Because many of the people and animals you draw will be from photographs, here’s a tip to make it a little easier: change the photos from color to black and white. I do this almost every time I’m drawing from photographs in pencil. By changing your reference picture to “black and white”, you can see everything […]
Drawing from Photographs Read More »
A wooden manikin can be a useful item to have on hand if you are beginning figure drawing or adding people into pictures. The joints of the wooden model are similar to those of the body, as the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and leg “joints” enable these parts to be moved to the desired
Using a Wooden Manikin Read More »
People create art for a variety of reasons, including to express themselves, to exhibit publicly, or to bring in an income. But why should children learn to draw, especially at a time when the focus of many educators is moving back to the basics – reading, writing, and math? Of course, studying art helps some students
Why Should Children Learn to Draw? Read More »
I first discovered pastel pencils when I was looking for a way to color in some small areas using pastels. While they have the same qualities as traditional pastels, they are encased in wood like pencils and are easy to handle and control, and your hands stay cleaner as you work. 🙂 You can buy
This is one of my favorite projects to do with students who are trying watercolors for the first time (or the first time in a long time). It’s a simple project, it introduces different watercolor techniques, and it allows for a lot of creative expression! I’ve done it with students from 7 years old through high
Paint a Sunset in Watercolor Read More »
As you draw, you’ll want to think about keeping your drawing paper clean and free of smudges and stray marks. There are a couple of ways to do this. Use Post-It Notes for Clean Borders To give your finished work a sharp, defined border, you can frame your drawing with Post-It notes. For example, if
Keeping Your Drawing Paper Clean Read More »
Masking fluid, also known as maskoid or liquid frisket, is a combination of latex and ammonia that is used by artists to temporarily block out part of a watercolor painting until the surrounding areas have been completed. The masking fluid can then be gently removed so that area can be painted or left white. Masking fluid
Using Masking Fluid Read More »