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I think the shading and lighting is very nice. Only a couple things stood out to me: the eyebrow looks unnatural because it looks like just an outline, and I think there could be some definition in the keyboard to make it more obvious that's what it is (put some horizontal and vertical lines to indicate the keys, nothing too detailed needed I don't think)

Also for the background shading, you could experiment with wetting the paper and letting the shades bleed from light into dark. It could give it a different and interesting look. Example: the black and white ones here or this one with some texture How it is now is fine, but this is just a suggestion that I think could also work in your composition.

It's important to practice with purposeful intent and guidance. If you're serious, look for some online courses from instructors you want to be able to work like. The paid courses are immensely better than the freebies on youtube. A few short videos for tips on drawing or painting isnt going to cut it.

As far as books go, I'd recommend starting with these - Drawing the Head and Hands by Andrew Loomis - Figure Drawing for All It's Worth - Alla Prima II by Richard Schmid And absolutely pick up a book on perspective! There are plenty of good ones and you can't get anywhere without it.

Hope this helps!

For anything remotely realistic or representational, it's really uncommon for pieces to be 100% from imagination. The biggest hurdle is learning to use references without strictly copying them. Another commenter mentioned a collage, and that's a great way to think of it.

Try building a collection of reference material that you find inspiring and that is legal for you to use. While it doesn't really matter for beginner practicing, it's just a good habit to only use images you have the rights to. Pixabay is a good place to get started. Search and browse categories and keywords you're interested in, and save anything that catches your eye.

Now as you browse your big library of images, let your mind wander to "what if" possibilities. Even just small changes at first. "What if this tree had an owl in it". Now find an image of an owl you like, at the right perspective, and add him to the tree. Eventually you'll be able to adjust lighting and color from experience, but at first finding a photo that matches closely is easier.

Paint your new combination and you've got an original composition. Eventually you can take it to extremes, using dozens or hundreds of different images to reference very small aspects of your idea ("what does a pocket watch from this angle look like" as a tiny detail in a larger painting).

Some people can pull complex ideas out of thin air, but if that's not you, creating a large reference library can be a great way to get the creative ideas flowing.

Yes! This is what I use I got it really cheap at Michaels with a coupon, it’s not very high quality but it’s great for larger pieces! I do the printing for smaller pieces because it doesn’t really work for anything smaller than 8x10

I got this off of amazon. It's the pentalic aqua journal. So far I really love the paper. has cotton in it so it's fairly absorbent as compared with canson xl or something like that. https://www.amazon.com/Pentalic-Aqua-Journal-Page-Book/dp/B00479VQOE?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_3445696011

I would use a paint pen by posca. You’ll possibly need to “re paint” it occasionally but they come in multiple sizes which will make it easy to apply.

Posca PX148932000 Acrylic Paint Marker, Broad Chisel, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N6MGV2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NtvwFbZA4TEEQ

Thank you!! I got some cheap acrylic paints a few days ago (you can find them on amazon in a set here but honestly I think you can find better paints LINK) I used a dash of crimson and mostly white (and a slight bit of lemon yellow). Keep in mind the pic was taken in a pretty warm light!

I use a three tier cart that you buy at like micheals or off amazon. I find it really convenient because you can wheel the cart around your studio (or room) for easy use!

CAXXA 3-Tier Rolling Metal Storage Organizer - Mobile Utility Cart with Caster Wheels, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJMYQ8G/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_apa_i_zqS6EbRTDQH3B

I made an app which you might like. It’s called Sketch a Day. Each day there is a subject to draw or paint, and everyone submits their version of it.

iOS link: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sketch-a-day-draw-learn-share/id1434232227?mt=8

Android link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.tomhicks.asketchaday

Sounds like you might just be in a rut with the landscapes. Maybe break out of it and try some figure studies, or even some guided abstract like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=womQEliR3RA There is a lot to be said for "grinding" though. There's that old adage about having to put in 10000 hours to master something. Personally I find it disheartening to count the hours. I just go with some advice John Cleese had on just making sure to set aside a defined time of day and number of hours that you will ALWAYS devote to your creative work. Even on days you don't want to do it or can't think of anything, put in that time. It trains your brain that that is creative time and it will give you results mostly at those times. He says it better than I can: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgYhNrVMmEY I know none of this seams to address getting "something less shit" but it really does. That and a thing that helps me personally: when you aren't working or grinding observe everything in detail. If you see a bird imagine painting it's feathers. If you're eating an apple picture it in your mind as a charcoal sketch. How would you do it? Squint at random shit throughout the day and mentally note the values. This is especially true when you see art you admire. Ruin it for yourself and get the biggest pic of that piece you can find on google image search and follow every brush stroke and line with your eyes. Stare at it till you find faults. Hate it after a while and get to where your inner artist is going "well that's actually just this and this and this and I would have done this and this different." Sorry to be so long winded but I, myself, have been trying to get more done lately and these are all things that help. I'd also recomend finding "The War of Art" on Amazon. Really great book you can read in five minute bursts and finish in no time and it's very helpful, too.

As others have said, you have a good color sense, and I also think you work with brush strokes pretty well, especially in the forest and the fish.

Drawing classes might actually be the way to go--they'll be less expensive and it's a lot easier/less messy to practice. They'll give you insight on how to make things look 3-dimensional using line, form, and shadow. Also check out Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, which is a really great source for teaching yourself to draw.

Excellent ambition. I suggest looking up the following books and copying drawings from them:

John Vanderpoel - The Human Figure

George Bridgeman - Complete Guide to Drawing from Life

Gerald Ackerman - Charles Bargue and Jean Leon Geromes Complete Drawing Course

These books will show you have to structure the human head. Keep going!

I think just about everyone who pursues creative hobbies or careers have had those types of experiences when seeing particular works or exhibits that really resonate with them. It's a great and humbling feeling.

As far as technique versus creativity/passion/emotion, it's both. Check out Picasso and Van Gogh's drawings and early work; they both worked tirelessly to develop technique and individual style. Think of musicians: it takes years of practice and dedication to be able to improvise and compose all while making it look effortless.

You've got to be willing to start making, and know you'll make a lot of terrible pieces. I'm a big proponent of learning to draw first (or at least learn it along with painting) as it will teach you how to see and organize visual information. It's a great way to learn why some pieces work and others don't. If you're a beginner, there's a book called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain which provides the basics, explains WHY they're important, and gives exercises that quickly build up fundamentals (YMMV). /r/learnart has a bunch of good links and others learning if you prefer online resources. If there's a particular artist or style you're interested in, study those works, copy them to learn why they work, and learn about the process/philosophy behind the work. Good luck!

Work big to small. For instance, the eyes sit within the skull and in particular the orbital bones. If you get the shape of the skull right, the eye will work it self out. Don't just draw an oval and start working on eyelids because then you'll need to make everything fit around that, when in fact, its the opposite. There are tons and tons of tutorials on line for painting/drawing people online.

Also, here's a link to a free pdf of a book by an illustrator named Andrew Loomis "Drawing the Head and Hands." By far the best explanation of the considerations that go into drawing a realistic face. http://illustrationage.com/2013/04/02/free-andrew-loomis-art-instruction-downloads/

There is a lot of potential there! There is a book called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain that is very good and might interest you.

Drawing is a basic foundation for almost all fine art disciplines. Becoming proficient in drawing first, will make painting so much easier. The reason I say that is because in drawing, you are learning basic tenets of art using only one color. After you understand drawing, it is so much easier to learn to add other colors. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards is a good place to start.

Also, there is a section in LearnArt that has free, useful helps. Good luck and have fun.

If you haven't read Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art", you should definitely look into it. Definitely one of my favorite books and it really helps with motivation. I would suggest getting it on audiobook and listening to it while you paint.

While this is all well and good, and I agree with pretty much every sentiment in it, I don't think this is a good guide for actual painting. The best instruction I've ever received from text in the field of painting is a book called Hawthorne on Painting. For general art, I would also recommend a book called The War of Art. Both books are a huge kick in the ass in terms of getting work accomplished. Not to take away from the article linked here, but to say "there is no wrong way to make art" and "just paint," while both statements are true, neither really help you in accomplishing it.

https://www.amazon.com/1st-Place-Products-Oversized-Transport/dp/B07T279428/ref=asc_df_B07T279428/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=366476313554&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9830655645933609344&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&amp... https://www.michaels.com/tran-black-student-portfolio-case/M20009516.html

this amazon page has different ratios for different sizes: https://www.amazon.nl/gp/product/B0BDTSMKZS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AL6L0622X5AUD&th=1

and I'm wondering why and whether it will turn out okay?

I would use it as-is, but you can buy powdered titanium dioxide. It'll make the paint drier, and it might be clumpy if you don't have the tools to mull it thoroughly, but it is doable.

Haha well not cheap to me but cheap as plein air easels go. This is a knock off of a version that I see quite a lot of artists use. The original costs between $1-3k.

I have paint tubes that cost more than the easel. Art supply prices are wild.

If you fancy trying acrylics on your budget you could get a starter set like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daler-Rowney-System-Acrylic-Starter/dp/B002LQ5DAI/ This is actually a fairly decent limited palette that will allow you to mix a lot of colours.

Then with what you have left, get a mixed media/watercolour pad and a couple of cheap brushes. I'd go for a size 2 filbert and a small round for detail. Some bargain stores do sell cheap art supplies, just try to go for student grade paints as a minimum.

Then just fill a cup with water and use any old white plate for a palette.

Perfect Brush choice makes a painting perfect✨ we are offering huge discount on our lovely brush 🥳🥳🖌️Koartie Model Paint Brushes - 6 Pcs Miniature Fine Paint Brush Set with Wooden Triangular Handles - Perfect for Detailing, Acrylic, Watercolour, Craft Art & Model Painting. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09JWGGCYH?maas=maas_adg_99C44F42A06C0BCD212A88FA6912C355_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas

I am a HUGE fan of Bob Ross, he is my hero and you should definitely watch The Joy of Painting. Here's a link to a whole bunch of his videos. Even if you don't decide to paint in his style in the long run, his techniques can still be used in a variety of other painting styles and subjects. I paint images that are more on the fantasy side, but i still use his methods pretty often. Plus, he's great for everyone, beginners included, because his voice is so damn soothing and he offers a lot of encouragement. Good luck, and happy painting, my friend!

Welcome! I think I actually got it kinda right. It has to do with the wavelength of the colors and how the light gets scattered through the atmosphere.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/7229/aerial-perspective

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_perspective

Journal in this video: I’m using a 5.5” x 8.5” Stillman and Birn Zeta Series Hardcover sketchbook, linked here

Acrylic paints: I use all sorts ! Liquitex Basics, Liquitex Heavy Body, Golden, Amsterdam. Basically my cheat code is I use cheaper paints like Liquitex Basics for white, blues, greens and browns, and then heavier and more expensive paint for oranges, yellows and reds.

Gouache: most of these were done with my Caran d’Ache pan gouache set, linked here. Seriously an awesome purchase.

Happy painting :)

I bought a meeden acrylic paint set off Amazon in Jan 2020. 3 tips I've learned since then, gesso makes rough canvases smooth as paper, airbrush medium thins paints without loss of binders, and underpainting with yellow ocre. https://www.amazon.com/MEEDEN-66-Piece-Additional-Christmas-Beginning/dp/B07VV13GLG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?adgrpid=114145109402&gclid=Cj0KCQiAzfuNBhCGARIsAD1nu-_56kx7Y_ZQGcdZsPoioZC959N_M3KTXT2w45oDFa8phvnyejOv9LkaAlnMEALw_wcB&hvadid=476985054949&...

oh wow just checked out that link, thats guy's version is amazing. I could instantly tell it was the same reference photo that i used. I didn't use his tutorial though, I found the photo here https://www.pexels.com/photo/assorted-color-vehicle-vehicle-on-street-2422588/

thanks! I'm normally a landscape painting person but i had been wanting to try a cityscape too. The reference photo i used for this is here is you're interested https://www.pexels.com/photo/assorted-color-vehicle-vehicle-on-street-2422588/

haha this comment made me smile. I'm not a car person at all, the reference photograph is here https://www.pexels.com/photo/assorted-color-vehicle-vehicle-on-street-2422588/

I found painting the cars quite difficult as I usually do landscapes and painting tree branches are alot more forgiving! Will be interesting to see if any of your guesses are correct, i'm not feeling to confident haha

I had to look up, seems very overpriced imo. Here's what I bought which has alot more.
https://www.amazon.com/MEEDEN-66-Piece-Additional-Christmas-Beginning/dp/B07VV13GLG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1XK7GRRD4HCTY&keywords=meeden+acrylic+paint+set&qid=1637160937&sprefix=meeden+acrylic+paint+set%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-3

I just started painting maybe 6 weeks ago and I got everything from Dick Blick, minus an easel because they are too expensive for me to justify right now as a dabbler. But you can definitely get a pretty good haul there for 500, especially if you use their discount codes.

Do you know what type of paint of you're looking for (acrylics, watercolors) and what kind of painting your wife wants to do (portraits, landscapes, abstract etc.)? I can throw together a decent starter list for acrylic landscapes that work pretty well for any other subject.

Art Rage 4 has a free trial (limited saving and exporting) that you can try out. Not sure it can do Bob Ross type magic white or even good dry brushing, but it might be worth checking out.

https://www.artrage.com/demos/

For the full $45 price you might be better off getting a box of acrylic though.

Found here - it's really good for practicing faces as you don't need to feel guilty knowing it's a random stranger off the internet. Also pretty amazing showcase of technology!

This looks like a more pleasant version of a piece Beksinski did-- not to imply copying whatsoever, just that I think you may be inspired by his work if you haven't seen it already

https://www.amazon.ca/Princeton-Velvetouch-Mixed-Media-Watercolor-Professional/dp/B01N6XB5BQ

Princeton Velvetouch and Princeton Select are my all time favourite brushes for detail work - they’re not especially spendy but the Velvetouch in particular do have a luxe feel with the finishing on the handles. They make quite a few sizes, and the very small brushes in particular hold up extremely well, and are quite snappy to use for tiny tiny details. If you’d like to augment the gift you could always go for some brush cleaner (Mastersons puck cleaner is a classic) or get a set of brushes and supplement with a few tiny stand alone brushes from the same line - huge fan of the mini liners and mini rounds, and they have a larger barrel which are great for my arthritic hands for longer stints of painting.

I always recommend Techniqies Of The Great Masters Of Art because it offers a broad survey (of western painting,) and specifically shows the techniques and color palettes the artists used. You can get it used for a cheap price.

Yeah I bought white bulbs for the spotlights because I'm always working into the night so that I have realistic lighting, but this is also really handy if you can't change the bulbs where you're working. It's super bright (can light the whole room on its own almost), white light, has three settings of brightness, lasts about 80hrs per charge and you just use USB to charge it, and you can move it up close to see details, hang it off the little string it comes with or connect it to the magnet it has. Really useful for night work or low light and it's not expensive

LETOUR LED Tube Magnetic Work Light Bar 120W 6000Lumens 5 Dimmable Levels Camping Lantern USB Rechargeable Portable Lights Endurance for 80Hours (LT-LTK120 120Watts) https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QN6GDRL/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_TZ2XPER0EXK2ASZ48BWM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Thank you! I got the easel like a decade ago - but it's Winsor & Newton brand!

Eta: here's a similar one on Amazon! it has storage in the back so it's good for travel too!

Fabric paint! Like this. Arteza is a decent entry-level brand, but there are better brands out there. Note that this paint will act a bit like acrylic, so you may consider buying some acrylic and some canvases and testing out your paintings. Once you are confident in your painting, then do it again on a T-shirt. I'm not sure where you live but Michaels the craft store has T-shirts that are basically designed to be painted on.

This book helps a LOT. And there are quite a few tutorials out there for drawing animals.

On this painting, first, I love the sunset colors! The giraffes are actually quite a bit better than mine would be! The tails and ears are spot on. One thing that helps me a LOT is to draw the things I'm not sure of with a watercolor pencil, on dry background, first. If it's wrong, just wipe it off with a wet cloth.

It is a retarder, yes. Anything that is added to the acrylic to slow drying is considered a retarder. You can do it with water, but it thins your paint, and if you thin it too much you're going to end up with not enough medium to hold the pigments. The gel I use can be used 100% by itself as a clear medium, so you can use as little or as much color in it as you want. I do about 30% gel and the rest color, with maybe a few drops of water, depending on how thick your paint is, and how thick you want it. You can store your mixed colors in glass jars with sealed lids for quite a while, too.

The stuff I use is Slow-Dri Blending gel: Here

I LOVE playing with this. You can do so much with it.

Gorgeous (very skillful/beautiful transition between warms & cools)! I think you just need some of that gold/the sun to hit the tree branches, use the below for tiny color accents/ways to make parts of the painting pop (Munsell is awesome)...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0055RXT5Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_bG93FbZEJBTX8

Hi, I found these on Amazon for only $11.99, but they look like just the thing for someone painting in miniatures like that:

https://smile.amazon.com/AIEX-Miniature-Painting-Brushes-Watercolor/dp/B07PJ5GMX7/

Hi! Thank you! :) It was extremely time consuming haha. I used a photo for a reference, made it the same size ratio to my canvas, and plotted a grid on each with the exact same amount of pixels. From there I used an angled paintbrush, like one of these, to paint in each little square!

Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils and Rewards of Artmaking.

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Fear-Observations-Rewards-Artmaking/dp/0961454733

I believe a fine line applicator may be what you are after. They are just bottles with a very fine tip for doing just this using a liquid media of your choice. Acrylic ink should work well. Also fluid acrylic paint.

Amazon link for example of the product.

Fineline Applicators 20 Gauge Applicators & Bottles - Empty, pack of 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00756OEVI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_17IUFb5NRN9CY

I'm a gallery art painter who creates large works, and I simply use somewhat thick canvas dropcloths as painting canvas. I prime the hell out of it, and I've never had a problem from a single buyer (sold about 50+ paintings). It's cheap and it works -- and way better than many overpriced art canvases. For instance: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TIXP6EU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabt1_ViBTFbWCJ25X9

I love water mixable oil paint. All the beauty and benefits of oil paint without the need for ventilation or bad smell of paint thinner. It’s just like acrylics in the sense that you thin it with water the same way.

I would recommend Winsor & Newton’s good quality & fair price

You can mix modeling paste in with your paint or pre-texture a canvas/surface with it prior to painting. I've done both, but like pre-texturing first because you can paint over that and then sand it to get even more of an effect. It's great stuff, I've been using it for decades to give my paintings more texture when I want it. I tend to paint very flat otherwise.

There are other mediums, clear gels, etc. Golden makes an entire line of them, and so does Liquitex, but I put the cheapest one up there in my link.

Have you used transfer paper before? I've used transfer paper on canvases quite a few times off of a printed picture that I wanted to paint. Here is what I have used recently, though the projector idea seems promising if not a little expensive.

https://smile.amazon.com/Saral-Wax-Free-Transfer-Paper/dp/B01MT9TYKK/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2DM4UBZ0TDFA&dchild=1&keywords=saral+transfer+paper&qid=1601491424&sprefix=saral+%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-5

Read Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting. It has all the answers.

Variety in unity. He talks about it a lot (as does Harold Speed, another author to read)

https://www.amazon.com/Carlsons-Guide-Landscape-Painting-Carlson/dp/0486229270

It's 6mm random tape I found on Amazon.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B075RF3N6J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ofc! It took some time to get all the stuff that she has but I’ll add a link to the kit that I bought for her. (See below)

She uses acrylic paint as well and they sell them really cheap in Walmart.

US Art Supply 21-Piece Acrylic... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PR1JWVK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Canvass can get real expensive so try searching amazon too.

Bob Ross uses different techniques so if you haven’t seen any of his YouTube clips, you should, she just followed it. His a very nice guy!

Good luck

Thank you!

It’s our anniversary so I got her the easel kit with other painting stuff as a gift.

If you are interested I left the link below from amazon. Comes with the same size canvass (x1) she’s using to paint on

US Art Supply 21-Piece Acrylic... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PR1JWVK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

They’re called dotting tools— I actually had a set that I used for sculpting fondant flowers— here is a set I found on Amazon

Mandala Rock Painting Pen Dot Dotting Tools Stencil Brush Set 12 PCS Flat Head 4mm 5mm 6mm 8mm 10mm 12mm 14mm Diameter 5 Stylus (set1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BQGH6T1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tx0EEbBKFYHYX

Man, I’m just learning to paint and have been using gesso on a variety of notebook paper types. I didn’t expect it, but this one that’s not really even specifically for art was my favorite between Canson Pen paper, multi-media, marker pads or general sketchbook paper. This is the brand and I just used regular gesso from Michaels, granted I’m not a good painter by any means but from what I was able to tell, it worked well. I use gamblin oil paints, by the way.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DUXRSAI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_b-sADb5CGSYW9

Hi! Thank you so much for the reply! I've posted a link to the brushes I bought from Amazon. I didnt want to buy decent quality brushes because I didnt know if I'd enjoy painting as much as I do.

Darice Bristle Paint Brush (set of 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002V3EQUE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_D-evCbETEHSMH

They are hog bristle but the quality is really poor. Also thank you for the great reply about the thinner! That makes a lot more sense!

This could even be “glass paint” or gloss enamel that use to be sold at hobby lobby and comes premixed with a nice tip to create with. I’ll try to link it if I find it. Try this any of these with the tips should help you recreate that look of the outline of the fish Or try here amazon link amazon link

>paint pen

Are these an example of what you are talking about?

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https://www.amazon.com/Paint-pens-rock-painting-Resistant/dp/B0774T13DV

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You could also get canvas paper, which is a lot cheaper than stretched canvases but is the same material so you can keep it forever.

https://www.amazon.com/CANSON-Canvas-Paper-Roll-36/dp/B00HLK74G0

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Books or video on composition? I can recommend two books:

I got this from the library and so far I’m enjoying it

Mastering Composition: Techniques and Principles to Dramatically Improve Your Painting (Mastering (North Light Books)) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1581809247/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_39W8Ab8K4X8ZF

This was my textbook for my color and composition class

The Elements of Color: A Treatise on the Color System of Johannes Itten Based on His Book the Art of Color https://www.amazon.com/dp/0442240384/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_teX8AbVYTBXVT

Cool. Not a huge fan, but cool.

Some technical comments. It's all warm colors. No cool colors. You have flesh-tone, yellow, and orange. If you had some blue (like the background, it would make the painting pop more.

The subject is floating in space. You don't have support or shadowing to make her part of the scene. Maybe it's intentional.

I think you could use work on your drawing skills. I recommend "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" or Will Kemp's drawing class. Right now, you're using a lot of symbols for things like fingers or eyes or head shapes. That's making them look "childish". Compare that to the left leg, where you captured it's foreshortened shape and bend below the knee very nicely. If you're shooting for realism, drawing would help a lot.

I'll be direct: It looks like you know how to draw. The body is composed of short-hand symbols the way an elementary kid would draw. "This is a hand, let me do the five fingers. And this is a foot. And these are boobs." The result is childish and unappealing. It's not raw in an emotive way like a picasso or other outsider art, it just looks immature and poorly executed. Fundamentially, you're not drawing the shapes you see.

I'd recommend reading and working your way through Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. It will show you how to see, and then how to draw what you see.

I have the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Other than that, it's hard to say where I'll go. There are so many tutorials on YouTube that it's hard to know which is actually helpful for beginners or people trying to get back into drawing again.

Yeah, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is widely considered the best beginners book. I'd go for that.

Also, just a general recommendation, work hard on developing your fundamental drawing skills above anything else. Get really, really good at drawing first. You and your paintings will thank me later when you're famous. =)

another greeat book to get would be The artist's handbook by ralph mayer. reviews everything one could want to know. also a color wheel is another great thing you could get her.

link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Handbook-Materials-Techniques-Reference/dp/0670837016

link to color wheel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002J4OPEM/ref=asc_df_B002J4OPEM5271826/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395033&creativeASIN=B002J4OPEM&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167148482147&hvpos=1o4&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8189816881818029176&hvpone=&hvp...

Not sure if this is quite small enough for what you're doing but I've been using these for detail work and I love them! Great value. They don't shed at all.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IGQGQ9S/

Inclined to agree with those below, I think brushes that are a step or two up from the giant cheap "value packs" for students but aren't ridiculous are the way to go. I hate spending more than $5 a brush and have found brushes in that price range to be perfectly suitable.

I will hit the stores this week or the next, the one you showed me looks so big! But I guess that's better than a tiny one. You know I do own a Pen Brush I found on amazon, maybe that would work as well, I will try it out on the weekend.

Hard to tell from just the picture, it seems a bit small and more for calligraphy than for drawing, but I don't know for sure.

Maybe this one would be better?

If you have a local art store it might be better to see if they have any bamboo brushes so you can see how it feels in your hand. But the one you showed me and the one I showed you are 2 and 3 euro respectively, so it's not a huge loss of money if you order online

I know they're both on Amazon at least, so maybe you can get them. And no problem! Ink + bamboo brush is one of my favorite mediums, you should try it out if you've been thinking about it :) You can dilute with water for different greys, like watercoloring

Sounds amazing! But I only found one bamboo brush on amazon. Found the Yatsumo ink though and put it right in my wishlist :) Here's the brush, do you think it's any good? https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B004ZUKJ3E/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A2Y1VE5FNLB0RG&psc=1

Thanks for the info. Color me more informed. :-)

I haven't touched it at all, other than the occasional tap every few days to see if it's "dry" or not yet.

The paint used was an inexpensive set that I got from a local art store. Specifically, this set. I used no additives, and no solvents were used during the painting process. We used five brushes in total, one brush for each color, and didn't clean them until we were done (and then, we used acetone). We painted onto the freshly sanded plywood; there was no primer or sealer or anything, just wood. I've had the house sitting on a shelf above my boiler (where it gets pretty warm) since it was painted.

I don't want to just grab a rag and wipe it as I suspect that'll make huge smears on the wood which I would be able to remove or cover up properly. The wood is undoubtedly stained with color at this point; I'm wondering if I could just very carefully remove what's left of the paint with a bunch of Q-Tips or something, leaving only the stained wood behind.

I don't know of any glow in the dark oil paints, but if you can find glow in the dark pigment (like in powder form), you can try and mix it with linseed oil and see how it holds up. Maybe something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Powder-Slice-Moon-Reactive-Crafts/dp/B008H3NHPM

Alternatively, you can use the acrylics as the first layer of paint, then once that's dry, use oils above it (make sure you never apply the other way around or it'll make a mess).

I don't know of any apps like you described, but if you're okay with doing the colour matching by yourself, some brands (like Williamsburg and Winsor & Newton) do make colour charts. They probably have some version of it in their sites too. If you're going to an art store, they probably have their own copy you can borrow while looking at the paints.

I've never tried it, but looks like there's also this mixing chart: https://www.amazon.com/Color-Wheel-5324CW-Palette-Personal/dp/B00119HMDC

It might not be super precise, because the different brands will still differ a bit on the same colour, but at the very least it will help point you in the right direction.

Check out this little field box that Roger Ebert used. I wanted one ever since seeing an old blog post about it.

http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/you-can-draw-and-probably-better-than-i-can

Lots of versions: https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Cotman-Water-Color/dp/B000N9B3WM

correction: they're factory gessoed sheets sold as a pad. Its not raw canvas, and its archival.. I'd never trust factory gesso on a painting that I planned to build-up a lot of thick paint, but it works for little 1-3 hour paintings like this. http://www.amazon.com/Fredrix-3503-Canvas-Pads-24-Inch/dp/B0027ACEL4

Back when I had warehouse space, I used to make my own large batch oil-primed panels. These days my studio is confined to a couple hundred square feet. I experimented with several types of canvas pads and these by fredrix suite me the best. I prefer a slick surface with very little absorption. I usually can wait until a sell, and use my instructor discount to buy them in bulk for a slight discount, but still they're a bit pricey. Any suggestions of cheaper alternatives?

do they not give you a suggested supplies? i've never had a painting class that didn't use a supply list. in any case, you can get a pack of winton for $40 that includes all your basics: cadmium yellow pale hue, cadmium red deep hue, french ultramarine, phthalo blue, virdian hue, yellow ochre, burnt sienna in addition to titanium white tube. i've always had a pretty good experience with winton (I supplement more expensive paint with the less expensive) and predominantly use liquin as my medium.

I highly recommend reading/re-reading "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron - it's full of tips on how to find/broaden your path as an artist. By the way- one of the great things about creating art of course is that it's a discovery process...there are no "rules."

She looks like the girl on this book cover: http://www.amazon.com/Freelancer-Jake-Lingwall-ebook/dp/B00WFF5K9E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1451347266&sr=8-2&keywords=freelancer+book

I guess there are some differences, but close enough to make the connection :)

This book should have the information you are looking for.

I think doing multi-discipline art could help. For example, my primary traditional medium right now is ink & marker, and practicing inking using a brush pen really helps train you to have a confident, steady hand as well as control pressure. Look into getting one of these and just practicing with keeping a steady line/curve with the same line weight. You could also just get another size 0 brush and some black ink/paint and do the same thing using that.

http://www.amazon.com/Liquitex-BASICS-Acrylic-Paint-48-Piece/dp/B00251I66C Here's the exact one I got. It's just the basic paint since I was trying a new technique. I bought it from a local paint store for about 20 bucks more than this because I'm a sucker and I was impetuous. I hate waiting.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0099Q1GR2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Advantage-Wood-Palette-Brushes/dp/B0027A5B2I/ref=pd_sim_201_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0GR0T4Y1PBW73CQ8KSAC

As far as I know steel is a ferrous metal, which means that it's vulnerable to oxidization and rust. Since acrylic paint is water-based, I wouldn't paint directly onto it, and it would be difficult anyway since acrylic paint doesn't adhere well to smooth metal. So you'll have to do some preparation.

First, clean it to make sure there's no grease or oily residue. Then you'll need to rough up the metal to give it some tooth otherwise the paint will be susceptible to peeling. You can use sandpaper for this. If you're set on acrylics you should apply some kind of metal primer like this. Any home improvement or hardware store should have it or at least something similar. When it's primed you should be able to paint directly onto. To seal it, you could use any type of aerosol can of clear coat like this that has UV protection.

I'm not an expert on painting metal by any means, but I've done a bit of research for painting onto aluminum. All the information I've come across recommends things similar to the above.

I just got a sta-wet palette and I love it! It keeps your paint from drying out while you are working so it is easier to go back over parts of your painting and play around more.

There might also be some DIY versions on pinterest you can try, but the commercial version isnt that expensive, and you can reuse the sheets and they also sell separate replacement packs for both the sponge and the sheets.

I also just started out in acrylics. I'm not sure of a good set that has everything in one, but I can share what I got to get started. For Christmas I got the basics, i.e. Red, Yellow, Blue, White, and Blank paint (Premiere acrylics), some canvases (8x10 and 12x16), a set of 12 different Royal and Langnickel brushes, and a wooden table-top easel.

Additional items I went back to AC Moore and bought:

--Silver, Gold, Brown, Green, Orange, and Purple paints

--A sta-wet palette which keeps your paints from drying up while you are working.

--Palette knife

--Canvas panels

-- Liquitex Gloss medium & Varnish

-- Brush Cleaner (same as this one on Amazon)

Basically I was having trouble finding an All-in one kit, so I got everything separately. One thing I would have done differently is buy a multipack of the paints with more colors to save time mixing. If you want to go pick stuff out in person then AC Moore or Michaels, as JT suggested, are great. Otherwise, everything seems to be on Amazon and the reviews tend to be pretty helpful! I actually made my shopping list by looking up things on Amazon and then went to the store because I was too impatient to want to wait for shipping.