Listening to music while you paint

For many artists, listening to music while painting is a beloved ritual. Whether it's classical music, pop hits, or ambient sounds, music can enhance the painting process and help artists get into a creative flow.

Music has the power to evoke emotions and set the tone for your artwork. If you're painting a moody landscape, you might listen to soft, melancholic music to help set the mood. If you're working on a bright and lively piece, you might choose an upbeat playlist to match your energy.

Listening to music can stimulate creativity and help artists come up with new ideas. The rhythm and melodies of music can help to free up the mind and inspire innovative and unexpected artistic decisions. When painting, it's easy to become distracted by the sounds of the outside world. Listening to music can help to block out distractions and create a focused and immersive environment, allowing you to concentrate on your artwork.

Painting can be a long and sometimes tedious process, and music can help to provide motivation and energy to keep going. A favorite song or album can provide the inspiration and drive needed to push through a difficult or challenging stage of the painting process.

Just like painting, music is a form of self-expression. By listening to music while painting, artists can tap into their own creative energy and express their emotions and feelings through their artwork.

In conclusion, listening to music while painting can be a rewarding and inspiring experience for artists of all levels. By setting the mood, inspiring creativity, aiding focus, providing motivation, and acting as a form of self-expression, music can enhance the painting process and help artists reach new heights of creativity and inspiration. So next time you're picking up a paintbrush, consider putting on some music and see where the rhythm takes you.

Go with your gut -- How to choose what to paint next!

As an artist, choosing what to paint next can be both exciting and daunting. There are so many possibilities, and it can be challenging to know where to focus your creative energy. In this blog, I'm going to share some tips and strategies for how to choose what to paint next.

1. Follow your instincts: Sometimes, the best way to choose what to paint next is to simply go with your gut. If you feel drawn to a particular subject, follow that instinct and see where it takes you. Perhaps you've seen something that inspired you, or you're drawn to a particular color or texture… Whatever it is, trust your intuition and see where it leads you.

2. Consider your audience: If you're an artist who creates art to sell or exhibit, it's important to consider your audience when choosing what to paint next. Think about what types of art your audience is interested in, and what kinds of themes and styles have been successful for you in the past. Of course, it's also important to balance this with your own creative vision and goals.

3. Experiment with new techniques: Sometimes, the best way to choose what to paint next is to challenge yourself with a new technique or style. If you've been working with a particular medium or style for a while, consider trying something completely different. You might find that this leads you in a new and exciting direction, and helps you to grow as an artist.

4. Find inspiration in your surroundings: Your surroundings can be a great source of inspiration when it comes to choosing what to paint next. Take a walk in nature, explore a new city, or simply spend some time observing the world around you. You might find that the colors, textures, and shapes that you see inspire your next painting.

5. Set goals: Setting goals can be a helpful way to choose what to paint next. Think about what you want to achieve with your art - perhaps you want to create a series of paintings with a particular theme, or you want to experiment with a new technique. Whatever your goals are, use them as a guide when choosing what to paint next.

Ultimately, the key to choosing what to paint next is to stay open and curious. Be willing to explore new ideas and take risks, and trust your instincts as an artist.

From the sketchbook, explained

One of my favorite ways to create a realistic human likeness is by using the classic chiaroscuro (Italian for “light and dark”) technique, developed by Leonardo da Vinci during the High Renaissance.

In these drawings I analyze form, light and shadow, I use dark pencil, white pencil and toned paper to create a full range of values, I use the elements of design to enhance a likeness, and I capture a sitter’s gestures and proportions.

For these sketches, I used CarbOthello pencils and Strathmore charcoal paper.

One of the biggest takeaways from these sketches is the habit of analyzing form. Not only seeing the form, but also studying the individual elements of shadow that fall across a form. Many artists try to capture their subject in line and then add value in a general way. If you take the time to look closer at your subject, analyze the shapes of shadows and their edges, then record them in terms of value, then you can achieve a really convincing likeness. 

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Daily inspiration

Close ups, intimate moments, relationships, friendships…

My Oil Painting Toolkit

For the last decade, I’ve endeavored to master acrylic as a medium. I got really comfortable. If you know me, I don’t do comfortable for very long. So naturally, I started searching for a new challenge and make myself a little more uncomfortable. After some reflection, I decided that I wanted to go back to a medium I used frequently in college — oil paint.

Oil painting can seem a bit daunting at first: beyond just paint, you’ll have to stock up on things like mineral spirits and linseed oil. Once you understand the role that each supply plays, you’ll be able to start painting with a good understanding of how each can impact the painting process.

For today’s blog, I want to give you a peek at my oil painting toolkit and my must-haves to get started with the medium.

Canvas vs Panel

It all starts with the right surface. Whether you’re painting on canvas or on panel, you need to choose the right surface for your pieces, and this will impact things like paint absorption and drying time. For my new collection, I chose to paint on birch panels that are handmade by my partner, Daniel Adams. Gessoed birch panels allow for the oil to remain a bit wet for several weeks (without help from any solvents), so I have time to develop layers over time.

Paint

When choosing a paint brand, I knew I wanted a high quality pigment, so I decided on the Gamblin Artist Oil Color paint set, which would cover all of the major colors I would need, including the staples for every palette: Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Light, Burnt Sienna, Permanent Alizarin Crimson.

Brushes

Brushes are always a personal preference -- for oils, you generally want to have several natural bristle brushes in various size;  2-3 round brushes for smaller details, and 2-3 softer brushes. I love soft brushes, so I tend to have more soft filberts and square brushes on hand than harder bristles. This really depends on your personal style as well as how smoothly you want to apply the pigments. I highly recommend taking a look at Rosemary & Co brushes. This brand from the UK is superior to many of the brushes you find at your local art store. So if you can — treat yo’self.

Solvents

When you start painting with oils, the natural concern is generally around solvents and toxicity. I highly recommend investing in Gamsol. Gamsol is less toxic than other brands of Odorless Mineral Spirits or turpentine because the harmful aromatic solvent component has been removed. It's also useful for studio and brush cleanup when paired with a Silicoil brush cleaner.

Linseed VS Walnut oil

Linseed is the traditional oil painter’s oil. Typically used for thinning the consistency of paint or for detailed work towards the finished surface of the painting. [‘Fat over lean’ meaning the application of oilier paint over paint thinned with turpentine]. Refined linseed oil is pale in colour and increases gloss and transparency. It slows the drying time of paint. It is extracted using heat and then refined to remove any impurities.

Michael Harding Refined Lindseed Oil is a very good choice.

Walnut oil typically has a glossy finish and is pale in color. It yellows less over time than linseed oil. Walnut oil is faster drying and is often used for whites, pale blues, and yellows. It doesn’t keep as long as other oils, and can ‘go off’ in storage.

Kremer Walnut Oil is a great choice!