Artist Tips is your go-to reservoir of insightful ‘How to’ articles tailored for artists at every level. Whether you’re navigating the basics or mastering advanced techniques, these guides aim to foster your creativity and enhance your artistic journey. Dive in to explore a world of artistic wisdom and practical advice designed to fuel your passion and elevate your craft.
Removing the effects of cigarette smoke from an oil painting is straightforward and easy, but you need to take care to avoid removing the varnish and paint layer. You will need to use some household items such as a toothbrush, paintbrush, cotton wool, and even soft bread. You will also need some basic cleaning products…
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…
When I frame my pastels behind glass, I use only acid-free materials to preserve the painting and for a professional-looking presentation. I know what you’re saying, “Glass and framing is super expensive” but guess what, I have 3 money saving hacks artists can use when it comes to framing pastels without glass. 3 Money Saving…
The exact length of time it takes for an oil painting to dry depends on such factors as the quality of the paint, its ingredients such as the type of oil used, and even its color. Which can influence how oil paintings should be stored while you wait for them to dry. Oil paint will generally…
It’s not a crazy thing that some artists can be good at drawing but bad at painting. It is actually pretty common as both require different types of training, practice and skills. But what do you do when you want to stop sucking at painting and be as good at painting as you are at drawing?…
Using charcoal in a sketchbook is a perfectly acceptable way to apply charcoal to paper. The type of paper used and treating the drawing afterwards what matter most to ensure you don’t end up with a smudgy mess. Depending on the exact specifications of the sketch and your intentions, there is no one perfect sketchbook for…
There are a few simple ways that you can dry prints effortlessly for the best result each and every time. Knowing how to go about drying prints of any and all sorts can help you save paper prints that have gotten wet, dry prints that you have completed, and anything in between. Know Your Medium’s…
Acrylic paint is a versatile medium that can be used for a variety of applications. It can be used on its own or in conjunction with other media to create interesting effects. One popular technique is to use colored pencil over acrylic paint once the acrylic paint has dried. This can be done for several…
Floating Medium has a gel-like consistency and is used mostly by watercolor and folk artists to help with painting watercolors and water based paints using a technique called “Floating” to create interesting effects with highlights and shades. Floating Medium is a commercially produced additive for water based paint like watercolors and acrylics. Floating medium is…
Masking fluid allows an artist to preserve paper or paint by protecting it from additional layers of paint. Both watercolor and acrylic painters can use masking fluid. However, for artists that don’t like using masking fluid, the alternative products for masking watercolor and acrylics include bleach, wax, and packing tape. Other products that can be…
Did you know that you can use an inkjet printer to print onto watercolor paper and paint over it? It is a relatively simple process, and almost anyone can figure it out even without a lot of technical know-how. Did you also know you can make high-quality, professional-looking art prints to sell or share with others? If…
If you are wondering if you can gesso over an old oil painting to cover it up, you cannot simply go over an oil painting if you decide to start over. The reason is that oil paints are very durable and long-lasting; this means that eventually the gesso or whatever else you try to cover…