Painting: Most Popular Articles

Free Stencils Collection
A collection of free stencils to print and cut out. New stencils are added regularly. Subjects include animals, flowers, food, nature, sea, Valentine's Day, Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.

Right Brain Quiz for Artists -- The Questions
This right brain left brain quiz for artists will help you determine whether your right or left side of your brain is dominant

Monet 's Bridge Painting Demo
Follow artist Karen Day-Vath as she paints a scene from Monet's garden at Giverny.

Art Glossary: 'A' Paper Sizes
An explanation of what the various 'A' paper sizes area, and how the system works.

Top 10 Acrylic Painting Tips
Acrylics are extremely versatile, fast-drying paints; here are 10 tips to help you get started painting with acrylics.

Top 10 Tips for Face Painting
If you've never done any face or body painting before, these painting tips will help you get started.

Right / Left Brain Artists
An easy-to-understand explanation of the theory behind the right brain left brain concepts and why it's relevant to painters.

Expressionism: Van Gogh
Get an understanding for the impact Vincent van Gogh had on German and Austrian Expressionist painters with this photo gallery of paintings from the "Van Gogh and Expressionism" Exhibition held at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Neue Galerie in New York.

Color Theory Quiz
Test your knowledge of basic color theory with this quiz

Color Theory Basics for Art
All the basic information you needs to know about color theory and color mixing, arranged in easy-to-understand color theory lessons.

Free MiscellaneousStencils to Print and Cut Out
A collection of free miscellaneous stencils to print and cut out.

Free Nature Stencils to Print and Cut Out
A collection of free naturestencils to print and cut out.

Symbols Dictionary: Flowers
Art Symbols dictionary - flowers and plants. Add hidden meaning to your paintings by using specific flowers to symbolize love, jealous, and more.

Expressionism: Kandinsky
Get an understanding for the impact Vincent van Gogh had on German and Austrian Expressionist painters with this photo gallery of paintings from the "Van Gogh and Expressionism" Exhibition held at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Neue Galerie in New York.

Free Stencils to Print and Cut Out - Alphabet Stencil 1
Free stencil designs for personal use - alphabet 1

Painting Personality Quiz: What Paint Should You Use?
Find out what kind of paint would best suit your personality with this quick, fun, 10-question quiz

Painting Quiz: Oils or Acrylics?
Find out what kind of paint would best suit your personality with this quick, fun, 10-question quiz

Video: Sumi-e Sunflower
Watch a sunflower being painted in sumi-e style.

Free Stencils to Print and Cut Out Daisy Stencil
Free stencil designs for personal use: Flowers: Daisy

10 Oil Painting Tips
Top 10 oil painting tips for professional results with oil paints.

Oil Painting Quiz
Test your knowledge of oil painting with this quick quiz

Free Sea Stencils to Print and Cut Out
A collection of free sea-related stencils to print and cut out.

More Painterly Style
Painting tips on how to work in a more painterly style.

Video: Painting Hair Part 1
This is a painting video demonstrates how to paint hair, using oil paint.

Face Painting: Easy Butterfly
A step-by-step demonstration of how to face paint an easy butterfly design.

Cloud Art Project: Sunset
May's project is about painting clouds and cloudy skies. Take a look at the various paintings sent in for this painting project, such as this one.

10 Tips for Fabric Painting
With a few colours and a suitable brush, fabric painting opens up endless opportunities for transforming your wardrobe and your home. Here are some tips to help.

Painting - User Submitted Videos
An index of User Submitted Videos for the Painting guide site.

How To Stretch Your Own Canvas
Stretching your own canvas is easier than you may think, and can cheaper than buying ready-made canvases, and certainly means you get just the size canvas you're after.

Starting with Acrylics
Acrylic Painting Class 1: What you need to start painting with acrylics.

Free Stencils: Rose Stencil to Print and Cut Out
Free stencil designs for personal use: Rose

Yves Klein Living Paintbrush
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists (and some not quite so famous) to inspire you and to help you expand your knowledge of great paintings, such as this one by Yves Klein.

Abstract Art Step by Step
Follow the development of a piece of abstract art step by step in this painting demo.

Flower Painting: Sunflower
Enjoy browsing through the paintings submitted for the gallery of the Flower Portrait Painting Project.

Face Painting: Easy Clown
Step-by-step with photos showing how to create an easy clown face with face paints.

Chuck Close Frank
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists (and some not quite so famous) to inspire you and to help you expand your art history knowledge, such as this one by Chuck Close.

Free Stencils
Free stencil designs for personal use: Sunflower

Mixing Green on the Canvas
An illustrated step-by-step tutorial of how to mix green on a canvas, rather than on a palette.

Expressionism: Sunflowers
Get an understanding for the impact Vincent van Gogh had on German and Austrian Expressionist painters with this photo gallery of paintings from the "Van Gogh and Expressionism" Exhibition held at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Neue Galerie in New York.

Absolute Beginner Painting FAQ
Find answers to commonly asked questions by absolute beginners to painting.

Acrylics: Basic Color Palette
With so many colors available, which ones should you buy when you first start painting with acrylics?

Learn to Paint
Learn to Paint: Find out what you need to do and know to start painting for the very first time, and create your first ever painting.

Types of clouds, their characteristics, and how to paint them
Types of Clouds, their characteristics, and how to paint them.

Free Stencils - Alphabet 2
Free stencil designs for personal use - alphabet 2

Free Stencils: Daisy Border
Free stencil designs for personal use: Daisy Border

Van Gogh Starry Night
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists to inspire you and to help you expand your knowledge of great paintings, such as 'The Starry Night' by Vincent van Gogh.

Making Art or Giclee Prints
What are Giclee or Art Prints and how are they made? What kind of quality result do they give?

Symbols Dictionary: Love
Symbols dictionary - love. Add hidden meaning to your paintings by using specific love symbols.

How to Cut a Stencil
Step-by-step instructions on how to cut your own stencils.

Art Quiz -- Vincent van Gogh Art Quiz
Test your knowledge of Vincent van Gogh's life with this quiz

Watercolor Video: Ayers Rock
Watch a watercolor painting of the famous Uluru or Ayers Rock in Australia being created, from start to finish. I particularly like the fact that you can see what the artist is doing with their brush on the palette.

Free Stencils -- Star
Free stencil designs for personal use -- Star

Right Brain Left Brain Quiz for Artists
Test whether your right or left side of your brain is dominant with this quiz devised specially for artists

Landscape Painting Tips
A collection of tips to help you with your landscape paintings.

Famous Paintings Klimt HopeII
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists (and some not quite so famous) to inspire you and to help you expand your knowledge of great paintings, such as this one by Gustav Klimt.

Face Painting African Design
Get ideas and inspiration for face painting in this photo gallery of face painting designs, such as this easy African design.

Art Trivia Quiz No 1
Test your knowledge of art and art techniques with this art trivia quiz

Write an Artist's Statement
Tips to help you write a personal artist's statement to accompany your paintings.

Number Stencil 1
A set of free printable number stencils.

How to Paint Abstracts
How to paint abstracts using a reference photograph as a starting point and source of inspiration.

Reference Photo Blue Rose
A collection of flower photos for artists to use as reference in paintings, including this one of a blue rose.

How to Paint Trees
The 'secret' to painting believable trees is an understanding of the underlying structure of trees complemented by observation of different species.

Free American Patriotic Stencils to Print and Cut Out
A collection of free American Patriotic stencils to print and cut out.

Reference Photo Green Rose
A collection of flower photos for artists to use as reference in paintings, including this one of a green rose.

Prime a Canvas For Acrylics...
When you've stretched a canvas, the next step is to prime it so you can paint on it. With a ready-made gesso suitable for both acrylic and oil painting, priming a canvas is easy.

Face Painting Safety Tips
Professional face painter Cindy Trusty shares her top safety tips for face painting, gleaned from years of experience.

Impressionists: Broken Color
Using broken color is one of the cornerstones of the techniques used by the Impressionists. Find out more about broken color and how to paint using this technique.

Practice Faces for Face Painting
Try out new face painting designs and practise your skills with these face outlines.

An Artist's Glazing Secrets
An experienced oil painter reveals the simple secrets behind his success with glazing.

Flower Painting: Still Life
Enjoy browsing through the paintings submitted for the gallery of the Flower Portrait Painting Project.

Famous Paintings Warhol Soup
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists (and some not quite so famous) to inspire you and to help you expand your knowledge of great paintings, such as this one by Andy Warhol of Campbell's Soup Cans.

Number Stencil 2
A set of free printable number stencils.

Glossary: Complementary Color
An explanation of what 'complementary colors' are in a fine arts context.

Free Stencils: Christmas
A collection of free Christmas stencils to print and cut out.

Abstract Art: An Introduction
Abstract Art -- an introduction to abstract art, what it is, how it developed, and what characterizes abstract art.

Picasso Demoiselles dAvignon
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists to inspire you and to help you expand your knowledge of great paintings, such as Picasso's Picasso Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

Painting Glass
What color is glass, and how do you paint it? There's no simple answer as glass is influenced by what's around it. You need to observe very carefully.

Right Brain Left Brain Inventory
A table setting out what is characteristically right brain and left brain thinking

Flower Painting: Iris
Enjoy browsing through the paintings submitted for the gallery of the Flower Portrait Painting Project.

How to Clean Your Brushes
Your brushes are an investment. By cleaning them thoroughly and properly at the end of a painting session, your brushes will last longer.

Painting Color Tones or Values
What is a tone in a painting, how it tone different from color, and why is it important for artists? Find out in this article on painting tones or values.

Face Painting Design Snake
Get ideas and inspiration for face painting in this photo gallery of face painting designs, such as this snake design.

Flower Painting: Dandelion
Enjoy browsing through the paintings submitted for the gallery of the Flower Portrait Painting Project.

Basic Techniques for Pastels
An introduction to the various ways in which pastels can be used in a painting.

Ad Reinhardt's Black Painting
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists (and some not quite so famous) to inspire you and to help you expand your knowledge of great paintings, such as Ad Reinhardt's Black Painting.

Top 5 Color Mixing Tips
Tips to help you get the best results when mixing colors.

Monet Water Lilies
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists (and some not quite so famous) to inspire you and to help you expand your art history knowledge, such as this one by Claude Monet.

Step-by-Step Demo Sea Painting
Watch a sea painting unfold from start to finish in this step-by-step painting demonstration.

Van Gogh's Palette
Van Gogh's adventurous use of color changed the direction of art history. Just what colors did he have in his palette?

Flower Painting: Rhododendron
Enjoy browsing through the paintings submitted for the gallery of the Flower Portrait Painting Project.

Face Painting: Butterfly
Get ideas and inspiration for face painting in this photo gallery of face painting designs, such as this rainbow butterfly design.

Oil Painting: Fat Over Lean
What the oil painting technique 'fat over lean' is and why it's one of the basic techniques of oil painting.

Top 7 Tips for Painting Glazes
Tips for artists on painting glazes, whether you’re using oil paints, acrylics, or watercolor.

What Colors are Shadows?
How the Impressionists changed the colors we use to paint shadows.

Flower Painting: Encounter
Enjoy browsing through the paintings submitted for the gallery of the Flower Portrait Painting Project.

Best Acrylic Paint Brands
Which is the best brand of acrylic paint on the market? Here's my choice of my favorite acrylic paints.

Free Halloween Stencils Bat
Free stencil designs for personal use Halloween Bat

Leonardo da Vinci Trivia
Some intriguing facts and trivia about the life of the great artist, Leonardo da Vinci.

Best Artist Magazines
Which are the best artists' magazines across the world? There's a great choice available, including one I think every artist should subscribe to.

How to Varnish a Painting
Varnish is more than simply a layer to protect your painting from pollution in the atmosphere on and abrasion. It will also bring out the colours to the brilliance they had when you applied them.

Famous Paintings John Virtue
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists (and some not quite so famous) to inspire you and to help you expand your knowledge of great paintings, such as this one by John Virtue of London.

Free Dog Stencils Bone
A juicy bone from the collection of free dog stencils to print and cut out.

Free Dog Stencils Paw Prints
A pawprint stencil from the collection of free dog stencils to print and cut out.

Art Worksheet: Color Triangle
A free art worksheet for a color theory lesson on primary and secondary colors using a color triangle.

Figure Painting Proportions
While no-one's built exactly the same, there are certain standard proportions that help when painting figures and portraits.

Face Painting Tiger
Get ideas and inspiration for face painting in this photo gallery of face painting designs, such as this head-and-shoulders tiger design.

Ultramarine: Expensive Paint
Genuine ultramarine is characteristic color in Medieval paintings, and was once the most expensive pigment available.

Where to Find Photos to Paint
Find out where you can obtain reference photos that you can use in your paintings.

Turn Acrylics to Fabric Paint
Turn your acrylic paints into fabric paints using the GAC900 acrylic medium from Golden which leaves the fabric soft.

Buying Oil Painting Supplies
What to consider before you buy oil painting supplies.

Free Heraldry Stencils to Print and Cut Out
A collection of free heraldry stencils to print and cut out.

Face Painting Mask
Get ideas and inspiration for face painting in this photo gallery of face painting designs, such as this mask design.

Oil Painting: Drying Oils
A look at the properties of the various drying oils or mediums used in oil painting.

Join the Painting Community
Why not join the About.com Painting Forum and Community?

Monthly Painting Projects 2008
Challenge yourself with these monthly painting project. Sometimes it'se a subject, sometimes a technique, and sometimes in the style of a particular artist. If you complete a project, email a photo of your painting so it can be added to that project's gallery. Or post a photo of it in the Painting Forum.

Flower Art Project What to Do
The objective of this painting project is to paint a portrait of an individual flower. Read the full instructions here.

Art Glossary: Medium
An explanation of what the term 'medium' uses, in a fine art context.

Van Gogh Self Portrait 1886
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists to inspire you and to help you expand your knowledge of great paintings, such as this self portrait by Vincent van Gogh.

Free Printable Stencils -- Celtic Design
A free Celtic design stencil to print and cut out.

10 Tips for Loosening Up
10 tips for loosening up the way you paint.

How to Paint Reflections
A watercolor painting tutorial that teaches you three different way to paint reflections in water.

Flower Painting: Solitude
Enjoy browsing through the paintings submitted for the gallery of the Flower Portrait Painting Project.

Expressionism Schiele Portrait
Get an understanding for the impact Vincent van Gogh had on German and Austrian Expressionist painters with this photo gallery of paintings from the "Van Gogh and Expressionism" Exhibition held at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Neue Galerie in New York.

Face Painting Designs: Panda
Get ideas and inspiration for face painting in this photo gallery of face painting designs, such as this panda design.

Pastel Painting: Seascape Demo
Follow the development of a pastel painting of a seascape from start to finish in this step-by-step demonstration.

Famous Paintings: Mona Lisa
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists to inspire you and to help you expand your knowledge of great paintings, such as Leonardo da Vinci's famous "Mona Lisa".

Flower Painting: Hellebore
Enjoy browsing through the paintings submitted for the gallery of the Flower Portrait Painting Project.

Biography: Lucian Freud
Lucian Freud is regarded by many as the best figurative artist of our time.

Number Stencil 3
A set of free printable number stencils.

7 Steps to Successful Painting
An explanation of the seven steps to a successful painting, by Canadian artist Brian Simons. Though this method of painting may seem quite simple and unsophisticated, it works.

Expressionism: Emil Nolde
Get an understanding for the impact Vincent van Gogh had on German and Austrian Expressionist painters with this photo gallery of paintings from the "Van Gogh and Expressionism" Exhibition held at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Neue Galerie in New York.

Self Portrait Demo
If you can't paint a decent portrait of yourself, how can you hope to paint a portrait of someone else? Follow a self portrait's development in this step by step demo.

5 Ways to Ruin a Painting
Not every painting is destined to be a masterpiece, but some are doomed to failure right from the start. Here are five easy ways to ruin a painting...

Which Subjects Sell Best?
If you want to sell lots of paintings, what subjects should you be painting?

Art Trivia Quiz No 6
Test your knowledge of famous artists with this 10-question trivia quiz

Intro to Water-Soluble Pencils
Information on how to use watercolor pencils or water-soluble crayons, techniques and approaches to try.

Free Halloween Stencils
A collection of free Halloween stencils to print and cut out.

Art Trivia Quiz no 2
Test your knowledge of art history and art techniques with this art trivia quiz

Acrylics vs Oils
How to decide whether acrylics or oils would suit you best. Advice from experienced artists working in both mediums.

Deciding What Paint to Use
Want to start painting but not sure what to use? Here's help on deciding how to choose between the most popular types of paint: acrylics, oils, watercolors, and pastels.

Tree Painting Demonstration
This step-by-step tree painting demonstration shows the creation of a painting of a forest done in the style of Klimt, from start to finish.

Painting Glazes with Acrylics
A step-by-step demonstration of painting glazes with acrylics to build up color.

How to Use a Painting Knife
An introduction to using a painting knife rather than a brush, including selecting a suitable painting knife and tips on painting with a knife.

Flower Painting: Bleu
Enjoy browsing through the paintings submitted for the gallery of the Flower Portrait Painting Project.

Monet's Painting Techniques
A look at the painting techniques and colors used by that most famous of Impressionists, Claude Monet.

Abstracted Demo: Heat
Abstract Painting: A step-by-step demonstration of painting an abstracted landscape titled ‘Heat’, using reds, oranges, and yellow.

Face Painting Tiger 3
Get ideas and inspiration for face painting in this photo gallery of face painting designs, such as this tiger design.

Top 10 Composition Tips
Use these composition tips to create stronger paintings.

How to Paint Water Drops
Transparent water drops are very appealing things to paint. With a bit of practice and careful planning you'll find they're not as impossible to paint as you might have thought.

How to Frame a Canvas
How do you frame a painting done on canvas? Do you need to remove the canvas stretchers, or not? Find out in this Painting FAQ.