Robert Simmons Signet Oil Brushes

Signet leads the Robert Simmons tradition in manufacturing the finest quality brushes since its introduction forty five years ago. The brush is made of the finest quality Chungking bristles. Resilient natural flags hold and spread the maximum amount of color. Signet features interlocked construction so that each bristle curves inward resulting in a brush that gives a completely controlled stroke and retains its shape under all conditions of painting over years of rigorous use. Use these brushes with either acrylic or oil painting, and they can handle the heaviest paint with ease. Metallic tan handles are painted with a gold ring and a green tip.

Flat: Bold strokes and blending free-flowing color, glazing

Bright: Short strokes, blending heavy-bodied color

Round: Bold strokes and blending free-flowing color, glazing

Filbert: Soft-edged, controlled strokes

Egbert: Extra long white bristle for special blending techniques

Broad: Extra-wide size for backgrounds and murals

Fan: Softening and blending applied color, stippling, dry brush effects

Art study of a kitten

I was working on this little guy for 2 days with Gamblin oil paints and no mediums. I got the chance to use my new Robert Simmons Signet Round and Egbert brushes.

Painted in Less Than Two Hours

Art instructor Ray Horner was kind enough to put together a video of me at work in his class at the Arts Guild of New Jersey. Titled “Painted in Less Than Two Hours” the short clip is an example of the results of alla prima painting. Where subject matter isn’t as important as the quick and spontaneous brush strokes of painting wet on wet in rendering a fresh interpretation of the subject, in this case Ray’s Jacket.

Thank you Ray for taking the time to put this video together. Once again you have demonstrated your generosity in supporting your students far above and beyond the call of duty.

Kinnelon book sale

My art library just keeps getting bigger and better thanks to all the local book sales. I got this stack of art books for only $25 bucks at the Kinnelon book sale yesterday.

Referance Casts for art study

These partial male and female figures from PCF Studios Inc. sculpted by Philippe Faraut cast in high quality plaster are designed to help the art student understand the anatomy of the visible bones and muscles of the torso. A useful reference piece for painters as well as sculptors. Check out there web page as they offer many other individual body parts as well as skulls and heads.

House rules are when it rains you paint

When I woke up this morning it was raining, house rules are when it rains you paint. So I grabbed an old canvas that’s been giving me dirty looks ever since I used it for a palette in art class. ( had to do it forgot my palette that day). Anyway .....It had thick globs of paint all over it which I though would add nice texture to a painting . So without procrastinating to much I quickly grabbed some random stuff from around the room and went at it.

Abbott Handerson Thayer study

One of my favorite artists is without a doubt Abbott Handerson Thayer. While viewing his work I’m absorbed by the purity of his subject matter with there serious facial expressions . I find his subtle palette soothing to the eye and I feel an underlining sadness from his own personal loss coming through into his work.

Today after viewing some of his work at the Smithsonian American Art Museum on line. I decided to do a quick 18" x 24"sketch of one of my favorites called the virgin. I would like to try my hand at an oil painting one day. Perhaps over the winter I’ll give it a shot .

Big Art Show August Call for Artists

SHOW YOUR ART!
Basically, a BIG ART SHOW is a big art party where you get space to show your work in an unpretentious environment. It is one night, you set up and break down the day of. No judging, no applications, just tell us you're coming and as long as we have space, we give you space.

A few things:
-This is an art show, not a flea market, you must have made the things you're showing.
-You can sell your work if you want but you don't have to, and in fact you'll probablly have more fun if you don't.
-You can sell your original artwork, bring prints of your work and anything hand made is fine, just use your judgement and err on the side of arty. We have nothing to do with you selling your work. We do not act as your art dealers or brokers.
-It's free for you to be in the show, but if you sell something and want to donate Pterodactyl a few bucks nobody's going to turn you down
- We are not responsible in any way for lost, stolen or damaged artwork. We just supply the space and the fun. By being in this show you agree that we are not responsible.
- You'll get about 6 vertical feet of space to show work (make the best of it!).

Want in? Great! e-mail us: BIGARTSHOW@pterodactylphiladelphia.org
please include your: name / e-mail addy / phone number / and a link to your work (for the website and for logistics of where we put you in the room)

You can also e-mail BIGARTSHOW@pterodactylphiladelphia.com if you have any questions.

More info:
bigartshow.com
flickr

Dr Sketchy's Anti Art School North Jersey

Draw a burlesque queen at the Slipper Room
“Dr. Sketchy’s is what happens when cabaret meets art school,” says founder and artist Molly Crabapple. A boozy good time is what happens when you and your $10 meet free cupcakes, booze and prizes, say us. Various locations, visit drsketchy.com. Sat 4pm; $10.

The New Jersey Location is in Clifton NJ

Life Drawing Classes in New Jersey

Life Drawing Classes in New Jersey

Reasons to become an artist !

Life drawing class

Burn

With a couple of sketches from my life drawing class as reference, I put together this painting giving myself the latitude to have fun and do whatever came to mind.

Using a mixture of walnut oil and demar varnish mixed into the oil paints, I loosely painted the sketches onto the canvas. After the painting was complete I blotted the whole painting with crumpled up plastic wrap and sketch paper.

The title of this painting is inspired by the Missy Higgins cover of a Ray LaMontagne song called Burn.

Life Drawing Class

Life drawing class

Life drawing class

Life drawing sketches

I’ve been taking life drawing classes for a few weeks now, and I’m finding it fun but also quite labor intensive. From the moment the model sets the timer, I feel like I’m in a mad rush to render what I see before the time is up. We start with one minute poses to loosen up then on to five minutes, ten minutes and finely a couple twenty minute poses. The class of about twenty artists is professional and surprisingly quiet at times as we are all focused on the task at hand. I’m going to post some of my sketches from the class, not because I think there good but as a means to gauge my progress as I go along. When it comes to art I put the carriage before the horse so to speak by learning how to oil paint before learning how to draw well first. Inadequate drawing will always inhibit the oil painting progress. Taking these classes is my attempt to correct this imbalance as my true passion is to be the best oil painter I can.

Art Models 3: Life Nude Photos for the Visual Arts (Art Models series) [CD-ROM]

Along with signing up for life drawing classes ,I also picked up this CD Art Models 3Life nude Photos for the Visual Arts. Amazon.com gave this CD a 5 star rating so I thought it was worth a shot. I just got it a few days ago and pop it into my DVD player. I did a few sketches off the big screen TV in my livingroom and it was cool. The models are on a round table and there is a picture from every side. The thing I like the most is that the models don’t move. I’m glad I got this CD and I would recommend it as a good practice tool for use in between life drawing classes.

Product Description
While no book can replace a live model, this photographic guide to the human form provides a diverse selection of figures for those who do not have access to live models. Posed in a variety of classical and modern modes, the models are set in a clear, clean environment that is void of distractions and enhances the figure. All of the high-resolution photographs were painstakingly edited and adjusted to yield all the nuances of the figures. The companion disc contains 24 photographs per pose that, in totality, comprises a full 360 degree view. Each angle of every pose can be enlarged, enabling artists to zoom in on specific body parts to discover their intricate detail or project the photos to life-like proportions. The disc also offers the flexibility of numerous viewing options—on a computer screen, printed out, projected for a group, or via a high-definition television when connected through a computer.

Gamblin, Exploring Color Palettes

If you use Gamblin oil paints then your gonna want to check out this link to Exploring Color Palettes. EXAMPLE #1 Basic High Key Palette

With this palette of Gamblin Artists Colors, painters can explore high key situations with bright tints and mixtures. Consider using the Portland Greys to mix tints if you want more natural looking tints using modern colors. The two basic palettes also work very well together so painters can choose one Cadmium Yellow for opacity and one Hansa Yellow for transparency and tinting strength etc.





Hansa Yellow Lt. - cool (toward green) semi-transparent light yellow

Hansa Yellow Med. - warm semi-transparent yellow

Napthol Scarlet - warm (toward orange) semi-transparent Vermillion red

Quinacridone Red - cool (toward blue) transparent red

Phthalo Blue - warm (toward red) transparent blue

Manganese Blue Hue - cool (toward green) transparent blue

Phthalo Emerald - warm (toward yellow) transparent green

Ivory Black - mixing black with moderate tinting strength

Titanium-Zinc White - best general mixing white

Kseniya Simonova's Sand Drawing

Life Drawing Classes In New Jersey

I really love painting but when it comes to drawing it feels like a chore. So I tend to avoid drawing practice and my paintings suffer at times because I struggle with proportions. I really need to brush up on my drawing skills, so I just signed up for some Life Drawing Classes at the Arts Guild of New Jersey.

Apostle images from 4th century found under street in Italy

Upon the discovery of the sarcophagus and its bone fragments dated almost 2000 years old to be that of St. Paul’s mortal remains, the colleagues of the scientists responsible in the archaeological site beneath the main altar of St. Paul Basilica outside the walls has also stumbled upon an image on a different archaeological site, believed to be the earliest and most accurate images of Sts. Peter and Paul, frescoed on the walls of the Catacombs of Saint Tecla. Below are the pictures of the said images which was discovered just recently:

A restorer uses a laser to reveal an image that Vatican archaeologists believe is the oldest one of St Paul the Apostle, dating from the late fourth century, on the walls of a catacomb beneath Rome in this undated photo released June 29, 2009. Experts of the Ponitifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology made the discovery on June 19 in the Catacomb of Santa Tecla in Rome and describe it as the “oldest icon in history dedicated to the cult of the Apostle”, according to the Vatican newspaper. Peter and Paul are revered by Christians as the greatest early missionaries. Converting on the road to Damascus following a blinding vision of Jesus, Paul took the Gospel to pagan Greeks and Romans and met his martyrdom in Rome in about 65 AD.

What sells a painting?

Its about creating a serene moment in which the collector wants to be there.

People love color, they love fun, they love passion. That is what sells, regardless of the medium.

What is it that makes a painting great ?

A great painting has a presence so powerful, that you can't walk away from it.