Tag: veronica winters blog

How to paint realistic details by studying famous art & artists through art history

When I travel and visit art museums, I study the art. I often take pictures of closeups and details in the oil paintings to see how famous artists conveyed realism through texture and detail in their masterpieces. Some top art museums have digital art collections available to view and even download online these days but many don’t.

I find it enjoyable to take pictures of jewelry, fabric, bows, gowns, metal, gold, silver and other details I see in art. I learned a lot by studying such detailed paintings and if you’re interested in the realist oil painting techniques, I suggest making painted copies of your favorite paintings. I hope this blog post can inspire you to do just that. Enjoy!

All photos are taken by me- Veronica Winters unless noted otherwise. Also, many famous paintings are in the public domain and can be downloaded for free from art museums websites like the Met, the National Gallery of Art, etc.

Agnolo Bronzino-Eleonora of Toledo with Her Son Giovanni-painting details-blog
Agnolo Bronzino, Eleonora of Toledo with Her Son Giovanni, painting details of pearls and fabric. | photo: V. Winters. From 1539 to 1572, Bronzino served as the court painter to Cosimo I, duke of Florence. The Florentine artist, Bronzino painted in the Mannerist art style – emotionless figures and hyperrealist painting details of jewelry and fabric gowns.
Bronzino
Titian, a closeup of hands, fur and jewelry rings | photo: V. Winters
Holbein-the ambassadors closeup
Holbein, The ambassadors, a closeup of fur. National Art Gallery in London. Notice how soft the fur looks in comparison to carefully painted golden details in fabric.

A close up of a painting showing white lace, Metz, France. Photo: Veronica Winters
Art closeup at the CA’ d’ ORO palace in Venice, Italy
Sargent, Mrs. Joshua Montgomery Sears, a closeup of a white gown, Huston art museum

lady reading letters of Heloise and Abelard-1780-A. dAgesci
Auguste Bernard d’Agesci, A lady reading letters of Heloise and Abelard, 1780, oil painting, Art Institute of Chicago

Titian, Portrait of a Lady, a golden earring and pearl detail, the Pitti palace, Italy

Some ribbon and fabric details at the Smithsonian National Art Gallery
Turin, Italy. Here the meticulously created details of fabric are layered over the initial painting of a fancy yellow jacket.
oil painting closeup-the Soumaya Art museum, Mexico city, Mexico
oil painting closeup, the Soumaya Art museum, Mexico city, Mexico | I love the variety of textures created in this fabric.

veronica winters painting

white fabric detail-Smithsonian
White fabric detail at the Smithsonian National Art Gallery. | Notice how abstract the details look painted over the base color. Stroke direction and curvature are essential to describe forms, shapes and textures.

how to paint realistic details-white fabric and gold details- the Smithsonian
White fabric and gold details, the Smithsonian. | Notice, how gold reads as gold because of few light highlights added to the general shape of these golden accents. How to mix gold color: You should use browns with a touch of either red or yellow (depending on the reflected light) to color mix gold color. It’s not about mixing lots of yellow into the oil paint, rather it’s using ochre and brown oil paint like raw sienna, burnt sienna, raw umber and bunt umber to create the shape first and then adding some strategic highlights over it where the light hits it the most.
Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, The Marquise de Pezay, and the Marquise de Rougé with Her Sons Alexis and Adrien 1787. Image downloaded from the Smithsonian website. | This is a beautiful closeup of the female face that shows how to paint hair, face and fabric. The hair is always soft in classical art painting. The fabric has soft edges but definite highlights. The earring has the most defined edge. French female painter, Vigée Le Brun was a self-taught artist who got quickly noticed by her future husband – famous art dealer – Jean Baptiste Pierre Le Brun. The artist enjoyed both the opulent lifestyle and career in Paris and way beyond France, painting the wealthy and royals in Austria, Russia, Italy, Germany, England, etc. She is known for her official portrait of Marie-Antoinette. Her high-paying clientele loved her art style – creative poses based on classical ideals, realism and color choices.

Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun
The Marquise de Pezay, and the Marquise de Rougé with Her Sons Alexis and Adrien
1787
Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, The Marquise de Pezay, and the Marquise de Rougé with Her Sons Alexis and Adrien 1787. Image downloaded from the Smithsonian website. | Although I find Le Brun’s art less intriguing in terms of subject and meaning, I think her ability to paint realistic gowns and details is supreme. Notice how she catches the light on fabric in broad strokes of golden pink. We can feel the shimmer of fabric looking at this intense turquoise-blue and a lush golden sash.

details of hands and animal-the Smithsonian
details of hands and animal, the Smithsonian.
de heem details-the Smithsonian
de Heem, still life painting detail, The Smithsonian, National Gallery of Art | The seventieth-century painter, de Heem is one of my favorite Dutch still life painters who captured life of the wealthy in lux objects and food items. I learned a lot about classical realist painting by studying Dutch art, mainly composition, color choices and objects’ texture. His deliberate compositions feature careful balance of all objects and textures. Usually a piece of fabric leads the eye to the focal point. The background has subtle colors that support high-contrast still life.
de Heem, oil painting details of glass, fabric and silver. The Smithsonian.
Dutch painting of donuts and sweets at the Smithsonian.
Dutch painting of sweets at the Smithsonian.
ringling art museum_Munari_still life with plates
Munari, still life with plates, closeup, the Ringling Museum of Art.
Lavinia Fontana, jewelry painting detail, The Smithsonian
Lavinia Fontana, Portrait of Costanza Alidosi, closup of jewelry- c. 1595, oil on canvas, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington. | Famous female artist of her time, Fontana lived in Bologna, Italy in late1500s. It was highly unusual to have a name and a career as a female artist in Europe before late 19th century. It was also a strange choice to depict the mythological nudes at that time. Like other female artists of the past, she was trained by her father- Prospero Fontana in the late mannerist style. When she married, her husband became her manager; Apparently Lavinia made a lot of money painting portraits of noblewomen and religious subjects for churches because she had a big family of 11 children whom she supported!
Golden jewelry and fabric details at the Smithsonian
Lace and jacket fabric details at the Smithsonian.
Rembrandt, Lucretia, 1664, dress details. The National Gallery of Art (Smithsonian) has 737 works of art by Rembrandt! Notice how abstract the strokes are describing texture and light of the fabric. These are thick strokes with deliberate rotation and movement of the brush.
Rembrandt, Lucretia, 1664, dress and jewelry details. Notice how the artist uses greys to juxtapose colors. Thick, painterly strokes shape and sculpt the subject.

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Best brushes for oil & acrylic painting

If you’ve tried painting, you know how hard it is to find a good set of brushes. Many of them are flimsy or too soft to spread the oil paint around. Cheap brushes can shed the hairs like a cat. They don’t keep the fine point necessary to paint the details in oil painting. I went through many artist brushes trying to find something that works in my oil painting process. Here you’ll find information on how to pick a good brush for oil and acrylic painting, how to clean the brushes and what brands you can try to purchase the brushes from for your art studio practice.

what are the best brushes for painting?

Painting brushes differ in size, shape, and type of bristles

Size

The higher the number written on a brush, the larger the brush you get. For example #0000-0 brushes are for super fine detail, # 2-4 brushes are for small work, # 6-10+ are designed for a general application of paint.

Shape

There are rounds, flats, liners, chisel tips, filberts, and fans. The shape of a brush determines the stroke you can make with it. The rounds  have a fine point and are good for small, detailed application of paint, flats are for a large coverage of paint or to make a wide stroke; fans are good for gentle blending of the edges and for creation of some textures like tree foliage. My favorites are the filberts because they give me a variety of strokes. Depending on the rotation of my brush, it can give me either a flat stroke or a thin, fine line that’s great for defining and maintaining straight edges.

How to pick a perfect brush for oil & acrylic painting

Types of brushes

In general, watercolor brushes are very soft and are not suitable for oil painting. They are too soft to maintain a point filled with oil paint. However, small round Kolinsky brushes are very good for painting details, and watercolor 1″ flats are great for blending large areas of paint right after a painting session to soften the entire picture.

There are three kinds of oil/acrylic brushes: the bristle ones, the synthetic ones, and a blend of synthetic and sable hairs. Both the bristle and the synthetic ones are necessary for oil or acrylic painting.

First layer of painting: the bristle brushes

Use stiffer, synthetic brushes for your underpainting because the first layer doesn’t brush over smoothly. Many artists help the oil paint flow by using some solvent ( Gamsol) mixed into the paint. Both the solvent and canvas surface wear out fine brushes using them at this step!

The bristle brushes are used in a first, rough layer of painting to put the paint on canvas and to mass out shapes. It’s difficult to paint the first layer with the synthetic ones on canvas, because they are too soft for this step and don’t spread the paint around easily. I find that major manufacturers produce similar bristle brushes that don’t differ much in quality. I would avoid the cheapest ones because they shed hairs a lot that get embedded into the wet paint, if you don’t take them out of your artwork during painting. However, If you paint on panels and not canvas, the bristle brushes may be too hard to paint with.

Second layer of painting: the synthetic brushes

When you paint with oils over the underpainting, it glides over the first layer much better but often needs just a little bit of medium to have the flow. This is the stage when you switch from stiffer brushes to the synthetic ones. I find that “Simply Simmons” brushes are cheap, over the counter brushes sold at Michael’s that are quite durable and have a nice point when painting. Craft, unbranded brushes is a waste of money because they don’t hold the paint and have no stiffness necessary to move the paint around or to make clean edges and details.

With each layer your painting becomes more refined in color and detail and so do the brushes. I use Robert Simmons oil brushes that are cheap, durable and hold the point well. I paint with #2 round and #2-4 filbert for most work. I also have #6-8 to paint larger areas. The Robert Simmons brushes’ quality is OK for its price. They don’t last for a year, but perform quite well in comparison to other more expensive brushes I’ve tried so far. I also buy them separately, if I need a particular size or a tip. Another brand I recommend is the Rosemary and Co for the majority of oil painting.

To complete big chunks of painting I like using a variety of filberts. The W&N Galeria set of brushes are great. They are quite soft but work well with oil paint.

Third layer of painting: synthetic and sable brushes

Having good brushes is critical to painting subtle transitions, texture effects and details. For detailed work, I like the Ebony Splendor by Creative Mark that are budget friendly. This brand has a variety of small brushes. However, the really good ones are by the Rosemary brushes & Co. This English company manufactures a great variety of brushes.

For a super detailed work I love to use:
1. the Kolibri, artisan Kolinsky 3/0 sold at Natural Pigments
2. a variety of 3/0 or 5/0 Rosemary & Co oil painting brushes sold on their site, which I prefer using the most.
3. I also use a #0 liner “scepter gold II”, a sable/synthetic blend by Windsor & Newton to paint fine details.
4. Recently I found the Princeton, round, 18/0 to paint the tiny details as well but it didn’t last as long as the Kolibri one.

What about the brush handle?

I find that the brush handle length makes no difference in painting. In fact, if you do realistic painting with lots of detailed work, you want to minimize your hand movements to remain precise. I don’t see how long handles help artists do that.

I keep a wide, super soft watercolor brush (3/4 or 1″) for blending large areas to soften everything before I quit painting for a day. It doesn’t matter what brand it is as long as it’s a super soft brush like the watercolor brushes are.

If you want your brushes to keep their shape, it’s not only the quality of the hairs to pay attention to, but also how you wash them.

Thomas Gainsborough The Honourable Mrs Graham
Thomas Gainsborough The Honourable Mrs Graham (1757 – 1792) 1775 , painting detail

How to clean the oil painting brushes

If you want your brushes to last, take good care of them. Squeeze all the unused paint out of your brush, using a paper towel. I Usually, I deep them in linseed oil first and then take the paint out with a paper towel.

Then you can use a solvent like Gamsol to swish them around in a glass jar, and then wash them out with a bar soap and warm water. I skip the solvent step most of the time because of the two reasons. One reason is a plain health precaution and another one is care for my brush hairs. The solvent dilutes the paint and damages the hairs. I find that cleaning with linseed oil and a bar soap works great and makes the brushes last longer.

To sum up, I take the paint off the brush with a paper towel and use the oil to take most of the paint off. I use a soap bar to clean them after every painting session. I wipe the water off of every brush, and rest them flat on a paper towel, so the excess water doesn’t run underneath the ferrules, damaging them.

One more thing. Brushes wear out a lot faster working on textured canvases. Use lightly textured panels or linen canvases to keep your brushes like new.

Presto!

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What is positive and negative space in drawing?

To design beautiful compositions in painting and drawing, you need to understand the difference between negative and positive space in art. Every realist artist combines negative space into his drawing and painting to create visual balance and unity.

Definition

Positive space in art is the subject or object itself in art, such as a cat, cup, spoon, etc. Negative space is the empty space or background space that surrounds that object or subject.

what is negative space in art?
Look at this picture. What do you see a black vase or two white profiles? If it’s the black vase, you’re looking at the positive space. If it’s the profiles, you’re seeing the negative space. Usually the positive space is the object(s) you draw, and the negative space is the background that surrounds it.

what is negative space in art?
Here is an example of a positive space in art. This is my colored pencil drawing of a flower. The flower itself is the positive space, and the white background around it is the negative space. The negative space in art isn’t always empty or in one color. It can have out of focus objects, colors and details that support the focal point – your main subject in the drawing.

How to use negative space in your art

The negative space can be an effective tool to define your center of interest in art. Every subject in your painting and drawing has edges. These edges are affected by tones and colors placed right next to or around it. Hence, the negative space can bring visual balance and unity to your composition with a specific tone, shape or shadow.

One of the most common mistakes beginners make, they forget to include their background space into the equation, and ask me what to do with it much later when they are almost done shading the object itself. In my mind I compose the image before I begin drawing. I consider everything: composition, values, textures, and colors not only of the subject, but also of the negative space itself.

To use both negative and positive space in drawing effectively, consider picking your main focal point or a center of interest in art first. This focal point must be big enough, taking the majority of your space. Add the background elements around this focal point to lead the eye to it.

Woman Reading a Letter, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1663
Woman Reading a Letter, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1663 oil on canvas, h 46.5cm × w 39cm × d 6.5cm | In this painting the woman in blue is the subject and the focal point of the painting. The surrounding objects – the chairs, table and map create visual balance in the painting. Notice that the chair on the right is rotated towards the figure and a large map behind the woman sets contrast and mystery in art.
Prado museum | In this beautiful painting we can see how the artist creates a dynamic composition using both negative and positive space effectively. He places his focal point-the woman at a diagonal, creating movement. Painted in sharp focus, she occupies the most space in the picture. The background (negative space) has subdued colors and details. The edges are soft.


Examples of negative space in art

rose colored pencil by veronica winters
Pink rose, 9×12 inches, lightfast colored pencils on board | For example, in this picture pink rose stands out being the center of interest or a focal point set against the purplish background (the negative space). If the background were the same pink hue and sharpness, the flower would be lost visually.
self-portrait by Raphael at Pitti palace
Raphael, Self-portrait, Pitti Palace, Italy | In this painting we can see the most common use of negative and positive space in art. The portrait itself is the positive space and this empty background is the negative space.
how to draw glass
This is one of my still life drawings where I play with negative and positive space. The starfish is the focal point. The beads and marbles lead the eye to the subject of interest (positive space). The fabric becomes the negative space with its folds moving around the starfish to create visual interest.
surreal art and paintings of women
Invisible: frosted past, oil on panel with some aluminum leaf, 11×14. In this oil painting I use negative space to fill in the forms.
presence_veronica winters_16x20_oil on panel, contemporary romantic paintings of women
Presence,16×20, oil on panel with some leafing, unframed, available. I play with the negative space in this oil painting as well. The dress that is normally a positive space becomes part of the negative one. https://veronicasart.com/product/presence-painting/

Tips for using negative space effectively

Here I’m going to give you three additional tips on how negative space can enhance your art. I often use all of these strategies designing my colored pencil drawings and paintings.

  • You can create contrast in art using the negative space with purpose.
  • You can measure and check distances between objects visually while sketching or drawing the shapes.
  • You can improve your drawing accuracy or realism in your art by looking at the negative space.
  • You can come up with a unique drawing design using the negative space as an illusion

1. Create contrast using negative space in your art

As a beginner in art, it’s easy to start designing your images around the concept of contrast that occurs between the negative and positive space. If your still life is dark, set up the light background behind it. If the object/focal point is light, it would appear much brighter set against dark, negative space.

oil painting techniques still life with starfish and peacock feather
In this small oil painting of a starfish I make my focal point – white starfish – the brightest object. I place the peacock feather at a diagonal to create visual balance and the background (negative space) is dark brown-grey to create contrast and balance.

2. Measure and check distances

You can measure and check distances between objects visually while sketching or drawing the shapes. This is a very useful skill drawing all subjects, especially people. I often check distances between the eyes or between a hand and a waist, etc.

When students draw the object, they tend to focus on the curvy line itself. As a result, the shape might be too long or lopsided, or foreshortened the wrong way. Instead of focusing on the object’s curve itself, look at the space between those curves. Realist artists visually measure distances between the lines, shapes or objects by checking the negative spaces between them to make the most accurate drawings.

I made this illustration to show you the idea behind visual measuring of distances using negative space in art. Focus on these black lines (negative spaces) to see the accurate distances between the shapes. These distances help you measure, copy and draw accurate outlines of the subject (cat).

The black lines show the idea of visual measuring of distances between the shapes using negative space.

3. You can improve your drawing accuracy or realism in your art by copying abstract negative shapes.

By focusing on negative space you can become more skillful drawing realistic shapes. Negative shapes look abstract in our mind. Copy those abstract shapes with as much precision as possible to improve the overall accuracy of your drawing.

what is positive and negative space-veronica winters art blog
In the image on the right I defined the negative space that consists of abstract shapes made by the positive space. It’s useful to learn to see these abstract shapes and copy them to create a more accurate drawing of a cat in this case.

4. You can come up with a unique drawing design using the negative space as an illusion.

This is AI–rendered image that illustrates the idea of using the negative space as part of your drawing.
Here is another render illustrating the illusion you can create using the negative space as an active part of your painting.

video courses by veronica winters

If you’d like to learn more about colored pencil drawing, check out free previews of my video courses here: https://veronica-winters-art-school.teachable.com/

Art supplies:

Reasons why da Vinci Mona Lisa is still here: how to use your art supplies in oil painting correctly

Technical reasons why Mona Lisa is still here

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was a scientist and an inventor. In his mind, his remarkable abilities to perfect the oil painting techniques were secondary to his numerous other interests. That’s one of the reasons why so few da Vincis exist today. Tall, handsome, and charming Leonardo was great at building relationships and finding patrons for his military, scientific, theatre and art projects, which he rarely finished.

As an inventor, he also loved to experiment with his art materials, using new, untested methods and processes that led to a number of disasters. His greatest surviving disaster-achievement is the “Last Supper” mural painted inside a church in Milan. It began to chip off the wall during his lifetime! It happened because he disregarded the traditional fresco painting technique. Leonardo painted the picture on a dry wall instead of a wet plaster, and experimented with oil, tempera and other materials combining them in a new, untested method. The mural has endured a number of renovations since then, but only restored and computer-generated models can show us his genius: perfectly sculpted figures set in triangular sub-compositions. The admission to the museum requires multi month booking to see the mural, which attests to his long-lasting enigma.

It’s not a surprise that da Vinci experimented with “Mona Lisa” that he began working on in 1503. Obviously, this painting had held a very special place in Leonardo’s heart since it had never left his hands until his death. Da Vinci’s drawing of the figure was absolutely perfect, and his creation of a soft landscape behind her using the sfumato technique was his signature invention. I’m not going to talk about the mystery of the sitter, the beauty of this composition, or the artist’s preoccupation with the painting. There is numerous literature written about these topics. Rather I’d like to illustrate the importance of art materials used in the oil painting.

The artist played with the technical aspects of the painting itself that deteriorated its surface at a much faster pace than it normally would. The exposure to light and humidity darkened and discolored the pigments. Fine details in the face got lost as dyes mixed with the paint faded. Her brightly colored attire changed to shades of browns and black that we see today. Further applied varnishes during the early restorations darkened the painting even more, and today it has a rather colorless appearance of yellowed browns.

Italian painter, Giorgio Vasari was the first to write a comprehensive book about famous artists preceding his generation that he titled “lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors, and architects.” In his notes he reviewed the “Mona Lisa” as follows:

“The eyes had that luster and watery sheen always seen in life … the nostrils, rosy and tender, seemed to be alive … The opening of the mouth seemed to be not colored but living flesh.”

Georgio Vasari

These are the words that describe the mastery of the artist that we sort of see here, only if we could take the sunglasses off to see the real colors.

So what happened to the painting? Because the artist painted on a poplar panel (soft, non-durable and susceptible to insect attacks wood) that was removed from its original frame, the surface couldn’t withstand the changes in humidity. It warped and cracked. In the 18th century the braces were added in the back of the painting to stabilize the crack, and later the added frame and cross braces helped to stop the continuous warping of the panel. Over the centuries the panel had actually shrunk!

Today you can see the painting in the Louvre that’s kept in a bulletproof glass case. It’s rather small (21×30”) and it’s hard to enjoy the beauty of it, jumping over the heads of so many tourists surrounding it with phones. To preserve the priceless artwork, this painting is kept in a climate-controlled room with a 50% (+\-10%) humidity and 18-21C (68-70F) temperature. To compensate for fluctuations in relative humidity, the case is supplemented with a bed of silica gel treated to provide 55% relative humidity (source: Wikipedia)

These are computer-generated models of the famous painting showing us true colors the Mona Lisa probably had when Leonardo had just painted it. In these models we can see the pinks and the blues that Vasari mentioned that have faded over the centuries.

Source for the images: World Mysteries at http://blog.world-mysteries.com/science/digital-restoration-of-leonardo-da-vincis-mona-lisa/ Other sources: Art history lessons | the Natural Pigments at http://www.naturalpigments.com/blog | Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa

Mona Lisa in the Louvre

If you’re interested to learn more, the Louvre museum website is a great source. Here you can see Mona Lisa up-close and personal going through the digitized images completed by the Louvre museum:

Close ups: http://focus.louvre.fr/en/mona-lisa/

Overview: http://focus.louvre.fr/en/mona-lisa/understand/most-famous-painting-world

Scientific tests: http://focus.louvre.fr/en/mona-lisa/compare/scientific-tests

This diagram is taken from the Natural Pigments website. NP produces lightfast, high-quality materials for professional artists.

11 Classical Oil painting techniques rules

If you are serious about creating permanent oil paintings, always consider using the best art materials that includes the painting substrate. the longevity of art depends on the environment you place it in. The best conditions you can set in your home or office must include:

-constant room temperature

-low humidity level

Also, don’t expose your oil paintings and especially watercolors and drawings to extreme sunlight, heat oxidation and high humidity. These are the main causes for art deterioration.

-Don’t wash the surface with water!

-Don’t paint on super smooth or glossy surfaces because the paint doesn’t stick or form a permanent bond with the substrate.

-Don’t use a lot of medium as it weakens the oil paint. Use a little bit of linseed oil to help the paint flow.

-Ideally, it’s best to paint with a lead white, no the titanium white or worse the flake white. Lead white holds everything together like a glue and minimizes cracking.

-If you don’t paint large, stick to painting on professional panels, the surface of which doesn’t fluctuate as much as canvas.

-Have strong stretcher bars and frames that keep the canvas flat and unchanged.

-Use the linseed oil to form the most durable paint film, although it may yellow more than the walnut oil. The walnut oil is also a very good medium that dries much slower then the linseed oil.

-Don’t use the oil paint that contains the safflower oil.

-Always paint on a previously dry layer!

I hope these oil painting techniques tips will help you use your art materials correctly. Learning the rules helps artists create permanent paintings that you can be proud of and confident selling!

+ Updated. First written in October, 2016.

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How to use color harmony in colored pencil drawing

veronica winters colored pencil

When you begin realistic drawing in colored pencil, artistic aim is to copy what you see in front of you or in your reference. Beginners in colored pencil drawing pay attention to small things like details and textures, and they’re important. However they become truly important only when the basic drawing is in place. If you begin shading one spot and forget about the rest of your composition, you might end up having the colored pencil drawing that has no consistency or unity in color harmony and composition. In this article I’d like to share a few strategies I often employ using color harmony to create mood and atmosphere in colored pencil drawing. Let me give you some ideas how to use color harmony in colored pencil drawing so you can discover your own unique approach to drawing.

Another extensive article on colored pencil portrait drawing and the use of values and color: https://veronicasart.com/realistic-colored-pencil-portrait-drawing-guide/

On YouTube: https://youtu.be/kFdssDSWL3c

Color wheel for colored pencil drawing

While color wheel isn’t everything for colorful pencil drawing, you do need to know these basic definitions and color triads.

Definitions:

  • Hue – means color. Red, green, yellow, etc.
  • Value – means how light or dark the shading is.
  • Chroma – is the color’s strength or color intensity. Colors can be super intense or muted.
  • Value – the lightness or darkness of a color.
  • Color Intensity – the saturation or purity of a color.
  • Neutralized color – the color with less intensity that’s either grayed down or mixed with its complement.
  • Local color – the natural color of an object as it appears in daylight (green of the cucumber or blue of the blueberries). Art students see only local colors in objects rather than the colors of light and reflections.
This is a page from my coloring book titled “How to color like an artist“, in which I explain basic color theory as well. My art instruction book titled “The Colored Pencil Manual” has the entire chapter devoted to color theory for advanced artists.

I know it’s difficult to remember all the definitions and I strongly recommend buying a color wheel because it’s visual. You can rotate the dial to see complementary colors, triads, etc. I still use it every time I design my colored pencil drawings. You can buy it at any art supply store or on Amazon.

Color Wheel is available on Amazon.
  • primary colors are red, blue, yellow. If you put all three primary colors (making them equal in intensity) your colored pencil drawing will be screaming with too much color.
  • secondary colors are orange, violet and green. They’re mixed with two primary hues.
  • complementary colors in colored pencil drawing – are opposite each other on the color wheel. Complements intensify each other. You don’t want to have all the complements in one drawing for that reason. Red-Green, Violet-Yellow, Blue-Orange.
  • analogous colors in colored pencil drawing – are hues adjacent to one another on the color wheel.
Analogous colors: red-red-orange-orange
Analogous colors: green-green-blue-blue
  • triadic colors in colored pencil drawing –
  • split complementary colors in colored pencil drawing – are the colors on either side of a color’s complement. For instance, if your primary color is blue, your split-complementary colors would be yellow-orange and red-orange. Violet’s complimentary color is yellow, and its split-complementary colors are yellow-green and yellow-orange. Blue-purple and red-purple are split complementary colors. Red and green are opposite each other on the color wheel, so red-orange and blue-green are split complementary colors. Split-complementary colors seem to be less color-intense.

  • tetradic colors in colored pencil drawing – are a color scheme that uses four colors that are equally spaced around the color wheel. The four colors are made up of two sets of complementary colors, which are also known as double complementary colors. To be honest, I don’t think this color scheme is very useful although you can try it of course. I think it’s too many bright colors competing for attention unless you use as single dominant color in this color scheme.
  • monochromatic color harmonies- colors composed of variations of the same hue but different in color intensity and value. Red is a hue. Its monochromatic variant is pink and maroon.
koh-i-noor colored pencils review
color wheel_color intensity-color harmony blog
Color wheel & Color intensity:
Color Intensity – the saturation or purity of a color. Neutral colors are mostly browns but
Neutralized color – is any color with less intensity that’s either grayed down or mixed with its complement.

Colored pencils don’t mix to grey unlike oil, acrylic and watercolor paint. Therefore you need to use grey colored pencils to neutralize the color so that there are 1-3 dominant colors in the picture, and the rest are neutralized. By using the grey colors you create selective focus as well as beautiful, subtle color variations and texture. In the closeup drawing below you can see grayed down fabric. I shaded with some bright hues first and then added light greys over them.
Blue lily dream, 20x30 inches, colored pencil on art board by Veronica Winters
Blue lily dream, 20×30 inches, colored pencil on art board by Veronica Winters

How to use color harmony to create mood and atmosphere in colored pencil drawing

I’d like to share 5 drawing tips on using color harmony to make your colored pencil drawings more realistic.

1. Consider overall color harmony design in your colored pencil drawing

Decide on the overall color theme of your colored pencil drawing. Is it light or dark? Is it monochromatic or in full color? How do you decide? Look at your main reference to see the dominant color. Make that particular color your main focus in colored pencil shading. Everything else should be less color intense to support the dominant color. The color harmony you decide on may not be unique to you but you make it unique by choosing the unusual point of view, stroke or subject. Your choice of a dominant color(s) and contrast determines the mood in the drawing. For example, light blues and pinks look serene, while deep reds and blacks make us feel very differently.

veronica winters colored pencil drawing-how to use colored pencil for beginners
If you look carefully, the only dominant color here is light blue-turquoise. Everything else is grayed down using colored pencil shading in greys and less bright hues. The overall theme is light. The dominant color is present throughout the composition. Its reflected in the silver plate. It’s noticeable in the background and crochet.

2. Test your colors to decide on the best color harmony

Once you decide on your leading or main colors for your drawing, look at your colored pencils to pick the colors from that color family.

Test your colored pencils on your drawing paper to have consistent color harmony and shading. If you see lots of blue in your reference, test all your blues to see which ones look similar to your picture. Start testing these colors right next to your reference and you’ll notice that some colors are totally off and don’t look right as your main hue. If you have a big box of colored pencils, you have many similar colors. You don’t need to use them all in one drawing because you can adjust your pencil pressure drawing in one blue to get a range of blue tones that’s similar to a number of various colored pencils.

colored pencil techniques
If you’re testing dark blue colored pencils based on your reference, do you see that not all of them fit that particular color range? Many blue colored pencils are too light or too greenish to be considered for the dark blue range.

3. Keep it simple to create consistent color harmony

Shade all shadows in one color first. Students love to jump around the picture, using all possible colored pencils to draw the portrait. Instead, pick one color to shade all your shadows first. Colored pencil shading in one color is key to create volume in portrait drawing.

veronica winters colored pencil
In this example you can see that I picked a single purple colored pencil to shade the deepest darks first. When I’m done with basic underpainting in one color, I shade with other colored pencils, layering them one by one.

You can make personal colored pencil drawings by focusing on a familiar subject that has unique story line or idea. For example, we all know how the human heart looks like but by designing my own composition and color scheme, I make my colored pencil drawing look different from everyone else’s.

blooming heart in steps-veronica winters colored pencil drawing
Here you can see that I used one dominant color – red for the shading of the heart and another one – dark green for the leaves. Because I created this colored pencil drawing on a light grey paper I also marked the highlights with white not to lose them by accident.

4. Add more tested colors to develop contrast in your color harmony

Most colors are warm and cool. This includes reds, greens, blues and even greys. Some are neutral like browns. You must consider how light or dark they’re. You can’t create a very dark shadow using light pink. You can’t shade around the highlight with a dark blue ( because dark blue is too dark for shading in the light).

Build contrast by having a range of tones in your colored pencil drawing going from very light colors to very dark ones. Of course, not all references call for it but keep it as a guideline for your art and colored pencil shading.

Most colors are warm and cool. This includes reds, greens and blues. Some are neutral like browns. You also must consider how light or dark they’re to build contrast in shading.

5. Look at your colored pencil drawing from a distance!

You lose all the details by looking at your art from the distance. You do see the inconsistencies in color, awkward shapes, weak shadows and highlights, or undefined edges.

If you consider all 5 rules you will be able to draw a photorealistic colored pencil drawing that has unity in color.

how to draw glass

On using color harmony to create unique and personal colored pencil drawings

veronica winters colored pencil art, mushroom heart
mushroom heart, 10×16, veronica winters colored pencil drawing

I’d like to share my approach to using color harmony to create unique and personal colored pencil drawings. I think it may be useful for advanced artists interested in colored pencil art.

veronica winters colored pencil

#1 Start with a good idea

Have a good idea in mind what colored pencil drawing you want to create. The idea is a visual story in color, subject or light. It doesn’t have to be the figure. It could be one object displayed in a unique light, rotation or point of view in artist drawing. This is the artistic vision and interpretation of a “boring” object that becomes fun to look at because of your unique interpretation of it. You can train yourself to see the world more creatively by improving your photography, reading, looking at art masterpieces and contemporary art.

I have a folder where I save art to learn from done by other artists. I study unique color choices, composition and subject. Sometimes, the subject isn’t new but the approach to drawing it is totally unique.

veronica winters colored pencil
lambent space, veronica winters colored pencil drawing, 19x25in

My idea starts from my imagination, reading, travel, emotions and thoughts. One day I imagined a seated figure with light passing through his body. I also imagined a rain of hearts above the figure. I made notes of this idea on my phone…I wanted to depict energy, chakras and the colors of the Universe in this colored pencil drawing of Buddha. I came home and started thinking of my references to illustrate this concept.

#2 Pick high-quality references for realistic colored pencil drawing

At first I wanted to paint a real person but I had no references of the pose. So I browsed pictures from my Thailand trip folder. I saw so many beautiful Buddhas and palaces there…And this green Buddha was made of semitransparent stone that looked like glass.

You need to pay attention where your references come from. Sometimes you can’t enter competitions drawing from someone else’s photo. Other times, you don’t have an emotional connection to the picture which is not yours. Or you need to get a photo release that takes time and effort. Personally I try to use my references but when it’s impossible to do, I go to Pixabay to find inspiration and you can too! Pictures are of high-quality and free for commercial use. The only problem with them is that they’re Photoshoped heavily. You must see if you have enough information to draw from as most filters remove warm/cool contrast from pictures.

This is my original idea designed in Photoshop. I used a combination of my pictures to illustrate the visual reference to draw from. As you can see I made considerable changes to the final drawing.

Picking the right references is not enough. They need to “connect” with each other in light and color temperature.

I always design my images around the main subject. I place it first and put smaller shapes around it. In this example, the largest shape is Buddha’s image and my design revolves around the figure. I used the ruler to make straight lines and place the hearts. I cut a heart-shaped template to have a consistent shape in my colored pencil drawing. I use Photoshop to plan the design as much as possible by layering and moving elements around the main figure to arrive at a perfect composition.

step-by-step drawing on canson colorline paper

#3 Decide on your color harmony in colored pencil drawing

This drawing has quite sophisticated color scheme. My color harmony is a combination of cool red, green and cool, bluish white.

My tip is to focus on picking 1-2 main colors in your color harmony. It doesn’t mean that you use just two colored pencils for that. It means that you pick the basic scheme, say, ‘yellow-purple’ and design your colored pencil drawing in these colors. The rest of them should be grayed down or become less prominent to support the main hues.

#4 Pick the right toned paper for your specific color harmony

veronica winters colored pencil
lambent space, veronica winters colored pencil drawing, 19x25in

I love drawing on Canson Colorline paper because it comes in a variety of bright colors. The texture is not overwhelming and colored pencils become very vibrant drawing on this paper. (I’m linking to this paper on Amazon but I find that DickBlick has better choices).

Once you picked you main color scheme, say ‘yellow-purple’, look at the color of your drawing paper. In general, don’t draw on yellow paper if your main color is ‘yellow’. Don’t draw on a purple drawing paper if your main color is ‘purple’. Pick the opposite color of paper (like green or orange) and test the colored pencils on it. Test a few colored pencils on it to see how either vibrant or dull they’re. Some colors may disappear on colored paper and others would be super bright.

#5 Have consistent shading in your colored pencil drawing

Begin shading the shadows first using one color. Don’t jump around the picture with many colors. Pick one color and shade all the darks with it. Mark the highlights with white colored pencil (or reserve the space for your highlights if you draw on white paper). Lastly, shade the middle tones connecting the darks with the lights.

Shade with the softest colored pencils, filling in large areas. If you start working with harder colored pencils like Polychromos, it might be frustrating to fill in large space. I save a lot of time and hustle for myself by drawing with the softest pencils like Prismacolor Premier and Luminance or Pablos, and then switching to harder pencils like Polychromos to work on the details in my colored pencil drawing.

Have fun creating your super vibrant colored pencil drawings with beautiful and unique color harmonies!

buddha art-veronica winters colored pencil
Lambent space, veronica winters colored pencil drawing, 19x25in, Canson Colorline drawing paper, lightfast colored pencils ( Faber-Castell Polychromos, Luminance and Prismacolor Premier colored pencils)

You can learn a lot more about color and color harmonies by taking my video course where I explain the properties of color and how you can design your images around color. I share my secret picking a perfect color scheme for my colored pencil drawings every time.

Design your perfect color harmony by taking this course:
https://veronica-winters-art-school.teachable.com/p/color-crush-course-for-colored-pencil-artist-by-veronica-winters

Colored pencil drawing on Ampersand pastelbord

This board could be an alternative to drawing on colored paper but you must consider the disadvantages working on it in colored pencil.

I like to experiment with different surfaces drawing in colored pencil, searching for the most archival support for my art. Since most people find the colored pencil work inferior to oil painting and even pastel painting, finding the right, archival surface takes the fear away from your clients who wish to buy your artwork otherwise.

This slightly sanded, colored pastelbord by Amersand is similar to the 800 grit Uart paper, which is great for soft pastel painting. Just like the Uart paper, the pastelbord has similar advantages and disadvantages to using it in colored pencil drawing.

Advantages:

  • Ampersand offers a nice variety of colors: sand, dark green, white, gray, and other neutral colors. It takes much less time to shade on colored surface rather than on white.
  • Artworks look vivid drawn on this board.
  •  This archival surface is durable. It doesn’t bend or crumble, stays flat at all times.
  • It offers easy display without glass. Just make sure you fix your art beforehand with 3 layers of final fixative. Now you have neither glass reflections nor scare to transport the art!
  • The Ampersand pastelbords come in standard sizes that makes it super easy to frame them!

Disadvantages:

  • Colored pencil shading on pastelbord is limited. It accepts few layers of pigment.
  • It “eats” my colored pencils. If you buy expensive, lightfast pencils, they don’t last long drawing on this surface, and you’d have to replenish them quite often.
  • It’s best to use harder pencils on these boards. I use Pablos to fill in all the detail.
  • The boards cost more than the average drawing paper, of course.

rose colored pencil by veronica winters
Pink rose, 9×12 inches, lightfast colored pencils on pastelbord, in private collection
peacock feathers
Peacock feathers, 5×7 inches, lightfast colored pencils on pastelbord, in private collection

colored pencil manual veronica wintershow to color like an artist_coloring book_veronica winters
These art instruction books are on sale on Amazon!
One mistake every beginner makes!

Art Supplies:

Colored Pencils:

Drawing paper:

Spray fixative for drawings:

Other art supplies:

Tombow mono eraser: https://amzn.to/3yOVmMT

I’m an Amazon affiliate. You can find these brands at other art supply sites as well.

Colored pencil drawing on UART Paper: pros and cons to consider in your colored pencil shading

my-mother- -veronica-winters
My mother, 9×12 inches, lightfast colored pencils on uart paper, private collection

As I like to experiment with new art supplies once in a while, I gave a try using the UART premium sanded pastel paper. It comes in various grits and feels like a real sandpaper. It’s finest grit is 800, which is advertised as a perfect surface for colored pencil drawing.

All the drawings you see here were done on 800 grit paper, tan hue. This paper is produced for pastel painting and the 800 grit is made for colored pencil drawing. But is it really that perfect? Many artists say it’s their absolute favorite, but I found several considerable challenges working on it. Let me explain.

UART Paper review

a closeup of a drawing done on uart paper, 800 grit

Challenges & solutions:

1. The surface is not smooth enough for colored pencil drawing. The 800 grit makes the strokes look very textural, even when the colored pencil point is super sharp.
The solution isn’t using a paper stump for blending, rather applying Gamsol. It really “calms down” the surface and makes it a lot easier to shade with colored pencils after that. Gamsol melts the wax in pencils, spreads it around, and gives a painterly effect to my first layer.

Warning: if you are a beginner, you might be seriously frustrated with the result, because Gamsol creates loose edges on this paper, and its hard to keep the outlines intact with such approach.
veronica winters colored pencil
Nymph, colored pencil on uart paper, 9×12 inches

2. So the second solution is to use a soft, clean brush and blend the entire surface with it. Fix this layer with a fixative, wait till it dries and continue working on it shading in colored pencil.

colored pencil drawing
Steps: 1. Here you can see the paper’s texture when I drew with colored pencil on it. 2. Here you see the painterly effect that happens when I use Gamsol over it. 3. Here you see me work on the eyes with the colored pencil again, after the first layer has dried.

3. It’s easy to make and to spread dirt on paper. This is the case when you begin shading in colored pencil, especially if you use dark colors. The solution: Use the kneaded eraser to pick up the smudges and put a piece of paper underneath the palm of your hand.

4. UArt paper "eats" up your pencils because the sanded surface has a lot of texture. The solution: test your colored pencils to see which ones respond better to this paper. I find that Prismacolors and Pablos work well. You can blend them with a solvent, and continue shading with soft colored pencils over this layer. Another option is to work with Polychromos because they blend and behave like soft pastels. They're quite hard, so they last longer shading on uart paper.
colorful-dreams-sm-veronica-winters-colored-pencil

5. Details. After the paper dries (if you use solvents), it’s much easier to continue doing colored pencil shading. However, if you have small details like the eyes or finger nails, etc., it requires precision and patience to fill those details well. I use Polychromos colored pencils for shading the details.
The solution: the solution is to draw larger in colored pencil. In this post you see several drawings completed on 800 grit uart paper. With my third drawing done on this paper titled the “Colorful dreams,” it became much easier to shade because I increased the scale of the portrait. The eyes are not as small in this drawing as in my previous attempts. Still, it was taking a lot more time to fight with the surface’s roughness as opposed to working on smooth Stonehenge.

6. Pretty pricey paper. Selling at nearly $40 for 10-9×12 sheets per pack, you really can’t allow yourself to screw up at all. UArt paper on Amazon.

nicaraguan-boy-sm-veronica-winters-colored-pencil
Nicaraguan boy, 9×12 inches, lightfast colored pencils on UART 800 grit drawing paper

Advantages:

The more I work on it, the more I like it.

1. It accepts many layers of pigment, and it’s really great for soft pastel painting! I used to work with soft pastels but switched to colored pencil drawing because I find it more fun and archival.

2. UART durable surface is much stronger than a regular 80 lb. or even 100 lb. paper. It stays flat at all times.

3. Colors look much brighter on this paper in comparison to drawing on white paper. Colors pop and look gorgeous!

4. Accepts various media. You can make a painterly underpainting with the colored pencils and Gamsol, or use the watercolors or watercolor pencils like Neocolor underneath your work as this surface accepts various media. In my drawing titled “My mother” the painterly effect on her leather coat was a happy accident. Once I used Gamsol on dark colors, it melted with the blues I used for the highlights and created the leather coat effect.

5. The paper is at its best when you work large. I discovered that 9×12″ is just too small to work on subjects with tiny details, like the boy’s face here where I had a hard time keeping up with the anatomic accuracy.

Because this paper is designed for pastels, the colored pencil shading technique should be close to pastel painting technique. What do I mean by that? Draw from dark to light. Shade with dark pencils first. Fix the layer. Continue shading with lighter colors over it. You’ll see the effect it’s producing. Quite awesome and so different from regular colored pencil drawing on white paper!!

Hopefully these pros and cons will let you make an informative decision buying the uart paper and having fun with it. 🙂

Other artists working on this paper:
Linda Lucas Hardy & Lisa Ober

video courses by veronica winters
Check out free previews of my video courses

If you’d like to take your colored pencil drawing to the next level, check out free previews from my video courses. Click on the image above to learn more!


Colored pencil shading on uart paper, step-by-step tutorial

how to draw on uart paper-veronica winters colored pencil
Cosmic joy, step by step drawing by veronica winters, colored pencil drawing on uart paper

Here you can see the steps drawing in colored pencil on uart, 800 grit paper.

  1. In the first step I applied major lights and darks very loosely.
  2. In the second step I blended everything with a soft brush. You can see a very dark left corner there. This is how I tested the solvent on it.
  3. In the third step I applied Gamsol over the entire drawing, letting it dry. This is an underpainting.
  4. In the forth step I began layering more color aggressively.

What I love about this paper that the colors looks super vibrant and I love working from dark to light on it. (I apply much darker colors on purpose to lighten them up in subsequent layers).

The UArt paper accepts many layers of color. In the final image I use a touch of oil-based paint pen by craftsmart to draw those tiny blue dots. This marker has a pearlescent quality that’s subtle and beautiful. I hope that this short tutorial helps you in your creative pursuits.

Check out all my colored pencil drawings!

Mental health, connection & illusion of reality

On unique perception of reality, emotions and judgment

Have you experienced talking to someone trying to explain your point of view only to hear these words back – ‘you’re being crazy’, ‘you’re wrong’ and ‘you’re overreacting.’ You try to prove your point but the other side needs a hearing aid to even listen to your opinion. Many people don’t want to hear another side because it will violate their perception, beliefs, order and views of the world. Most people protect their views and can’t stand contradiction because otherwise their way of life can crash down like a card house… 

Some people don’t want to consider a different point of view because it will destroy their reality or perception of themselves. They don’t want to understand that we all have unique perception of reality and the way we see ourselves isn’t the same as people see us. It turns into endless judgment and debate of your feelings instead of finding mutual understanding and love.

Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.

Friedrich Nietzsche

On Awareness

Every person has a unique perception of the world. Therefore, the same daily experiences have different interpretation of reality. One human sees the glass half-empty and another person half-full. If you’re a highly sensitive person you’re able to perceive the world on a much deeper level than other people which affects the level of hurt you experience in childhood and adult life. While most beliefs and perceptions form in childhood, some do change. It depends on your desire to be open to it. Awareness isn’t something that grows quickly and automatically. You have to be open to see beyond your daily experiences and be accepting of the opinions of others. You become more aware of your actions, causes and reactions. You learn to take control of your reactions by having a thorough understanding of your inner life, triggers and pain points. The more you know yourself, the more you understand others.

blue lily dream-veronica winters colored pencil
Blue lily dream, 20×30 inches, colored pencil on art board by Veronica Winters | Breath in. Become aware of your feet touching water. Give yourself permission to feel what’s alive around you. Become aware of cosmos that’s inside you. Feel the infinity in a single moment. Step into the river of a creative life force that’s always there. Let your emotions come to the surface to become open to receive guidance. Breath out. Experience all emotions with intensity. Painful. Joyful. Sincere. Allow yourself to let go what’s holding you back in daily life. Discover your true self.

Being fully aware of our thoughts, actions, feelings, body, intentions and everything that happens around us is being fully conscious. It may be difficult to gain full awareness of a situation or a person we interact with for quite some time until further information comes to light. As time passes fuller awareness emerges with more details and unaccounted points of view that either change the situation some or totally disrupt our understanding of reality.
People often project their personality and way of thinking onto others. All of us do this. It’s common to act in a certain way expecting the result based on your perception, beliefs and thinking. But the catch is that the other person is not You. So their perception of reality, inner motivation, values and beliefs may be the opposite of yours. What does it mean? It means that we can’t project our character, ethics and morality onto others expecting reciprocity or a positive exchange of energy. The other party would take your actions and deeds to interpret them through their prism of personal beliefs and values. Therefore the final outcome of any interaction is unknown and often not what you would expect to see…
That’s how we can hurt others and not be aware of it. That’s how others can hurt us and not be aware of it. But that’s also how we can bring something special into someone’s life, enriching our mutual existence with positive energy.

On YouTube: https://youtu.be/z7bFUwyNXRY

If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.

Lao Tzu

On mental illness

I believe mental illness is grossly misunderstood. The very definition implies that people must be shamed because they are considered being crazy although mental illness is a lot more complicated and nuanced than that. “Mental illness” is a brain-heart-and-body response to adversity, emotional or physical abuse. It’s a distress signal, not craziness.

blooming heart colored pencil drawing by veronica winters-15.5x25
blooming heart colored pencil drawing by Veronica Winters | Check out visionary art for sale: https://veronicasart.com/


Depression, PTSD, anxiety and some other disorders happen to intelligent and talented people who function in our society the way ‘normal’ people are expected to behave. “Illness” develops inside a person’s mind and heart because of traumatic conditions. These include emotional and physical abuse in the family as well as traumatic events like car accidents, fire, failure at work, military combat, rape, etc. People learn to suppress their emotions when they served in the military or were raised in families that didn’t care much for child’s emotional well-being. When children are deprived of love and acceptance by parents they grow up starving for those feelings, still trying to conform to norms and expectations set within the family unit. Many people hide their emotions not to be shamed or called crazy because what they feel is not joy. These are thoughts of death, grief, and feelings of loneliness, emptiness, abandonment, worthlessness and numbness. Is it really crazy to feel what was perpetuated by others? Pain comes from rejection, disregard, shame, submission, disconnect and absence of love.


There are moments when depression happens to “happy” people because of personal failure at work, cheating of a spouse, death in the family, childbirth or divorce. Are those people mental or simply confused by life’s challenges? Reasons can be very different but the end result is the same. Depression.
Why are you mental if you were abused as a child, harassed as a teen or ignored as an adult? While it’s important not to be stuck in a victimhood mindset, you shouldn’t be marginalized, named or punished some more for the injustice that has already been served to your heart.

How to take control of your life

It’s important to become aware of these challenges to take control of your life because it’s you who changes the game. You need to grow new, green brunches in your heart to replace the dead ones. We all want to be loved but we need to learn to love ourselves first. Suffering can end with you taking small steps towards learning to love yourself, paying attention to your needs and finding support in circles, books, podcasts, music, dance, martial arts, yoga, drawing or whatever else that helps you heal and grow. Have an activity that helps you feel joy. Do it daily even if it takes just a few minutes of your busy day. Record your progress and thoughts in a notebook or in art sketches. Find new friends and activities that nurture your soul. Repeat. Repeat until the day you begin to feel joy and love.

It’s also a beautiful experience to find someone to love. When you’re in deep pain, it’s hard to get out of a dark pit to love anything or anybody. However, by becoming aware of your shadow and trying to take control over your daily routine, you can slowly change that. Giving love to somebody is a transformational experience that makes you feel warm and fulfilled. This is how you find connection to your soul and light. Also, be mindful of your thoughts and aim to replace or dismiss the negative ones. If you become aware of your angry, self-diminishing thoughts about yourself, would you direct them at your best friend? Probably not. So, why are you telling those thoughts to yourself? We are often more cruel and unkind to ourselves. By learning to be kind to our own heart and mind first, we can be kind to others. Over time we can spread our joy and laughter and help others heal as well.

I framed this colored pencil drawing using a real wood frame without the mat. It also has UV, non-glare plexi and acid free backing

On imposter syndrome, sensitivity and work

Below you’ll find a collection of essays I wrote to myself over the years. These essays cover topics and feelings artists experience yet rarely share.

Can you just do? On artistic sensitivity, self-doubt, jealousy, failure and work

As artists we’re able to fall deep in dark pits of self-doubt, uncertainty and melancholy. We question our purpose, hold on to negativity, and doubt our abilities because it’s hard. It’s really hard to work against the grit to pursue our calling – something that has been given to us at birth. Sometimes the psychological pressure we feel being a working artist is tougher to overcome than the financial burden we all face at times.

“DO” is the theme of LeWitt’s 1965 letter written to a fellow artist Eva Hesse, who was tormented with self-doubt.  In this video Benedict Cumberbatch reads the letter that’s incredibly moving no matter how many times I listen to it.

On comparisons, failure & jealousy

Many artists are riddled with jealousy or a paralyzing fear of not being good enough or of not being able to achieve greatness. As a result we draw endless comparisons and feel bad about ourselves. I often see how jealous other artists are of me despite their achievements and accolades.

I think about the mastery of others differently, although I must admit that I also compare myself to others. First, I look at the talents of others as a high bar to reach up to, as a place to aspire to and to be inspired. I find other artists’ work incredibly inspirational to me, and I also learn from art and artists a great deal.
Second, I look at other artists I admire not to give up because they are good and I’m not. They are talented and I may fall into this trap thinking that there is no time in the universe to ever get close to their level of mastery. Perhaps, I’ll never will, but why would I give up on all the fun and joy that art brings me?! Why would I limit myself and stop painting just because someone else is better?! See, comparisons don’t move you forward, they stop you from even beginning doing something meaningful in your life, and as a result you end up achieving nothing, complaining about the circumstances you’re in. I release myself from this weird feeling of jealousy. I replace it with a feeling of gratitude I’m here to create!

Failure takes a big part in my life. For every finished painting there are a few that end up in a trash bin. I get rejected often. I also fail in some relationships with people, and fail to communicate my boundaries that get pushed, pushed to the wildest extremes at times. Failure is intense, frustrating, hurtful. Failure paralyzes. Failure grounds me to the floor so hard I can barely breathe. Over the years it’s getting harder to recover from it. However, failure doesn’t stop me from trying to achieve what I want. Failure is a signal to do things differently, to find new approach. And finding this new way takes a lot of energy that often rivals my desire to let it all go in flames.

If you are a gifted person, it doesn’t mean you got something. It means you can give something away.

Carl Jung

On Artistic Sensitivity

Artists are also extremely sensitive people, and react to circumstances and opinions on a much deeper level than others. That’s one of the reasons why we see so many talented actors, writers, painters and musicians self-medicating a ‘weakness’ that’s been defined as a ‘mental illness.’ I think it’s more complicated than that. I see sensitivity in young art students. What I can control they can’t yet, and those emotions often arise and confuse them.

Yes, the sensitivity that artists have makes us different, different in having a natural gift that actually keeps on giving, if we nurture it. It can become the artist’s ‘strength.’ We’re able to see something beautiful in mundane places. We are able to move people emotionally. We go down in history as innovators in thoughts and movements. We make the world less ugly and more humane. Artists bring light and beauty into this world and it’s a wonderful contribution into this world if you ask me.

To read more about highly sensitive people: https://veronicasart.com/highly-sensitive-people-how-to-prioritize-well-being-to-tackle-personal-crisis/

To read more about why artists create art: https://veronicasart.com/why-artists-create/

To read more about awareness, mental health and illusion of reality: https://veronicasart.com/mental-health-connection-illusion-of-reality/

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” Michelangelo

On self-limitation & work ethic

As artists we’re creative. However, we often impose limits on ourselves via dated beliefs and social norms. In the beginning of our journey we may want to conform to norms. However, those norms and limitations stifle our natural creativity. Allow yourself to experiment with new materials, play with your ideas and paint what you want to paint! Also, take art classes to learn new or different skill. Despite having all the college degrees I have, I often buy new classes online because I want to learn new skills in digital painting, illustration, business, finance, etc.

Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.

Stephen King

Also, it’s super important to work through your artistic problems. If I gave up on every painting I created I’d be in the same spot I started 25 years ago. By working through my problems, finishing up every painting I learn to problem-solve and evolve. I improve my artistic skill and creativity by not allowing myself to give up on something that’s frustrating at the moment. I usually take a break from work that doesn’t look good and come back to it at a much later date. This pause allows me to see things differently and I am usually able to fix problems on canvas within minutes instead of hours or days spent on it in the past.

“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” — Michelangelo

There is no cute formula for success in painting. It’s hard work every day. Other artists’ achievements inspire me to move forward, those artists become my guiding stars. That’s why I have no jealousy towards my peers, because I can see what’s possible in due time and practice. We fulfill our dreams with our own work, not the work of others.

I believe we succeed eventually, because we refuse to quit. Although it often feels like a dead end where there is nothing to go by, when words like ‘nice work’ or ‘good stuff’ can get you only that far. But a strong will, belief in myself, and the internal love for my craft keeps me grounded.

On a bad day 🙁

Powered by the ruthless force of frustration, I run with a steep incline, at the speed number that meets my level of emotional pain. The soles of my worn, running shoes fly over the rotating black belt; they build endurance, the survival tactic. And I run as my legs ache and they beg to slow down, but I refuse, I flush out my hurt with tears. My heart’s stomps blow my ears, and I override it with trance beat. My face deep red, I run. I track the whooping breath in my lungs. My insides burn like fire, and I run. My skin prickles, and legs are about to cramp. I’m acid perspiration. Unstoppable I become, feel the rise of resistance to my failures, to painful words and encounters, to the insensitive world that drowns, but teaches, teaches me to survive. And that’s how it feels on a bad day. Drenched in sweat, I run on a treadmill of artist’s life.

On a good day 🙂

The joy of painting runs inside me like the cobalt blue river. The snowflakes dance above its glossy surface and trickle down in my limbs. I feel the rise of divine energy and melt into another place, the forth dimension. It’s there, there I create. Through the looking glass I fall, where I hear no judgement and see no stop signs. The round clock on my wall quits ticking. Like a sweet fragrance of blooming roses, my joy flourishes and invigorates me. And that’s how it feels on a good day.

It’s one of those rare instances where you can see someone as powerful as Madonna being so vulnerable. Her speech explains so many things that underline her internal motivation for the work she has done as a female singer. She talks about sexism, misogyny, and feminism in the music industry receiving the award at Billboard Women In Music 2016.

“Be the Hero of your own story” by Judge Judy Sheindlin is a book for every young or young at heart girl to read. It explains the importance of independent thinking, and how you can open yourself up to opportunities. It’s available as a free download at Judy’s website:  http://www.whatwouldjudysay.com/

On dreaming big

The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.

Les Brown

As a child I didn’t learn to dream. As an adult I spent two decades of my life figuring out how to dream big. It involved a lot of inner work, parting with established rules and social conditioning. I became ambitious. A word that’s attributed to successful men, ambition often describes women in a negative tone as heartless go-getters. However, a healthy dose of ambition is necessary to grow professionally. As parents we should encourage development of natural abilities of our children to form lifelong interests, and as adults we should take responsibility for ourselves to develop ambition.

I believe that long-term success is never accidental. It’s hard work and sacrifice mixed with obsessive desire to overcome the impossible, mostly overcoming my own limitations. Some people spend years complaining and waiting for a miracle to dawn on them, but I think that’s finding excuses and not working on your fears get you nowhere. By challenging myself and accepting failures I’ve been taking many steps forward in becoming who I am today. However, what I’ve been missing in my life is a role model or a mentor. If you want to succeed in anything you dream about, find a strong mentor in your field. Mentorship helps model successful behavior. It also cuts down on frustration by doing the art business efficiently. You can waste years figuring stuff out on your own.

I also understood that gaining the right direction is a lot more important than speed. We want to have quick results, but life is rarely quick to deliver what we want. And understanding exactly what I wanted took a lifetime for me. Goals and aspirations may change over time. It’s ok. But if you’re serious about your career, concrete goals with due dates on my calendar make a big difference for me that give measurable results.

I often find myself in consistent hard work pushing through frustrations and failures daily, but I have also noticed that it’s not enough to break me through the ceiling. It’s not enough to have the talent. It’s not enough to work hard. It’s not enough to exhibit. You have to find greater meaning in anything you do, which benefits others and is unique to you. Now I know that the most important thing for my soul is to encourage art students to succeed professionally, and this is where you find me with my students, podcast and writing these days.

On finding support

When relatives and family are not great supporters of your art, search for like-minded people to support you emotionally, intellectually and professionally. Also, remember that your family’s absence of support is not because they don’t love you, but because they are also scared of your financial instability being an artist. This fear gets projected onto you and actually holds you back before you even start doing anything towards reaching your goals. Artists at heart who decide not to pursue creativity as a career often become depressed, because they remain unfulfilled and not seen for who they truly are. Therefore, it’s vital for parents to be supportive of their children’s attempts early on to give them the tools and the opportunities necessary to jump on a train on time and to encourage a positive mindset to achieve meaningful results in the future. It’s much harder (but still very possible) to establish yourself artistically later in life.

As a person, artist and teacher, I’ve seen a lot of discouragement and criticism that brings people down before they even think of pursuing something of importance to them. Over time it creates a timid mindset where you simply agree that it’s useless to dream big, or worse, you don’t even know that you can dream. So, instead of coming to the road filled with adventure and discovery, people turn to a comfortable sidewalk of boredom and in-the-box thinking. At the same time, when children get constant praise and 10 golden medals are given to all 10 places, there is not enough improvement and attempts to pursue higher goals. This is where a mentor comes in. He or she is capable of enough encouragement, yet can give a constructive critique, passing his/her skill and wisdom to the next generation of artists. 

Every person searches for acceptance, understanding and love. We want to be accepted for who we’re. But the truth is that there is no personal growth, if we don’t look at ourselves from all sides. Surrounding ourselves with good friends who are able to encourage and nurture our gifts often help us overcome the worst pitfalls we have. It’s a blessing. We should nurture those friendships.

The role of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover. If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see.

James Baldwin

On belief in yourself & purpose

Sometimes it’s difficult to find meaning in life if it’s not survival. Finding your own path or purpose is a different game. When we finally find ‘it’, fulfilling our purpose becomes a choice whether to pursue it or not. We can live in a depressive state of mind because of these two opposing reasons. If we don’t do what we love, life is meaningless. When we do what we love, problems and circumstances can be so overwhelming, we end up having a depression. What’s the cure? I think it’s about finding strength inside yourself. By being yourself and not looking for approval from the ‘outside’ world is a difficult task for many. I find my purpose in capturing the most beautiful side of the Universe in my art, and I’ve trained myself not to care what others think of my creativity.

One of the most important things in life is to believe in yourself. Don’t say you can’t do this or that. Don’t doubt your abilities. Believe that you can. And learn how to do it. This simple belief system has changed my life. Shifting my mentality, I opened myself up to learning and achieving so many things without relying on anyone else or finding excuses not to do it. Our insecurities, excuses and doubts kill our inner confidence, and if you can’t really believe in your abilities and yourself, your mind says ‘no’, people feel it, and you stay where you are. Dream big. Move mountains. Believe.

This simple word ‘happiness’ didn’t resonate with me for years remaining elusive and meaningless. The pressure to “feel happy” hovered over me like a guillotine, coming from all corners of the universe-the TV, magazines, family. Every outlet fixated on the idea of promoting happiness… Why aren’t you happy? Isn’t it funny how our culture sets the standards? You are either in or out.

I’m so incredibly fortunate I live a lifestyle that many cannot even dream of. I love my entire day from morning to late night. My lifestyle allows me to focus on my job-painting, and not to worry about tending gardens, providing for a large family, or simply looking for clean water, like in the African nations or Latin America. It’s my pure luck to live in a place with infinite opportunities.

I’m incredibly fortunate that I have the talent and I’m an artist. Although it’s been a very hard road to travel, today I understand that what I actually possess sets me apart from others. I used to be upset, thinking salespeople of vacuum cleaners (no offense to all sales associates, please) didn’t have to struggle with attitude, misery, and years of hard work during and after grad school. Now I see that although every job must be respected (a good plumber is always in demand), my work is no different from the work of others, yet it makes me different.

I contribute to society on the emotional level, not the material one. I know that my art leaves legacy, even if it looks insignificant and much less important than the invention of a light bulb or the Internet. I’m leaving a record of our time… Like any contemporary realist artist, I capture the beautiful in response to my surroundings and ideas. As I’ve learned to value myself for who I am, this blog entry is devoted to those artists who struggle to accept and value themselves. It is possible to stop the high-speed train at any moment, if there is enough willpower inside you to embrace change. Stopping my own self-destruction wasn’t easy. Thinking negatively about myself, crossing busy streets ignoring traffic, dragging one day to the next–all were unhealthy habits I couldn’t get rid of…Don’t let your memories, events or people dictate how you think about yourself. In your mind, let negative and disrespectful people go. No matter how you try to nurture your relationship with them, they won’t change their stance on life, and that will continue bringing you down (even if they don’t mean it). Stop feeling worthless by making room for people who appreciate you for who you are and value your opinion. As your outlook slowly starts to change, you begin to attract new and different people into your life; people who inspire you to create, live, and smile.

*Originally published in 2013.

interior space-veronica winters paintings

What makes an artist great is the ability to access the inner world we all have but that most others can’t access.

Rick Rubin

How to find your artistic voice

How long did it take you to paint that? “My whole life.”

Jackson Pollock

This is the most persistent question people ask artists to open up a conversation. They also want to gage the retail price of artwork to the number of hours spent working on it. Unlike the production of manufactured goods, this formula is not applicable to artists and art. It’s the fact that classically trained artists spend years, sometimes decades learning and developing a unique style and voice that can’t be measured by this simplistic formula of counting hours spent painting one artwork. Put professional artist in a room with anyone else interested in painting and ask to paint a tree. Both artists will spend equal amount of time on art creation but the result will be different. It takes years to become good, not hours spent painting one piece.

Art is within reach. We always find what we’re looking for if we truly seek it. It takes time and effort and our willingness to change to make things work in our favor. Learning to express ourselves visually is a need. Without having this inner need the artist remains an illustrator or a good craftsman. 
To develop your unique visual language you must dive deep inside your soul to understand your WHY. Why do you create what you create? What does it accomplish? What do you want others to see in your artwork? These are the questions that are always there inside my painting process.

sphynx cats art-veronica winters

When I went to art school at the Oklahoma State University back in 2001 I was lucky to have an oil painting professor who was I dare say old, probably in his early 80s. He had his convictions teaching art – painting large, having few rules, not worrying about the subject itself. His artistic belief was rooted in the American abstractionism and skillful realist figure drawing.
He used to say, “It’s not WHAT you paint, it’s HOW you paint it.” I couldn’t disagree more with that statement back then. I thought that the subject of painting or the story behind it was vital to the very nature of painting. But I also thought that the unique way the artist handled the paint was important. I still think of the professor fondly.
Before and after graduation with my MFA degree at Penn State, I commuted to New York taking art classes in classical figure drawing. I felt I had no talent. I pushed myself hard to learn the skills. I believed that the WHAT in painting required solid understanding of figure drawing.
Two decades later painting full-time I believe that it’s not WHAT vs. HOW. Truly creative artists have mastered and combined both concepts in their art. So the subject is just as important as the unique handling of the paint. It’s important to experiment and innovate.
Today I tell stories in my art using figure, color and symbols but I’m also pushing the boundaries of traditional painting techniques. While I rely on art history and skills I gained to depict the world realistically, I like to experiment with color, mixed media to create unusual surfaces and effects. So it’s not just WHAT I paint but HOW I paint it as well.

Artist’s path can be thorny, most unpredictable and definitely complicated. People avoid living such a life, many artists never make it in the profession, choosing stable comfort instead, working jobs they dislike. But true artists at heart are artists at every aspect of their lives. We can’t resist the thrill of adventure, self-discovery and limitless learning. We love to capture beauty in ordinary places, of seeing beyond the obvious, of expressing emotions without words. And that, my friend, is a blessing. Musicians, poets, writers, painters and other creatives often live in a tormented reality that eventually bares the fruit of labor.

If you’re interested to learn about video courses, please go here: https://veronica-winters-art-school.teachable.com/

7 income streams for artists to make money

7 Income streams for artists to make more money today

We must make money to make more art! It’s difficult for artists to think like a business because our motivation is not to make money rather to create something beautiful. But life is expensive these days and we must make money to make as much art as possible! We must make art to fill this world with emotional beauty, which shouldn’t come at our own expense and endless sacrifice.

Most artists want to sell in a gallery so we don’t have to deal with the art sales. But small and mid range galleries barely cover their costs. I worked with several art galleries locally that disappeared because their overhead costs were way over their revenue. If you find a good commercial gallery, you must consider it as a partnership not to undercut the owner if you’re approached to sell the represented art direct to your customer.

Art doesn’t sell on its own when you start out. Don’t wait to be discovered! Have a very active presence both online and offline to sell your art direct to your clients.

Veronica Winters

Income streams for artists

Promotion

Always assume responsibility to promote your art online, offline and anywhere in between. Use local and national magazines and newspapers to put your art in front of people. You must be of interest to the writer or magazine, so pitch an engaging story on a particular topic instead of writing ‘hey-look-at-my-art’ email. Newspaper journalists like to print artists who have a strong connection to the local community. They usually cover local events that benefit the community. Write a short email with a paragraph how your art benefits others.

Fan base

Focus on building your fan base or community around you – people who like, support and buy your art or service from you. This is not about begging, forcing or making them to buy. It’s about finding real fans who enjoy your work on their wall and, want to support you.

Passive income streams

Now let’s look at some income streams for you to consider to make money as an artist. There is passive income as well as income coming per hours spent working on a job that can be compare to having a regular job.

#1. Selling digital products

You can be selling books and digital products/downloads explaining your painting techniques, or sales strategies or grant writing knowledge- something of interest and value that other artists need to know and you’re good at. You can sell these digital products on Amazon kindle, your web store, Instagram or other social platform.
These digital pdf downloads can sell on its own without active promotion but these sales would be small and inconsistent. Writing time can vary greatly to create a digital asset. In my case it takes up to a year to write one book).

Printed books industry is declining rapidly along with digital books and art magazines. However, if you create and manage a successful book launch, your book may become a bestseller. I learned about this strategy many years later so I didn’t have a chance to implement it.

colored pencil manual veronica wintershow to color like an artist_coloring book_veronica winters
These art instruction books are on sale on Amazon!

Launch strategy to sell books on Amazon

The strategy is to have a strong base of at least a hundred top fans who write a book review at the launch day when the book goes live on Amazon. You must collect as many reviews as possible on the launch day to boost the algorithm and sales of your book. You must give something in return to people who write reviews (digital book file or something else). I didn’t know about this strategy when I began selling books on Amazon a decade ago. I simply listed them on Kindle. The sales were going well on their own years ago but this industry declined sharply and I get less than $300 a year from it now. This doesn’t count for my royalties coming from my latest two books published by Dover. I’m paid in royalties direct from this company every 6 months and it’s 4 times more than my sales on Kindle.

#2. Selling courses

It’s a booming industry. I think the decline of the printed book industry relates to the boom in this one.

Let’s look at your investment of time vs. the benefit of having your video course up and running. I spent an insane amount of time creating my first comprehensive course in colored pencil drawing. It took me almost a year to record, edit, narrate and put it all together. I probably overdid it because most courses are between 1-2 hours long and I made 18 lessons of 1hr classes. So it depends how much time you want to invest into your course design. You must know how to record and edit your videos. Outsourcing is possible of course and in this case you have to set a budget for that.

Let’s look at your expertise vs. a quick way to make money. Today we can pick from thousands of courses. Why? Because anyone can make a course. The quality of the course varies greatly. Usually the reviews can spot strengths and weaknesses of the creator. It doesn’t mean you can’t make your own course. Think what value you give to your customer to design your video course. If you’re not sure, pay attention what people ask you about most often and consider making the course on this topic.

A course won’t sell on its own without marketing if you list it on your own platform. Some aggregate platforms like Skillshare, Udemy, Domestika already have students and traffic and the companies spend their money advertising to bring more students in. So if you upload your course to these platforms (which is free), you’ll get reasonable traffic to your course, which would very monthly. These companies take a substantial cut from your sales. But you can upload your course to all these free platforms and get paid from all of them producing just one class.

To list your course with a full control over its price and sales, you can use teachable platform. However you pay quite a lot in yearly fees up front $348-$3000 /year for maintenance of your courses. That’s regardless your sales or profit. Plus they take a cut from every sale you make, which depends on your payment plan. You do have an option to start with a free plan listing 1 course. I love this platform because customer service is great and they take care of all transactions, taxes and other issues that may arise especially selling courses internationally. An alternative to Teachable is Samcart or Thrivecart. Pricing starts at $49 per month. And I’m sure there are many more platforms available for creators now.

To sell courses in volume you must have some form of marketing in place or active following to promote it. Otherwise your sales would be small and inconsistent. A sales funnel should be in place to attract new customers to buy your courses.

#3. Selling merchandise printed on demand

Selling merchandise printed on demand is trickier than you think. Everyone talks about how great it is to sell prints and get paid but it’s not that simple. No one talks about it. Despite the ease of opening your store and uploading files, you’re stuck with the same problem – low or zero traffic to your store front when there’s no active community around you.

Let’s look at time spent to open your print shop vs. the traffic problem.

Again your success in sales of prints relates directly to your marketing effort, engagement and your following on social platforms. New people can find you via SEO to buy commercial art listed on third party platforms like Society 6 or Red Bubble. To be successful, you must do a lot of research first. Research long tale keywords for the product you want to make using Ubersuggest. You need to understand what’s popular and trending in your niche (use Google trends) to create a commercially successful product. That’s one of the reasons why some artists sell prints like hotcakes and others don’t. Look at top products selling on Society 6, Red Bubble, Etsy to figure out what you can offer that’s better. Price point matters selling merchandise. Start researching your competition to see what they’re doing and how they are pricing their work.

All content on my site is copyrighted but you’re welcome to share this entire article with your friends!

Check out my art shop here: https://veronicasart.com/shop/

veronica winters colored pencil drawing of cosmic buddha in frame

Active income streams

These are major passive income streams. Now let’s look at the active income streams. The following strategies require your ability to communicate and connect with people, offering something of value to them.

#4. Teaching art

As artist you’re in a unique position to to teach art online, off-line, in private lessons, and group classes even if you don’t have a college degree. You can organize lucrative cruise workshops or workshops in a beautiful vacation spots to boost your art income. That’s always been a lion share of my work and income that’s fairly consistent and can be compared to having a full-time job. All these teaching opportunities are totally possible and pay well when you ask for it. You must manage time, schedule and students progress. So if you’re disorganized or can’t set boundaries with people, it could be a problem. But if you enjoy teaching and love to see your students grow, it becomes a very beautiful and rewarding job to have as an artist!

#5. Working with brands

Let’s look at brand sponsorships. Brands are interested in your following numbers and active community. Brands can either give you products to use and promote or they can actually pay you for your work promoting their products on social media and YouTube. You need to have a rate card (price list) to negotiate payment for your service as opposed to receiving no money but art supplies.

#6. Collaboration

It’s great to collaborate with other artists or organizations that are a step ahead of you. This leads to more opportunities down the road and creates friendships. Connect with other artists (who are ahead of you) and participate in group shows with them.

Selling art is a very social skill where you have to meet a lot of people to socialize first. You don’t want to be that salesy rep. You want to genuinely connect with people building a relationship over time. Connect with local community, restaurant business owners to display your art. Business people are interested to collaborate with you when they can make money. Think what you can offer in exchange for the use of their space. What makes artists cringe is that we are the opposite of business people. We are here to create something beautiful and money making is not our goal. It’s the purpose of every business person however.

  • Connect with local Interior designers.
  • Connect with spa owners.
  • Connect with people at your local art museum
  • Connect with health care & insurance industry
  • Connect with businesses that don’t relate directly to art so you benefit them by bringing additional traffic or offer other value to display and sell your art. Framing store, art supplies store, musical instruments shop, gift shops in museums, botanic gardens, etc.

Connect. To speak eloquently about your art for their benefit!

https://instagram.com/veronicawintersart

paintings on sale, veronica winters painting, fine art, art painting
paintings on sale, veronica winters painting, fine art, art painting

#7. Meet art collectors at art museums

This idea comes from Brainard Carey (you can find him on YouTube and at the Praxis Center). Buy a membership at your local art museum to meet art patrons at special events and show previews. Ask them about their interests & invite them to your studio to build a relationship with them without asking for sales! This builds trust and friendship. They’ll want to buy from you when you establish a relationship with them.

Other important things to consider for your art business:

  • List building
  • Publicity efforts
  • Social media growth
  • Connection and service to others
  • Underpromise and Overdeliver
  • Ask for reviews or testimonials from your past collectors and fans to build more trust
hooked on art podcast with veronica winters artist
Leave a review of my podcast on Apple & Spotify, send me the screenshot of your review and I’ll give you access to my video mini course for free!
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hooked-on-art-podcast/id1578503310
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/601b3tkDmePVnsFPCRrDTm?si=cded1d145ffd4c7a

Learn from your mistakes

Learn from your mistakes not to get discouraged and quit, rather to be able to pivot and adjust your strategies. The case of Netflix is clear. Once a disruptor and innovator no more. Life changes constantly and we must be able to adapt and change with it.

Pick a strategy that’s easy to implement in accordance with your personality at first. Then add another strategy to your action. You must take action on 1-3 strategies to see the results. You need to implement them. Without taking action, it’s just the information without its proper use. Good luck and let me know what you think of this article by messaging me on Facebook or Instagram. 🙂

P.S. Study great art marketers of our time – Jeff Koons, Kinkade, Warhol.

Art supplies sold on Amazon:

You can find me here:

Because you’re interested in art sales, you might be interested in this article and video here: https://veronicasart.com/the-quality-of-your-art-makes-no-difference-in-sales-what-you-must-know-as-an-artist-selling-art/

How to use Instagram for artists

I’ve been using Instagram for several years to see it change and evolve. I spent hundreds of dollars on Instagram courses claiming to help me build the audience. While I don’t have crazy following like so many artists out there, I did learn a thing or two about it with lots of sweat and tears. I’ve decided to share some simple truths about the social platform that you can apply to your account today to see some growth and to hopefully cut on frustration Instagram can give us. Overall, I like it a lot. It’s my favorite social network mainly because it’s so visual and it’s easy to present art and connect with others in the art community. Perfect for us – artists because it’s still free!

Why you need to be on Instagram

Every art professional, gallery owner, curator, artist and art writer is on Instagram. You can connect to or reach out to people in a very informal way. Something that was totally impossible to accomplish a few years ago!

If you have no website, no worries! Art professionals check your Instagram account first, website second!! You can host your art portfolio on Instagram for free.

You expose your art to new audiences every day showing your inspiration and behind-the-scenes footage. In other worlds, you find your audience, opportunities and art collectors on instagram.

How to use Instagram effectively

  • The name of your account must include your artist name. If it’s taken, expand on it a bit more by adding art/painting/sculpture, etc. The word that describes your expertise the best.
  • Treat your Instagram account like your portfolio. This means deleting photos showing what you ate or where you bathed. Think of it as your professional portfolio with the best images of your artwork available to sample. People are very quick to judge. So when they get to your account, they must see the consistency in style and theme.
  • Include yourself into some of the shots. My photos perform a lot better when I’m standing next to my painting or I’m actually painting… This is important and makes IG different from regular, clean product photography. People want to connect to real artists, not just our artwork. Let them see your art, studio and the creative process! We’re always very interested in the process of making something (hint: make short videos and reels. More on that later).
  • Show your WIP shots in a carousel placing your finished piece first. Shots of art with supplies in them work well. I think that you can experiment with wip shots in a video format since the reach is declining quickly posting photos only.
  • Use description space to write a story about your process and art. How did it come together? What challenges did you have? Focus on inspiration, rather than art supplies. Although sometimes it can work as well.
  • Follow your favorite artists, curators and art brands on IG. Leave meaningful comments to engage and befriend them like you befriend people in real life… This is a long-term strategy. You can’t expect to see them liking or engaging with you but there is a chance that you can develop a meaningful connection this way. Don’t pressure people to like you. It’s annoying. Rather try to connect to someone you really admire or like…
  • Use dm’s to connect with people as well. There are no rules here. Don’t be obnoxious but think how you can be helpful or inspiring to others.
  • Beware of spam! Don’t respond to messages stating that they can help you grow your account for a certain amount of $$ you spend with them. Also, there are big art accounts out there as well that promote you for $25-100 per post. Most of these accounts are scam. Don’t waste your hard-earned money on these strategies. Some take the money and give you a following that disappears in a couple of days or a couple of months. If you see that the engagement is low on big art accounts (500k-million), it means these are not real. There are some very large, legit aggregate accounts that post the best artists on their feed. Most of the time posting on their feed is not free, while the best artists can get a free post, which translates to considerable following to the artist’s account. I think the best strategy with big accounts is to use their branded hashtag, so when they look for art, they can spot your video or image.
  • Your Instagram account will grow not only because of your daily engagement with other users but also because what you do outside of Instagram. This is important. You have to be social and proactive showing your art and personality elsewhere and the Instagram following becomes a byproduct of your main publicity efforts that include art shows, publications, guest posting on big sites and podcasts…

Reels

  • Reels. Yes, you have to deal with them. All my courses went out of the window because the Instagram is having a new tantrum (strategy) in place that’s not discussed yet. Have you noticed a decline in reach when you just post a photo? The carousels of carefully curated images don’t perform as well as they used to. It seems that Instagram wants to become a video app to compete with tiktok now. (I’m rolling my eyes here:))
  • My top tip on reels is to treat it as a very short demo of your drawing/painting process. First 3 seconds of your vertical video are very important. I’ve experimented with reels quite a lot to understand what does and doesn’t work. My actual painting/drawing reels do the best. Posting time matters but not to the extend as the quality of your reel. Show mini-tutorials and behind-the-scenes.
  • Frequency. In my experience, posting reels every day doesn’t do much for my account growth. It seems that the second reel would get less reach and interaction and sometimes it performs just as bad as a regular photo post. Play with your reels and timing to see if it’s the same for you or different. Let me know how it goes! https://www.instagram.com/veronicawintersart/
  • The immediate post engagement is very important for your reel to rank well. So reply to your comments instantly. Don’t delay.

Hashtags

Hashtags are still important. But not all hashtags are good for your business. Pick the relevant ones to your artistic practice. Avoid using large hashtags that have over 500k posts with them. Reason being if your account is small, your chance of being seen with a big hashtag is a fraction of a second. If you do your research and pick medium-size hashtags in your niche, you increase you chances to be noticed.

Facebook

What about Facebook, you may ask? I think it’s still a powerful platform that has a slightly different, older demographic. Due to the recent changes in privacy, a lot of targeting is gone and my guess is that Facebook will transition to reels sooner or later. You’ve got to understand where your customers are, what platform they prefer to engage so you spend more time there. I think Facebook groups can be useful to build friendships, which is not possible on IG. I hope this post is helpful.

To wrap up, pick one platform to be active on it almost every day. Be professional by posting your art and story. Don’t obsess with the numbers, rather build real relationships and find inspiration and opportunities by being present and social there. Stay positive and helpful. I know it can be hard at times but I think people go to Instagram and Facebook for inspiration as a way to relax from day-to-day stress and work.

Connect with me here:


Check out visionary art for sale

Amazon links to art supplies I use the most often:

What is visionary art? Themes, style and artists

ai generated woman in cosmic space- deep dream generator-veronica winters blog
AI generated digital art using Deep Dream Generator

What is visionary art?

Visionary art definition:

Visionary art is a genre of art that focuses on spiritual and mystical experiences, deep exploration of human psyche often involving altered states of consciousness or depiction of wide states of awareness. It is characterized by a highly detailed, surrealistic style that often incorporates beautiful symmetrical patterns, vivid colors, dreamlike states, spiritual and mystical experiences, religious or psychological symbols and fantastic imagery. Visionary art is often associated with spiritual movements such as shamanism, Buddhism and new age spirituality, and it is frequently inspired by experiences with plant medicine, meditation, dance, yoga and other forms of spiritual practice. It can also incorporate spiritual practices, cultural heritage and symbolism. Therefore the term ‘visionary artist’ is often used interchangeably with ‘spiritual artist’ and ‘psychedelic artist’ because all three groups of artists explore deeper states of consciousness that may exist beyond our everyday perception of reality. In my opinion, visionary art is a more encompassing term than the psychedelic art but the spiritual art is even more encompassing that the visionary art because most art can be called ”spiritual’ since it addresses our emotions.

divine spirit 24x36-veronica winters painting
Divine Spirit, 24×36 in, oil painting on canvas panel

Visionary art history

The term “visionary art” as we understand it today was not commonly used in the 19th century, but there were artists who created works that might be considered visionary in nature during that time period. For example, the Symbolist movement that emerged in the latter half of the 19th century often incorporated mystical and visionary themes into their work. Artists such as Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon, and Arnold Böcklin created works that were highly symbolic and often depicted dreamlike or otherworldly scenes. William Blake (1757–1827) was an English poet and artist who is considered to be one of the most important visionary artists of the 19th century. His work often explores themes of religion, mythology, and the imagination.

The Creation by William Blake 1825 at the Met-visionary art
The Creation by William Blake 1825 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, visionary art http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/371141

Similarly, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which was active in the mid-19th century, often created works that were highly detailed and rich with symbolism. Many of their works were inspired by literature and mythology, and they often depicted scenes from the imagination or the realm of fantasy. While these artists might not have been explicitly identified as “visionary artists,” their surreal paintings often explored the same themes and ideas that are central to the genre of visionary art that emerged in the 20th century. A Swedish artist, Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) is considered to be one of the pioneers of visionary art in visionary art history movements. She created a series of abstract paintings that she called “Paintings for the Temple.”

odilon redon-orpheus-pastel on paper 22x27
Orpheus, c. 1903–10 by Odilon Redon (French, 1840–1916), The Cleveland Museum of Art collection

The term “visionary art” was used by the art critic and scholar Roger Cardinal in the 1970s to describe the work of the late 19th-century symbolic artists – William Blake, Gustave Moreau, and Odilon Redon. The term was also used in the 1960s by the art critic Lawrence Alloway to describe a genre of art that was inspired by spiritual or mystical experiences. Today, the genre encompasses a wide range of artists, styles, and media, from painting and sculpture to digital art, AI art, video art and multimedia installations.

Thracian Girl Carrying the Head of Orpheus on His Lyre by Gustave Moreau-1865
Thracian Girl Carrying the Head of Orpheus on His Lyre by Gustave Moreau-1865, Oil on canvas, 154 x 99.5 cm. Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Carl Jung‘s ideas about the collective unconscious and archetypes have had a significant influence on the development of visionary art symbolism. Jung believed that the human psyche contains universal patterns and symbols that are shared across cultures and time periods ( like the shared term for a ‘mother’). He called these patterns and symbols archetypes. Many visionary artists have drawn on Jung’s ideas to explore the deep layers of the psyche and to tap into the archetypal imagery that resides within the collective unconscious.

Visionary artists often use symbols and imagery that are drawn from a variety of cultural and spiritual traditions, as well as from their own personal experiences and visions. For example, artist Alex Grey has said that his artwork is inspired by his experiences with LSD and DMT, as well as by his studies of various spiritual traditions, including Buddhism and Hinduism. Some visionary artists, use their artwork as a means of exploring the deep layers of the psyche and uncovering hidden aspects of the self. Both Carl Jung and visionary artists have the shared interest in exploring the depths of the human psyche and tapping into the archetypal imagery that resides within the collective unconscious.

white light journal book-art by Andrew Gonzalez
Joe Rogan fan art
painting of Joe Rogan, Joe Rogan, the host of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, often mentions his experiences with the use of psychedelic mushrooms and how they helped him see and process his emotions and his relationship to the world.

“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.”

Les Brown

Who are contemporary, famous visionary artists?

There are several famous visionary artists although this term is often used interchangeably with psychedelic artists and spiritual artists. The list is constantly evolving as new artists emerge and new styles develop. Here are a few well-known visionary artists in no particular order:

  1. Alex Grey – Grey is perhaps one of the most famous visionary artists. He’s also known as one of contemporary psychedelic artists. His highly detailed visionary paintings often depict human anatomy and consciousness in surrealistic and spiritual ways using repeated patterns and designs seen on a psychedelic trip.
  2. Allyson Grey is a life-long spiritual partner and wife of Alex Grey. Her art is quite different from her husband’s although they often work together on artistic projects, such as CoSM -Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. She paints psychedelic patterns and designs that don’t involve the human form.
  3. Rob Gonsalves is a Canadian artist who passed away in 2017. He created imaginative realism paintings that could also fall into a category of visionary art painting or contemporary surrealism art and even op art. His talent was to realistically convey the sense of magic and wonder in painting that he achieved visually with some optical illusion techniques. Technically his art showed a lot of prep work and influences of the surrealists, op art, and architectural drawing.
  4. Ernst Fuchs – Fuchs was an Austrian painter and printmaker who was associated with the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. His work is characterized by a highly detailed, ornate style that often incorporates religious and mystical themes.
  5. Amanda Sage – Sage is a contemporary visionary artist who creates vibrant figurative art that explore the connection between humanity and the natural world. She also paints vibration and patterns layered over the figure to show spiritual dimension of human beings.
  6. Android Jones – Jones is a digital, psychedelic artist who creates highly detailed works that explore themes of consciousness and spirituality.
  7. Mati Klarwein – Klarwein was a painter who was associated with the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. His work is characterized by a highly detailed, surrealistic style that often incorporates religious and mythological themes.
  8. Roger Dean – his art features many light, mythical, landscapes that are welcoming and fantasy-like.
  9. Veronica Winters – fine artist interested in exploring wider states of consciousness in painting and colored pencil drawing using color harmonies, patterns and symbols.
  10. Luke Brown – psychedelic artist that also incorporates the symbolism of shamanic cultures and Asian religions.
  11. Carey Thompson – is a contemporary psychedelic artist that utilizes geometric themes and colors in his artwork.
  12. Laurence Caruana
  13. Autumn Skye Morrison
  14. David Heskin
  15. Orphné Achéron is a contemporary artist inspired by antiquity, mythology and medieval times. Orphné, “Nymph of the Darkness” was the wife of Acheron, branch of the Styx, carrying the souls of the dead… This name chosen by the artist evokes Eternity, Mythology, immersion in mysterious depths. The artist combines indian ink and gold leaf to create black-and-white-and-gold, figurative drawings of strength, melancholy, contemplation, chaos, peace and mystery. Orphne also relies on visual elements taken from Egypt, Roman art and Medieval era to create dark fantastic creatures and figures that also carry the light.
  16. There are numerous digital artists that you can find on Instagram who create art with a combination of programs and AI. Check out digital art by visionary artists on Instagram: Danjc.Imagine, Surreal.lifelines, CrystalDreams.AI, Astrodeum.
Rob Gonsalves’ imaginative art painting, “Star dust”

Visionary art symbolism. What do artists want to say with visionary art?

Visionary art is often characterized by a deep sense of exploration, inquiry, and experimentation, and by a willingness to push the boundaries of what is considered “art” and “reality” in order to explore new dimensions of experience and consciousness. Some of the common themes found in visionary art include:

  1. Exploration of consciousness: Many visionary artists use their work as a means of exploring the nature of consciousness, and the ways in which altered states of consciousness can give rise to new forms of perception and understanding.
  2. Spiritual or mystical experiences: Many visionary artists draw inspiration from spiritual or mystical experiences, and use their work to communicate the profound insights and transformative experiences that can arise from such encounters.
  3. Environmental or social issues: Some visionary artists use their work as a means of raising awareness about environmental or social issues, and to inspire action and change.
  4. Healing and transformation: Most visionary artists believe that their work can serve as a tool for healing and transformation, both on an individual and a collective level.
  5. Uniting the personal and the universal: Visionary artists seek to create works that bridge the gap between the personal and the universal, and that speak to the shared human experience in a way that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.

Visionary art themes, styles and subjects:

There are several themes or ideas that are commonly associated with visionary art. These include:

  1. Surrealistic imagery: Visionary art often features strange and dreamlike imagery that is not found in everyday life. The images are often highly detailed, and may feature bizarre combinations of objects and creatures.
  2. Vibrant colors: Many visionary artists use bright, bold colors in their work to create a sense of energy and vibrancy.
  3. Spiritual or mystical themes: Visionary art often explores spiritual and mystical themes, such as the nature of consciousness, the interconnectedness of all things, and the search for higher states of being.
  4. Altered states of consciousness: Many visionary artists are inspired by altered states of consciousness, such as those induced by meditation, psychedelics, or other spiritual practices.
  5. Visionary art techniques: Visionary art often features highly detailed paintings with the use of repeated geometric patterns and mirrored designs that are often seen while tripping.
  6. Imagery from nature and mythology: Many visionary artists draw inspiration from the natural world and from mythological and religious stories.
  7. A focus on the inner world: Visionary art often explores the inner world of the artist or viewer, rather than the external world. This can lead to works that are highly personal and introspective, yet speak to universal themes of love and connection.
meaning of life-hand 9x12 oil painting-veronica winters art
Meaning of life (hand) 9×12 oil painting, veronica winters

In terms of the visionary art techniques, the visionary style often involves meticulous attention to detail and the use of various tools and materials to create textures, repeated patterns, geometric designs and mirrored images. Many visionary artists also incorporate various digital technologies into their work, such as 3D modeling and digital painting software. However, not all visionary art is created in this style, and not all art created in this style is necessarily visionary in content.

Subjects:

A lot of visionary artists combine figurative art like a female figure, portrait or humans with the natural world, space and architecture. Even the still life subjects like books can become alive with images of ethereal worlds coming out of their pages.

  1. Spiritual and mystical themes: Many visionary artists draw inspiration from spiritual and mystical traditions, and their work often features imagery related to themes such as meditation, enlightenment, and transcendence.
  2. Nature: The natural world is a common subject in visionary art, with many artists drawing on the beauty and complexity of natural forms to create geometric shapes and designs and combine those with the animals, birds and plants.
  3. Altered states of consciousness: Many visionary artists are interested in exploring the nature of consciousness and the ways in which altered states of consciousness can give rise to new forms of perception and understanding.
  4. Mythology and symbolism: Many visionary artists draw on mythological and symbolic imagery to explore themes related to the human experience, such as birth, death, and transformation.
tree in space-ai visionary art-veronica winters art blog
tree in space, AI-generated art

What are visionary art styles or types of visionary art?

There are several types of visionary art, each with its own unique aesthetic qualities and characteristics. Some of the most common visionary art styles include:

  1. Fantastic Realism: This style emphasizes highly detailed, realistic renderings of surreal and dreamlike imagery. The works often feature complex compositions.
  2. Psychedelic Art: This style emerged in the 1960s and is characterized by super bright, almost acidic colors and abstract, repetitive or mirrored patterns. The works often explore themes related to altered states of consciousness and the spiritual dimensions of psychedelic experiences.
  3. Digital Art: With the advent of digital technologies, many visionary artists have begun to explore new forms of expression using digital tools and techniques. This can include digital painting, 3D modeling, and other forms of computer-generated imagery. It’s easier to re-create complex geometric designs using the software rather than trying to paint the geometry.
  4. Sacred Art: This style is inspired by religious and spiritual traditions and often features iconic imagery, such as mandalas, sacred geometry, and depictions of deities and mythological figures.
  5. Surrealism: This style emphasizes the exploration of the unconscious mind and often features dreamlike imagery and unexpected combinations of objects and forms. The subjects are often depiction of dreams.
  6. Visionary Abstraction: This style is characterized by abstract imagery that is inspired by visionary experiences or altered states of consciousness. The works often feature complex patterns and textures, as well as a strong sense of movement and energy.

Art supplies artists use to create visionary art:

Visionary art is a diverse genre that encompasses a wide range of materials, tools and subject matter.

Materials:

  1. Paints: Many visionary artists use traditional painting materials such as oil, acrylic, and watercolor to create their works.
  2. Drawing materials: Pencils, pens, markers, and other drawing materials can be used to create detailed, intricate images.
  3. Mixed media: Many visionary artists combine different materials and techniques to create multi-layered and textured works of art. This can include collage, assemblage, and sculpture.
  4. Digital tools: With the rise of digital technology, many visionary artists are using digital tools such as digital painting software like Photoshop, Illustrator and Procreate and 3D modeling programs to create their work. AI programs include Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Deep Dream Generator and many more.
“”Masters of Deception” art book that features art of Rob Gonsalves, Escher, Dali and other op art artists on Amazon

Is there a difference between spiritual art and visionary art?

These terms are often interchangeable and overlap each other. Spiritual art is created with the intention of expressing or exploring spiritual themes or experiences. This can include religious art that is created within a specific religious tradition, as well as other forms of art that explores broader spiritual themes such as the search for meaning and purpose, the interconnectedness of all things, or the nature of consciousness. Visionary art a specific genre of art that is characterized by highly detailed, surrealistic imagery and geometric forms and patterns that is intended to evoke spiritual or mystical experiences. While visionary art may explore spiritual themes, it is often more concerned with depicting the visionary experiences of the artist or viewer, rather than with conveying specific spiritual teachings or beliefs. In other worlds, spiritual art is a lot more encompassing because it can incorporate a very wide range of art.

visionary art-veronica winters art blog

Why is vision important in art?

In essence vision in art doesn’t equal to the term as visionary art. Vision in art means to have a unique view of the world. Vision is unique to every artist because it is through our visual sense that we experience and interpret the world around us. Vision allows us to perceive and appreciate the colors, shapes, textures, and patterns that make up the visual world, and it allows us to appreciate the visual qualities of art. Vision can be used to create new ways of seeing and understanding the world. Visionary artists, in particular, use their vision to create works that challenge our conventional ways of perceiving the world and that invite us to explore new dimensions of experience and consciousness. This gives art unique meaning and depth.

In art, vision plays a crucial role in the creation and appreciation of visual images. Artists use their vision to translate their inner experiences and ideas into visual form, and they use their technical skills to manipulate color, light, and form in ways that create a particular mood or atmosphere.

For viewers, vision is important in art because it allows us to appreciate the visual qualities of art, such as the use of color, texture, and composition. Vision allows us to engage with the visual world of art, to appreciate the beauty and complexity of visual images, and to interpret the meanings and emotions that are conveyed through visual form.

Is it difficult to sell visionary art?

Visionary art can be difficult to sell for a number of reasons. Here are some factors that may contribute to the challenge of selling visionary art:

  1. Niche market: Visionary art is a relatively niche genre, and may not have the same level of mainstream appeal as more traditional art forms. This can make it more difficult for artists to find buyers for their work.
  2. Non-traditional styles and techniques: Many visionary artists use non-traditional styles and techniques in their work, which can be challenging for some buyers to appreciate or understand.
  3. Limited exposure: Because visionary art is a relatively new genre, it may not receive as much exposure in galleries or other exhibition spaces, which can limit its visibility and make it more difficult for artists to find buyers.
  4. Pricing: Because visionary art can be highly detailed and time-consuming to create, it may be priced higher than more traditional forms of art, which can make it more difficult to sell.

Despite these challenges, there is a growing community of collectors and enthusiasts who are interested in visionary art, and many artists have been able to successfully sell their work through online platforms, art festivals, and other venues that cater to this niche market. Additionally, as more people become interested in the transformative potential of visionary art, it is possible that the demand for this genre may grow in the future.

Visionary art museums & galleries around the world:

Wat Rong Khun - the White Temple
Wat Rong Khun – the White Temple in Thailand, photography by Veronica Winters

There are several museums and galleries around the world that specialize in visionary art, or that feature exhibitions of visionary art alongside other forms of contemporary art. Here are some examples:

  1. The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM), New York, USA – CoSM is a sanctuary and exhibition space founded by visionary artists Alex Grey and Allyson Grey. The chapel features a permanent collection of Alex Grey’s artwork, as well as temporary exhibitions and events focused on visionary and spiritual art.
  2. The American Visionary Art Museum, Maryland, USA – This museum is dedicated to showcasing self-taught and visionary artists from around the world. The collection includes a wide variety of works, from traditional folk art to contemporary pieces that push the boundaries of what is considered “art.”
  3. La Casa de la Vision, Barcelona, Spain – This gallery specializes in visionary and psychedelic art, with a focus on emerging artists and underground movements.
  4. The Outsider Art Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands – This museum features works by self-taught artists and outsiders, including many visionary artists. The collection includes both historical and contemporary works, and the museum often hosts special exhibitions and events focused on visionary art.
  5. The Museum of Visionary Art (Museum der Visionskunst), Frankfurt, Germany – This museum features works by international visionary artists, as well as artifacts related to visionary and spiritual traditions from around the world.
  6. The Visionary Art Museum of Belgium (Musée d’Art Fantastique), Brussels, Belgium – This museum features works by visionary and fantasy artists, as well as artifacts related to the history of visionary and fantastical art.
  7. Wat Rong Khun – the White Temple, is a privately owned and constructed Buddhist temple in Pa O Don Chai, Mueang District, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is owned by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed and built it in 1997.
Egyptian doorway to space -ai visionary art-veronica winters art blog
To read about psychedelic art and artists: https://veronicasart.com/psychedelic-art-guide-history-styles-music-spiritual-dimensions/

Check out my visionary art for sale here.

Fixatives & varnishes: what you need to know to preserve your art

Do you know how to varnish art using the varnishes and fixatives correctly? There are numerous videos on Instagram with artists varnishing their art dead wrong. They pour the liquid onto the surface and brush it all over the canvas. I saw one artist at an outdoor art event varnishing her painting in a frame with bugs flying all around her! If you really care about your art and want to preserve it, using your art materials properly is a must. Otherwise paintings may crack or discolor over time.

What’s the difference between varnishes and fixatives?

Key difference between varnishes and fixatives is that varnishes are made for oil and acrylic paintings and fixatives are manufactured for dry media or drawings.

So don’t use a varnish on your drawing! Use final fixative for pastels, pencil, charcoal, colored pencil, and other media on paper, etc. Read labels carefully to decide which fixative or varnish is appropriate for your artwork. A lot of them produce harmful vapors containing acetone and turpentine. However there are some “healthier” alternatives available on the market today. More on that later.

veronica winters colored pencil
Omnipresent mind, colored pencil on paper, 19×25 inches, interior

3 reasons to varnish your art

The environmental changes can produce environmental smudge on a surface of the unvarnished oil or acrylic painting that would be very difficult or even impossible to remove later on. One example is the growth of mold on the painting’s surface. Varnishes and fixatives protect your art from UV light, dust and environmental changes. Varnishes are removable, so that a painting can be cleaned and re-varnished, if necessary.

High-quality varnishes and fixatives bring all the colors out in a painting or drawing. The surface becomes nice and even. Colors seem to gain depth and saturation. Personally I love to see how my drawings and paintings transform after varnishing.

How to varnish your colored pencil drawings, pencil and charcoal drawings, pastels and other dry media art

All fixatives come in several denominations - matte, gloss, semi-gloss, etc. Personally, I prefer matte fixatives because the surface becomes nice and even and doesn't reflect the colors. If you like gloss varnishes, know that it takes a lot more fixative to saturate the paper and make it glossy evenly. 
  • Read directions on the label carefully. Test the spray on a separate piece of paper or magazine page first.
  • Spray 15-18 inches away from your drawing, holding the can at an angle. Move quickly from left to right.
  • Do short spurs and thin layers. Let each layer dry completely for at least half an hour.
  • Spray in a clean and well-ventilated area or outside. Humidity level must be less than 65% in a 55-60F temperature. Otherwise, you may trap the moisture or condensation on the artwork and it would turn cloudy. Depending on the type of fixative, fumes can be hazardous. Once fumes evaporate, bring the artwork inside. I use my bathroom’s countertop to lay art flat and use the bathroom’s ventilator to get rid of the smell completely. Ed S Brickler, technical consultant from Chartpak has a dedicated space in his garage to do the varnishing.
  • Workable fixative is often used to increase the texture of your paper. Colored pencils are made of wax and when the surface becomes too waxy and you can’t layer more color, you can spray it with a workable fixative to increase paper’s tooth so it accepts more layers of colored pencil. I often use a very light layer of final fixative to give me this extra layer to work on. I don’t find the workable fixative as useful as the final one.
  • I strongly advice against buying cheap fixatives because they give uneven coverage and can ruin your drawings.
  • If your colored pencil drawing has some bloom, fix it with a gloss spray first and then use a matte fixative over it. The gloss fixative should even out the surface and get rid of wax bloom.

How to varnish pastels & charcoal drawings

I used to draw in soft pastels before I switched to drawing in colored pencil. Main secret to drawing in pastels is to work from dark to light in layers. Purposefully draw darker in the first layer or two, fix it with a fixative. Then apply lighter layers, fixing each layer. Don’t spray the finished pastel painting heavily because the fixative will darken and change the color. Or use a very light final coat spraying it very lightly.

Drawing with charcoal is about the same. Draw in layers and fix each layer with a fixative.

Don’t spray art if you have sharpie in it. Sharpie will bleed and dissolve.

How to store drawings and art on paper

The best way to store your colored pencil drawings, pencil or charcoal drawings is to lay them flat with glassine paper covering the art. Parchment paper could work as well although the glassine paper is highly recommended and preferred by art professionals. It’s also used for shipping art to create the barrier between unframed art and packaging.

Safe alternatives to traditional fixatives

Non-toxic final fixatives for dry media and colored pencil art

These are the two brands of final fixatives that are made differently and are non-toxic. If you know more about non-toxic fixatives, let me know! I don’t recommend using the Brush and Pencil fixative because the nozzle produces uneven spurs of fixative. It also crumbles thin paper.

How to varnish oil paintings

Oil paintings must be varnished when the paint is dry completely. 6 months must pass before placing a final varnish over the oil painting. But because of possible environmental damage finished oil paintings can be varnished with a retouch varnish first and then varnished with the final varnish in 6+ months.
how to varnish paintings

There are two types of varnishes for oil and acrylic paintings – spray varnishes and liquid varnishes. All varnishes come in several denominations – matte, gloss, semi-gloss, etc. Personally, I prefer matte varnishes because the surface becomes nice and even and doesn’t reflect the colors. If you like gloss varnishes, know that it takes a lot more varnish to even out the gloss.

Damar varnishes seem to be dated because they yellow or darken over time. So synthetic varnishes are preferred to preserve paintings from deterioration.

It's difficult to remove the varnish safely if the paint layers are super thin or the painting was varnished too early.
Princeton 4750 Neptune Mottler Brush can be used for varnishing oil paintings
  • Your space must be very clean. Liquid varnishes attract dust and particles like a magnet that can settle on a varnished surface. The brush should be high-quality and soft not to leave streaks.
  • Pour the varnish into a small and clean glass bowl and deep the brush into it. Start brushing your painting from top left corner moving to the right and then down the painting. You need to be rather quick because the varnish starts drying almost immediately. If you feel that the surface becomes too sticky in one spot, don’t brush over it, rather let it dry. Repeat the process in your second, thin layer moving at a different angle or direction to make sure that everything is covered.
  • Varnishes are self-leveling and applying them in thin layers is the best.
  • If you use spray final varnishes, apply thin layers, letting each layer dry completely for up to an hour. Also, change the direction with each new layer to cover the entire painting surface evenly.

How to varnish acrylic paintings

Same rules apply to varnishing acrylic paintings. However, the first thing is to use “medium & varnish” acrylic varnish. Varnish your acrylic paintings in three days with either matte or gloss final varnish over it.

If you gesso your canvases and panels with acrylic gesso or use acrylic underpainting for oil painting, allow acrylic-based gesso or paint to dry for 3 days before starting painting on the surface!

References & resources:

If you’re unsure how to use your particular varnish or fixative, go to the manufacturer’s website. Companies have their own blogs and videos showing how to use their products correctly.

This information is based on my conversation with technical consultant from Chartpak inc- Ed Brickler. You can watch our conversation in a video below. This interview is also available on my Hooked on Art podcast on Spotify & Apple.

Here is a great resource on oil painting varnishing from Gamblin: https://gamblincolors.com/oil-painting/gamvar-picture-varnish/

Amazon links to art supplies I use the most often:

Check out visionary art for sale

The infamous fate of some famous artists

All artists strive for acceptance and appreciation. However, the meaning of appreciation may be unique to each artist. Many painters want to win in shows or receive recognition via art sales as a fair validation of their talent and hard work. I don’t think anyone wishes to perish in obscurity without the proper acknowledgment of his or her gift.

It’s interesting to learn that numerous famous artists admired today often struggled both financially and emotionally. Riveted by poverty and seclusion, they lived the creative life in obscurity. Studied in art history classes, admired in art museums, and owned by some wealthy art collectors today, many famous artists were often unknown or underrated during their lifetime. Only after their death, sometimes decades later, they found proper recognition in contemporary society.

If we look back at the art history prior to the 19th-century, the vast majority of artists worked on public paintings commissioned by the Church, the State, and the mega wealthy. Most of recorded artists were male with very few female artists immortalized on the pages of art history books.

vincent-van-gogh-shoes-18x21-1888-the-met-best-art-museums
Van Gogh at the Met, NY

The birth of new art movements

In the 19-th century Paris, the Salon was the most prestigious official space to exhibit contemporary realist art. Sponsored by the French authorities, the Salon has become the annual event since 1737.

The Paris Salon, officially known as the Salon de Paris, was a prestigious art exhibition held annually (and later biennially) from 1667 to 1974. It was a major platform for artists to showcase their work and gain recognition, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries. Some famous artists who exhibited at the Paris Salon were Ingres, David, Delacroix, and Manet.

It was the only important exhibition existing in the country. Receiving acceptance into its annual show was crucial to the artist’s success and career. The Salon’s jury process was controlled by the most talented and skilled Academicians who picked the art for the show. Despite its authority and beautiful art the academy produced, it resisted innovation in classical art. This time period became a place of change when several new art movements emerged. As the importance of getting commissions from the Church and the State vanned around that time, it catapulted the artistic creativity and freedom of expression.

The Impressionists broke away from the classical tradition and became the first modern movement to organize their own, separate shows in Paris. Degas was one of the leaders in this organization. Russian classical school of painting branched out to the Itinerants movement in late 19th century. The art world exploded with new art styles and movements. The traditional, academic style of painting was suddenly losing its ground to the impressionism, post-impressionism, neoclassicism, romanticism, social realism, American realism, the pre-Raphaelites, pointillism, symbolism, art nouveau, and even photography. It continued well into the 20th century with the freedom of artistic expression in fauvism, cubism, expressionism, European avant-garde, surrealism, futurism, dada, collage, fantasy, abstract expressionism, and so on.

Famous artists who died before becoming famous

If we go back to the 19th-century art, although artists became independent from the State and the Church, which dramatically changed the subject matter and the painting style, many lived in extreme poverty. The amateur painter, Vincent Van Gogh struggled both financially and emotionally throughout his life and only his brother Theo recognized and supported his talent.

Classically trained Antoine-Jean Gros started out brilliantly with his painting Napoleon in the Pesthouse at Jaffa, 1804, but drowned himself in a river after 30 years of haunting criticism and artistic failure that followed. An engraver, painter, and poet, William Blake was discovered only a century later after his death. French realist artist, Honore Daumier painted most of his life, but received recognition as a painter during his first solo show at the age of 70.

A. Gros, Napoleon in the Pesthouse at Jaffa, 209x280inches. 532x720cm. The Louvre. Commissioned by Napoleon himself, this painting depicts his visit to sick soldiers in Jaffa during the French invasion of Egypt.

William Blake, Urizen, the Ancient of Days, 13 copies of hand-colored prints are known and attributed to the Romantic poet and engraver

Driven by the need to paint, Paul Gauguin abandoned his family, left France, and spent his last years in Tahiti. A cocktail of poverty, alcoholism, and syphilis brought him death at the age of 55. His fusion of symbolic imagery with the post-impressionist style became influential only after his death, discovered and promoted by the influential art critic in Paris.

If you’re interested in the events and relationship of two famous artists- van Gogh and Gaugin, read the Moon and Sixpence written by W. Somerset Maugham, which is based on true events.

Paul Gauguin, Reclining Tahitian Women, 1894, Oil on canvas, 23 3/5 × 19 3/10 in | 60 × 49 cm, de Young Museum in San Francisco; one of paintings of the Tahitian Women in the series

The Card Players, 25 3/4 x 32 1/4 in, Paul Cézanne, French, 1890–92 This version is located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York | This painting is the first of five artworks created on the theme of card players.

One of the most influential painters of modernity, Cézanne (1839-1906) had submitted his artwork to the Salon in Paris for 20 consecutive years. His paintings were not accepted into a single show even once. Self-taught, the post-impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne enjoyed the process of painting in isolation. Out of frustration, with introspection, and in search of perfection, Cezanne had a habit of throwing away his now-famous-paintings, creating art in the country. Like a number of artists, Cezanne had a very difficult relationship with his father who wanted the artist to become a lawyer. Like so many painters, Cézanne got famous after his death. Today his artwork sells for millions of dollars per painting. The Gulf nation of Qatar purchased Paul Cézanne’s painting The Card Players (the 5th version) for a record-breaking $250 million. (By the way, there are more Cezannes in Philadelphia than in France, because of private collections’ acquisitions). One day the painter got ill, after being out in a thunderstorm. Cezanne spent his last few days of life painting, achieving what he always wanted to do – to paint until the end…

Innovation is often rejected in the beginning of a big trend. It takes time for the majority to catch up to trends that eventually become mainstream or fashionable. Artist’s success is rarely accidental. Yes, it could be a ton of hard work, but mostly it’s the ability to social climb or to be able to connect to the influential people in the field, promoting yourself tirelessly. Salvador Dali wasn’t social but he kept his career in trusted hands of his wife, muse and promoter- Gala. Wildly successful, Dali worked across continents and mediums to create personal art. Andy Warhol was a successful social climber who recognized the power of celebrity and often depicted celebrities in his silkscreens. Pablo Picasso knew how to attract attention to his art using his personality and connections. For instance, young Picasso immersed himself in the Parisian art scene in early 1900s. A city already buzzing with artistic innovation and experimentation, the artist actively participated in the art scene, befriending other artists and showcasing his work in various art galleries. This exposure fostered connections and helped him gain recognition within the art community [Source: Ian Leslie, “The Picasso Effect”]. Later, Picasso took a leading role in the Cubist movement that attracted lots of attention. The artist also developed strong relationships with some influential art dealers like Ambroise Vollard and Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, who actively promoted and exhibited his work, contributing significantly to his commercial success and public recognition [Source: Museum of Modern Art, “Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris”]. Therefore, while we can admire the skill and creativity of each artist, a successful career is a lot more than just having a talent. Artist’s presence in a creative environment, dedication, extraversion and the support of key individuals within the art world can either propel the artist to the top or leave him at the bottom of desperation and poverty.

Originally published in 2012

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veronica winters painting

Highly sensitive people: how to prioritize well-being to tackle personal crisis

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Have you noticed you can’t stand violence watching movies? Or that you get really upset being rejected? Or you feel drained after visiting a party? Most artists I know are highly sensitive people including me. Our sensitivity lets us feel deeply to create beautiful art but it can also devastate us, bring pain and suffering. Instead of looking at this personality train as a weakness, let’s explore the advantages of being sensitive. We’re going to do a deep dive into the psychology of sensitive people and how we can calibrate our gift of sensitivity to be the best versions of ourselves.

Highly sensitive people: who are they?

Written by Mariya Shiyko, PhD, creator & owner of Joyful & Creative Living | Instagram & Facebook

Definition:

Highly sensitive people (HSP) are those who feel everything deeply and have a very deep inner life. They:

· Can’t watch violent films or shows and they avoid reading or staying informed about the violence

· Get tired when they spend a lot of time in noisy and high-stimulation environments

· Can’t live without self-care. If deprived of it, they can have a break-down or engage in unhealthy behaviors

· Enjoy art and often are very creative themselves

· Get overwhelmed by stress and, in fact, try to avoid stressful situations

· Feel deeply and tend to be more spiritual, philosophical, and empathetic, caring about the world

The upsides:

There are many upsides for the HSP. In many ways, they are gifted — and can be spiritual, creative, smart, and charismatic people because they can sense the situation without any words.

Imagine that someone knows what you want without you even telling them. They care about the world, feel its pain, and want to improve it. They often go into caring, teaching, and serving professions. The world is a better place because of them.

There is about 20% of HSP in the general population, and they are equally likely to be men and women. Although, for men, it might take longer to discover that, since there is still a very high stigma of sensitivity and emotional depth. The macho culture is dying very slowly.

Differences:

There are physiological and neurocognitive differences between HSP and non-HSP — information is processed differently, the stress response is activated at a different rate, and emotions are accessed in a different way. If you are interested in learning more about HSP, you can read this book by Dr. Elaine Aron “The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You.” There are more reading recommendations in references, at the end of this blog post.

I want to discuss, however, four topics relevant to HSP:

Self-Esteem & Self-Acceptance

For HSP to develop high self-esteem and self-acceptance, parenting has to be uniquely tailored to their needs to “be heard and be seen.” This is unlikely in many situations. Given that emotional intelligence has been only on the rise in the last decade in the USA, and most of the world is still lagging behind, the likelihood that HS children were acknowledged and not judged for their emotions is very low.

In fact, they might have been shamed for feeling in a specific way and not given an opportunity to express themselves if their experience deviated from the “expected” or the “norm.” In such conditions, HSP might grow up with feelings of ‘SOMETHING IS DEEPLY WRONG WITH ME,” trying to fit in into the normal way of being and not fully finding comfort there either.

Solution:

· Understand that you are not alone. 20% of the population is a substantial number. You are not a minority. Normalizing the fact that HSP exists is part of the solution.

· Self-parenting would be a big component of your healing journey. You will need to learn how to self-parent yourself while being an adult. This means: recognizing your needs for extra time off, quiet time, self-care, and anything else that your nervous system needs to feel safe and, more than that, — flourish!

· Educate yourself to recognize needs, desires, and mostly strengths because you have lots of unique strengths that other people don’t have.

· Express your needs in relationships but don’t expect that people will remember them forever — you will need to keep reminding yourself and others about your needs.

· Forgive — your parents, bosses, and others who might have not recognized you as an HSP and created unbearable circumstances in your life. This will bring your peace and sanity. Emotional intelligence is still on the rise, and mental and spiritual health awareness is still in its infant stage of development. The general population will need time and education to catch up.

Relationships

It is fascinating that HSP might fluctuate between really enjoying social interactions because they bring them joy, depth of experiences, and an opportunity to contribute to this world. On the other hand, the same social interactions might bring stress, overwhelm, and overstimulation.

What other people consider “fun” — going to bars, drinking, participating in highly stimulating activities, HSP might find enjoyable to a degree or not enjoyable at all, depending on how sensitive their nervous system is. The “dose” of stimulation might vary from mild to extreme.

HSP are a gift to be in a relationship with — they understand and perceive the world deeply and have a lot to contribute to a relationship — from knowledge to intuition to care to creativity to the unbeatable skill of knowing before something actually occurs, as if by magic — seeing the future. Yet, their needs might be perceived as weird or unacceptable, even judged by other people.

Solution:

· Know yourself really well — because other people won’t know you and it’s not really their job to know you. Knowing yourself is a process — it’s not a one-time thing, it will unfold and deepen with time.

· Express yourself and your needs. If someone doesn’t want to listen or respect who you are, these are probably not the right people to socialize with. It’s not their fault and it’s not a reason for you to get angry with them. But understand that you don’t need to sacrifice yourself to be in a relationship — be it romantic or friendship or collegial.

· Know your boundaries, set them, express them, and know that you don’t need to feel guilty about boundaries. Imagine someone with diabetes saying, “I can’t have sugar.” That is normal and, in most cases, won’t be judged. The same thing for HSP — there are boundaries on your emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being — you can’t do certain things and you have to do certain things to stay healthy, well, and flourish.

· Be aware that there are people who have a tendency to take advantage of others in some way. It is not OK for you. Say “NO” to such people. They might not do it intentionally, but it is still your responsibility to say “NO.”

· Joyful and Fulfilling relationships are possible. So, no need to settle for something mediocre and self-defeating.

Work

HSP has much to offer to this world — they come with unique gifts and talents. They are not concentrated only in one domain of expression: for example, only psychology or only arts. They can be everywhere and anywhere — in business, agriculture, management, therapy, and so on. HSP can also be very skilled high-level managers: they care about people, pre-emp problems with solutions, and have a capacity to take on a high-bird perspective on business and situations.

There are also some challenges that HSP need to be aware of that brings us to

Solution:

· Need for rest and self-care — they simply can’t work 10 or even 8 hours a day. They must rest to avoid a break-down

· Need to process their feelings and emotions and find meaning in them. Part of the gift of being an HSP is to feel deeply about the world. Just being a manager or a teacher or an artist is not enough. HSP need to find and derive meaning from things. And this is a HUGE need for HSP. Time needs to be left in a day or a week to journal, communicate with a close friend or engage in anything else that facilitates meaning creation (e.g., art, movement, prayer, etc.)

· Need for a safe work environment. Recognize that your workspace needs to be created in a way that is helping you to work rather than you struggling to work. Inter-personal conflicts, messy desks, common working spaces might not be for you. Bring beauty and peace to your work.

· Remember that you don’t need to take care of everyone in your work environment — everyone’s problem is NOT yours. It is great to be compassionate and caring, but you can’t carry the world on your shoulders

· Be aware of people taking advantage of your kindness and energetic compassion and giving. In the end, it’s always a personal journey. Let others be somewhat independent. In the same way that you need to learn to parent yourself, encourage others to do the same. Yes, you can ask and demand that from others.

· If you are in a position to hire people, you can absolutely set criteria for other self-care. In the same way that you wouldn’t want to have a drunk in your beautiful home, you wouldn’t want to have a drunk in your office or workspace. And you can reject people who don’t understand that taking care of themselves impacts everyone around — that is OK.

· Working for yourself is also a solution, where you are able to set your timetable, conditions, and collaborations.

Spirituality

HSP might find themselves attracted to spirituality because they are interested in questions such as “Who am I?” “Why the world is the way it is?” “How can I be happy in life?” “What is my life purpose?” “What is the nature of God?” etc. Their intuitive understanding of things might bring them very special experiences in the realm of spirituality, such as oneness, direct communication with spiritual beings, extreme intuitive knowing of things, and a deep understanding of spiritual concepts.

There are also challenges that come with it. For instance, getting a bit lost in spirituality and thinking that the spiritual world is more important than the human world — simply because the human world doesn’t seem to be able to take care of their needs. They may devote too much time to spirituality for that very reason, seeking healing, transformation, and wholeness.

Solution:

· Remembering that healing is a journey, it’s a process. Choosing a gentle path of healing is important so that traumas from the past are not triggered many times. Coming from the place of self-love and self-acceptance.

· Being gentle with yourself, paying attention to your needs.

· Knowing that healing is possible and that you don’t need to choose “being spiritual” or “being human” — you can have both worlds coexisting and helping each other flourish, create and enjoy life.

· Trusting ease and joy, making an effort to make changes in your life that align with your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being

· Allocating time for meditation, prayer, and any other spiritual practice

· Sharing the depth of your experiences with others — by blogging, creating art, having conversations, etc.

· Accepting the challenging sides of being an HSP and accepting yourself as a whole, the unconditional love so to speak — not rejecting the parts of you that are sensitive and need extra love and care

· Learning how to let go of pain — is very important. You don’t need to suffer all your life just because there is so much pain in the world. You don’t need to save the world. You don’t need to be Mother Theresa for everyone coming your way.

· Create healthy boundaries even within yourself — indulging in heavy emotions is draining for your psyche: feel and learn to let go.

· Learn practices that uplift you. You might have a tendency to allow yourself to feel everything. Which is wonderful, but learning how to raise your energy and uplift your vibration, so to speak, is extremely important for leading a fulfilling life.

I hope this article was helpful for you or someone you know who exhibits the qualities of an HSP. It was inspired by my personal life journey and sensitivities to feel deeply. It’s been a great challenge and a marvelous blessing that I am learning to embrace. As I grow to understand my needs better and express them to others, I see my life transform and improve in myriads of ways. And I wish you all the blessings and joy you can experience in a lifetime that is so complex, beautiful and inspiring to growth.

References:

  1. Elaine Aaron, PhD (2020). The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You.
  2. Elaine Aaron, PhD (2001). The Highly Sensitive Perso in Love: Understanding and Managing Relationships When the World Overwhelms You.
  3. Sensitive: The Untold Story (film)

Written by Mariya Shiyko, PhD, creator of Joyful & Creative Living You can learn more about Mariya’s coaching, services, and books on her site. Mariya’s books: My Brilliant Money Book & From Russia to Joy

Video Podcast talking points:

  • Who are highly sensitive people? 8:09 min
  • Finding meaning in life 17 min & 38:50
  • Self-parenting 18:45
  • Setting boundaries 26:30
  • How to stop negative thinking 30:54
  • How to say “No” 32:26
  • Child parenting 35 min
  • Letting go of pain 46:44
  • What is energy healing? 52:50
  • How beliefs create reality 58 min
  • Books and more 1:05

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How to promote your art and advance your career to sell more art

How to Promote your Art and Advance your Art Career

The following article is the advice I’d give myself over 25 years ago when I began drawing. I was shy, clueless and too naïve to believe that someone would see me or discover my art after I have my college degree. If you think like me, stop it. There’s a very slim chance of this happening unless you’re super lucky. Instead focus on cultivating your ability to promote yourself shamelessly. Yes, shamelessly. You must feel good about it though to sound confident and sincere talking about your art.

Stop asking for permission to do what you want. No one can give you the advice that feels right for you. Only you know what’s genuine to your soul and what feels off. Give yourself permission to feel and dream. Let yourself be free to express who you’re! Be unique.

interior space-veronica winters paintings


One thing no successful artist shares with others is his business know-how. Here’s one of life-learning lessons from me…Success in artist career strongly correlates to the artist’s personality.. No strategy or marketing advice will work for you if you’re not extraverted and confident, or you don’t attempt to adapt to your circumstances and pursue your goals with relentless passion. If you avoid people (my case), your sales are very limited because guess what? You sell art to people around you or with whom you develop a relationship.

Money affirmation from Bob Proctor:
I am so happy and grateful now - that money comes to me in increasing quantities through multiple sources on a continuous basis. 

There are several effective ways promoting your art:

  1. The most effective way is to work on publicity efforts that include both local and national magazines, newspapers and presentations. Aftercall, that’s the reason why PR firms exist. They promote artists heavily. The artist must lead with a story and emotion to generate interest in his/her work. This strategy must be ongoing reaching out to top publications with lots of potential for bringing relevant traffic. The subcategory in this strategy is to be active in relevant groups on Facebook to help others, befriend, and generate genuine interest. Local media likes the community aspect in artist’ press releases meaning that your event needs strongly correlate to you local scene (is it a show with a community outreach? A donation for cause? or something else?)
  2. Have strong, professional presence online via your site, Instagram and possibly affiliations with art organizations.
  3. Collaborate with pro artists on special projects or shows and events who are a few steps ahead of you. It’s useless to run after people who don’t care what you do but you must continue reaching out, maintaining social presence to find those who are supportive of your vision.
  4. Find a successful mentor who might not be available for free but learning from such a mentor can cut on years of frustration and disappointment for you.
  5. Work with curators. Curators place your work in museums raising value of your art.
  6. Teach art or art-related subject either online or locally or both. This way you constantly attract new people and build the customer base for your services. You’re getting paid consistently if you manage your time and clients well.
  7. Be very social on all social events generating interest in your art and personality by talking about your ideas and mission instead of explaining that you are an abstract artist or a portrait one.
  8. If your goal is to be represented by a gallery, befriend many artists showing at that gallery.
  9. Write step–by-step demonstrations for specialized publications.
  10. Win a big award. Win more awards. This is not an effective strategy for most artists but those who win big awards or residencies attract attention and advance their careers.
  11. Apply to residencies, especially those in or near New York, LA and other cultural centers. Curators walk through non-profits picking their stars.
  12. Live in a big artistic place to network and connect with art professionals. This is essential to art promotion. This outreach should be constant like brushing your teeth.
  13. Work with interior designers, especially if your art is abstract. Take them out for lunch to understand size and color specifications to create art that they want. Think of it as commissioned work.
  14. Use Facebook ads to sell a low-entry print or course to attract attention and build customer base to sell higher-priced items later on.

You kind of have to work on all of this simultaneously building strong foundation and relationships with people and think of it as your business that must have all the legs in a stool, not just one or two.

Veronica Winters

Becoming a successful artist can be a challenging and complex process, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. So in addition to what I wrote above:

  1. Develop your skills: Whether you’re a painter, sculptor, musician, or writer, honing your craft is essential to becoming a successful artist. This may involve taking classes, practicing regularly, and seeking feedback from other artists or mentors. It depends what art style you choose to pursue. For instance becoming a realist artist is a lot of work to put in no matter how you slice it.
  2. Build your portfolio: Your portfolio is your calling card as an artist, and it’s important to showcase your best work in a professional manner. Consider creating a website or online gallery to showcase your best art, and make sure to keep your portfolio up to date as you create new work. Be as consistent as possible in size, style and subject. Instagram is a good alternative to show your process videos and art in space. It’s also a virtual place to network.
  3. Be original and creative: The art world is constantly evolving, so it is important to stay ahead of the curve by being original and creative. Experiment with different styles and techniques, and don’t be afraid to take risks. Listen to interviews with contemporary artists. While business secrets remain as such, some artists do share good tips in networking.
  4. Network: Building relationships with other artists, curators, collectors, and other professionals in the art world can be crucial to your success. Attend art shows and events, join artist groups, and use social media to connect with others in the industry.
  5. Develop your brand: As an artist, you are also a brand, and it’s important to develop a clear and consistent message about your work and your identity as an artist. Consider creating a logo or tagline that reflects your style and personality.
  6. Be persistent: Success as an artist often requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and persistence. Don’t be discouraged by rejection or setbacks, and continue to work on your craft and promote your art. With time, effort, and a little bit of luck, you may be able to achieve your goals as an artist.
Check out my art on Instagram or YouTube. I also host Hooked on Art Podcast

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Podcast interview with Michael Hlousek-Nagle

Michael Hlousek-Nagle Interview: how painting becomes solace in solitude

In this episode you meet with a beautiful soul and amazing realist artist – Michael Hlousek-Nagle. Inspired by nature, classical music, Roman civilization, Egyptian art and archeology, the artist depicts personal space of solitude, quietness, introversion and hope. His canvases are female portraits set against dark, mysterious landscapes. Moody, solitary figures are caught up in self-reflection, yet embody strength and intelligence. Beautiful and often sensual women live in a quiet, dark space. Michael’s realist paintings exhibit masterful color harmony and visual balance. The artist lives with his wife and two children in England.

interview with Michael Hlousek-Nagle
Michael Hlousek-Nagle, Sibylla, charcoal and chalk on paper, 29x42cm

We chatted late in the evening in the beginning of November 2021 with a 4-hour time difference between Florida and England. The connection was really bad and parts of the recording were lost in space for good. However, salvaged parts of the interview were beautiful. Michael is a very kind human being who opens his heart up talking about the oil painting technique, his world view and how his creativity flows to produce art.

“Since mankind began making marks we have used art to tell the story of what and who we are, and of the world in which we find ourselves, and however fragmented and distorted our world may now be, however many innovations and techniques painters have at their disposal, it is still essential that artists use their work to allow us to see ourselves, to tell the story of us, and not merely the story of art.”

Michael Hlousek-Nagle
Michael Hlousek-Nagle podcast interview
Michael Hlousek-Nagle, And I Alone was Saved, 60 x 76cm

Born in Cambridge in 1971, Michael Hlousek-Nagle grew up in a small farming village in the English countryside near Oxford, and spent most of his childhood exploring the fields and forests. His early interests did not include drawing or painting, instead he wanted to pursue a career as an archaeologist and was drawn especially to ancient Egyptian history. His first foray into art was an attempt to turn his bedroom into an Egyptian temple by decorating it with life-size figures of Osiris, Isis, and Anubis.

The artist studied and graduated with a BA in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Leeds, but did not know what he wanted to do with that qualification, and after drifting aimlessly for a while he was forcibly pushed into studying Art by a friend who apparently knew him better than he knew himself. He received a William and Mary Armour Award studying for his BA degree at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland, and won a scholarship to study at the New York Academy of Art for his Master’s degree in 2002.

His work has its roots in the techniques and strategies of the western figurative tradition, drawing inspiration from the paintings of Balthus, Goya, Paula Rego, and Zurbaran, among others, and contemporary artists – Amaya Gurpide, Jordan Sokol, and Rasha Alem.

In 2004 Michael was a set-designer for a new ballet, Shambards, by New York City Ballet’s choreographer-in-residence Christopher Wheeldon, which premiered at the Lincoln Center in New York on May 4th 2004, and has also been performed at the Saratoga Festival. In 2005 Michael produced a set-design for a new ballet to be performed by the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, London. Since 1998 he has received many commissions from private collectors, and his work is currently in private collections in New York, Seattle, Geneva, Paris, Vienna, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as the permanent collection of Glasgow School of Art. Between 1998 and 1992 Michael was commissioned to produce cover artwork and photography for a series of 7 CD releases of the music of internationally-acclaimed composer James MacMillan. One of Michael’s paintings has been used as the cover artwork for an Italian edition of the international bestseller “While My Eyes Were Closed” by Linda Green. The artist exhibited art at Galerie Kohler in Geneva, Blackheath Gallery, Three Colts Gallery, and Medici Gallery in London and in a number of galleries in Glasgow. The artist is represented by 33 Contemporary art gallery in Chicago.

Contact the artist: https://www.instagram.com/michaelhlouseknagle/


Reach out with questions or topic ideas @ Veronicasart.com . Follow: Instagram: @veronicawintersart | Hooked on Art podcast is one of the Top 10 Art Collecting Podcasts on the web rated by Feedspot in October, 2021.

How to commission art as thoughtful art collector

If you have a specific idea or want to commission a portrait painting you need to learn how to approach the artist you like. So how do you approach the artist to create a beautiful artwork for you? In this episode I’d like to discuss what the artist needs from you in order to fulfill your commission. It’s a wonderful experience to own original art at home or office. Art collecting is a great way to show who you are, create unique space and support contemporary artists!

Reach out with questions or topic ideas at Veronicasart.com . Follow on Instagram @veronicawintersart

Hooked on Art podcast is one of the Top 10 Art Collecting Podcasts on the web rated by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/art_collecting_podcasts/

How to commission art as art collector: 8 things to know what artist needs to make a great, commissioned painting

If you’ve decided on a specific idea or want to commission a portrait painting you need to learn how to approach the artist you like. So what’s the right way of communicating your idea and understanding what the artist needs to produce a custom art piece? In this article I’d like to discuss what the artist needs from you in order to fulfill your commission.

Damien Hirst: genius or imposter? Solo show at villa Borghese in Rome

Damien Hirst show at villa Borghese in Rome

I revisited the Borghese gallery in Rome in September 2021 and saw the Damien’s solo exhibition titled “Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable.” It’s a collection of sculptural works from a fictional shipwreck off the coast of East Africa. Walking around the gallery I couldn’t but notice a thoughtful placement of the artist’s pieces in the rooms. Most fit organically into the gallery space that goes overboard with art by design. The powerful Borghese family members were avid art collectors and patrons of the arts. That’s why their exuberant art collection boasts so many masterpieces by the 16th and 17th-century artists like Caravaggio, Bernini and Canova.

Borghese gallery, Damien Hirst, the Minotaur sculpture, Archaeology Now
Borghese gallery 2021, Damien Hirst, the Grecian Nude (left) and the Minotaur (right), black granite, sculpture.

Born in 1965, Damien Hirst is a British contemporary artist who explores the theme of life and death. Because he sees no separation between life and art, this theme becomes his art, which is an amalgam of painting, sculpture and installation. The theme of death is one of the central themes in the Western art world but every artist is able to take it into a different direction…

Damien Hirst Lion Women of Asit Mayor- bronze-2012-borghese gallery-winters blog
Damien Hirst Lion, Women of Asit Mayor, bronze, 2012 at villa Borghese 2021, pictures taken by Veronica Winters

First shown in Venice in 2017, “Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable” is a show with some merit. Sculptural works utilize traditional and precious materials, such as marble, alabaster, lapis lazuli, coral, crystals, malachite and bronze. Some sculptures breathed with beauty and classicism long forgotten by the contemporary art galleries. It was fun to spot contemporary art by Hirst standing right next to the antiques of the Borghese gallery permanent collection. Some sculptures did give a feeling of rescued objects from the ocean floor as colorful barnacles and sea creatures covered the surface of many sculptures. Some body limbs were missing or got obscured by the sea overgrowth.

damien hirst_unknown pharaoh-borghese g-veronica winters blog
Damien Hirst, Unknown Pharaoh at villa Borghese. This is one of my favorite pieces seen at the gallery. There is a beautiful balance between materials, color and the form. This sculpture gives a feeling of a real piece saved from a shipwreck.

While most of it fit well within the space, the sculptures were strikingly different in the level of execution. It prompted a question who really made these artworks and how much of it was Hirst’s skill and vision. Some were very classical in nature, while others looked like the leftovers from modernism. Some sculptures were beautiful and engaging, while others looked strange and too primitive to be called ‘art’ especially in comparison to the art collection of the Borghese family.

borghese gallery-sculpture of hirst
Bronze sculpture of Hirst at the villa Borghese in 2021, This sculpture looks grotesque lacking ethereal beauty of classical art.

How original is Damien Hirst?

Hirst is the all-over-the-place artist, in my opinion. He produced a variety of art that would be frowned upon in any graduate school where consistency of theme, size, and approach is encouraged and basically required to graduate. And this is where the rules get broken… The artist rose to fame with a number of controversial art pieces. The notorious diamond scull, beautiful entomology paintings, sharks in formaldehyde, pill cabinets, dot paintings, neoclassical sculptures, installations and so much more – everything made by Hirst or it may be not.

I think it’s ok to evolve and transition into new art forms or body of works over the years as we-artists experience change and so art changes with us. However, Hirst seems to drift from one idea to the next that doesn’t have a clear connection to his previous work in either technique or vision. Usually we can see one work by the artist and recognize the “style” in subsequent works even if it’s quite different. Hirst puzzled me in this regard because his series of paintings or sculptures had no connection to each other.

Art by Damien Hirst

Art Workshop

The exhibit made me think of a Renaissance workshop. Workshops used to be the only way of learning and training young artists in the Renaissance Italy. That’s how da Vinci painted his first angel in the Verrocchio’s painting (The Baptism of Christ, 1475, Uffizi gallery, Florence). Vision and ideas were of the master artists who painted major figures and finished paintings. Master artists worked on image designs, composition, color and so on while art students mixed paints, helped with image transferal and some underpainting. Based on presented sculptures I saw at the villa Borghese, the Damien Hirst workshop functions quite differently. The apprentices seem to be the creators.

damien hirst_Pair of Slaves Bound for Execution-painted bronze sculpture-borghese g
Damien Hirst, Pair of Slaves Bound for Execution, painted bronze sculpture at the villa Borghese

His workshop may produce all the art with some apprentices (artists) being very skillful at their task. That explains great inconsistency and variety of produced art by Damien Hirst. Painted bronze sculpture “Pair of Slaves Bound for Execution” was the most exceptional, contemporary art piece I’ve seen in a long time, showing balance, grace, and the perfection of anatomy – central to classical art. “Unknown Pharaoh” is one of my favorite pieces. There is a beautiful balance between materials, color and form. This sculpture gives a feeling of a real piece saved from a shipwreck. While another sculpture with a giant foot, squirrel and ear looks immature. The standing bronze figure of Hirst appears grotesque to me as well.

Damien Hirst-Archaeology Now at the Galleria Borghese-installation view
Damien Hirst, Archaeology Now at the Galleria Borghese-installation view (giant foot with a squirrel)


Are workshop artists mere laborers or the creators on their own right? Based on the produced and shown art at the villa Borghese, Hirst created a factory of talented artists who do all the work but marketing. And in this case it looks like marketing is everything really. Remove the name from any of these works and they won’t be fetching top dollar for art.

Now, many famous contemporary artists keep workshops. We can explore the workshops of contemporary realist artist Kehinde Wiley or the glass blower Chihuly. You can find their art pieces in many permanent, museum art collections, private art collections, hotel lobbies and so on. The key difference is that these artists are true to their unique vision and every piece feels like a continuation of the artist’s previous work. Apprentices in their workshops are the helpers, not sole creators of art. That’s my opinion of course, you may not agree with.

Damien Hirst, sculpture of a shell displayed at the villa Borghese in 2021

There is no doubt that Damien Hirst is a very smart artist. He is also a great publicity guru. He created and marketed himself as a top luxury brand for the wealthy to invest in. There is a lot to either admire or learn from this living artist. What do you think of his art? Share.

Damien Hirst, Hydra and Kali, outdoor sculpture, Borghese gallery-veronica winters blog
Damien Hirst, Hydra and Kali, sculpture displayed outdoors at the Borghese gallery
damien hirst_neptune-borghese g-veronica winters blog
Damien Hirst, Neptune, 2011 at villa Borghese

Learn more: https://damienhirst.com/

This blog is created for educational purposes with the art credited to the sited artists. All pictures are taken by Veronica Winters. The article expresses personal opinion only.

Damien Hirst sculptures at villa Borghese
Damien Hirst sculptures at the villa Borghese in Rome in 2021

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How to become a successful artist pros and cons studying art in college and atelier

The difference between art college and atelier art education and what you need to know to succeed as an artist


How to become a successful artist: pros and cons studying art in college and atelier

In this article I’d like to talk about the difference between college and atelier education for visual artists. I also want to explain what parents should consider doing when a child decides to pursue art as a career.

art for sale-veronica winters painting


College Education

Advantages:

  • You may learn to defend your work and to make it more consistent. Professors like to do critiques about concepts and ideas, not the technique of painting. Some foundational courses may be really good if the art instructors show skill in their art. There are more foundational courses available when you study for your BFA but if you continue studying for your MFA degree classes you take are more advanced where you have all the freedom to do what you want with very little technical instruction. If you study for the BFA you take classes and graduate. If you study for your Master’s degree you learn to present and defend your work in front of the committee. Ideally, you develop a consistent body of work that shows others your artistic personality.
  • Diploma gives you a pass to teach art at the college level with a completion of Master’s degree, not a Bachelor’s one. Bachelor’s with Graphic design major is a good choice to get if you don’t plan to go for your Master’s degree and want to have a relevant, well-paying job. However, if you’d like to be a fine artist able to teach at a college level, you must get your MFA. (There are circumstances when artists with BFA degree get teaching jobs in colleges because of their value to the department). Even if you get your MFA degree, getting a teaching job in college is not guaranteed because there are few job openings available. Also, intro salary will be quite low although you’ll get stability and insurance as an artist.
  • College offers really good art history classes. In-depth art history classes cover many epochs, countries and movements especially when you study for your Master’s degree. Art instructors could go deep explaining art from various points of view including politics, economy and history.
  • College education can be great, if you come across knowledgeable and supportive art instructors who can help you with development of your unique ideas, painting skills, and business strategies. If you’re able to develop this special relationship that I call a mentorship with professional artist, then a college degree will pay for itself tenfold. You must be proactive and interested in your career as an artist to connect with your mentor.

Disadvantages:

  • Give no or little technical skills how to paint realistically. May have good foundational drawing classes but oil painting is not taught well or not taught at all. In my personal experience I went through several colleges where professors didn’t know how to teach traditional painting techniques which was incredibly frustrating.
  • What you learn in terms of the skill directly depends on the professor’s abilities teaching classes. Look at his/her work to determine if it’s the right match for you.
  • Art education in college doesn’t include art marketing which is not good no matter how you look at it. Colleges give zero business skills or understanding how to get into galleries or how to write and talk about your art. Personally, I couldn’t even put an effective resume after graduation and went to a college art association conference to do it.


Tip: So when you pick your college to study art, also consider location, professors’ associations with galleries and their artistic level. When I went to college over twenty years ago, I assumed that I’d get good technical instruction with art history, art marketing and creative development. It wasn’t what I expected. If I go to study art in college today, I’ll look at art of professors to see if this is something that inspires me to create. I’ll pick an artistically rich community like New York, LA, maybe Denver or Santa Fe. This will give me proximity to go to receptions, make contacts with curators, gallery people, and learn from professional artists the ins and outs of art business.



Selling art is a lot more than just being a good painter. It’s all about networking and communicating your story well.

head study from Indian Girl by Palmer_veronica winters artist
Head study drawing from Indian Girl sculpture by Palmer, Veronica Winters

Atelier art education


What is it? Atelier is a workshop or studio of an artist. Atelier art education or academic art education means studying art with a few master artists in a tight circle of students. It’s the most direct way of learning the craft of painting, drawing, sculpture, glass-blowing, etc.

Aphrodite plaster cast


Advantages:

  • Such schools teach a very structured approach to classical drawing and painting that you must follow to get the results. After a-4 year program you have a very clear understanding how to draw and paint realistically.
  • Learning the anatomy by drawing and painting from life informs your painting accuracy. It’s your critical foundation to become a realist artist.
  • Art instructors have strong technical skills and most are very good, even exceptional realist artists known today.
  • When you’re in class you start by drawing plaster casts from different angles. Then you draw and paint objects, which is called still life painting. After that you spend a lot of time mastering human anatomy painting and drawing nude figure from life. You get daily drawing and painting instruction looking at a nude figure and studying proportions, anatomy, composition and so on. You also go out to do plain air sketches/ landscape painting outdoors on occasion.
  • Located in artistic communities.

Disadvantages:

  • No art history classes or any other ‘general education’ classes. The focus is classical painting and drawing only.
  • May not offer a diploma qualifying you to teach in college.
  • Give no business education either but working artists many become invaluable to understand their daily practice and how they approach art marketing and networking.
  • Some people complain that when they see works of students coming out of the ateliers, they all look the same. I think this is totally normal because this type of education is about getting your skill going first. It takes a lot more time and practice to develop artistically. The atelier school takes care of the technique and the artist takes that knowledge and applies it to his vision. If you study art in college, you’re almost guaranteed not to acquire the skill and it really depends on college to see the development of vision in students.
oil painting techniques color mixing


Great atelier schools are:

  • Nelson Shanks’ school in Philadelphia called Studio Incamminati ( web: https://www.studioincamminati.org/ ),
  • The Grand Central academy of art in New York with Jacob Collins the founder of the school and realist movement here in the US (web: https://grandcentralatelier.org/ ),
  • The Art students League of New York (web: https://theartstudentsleague.org/ ),
  • Anthony Ryder’s school in Santa Fe (web: http://www.theryderstudio.com/ ).
  • You can also get similar education studying with artists in their studios such as at Adrian Gottlieb’s studio in California. A number of prominent realist artists who studied under Jacob Collins include Michael Grimaldi, Colleen Barry, Ed Minoff, Joshua LaRock . They all teach academic painting at their studios.

Tip: Decide what your goal is and pick the school in accordance with your goal. Do you want to know how to paint realistically or you’re more interested in art theory and teaching opportunities at college level? Or say if you want to work at an art auction house like Christie’s and Sotheby’s, I think it’s a good idea to research their education system that prepares you to work at these institutions. In other words, your goal must be specific to determine the educational venue.


I also want to say that college-level art education is not enough to become an artist with unique voice. It takes a lot more time to nurture and develop this voice visually through art. That’s why any kind of school is just a school to get the basics going and build connections but becoming the artist with unique vision takes a lot more time, work and passion.
Your personality and willingness to work through challenges will determine your creative and business success.

Sir Joshua Reynolds The Ladies Waldegrave 1780_detail_scottish national gallery
Sir Joshua Reynolds The Ladies Waldegrave 1780_detail_scottish national gallery

For parents:


As parents, we want our children to receive prestigious degrees from established universities. We may think that studying art in prestigious university will help the child succeed. It may in terms of networking building relationships in the right circles but few college art departments in the US give artists structured education in realist painting and drawing (if that’s the goal). Some classes and instructors could be great but the approach to teaching art in college resembles the art education in high school. There is some ‘do what you like’ attitude and studio classes could be a hit or miss. It really depends who the professor is.


If your son or daughter wants to become an artist showing talent and desire to learn, you shouldn’t stop him or her from doing this. Instead, help your child with your positive and meaningful support. Artists become successful when they go to the right school, receive great art education, and have positive mindset.


Don’t let your negative thinking with a ‘starving artist’ mentality interfere with your child’s desire to become one. If you don’t believe in your child, he or she will internalize it studying in college for any other profession, arriving at a job he hates having low-self-esteem.
There are a number of accomplished artists out there who are making a living with their art. It’s a disservice to derail a teenager from art to go and get a different degree. What happens is that precious time is lost, mistakes are made and the adult feels unhappy and unfulfilled. Teach your child to communicate well with people and to get out and learn art with passion. If a person is gifted, he has passion and will succeed. Give her the tools to do that, not the limiting beliefs about artists or even yourself.


Usually artists have a second gift or personality that often becomes a money-making opportunity to rely on. For example, I’m a gifted teacher and I’ve been teaching art in organizations, my studio and online for many years. I know many artists who are super entrepreneurial and this is a great combination to explore so many possibilities being an artist and a businessman. I also know artists who love to work at the museums because they enjoy administrative work.
Most importantly, if the goal is to become a really good artist knowing how to paint, academic education is a lot more fulfilling than going to college wasting precious resources such as time, money and opportunities. If you pursue atelier art education full time, you’re on your way to have a real career as an artist you want to be.
Finally if you follow certain artists and you love their work, figure out where they studied. Listen to their interviews on podcasts. Ask them about their experience directly. This will help you decide if college or academic art education is right for you.


If you find this information helpful, share it with those people who really need to understand their options studying art today.

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veronica winters with art
Overcoming limiting beliefs with Kat Popova & Veronica Winters

How to overcome limiting beliefs for artists with Kat Popova & Veronica Winters

Katerina Popova is not only an artist but also a creative entrepreneur. She is the founder of Create Magazine, the Create podcast and the coaching program for artists titled the Art Queens. She is also a co-author of “the complete smartist guide” book for artists who want to level up their marketing skills.
We sit down to talk about various limiting beliefs that affect the artist’s mindset. Kat shares lots of practical advice how to deal with negative self-talk, what affirmations you can create for yourself, how to find your community on Instagram and much more! Kat shares what it feels like to be an immigrant and how it plays into her vision and dreams.

This episode is also available as a video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gk7KMesoX9I
Contact the artist:
https://www.instagram.com/katerinaspopova/

Contact the host:

Support the channel/donate: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=XEALQ6AHQ22EN

Veronica Winters, M.F.A. | https://VeronicasArt.com | https://www.instagram.com/veronicawintersart/

veronica winters colored pencil

How to overcome negative thinking and liming beliefs for artists

Each of us sees the world through unique lens and that’s why we all have varied perception of reality. Limiting beliefs and negative thinking are based on our past experiences, social conditioning, family habits or painful memories that override positive experiences. Usually limiting beliefs run inside us when we interact with others. Limiting beliefs can be very loud in our head altering the conversation, emotions and choices we make. In this podcast episode I share how I deal with negative self-talk.

Support the channel/donate: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=XEALQ6AHQ22EN

Veronica Winters, M.F.A. | https://VeronicasArt.com | https://www.instagram.com/veronicawintersart/

3 graphite pencil techniques for portrait drawing that work: tools and techniques

head study from Indian Girl by Palmer_veronica winters artist
Head study, graphite pencil drawing from a sculpture of “Indian Girl” by Palmer Available

Graphite pencil drawing is a fundamental skill necessary to master for every realist artist. In this article, I’d like to share several most useful tools and techniques for portrait drawing I use the most often. Keep in mind that that these graphite pencil techniques for beginners are applicable to any kind of pencil/charcoal drawing including graphite pencil drawing realistic landscapes, still lifes, faces, fur, etc.

#1 Graphite pencil blending techniques: use paper stumps correctly

Graphite pencil blending techniques: paper stumps help artists blend both graphite pencils and charcoal. Never use the paper stumps for colored pencil blending! They will ruin the surface.
This mood board shows a graphite pencil sketch and a very quick pen sketch to develop the concept drawing for my oil painting titled Faith.
This is a page from my Creative Techniques book that shows you basic graphite pencil blending and shading techniques. In the first step I block in the darks and leave out spaces for the lights. Both lights and darks become the two extremes between which I create a range of tones at a later stage.
graphite pencil erasing techniques
This step-by-step charcoal drawing demonstration shows the same graphite pencil shading and erasing techniques. Blending with paper stumps unifies the surface, blending everything to a medium gray tone (step 2-3). Therefore, I strengthen the darkest areas immediately after that. Various sizes of paper stumps give me the precision I need doing graphite pencil blending.
graphite pencil drawing realistic faces
Graphite pencil drawing realistic faces: in this quick sketch I show how to look at the light and map out the anatomy of the face preparing you to draw realistic faces in pencil, charcoal, pastels.
This is a very quick graphite pencil sketch showing the initial block in and quick graphite pencil blending.

Graphite pencil blending and shading techniques in portrait drawing are the same as in still life drawing shown above. I begin shading the drawing by placing the darkest darks first. I often draw on the Strathmore Bristol vellum paper that’s smooth and thick but still has some tooth to adhere the pencil to. Once I’m done massing out the shapes in a soft, 4B graphite pencil, I use the blending stumps to blend the large areas. In the left picture I blended everything with a paper stump. If you draw in vine charcoal, a soft brush works really well to do charcoal blending. It’s important to do graphite pencil blending in the “right” direction not to overwork the surface.

Drawing Paper

koh-i-noor drawing paper review

I’m amazed by the quality of this paper.  It’s quickly becoming my favorite because Koh-I-Noor in & out pages are thick, smooth, and versatile. I love how easy it is to layer both graphite and colored pencil on it that hardly needs any blending! Also, I can place my drawings back into the pad for a beautiful presentation. I’ve drawn on Koh-I-Noor Bristol vellum, Bristol smooth, Colored Pencil and Black Drawing drawing papers so far. All of them are fantastic! While Koh-I-Noor Black Drawing has thin pages, the rest of them are thick, and all are smooth with a different degree of light texture present to grab the pencil. Give them a try!

#2 Graphite pencil erasing techniques: kneaded eraser & Tombow Mono Zero eraser

Kat with a shell, detail, graphite on paper

In the second step, I usually lift out the highlights with the kneaded eraser to create small spots of light seen on skin. This is the most useful graphite pencil erasing technique. Any brand of a kneaded eraser works about the same.  The kneaded eraser lifts out the pigment without any residue to make soft edges around the highlights. These lights look natural and realistic. I often lift out more graphite pencil than I need to to come back to it with refined pencil shading around the highlights.

General’s kneaded eraser

Graphite pencil drawing realistic textures:

Tombow Mono zero eraser is a great eraser that erases tiny graphite marks. You can create incredible textures and details. This eraser helps in graphite pencil drawing of realistic textures, such as thin strands of hair or tiny highlights in the pearls or lights on the face and eyelashes. This eraser works great in colored pencil drawing as well when I try to erase hard to reach, tiny areas in my drawings. I buy these on Amazon. So if you decide to give zero eraser a try, order two or three of them at once, you won’t regret it!

Tombow eraser

Drawing realistic textures in graphite pencil: Once I’ve developed a range of tones, I work on specific textures seen in the reference photo. In this drawing of Khaleesi you see the texture of clothing that I’ve done with rubbings. I placed a pumice stone under my paper and shaded over it with a soft pencil where the clothing should be. This rubbing gave me the initial texture I worked around in pencil to develop it further. I also did some lifting out with both kneaded eraser and the zero eraser on her necklace and hair.

To make texture in the jewelry on her neck, I used some magic tape. I placed it over the shaded area, made short strokes on the tape with a ballpoint pen and lifted it out to reveal this unique texture.

figurative art, portrait drawing, Khaleesi
Emilia Clarke as Khaleesi, 9×12″ | graphite on Koh-I-Noor Bristol vellum drawing paper available | There is something about the character that attracts you when you watch a movie. I think it happens because you find a part of yourself present in that person. Khaleesi has fragile beauty of course, but she also grows to become fierce and powerful woman. Drawing is an essential building block to any representational art form. Pencil drawing is something I practice as much as I can because it improves and informs me of shapes, colors and composition.
Drawing detail: hands with a shell | I often use the kneaded eraser to make soft lift outs, create subtle edges, and to clean up without leaving grease and residue on paper.

#3 Graphite pencil shading techniques: values & layering

Value scale

Every color has its own value scale going from the darkest dark to white. Some dark colors have a much wider value range as opposed to the light colors. (Think of ultramarine as a dark color and yellow as a light one).
You control your values while you keep graphite pencil shading. You need to create a range of tones from very light to very dark to make your portrait three-dimensional. Usually, students complete their drawing with a very limited range of tones. That’s why everything looks “average grey” or “too flat.”
Convert your color image into a black-and-white picture on your computer, and you’ll understand how dark the shadows should be. Then step back from your finished pencil drawing to compare it to your black-and-white reference.

portrait drawing
Self-portrait facing 41, graphite study for warrior, 9×12, available | Graphite pencil shading techniques includes simple repetition of shading to achieve dark values in portrait drawing.

I layer the graphite pencil by erasing, enhancing the dark values, and refining the details. I work on subtle transitions of tone with harder pencils, especially if it’s a skin tone. I usually shade with 2-4H graphite pencils gently transitioning from medium to light tone.

Final fixative:

When graphite pencil shading is complete, I use a final fixative, spraying my drawing outdoors. I strongly recommend using professional-grade fixatives, like the Grumbacher matte final fixative for dry media or Sennelier HC10. It gives a very nice and even finish to my artwork that’s impossible to achieve with cheaper brands like Krylon. Spray art in low-humidity, at room temperature.

Final fixative for dry media

How often do you draw in graphite pencil? Drawing in pencil is a fantastic way to train your eye and hand to see values and gain precision necessary to build technical skills in realistic pencil drawing. When you become confident drawing in graphite pencil, begin drawing in color.

Check out all video courses here: https://veronica-winters-art-school.teachable.com/

eyes-to-see

The miracle of traveling to Nicaragua: how it changed my perception

In June 2012, our group leaders Jeff and Stelli Munnis organized a mission trip to fly to Nicaragua. Through the Seeds of Learning, a non-profit organization supporting the education projects in Latin America,  we worked on the school building project in a small town of San Ramon, situated in the beautiful mountainous area, not far from Matagalpa. Chamba and Mina were the local leaders, responsible for the project’ completion and our well-being. 🙂

Our group arrived to the country to complete the interior and exterior wall painting, the construction of a separate kitchen (Nicaraguan mothers volunteer to cook lunches for their kids daily), and the building of some pathways with benches around the school. I must say that our expectation how the school is supposed to look like has nothing to do with the ones build in Nicaragua. Those are small, simple buildings with few rooms and fenced windows.

Since I came back from Nicaragua, I’ve been asked a number of questions that I’d like to answer here.

One of school building projects in Nicaragua organized by the Seeds of Learning.org

What did I bring from my trip?

I bought a few handmade pieces from the local artisans that included a couple of handbags and some jewelry made of real, colorful seeds. But what I really brought from my trip were the intangible things. Mainly, a change in my attitude about life. It was an intense period in my life when I had to look inward to understand myself and my needs, to clarify my goals and purpose, and to just appreciate life a whole lot more than I used to.

One of Nicaraguan girls in school

How much was it?

In short, $2100 including the ticket … Some questioned my decision to spend my money on this kind of a trip that didn’t include the luxurious accommodations and a beach resort, rather made me look at the incredible level of poverty, made me sleep in a hot and humid room with a bunch of strangers (our group members were the strangers to me at first). I also took cold showers (there was no hot water in the houses), drove over the pitiful roads, had stomach pain, sweated for hours under the blinding sun, inhaled the paint fumes with the dusty, polluted air, missed out on my daily news intake, as well as running, baking, drawing, painting, and not drinking the hot Earl Grey tea. I can go on and on.

A beautiful kid Jose

What did I gain?

A lifetime of raw experiences and a change in perception… I saw pure joy and happiness derived from simple pleasures – the interactions with friends, family and strangers that reminded me of my native country. The Nicaraguans had no access to infinite shopping, the Internet, gaming, or workaholic lifestyle. I didn’t encounter the unspoken, spiritual emptiness often observed in the West. As many choose to live the American dream owning a house, two cars and a dream vacation each year both good and bad comes with it. Owning a house often defines our identity. We work for it. When the house is lost due to fire or other accident, it feels like everything is gone. We feel as a failure. It happens as we often focus on getting the nice things, become the slaves to our endless need to work to support our lifestyle. This is the exact opposite of the Nicaraguan culture. Their focus is family, the cultivation of relationships and friendships. I was never interested in possessions or the accumulation of stuff, coming from the former USSR where everything was rationed, and in this country I found a similar focus on friendships.

Of course, Nicaraguans also have problems. Poverty is one of them. Yet, diving into a different culture was like breaking out from a shell that guarded my settled world. It was refreshing to look at the sincere enjoyment people had in their daily interactions with each other. It became the time to acknowledge their struggles that often involved hard, manual labor, and to appreciate my lucky existence living in the U.S. It was about seeing the humanity in simple things and actions, finding value in life, and accepting myself and others.

In Nicaragua we all had some rough times that reinforced our gratitude for having the very basic things back home, like warm running water, electricity, air-conditioning, and the rudimentary appliances that cut on our time doing the housework. But most importantly, I woke up from my sleep, redefined my beliefs, habits, and stopped being so self-destructing and unkind to myself.

+ Originally published in the summer of 2012.

Nicaraguan landscape

To learn more:

  • Stelli Munnis http://www.stellimunnis.com/about/ and Veronica Winters talk about their art installation Eyes to See, filmed by WTAJ TV, State College, PA on Nov.2, 2012  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNBNSozqy4Q
  • To see a video of the trip, go to YouTube and type in “Americans in Nicaragua” https://youtu.be/V4JWJ0X8P-M
eyes-to-see
Eyes to see: U.S. Valanteers in Nicaragua

Eyes to See: U.S. Volunteers in Nicaragua, photo book, 160 pages

In this beautifully illustrated book, Stelli Munnis http://www.stellimunnis.com/about/ and Veronica Winters share what it’s like for Americans volunteers to travel to Nicaragua with the nonprofit organization, Seeds of Learning. Although volunteers travel to Nicaragua to build or renovate a school building, the real work happens when things are torn down. As the barriers between people are removed, and the walls individuals erect inside themselves are torn down, they become authentic and caring with one another. Volunteers return to the U.S. feeling different about themselves, others, and the world. They can’t help but feel deeply moved and touched by the hearts and spirits of the Nicaraguan children and people. The book contains over 100 full-color photographs that capture the spirit of what it’s like from the perspectives of volunteers, the children and people of Nicaragua.

My pictures represent a journey to a country with little means yet abundant friendliness. It is a place filled with strong women, free-spirited children, and laid-back men. The Nicaraguan way of life is slow-paced, hard labored, and dedicated to familial relations and friendships. It’s also a place where coffee growers, farming communities, and local co-ops harvest the land and live simply.

Images of children take a special part in this book. They had a natural, unspoiled ability to pose for my Nikon without any preconditions or special arrangements that others typically require when being photographed. They were neither rude nor aggressive; rather, they were kind, well behaved, and loving. I was drawn to their natural beauty and eagerness to communicate with our group of strangers and foreigners. This experience was deeply touching and filled my heart with love and gratitude.

The lush tropical landscape, verdant mountains, and blue skies with billowy clouds provide the backdrop to many of my photographs. It was my intent to capture the spirit of the Nicaraguan people and their rustic lifestyle, while also showing the architecture, housing, and utilitarian objects used in everyday life.

My sole purpose for creating this book is to let curious hearts see and understand the country. It’s a powerful and transforming experience to travel to the second poorest country in the western hemisphere and witness how people there live. It my sincere desire that my photographs will inspire many Americans to travel to Nicaragua with Seeds of Learning or donate to their organization. They are committed to providing children and communities with a tangible opportunity to improve their lives by having greater access to education.

Thank you for your interest in our work and for supporting this project!

-Veronica

19th Century Russian Artists and Genre Art: the Itinerants movement that changed the landscape of Russian classical art

As Russian art is not studied in most art history classes in the U.S., I’d like to introduce you to the Peredvizhniki movement – a group of Russian realist painters that appeared in the mid 19th century to question the predominance and value of Russian classical painting. Peredvizhniki translate as the “movers” or “trailblazers”.

19th century is a fascinating time period in the art history of the Western Europe. Both the Church and the State lost their former influence in the patronage of the arts, which allowed for the birth and development of several new artistic movements in Europe. While Russian art remained quite reserved, developing new ideas slowly, it did break away from the cold Academic painting by embracing the depiction of common people and the countryside in Russia.

Peredvizhniki (the itinerants) organized as a group in 1863. Similar to the Impressionists in France, the group of male artists organized traveling shows exhibiting their new work. They painted the common folk like serfs in the countryside, Russian landscape, and portrait art. Their goal was simple. Russian artists wanted to bring the arts to its people. They refused to depict the Bible scenes and Greek mythology, and focused on painting the world around them instead. They often showed inequality between the rich and the poor, the noble men and the inferior women. They also brought to people’s attention a widespread abuse of children, who often engaged in hard, manual labor.  As a result of such movement, Russian art preserved its traditional approach to painting in terms of the oil painting technique but considerably changed its themes.

19th-century Russian Genre Art

Here are some famous Russian genre paintings completed by the Peredvizhniki movement.

 

Ilya Repin (1844-1930)

Russian art, Repin
Ilya Repin, They Did Not Expect Him, 1884-88, The State Tretyakov Gallery

Ilya Repin grew up in poverty and hardship, living among the military as his father served in the military. He showed passion for the art at 13 and began to take art classes at a studio of a local artist. Soon, he became so good that he received commissions to paint the icons, which gave him financial freedom to fulfill his dream. In 1863 the artist travels to St. Petersburg to study art at the Academy. Not admitted the same year, he works on his drawing to get admission the next year. Repin becomes quick at gathering medals and awards for his studies and achieves great success with his final Academic project. At the same time he completes a commissioned piece – “Barge haulers.” After his travels in France, he comes back home to paint with the Itinerants.

Russian art_Repin
Repin, Barge haulers on the Volga river, 1870-1873

Repin believed in moral and social purpose in his art and painted peasant life like no other artist of his time. He depicted daily struggles and overwhelming poverty of workers and peasants who lived in stark contrast to well-dressed high society of the Imperial Russia. In this painting of Barge Haulers we see the never-ending bank of the Volga river where the blinding sun  is as strong as the people below it.

Pavel Fedotov (1815-1852)

Pavel Fedotov was born in a large and poor family in Moscow and spent his childhood years among his neighbors. His parents put him into the cadet corps at eleven years of age where the artist showed himself as a brilliant student. He began to sketch the caricatures of his teachers and teacher aids on the pages of his notebooks. When he graduated as the ensign of the Finnish regiment, he was found of music and poetry, translated articles from German and sketched his friends. Being very poor, he couldn’t participate in his friends’ parties and continued to work on portraiture and caricature. After a considerable conviction of his friends, he left the service and entered the Academy to study art.

His art instructors doubted his talent because Fedotov ignored the academic principles of battle painting composing horses and soldiers, and spent his evenings painting genre scenes remembered from his childhood. The artist lived in modest conditions, sending part of his service pension to his family back home. However, his sense of humor never let him give up on himself and eventually his talent got noticed by a famous Russian fabulist Ivan Krylov, who wrote him a letter asking to give up the Academy and work on his genre painting.

Russian art, Fedotov
Just knighted. Morning of the official who received his first cross, 1848, oil on canvas, 48x42cm, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Pavel Fedotov left the Art Academy, and in 1847 showed his first painting “Just knighted. Morning of the official who received his first cross.” The artist loughs at a proud clerk who is shown after his party, living in devastating poverty. The second painting “The Picky Bride” followed the same year to impress his former teachers from the Academy.

Fedotov, choosy bride, Russian art
Picky Bride, oil on canvas, 37x45cm, TheState Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, 1847
Fedotov, Widow, 1851

 

Pavel Fedotov, Matchmaking of a major, oil on canvas, 58 x 75 cm, 1848, The Tretyakov State Gallery, Moscow

The artist exhibited his masterpiece titled “The Matchmaking of a Major” in 1848 that prompted him an honor award of the Academician.  He depicts a beautiful bride running out of the living room as soon as she saw her future groom appear in a doorway. Richly dressed, her mother catches the bride by her gown. This paining brought the artist fame and financial success. Fedotov wished to travel to England to study genre art, but his friends noticed a change in the artist in 1852. Soon, he was placed in the asylum where he died the same year.

In his short life, the artist left tremendous legacy in Russian art by opening a new direction in Russian genre painting. Most of his oil paintings, sketches and portraits can be seen at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow today.

Vasily Perov (1834-1882)

Vasily Perov  received his school education from a local deacon, who taught the boy math, language and the Bible. The boy showed great success in calligraphy and his teacher named him Perov (‘Pero’ sounds similar to a ‘feather’ in Russian).  Perov’s parents didn’t allow their son to enter a local art school, but let him take some private art lessons. Thanks to one of his relatives, Perov enters the art school later in 1852 and studies there to receive awards. After his graduation, he spends two years in Paris but ‘unable to paint anything worthwhile’ in his words, he begs the Academy to let him come back home. (Best artists received scholarships to spend 1-2 years in Western Europe after their graduation at the Academy).

russian art, perov
Vasily Persov, Easter rural procession, 1861

Besides masterful portraits, Perov paints great genre paintings that capture the reality of Russian life and its people. His art explores the disparity between the rich and the poor as well as the hypocrisy of the church clergy. Despite his fantastic abilities and successful exhibitions, the artist didn’t consider himself worthy of attention. He lived modestly and died in poverty. Most of his paintings can be viewed at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow today.

Perov, Three students carrying water, 1866 | Here the artist depicts children carrying water in freezing conditions of Russian winter.

Russian painting
Perov, The drowned woman, oil on canvas, 68 x 106 cm, 1867, The State Tretyakov Gallery

In this painting, the artist shows an indifferent policeman sitting and smoking over a dead body of a poor woman (presumably a prostitute) that happened so often that the officials expressed no interest in the lives of the disadvantaged.

There are more Russian artists who contributed to the legacy of Russian art in the Itinerants movement that included Ivan Kramskoy, Vasiliy Polenov, Vasiliy Surikov,  Vladimir Makovsky, Mikhael Klodt, etc. Female painters were nonexistent until the 20th century Russia.

Makovsky, to the marriage, 1894 | Russian artists often critiqued the tradition of arranged marriage. In this oil painting we can see the desperation of a young bride who has to marry a wealthy, old man.

To continue reading about the 19th-century Russian portrait painting, please follow this link: https://veronicasart.com/19th-century-russian-art-and-portrait-painting-eyes-are-the-window-to-the-soul/

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How to paint realistic shadows in colored pencil, graphite and paint

If you’re interested in realistic drawing and painting techniques, you must study the shadows. The right placement and depiction of shadows helps artists create the three-dimensional illusion on a flat surface. The concept or the formula of seeing the light and how it turns the form is the same across various media. Let’s dive in.

How to draw realistic shadows in colored pencil, graphite and paint

The distribution of light

To understand how to draw realistic objects on paper, you need to study how the light turns the form. This image illustrates the idea. Artists observe the light direction and try to find the highlights, form shadows, cast shadows and the reflected light on an object.

 

How to draw shadows | This image shows the distribution of light on a solid object with the light coming from the left, forming shadows on the right.

What are the shadows?

There are two types of shadows: the form (or core) shadow and the cast shadow.

how to draw shadows
The distribution of light on a sea-biscuit

The form shadow is present on the object itself, and is of the darkest value (tone). It appears where the light turns into darkness. You can see the form shadows on various objects including faces, fabric, flowers, etc. The form shadow makes the objects look three-dimensional, and if you don’t see it, the objects remain flat in your artwork.

The cast shadow(s) is situated right under the object and is always attached to it.

While the form shadows give the objects the roundness or volume, cast shadows give the physical presence to objects. They “make” the object look heavy set in the environment it’s in. Sometimes the cast shadows are a lot more interesting to draw than the object itself.

Adjusting the light

If you see no clear shadows in your still life or a photo, it’s much harder to create the 3-D illusion on paper. While we usually have no problem spotting the cast shadows seen on tables or windowsills, found under the fruit or vases, we do often find it difficult to pinpoint the location of the form shadow present on the fruit/object itself. Strong, directional lighting helps artists find the form shadow. Play with the light to see a variety of shadows on and under your objects.

Seeing shadows in glass:

Not every object confirms to the same formula I’ve described above. For instance, drawing reflective objects and glass requires a different approach or formula to create the 3-D illusion on paper. It involves observation and copying of major abstract shapes and reflections found within the glass object.

how to draw glass
Glass chandelier, Veronica Winters
how to draw glass
Glass bunny, Veronica Winters

How to draw realistic highlights in pencils

When we look at realistic drawings and paintings, we try to figure out how artists achieve such level of realism in their art.

There are three elements that make drawings and paintings look three-dimensional on a flat surface:

  • Accurate shapes or perfect drawing of objects
  • Clear understanding how the light turns the form
  • Correct placement of highlights on objects, fabric and people.

What is a highlight and how do you find it?

Highlights are the lightest lights or the whitest spots you find on your objects. Always analyze the light direction and the light source. Is it coming from the left or right, top or bottom? You’d find the lightest areas on all objects being the closest to that light source.

This image shows a general distribution of light on reflective objects with the light coming from the right. As a result, the shadows are on the left.

The placement of highlights on your object is logical. Analyze the light direction. If it comes from the left, then your highlights would be on the object’s left hand side. If the light comes from above, then the highlights accumulate on the object’s top.
If it’s a vase, a cup or a bottle directional highlights would appear on the object’s surface where the object usually curves or changes direction.
You may see secondary lights in your set up as well. Usually they’re light but not as strong as the highlights. Make sure they remain secondary and don’t “compete” with your major few highlights. This way you create the hierarchy of light and shadow.

Aphrodite plaster cast | Here the light comes from the left, illuminating half of the face. Therefore all highlights remain on the left side of the face.

How to draw highlights in graphite drawing

Placement of highlights in graphite drawing, david's eye drawing
Placement of highlights in graphite drawing. My drawing study of the David’s eye, 9×12″ graphite on white Strathmore drawing paper. The highlights are pulled off of the page with the kneaded eraser to make the brightest areas white.
pencil portrait drawing
A study of Kat II, 9×12 inches, graphite on paper. | Here I used the kneaded eraser to lift out the lights and to create texture in her hair.

If you’re interested to take your art to the next level, take a video class to learn more about the techniques of colored pencil drawing and painting here.

How to draw highlights in colored pencil drawing

Drawing on white paper:

how to draw glass
Still life with a vase, 9×12 inches, lightfast colored pencils on paper | This drawing was done on white, Bristol smooth paper with the lightest areas remaining free of any shading to preserve luminosity.

Drawing on toned paper:

white-fabric-
A study of fabric, 9×12 inches, lightfast colored pencils on Stonehenge paper | Here the light comes from the left. Therefore the lightest part of the fabric with its highlights remains on the left side where I used white and off-white colored pencils to shade the highlights.

This is the drawing completed on bright orange paper. Here you see white highlights. There are light yellow or light blue colors placed underneath the white first to create colorful highlights.
The white highlights look white by shading with some light yellow or light blue colored pencils and then drawing with the white one over them.

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How to improve realist painting working from pictures

Many artists draw from pictures today or at least use them as a reference material. I use them a lot in the creation of my visionary art, especially when working in colored pencil. Being aware of the advantages and the limitations using photography, makes you a better realist artist because you learn to adjust your process to accommodate it to your practice. So here I list a few advantages and drawbacks using the pictures in painting and drawing.

The advantages of using pictures in art creation:

  • The convenience of working from a picture is tempting. We want to snap a picture of a model instead of paying her for many hours of posing.
  • There are those lucky moments when the moment is just right to capture a moving subject or a facial expression.
  • Fast-changing weather conditions are easy to capture in photography when I travel, and I either have no time to paint or have no capacity to carry my art supplies to the top of a mountain.
  • Working from a picture in colored pencil is almost easier than drawing from life, especially when it’s about capturing the reflective surfaces or real flowers. I usually keep the real object as a reference, but end up drawing it from a picture.
  • By taking pictures yourself in a controlled set up, it’s possible to get nice images. For that I take a cardboard box used for shipping and cut two sides out, to which I glue the white tissue paper that diffuses the light. I place my object inside it and I light it up with one, two or three lights, depending on my idea. My set up is similar to this one:
This photo is taken from this website: http://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/10-tips-to-get-started-with-still-life-photography–photo-8278
oil painting techniques shadow box
This is my basic still life painting set up where I don’t aim taking paictures, rather I use it to paint my still life objects direct from life.

This is a striking image of a cloud with the fairly balanced tones between the sky and the ocean. Yet, the color is really off here, too blue and too dark to paint a large painting well without having a sketch made from life that captures the real colors I saw at the beach while taking this picture.

The disadvantages using the pictures for realist painting:

  • The sky is washed out, the land is too dark. This happens a lot in the pictures of the amateur photographers. You need to learn to compensate for the colorless sky by either adjusting your camera settings by 1-2 stops, or taking more pictures of the sky itself separate from the land. Many phones have the HDR function in them these days and combine several shots into one, giving the right light balance between the land and the sky.
  • It’s imperative not to draw from the copyrighted images or use the photos without the written permission of the photographer. It includes the photos made or taken as the movie stills. Years ago I lost a lucrative deal with one of the companies that wanted to feature my artwork on their product. I knew nothing about the copyright rules and drew a movie character they liked, but as you may guess, the image didn’t get cleared by their legal department.
  • If a picture you paint from is not yours, you can’t enter your artwork into the juried shows, unless the artist has the permission from a photographer to do so. And even then, some national contests prohibit the use of someone else’s photography because the artist must be the sole creator of his work.
  • Although painting from pictures is convenient, it has hidden difficulties. Even if the quality of your camera is good enough to capture reality, it misses out on a lot of information artists put back into their drawings or paintings. In other words, the camera filters through some information that the artist responds to when he paints directly from life.
  • Cameras distort reality. Colors, shapes, and shadows never look the same as we see them with the naked eye. Most lenses distort the linear perspective to such a degree that I never use a printed picture as my map to transfer the image. I have a nice Nikon D80 that gives me a wonderful range of hues. I can also change lenses on it that gives me additional advantage in painting with the relative accuracy. Yet, I still use my pictures selectively, and I don’t buy into everything I see in them.
  • The distortion in color and perspective also changes your perception. Camera makes a choice instead of the artist making it. As artists we make decisions what to see and what to leave out in images. For instance, you see a thin horizon line and a single tree in the wind. You feel the air’s blowing coolness; you see a wide range of greens in that tree. You notice a huge cloud looming over it. Snap a picture. What do you see? The sky in the picture registers too bright in comparison to the dark, green land and the shape of that enigmatic cloud is now too light and incomplete. You lose the subtle shifts in color of the sky’s along with its incomplete cloud shape. In the picture, the tree also misses your real perception of it. The range of greens that you see with your eyes doesn’t look the same in the photo. Finally, you lose your feel of nature, the violent and mighty power it exhibits while you are in the moment with its wind and the rain.
  • This is especially important for artists who paint realistically in oils or acrylics. Our perception of reality is instant, and we respond to it swiftly by mixing the right colors without over-analyzing the information. When we paint from pictures, we tend to analyze the same reality a lot more, which is already adjusted by the camera for us. My paintings done from life always have freshness and liveliness that is virtually absent in paintings done solely from pictures. Only the experienced artists can paint from pictures very well, because they have the knowledge to place or replace the elements that the camera doesn’t catch or overemphasizes.

How to take good pictures: examples of bad ones:

  1. There is no sense of the directional light source here. It’s hard to turn the form shading such dull objects.
  2. The lens’ distortion makes this picture great to draw a cartoon, but not a fine portrait.
  3. Everything is uniformly gray in this picture with no clear focal point. Nevertheless, this photo can be used as a reference to understand the atmospheric condition.
  4. Pictures taken with a flash cut on the natural shadows and throw off the colors. Never draw from pictures taken with the flash!
  5.  The sky is really boring here. The absence of an exciting focal point also makes it rather dull to draw.
  6. While the sky looks OK, the foreground is so dark it makes it impossible to use it as a reference to see the shifts in tones drawing the tree.

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How to paint realistic still life step by step: oil painting techniques tutorial

6 steps to learn realist oil painting techniques

If your goal is to learn realist oil painting techniques, you have to paint from life. For that artists set up a still life of various objects under controlled light in front of their easel. The artist studies the light and shade by developing a complete drawing and then transfers the outlines onto a canvas or panel to paint. Because it’s a controlled set up, the light remains unchanged and the artist can work on his/her  painting almost indefinitely.

1. Draw from life

If you want to become a realist artist, please draw from life as much as possible.  You can’t skip this step! Numerous problems can be resolved by learning to see the shapes and proportions, by designing compositions, and by shading your objects from life. Later you can partially substitute life drawing for painting from your pictures. Just be aware that pictures distort reality. We respond to the information in front of us very differently when we paint from life.

2. Make a shadow box

oil painting techniques shadow box

To set up a still life, make a shadow-box out of black foam board (see the pic above). The color of your background can be changed at any time by placing some fabric, colored carton, or any other colored paper you like to paint as your background color. The size of the shadow box can be changed as well, depending on your space and the size of your still life.

Put a direct light source-the lamp next to the shadow-box ( it’s located to the left here), and play with the light, looking at changes in the cast shadows and highlights on objects. It’s much easier to paint objects with dramatic light as opposed to even, diffused light. While the diffused light can bring a different mood with soft and subtle shadows creating peaceful atmosphere, it’s much harder to control and paint these subtle shifts in color and tone for beginners.

If you have no time to build the shadow box because you itch to draw and paint now, make a set up with a simplified background space that cuts off all the unnecessary information behind your still life. In the photo below you see a small box placed behind the starfish that’s covered with some fabric.

3. Make a preliminary sketch

It’s much easier to begin painting when the artist has done the prep work. Work out the outlines on a piece of sketch paper of the same size as your canvas. When the outline looks correct, transfer it onto canvas using either white or black transfer paper with a pen (image 2 & 3).

oil painting techniques step by step

4. Create the underpainting (indirect painting)

The strip of grays represents the value scale. It’s mixed from 3/4 ivory black+1/4 warm brown with equal increments of titanium white.

After you have transferred your drawing, check for mistakes one more time. Fix them in 2H graphite pencil. Now you’re ready to paint.

Indirect painting means creating an underpainting in one color first and then layering paint in color. The underpainting can be done in black-and-white called grisaille, in green tones or in warm browns. Here I'm showing you the grisaille method of painting. The grisaille method is useful for still life painting and although many old masters painted the figures the same way, I find the gray underpainting to be too cold for the depiction of skin tones. I have a YouTube video titled "keeper" that shows this method of painting in greater detail.

Mix the value scale (titanium white or lead white+ ivory black+ a touch of brown to warm up the black) with a palette knife. No color is added at this point. Begin painting your objects using the grays. Focus on shadows and paint them first, then create transitional values leading to the lights. By painting in grays you focus on tones/values as opposed to color. As each color has its own value scale, you train yourself to convert the colors into the tones. This is not easy to grasp and requires practice.

Let your first layer dry. Complete the second pass of black-and-white painting, refining edges and tones.

5. Paint in full color

Paint in color by glazing and layering paint over the grisaille layers. I usually have 2-3 color layers in my painting. I finish up by adding texture in my last, top layer.

oil painting techniques still life with starfish and peacock feather

6. Varnish

After the gazillion of hours spent on my painting, it’s finished! I let it dry for 6-12 months before varnishing the oil painting.

Interested to learn more?

If you’re interested to learn more about the indirect method of painting step by step, glazing and color layering, you can watch my video course I recorded a decade ago that shows these concepts and a lot more!

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Step by step drawing in colored pencil how to draw a gecko

Step by step colored pencil drawing tutorial for children: gecko

In this step by step drawing demonstration you’ll learn how to layer color in colored pencil shading on toned or colored paper. You will also see how to use solvents to blend the colored pencil drawing. This is a fun drawing project to complete for both kids and adults alike.

Materials:

  • Canson Colorline paper. This paper can be replaced with a similar, professional toned paper.
  • Prismacolor Premier colored pencils (colors are listed in steps); they can be replaced with other soft, colored pencils
  • Gamsol or Caran d-Ache full blender-optional
  • white transfer paper
General’s kneaded eraser

Step-by-step colored pencil drawing tutorial demonstration

Step 1 Define the shape and shadows

how to draw gecko

Sketch out basic outline of gecko on a sketch paper. Then transfer the outline onto your colored paper using white transfer paper. Keep the fine drawing paper clean of any residue at all times. I usually transfer the outlines using white transfer paper manufactured by Loew-Cornell. This paper lasts for years, and the lines are very easy to erase with the kneaded eraser. MAKE SURE YOU USE THE SMOOTH SIDE OF YOUR DRAWING PAPER!

When you have transferred the outline, strengthen some lines in colored pencil to separate between the shapes. The color of my colored pencil depends on the subject’s basic tone. If the subject is light, I use cream colored pencil to strengthen the outlines, if the subject is dark, I use dark brown to outline some shapes.

Use dark brown like raw umber and dark green to map out the dark spots and shadows on the lizard’s skin.

Step 2 Block-in the background

how to draw step by step
Block in the background with indigo blue and the same dark brown you’ve used before. (A combination of any dark colors would work well here). Add grass green and apple green in the background’s middle tone. Then add spring green in the light.

To strengthen the pattern on the skin, shade with a combination of violet, indigo blue, and dark green.
For the eye, use a sharp point of indigo blue and dark brown to outline the circle and to draw the iris. Shade the darker values (tones) on the left side of the eye, while deliberately using lighter tones on the right.

Notice that all colors look a lot more vibrant on colored paper as opposed to colored pencil shading on white paper.

Step 3: Blend the background

how to draw gecko

When you’ve completed shading in the background, use a solvent (like turpenoid or Gamsol) to blend the background and a few spots found on the gecko’s skin. Let it dry completely!

Make sure you use a small brush to blend the image with solvents that is not used for anything else. Solvents melt wax in the wax-based colored pencils making the surface smoother and darker.

Be careful using the solvent. Although Gamsol is a mild one and doesn't have the smell, don't inhale it anyways. Use a modest amount spreading the pigment around. To replace the solvent you can buy the caran d'ache full blender and shade the background with it.

Step 4: Colored pencil shading

When it’s dry, shade with the same colors in the background and add a few more over the entire background space. The colors are poppy red, aquamarine, light aqua, and limepeel. OVERLAP the COLORS to get rich tones!

Now let’s draw the body. You can shade the light areas of the skin with parma violet and cloud blue, using a very heavy pencil pressure.

It’s important to see how the skin pattern curves around its body.

Don't make straight lines and repetitive shapes. Create volume and dimension by curving the uneven lines around its arms and feet.

Step 5: Work on details

how to draw gecko step by step

Use a touch of canary yellow and light pink to shade the reflected light on the gecko’s bottom.

Step back to look at it from the distance and check your drawing for contrast, color and shapes. If needed, re-apply the background colors once again with heavy pencil pressure. Step back. Check tones and edges. Is it dark enough? Outline a few edges in its head with sharp pencils for additional crispness and focus.

colored pencil manual veronica wintershow to color like an artist_coloring book_veronica winters
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What is lightfastness of oil paint? 4-step guide

While I’m not an expert in art conservation, I am a full-time artist. After years of painting, conversations with other professionals and some research, I can guide you in choosing your oil paints for your art. Feel free to research this topic further via my references at the bottom of this post or by contacting the products’ manufacturers. A lot of information listed here is coming from podcasts with the Natural Pigments’ director George O’Hanlon.

Picking the right brand of oil paint can be a challenge. Some brands are promoted so heavily by the art supply companies that artists buy their paints without having a second thought. When I was a student, the quality of paint hardly ever mattered to me and my most common determinant was the price. Today as I take care of my art my buying choices are strongly influenced by the overall quality and lightfastness of oil paint.

There are several important properties of oil paint artists should pay attention to. The most necessary information can be seen written right on a tube of paint. Don’t buy the paint that doesn’t have the following data printed on it.

1. Transparency vs. opaqueness of oil paint

While some oil colors are transparent, others are opaque or semi-opaque. If you see an empty square, or a half-empty one, or a filled square on the back cover of oil paint, it gives you information about the transparency of oil paint.  Some brands just say “Transparent” or “Semi-opaque” as opposed to assigning a specific symbol to it. So when I chose my paint for glazing, applying the transparent layers of paint, I look at the square/ or a note on transparency to determine if my paint is naturally good for glazing. Some transparent colors are Gamblin’s ultramarine blue, Michael Harding’s bright yellow lake. The transparent colors look almost glass-like when mixed with linseed oil.

Opaque or semi-opaque colors are often good for scumbling, layering light opaque paint over the dark area.

2. Pigments used in oil paint determine the lightfastness (resistance to light) and longevity of your art.

This is the most important principle in choosing your paint. The pigments used in oil paint are described in letters and numbers. For example, PB15-phtylocianine blue is rated lightfastness I. PW1-lead white is lightfastness I. PR2-Napthol red G- lightfastness II, etc.

While some basic colors have just one pigment, there are many colors that consist of several pigments mixed together along with oil, fillers, and binders. These “new,” not historical colors give artists a lot more color choices, but every pigment present in such paint tube should be checked for lighfastness separately. For example, Winton flesh tint has 4 pigments in it (PW6, PW5, PY42, and PV19).

Here is extensive pigment information database that lists oil paint properties including the lightfastness of paints: http://www.artiscreation.com/


Each company performs its own tests. This information is written on the tube, and it reads either as +, ++ or +++, or lightfastness I, lightfastness II, or lightfastness III and so on. The higher the number (3-4) the less lightfast the paint is.

By nature, browns and ochres are often more lightfast than some funky colors, like alizarin crimson or turquoise. Those colors that have lightfastness 3-4 are fugitive and fade pretty quickly. If you paint professionally, those colors should be avoided.

Artists can perform their own tests by exposing 1/2 of paint to the sun (while the other half is covered by black tape or cardboard). Lift the tape in a month of continuous light exposure to see the change in color. Artist Virgil Elliott has tested numerous colors of various brands. You’ll find a lot of useful information on painting in his book Traditional oil painting and in his facebook group.

3. Type of oil mixed into the paint.

All tubed paints have some oil mixed into the paint. Linseed oil is the most stable oil that is also used widely as paint medium by artists. It’s long-lasting and dries quite quickly.

Safflower oil, poppy oil, and walnut oil are less stable oils often used as vehicles that are mixed into the oil paint. Avoid using safflower oil.

4. The amount of fillers and binders added to oil paint.

Various amounts of fillers and binders are mixed into the oils as well. They dilute the pigment by “stretching” the paint, making it cheaper to the consumer. Such pigments have a much longer shelf life. Fillers and binders greatly affect the consistency and texture of paint. It could affect the drying speed of paint as well.

Rublev colors, manufactured by Natural Pigments, don’t have any fillers in their paint, making the oils more stable and with high tinting strength. Like other professional-grade paints, they give artists a lot more pigment in a small tube as opposed to cheaper oil paint put in a large tube. But because NP have no extra binders, their shelf life is very limited and it’s best to use the paint within a year. I could barely squish the paint out of the tube after that.

Professional brands of oil paints include:

  • Rublev colors by Natural Pigments
  • Old Holland
  • Michael Harding
  • Gamblin
  • Chroma
  • Utrecht
  • dardecor (Spain)

These are great resources for further research:

  • The atelier movement– a closed group on Facebook-exists for artists interested in classical painting. The group’s administrator is classically trained artist-Graydon Parrish.
  • Artist Virgil Elliot: http://virgilelliott.com/
  • Douglas Flynt’ blog
  • “The artist’s handbook of materials & techniques” by Ralph Mayer: http://www.amazon.com/The-Artists-Handbook-Materials-Techniques/dp/0670837016
  • Sadie Valerie blog: http://www.sadievaleri.com/blog/
  • The Natural Pigments website:  https://www.naturalpigments.com/art-supply-education/painting-for-posterity-with-modern-oil-paints/
Check out my oil painting video class that teaches classical oil painting techniques! I recorded it a decade ago but the rules are still the same.
https://veronica-winters-art-school.teachable.com/p/realist-oil-painting-techniques-secrets-for-serious-beginners-beyond
Listen to this video while you paint! The owners explain a lot about the properties of oil paint and the old masters techniques.

Free downloads

How long did it take you to paint that?

This is my studio where I live. 🙂

“How long did it take you to paint that?

Every artist is asked this question. Viewers have no idea what it takes, and artists don’t know where to begin answering this question, because it involves…Well, it involves an entire explanation how long it takes to become good. Artwork creation doesn’t always look like a lot of work, yet a single painting incorporates years of unseen work. People ask this question because they want to have a conversation with the artist and they don’t know what else they can ask to have it.

In general, people try to calculate or connect the objectivity of high pricing with the time artist spends painting a particular artwork. On the surface it looks expensive or overpriced, and a prospect buyer wants to understand where the number comes from. Artists, however, think of a lifetime of effort, hard work, bills, tuition and many other business costs they accrue working in their studios. Therefore, weeks, months and years can’t be quantified into a certain number of hours spent on one painting.

In the beginning of the career many artists have to wrestle with the financial burden and make significant sacrifices learning the craft. The costs often include expensive college education. Besides having the obvious tuition and living costs, artists don’t become artists in four to six years after college graduation. The artist career often starts with zero job prospects or security, and builds up to something meaningful over a very long period of time of hard work, dedication and social climbing. For many artists it means a continued struggle, a reconciliation of the need to paint with making money to pay the bills. However, if the artist is good at art marketing and relationships building, the struggles most artists face may be reversed into significant opportunities quickly.

It takes A LONG time to learn how to paint realistically. There are no cute formulas or shortcuts. No one learns it overnight no matter how much talent the artist has! It’s a skill that takes significant effort and focus. Until very recently, there were no realist schools available to get the comprehensive education from, which magnified the problem and effort to achieve a certain skill level. Of course, there are exceptions and we can find super talented, self-taught artists, but such instances are rare. Those who have no time to do their art every day don’t become artists. Fear of instability takes their need to paint away from them.

There is a notion that artists just hang out at art festivals, fairs, or their shows enjoying the limelight and attention. Well, maybe for a little bit but… exhibiting at festivals involves a lot of effort, persistence, and investment. On average, a popular festival’s booth fees run around $450-$700/per show, and the artist is responsible for other costs (application fees, hotel, gas, transportation, and the cost of a professional booth itself that runs around $2,500 on average). Many artists hit the road for months, traveling from one state to the next, working over 8 hours a day. Work at the art festivals includes not only the artist’s time present at the booth all day, but also the time and effort to set up and to break down (usually early in the morning and late in the evening,) time to carry, pack, unpack and pack again a number of heavy, framed paintings.

Professional artists also have other costs that include:

  • Custom framing. Artists invest into their frames because it gives them professional presentation that is often required, by the way, to display their work in juried shows.
  • Time to market artwork. E-mails, presentations, social media, research, writing, contacting galleries and editors takes consistent and relentless effort.
  • Artists hire models to paint the figure from life.
  • Art supplies. Artists spend hundreds of dollars on art supplies every year as they keep practicing for years. This is a continuous expense, like going to a grocery store each week. When the time is right, the artist transitions to professional, durable, lightfast materials that cost a lot more that cheaply manufactured canvases and paints. Professional art supplies let artists create long lasting, museum-quality pieces, unlike the junk that would fall apart or fade within years. Often times if the artist doesn’t share this information with the buyer, no one can tell visually if the supplies are archival or not.
  • Other office expenses that include professional photo equipment, storage files, a scanner and a printer, camera and video equipment, etc..
  • Some artists chose to advertise online or in magazines.
  • As a surprise to many, the artist’s retail price includes a 50% mark up, sometimes 60-65% that galleries take selling artist’s work. That means that the artist gets only half of his/her money after making a sale.
  • The final cost to the artist is not the financial, but the emotional one. In the U.S. artists don’t have much respect unless they are famous. This leads to stereotypes and generalizations. Often called “lazy artists,” “starving artists,” “stupid artists,” or “flaky artists.” We have become the 2nd class citizens because we often allow it to happen, and because art has become the all encompassing word that incorporates everything into it. Art is everywhere today.

We don’t even pay attention to it, but art is everywhere today: in magazines, book covers, album covers, calendars, and even on plates. As the society has moved from scarce product production to consumerism, artists get pushed to the sidelines. A lot of work gets devalued by the Chinese manufacturing, cheaply made goods, mass-produced items, and unlicensed reproductions. This trend reinforces the people’s desire to buy a cheap print or new piece of technology rather than a small original artwork. As a result many folks don’t appreciate art, because they simply don’t identify with it, don’t find the emotional connection, and don’t really need it. TV, wall posters, and other goods and entertainment have replaced the enjoyment of looking at a single original painting.

In other words, ART has lost or changed its original meaning, evolving into other facets of artful creations that redefined the uniqueness and value of art. Bogus art may receive lots of publicity due to smart marketing campaigns that confuse people. Those souls who love the arts just get lost trying to understand what’s really valuable and what is not. It’s rare to see someone admitting that he or she doesn’t get art or lacks education to have an opinion. And that’s why art appreciation should be taught in schools as a relevant subject along with math and the sciences.

Art creates unique experiences. Art takes care of our emotional life. Often described as healing, art reflects on our inner life. No matter the art style or medium, Art makes us human to experience joy and beauty. Art can be a protest and a wing of change. When we look at history of human civilization, we often study it through art.

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