Oil, Acrylic and Water Colour Painting, Making a Clock Painting

The "Great Tips" [see below] article is today's pick for republishing. I liked it because I'm a struggling artist (grin).


Yep another JackaStory!!

Back in January 06, me and my wife were lucky enough to be onboard the Queen Mary 2 for the very first cruise around Cape Horn. We boarded in NYC and 38 days later disembarked in LA. During the cruise we experienced some highs & lows. A so called passenger mutiny, some fantastic trips ashore and the obligatory food poisoning! The full story can be read here:

The 3 Legs of Our Voyage/Adventure QM2 'round the Horn 2006
Blog/Diary Events 15 to 26 Jan 06 - New York to Rio de Janeiro The pages recording the "Shenanigans" and controversy of the first leg of our voyage.
Blog/Diary Events 27 Jan to 7 Feb - Rio to Valparaiso Happier times, great pictures, finally 'round the Horn, some funny stories along the way.
Blog/Diary Events 8 to 22 Feb - Valparaiso to Los Angeles A sad tale of sickness and quarantine with some memorable tours and a "cunning plan"...


One day while looking for a bar, we stumbled into the onboard art classes.:




Art Class with Diane Palley-McDonald

This was the "find" of the voyage so far. Purely by chance we decided to attend Diane's Creative Art Class this morning. Fortunately, we arrived 10 minutes early, as the class was oversubscribe and a few people had to be turned away because the room venue is quite small (Entertainments Manager TAKE NOTE). It's easy to understand why Diane's classes are so popular, she makes everyone feel welcome from art virgins (us two) right up to semi-pros. The boundless enthusiasm and a technique of teaching that encourages each person to explore their own ideas was the key to everyone's enjoyment and some truly astonishing "works of art". I full recommend this class and we'll be trying our (newly creative) hands at "New York Landscape" if we can get into tomorrow's class. [FULL STORY]



Once we returned home, I tried my hand at various techniques: water colour, acrilic and oil painting with varing success. Then one morning I caught a Bob Ross TV demonstration... I was hooked. Now MY clouds are fluffy, my mountains are huge and my trees are... indiscribable!


My garage wall soon filled up with paintings, so I took some into work and actually sold a few.

The best selling art works have a clock inserted either top left (in the sky) or bottom right (in the forest) and have huge mountains. Paintings without a clock and mountain have never sold... strange, but true!


I now use a mixture of acrylic and oil washes rather than Bob Ross's wet-on-wet technique.

So, it comes as no suprise that the article below gets the vote for TOP ARTICLE OF THE DAY at Liberated Press Releases

Great Tips on Becoming an Accomplished Artist

Many people want to become an artist, yet they feel they were not "born" with the talent to do so. I personally disagree with this belief.


To become an accomplished artist is just like anything else in life. It requires the correct mindset and the willingness to succeed.


DESIRE - First and foremost, you need to have the desire to learn and grow. Without the desire to learn and grow, your interest will fade over time. You will definitely make mistakes and progress may not happen as quickly as you originally anticipated. If you lack the desire to continue and learn from those mistakes, you will not see much in the way of progress. I can attest to this. When I first began oil painting I recall how terrible my first paintings were. I had no experience mixing or matching colors. I did not understand that mixing colors is a science all in itself. I would either mix too many colors, or mix the wrong colors, and my mixtures came out terrible. I did become quite frustrated, and eventually discouraged, until I finally stopped for a while. It wasn't until I took a trip to The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, that I realized just how badly I wanted to paint. I became inspired and my desire to paint was ignited once again. So make certain that you always stay inspired to create. Surround yourself with creativity. Talk to other artists. Look at other artwork, etc.


LEARN & PRACTICE - Once you have found the desire to embark on your artistic journey, you will obviously need to learn and practice. You will need the right resources and teachers to guide you in the right direction. Everyone is different and your way of learning anything new can differ from another persons learning methods. Some people learn better by watching others. If this is the case, purchase some quality videos or DVD's. Watch them once or twice first before you participate. This will make the experience much more enjoyable and easier to follow once you are ready to join in. There are a number of well made and resourceful videos and DVD's on the market today. Perhaps you prefer to learn in a group or classroom setting with an instructor. Do a search for beginner workshops in your area and join a few. The benefit of the classroom setting is the instant feedback you receive on your work. You also have other students and an instructor there to answer any questions that you may have. There are workshops available on virtually everything from painting to crafts, so you should be able to find something in your area or online. Maybe you prefer to read books and learn on your own, at your own pace. This is the way I started learning. I have a nice little library now of great books that I am constantly re-visiting.


There is definitely no shortage of reading material out there. I usually go online first and do research at the popular online booksellers. Many of the books are rated by other customers. This will give you a good idea of what's popular and worth buying. You can either get the book online, or go to your local book store with a few titles that you researched, and skim through the books before you buy. If you are lucky enough to have a local public television station in your area, you should definitely check into it. Here in New York, there is a great public television station dedicated to the arts. It airs many educational arts and crafts shows, and I watch it every day. Find a method of learning that you are comfortable with or try them all! At the end of this article you will see a great resource with free art and craft lessons and other great resources for beginners. Make sure you check it out when you are finished reading this article.

BUYING YOUR SUPPLIES -

Before you go out to your local store or shop online for your supplies, make sure you do a little research first. Visit online forums and chat rooms to find out what materials & supplies other artists in your particular area of interest are using. You will be surprised by the number of responses you receive.


Many experienced artists are more than happy to give advice and answer questions. Make sure you make it known that you are a beginner and that you are looking for descent quality supplies for beginners. Once you learn more about the types of supplies you will need, don't settle for one brand or manufacturer. My advice would be to purchase supplies from a number of different manufacturers. Everyone is different and you will find that over time you will develop a preference toward specific products. Do not purchase the most expensive or highest quality supplies at first. In the beginning you are learning and experimenting. It is best to do this with cheaper supplies. You can then upgrade to more expensive or higher quality products later on.


SHARE YOUR WORK WITH OTHERS -


Once you create your first work of art go out and share it with family, friends and other artists. There are a number of discussion forums online where you can submit your artwork for others to view and comment on. Don't be afraid of the criticism and by all means, never let anything anyone says about your work discourage you. Everyone has been where you are now at one point in his or her artistic journey.


The majority of people you show your work to will be patient and helpful. This is a great way to learn and grow as an artist, so get out there and show yourself. I do hope these tips have helped and have given you some confidence and direction. Remember to never get discouraged. If you really want to become an accomplished artist, just keep at it. You will create your first work of art in no time.

Article Republished From: Liberated Press Releases and Other FREE Information a web site that DOESN'T use Google Adspam (Adsense text links) in or around articles.

Author Resource:- For more great art and craft ideas, articles and resources, be sure to visit http://www.creativespotlite.com/. The Best Source For Free Art & Crafts Lessons Online!



Fancy a Cruise Holiday??


Ship Name:
Queen Mary 2
Sailing Date(s):
January 10, 2007
Ports of Call:
Departs From Ft. Lauderdale, Florida visiting Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay; Cruise Cape Horn; Valparaiso (Santiago), Chile; Acapulco, Mexico; San Francisco, California; Honolulu, Oahu; Pago Pago, American Samoa; Cross International Dateline; Auckland, New Zealand; Sydney, Australia; Hong Kong; Singapore; Port Kelang (Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia; Cochin, India; Dubai, U.A.E.; Suez Canal Transit; Alexandria (Cairo), Egypt; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Le Havre (Paris), France; Southampton (London), England