I love art and art materials, and I know you do too. That’s why I created a website for people who are passionate about art. Here you can find the best How-To articles, information and buyer guides on all kinds of art and art supplies to help artists like you.
Whether you are interested in beginning to draw using charcoal or you are an experienced charcoal artist, understanding the way charcoal behaves is important. Charcoal has distinct characteristics that make it ideal for sketching and drawing, but those same qualities made it difficult to preserve. Which is why you need a charcoal fixative but what […]
Maybe you have a painting that you thought was finished, and you applied a coat of varnish. Then, you discover that you forgot to sign it, or you’re not satisfied with one area of the painting. What do you do? Can you paint over varnished canvas to repair your painting? Well, the answer is ”it […]
Learning how to clean an acrylic painting from cigarette smoke at home is a big time and cost saver for any art collector looking to save acrylic paintings damaged by smoke. Cigarette smoke is hugely damaging for any artwork let alone a durable medium such as acrylic paint. It can create a brown film that […]
Paintings are prone to collecting grime and dirt that diminish their colors and composition over time. Cigarette smoke has a particularly nasty impact on oil paintings as it contains tar, nicotine, and ashes that land on their surface. Paintings that come from an era where people smoked heavily are most likely to have a thick layer […]
Wax and oil pastels are worthy mediums to use when you are making art. I’ve found after of years of working with both, that there are many similarities between them, though there are several differences, as well. So when it comes to wax pastels vs oil pastels what are are we comparing? Wax pastels (or […]
There’s a lot of confusion about dip pen vs fountain pen. You might think they’re the same thing, but they have several differences. When comparing dip pens with fountain pens these are the key summarized differences: When I’m practicing my cartooning techniques, I prefer a dip pen. It allows me to change the tips or […]
Paper comes in a wide variety. Only some paper is suitable for calligraphy or art using dip pens. A range of paper elements can impact how well your dip pen performs. Understanding weight, texture, and type can help you make the best choice when selecting paper for dip pen projects. So what is the best paper […]
If you’re new to watercolor painting, you might be confused about how to mount your watercolor paper, and wondering what’s the best glue for watercolor paper. You may be surprised to learn that it is not actually a glue! In my experience, heavy acrylic gel medium gives me the best results when mounting my finished […]
Most paints are made using Gum Arabic but what do you do if you’re making your own paints and don’t have any gum arabic? You have to learn how to make paint binder without gum arabic. All you need is xanthan gum, glycerin and some water. You can even follow the ancient Egyptians and use […]
