Review: Tombow lead pencils
I'm in a drawing period; I haven't touched a brush for three weeks. The drawings serve as designs for paintings, not standalone drawings. The paintings are my typical size, 40" x 54." So, I've used…
Year: 2023
Amusement Park Series update
My Amusement Park Series absorbs most of my time. The series contains a lot of large watercolors that I will share soon. But of course, the lion's share of time is spent with the oils.…
Drawing tablets
A reader asked if I use a drawing tablet. Before I answer that question, let's talk about what a drawing table is for those who might not be familiar with the technology. There are three…
Starting a painting
Everyone knows how to start a painting, right? You take up your brush and begin--what's the problem? Joking aside, if you want to create a sketch or study, that IS exactly how you start. That…
Premixing tones
Artists spend a lot of time thinking about their palettes; how many colors, which colors, how big, and so forth. My palette is too large to hold in my hand so I keep it on…
Good photo day. Finally.
Cedar Point is known as the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World." It is one of the oldest and largest amusement parks in the United States. In addition to the roller coasters, the park has…
Unforced user error
Friday afternoon I grabbed my camera and headed to Cedar Point. The summer has been unusually rainy here and this was a rare chance to visit the amusement park during strong sunlight. I normally carry…
Do not be an art appreciator
When I hear someone say, "I appreciate art," I cringe. The speaker means, "I understand that this boring subject is somehow important to you," or, "I see how much effort you put into this pointless…