Articles and free lessons!

How to mix paint for great skin colours, a complete guide!   During the painting courses that I teach, I am often asked how to mix skin colours. Painting convincing skin colour (or skin tone) can seem like a skill only an expert can master but I will show you how anyone can do it once they understand the basic principles. Here is what we will look at to learn how to make brilliant life-like skin colours. What is skin colour? Approaches to painting skin Essential colour notions Colour temperature Colour intensity Choice of pigments Paint application Checklist for amazing […]

Frames for paintings, how to choose? You have 3 main choices to frame a painting: Floating Frame Traditional Frame No frame! I will tell you the pros and cons of each and add a little insight that I learned while I was working at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Painting a portrait, step by step process and useful tips! Painting a portrait requires similar skills and methods than any other figurative subjects. However, the artist needs to be more attentive to drawing details and colors nuances. I have done commissioned portraiture for many years and along the way, have developed techniques that have worked well for me and for my students. Here are the steps and tips that will help you paint a good portrait with a faithful likeness.

What subject to choose for a painting?     The best subject for a painting is the one that is just challenging enough for you so that you can complete it and be happy with the result. We never feel good at a new skill without technique and practice. I teach painting to students of all levels and my goal is to make them succeed at each painting they do, even their first.

How to Make Black Paint by Mixing Colours     By mixing your own black you get more than the saving of a tube of paint. Your chromatic black will allow you to shift your color temperature when you need it. The black that you mix can also adapt to the color harmony of your piece. What color to mix to make black? I will show you 5 recipes to help you add a new level of refinement to your work.

Get a boost in creativity by using these 5 Photoshop tools     Digital artists are creating masterpieces using strictly digital tools. Can artists using traditional media benefit from these tools? Absolutely, and I will show you how. We will look at the tools that are most helpful in the conception, design and development phase of the painting process. To make this simpler, we will use Adobe Photoshop but the tools described below are practically the same on free alternatives like Gimp or Pixlr Editor. Time to get a creative boost!