Acryl Gouache & Watercolor Pencils: Mountains

This video demonstrates how to paint a mountain landscape using acryl gouache and watercolor pencils. Techniques for creating a convincing sense of depth and atmosphere in the landscape such as atmospheric perspective and brush work are explained and shown. Demo led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching Artist Alex Rowe. Video Walkthrough Prof Lieu’s […]

How Do I Know My Artwork is Finished?

How do you know your artwork is finished??? In every artwork, it’s never clear when an artwork is done! This video provides tips for signals in your creative process that you can look for. What are visual cues in your artwork that you can look for to determine whether your artwork is finished or not? […]

5 Tips for a Home Art Studio

Here are 5 tips for setting up an effective art studio at home, explaining methods for creating an alert, productive mindset in place for the home studio as well as practical aspects such as keeping your space clean and functional. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching Artists Lauryn Welch & Alex Rowe. […]

Artists & Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is an ongoing concern for many artists. All artists experience imposter syndrome at some point, no matter how accomplished or experienced you are! This video explores several solutions than can get you to shift away from toxic thinking patterns. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching Artists Alex Rowe and Eloise […]

5 Reasons Instagram Can Be Toxic for Artists

This video explains the ways that Instagram can have a harmful effect on artists. It’s easy to compare yourself to other artists you see on Instagram, see all of their success, their “perfect” artworks and feel like you are the only artist in the world who struggles. We all do! Solutions for how to combat […]

Painting Curriculum 2: Prompts

Part 2 of this painting curriculum provides painting prompts that will stimulate all areas of painting, and that can be done in any paint media: color, brushwork, thumbnails, composition, and more in order to gain a well rounded skill set in painting. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching Artist Alex Rowe. Video […]

Oil vs. Acrylic

Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching Artist Alex Rowe discuss all of the differences between oil and acrylic paint in great depth, as well as their similarities. It’s essential for any artist who paints to know what the technical differences are between oil and acrylic paint. The dry time varies tremendously, the solvents and mediums […]

Intro to Gouache Painting

This video comprehensively covers the fundamentals of painting with gouache by showing the process of painting a book cover illustration based on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. The process begins by shooting reference photos at a graveyard in Concord, MA, moving on to thumbnail sketches, painting color studies, and then exploring techniques […]

Brainstorming for Artists

Brainstorming is an essential process that artists can use to develop their ideas to create their artwork. Exercises such as word association, mind maps, thumbnail sketches, and sketchbook doodles are all discussed as a means towards stimulating the development of ideas for future artworks. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching Artists Eloise […]

Highlights

Lighting can be a powerful visual tool in art! This video gets down to the nuts and bolts of how lighting works in an artwork, focusing on the specifics of different types of highlights and the various ranges of visual effects they create. Examples from art history and contemporary art show how artists can apply […]

Shadows

This video explains how lighting works in art, focusing on shadows and breaking down the specific visual qualities. Knowing how shadows work, and understanding the difference between cast shadows and form shadows are important skills for all artists in order to create a broad range of visual effects in many art forms. Discussion led by […]

“Bad” 2D Compositions 1

This video discusses common problems artists encounter with 2D compositions, explaining how certain types of compositions can come across as tiresome and/or cliche. Next, artwork examples are shown explaining which are effective, which are not, and why the they think a composition is successful or not. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching […]

Portrait Background Ideas

This video provides ideas for how to create backgrounds for portraits so that your compositions are visually dynamic and engaging. Backgrounds are often neglected, especially in portraits where the focus is usually on the face. However, backgrounds can have a great impact on the way a portrait comes across, especially in terms of conveying a […]

Illustration Curriculum 2

This video outlines part 2 of an illustration curriculum for self-taught artists. Topics covered include art media that is conducive to the turnover rate for illustration jobs, prompts you can assign yourself to practice your illustration skills, how the contemporary illustration industry works, as well as books, blogs, websites, and Instagram accounts that are great […]

Illustration Curriculum 1

This video provides a comprehensive illustration curriculum for self-taught artists. In part 1, topics explained include the various areas of the illustration industry: children’s books, editorial, comics, political cartoons, adult books, and more. Illustration prompts you can give yourself are covered as are illustration websites and conferences. Essential skills illustrators need such as linear perspective, […]

Intro to Acrylic Painting

This video demonstrates important acrylic painting techniques in order to create a still life painting from beginning to end. Techniques covered in the video include palette knives, choosing acrylic colors, using a palette knife, mediums that can be added to the acrylic paint, acrylic varnishes, painting details, and much more.  Demo led by Teaching Artist […]

Basics Curriculum 2

Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching Artist Alex Rowe provide Part 2 of a basic curriculum for self-taught artists that cover the basics for a foundation in art. Alex and Prof Lieu explain why specific skills are important when you are just getting started, and give advice for what sequence is most effective for gaining […]

Warm & Cool Colors

This video explains how warm colors and cool colors can be used to create mood and contrast in an artwork. While there are colors that are stereotypically seen as “warm” and “cool,” warm and cool colors are contextual, and is often times not as straightforward as it might seem! Examples from contemporary art and art […]

Complementary Colors: Blue & Orange

This video explain the basics of how complementary colors work and how they can be used effectively to create color contrast in color art media. This video focuses on blue and orange as an example. By looking at examples in contemporary art and art history, this video discusses the way the complementary colors are laid […]

Complementary Colors: Red & Green

Complementary colors are a fundamental part of color theory that can vastly influence how you use color. We define what complementary colors are, and how they can be used effectively to create color contrast in color art media. Explained is the way the complementary colors are laid out in the color wheel, as well as […]

Elements of Art: Form

This video is a comprehensive look at FORM, one of the Elements of Art. There are infinite ways form can be manipulated in visual arts to create engaging images. Examples of contemporary art and images from art history are shown and explained, where form plays an integral role. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu […]

Elements of Art: Texture in 2D

This video explains texture, one of the Elements of Art. Topics include texture that is achieved in single art media vs. mixed media, texture as it relates to patterning, ways of collecting texture references, exploring texture as a means of conveying a tactile sensation, and more. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching […]

Elements of Art: Line

This video explains LINE, one of the Elements of Art and the infinite ways line can be manipulated in visual arts to create engaging images. Examples from contemporary art and art history of illustrations, paintings, sculptures, and more are shown, where line plays an integral role.  Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching […]

Elements of Art: Value

This video explains VALUE, one of the Elements of Art. Topics include using value as a means of creating dramatic lighting and contrast, how to create subtlety with value, and fostering an illusion of a broad range of greys. Examples from both art history and contemporary art are shown to illustrate how value works. Discussion […]