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Thanks, ArtProMotivate for some great posters. 

 

Sharpie markers are an attractive art impliment when you want to make a strong black line. However, you need to be very sure that you are not going to want to change that line, because Sharpies are very permanent. Plus, they will bleed up through subsequent layers of acrylic paint, making changing those lines almost impossible. In painting, it’s safer to use a dark paint and a rigger brush for dark lines. In the acrylic painting on the left, I did use Sharpies to make the rigging on the boats. Here is a link to some fun art that was made with Sharpies. And no, fun though it is, I don’t think I’m doing this to my car. “Awesome Artwork Made with Sharpies“. 

One concept that people new into painting have a hard time grasping is that paintings can often go through stages, some quite ugly, on the way to a great work of art. Sure it would be nice if every stroke, every layer in a painting made the painting look better and better; but that is not always reality. Particularly with freer techniques like the wet and wild ones, you can have quite a mess at some stages. So why use those techniques? Because there is no other way that you get the dynamic colours and shapes that can happen when working very loose. In any type of paint, you can then go ahead and add or cover details until the painting is as realistic or refined as the painter wants it to be. The creative spirit seems to respond in exciting way to these messes as well, ending up with a wonderful work that simply would not have happened with a more controlled approach. If you want to try this, but don’t want to let go of the brush, here is a suggested playful exercise. 1. Use a large square brush (1 inch square) and a canvas or paper at least 10 x 12 inches 2. Squint at your reference so that you see only large shapes 3. Force your hand to move quickly and establish those shapes with rapid brush strokes and bold colour 4. When most of the canvas or paper is covered, stand back and decide where you want to go with this experiment. Watercolour paint can be lifted and added. Acrylic can be let dry and painted over. Oil can be lifted away with a thirsty brush, or painted over both wet or dry. If the dry oil base includes a lot of white, you will need to work thicker on top, or add mediums to subsequent layers. Most of all, in any paint, have fun, and keep away from those finicky little brushes as long as possible! (Watercolour painting by Cheryl O) 

 

Art from paper by Peter Callesen – see more at this link “A4 Papercuts – Picame“ 

 

The road less travelled might look like this: 1. Uncertain destination /  2. Most people wonder what on earth you are thinking /  3. Income uncertain /  4. Both failure and freedom are intimate friends of yours /  5. Sometimes you wonder what on earth you are thinking/  6. Creativity is your best friend /  7. There are some really fascinating people on this road with you /  8. Your cup overflows with tears and with joy /  9. You die and leave only an intangible inheritance behind  +++ /  The road more travelled might look like this: 1. You know where you plan to be in 10 or 20 years /  2. Most people congratulate you on your choices /  3. Income seems secure, and is growing /  4. Failure is a bad word, and freedom is for some age way down the road /  5. You get stuff /  6. Security is your best friend /  7. You get more stuff /  8. You have lots and lots of stuff /  9. You die and the certain people get your stuff to add to their stuff /  I suspect that for most of us, the roads are not as black and white as I have presented. Probably they criss-cross at times and are frequently gray. For myself, sometimes I probably walk funny because I have one foot on one road, and the other foot on the other road. I did have fun presenting the roads in this radical form though. What do you think? 

I am happy to introduce to you the new featured artist on my website: Lynne Pinchin. You can read a brief interview with Lynne at “Featured Art Student“. /  Painting by Lynne Pinchin