Copyrights: US Copyrights Defined
by Jennifer Walling
Copyrights … What are they? Who has them? For how long? and the ever popular so just what does that mean to me? Artists of all mediums should know the basics of the copyright laws enacted in their country. We will look at the basics of copyrights as guaranteed under [...]

Sketching the Days by Sharon Himes
For each of the past three or four years Julia Hysom of Palmyra, Virginia, has filled a unique datebook illustrating her life. She began with a free datebook calendar from an advertiser and each page opens to reveal a month with weeks on each row. At first Julia wrote short [...]

Caprice in Purple in and Gold by Sharon Himes
Whistler preferred to call his paintings nocturne, caprice, symphony or other terms from musical forms. He felt that, like music, a painting should not need to depict a particular person or event but that the composition, form and color were the most important elements.

In the painting a [...]

Thumbnail Sketching by Sharon Himes
The first steps are often the most important, especially in painting. Before I get out the paints or brushes, I want to be sure the idea for the painting is a good one and that it is well planned.
I carry plain index cards with me, especially while cycling through the countryside. [...]

Let Your Creativity Flow with Brilliant Watercolor Glazes
by Jan Fabian Wallake
I love color.
Pure, transparent, glowing colors are a hallmark of beautiful watercolor painting. This unique medium uses light and transparency to produce a luminous quality. I maximize this feature in my paintings by pouring on paint washes rather than brushing them on. Pouring a glaze [...]

A Closer Look at Four Renaissance Madonnas
by Sharon Himes
The Renaissance was a time of rebirth and rediscovery that took place in Europe between the 14th through 16th centuries. It was more a time of gradual changes than a single art movement. The Church and patrons commissioned artists to paint religious works, and the Madonna and [...]