Drawing: How to Draw Metal

Some objects are challenging to draw (or paint) not only because of their shape, but also because of the material they are made of.  When objects are highly textured or very reflective, it can be difficult to understand how to interpret their highlights and shadows.  Today we’ll take a look at one of those problematic materials – metal.

Rembrandt van Rijn, Pallas Athena, 1664

Supplies: How and Why to Stretch Your Own Canvas

When you’re in your local art supply store it’s tempting to grab a pre-stretched and primed canvas off the shelf.  I’ve done it more than once.  Why bother doing the work of stretching your own when it’s already done for you?  Well, despite the increased amount of time and effort, there are plenty of reasons you can (and should) stretch your own canvas.

Color: Light's Impact on Color

The color wheel is a basic building block in the understanding of color.  However, because colors exist in the real world, they are subject to different types of lighting.  A leaf, for example, looks remarkable different in the sunlight and moonlight.  So, to have a truly solid knowledge of color, one must understand light’s affects.

Claude Monet, Haystack, Snow Effect,  Morning, 1891

Perspective: Multiple Perspectives in One Image

No, we’re not getting into Cubism here.  What I want to discuss today is how to work with multiple perspectives within the same image.  Conceptually this can be a bit tricky because logic tells us that every element in an image will be subject to the same perspective because the entire composition is being viewed from the same point.  But this is not entirely true.

Georg Friedrich Kersting, Caspar David Friedrich in His Studio, 1819 

Drawing: Creating Structure in Figure Drawing

With the possible exception of the face, no subject matter is more intimidating to new artists than the figure.  To simplify figure drawing, I think it’s best to break down the figure and “rebuild” it on paper.  The most important step in this recreation process is achieving a strong sense of structure.  Though there is certainly more than one way to create structure, I prefer a simple combination of line and shape.

Color: Colorful Language

A large part of understanding all that is color is knowing the language and terminology associated with it.  Because color is so complex, knowing the language and understanding the concepts behind the terms will go a long way in helping you use color effectively in your work.

James Rosenquist, Nails, 1973

Color: Key Color

The most difficult aspect of color for most artists is finding visually pleasing color combinations.  But regardless of whether you are using a traditional color scheme or one of your own creation, it takes more than just selecting a few colors to create a harmonious look to your work.  Today we’ll look at a technique known as key color to help you blend and unify your colors.

Burton Silverman, Self Portrait, 2001