Journey Art Supplies Blog
Tips, Tricks, Thoughts, and inspiration from across the art spectrum.
Workshops are Really Funshops!
Recently, I had the great pleasure of taking my first, 3-day watercolor workshop with a local watercolorist, Wes Waugh. It was held at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (BRAHM) in the nearby town of Blowing Rock, NC. I’ve been working with the workshop community, for years now at Cheap Joe’s, placing orders, and providing promotional material for hundreds of workshops around the country every year.
Workshops are Really Funshops!
Recently, I had the great pleasure of taking my first, 3-day watercolor workshop with a local watercolorist, Wes Waugh. It was held at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum...
Cheap Joe's Goes Back To School
OK. What if you woke up tomorrow morning and found you had to go back to school? When you reach a certain age, You shouldn’t have to worry about pop quizzes, last minute cramming for tests, and homework! Well , what if it was an opportunity to learn something new about a subject that you love like art? Let me tell you, I am all about learning.
Cheap Joe's Goes Back To School
OK. What if you woke up tomorrow morning and found you had to go back to school? When you reach a certain age, You shouldn’t have to worry about pop...
Give a Little Extra, Get a Whole Lot More!
I love this time of year! I love my Christmas tree, I love the crisp, cool, winter air, and I, especially, love to bake! I have special cookie and cake recipes that I have used for years, and then I search for a few new ones to add to my collection. I begin early to store up all the baking supplies I will need until about the second weekend in December.
Give a Little Extra, Get a Whole Lot More!
I love this time of year! I love my Christmas tree, I love the crisp, cool, winter air, and I, especially, love to bake! I have special cookie and cake...
Color Can Be Easy as Pie!
Have you ever looked at a color wheel and thought it resembled a pizza pie? Or maybe, an apple pie or maybe a chocolate cream pie….Ok, maybe, I should have had lunch before I started thinking about color! Anyway, color theory can be easy as pie! Color wheels are tools that can be very helpful when deciding what colors to use in your painting.
Color Can Be Easy as Pie!
Have you ever looked at a color wheel and thought it resembled a pizza pie? Or maybe, an apple pie or maybe a chocolate cream pie….Ok, maybe, I should have...
A Workshop is Like a Box of Chocolates
This week begins the Cheap Joe’s Workshop Season with Joyce Faulknor. Joyce is a transparent watercolorist from California. One of the many things that her students will learn this week is the technique of stretching watercolor paper on a traditional canvas frame. Joyce is one of the few watercolor artists who actually use this technique on a daily basis.
A Workshop is Like a Box of Chocolates
This week begins the Cheap Joe’s Workshop Season with Joyce Faulknor. Joyce is a transparent watercolorist from California. One of the many things that her students will learn this week is...
Cheap Joe's is in the House!
Cheap Joe’s is in the house, the Jones House, that is! The Cheap Joe Gallery Show at the Jones House in Boone, NC, is open from November 26- December 23. “Cheap” Joe Miller himself was invited by the Jones House Staff to host his own one man show. Obviously, not his first, however, a very notable show, none the less.
Cheap Joe's is in the House!
Cheap Joe’s is in the house, the Jones House, that is! The Cheap Joe Gallery Show at the Jones House in Boone, NC, is open from November 26- December 23. ...
What's That \Quin\" Color?"
On the phones, we might hear that question a time or two a day. “What’s that quin color?” “How do you say that?” “What are they good for?” We all smile, knowing we had the same questions and trouble pronouncing it the first time we heard it, too. However…
What's That \Quin\" Color?"
On the phones, we might hear that question a time or two a day. “What’s that quin color?” “How do you say that?” “What are they good for?” We all...
Grisaille: French for Value Study
Value studies seem to be the one necessary evil, in creating a painting, that no one really wants to take time for. Why is that? Even though they are great accomplishments, they’re really not the kind of thing we brag to our painting friends about. But what if we told our friends that we did a grisaille of our painting, how impressed would they be then.
Grisaille: French for Value Study
Value studies seem to be the one necessary evil, in creating a painting, that no one really wants to take time for. Why is that? Even though they are great...
Tools of the Trade: Zoomfinder
Artists are always looking for easy ways to solve common problems when it comes to creating art. Tools of the trade are clever gadgets that are constantly being developed to ease the design chores and allow artists to get down to the business of painting. We use light boxes to transfer patterns more quickly and projectors to enlarge photos, even computers are becoming more and more popular as design aids for artists. Anything to make these time consuming and laborious necessities just a little bit less so. One very popular composition design tool is the Zoomfinder. This handy little invention will help you isolate your view and even create a grid to aid in transferring your design to the paper. Made of durable plastic, the Zoomfinder has an adjustable rectangle and square that allows you to choose the appropriate format for your painting. Place it over the picture you want to paint and slide the inner sheet in and out until you find the desired composition. If you are cropping a picture larger than the opening, move the Zoomfinder closer to your eye. This will allow it to cover a larger area. This is also necessary when composing a landscape on location. The Zoomfinder can be used for landscape as well as portrait formats. The ratio of the rectangle opening is 3:4, with the width being up to 3″ in increments of 1/2″ and the length of 4″. The 3″ x 4″ opening will also make a great template for thumbnail sketches, which will enable you to try out several views before deciding on the best one. The square will open up to 3 inches and also can be used to create a grid for sketch transferring. Creating a pleasing composition is a very important aspect of design. It is the first step in developing a successful painting. The Zoomfinder is a great time-saving tool that will help you to bring your ideas down to the paper. It will enable you to visualize your… This is only one of many wonderful tools of the trade that make painting much more productive and enjoyable!
Tools of the Trade: Zoomfinder
Artists are always looking for easy ways to solve common problems when it comes to creating art. Tools of the trade are clever gadgets that are constantly being developed to...
A Handmade Holiday Greeting
One of the earliest memories of my childhood was making cards. My mom saved practically every greeting card I made over the years. It is wonderful looking back and remembering how much she appreciated the simple artwork and the love it represented. One of the most common and oldest traditions of Christmas is the exchanging of holiday greetings.
A Handmade Holiday Greeting
One of the earliest memories of my childhood was making cards. My mom saved practically every greeting card I made over the years. It is wonderful looking back and remembering...
I Go, You Go, We All Go for Yupo!
Yupo is made from polypropylene pellets that are processed to form a sheet of very unique plastic. The surface is waterproof and has a super smooth bright white matte finish that is suitable for most painting mediums. It does not absorb the paint so it is very easy to wipe clean if desired. It is very durable as it will not stain or tear.
I Go, You Go, We All Go for Yupo!
Yupo is made from polypropylene pellets that are processed to form a sheet of very unique plastic. The surface is waterproof and has a super smooth bright white matte finish that...
Tempera and Watercolor: Are They the Same?
I was recently asked by a customer, what is the difference between tempera paint and watercolor. She went on to say that they are both water based and are both re-soluble, however, the two are very different, indeed! Let us begin with the definition.
Tempera and Watercolor: Are They the Same?
I was recently asked by a customer, what is the difference between tempera paint and watercolor. She went on to say that they are both water based and are both...
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