Tom Hudson

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 activity.” If you say, “But that’s not me! I really do appreciate art; I visit museums,” I still quarrel with…

Basic oil painting medium

There is a lot of information about painting mediums on my site but if you’re new to painting, an abundance of information is the same as no information. Where to start? The good news is that you can easily have a medium that supports ambitious work and serves as a baseline for exploring other mediums…

Turn toward realism?

Realism is becoming popular once again in painting studios. This development is welcome but it’s also sobering. Looking at the growing number of realists demonstrates how much has been lost. Much of it is Impressionism-adjacent which is not a good path. And for many new realists, Sargent has an oversize influence, which is also a…

Rublev Sun-thickened oil

Rublev’s new version of sun-thickened oil is much improved from its earlier offering and is good oil. This is far different from my conclusion of their first attempt at this product. Sun-thickened oil’s consistency should be similar to that of stand oil. Rublev’s first attempt produced an oil little different from regular linseed oil. With…

Good art books: David to Delacroix, The Rise of Romantic Mythology

Dorothy Johnson has written several books related to David and the Neoclassicists. David to Delacroix: The Rise of Romantic Mythology is probably her best work. I think about this little book a lot. Even though the Neoclassicists are best known for their Classically-inspired history paintings, Johnson reminds us that it was under their brush that…