Black & White Kitten demonstration in mixed media
by Sueellen Ross
Sueellen Ross has a love for animals that is apparent immediately when you see her work. Sueellen has learned how to take ink, watercolor, acrylic and colored pencil and layer them to give her work a unique quality that sets her apart from other animal and [...]

Notan: Design in Light and Dark by Sharon Himes
What is dark is not light and what is light is not dark. This is the basis of all design and an important guiding principle of art. It seems so simple but an artist can spend a lifetime exploring the possibilities of light and dark.
“Notan” is the [...]

Introduction to Pigments
In paints, a pigment is a finely ground color material mixed with a binder and are made from many natural and man made materials.
Early man used the first pigments to make cave paintings. Earth colors like yellow ocre, raw umber or raw sienna are found naturally as clays that are stained with compounds [...]

No Damage Highlights by Vera Dennen
As an established artist I receive many questions from beginning or intermediate watercolorists who have become frustrated by one step or another. How to deal with a large wash, when and where to add shadows, how to simulate texture such as tree bark, and many more undertakings which can [...]

One of the most important art pieces of the eleventh century is the Bayeaux Tapestry, a monumental work depicting the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is about 20 inches high and over 230 feet long but was probably longer when first created. In a series of 72 scenes and over 1500 figures, it [...]

World Art: Decorative Masks
Take a look at this mask. Some of the features in this art are greatly exaggerated. What do you think this means? If you look at the nose, you’ll see that it is very long. Does that mean the people who created these sculptures think that smell is a very important sense? [...]

The Art of Masks by Sharon Himes
Masks are a nearly universal art form; an ornamental face covering used for religion, ritual, theater performance or art. A mask hides the wearer behind a formal disguise and the actor wearing one takes on the identity of the character he portrays. In religious ceremonies a mask might be [...]

Quick Draw Exercises to develop your drawing abilities
Linear Expressions II
Supplies
paper, pencil, pen or marker
Instructions
The idea is here is not to make images. Only spend a few moments on each section. You are trying to create spontaneous movements and lines that evoke the feelings listed. This is play time to let loose and mess up the [...]

Quick Draw Exercises to develop your drawing abilities
Linear Expressions I
Supplies
paper, pencil, pen or marker
Instructions
The idea is here is not to make images. Only spend a few moments on each section. You are trying to create spontaneous movements and lines. This is play time to let loose and mess up the paper.
Draw 15 or more line [...]

Drawing For Generations Illustrations of Ernest H. Shepard
by Sharon Himes

“Solitude” from Now we are Six by A.A.Milne
Before there were hand or computer animated fish, dogs or bears, childrens’ imaginations were stimulated by simple pen and ink drawings illustrating their favorite books. Even now, many families have on their shelves the original Winnie the Pooh books [...]