Drawing: How to Draw Hats

The human figure poses quite a challenge for most artists.  Adding clothing to the figure only further complicates things.  And there is probably no more difficult article of clothing to draw (or paint) accurately than hats.  But with a little knowledge of process and technique, drawing hats can be simple.  Or, at least, not impossible.

 

Norman Rockwell, The Gossips, 1948

Watercolor: Lifting Out

Probably more than any other medium, watercolor is full of little tricks which help achieve desired effects.  Lifting out is one of those tricks.  I’ve touched on lifting out in previous lessons, but it’s important enough to warrant its own.  So let’s take a look at how and when to lift out in watercolor.

In this example I lifted out highlights on the hand
and the edges around the kelp in the background.

Painting: Finished?

All of the details have been added and the last shimmering highlights dabbed on.  But how do you determine when a painting is actually finished?  This, of course, is a subjective question.  But let’s look at some ways to help you determine when your work is complete.

Samuel F. B. Morse, Gallery at the Louvre, 1831-33

Drawing: Pen and Ink

Pen and Ink is a very versatile medium which is often combined with the likes of watercolor or digital painting.  But before we get into any of that, let’s take a look at pen and ink by itself.  Because, though often overlooked, it is one of the most traditional mediums in art.

Franklin Booth, Earnest Elmo Calkins

Supplies 

Perspective: Depth of Field

This is something that photographers talk about all the time, but rarely gets mentioned in painting and drawing.  Yet the depth of field concept is as relevant and as important to painters as it is to photographers.  So let’s take a look at depth of field and how to apply it to canvas.

Fitz-Hugh Lane, Becalmed off Halfway Rock, 1860

Color: All About Warm and Cool Colors

Everyone who has taken a basic art course can list the warm and cool colors.  But most people merely have them memorized.  Actually understanding what makes a color warm or cool is just as important.  And being able to apply this knowledge to your work is the reason for all that understanding and memorizing.

Winslow Homer, Waiting an Answer, 1872

Supplies: How to Properly Hang a Canvas

The easiest way to hang a canvas on a wall is with a pushpin.  I’ve certainly done it more than once.  But, as is so often the case, the easiest way isn’t the best way.  Any painting that you’re going to sell or show publicly will need to be wired with hanging hardware.  Galleries almost always require the artist to bring their paintings “ready to hang.”  Don’t despair though.  Properly wiring a canvas to hang is still a pretty simple and cheap thing to do.