As any beginner artist knows, choosing the right paintbrush can be tricky. With hundreds of styles and sizes, finding the right brush for your painting can be confusing and even frustrating.
Do you need a bigger brush? A softer brush? Is it about personal preference or should you be using a specific brush for a specific technique?
Utilizing the right size and style tool for the area where you are painting is an important choice.
While good tools don’t make good paintings, the right tools can help you to do better work.
Fortunately, there are a few easy things to…
Most artists dream of being able to support themselves with their artwork, but it often seems impossible. When we think of a successful artist who lives off of their work, we think of big names in bigger galleries with even bigger price tags. For an artist looking to simply start making an income off of their work, the prospect of selling art can seem intimidating and impossible.
But the reality of selling art is quite different from what you might think.
Most successful artists aren’t selling paintings to museums or sitting in the top galleries in the world. In fact…
Long before he became a master of illustration and portraiture, Evolve Founder and artist Kevin Murphy spent his childhood and teenage years copying the work of other artists. Fantasy and bodybuilding magazines were ripped up and reimagined to make original artwork.
This experience of borrowing from other artists was an important education. Eventually, his fascination with other artists’ work led to a remarkable career and, of course, the creation of a world-class school and online art program. However, none of this could have come about if copying other artists’ work had not inspired his own, original work.
Copying the work…
Making quality art can take time, but have you ever found yourself wishing you could finish paintings, get more done, and become overall more productive in your artistic process?
Some artists may challenge the idea that efficiency has a place in the creative world. However, artists who wish to sell work regularly understand the need for productivity in their studio.
Whether in finishing a painting, starting a painting, or creating a better workflow, productivity has a place in art. There are three key principles to becoming a more productive artist. …
If you’re considering going to school for art, this article is for you…
Many students ask us, “Is going to art school or college worth the cost?”.
Receiving a higher education has become a normal route in the path to achieving a desired career. We go to university or college to gain an education and to enrich our lives. But we also go in order to get a job that will make us a living.
So is art school worth it for creatives?
Statistically, art schools across the world have a fairly abysmal success rate, with only about 10% of…
There’s a lot of choices…make sure you choose what’s right for you!
Maybe you just recently started oil painting, or you have been at it for a while, but you have most likely heard teachers or other artists talk about mediums. And no, we don’t mean the Medium article you’re reading now!
A medium is a vehicle that’s used to thin the paint and change the drying process. Different types of mediums impart different qualities, some dry paint quicker some make it stay wet longer.
All oil paint has some form of medium in it already. Oil binds paint pigment…
Let’s be honest. Painting fruit gets boring after a while…
Still-life painting has been a popular artistic venture for centuries. However, when it comes to creating a successful composition, many beginner artists fall flat or run out of options.
Along with painting skills, artists must have an understanding of visual balance in order to create an appealing still life composition. Visual balance and composition simply refer to the structure of a still life, from color and value to the path the viewer’s eye takes as they look at the painting.
Painting a still life from direct observation is a vastly…
There’s a lot going on when you’re learning to make art…avoid these things as you get started!
At the start of any art journey, there’s a lot going on! But with a few guiding tips, you can avoid several commonly made beginner painting mistakes!
These missteps, though common, often get overlooked by new painters and can lead to issues in their work down the road.
Through experience, many of these mistakes will eventually disappear over time and through the process of making paintings. …
Learn How Cast and Form Shadows Bring Your Art to Life!
Our world is made up of light and shadow. So all artists need to understand how to create realistic shadows.
Without correct shadow and light relationships, a painting will fall flat. Shadows explain form, depth, and much more. Here at Evolve, we simplify shadows at first, breaking them down into the two categories of cast and form.
When light strikes an object it creates a fairly predictable shadow, depending on the shape of that object. …
What it takes for Old Holland to be considered the best oil paint available.
“When you close the door on an expensive car it feels like you’ve just closed a bank vault. It’s expensive but you get what you pay for. In the same way, you can tell quality paint when you use it — that’s definitely the case with Old Holland.”
— Kevin Murphy
There are so many brands of paint on the market, and high price tags often inform painters of what brands are considered the best.
However, one paint company has stood out among the rest for…
Evolve Artist
Teaching art students how to get the technical skills they need to become working artists. Learn more at evolveartist.com
