Hey guys!  I'm taking an indefinite break from blogging.  If you'd like to keep up with what's going on, please subscribe to my weekly newsletter.  It goes out every Friday.  It's free and (I hope) packed with inspiration.

• You will still be able to find my free weekly "Studio Snippets" videos on my YouTube Channel. (In fact, there's a new one today.)
• Mom and I have started recording a 2024 season of The Adventures in Arting Podcast.  So, look for that to begin in January.
• You can always get art inspiration and tutorials in my monthly art membership program.  Or search through the almost two decades of free blog content in the archives.

I've been blogging since 2006 (17 years!!).  I've learned a lot, become a much better writer and artist, and made some wonderful connections with other artists.  I still enjoy the process of blogging, so I may come back to it at some point. But it's an enormous amount of work and I'd rather pour that ebullient creative energy and love of sharing into the classes I teach.

Hope you have a great week!

Julie

Please join me every other month in 2024 for a new live online class!

“Not only can color, which is under fixed laws, be taught like music, but it is easier to learn than drawing, whose elaborate principles cannot be taught.” -- Eugene Delacroix

This course is designed for painters at all levels.  The lessons lay a solid foundation for beginners while offering an expansive perspective to mid-level and advanced artists.

I put "practical" in the title because the course is packed with immediately usable tips, exercises, and ideas for you to integrate into your own work.  It's labeled "for painters" because the class exercises are designed to help those who use paint in their artwork.  Mixed media collage artists and printmakers are welcome to join.  There are copious color take aways for your own practice.

By the end of the course, you will have created a reference book for yourself to use over and over for the rest of your life AND you will truly understand how to use color to get the results you want.

Color theory is the study of how colors work together as well as how they affect our emotions and perceptions. Practical Color for Painters provides you with the essential color knowledge you need minus the overwhelming complexity. Don't let confusion dim your creative spark—embrace my simple and practical approach to color theory today and become color confident!

You will Learn:

• Introduction to fundamental color concepts.
• Understanding basic color terminology.
• Understanding the color wheel -- including how to build a color wheel and how to USE a color wheel.
• How to Mix Colors - including how to look at a color and match it. (And WHY mixing colors matters.)
• How to mix your own neutrals as well as why/when to use neutrals.
• Understanding the impact of desaturation on color harmony and mood in artwork
• How to create sophisticated color variations.
• How to make your colors coordinate into a cohesive palette.
• Exploration of the importance of value in art.
• Understanding the role of value in composition and its visual impact.
• Tinting and shading colors to create a value scale.
• Exercises for seeing and exploring value in your artwork.
• The basics of color harmony and its role in creating visually pleasing compositions.
• Application of color harmony principles to enhance the emotional impact of artwork
• How to identify and use color schemes (complementary, analogous, triadic).
• Understanding color relativity.
• Techniques for glazing and layering colors.
• Exploration of warm and cool colors in glazing and layering processes.
• Understanding opacity and transparency when layering.
• Exploration of the psychology of color and its impact on viewer perception.
• Guidance on developing a personal color palette that reflects individual style
• How to save and catalog custom colors.
• And Much More!!

Throughout the series, students will not only gain technical skills in working with color but also develop a deeper understanding of the expressive and psychological aspects of color in art.

“The point is to know how to use the colors, the choice of which is, when all’s said and done, a matter of habit.” -- Claude Monet

Be sure to get the EARLY BIRD SPECIAL.  The normal course price is $300.  Until December 31, 2023, you can get 25% off and snag all six classes for just $225.  That's $37.50 per class!  No coupon necessary.

Don't miss this chance to enhance your painting skills and embrace the joy of color – reserve your spot today!

Today is the last day of the 4-part series on some of my favorite art supplies, divided by discipline:

1. Art Supplies for Painters
2. Art Supplies for Printmakers
3. Art Supplies for Art Journalers
4. Art Supplies for Collage Artists

So let's wrap this series up with art supplies for collage artists!

There are two main things to talk about with collage: paper and glue.  So let's start with paper.  The main papers I use are:

• Deli Paper & Wet Strength Tissue Paper - Both of these papers are thin, translucent when glued, and take a beating. Deli paper is cheap and not absorbent.  Wet Strength Tissue Paper is expensive and absorbent.
• Watercolor Paper (as a substrate) - I like to use 140lb watercolor paper. I usually buy a box of 9x12 paper.
• Sulphite Paper - It's thick enough to use for a substrate, but thin enough to collage well.  A real workhorse paper.
• Printer Paper (also called Bond Paper) - It's always around.  I don't love that it curls at the slightest provocation or that it's wrinkly when it collages, but I always have plenty and so I use it!

I paint/print most of my papers and most often reach for my gelatin plate and stencils to do so. 

Here's a video where I share the very basics of how to use a stencil on a gelatin plate:

 

The two main glues I use are:

• Matte Medium
• Soft Gel Medium Matte

The only other thing I'll throw out there is that I have a big plastic bin that I loooooove to use for holding my collage papers while I work.

Since I integrated it into my practice, it has made things much easier because my desk is so much less of a mess and all of my little scraps have a place to live. When it gets too full, I either put everything away where it actually goes or I make scrap packs!

I hope you enjoyed this series and found something new to try out and integrate into your artistic practice.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello friends!  It has turned mighty cold around here.  My Mom is convinced that it's going to be a brutal winter because the squirrels are super fat this year. I also saw a video online from a beekeeper that said the bees are really packing away the honey and so we should all prepare for a long cold winter.  I wonder if the animals are two steps ahead of us?

In the meantime, here's the news from around here:

Family News

We have three November birthdays in this family.  One Scorpio and two Sagittarians (I had to actually look up the plural and there's some debate, but I think that's correct).

All three are a year older and wiser.  (And we had A LOT of cake this month!)

Work News

I have a new class that I'm offering in 2024.  It's called "Practical Color for Painters" and I'm offering an Early Bird Discount (25% off) until December 31.

I'll have a long blog post all about it next week.  In the meantime, if you're curious, you can learn more and sign up HERE.

A Recommendation

I never thought I say this, but watch these two videos about linoleum floors. 

 

 

Anyone else really want to make a linoleum inlay floor after watching those videos? I do!

So, that's the scoop on life around here at the moment.  If you're a Monthly Member, both the November personal vlog and studio vlogs are up in the classroom.  Did you know that it costs me close to $2000/year to host this blog and email it out to those who wish to get it in their inbox?  Becoming a monthly member is an easy way to support the writing of this blog and get great art content.  A win-win!

Thanks for stopping by! 

---

P.S. In case you don't know, I send out a weekly newsletter on Fridays.  You can subscribe HERE.

As you know, we're in the midst of a 4-part series on some of my favorite art supplies, divided by discipline:

1. Art Supplies for Painters
2. Art Supplies for Printmakers
3. Art Supplies for Art Journalers
4. Art Supplies for Collage Artists

Today we've made it to #3: art journaling supplies! 

I've put together a video with all the details about why I like and use these particular supplies:

 

And here's the list of goodies from the video:

• Listo China Markers
• Neocolor I Crayons
• Neocolor Sharpener
• Posca Pens
• SoFlat Acrylic Paint
• Ranger Heat It Craft Tool
• Grey Matters Palette Paper
• Scotch Blue Painter's Tape
• Deli Paper

Using your favorite art supplies when you're art journaling is like creating with a friend.  It's like wearing your favorite comfy sweater while you work – there's this instant connection and ease. These go-to tools aren't just about making pretty pictures; they're actually helping you feel more comfortable as you work. I love trying out new supplies, but nothing beats playing with my favorites. 

Do you agree or disagree?