Inspiration and practical advice for aspiring realist artists
Today I’d like to ask for your help.
My teaching studio project is moving forwards. The big decision I’m facing at this point is the space itself.
I think it’s important that anyone who learns with me, and travels to do a workshop with me feels at ease in the space we’ll be working in.
My big project of this year is opening a permanent teaching studio.
As I move forward with it, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to different approaches to learning to paint.
I think there are broadly four approaches to teaching skilled representational painting these days:
What are the best books for teaching yourself to draw and paint? Which are your personal favourites? This list is an open, crowd-sourced resource. That means that not only can you see this list, you can vote on your favourites! Help this list get more votes by sharing it on facebook. The more people vote,
We artists do love to buy books. Especially books that promise to teach us how to draw or paint better. In fact, we spend so much time buying books it’s a wonder we have any time for drawing. I’ll come clean. I have a special weakness for art instruction books. There’s something about the possibility of
A couple of weeks ago, I was involved in Julie Douglas’ Draw-In in Belfast, a symposium celebrating drawing. Getting together with artists is always really rewarding, but this was special. Special because Julie, drawing tutor and the organiser of the event is special; special because all the artists that gave workshops and presentations were special;
What is it about birthdays that makes us reflective? Or is that just me? Here’s my thoughts today on art education, and why so many of us have been failed. And perhaps, too, what we might do to turn that sad state of affairs around. (I should let you know up front, this is unedited,
Have you done an art course you thought was really worth-while? My last post, Why You Don’t Need Another Art Course, ruffled a feather or two. I make no secret of the fact that I’m self-taught. In fact I’m proud of it. But perhaps I should have realised that some people might be a bit
I get quite a lot of emails from people who want to learn to draw and paint better, but just don’t know where to start. It’s a problem I identify with because it’s one I faced too when I returned to art seven years ago. I’ve had to overcome that problem myself, and I know
I generally write about practical stuff these days, but I’m breaking with tradition a little here to write a short (well, about as short as they ever get for me) post about a new book on figure drawing by Ted Seth Jacobs. I don’t have a copy of this book myself, and know only as
Ordinarily, I’m skeptical of self development books and the like. I’m skeptical of anyapproach which promises to be a “magic bullet” for learning any skill. There are no shortcuts, especially when it comes to representational drawing and painting. My experience of returningto drawing and painting after a ten year gap has taught me that. These
