Art Prof
Instagram is changing, prioritizing video over photos. Is Instagram over for artists who rely on the platform to promote their artwork? With social media changes, it can be really challenging for artists to know what to do. Do you seek out other social media platforms to promote your work? Do you try to translate your […]
With the announcement that Hunter Biden is selling his artwork through New York City gallerist Georges Bergès, ethics concerns are being raised by both the art world and in politics. Each of Hunter Biden’s artworks will be priced between $75,000 and $500,000. Is his artwork any good? Should it be commanding these prices? Discussion led […]
What is a “bad” figure painting? This video shows a broad range of figurative paintings, and the opinions of several artists as to why the artworks are effective or not. The opinion of each artist on the figure composition then stimulates a discussion on why a specific figure painting is successful or not. Discussion led […]
See how an animation of a pig is made in 1 hour in Procreate! Tips are also given on how to capture the likeness of a pig. Also included are techniques for how to draw pigs using Caran d’Ache Neocolor II crayons on an unprimed basswood panel. Demo led by Teaching Artist Deepti Menon and […]
How does an illustration career begin? That one art class at a local art center, fan art, reading comics can all be where it starts. Art Prof Clara Lieu talks to Jarrett J. Krosoczka, a the New York Times-bestselling author/illustrator about his artistic experiences as a child and his career to date. Get tips on […]
Get tips for how to sell your art at an art or craft fair! This video explains many options for ways to maximize your sales, including the price range of your artworks, what types of artwork to sell (merch, prints, original artworks) as well as the logistics of how to present and package your artwork. […]
This video demos techniques for drawing glass using soft pastel. Glass is very challenging to draw because of the transparency! You’ll get concrete tips for how to create the illusion of glass in soft pastel that is convincing and believable. Demo led by Art Prof Clara Lieu. Video Walkthrough Prof Lieu’s Tips There is definitely […]
Art Dare Prompt Illustrate your worst trait & your best trait as personifications, using any art media. A personification is giving something that isn’t human the characteristics of a human. Tips Inspiration Films & TV Shows Mentioned Artists Mentioned Get started! In the Art Prof Discord Server, we have an #art-dares channel where you can post your […]
This video is a tour of different types of sketchbooks that an artist can jump between for different purposes. Having several sketchbooks can help organize your creative process. Some sketchbooks are reserved for traveling, others are ones that are used for scribbling down notes and ideas, some sketchbooks are more curated with finished works, and […]
This video shows the results of the 2021 June Art Dare: “Body Art & Tattoo Design,” where participants were asked to either to create artwork on any part of anyone’s body, or design a tattoo in any media. Discussion led by Teaching Artists Cat Huang and Lauryn Welch. Prize Winner Ryan Nesbitt (USA)@ryannesbittart “I chose […]
This video discusses the importance of failure, risk taking, and fear as an artist. So many of us are afraid to fail as artists, and yet failure is actually a crucial part of an artist’s development and progression. Taking a creative risk can be intimidating, and make us fearful because of the lack of predictability, […]
Many artists wonder whether their art has to have “deep meaning” to be valid. Does art have to have a meaningful message in order to be art, or can art be a purely visual experience for the artist and viewer? Who determines what art needs to have, the artist, the audience, both? Discussion led by […]
Many artists wonder whether their art has to have “deep meaning” to be valid. Does art have to have a meaningful message in order to be art, or can art be a purely visual experience for the artist and viewer? Who determines what art needs to have, the artist, the audience, both? Discussion led by […]
This video is a critique of an MFA portfolio by Zainab Zulfiqar. A detailed critique is provided of the overall portfolio, explaining overall strategies that are recommended to the artist. This is followed by critiques for each individual artwork in the portfolio, considering the factors that many MFA programs are looking for in potential candidates. […]
This video explores kitsch art, which is frequently seen as being “low brow” artwork that is for the masses and does not garner respect in the art world. Is all kitsch artwork inherently in poor taste? Explored are specific examples of kitsch artworks, with commentary on what makes a kitsch artwork effective, or not. Discussion […]
This video explains & demonstrates how to draw convincing proportions when drawing the human figure. Demo by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching Artist Cat Huang. Techniques for figuring out proportions in the drawing process are explained in detail, as well as the basic anatomical relationships of the largest parts of the human figure. Video […]
This video explains the anatomical structure of the arm, breaking down the specific bones and muscles. Bones and muscles covered include the humerus, radius, ulna, brachioradialis, deltoid, biceps, triceps, extensors, flexors, and more. We also consider how to apply that anatomical knowledge to drawings, as well as how arms can be expressive forms and carry […]
Why are some artists overrated, while others are underrated? This video provides three examples of overrated artists, and three that are underrated. We explain the specific reasons why these artists receive more, or less attention over time. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching Artists Lauryn Welch and Jordan McCracken-Foster. Video Walkthrough Artists […]
Table of Contents The real test of the strength of your portfolio is attending a local National Portfolio Day event, where representatives from art schools and colleges with art programs across the United States are available to critique your portfolio in person. If you’re really serious about being accepted into a high caliber undergraduate art program, […]
What do you need to do to become a full-time artist? A lot of artists assume that being a full-time artists is a form of artistic validation, when actually it’s a lifestyle choice. Many artists are surprised at how many skills are involved that have little to do with the art making process. That includes […]
This video demonstrates step by step how to draw a portrait using oil pastel. Various techniques are shown and explained that can be used to build up vibrant colors and three dimensional volume with oil pastels including layering, blending, creating a diverse range of textures and marks, and more. Demo led by Art Prof Clara […]
This video shows a wide range of materials, techniques and tools for creating diverse effects in watercolor. You’ll learn how to create many visual effects in watercolor. Like how to achieve various textures, lines, and strokes. How to use other, unconventional tools. All of these techniques can be used to create a visual language for […]
Many of our live streams use reference photos to teach a topic and/or technique. These reference photos are specifically chosen to maximize the understanding of the video’s topic. It is a surprisingly slow process to find a photo that has all the qualities that are needed to be a effective visual reference! Prof Lieu carefully […]
The Drawing Basics Track is a great way to learn fundamental skills in drawing. You’ll develop versatility in drawing by practicing everything from a two minute gesture drawing to drawings that take several hours to complete! OngoingLesson 1 • Lesson 2 • Lesson 3Lesson 4 • Lesson 5 • Lesson 6 A broad range of […]
Prompt Create an 18″ x 24″ wet charcoal drawing, using a landscape reference photo as a very loose reference. Examples Kate A., Anastasia Lvova Experiment Before starting on the final drawing, spend at least an hour playing around and making marks on newsprint (or any other inexpensive paper) to see what wet charcoal is capable […]
Prompt Create a chiaroscuro self-portrait. Chiaroscuro is a lighting effect which uses bold shadows and highlights that allows subjects to emerge from a dark background. Chiaroscuro is not just a visual effect in a portrait, you can create a very dramatic mood that has a theatrical look. By emphasizing the lighting, the form in the […]
Prompt Choose a manmade object, or an object from nature that has visible texture. Consider how dramatic and tactile the texture of the object is. Ordinary objects like a scarf, a rug, a stuffed animal are effective, as are natural objects like bark and dried flowers. Spend time searching for an object that is really […]
Prompt Make a viewfinder by cutting a rectangular window into a piece of cardboard. Walk around your living space, looking through the window to find “scenes” that interest you. Play with getting up close vs standing further back, and aim for a broad variety of scenes. Goal Create twelve thumbnail sketches based on the areas […]
Prompt Examples Toaster, Tent, Steen, Pat McIlroy Timed Drawing Videos Our videos makes drawing practice easy: get your drawing supplies and follow along as each pose plays with a timer. See all our timed drawing videos. Reference images Recommended media Sketchbook that is around 9″ x 12,” pencil, colored pencil, Caran d’Ache Neocolor I Crayon […]
Prompt Complete six hours in total of gesture drawings of animals. We recommend that each drawing session is a minimum of one hour so you have time to warm up and sharpen your skills. Using a timer make two, five, and ten minute drawings. Start with the two minute ones and progressively increase to ten […]
Ongoing + Weekly Assignments This ongoing assignment is to be done simultaneously with the weekly assignments. However, if your schedule doesn’t fit well with this, and you want to do the ongoing assignment at a separate time than the weekly assignments, our suggestion is to do the ongoing assignment for 3 weeks straight. The continuity […]
This video shows you some examples of free or inexpensive art supplies you did not know you already have at home. Sometimes the simplicity of a household item is a terrific challenge to get your creative juices flowing! You don’t need expensive art supplies bought from the art store in order to create exciting artwork. […]