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Painting: Most Popular Articles

These articles are the most popular over the last month.
Top 10 Acrylic Painting Tips
These 10 tips to help you avoid basic mistakes and get better results when painting with acrylics right from the start.
Right Brain Quiz for Artists
This right brain / left brain quiz for artists will help you determine which side of your creativity is dominant.
Free Printable Stencils
All my free stencils are designed to be easy to cut out and use. Subjects range from animals and flowers to the sea and food, Valentine's to the holiday season, even stencils for painting pumpkins at Halloween!
Number Stencils: No. 1
A set of free printable number stencils.
10 Oil Painting Tips
Read my best 10 tips for getting professional-looking results and never have another oil painting crack again.
Number Stencils: No. 2
A set of free printable number stencils.
10 Fabric Painting Tips
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.
Color Theory Basics for Art
Here you'll find all the essential info you need to know about color theory and mixing, arranged in easy-to-understand lessons.
Best Paint Quiz -- Quiz What Is the Best Paint For You?
Find out what kind of paint would best suit your personality with this quick, fun, 10-question quiz
10 Tips for Face Painting
If you're after tips for face painting to make the experience easier and faster, here's my list of the top 10 things to do.
Free Stencils Collection: Flower Stencils
Have some creative fun with my collection of flower stencils, which you're free to use for your personal craft projects.
Online Color Mixing Palette for Painters
Get familiar with the way the primary colors -- red, yellow, and blue -- mix with this online paint color mixing palette, designed specifically for painters.
Making Art or Giclee Prints
What are Giclee or Art Prints and how are they made? What kind of quality result do they give?
Tips on Mixing Skin Tones
Find out what colors to use to mix skin tones for a figure painting or portrait.
Photo Gallery of Famous Paintings by Famous Artists
A gallery of famous paintings by famous artists (and some not quite so famous) to inspire you and to help you expand your painting knowledge.
How to Clean Your Brushes
Cleaning your paint brushes thoroughly at the end of a painting session helps them last longer (though it is tedious!). Find out what to do here.
Free Stencil: Star
From the collection of free crafts stencils to print, cut out, and paint for personal use.
Color Theory Quiz
Test your knowledge of basic color theory with this quiz
Number Stencils Set 1
A set of free printable number stencils.
Art Glossary: 'A' Paper Sizes
An easy-to-understand explanation of what the various A paper sizes are, and how this international system works.
Sword Brush
A sword brush is a versatile tool for creating flowing, expressive lines in a painting.
Number Stencils: No. 3
A set of free printable number stencils.
Free Animal Stencils
Have some creative fun with my collection of free animals and insects stencils, designed to be easy to print and cut out.
Famous Paintings: Claude 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.
Free Nature Stencils
Have some fun with my collection of free nature stencils, designed to be easy to cut out and use.
How to Paint Reflections
A watercolor painting tutorial that teaches you three different way to paint reflections in water.
Painting on Hardboard
Find out what the advantages of painting on hardboard or wood are and how you prepare it.
Painting and Art Styles
If all the various art -isms make your head spin, take a look at my easy-to-understand explanation of the different art styles that exist, from realism to abstract painting.
Painting Quiz: Oils or Acrylics?
Find out what kind of paint would best suit your personality with this quick, fun, 10-question quiz
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.
How to Paint Ripples in the Ocean
An easy technique for painting realistic ripples in water, whether small or quite choppy.
Face Painting Designs: Snake on Mouth
Get ideas and inspiration for face painting in this photo gallery of face painting designs, such as this snake design.
Best Acrylic Paint Brands
With so many different brands of acrylic paint on the market, how do you know which is best? Here's my choice of my favorite acrylics.
Free Stencils to Print and Cut Out - Alphabet Stencil 1
Free stencil designs for personal use - alphabet 1
Acrylic Painting Basics
All the basic info you need to know if you'd like to start painting with acrylics.
Number Stencils: No. 5
A set of free printable number stencils.
Face Painting Safety Tips
Professional face painter Cindy Trusty shares her top safety tips for face painting, gleaned from years of experience.
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.
Learn to Paint
If you've the desire to start painting but don't know where to start, then this is the article for you, describing how to go about creating create your very first painting.
Tones or Values in a Painting
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.
Number Stencils: No. 4
A set of free printable number stencils.
Abstract Art: An Introduction
An easy-to-understand introduction to abstract art and painting -- what it is, how it developed, and what characterizes it.
Number Stencils: No. 6
A set of free printable number stencils.
Acrylics: Basic Color Palette
With so many colors available, which ones should you buy when you first start painting with acrylics? Here's my list of the essential, basic colors.
Prime a Canvas For Acrylics...
Find out how to successfully prime a canvas you've stretched so it's reading to paint on. It's not tricky, especially if you're using a suitable for both acrylic and oil painting.
Free Flower Stencil: Daisy
A stencil from the collection of free flower stencils to print and cut out for personal use.
"The Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci
Find out more about Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa painting and her world-famous smile, while avoiding the art jargon.
Choosing Art as a Career
So you want to be an artist… is this a realistic career choice, or are you going to live in a cockroach-infested
Symbols Dictionary: Flowers
Learn how to add hidden meaning to your paintings by including flower to symbolize love, jealous, and more.
Intro to Water-Soluble Pencils
Information on how to use watercolor pencils or water-soluble crayons, techniques and approaches to try.
How to Cut a Stencil
Step-by-step instructions on how to cut your own stencils to get the best results.
Best Watercolor Paint Brands
My choice of the best watercolor paints from all the various brands available today.
Famous Paintings: The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
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.
Which Subjects Sell Best?
If you want to sell lots of paintings, what subjects should you be painting? Here's the result of a survey.
Number Stencils: No. 7
A set of free printable number stencils.
Painting Tips: Composition
Use these painting tips to create stronger compositions in your art.
Best Oil Paints Brands
Find out what I think is the best brand of oil paint on the market in this list of my favorites.
Number Stencils: No. 0
A set of free printable number stencils.
Number Stencils: No. 8
A set of free printable number stencils.
Abstract Art Painting Ideas
If you're looking for painting ideas or abstract art inspiration, this collection of photos and explanations of ideas developed from them is the place to start.
How to Use a Painting Knife
An introduction to using a painting knife rather than a brush, including selecting a suitable knife to get you started.
Landscape Painting Tips
A list of practical, helpful tips to help you improve your landscape paintings.
Art Trivia Quiz No 1
Test your knowledge of art and art techniques with this art trivia quiz
Top 5 Color Mixing Tips
Tips to help you get the best results when mixing different paint colors.
Acrylic Mediums for Painting
An easy-to-understand explanation of the various types of mediums available for acrylic paints and what you can do with them.
How to Paint a Wall Mural
Tips on how to paint a wall mural, what to use, and how to prepare the surface.
How to Sign a Painting
Find out where, how and why you should add your signature to a painting when you've finished it.
Painting Skin Tones
An in-depth look at how to paint skin tones (both realistic and expressionist), what pigment colors to use, and how to mix suitable colours.
Number Stencils: No. 9
A set of free printable number stencils.
Free Flower Stencil: Rose
A stencil from the collection of free flower stencils to print and cut out for personal use.
Face Painting Stencils
A collection of free, printable face painting stencils for you to cut out and use when face painting..
Photo Gallery of Face Painting Designs
If you're looking for inspiration for some face painting, you'll find oodles in this photo gallery of fabulous designs.
Free Flower Stencil: Daisy Border
A stencil from the collection of free flower stencils to print and cut out for personal use.
Absolute Beginner Painting FAQ
Find answers to commonly asked questions by absolute beginners to painting.
Turn Acrylics to Fabric Paint
Turn your acrylic paints into fabric paints using the GAC900 acrylic medium from Golden which leaves the fabric soft.
Fan Brush
Find out more about fan brushes in this introduction to the different types of art paint brushes that you can use for painting.
Mop Brush
Find out more about mop brushes in this introduction to the different types of art paint brushes that you can use for painting.
Write an Artist's Statement
Confused about what to put in your artist's statement? These tips will help you write one that's meaningful and personal. (And sensible!).
Painting on a Big Canvas
If you dream of painting on a big canvas but feel intimidated, here are some tips to help you turn a vast expanse of a big, white canvas into a painting.
How to Find Painting Ideas
If you haven't got painting ideas, then all the technical skills in the world will do you no good. This list tells you where to find painting ideas and how to develop them into your own, original paintings.
Choosing a Watercolor Paper
Learn the differences between the basic types of watercolor paper, and what is best suited to which watercolor painting techniques.
Free Flower Stencil: Sunflower
A stencil from the collection of free flower stencils to print and cut out for personal use.
How to Paint like Monet
Learn how to paint like the Impressionist Claude Monet, starting with the colors of the paints on his palette and his use of broken color as a painting technique.
Fabric Paint Pens
Learn about what you can do with a fabric marker or paint pen when fabric painting. Quick and easy creative fun!
How to Paint Trees
Trees are not cardboard cutouts with brown trunks and leaves that are simply green if it's summer, red
Free Stencils Collection: Miscellaneous Stencils
A collection of miscellaneous free craft stencils to print, cut out and paint for personal use.
Monthly Painting Projects 2012
Challenge yourself with these monthly painting projects, and get a critique on your submission. Sometimes it's a subject, sometimes a technique, and sometimes in the style of a particular artist.
Decide What Paint to Use
Want to start painting but not sure what paint to use? Here's help on deciding how to choose between the most popular types of paint used.
Art Worksheets
A collection of free art worksheets to use to complete various painting and art tutorials and exercises.
Acrylics vs Oils
How to decide whether acrylics or oils would suit you best. Advice from experienced artists working in both mediums.
Organize an Art Exhibition
Find out how to organize an art exhibition of your paintings and, more importantly, get people to come to it.
Elements of Composition: Rhythm
See what is meant by rhythm in art composition, in this analysis of the underlying structure of a painting.
Inspirational Quotes: Artists
A collection of quotes for artists to renew your inspiration and motivation.
How to Paint Abstracts
How to paint abstracts using a reference photograph as a starting point and source of inspiration.
Know Your Paint Brushes
What types of hairs and bristles are used in painting brushes and which are the best?
Art Quiz -- Vincent van Gogh Art Quiz
Test your knowledge of Vincent van Gogh's life with this quiz
Famous Paintings: Andy Warhol Campbell's Soup Cans
Find out more about Andy Warhol's famous paintings of Campbell's Soup Cans, perhaps the most famous series of still life paintings ever created.
An Introduction to Art Paint Brushes
Learn about the different types of art brushes you can use for painting, and what you can do with each, with this photo index.
Free Stencils
Free stencil designs for personal use butterfly basic
Basic Techniques for Pastels
An introduction to the various ways in which pastels can be used in a painting.
Free Stencils Collection: Dog Stencils
A collection of free dog stencils to print and cut out.
Oil Painting: Drying Oils
A look at the properties of the various drying oils or mediums used in oil painting to change the consistency of the paint, to make it thinner and spread more readily.
Art Glossary: Medium
An explanation of what the term medium means, in a fine art context.
Buy a Painting Easel
What to consider before you buy a painting easel and explanations of the types of easels are available.
Art Composition Rules
Learn about the basic art composition rules (such as the Rule of Thirds and the Rule of Odds), which when applied to your paintings will make for stronger and more interesting compositions.
Canvas What You Need to Know
Learn about the different types of canvas available for painting, and tips on how to decide what canvas to use.
Face Painting: Easy Clown
Learn how easy it is to face paint a clown design with this step-by-step demo, which breaks it down into really simple stages to follow.
London Art Materials Shops
If you're looking for art materials or art supplies in London, you've got quite a few choices of shops. This is a list of my favorites.
Face Painting: Easy Butterfly
A step-by-step demonstration of how to face paint an easy butterfly design.
10 Watercolor Painting Tips for Beginners
These 10 watercolor painting tips will help you avoid basic mistakes and get better results right from the start.
An Artist's Glazing Secrets
An experienced oil painter reveals the simple secrets behind his success with glazing, a technique which produces gorgeous, rich colors in a painting.
Oil Painting: Fat Over Lean
Find out what fat-over-lean is about and why it's an essential technique for oil painting. It's a rule you ignore at your peril!
Face Painting Designs: Tiger 2
Get ideas and inspiration for face painting in this photo gallery of face painting designs, such as this magnificent tiger design.
What Colors are Shadows?
Learn about how the Impressionists changed the colors we use to paint shadows, rejecting plain black for shadows.
Sea Painting Tips
Tips on how to paint the sea, understanding what you're looking at, the colors to use and how to deal with an ever-moving subject.
Pouring Acrylic Paint
Instead of using a brush or knife to apply painting, this painting technique involves pouring it onto and cross a canvas.
Which Brand of Pastel is Best?
Given all the choice on the market, which is the best brand of art pastels available? Here's my personal selection, with reasons why.
Painting Brush Quiz -- Art Quiz Brushes
Painting Brush Quiz From Marion Boddy-Evans ,Your Guide to Painting . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Test
How to Varnish a Painting
Applying varnish to your painting will protect your hard work from pollution in the atmosphere and dust. Here's how to do it with any hiccups.
How to Mix Greens
Mixing a green and a blue to create a green is only the beginning when it comes to greens, there are more options to investigate that will enhance your paintings, as I explain in this article.
Abstract Art Step by Step
Follow the development of a piece of abstract art step by step in this painting demo.
Get Your Art Into a Gallery
Tips on knowing what galleries want, and how to approach them.
Right Brain Left Brain Inventory
A table setting out what is characteristically right brain and left brain thinking
Learn a New Hobby
If you've decided it's time to take up a hobby or learn a new one, here's a list of ideas, with links to the information you need to get started.
All About Painting Glazes
Answers to frequently asked questions on painting glazes with oils or acrylics, with links to how-to demos.
Plein Air Painting
If you're wanting to go paint on location (or, in art jargon to go plein air painting), these practical tips will help you get the most from the experience.
Filbert Brush
Find out more about filbert shaped paint brushes in this introduction to the different types of art paint brushes that you can use for painting.
Free Stencils: Sea
free stencils printable stencilling stenciling Sea
Copyright FAQ Painting a Photo
Find out whether it's okay to make a painting from someone else's photograph, or not, in the Artist's Copyright FAQ.
Color Theory Lesson: Primary and Secondary Colors Triangle
A free art worksheet for a color theory lesson on primary and secondary colors using a color triangle.
Famous Paintings: 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 Dog Stencils Collection: Paw Prints
A pawprint stencil from the collection of free dog stencils to print and cut out.
Rigger or LinerBrush
Find out more about rigger brushes in this introduction to the different types of art paint brushes that you can use for painting.
Free Stencils Collection: Cat Stencils
A collection of free cat stencils to print and cut out for personal use.
7 Ways to Create a Painting
A look at the different ways you can create a painting, with a photo showing an example of each.
Waterbrush: A Cross Between a Brush and a Fountain Pen
Find out more about waterbrushes in this introduction to the different types of art paint brushes that you can use for painting.
Monet's Bridge Painting Demo
Follow artist Karen Day-Vath as she paints a scene from Monet's garden at Giverny.
Painting Ideas Machine - Get Ideas for Paintings
Looking for ideas for paintings? The Painting Ideas Machine will generate plenty of options for you.
Varnishing Brush
Find out more about a varnishing brush in this introduction to the different types of art paint brushes that you can use for painting on paper or canvas.
Art Glossary: Composition
An easy-to-understand explanation of what is meant by composition in a fine arts context, and what the basic elements are.
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...
Free Christmas Stencil: Star
A star stencil from the collection of free Christmas stencils to print and cut out for personal use.
Painting Poetry Ideas
A month's worth of ideas for paintings inspired by poetry.
Monet's Painting Techniques
A look at the painting techniques and colors used by that most famous of Impressionists, Claude Monet.
6 Things to Do Before Painting
Before you put brush to paint, there are various decisions or choices you need to make. Here's my list of what I think is essential when planning a painting.
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.
How the Size of an Art Paint Brush is Indicated
Find out more about this brushes sizes in this introduction to the different types of art paint brushes that you can use for painting.
Art Glossary: Perspective
An easy-to-understand definition of what perspective in a painting means, from the About.com Art Glossary.
Where to Find Photos to Paint
Find out where you can obtain reference photos that you can use in your paintings.
Leonardo da Vinci Art Trivia
10 intriguing facts about the life of the famous artist, Leonardo da Vinci.

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