In Step with Deb Henkener

     Please pass the salt!          Nature paints our trees with a broad brush of earthy autumn colors. Fall leaves are favorite subjects for many watercolor artists, and the perfect project to try a salt…

In Step with Pat Rayman

Watercolor paper collage Don’t throw out that old watercolor! As many watercolorists, I have a large portfolio of old discards and unfinished paintings. I wait for the right moment to…

Illustrating your life

Artists’ journals and sketchbooks are doorways into a secret world.  They are packed with drawings, paintings, and words — some polished, some rough, some never intended for anyone to see…

The picture you draw every day

Do you think that you don’t draw at all?  Betty Edwards, author of “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” points out that nearly every day almost all of…

Little people art projects

For ages 3 and up, “Cinnamon Drawing” is fun, and it smells good too.  You will need cinnamon sticks, sandpaper and scissors.  Cut the sandpaper into any shape (star, circle,…

Hands up!

     When it comes to drawing people, many artists do pretty well at getting the head, body, arms and legs to look natural,   But then they have to deal with…

     Have you ever used one of those Easter egg coloring kits from the supermarket, the ones that come with a small assortment of food dyes and a clear wax…

Keep it moving!

     Although still life, landscape, and portraits (which all show things that are NOT moving) will always be popular, artists also paint pictures that show action and movement.  This wasn’t…

Taking a line for a walk

     The act of drawing has been described as “Taking a line for a walk.”  Outline drawing is the best example of this description.        We all know that in…

      Previously, we discussed framing paintings; this week we’re moving on to the challenge of framing photos.  Framed photos, including those old sepia pictures of great-great relatives and family events…

Framed! And lookin’ good…

All right, you’ve purchased an original painting – but it isn’t framed.  Now what do you do?  If you want your picture to look its best, please don’t think “Well,…

Toning it up – or down

     If you have access to a copy machine, it’s interesting to put a brightly colored picture into the machine and run a copy of it in black and white…

What did the artist see in that?

     A contractor visiting a one-man art exhibit walked up to the artist, looking puzzled.  “Why on earth do you want to paint dilapidated farm buildings that are falling down,…

     One of the biggest challenges of watercolor is how to handle areas of black and white.   Although there are tubes of black and white watercolor, they don’t behave as…