leaves Archives - Artisan HQ

January 23, 2017 By Thomo

Indian Ink Drawing Techniques

In this Indian ink drawing tutorial you will learn through a time lapse video accompanied by real time voice over narrative how to draw trees, grass and clouds using a variety of tips and techniques.

The first step is to get a large sheet of cold press watercolor paper which you can find online or in any decent arts and crafts store. This paper should be fully wetted with clean water using a large brush before then being gum taped all the way around the edges. This enables the paper to dry flat, smooth and free from warping and creases and provides an excellent surface for you to commence with your Indian ink painting.

This artist explains how in this art tutorial he will be using the ink as a watercolor and offers you great advice on tools to use and techniques to apply to maximise your painting’s full potential. He uses Higgins black Indian ink throughout the demonstration and begins by using a large round sable brush to paint a light wash which is gray in appearance due to its dilution with water. This wash is applied liberally and sporadically and forms the basis of the high and low background clouds and allow the focal point, in this case being the tree, to come forward and stand more prominently within the painting.

As a general rule within watercolor painting the higher the clouds are then the darker they should be and vice versa for the lower and more faint clouds. The tree outline is loosely painted with a smaller round sable brush in a light gray again and is reworked with a fountain pen to allow greater detailing and definition to its edges and outlines. A stipple technique is used next when painting the leaves to create a sense of volume rather than meticulously trying to pick out individual leaves which is a sure fire way to over complicate and potential ruin a painting.

Once the cluster of leaves have been established you can then use the likes of a small round sable brush to softly blend creating further volume and a sense of depth bring the tree further to the foreground. At this point in the tutorial the artist regresses back to the clouds adding further adding more natural detailing with the ink to the clouds and surrounding areas to further emphasise the impression of realism. The grass mound where the tree is situated is painted using a sable fan brush but as with the leaves he uses a stippling technique to highlight and give the impression of certain areas rather than trying to tackle each individual blade of grass. It is because of the shape and style of this fan brush which makes this an invaluable tool for the type of ink painting.

Sable brushes are more valuable to use with inks than their counterpart synthetic versions due to their ability to hold in a lot more ink meaning less trips to ink pot and more concentration on the painting itself. This video is very thorough and ideal for the beginner inks and watercolor painter and harbours some great tips and techniques for you to further your paintings and learn how to use Indian ink.

March 15, 2013 By Annie

Creating Beautiful Artwork By Pouring Paint From Coffee Cups

New York pour painter Holton Rower shows you how to Create beautiful artwork by pouring paint from coffee cups

Artistic ability comes in all forms. Here is an example of an idea that has been thought of and then put�into practice. The idea being that a pedestal made out of wood is placed in a room and then paint is poured over it.� Each coffee cup contains different coloured paint and one by one they are poured over the pedestal.� As the amount of colours increases and starts to pour
onto the floor, you will see that a truly stunning piece of art is starting to emerge. When the paint has tried the pedestal is then�removed and leaves behind the masterpiece that you have created.

To view other finished pieces, please visit Holton Rower’s website www.holtonrower.com

October 23, 2012 By Thomo

How To Paint A Rose In Acrylic Paint – Grisaille

Are you a beginner in art looking to further yourself a little quicker? If the answer is yes then this could be the tutorial for you. In this art tutorial you will be painting a beautiful Rose in a Grisaille with Acrylic Paint which is a traditional old master’s technique where firstly the under painting is achieved to paint the tones and shadow areas before being painted over by a semi transparent paint which covers the remaining canvas but still allows the under painting to come through.

Traditionally it would be oil paint which was used as a medium but nowadays with the advancements and versatility of paints this artist has decided to use acrylic paint which will not only look very similar but has a much faster drying time than oils because it is water based.

The first stage is to draw the rose on to the canvas so to do this he uses reference points to find the proportions of the rose he is drawing as his composition. Using reference points is an easy way to draw accurate areas like in this painting for example he draws reference points at the base and the tops of his rose petals then uses his artistic eye to reference directly from his photo to imitate their shape. �at this point in the video he comes in with a little tip and encourages you to stand back from your canvas to make sure that your drawing looks as it should, many people starting out in art forget to view their art from a distance which can cost them lots of time and rectifying in both the long and short term.

Once you’re happy with your drawing reach for a large 4 inch paintbrush and begin to paint all the way around the edge of the rose in black acrylic paint to form a silhouette. Now the artist uses a smaller flat acrylic paint brush to start forming tones within his rose and then to compliment these tones he comes in with the white highlights and once this is completed you should have a nice monochrome rose with a surrounding black background.

The final part to this video is where he demonstrates the mix of 5 parts acrylic glazing medium to one part acrylic paint to get the desired semi transparent�consistency which will be applied as the over painting. The tones and highlights of your monochrome painting will naturally appear through this glaze and this is probably the most satisfying part of the whole grisaille process. I hope you enjoyed this art tutorial and you have used it as inspiration to have a go at creating your own artwork.

October 12, 2012 By Thomo

Amy Pearce: How To Paint Aspen Trees

Here you will learn in a step by step fashion how to paint aspen trees on to canvas using acrylic paint. Artist Pearce begins the painting by applying a few large horizontal blends with a 4 inch brush to set the mood for the upcoming trees. Then using a natural sponge she dabs reds, oranges and yellows on the upper and lower tiers of the painting to create the illusion of leaves and florals. It is then time for the trees using a selection of different sized brushes. Follow the video and within hours you will have something really quite soothing to hang on your wall. This video is ideal for the beginner artist.

September 26, 2012 By Thomo

How To Draw A Rose

This is a nice time lapsed video by a young artist where you can see first hand how he draws a rose in full including the stem and leaves. The rose is symbolic for many things and is considered extremely important with regards to tattoo design for example for it’s symbolic purposes but also the large variety of roses available to draw.

This art video is ideally suited for the beginner to intermediate artist and can be enjoyed at a leisurely pace from the comfort of your own home. The artist concentrates primarily on the line work of the rose before putting emphasis on the shading of the petals, leaves and stem. The result is a sensational looking rose which can be used in a whole wealth of different ways.

September 16, 2012 By Thomo

Chuck McLachlan: How To Paint A Red Flower With Green Leaves

Chuck McLachlan is a recognised professional watercolor artist with a great ability to teach in an easy to understand fashion. In this video tutorial you can expect to learn how to paint a red flower with green leaves in watercolors via a step by step approach. He uses a variety of brushes and introduces blotting and dripping techniques which are by no means a beginner technique but well worth taking note of. If you follow him with passion during this tutorial you will almost certainly have a floral painting you can look back on with pride.

September 3, 2012 By Thomo

Sophie Chan: Painting ‘Howl’ From ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ In Watercolors

Painting anime characters is becoming more and more popular, so if you are keen to get knowing how to paint in watercolors influential manga characters or even your own, then this tutorial could be an excellent starting block for you to gain drawing and painting techniques from. Playfully using watercolors to achieve a realistic and vibrant painting of Howl from the acclaimed Anime film �Howl�s Moving Castle�, the artist has captured an engrossing account of the characters formulation. Leading from basic undertones through to a full bodied finish, the painting leaves the watcher with a joyful creation.

September 3, 2012 By Thomo

Len Hend: How To Paint Leaves On Trees In Oil Paints

This is a short but extremely informative and educational art tutorial on how to paint leaves on trees in either oil paints or acrylic paints by Len Hend.

In this particular tutorial he paints a gum tree using oil paints in a selection of colors. Using a palette knife he mixes together warm yellow, green and blue oil paint but not completely as it is important to gain a variety of shades for the leaves which you will be painting. Using a large round hog bristle brush Len ‘loads’ the brush with oil paint but he deliberately keeps one side of the brush a dark color and its opposing side a light color paint. This is vitally important for his next stage of his ‘dab, dab’ painting technique where as the title suggests he dabs the paint brush quite loosely around the branches in umbrella shapes and because of the way it is loaded you instantly get the light shade on top of the dark tones creating very realistic leaves.

If you simply twist the brush you can vary and alternate between different tonal values captured within the oil paints and it is at this point where Len mentions that you do not�necessarily have to go straight onto your canvas with this painting technique�and should maybe have a practice on a board beforehand to gain your confidence. As I mentioned earlier Len has selected a gum tree for this painting tutorial but obviously there are mamny many different types of tree but it is important to note that they will all ultimately have leaves which require contrasting tones once you apply the oil paint to the canvas. He has decided to further highlight the clusters of foliage /leaves on his gum tree by adding a mix of white and yellow oil paint which gives them a very three dimensional appearance on the canvas.

The pre painted trees in the background have a dull appearance as Len had selected more muted tones to not detract attention from the foreground which is exactly as it would appear in nature anyway. So with the foreground trees he is painting he makes a�conscious�effort to promote an injection of color with the oil paints which will add depth and contrast to your painting.

Using a fine paint brush held between his index finger and his thumb Hend adds a few more branches in a streaky manner to add a more concise element of realism to his foliage and it is all these small painting techniques which will allow you greater and quicker results in your oil paintings.

Lastly, he reaches for a scruffy over used 1 inch brush which as he suggests is ideal for the leaves in his immediate foreground because the rough bristles of the paint brush allow extremely random placement of the oil paint to form the leaves. So never throw away your old paint brushes because you never know what you might be able to use them for in the future. This is an excellent art tutorial and covers all the essential painting techniques you will need to achieve the trees you want in your paintings.

September 1, 2012 By Thomo

Bill Alexander: Wet On Wet Oil Painting – Painting Fall River (Part 1/3)

Oil painting legend Bill Alexander kicks off this three part video tutorial by showing you how to paint Fall River his way. He uses a selection of his desired tools like a large brush, one inch brush and palette knives to bring vivid color to his oil painting. Watch, listen and learn from the master at work…This is a much watch art video tutorial for any aspiring oil painter!

August 22, 2012 By Thomo

Speed Painting Watercolor Portrait

The application of generous amounts of water in the portrait makes for a very professional and confident end result. It is interesting to note how the artist has allowed the vibrant watercolors to bleed into one another to create a really quite fresh and contemporary style for the portrait. The detailing has not been lost either throughout the piece and leaves plenty for your eye to study and admire.