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The Problem is the Paint

painting problems

Sometimes it's not your lack of painting know-how but the paint itself that's the problem. Check if the issue you're struggling with is on this list, which is for acrylic paint but relates to other mediums too.

More on Acrylic Painting
Painting Spotlight10

How to Set Up a Still Life for Painting

Wednesday February 8, 2012
Still Life painting Setting up a still life for painting isn't a matter of throwing few objects onto a table top and then starting. For a successful still life, you want to put some thought into the choices available to you.

Are you going to set up the light to throw strong shadows? What shape of canvas are you going to use and how does this influence the arrangement of the objects? Where are you going to set up the still life and will the viewpoint be from the top, side, or below? Read more in my article How to Set Up a Still Life for Painting.

See Also:
What is a Still Life?
How to Set Up a Flower Still Life

Image © 2009 M Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc

Book Review: The Successful Artist's Career Guide

Tuesday February 7, 2012

Book Review: The Successful Artist's Career Guide If you think you'd like to earn a living as an artist, using your creativity as part of your skill set, then this book is like attending an "Introduction to Your Art Career" workshop. Read my review...

Related Reviews:
The Artist Gallery Partnership
The Profitable Artist

Image © 2012 Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc.

Monday Motivator: The Loathsome But Essential Artist's Statement

Monday February 6, 2012
Painting Monday Motivator Quote
"Writing an artist statement is a loathsome yet necessary activity. It is a bit like cleaning your toilet. if you do it well, it will reflect well on you, but no one will really pay much attention to it. But if you don't do it, people will wonder if you are a responsible grown-up."

-- Margaret Peot, The Successful Artist's Career Guide, page 114
On consideration, I probably find housework more tedious than writing an artist's statement. While neither fill my heart with joy at the thought of tackling it, both are easier if done in small doses. Check your statement periodically and update it as your style, approach, preferences change.

How to Write an Artist's Statement

Photo © Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc.

Learn a New Hobby

Sunday February 5, 2012
Learn a New Hobby When I started writing my Learn a New Hobby article, which highlights the fabulous (free!) hobbies resources here on About.com, I resisted putting painting first because it would seem biased. The skills from other crafts are always useful for multimedia too...

Seriously, most creative people I know have a particular focus but work across disciplines and cross-pollinate, as it were. I find swapping paint for fabric and creating a pictorial quilt helps me focus on shapes and tones in a composition. Here's a tree quilt from a few years back now as an example.

Photo and Design © Connie G. Barwick. Licensed to About.com, Inc

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