sign that it was not done properly.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Hard-Edge Oil Painting

Hard-edge oil painting consists of rough, straight edges original oil painting that are geometrically consistent. It encompasses rich solid colors of art reproductions, neatness of surface, and arranged forms all over the oil painting on canvas. The Hard-edge oil painting style is related to Geometric abstraction of fine art painting, Post-painterly Abstraction, and Color Field oil painting. The term Original oil painting was coined by writer, curator and Los Angeles Times art reproduction critic Jules Langsner in 1959 to describe the work of original oil painters from California, who, in their reaction to the more painterly of oil paintings or gestural forms of Abstract expressionism, adopted a knowingly impersonal original oil paint application and delineated areas of painting color with particular sharpness and good clarity. This approach to abstract oil painting became widespread in the 1960s, though California was its creative center of fine art reproductions.

Hard edge oil painting is also a simply descriptive term, as applicable to past works as to future original oil artistic production. The term oil painting on canvas refers to the abrupt transition across "hard edges" between one color area to another color area. Canvas painting Color within "color areas" is generally reliable, that is, homogenous. Hard-edged oil painting can be both figurative and nonrepresentational.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Heidi Daub at Aarhus Original Oil Painting Gallery

Oil Painting Aarhus gallery is excited to exhibit the lively color Original Oil Painting work of the talented Blue Hill Oil Painting artist Heidi Daub September 2-21. The public is invited to an Fine art reproductions opening reception on Friday September 5th from 5-8pm.

With a personal vivid style and recognizable imagery, Heidi's modernistic landscapes play along the border of abstract and representational Original Oil painting.

"I am concerned with ordinary things and the extraordinary ways in which the ordinary shapes our lives. My Oil paintings and Fine art Paintings evolve from an introspection,... an awareness,... There is an aspiration to a holy moment so to speak. How we perceive and feel, the nebulous space between the physical reality of a given situation, person or place, and the perceptions we carry, the curiosity and non-linear ways of looking at time."

Heidi Daub graduated from Montserrat School of Visual Fine Art Reproductions, has lived and worked in Maine since 1984 and exhibited her Oil paintings on canvas widely throughout New England since 1987. Heidi is represented by oil painting galleries throughout New England and her work is housed nationally in many private Oil Painting collections.

In 2008, Heidi has inaugurated the Women of Maine Visionary Fine Arts Reproduction Award to support women involved in audio, visual or literary Fine Arts Paintings who exhibit outstanding commitment and are inspiring to others.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Oil Painting Workshops with Nina Weiss

On Friday, August 15, Nina will teach Beyond Green: Oil Painting Exploring Color Through art gallary Landscape. In this five hour workshop participants will study the Oil Paintings complex colors of nature. They will begin with a basic review of the Oil Paintings color wheel and examination of Original oil painting color groupings and relationships. Oil Paint mixing and Art Gallery color exercises will strengthen awareness of how to effectively use Oil painting color in landscape paintings and fine art drawings.

On Saturday and Sunday, August 16 & 17, Nina will offer Oil Painting and art reproduction Drawing the Maine Landscape, a two day, ten hour, workshop. Students will work plein-aire studying the inspirational oil painting on canvas landscapes around the beautiful harbor town of Corea. Emphasis of this workshop will be on rendering basic forms of the landscape, using line and gesture and seeing and expanding the use of Art reproduction color in landscapes. Students will begin with compositional sketches and Oil Paintings color studies and progress to works in the color medium of their choice.

The one day (Friday) workshop is $75 and the two day (Saturday / Sunday) workshop is $140. Each workshop is capped at 15 participants.