Artist Strong Blog

In this drawing lesson we demonstrate that while cross-contour studies aren’t used directly in an artwork doing this kind of study can help you train your eyes to see things you might not otherwise see in your work. Half the work of being an artist is training our...

Negative space studies are a great practice opportunity for beginning artists, or creatives who are looking to refresh their skill. When we explore a specific element of art such as negative space it means we are also limiting the results of the final drawing or...

Simplifying doesn’t mean it’s easy. For example, a great way to test your knowledge and understanding of the element of art VALUE is to do one of two things (or both!). Option One: Set up a still life of entirely white objects with a white background. Draw or paint...

I talk about measuring in art, especially when it comes to learning how to draw people accurately, but really, if you want to learn how to draw anything you want, measuring is a tool you should use all the time. I often have students bristle at this word “measuring.”...

When you think of drawing, do you think of outlining?  Deborah shared she had never really thought about drawing except as the act of outlining. It got me thinking: How many people reflect on the internalized and unspoken definitions they have of art, and in this...

What does accuracy mean for work that is decidedly NOT realistic? That’s the big question I try to answer in our short video today. We talk about: Drawing as a means to plan, How some artists never use a pencil on their paintings but do this instead and How avoiding...

In this art lesson I help fellow creative Tia Sunshine decide when her artwork is finished, and we discuss key things to consider when refining your own artwork. This includes: how to refine and do final touches on a work without overdoing it The value of feedback in...

In this feedback session on creating strong compositions (inside my course Self-Taught to Self-Confident) we talk about: (1) A quality tip from an en plein air artist about creating composition (2) How to use soft marks to layout your composition before you really...