Everything a painter needs to know to paint edges in a descriptive way and create good transitions between shapes that guide the eye of the viewer through the picture plane.
Learn simple strategies that can help you get rich by learning to live within your means and taking control of where your money goes. Financial tips with a positive approach that will change the way you think about money and will make good changes happen.
Five examples of how to mix green from Cad Yellow Medium Pure combined with Payne’s Gray, Raw Umber, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, and Manganese Blue Hue.
A tutorial on how to mix neutral colors starting from just two colors: one being in the orange family, and the other a blue. A short time-lapse video shows four examples of orange/blue neutral mixes using acrylic paint.
Excellent advice for beginner artists. The tips included in this guide will provide you with information on the 10 main things you need to learn and practice to continually improve your painting skills.
Learn the 10 steps to painting trees, starting with the most important feature of the tree, its contour, and ending with the details. Robie Benve shares her ten secrets to painting trees that are believable and that present character and dimension.
Why is it better to paint on toned canvas? What color should you tone your canvas with? Starting a painting on a colored ground speeds up the painting process and helps to create tonal harmony within the finished piece.
Do you want to create a beautiful acrylic landscape painting on a toned canvas? I've laid out step-by-step instructions for the painting process and included a time-lapse video of the sketching that you can reference.
Create a pencil drawing sketch and a digital color study for an acrylic landscape painting! I've included step-by-step instructions and a time-lapse video to help you visualize what you need to do.
Learn the process of completing a still-life oil painting in one session. Watch the video that shows the painting process and delves into how I chose the colors of my limited tetrad palette. Alla prima is a direct painting technique, also known as wet-on-wet.
The appearance of a painting is influenced by the effect of light and atmosphere, the arrangement of darks and lights, and the harmony and balance of color. Light influences all of these factors.
The Munsell system describes color using three dimensions: hue, value, and chroma. Knowing the definitions is an essential tool for artists.
If you are used to painting in the studio, the first few paintings you do outdoors are going to be very challenging. However, painting en plein air can be a great experience and teach you a lot. Here are 11 tips that can help you make outdoors painting a little easier and more successful.
Pros and cons of plein air painting. A lot of artists think that painting landscapes on location is the best way to go. Learn about the advantages and challenges of painting outdoors. Would you enjoy it? Plus, tips to help you have an easier and more successful outdoor painting experience.
Learn how making thumbnail sketches and using them as value studies helps you create winning painting compositions. How to sketch the value and tone relationships, create an interesting composition by testing out value and tone of your masses. Tips to plan a good painting.
The way elements are arranged in the picture acts as the armature and supporting structure of a painting. To make a piece successful and interesting for the viewer, plan a composition with a strong value structure. Squinting helps. Seeing simplified shapes, it’s easier to “see” the composition.
Painting from photos vs. from life. What are the differences and the challenges? Learn the 9 things artists should be aware of when painting from photos, plus 9 tips and solutions to maximize the use of photo references and make great paintings.
Being in control of color temperature is crucial in painting, especially when creating a mood, the illusion of depth, and form. Learn how to manipulate and change the temperature in color mixing.
Stolvizza offers beautiful natural paths in the Italian Alps, great for hiking and mountain biking. The views are stunning and the paths are full of historic sites including WWII trenches and old limestone artifacts.
10 great technical tips to paint gorgeous skies and clouds. Learn to notice things like atmospheric and linear perspective, how sky colors are less intense in the distance and more intense in the clouds closer to us, and how both sky and clouds have some of the softest edges you can find in nature.
Most beginners make the same mistakes, and for some reason they can also be picked up by the non-artist. Here is a list of the most common things to avoid, so that artwork is not seen as mediocre. From failing to simplify, to being stingy with paint, learn what jumps out to the viewer as amateurish.
How to paint areas where sky and tree meet, making them look natural and believable. Learn how foliage and thin branches change the color of the sky. How to make sky holes believable carefully varying placement, shapes, color, value and temperature.
Fine Art Tips. What makes a painting good? Learn what elements to include in your paintings. Focus on technique and technical aspects, personal and emotional involvement, and novelty.
Detailed explanation of the mother color painting technique, a great way to create color harmony. Learn about how to pick the mother color and how to mix paint harmoniously, unifying the color scheme.
Learn how to find the right objects and the best ways to set up a successful still life composition, including how to plan the lighting. Then learn the steps to get ready to sketch, draw, or maybe even paint it.
Many brushstroke techniques can be used for fine art painting, including crosshatching, hatching, dry brush, flat wash, scumbling, stippling, etc. Learn the different brushstrokes and become a more successful painter.
A list of eight practical and helpful tips to help you improve your landscape paintings. Great for beginner artists, but also useful to those that have been painting for a while.
Here are some wise tips on how to boost creativity and become more productive as an artist, writer, crafter, etc. I've included time management and motivational advice as well.
Basic oil painting supply list. The 8 things artists need to start painting with oils. The answers to the common questions of all beginner painters. Gift ideas for oil painters.
What kind of presents can you get for an artist that paints with acrylics? A list of tools and supplies that would make great gifts for any painter.
Here you'll find a step-by-step tutorial on how to make greeting cards using your own original small paintings. You can create unique greeting cards that double as framable artwork and make fantastic gifts for friends and relatives.
How do you find photos that can be used as a reference for a painting without risking copyright infringement? Make sure that you paint from royalty-free photos, look for photos with a license that allows derivative work and commercial use of the work, if you plan to sell your painting.
Lines and shapes are essential elements of painting. How you use them in art strongly affects the composition and overall feeling of the painting.
How to mix brown using a limited palette of primary colors and different colors of paint. Any shade of brown can be obtained from some kind of red, yellow, and blue.
Paintbrushes are a precious tool for acrylic painters: it's very important to keep them clean. How to clean art brushes in 10 steps and tips to keep them in good working conditions, just like new, for a long time.
How to Paint a minimalist abstract landscape with acrylics, step-by-step. Easy acrylic landscape painting, great for beginners.
An example of how to paint an abstract painting using acrylic paint, masking tape, and bubble wrap on canvas.
Discover the things an artist needs to decide before starting to paint with acrylics, oils, watercolors, or any other media. How to plan the subject matter, composition, value masses, cropping of the subject, focal point, color, edges, and more.
How to draw simple subjects in Microsoft Paint. Drawing a daisy step by step.
How to draw a still life step-by-step, from setting up a composition of objects to drawing shapes, lines, and shades.
A day in Rome, Italy: so much to see, and so little time. Highlights from my 24-hour stay in Rome, the capital of Italy. Sightseeing Rome in One Day: Walking Tour of Italy's Capital
Easy and tasty tomatoes on the electric grill, great for appetizers or side dish. Juicy.
In the "Hunger Games" books and movies, Katniss Everdeen and her family share deep knowledge of plants' medicinal and nutritional properties. What are the properties of the katniss and rue plants?
Could light therapy help with your psoriasis? Photo-therapy can be an effective remedy for psoriasis, in many cases.
Suze Orman is one of the most influential, well respected, and successful financial advisers in the World. Orman's bio is most inspiring. Suze had tough beginnings and struggled with debt.
Tips for beginners that want to learn how to draw, with reference to drawing techniques and step-by-step instruction.
How do you stay positive when your life gets super hard? Here are some tips for staying positive and being open to good opportunities coming into your life.
Focusing on positive and happy thoughts create amazing changes in our chemical balance that reduce stress and positively affect our health and well-being.
How do you draw a rose? Drawing instructions for beginners step-by-step.
How do you find happiness? What characteristics determine if someone lives happily and merrily or sadly? Tips to a happy life. How to avoid being sad and cranky.
A good sense of humor can't heal all ailments, but scientists have proven laughter can do a lot of positive things to you.
A step-by-step overview of the different stages and decision making involved in a landscape acrylic painting, with an example featuring a cow in an Alpine pasture.
How do you represent distance and depth in art? Learn aerial perspective and tips on how to render the illusion of recession in painting.
Learn some basic Italian vocabulary and simple sentences like greetings, conversational words, and numbers. Enough Italian to have a basic conversation with Italians.
Tips on teaching children that money is a limited and hard-to-get resource. Ideas on how to explain where money may come from, how to save, and how to spend. Help your kids to learn about money, and they'll grow having a better feeling about bills, saving plans, and financial emergencies.
Who brings stockings in Italy? Not Santa. Italian Christmas festivities end on the Epiphany day, when La Befana brings gifts to children. Who is La Befana and what are the origins of her tradition?
A good serving size of this yummy chicken with mushrooms and onions will provide only 233 calories and 6 grams of carbohydrates.
Some of Suze Orman's best quotes about creating a life of material and spiritual abundance.
Herb seedlings can be purchased, but it is much more economical to start your own herb garden from seed, not to mention rewarding. Learn how to start herbs indoors.
A color wheel is a great tool that helps artists decide what color scheme they want to use with a geometrical mixing method, taking into consideration the distance between colors on the wheel. Learn how to use it and how the color wheel can help you choose color schemes and mixing colors.
A vegetarian and vegan version of the tasty classic Italian puttanesca sauce. A yummy pasta recipe with capers, olives, and anchovies (optional) in juicy tomato sauce.
Learn organic fertilizers' advantages over synthetic fertilizers. Compost, Manure, Bone Meal. How to choose the best fertilizer. Roles of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in fertilizers.
Acrylic paints provide the opportunity to experiment both watercolor and oil painting techniques. A review of the most popular acrylic painting techniques.
Italian Fashion Brand Missoni, founded in 1953 By Ottavio Missoni, has a magical artistic alchemy always at the top of contemporary fashion design. during 60+ years.
Italian culinary tradition of Northern Italy reflects all the characteristics of this multifaceted part of the country. Recipes reflect the richness in territory, dialects, climate, and history.
An island in the Mediterranean Sea, "Sardegna" offers beautiful beach resorts and striking natural sites. A rich history and archeological sites add even more interest to this beautiful destination.
Learn the 12 things you need to plan before starting a painting. What to paint? How? With what techniques and styles? Learn how to make the most important decisions before and during the painting process.
Italy has miles and miles of coast, with all kind of different beach options. Lignano Sabbiadoro offers a golden sand shore and a lot of fun opportunities that can please everyone.
5 of the top places to visit when you travel to Northern Italy. What to see in Trieste, Venice, Verona, Lake Garda, and Genoa.
Acrylic painting tips for beginner artists. Learn the seven supplies you need to paint with acrylics, how to get started, how to plan your painting composition, and how to proceed in the painting process.
Some common mistakes quickly ruin paint brushes. Learn the five most important things you should not do when cleaning and storing paint brushes if you want to keep them in good shape for a long time. Great tips for beginner artists.
A cheap recipe that kids will love, so easy that kids can make it themselves (with some help). main ingredients: spaghetti and hot dogs.
Venice is the perfect romantic destination in Italy for both honeymooners and seasoned couples. Prepare to get mesmerized by the magic city on water.
The rule of thirds helps artists and photographers to plan a winning composition. Use it as a guide to composing pictures that looks balanced and interesting. Keep the rule of third as guidance, but integrate more structural elements to make the scene visually pleasing.
Tips on how to get children to try new foods, with examples of dishes that my children would eat at enjoy on a regular basis.
What can you do to raise non-picky eaters? 10 tips on how to raise children that are adventurous eaters and love healthy food, from a mom of two good eaters.
Marriage after children can be hard but fortunately most couples survive. How children change your life, big times and how we survived. True story! :)
A guide to building a loving and happy marriage that survives and thrives as the family grows.
An overview of the basic color schemes for artists to be used as a guide to finding harmonious or contrasting color combinations. Some color theory to learn the basic color schemes: monochromatic, analogous, triadic, tetradic, split complementary, and complementary.
Learn how to grow your own herbs. Tips on how to grow herbs in a garden, flower bed, or pots, indoors or outdoors. Herbs provide natural flavors, aromas, and medicinal qualities.
Being built on water is one of Venice's charming characteristics, but also the very thing that is threatening its survival. Venice's environmental challenges may ruin it or even sink it forever. Global warming is posing new threats to the beautiful Italian city.
Saint Mark's Square is one of the most spectacular and famous destinations for millions of tourists every year. Some of the attractions are the Basilica, the Doge's Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, the bell tower, the Clocktower, Museo Correr, Caffè Florian, Caffè Quadri, and Harry's Bar.
What are the best ways to use an unexpected sum of money? Windfalls are hard to come by, and once you've got your hands on a lump sum, you should plan carefully how to use it, taking care of the most important expenses first.
What are the differences between annual, biennial, and perennial plants? Why are some annuals tender while others are hardy? Examples of different plants.
What makes a person happy? There are many ways to find happiness, but what works for one may be totally ineffective for another. How to Live a Happier Life Finding Your Balance
Is Venice child and stroller friendly? Things you need to know when going to Venice with children.
Why spend your time wading through crowds when you could be visiting Venice's less-famous attractions and beauties instead? In this article, you will find the top nine non-touristy things to do in Venice.
A guide on how to set and achieve SMART financial goals and track your progress. What's keeping you from getting rich?
How does art appreciation improve quality of life and makes you feel good? There is science behind it. Admiring artworks stimulates the brain similarly to what happens when we fall in love, it improves our mood, and can be used as therapy during healing.
A guide for fine oil and acrylic painters on how to choose the best paintbrushes to achieve the desired painting effects. Learn how to choose your brushes by size, shape, and material.
Varnishing step-by-step. Your acrylic painting is complete. As a final step, apply the best varnishing techniques to protect your artwork, and getting it ready to hang or to be sold. Learn how to brush on or spray the varnish, and how to remove it.
How to make a successful personal budget plan. All you need to know to start planning your finances and stop worrying about money.
What to do in the fall to prepare a vegetable garden for winter so you find it ready for planting in the spring. Harvest, protect, dig, and fertilize your garden in the fall.
Light and delicate recipe for a delicious zucchini, ham, and cheese baked quiche. Ready in 45 minutes.
How to Set up a Family Budget. All you need to know to make a family budget and plan your personal finances. Step-by-Step simple and easy budgeting tips.
This rice salad is a delicious dish the all family will love. Since it's served cold, the rice salad makes a great summer dish. I love to have it as starter, and it's very convenient to pack for school or work lunches.
Indoor gardening: watch seeds grow into edible crop, powerfully satisfying and a delight to all senses. Grow your on healthy food. Plus it's a great conversation starter!
It's important to have a personal budget and use it as a tool to analyze what happens with your money so you can make the best financial and spending decisions for your situation. Following a budget will benefit your life in remarkable ways by putting you in control of your income and expenses.
How to clean up acrylic paint from brushes, painting palettes, or clothes whether they are still wet or after they are dry.
How relying on technology to remember things and find directions shrinks your hippocampus. Importance of exercising spatial memory.
Before you can paint on raw canvas, the fabric should be primed. How do you prep a canvas for acrylic or oil paint? Step-by-step instructions on how to prime a canvas with acrylic gesso.
Planning to visit Italy during less expensive periods can save you a lot of money. Tips on how to save money during a trip to Italy and what periods of the year are best to visit each region.
25 free or low-cost ways to go green - Save money by creatively reducing, reusing, and recycling. Fight your carbon footprint.
Investing some time planning your family budget can save you lots of money. Things you need to do to gain personal financial stability.
Anyplace where wind blows steadily and strong, wind-power systems could be installed. Wind farms and turbines have many advantages, but some disadvantages too...
Cutting down on energy usage saves money and helps the environment.
All about extra virgin olive oil - characteristics and benefits of olive oils. Understanding olive oil labels, how to purchase the best olive oil, health properties, and alternative uses of olive oil.
Make your home a healthier place for you and your family by cleaning with white distilled vinegar.
Tips on how live happy on a tight budget - based on my personal experience. How to save the most by understanding needs vs. wants.
How does solar energy work? Photovoltaic systems explained in a simple way. An insight on the technical characteristics and efficiency of solar power.
Recipe for a delicious Bolognese meat sauce, delicious on pasta, gnocchi, and lasagna with minced carrots, celery, onions, and garlic.
The value of a visual element measures how light or dark it is. Value is an essential element in drawings and paintings. Learn how value is the key to a successful painting, not color. This article explains how to understand and see values in art.
Ready to save money and help the environment? Get your brain and heart ready to change habits and you can save money while reducing pollution and resource consumption.
We all need an emergency fund to financially protect ourselves and our family. How much do you need to save for emergencies? What are financial emergencies? Tips to save money.
Tips for women struggling to keep the romance in a relationship. Nurture a healthy and loving relationship and keep the passion alive with daily acts of love .
Painting tips for beginners. A guide to acrylic paint techniques you can use to get creative effects: splattering, pouring, masking, collage, and more.
A free family game that you can play anytime and anywhere. It’s totally free and you don’t need any supplies. You can play it with family or friends. Children love this game!
A delicious pasta recipe that's very easy to prepare. It uses eggs, bacon, and Parmesan cheese as the main ingredients. Yum! Good with spaghetti, linguine, penne, or your favorite noodles.
How to find artistic inspiration. 10 tips to overcome lack of inspiration, and get back at creating art. Tips and ideas to shake off the creativity burnout.
Acrylic painting for beginners: all you need to get started. Great info about art supplies and materials needed to start painting with acrylics for beginners. Tips on what paint, brushes, canvas, and easel they should buy.