How many people resolve to get fitter in the New Year? I'm guessing a lot. Maybe you too? I know that I did resolve to exercise regularly from January onwards. Guess what happened?
What is the number one challenge facing creatives right now and how to get back on track in 2020? I take a broad look at what is working for me and suggest a few things you can try out in the New Year. From creating more art and selling your art. Let's take a close look!
 Every artist has a favorite way to start a painting. This is part of the creative process and it is honed down over years of practice. But how many beginners focus on making a good start to their paintings? Most beginners focus on the ending and hope that the painting is good for framing. Instead I want to encourage you to focus on the start with these simple four steps. There is also an infographic to download that will help you in your studio. Let’s get started.  Do you think you are meant to be an artist, but doubt your sanity? Your talent? Is art simply a hobby that must be put aside for everything else? Do you feel empty and jaded after another weekend at the shopping mall? Is creativity selfish?
If you have these questions and doubts then this article is for you. Let’s dig in and see what we can find out.  Do your paintings look flat and lifeless? Do you struggle to visualise your painting from a photograph? Do you need to see another artist's work to get ideas for your paintings? If you cannot confidently transform your painting ideas into something beautiful on canvas you are not alone.
This article will help you escape from being stuck to creating paintings with life, light and that are unique to you. Read on. 
Is your painting’s success being frittered away with fiddly details? You may recognize the reference to Henry David Thoreau’s famous quote. “Our life is frittered away by detail”, he said. Instead we should simplify, simplify. I could not help thinking how on point that statement is for artists too. How often has a strong painting composition been overworked with little brush marks and excessive details.
In this article and demonstration I am going to show you how to simplify a landscape into shapes and color. Take a look. 
Is two better than one? In the world of mixed media it usually is and my favorite mixed media combination is watercolor and pastels. In this article I will show you a ten step approach to painting a light filled painting in watercolor and pastels. There is also a slideshow of each step to help you.
Let's get started.  What is the best way for artists to sell their work? This question is debated by artists all the time. Everyone will have an opinion, but wise artists will use several avenues to market their work. When it comes to seeing the work face-to-face the best method is to participate in an art market. Galleries still have their place, but nothing beats a market for for that personal connection with buyers.
In this article I will cover ten important tips to ensure your next art market is a huge success. Let’s dive in! 
Is a work in pastels a drawing or a painting? I have come across this debate many times. It depends and I tend to leave it at that. Are you doing a line drawing or are you applying layers of color? The latter would be a painting as far as I’m concerned. In a recent work it struck me that the techniques I was using reminded me of painting. Except I was using a dry pigment instead of wet. Aside from that difference I was going about it in the same way as a painting.
In this article and video I am going to demonstrate how you can paint a beach scene using a few pastel techniques. 
Color mixing remains a constant challenge for artists. Most of the questions that I get from students is how to mix certain colors. Of these many relate to mixing flesh colors. This is understandable when you consider the colors used by masters like Rembrandt. Look at the portrait of Rembrandt above. The variety of colors used are astonishing. A magnificent achievement. How can our paltry color mixes come close to this?
In this article I will give you the exact process that you can follow to get better at mixing flesh tones. |
AuthorMalcolm Dewey: Artist. Country: South Africa 
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