Visual Arts Journal

Buy the Best Possible Products Right From the Start
Several years ago I had decided to take up painting, something I had wanted to do since childhood. I bought some very inexpensive art supplies, figuring I could try it before committing too much. I promptly gave it up after a couple of tries because I hated to results. It wasn’t my assessment of my talent, it was the way the paint interacted with the paper and the weakness of the colors that I didn’t like. Having no one to ask, I just gave up the notion of painting for several years. All that lost time because I didn’t know enough about watercolor paper, the various textures and sizing or the difference between student grade and professional grade. (continue reading…)

The Shopping List A recommended list of supplies. Established professionals can cherry-pick through the list and the beginners can go crazy at the art supply store. Of course, you can also accumulate the supplies over time. For a list of online suppliers and outlets check the Link page. ☐ Hand Drafting or Layout Prior to illustration These tools are helpful for more technical styles of illustration, cartoon layout, storyboarding, template making, etc. (continue reading…)

The Recommended Tool For Finding Values
If you are looking for a tool to aid in seeing values then the preferred tool is the Gray Scale Value Finder shown above. This tool can be particularly helpful if you are following Jane Hofstetter’s methods or just trying to train your eye. (continue reading…)

The Pros and Cons of Several Styles of Hand Cutters
Each of these cutters have their advantages so I won’t be making a recommendation. Purchasing decisions would be highly influenced by many variables so a definite recommendation would be difficult. Instead I’ll be pointing out the strengths and weaknesses, common uses and accessories of each style of cutter. Since all of these cutters are rather inexpensive I’ll skip the price ranges. This article only covers hand cutters and not standing or table top cutters or the specialized cutters for framing images. (continue reading…)

Dream Tool for Math Avoiders
Proportional scales make quick work of determining exact measurements for increasing or decreasing the size of reproductions (copies) while maintaining the proportions of the original work. Whether you are matting and framing, setting the dimensions on a new digital file or cutting substraight (the supporting material such as paper, wood, canvas, etc.); using this tool reduces error and waste.

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A Little Advice Earned the Hard Way
Once you decide to use markers as an artistic medium, you’ll discover that there is a huge array of colored markers to choose from. Before you go out and sink a boat load of money into markers, let me offer a bit of clarification and advice.

The Difference Between Writing Markers and Artist/Layout Markers
There are two primary categories of pens, markers for writing and markers for art. The difference will determine not only (continue reading…)

Little tidbits that I come across that are helpful. I’ll try to keep the posts together by updating this one post, so search quick tips to find it after Nov 30th. Please let me know how you like this feature.

 Inexpensive “Fixative”: for charcoal, dry pastels, and pencil: buy unscented hairspray in a spray can, not a pump. Check the spray pattern on scrap paper first to make sure it has a  (continue reading…)

I never really liked the brush applied masking fluid used in watercolor painting or graphic design. It eats brushes and who likes to carry around little bottles of soapy water? Even with two coats of the stuff, I always seemed to get pin holes or missed spots.

To me, Frisket film always made more sense. Unfortunately it was just so darn expensive and it had to be ordered online to get the best prices. The other day I got a tip online that actually worked. (continue reading…)