Artist Strong Blog
Enjoy interviews and articles about creative process and our inherent creative spirit.The Big Misconception About Making Portraits
Do you struggle with the idea that the only way to be successful at selling portrait art is through commissions only? Why would someone want to buy a painting of someone they don’t even know? Hi, my name is Carrie Brummer and here on Artist Strong I help creatives...
How long should a painting take?
When people look at your art have you ever been asked, “how long did it take?” It makes me curious: what does the length of time spent on an artwork tell us? And what do the viewers asking about it feel they understand by learning the answer to this question? It can...
Stop Sticking to a Single Style: Here’s Why
There is a lot of feedback out there nowadays saying that if you want to get your artwork seen in galleries or even try to become “famous” that you have to create your own style. Hearing this a lot of people make one more assumption: this means you are stuck with one...
How to feel satisfied with more of your art
Is any artist ever fully satisfied with their work? Hi, my name is Carrie Brummer and here on Artist Strong I help creatives like you build your skill and develop your unique artist voice. Today I want to talk about the satisfaction (or lack there of) that we can...
A Beginner’s Guide to Acrylic Paints
Mary asked some great questions about acrylics and specifically about use of brushes and blending for her portrait art. I talk about my step-by-step process for painting portraits in acrylic as well as the blending techniques that help me create softer transitions...
What is gestalt? And how does it hurt your drawing?
What is gestalt? And how does it hurt your drawing? In psychology there is a term called gestalt. Oxford dictionary defines it as: “an organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts.” Say what? That’s what I want to talk about with you today. Our...
Do you go too dark or too light? [Studying Value in your Art]
Value is one of the most important elements of art to reflect any level of realism in your art. The funny thing is, we often use line more than value when trying to convey our ideas or what we observe. Today let’s observe some shadows and highlights in a still life...
What are the secrets to drawing realistic faces?
Have you ever wanted to better capture likeness in your portraits of people? Have you ever wondered if you could? When I was little I got this idea in my head that the only measure of being a good artist was to draw realistically. Not only should I be able to draw...
3 Ways to Improve Your Life Drawing
You may not know this, but drawing or painting from life is a completely different skill set than working from a photograph. Think about it for a minute. When you work from photo reference, you are observing another two-dimensional image. When you work from life,...