Journey Art Supplies Blog
Tips, Tricks, Thoughts, and inspiration from across the art spectrum.
10 Ways to Pump Up Your Coloring Books!
Hello, everyone! This week, I want to talk about one of the greatest concepts to hit the market: grown-up coloring books! It's so simple, yet so revolutionary, I can't believe it took us this long to realize that coloring didn't have to be just for kids! Of course, everyone already knows how to color, but I want to show you ways to take your coloring to the next level! Here are my tips: No. 1) Use pencils! Whether it's colored pencils or graphite pencils, you're sure to get the greatest range of tones with these guys. Here's a stunning horse design from Art Nouveau Animal Designs by Creative Haven that I filled in with only 4 colors--teal, light blue, light violet, and salmon. It's only with colored pencils that I'd be able to blend the teal and light blues in the mane so seamlessly and easily. No. 2) If you're going to use markers, make sure they're fine-tipped and you have a WIDE variety of colors. Unlike coloring books for kids, coloring books for adults tend to have tighter spaces and more intricate patterns to fill in, which means your chunky Crayola Washables ain't gonna cut it. If you're serious about working with markers, you'll need to acquire some that'll reach those tough spots and also compensate for the lack of hues they'll give you. These beauties (also from Art Nouveau Animal Designs) were done in marker, and I think they turned out pretty well. --But that's because I followed rule No. 2 and rule No. 3, which is... No. 3) Vary colors slightly. With some designs, especially the Art Nouveau designs, the pictures can get a little too symmetrical and boring. The best way to break that up is to mirror similar (but not the same!) colors with each other. At the bottom, I used very slightly different shades of green for my lizards, and also the purple curly wurlies. It breaks the picture up just enough to keep your eyes engaged and interested. No. 4) Take it one step/color/shape at a time. I know that seems like something you should already know to do, but it's very, very easy to get overwhelmed looking at a blank design and deciding where to start and how you want it to look. For my horse, I started in on my favorite part first (the horse), then went to the background, and then onto this chain around it. This little monkey on the inside cover was a fun warm-up piece which I started by filling in all the things I wanted to be brown. Giving yourself small goals to accomplish--like "fill in all the brown"--rather than thinking of the entire page as one project will let you really take your time and focus on what you're doing since it'll seem like you've got less to do. And, after all, that's why we're coloring, isn't it? To avoid/relieve stress? So don't stress yourself out! No. 5) Limit your color palette Speaking of stress, sometimes having too many options can make a project seem daunting. My little monkey friend is only surrounded by browns, blues, and purples, but he's still very aesthetically pleasing! The limited palette also gives you the chance to dive into some whimsy--I mean, where on earth are you going to find navy-blue pears? Get crazy! Color your monkey turquoise! Color your sky yellow! The only limit is your imagination. And, well, your palette. And in the spirit of making the picture your own... No. 6) Add your own patterns and textures. Below my horse, there is some foliage. And as nice as those shapes are, I decided that the leaves needed a little somethin' somethin'... I colored them in with 2 shades of green, and then took a third, darker shade and made little lines on the outside. Adding textures and patterns with your pencils or markers is a great way to make your work stand out. Everyone thinks you have to color flat inside all of the lines, but it isn't so! In fact, that takes me to... No. 7) Add to the designs themselves! Here we have the brown parts of my monkey, including this dull-looking brown tree trunk. But I went in and added some lines with my Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen and gave that baby some sass! Coloring book artists will often say that they leave parts of their designs with open spaces to encourage the color-er to incorporate their own style into it. So take every opportunity you can to make your picture as unique as you are :) No. 8) Shade and blend! Shading is the easiest way to give your picture TONS of dimension and blending (with your choice of blending medium (mine is a colorless blender pencil, as mentioned in this blog post about blending colored pencils)) will give it the polished, professional look to set it apart from something a kid would do. Here, you can see the delicate care I took in shading the horse's head and body as well as the difference between using a blender (left side of the purple frame) and using nothing at all (right side). But don't stop here! Shading and blending are great tools when it comes to drawing, so why not... No. 9) Incorporate other drawing techniques! To break up the monotony of solid colors, I used used a bit of stippling on my little monkey friend's cloud. You could also try cross-hatching or coloring in swirled or lined strokes. Basically anything you'd do with your own original drawing, you can also do in a coloring book! The stippling on the edges gave it just the right amount of color plus the right amount of white. Which leads me to my final tip... No. 10) Don't be afraid of white space!! It's easy to think, "I have to color all of this in," when looking at a fresh page, but you really don't! I left white space with my monkey friend's cloud and a little on the edges of the page and that drew even MORE attention to the parts that were colored in! And if you still find yourself afraid of or dreading the white space, just...cut it out. I still had a ton of white space leftover on my horse picture, but I really wasn't interested in coloring any more of it in... So I cut out the part I did like and wanted to keep: Now I can paste this in my journal and do some more designs around it or incorporate it into another work of art, like a collage! With these tips, you can now go boldly into your coloring adventures!
10 Ways to Pump Up Your Coloring Books!
Hello, everyone! This week, I want to talk about one of the greatest concepts to hit the market: grown-up coloring books! It's so simple, yet so revolutionary, I can't believe...
A New Jewel in the Cheap Joe's Crown!
Hey, everybody! Crazy things have been happening in the Cheap Joe's world: namely, we opened a brand new store in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina I was part of the team who worked diligently to get everything up and running ASAP for the townsfolk, who have badly wanted an art supplies store--so much so that they even started a Bring Cheap Joe's Art Stuff to Asheville page on Facebook! Well, we heard those pleas and made it happen! And I wanted to share some photos of the journey with you guys: Very early stages, just getting basic fixtures put in. And there's Aly and David, the managers of the Boone Outlet and the Asheville stores! Reduce, reuse, recycle: these planks of wood are actually pieces of pallets that we receive deliveries on, but we knew we could use them for something creative, like an accent wall! Soon, these will be covered in stacks of canvas and watercolor paper! Here's Brian, our Marketing Manager, building a big front desk for our new employees! Then he added a big, sturdy, concrete top and continued the pallets motif! Finally! We can start loading in merchandise! The very first product placed! Bunches and bunches of sketchbooks! Sorting and finding a place for everything! (Natasha, who works in inventory, doesn't like having her picture taken...) Look at all those easels! And the finished pallet wall! So...much...canvas! Coming along nicely! Our brush section! A few finishing touches...and we were ready to open! Come down and visit us! The address is: 829 Riverside Dr Ste 120 Asheville, NC 28804 And the local number is 828-232-8391 We can't wait to see you!
A New Jewel in the Cheap Joe's Crown!
Hey, everybody! Crazy things have been happening in the Cheap Joe's world: namely, we opened a brand new store in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina I was part of the team...
Tissue Paper Mâché!
Hello, everyone! This week, I wanted to put a new spin on everybody's favorite childhood craft: paper mâché! The differences here being that I'm using tissue paper instead of newspaper and Golden Soft Gel Medium instead of that gross glue/flour-water paste. This Spectra Deluxe Art Tissue is great for these kinds of projects because the colors bleed when wet and give an excellent sense of unity in your work. (For my bowl, I used the bottom 5 colors.) I started the way you would any other paper mâché project: by ripping up tons of little pieces of paper. I made the tears mostly pretty big because tissue paper is thinner than newspaper, so any overlapping and bubbling would be less noticeable. I also wanted the pieces to be organic shapes, not just rectangular strips because they would be contributing to the pattern as well as creating the bowl itself. So I made piles of each of my colors and blew up a balloon to a pretty small size because I just wanted a little catch-all bowl--if you have water balloons leftover from summer, those would work even better! First I put down a coat of my Golden Soft Gel Medium (Matte)... Then I placed pieces of my tissue paper all over to cover the wet spots and painted another coat of gel medium on top of that. Tip: Use matte finish for projects like this, because it will still give a little bit of sheen to your work, but it'll also reflect less light and make it easier to see and appreciate your beautiful paper! And I just kept adding layers like that! I found the most efficient way was to go layer by layer, rather than individual piece of tissue paper by individual piece of tissue paper. This was about as deep as I wanted my bowl to go, but I added a few layers that went further down my balloon because I'd need them later to make the base. Once I felt like I had enough layers (about 10-12), I flipped it upside down and let it dry in my handy little Halloween cat mug, which usually holds my turpentine--you're definitely not going to want to use a cup you still drink out of. I let that dry overnight and then came the scary part... It doesn't matter how old you get or how prepared for it you think you are, popping a balloon is STILL a pretty jarring experience. But, hey! The shape held! As you can see, the balloon came out cleanly and in one piece. Next, I made a line around the outside of my mold to mark off how deep I wanted my bowl to be, and then I cut the excess using a regular old pair of scissors. After sitting overnight, the mold was mostly dry, but still slightly flexible, which made it very easy to cut. As it sits, though, it will become dryer and more sturdy. With my excess, I trimmed it to clean up the edges and measured how much I would need to make the base of my bowl. Then I cut it and sort of bandaged the two ends together with some gel medium and a piece of tissue paper. I slathered on a generous helping of gel medium, applied some pressure, and let it adhere to the bottom of my bowl. When that had dried a bit, I started sticking more pieces of tissue paper around the seam to help fuse the two pieces together. After 5 or 6 layers on the inside seam, I put about 3 or 4 on the outside as well. Then I camouflaged the "bandages" with colors that corresponded with the pattern, to give it a more consistent look. With a final coat of gel medium on the inside and outside, my bowl was complete! I could have put more tissue paper on the inside of the bowl, but I really liked the way the colors bled together to make a less-intense version of the outside.
Tissue Paper Mâché!
Hello, everyone! This week, I wanted to put a new spin on everybody's favorite childhood craft: paper mâché! The differences here being that I'm using tissue paper instead of newspaper...
Painting with Fire!
Hi, everyone! One of the draws of alcohol ink is its looseness and unpredictability--so what if we amplified that and added a little danger? This week's project was inspired by a video I saw on YouTube where an artist applied alcohol inks to a ceramic tile and then lit it on FIRE! The movement of the flame allows for truly unique designs as well as an extremely fast evaporation time. In the video, she mentioned using this technique to create backgrounds for future works, but I think the result looks great enough on its own, so I used it to make some tile coasters! For this project, I picked up some plain white ceramic tiles (4" x 4") and a slightly larger tile (9" x 12") from a hardware store--super cheap, and you can sometimes even find them in thrift stores. I already had my stash of Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Inks and Blending Solution and a lighter stick, so I was good to go! I started as I would with any other abstract alcohol ink piece by just tossing color all over my surface (the colors I used here are Clover, Stream, Aqua, and Shell Pink). To get the colors to start moving around, I added a few splashes of Blending Solution. Then I lit it with my lighter stick and let the flame burn down on its own (about 20 seconds)... And here's what I got! I wasn't entirely happy with the amount of white that was still showing through, so I tried again! One of the best things about alcohol inks is their ability to be reworked when you're not happy with the result. Even though the alcohol was burned off from the flame, I was still able to add MORE inks and blending solution to the tile and it reactivated it! Here's what I got the second time around and I was much happier with this result! For my next tile, I used Shell Pink again, Cool Peri, Wild Plum, and Watermelon. Added my blending solution... And lit it up! A lot of my color got burned off the first go around, so I threw on more Watermelon and Wild Plum the second go 'round and got this! My third tile was a crazy mixture of Cool Peri, Wild Plum, Indigo, and Cranberry. I'll never get tired of taking pictures of art on fire. Oof. This one came out REALLY dark. But no worries! I only added light tones (Cool Peri and the blending solution) the second time. Let it do its thing... And it brought back my brighter colors! My last tile was...a learning experience. I'm not sure why I thought this color scheme would be a good idea, I guess I was riding a bit of a high from the pyromania. For whatever reason, I picked Cool Peri, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow, and Citrus... Oh, what a mistake that was... Here's the unfortunate mess I got with those colors. I think it might have turned out okay, had I not included the green... Rather than chalk this up to a total waste, I used it as an opportunity to experiment. I had forgotten that metallic Silver was in my arsenal and didn't even consider using it on the three prior tiles, so I threw it and some blending solution on top of this wreck just to see what it would do... So, essentially, the silver just danced around on top and didn't meld in with the other colors. I like the look of it, though! I'd like it more if it wasn't on THIS tile... I made another attempt by JUST adding blending solution, to see if it would burn anything off, and it mostly just got kind of burnt... No worries, though! After a little rubbing alcohol and some light scrubbing, I had a clean tile again! This time, I stuck with a combination of colors I knew would look good together: Cool Peri, Aqua, Stream, and Indigo. Some blending solution, of course. And presto! This one was pretty okay with me, but I still wanted more coverage on those white areas. I added some more Cool Peri and blending solution... And ended up with this! Much better than that orange-green train wreck... Once they were all dry (not long at all, since the fire evaporated most of the moisture), I painted the sides of them with some Joe's Prime Really Good Lightfast Acrylic to match their schemes. Then I sealed them with a few coats of Liquitex Soluvar Aerosol Varnish (Glossy). And when THAT was dry, I stuck these little footsies underneath so the unfinished bottoms wouldn't scratch up my tables. If you have some felt lying around, that would work great. But I just picked up these furniture pads while I was getting the tiles. Here are my finished products: If you attempt this project, PLEASE make sure you do it in a well-ventilated area and not under any low ceilings! While the flame doesn't extend more than about 2.5 feet, it could still catch onto things around it. And also make sure your inks are a safe distance from your open flame. With those things in mind, this project is entirely safe and tons of fun!
Painting with Fire!
Hi, everyone! One of the draws of alcohol ink is its looseness and unpredictability--so what if we amplified that and added a little danger? This week's project was inspired by...
Trash to Treasure!
Hey, everyone! This week's blog post goes out to those who want to decorative-paint the mundane things in their life, but have trouble making it happen. Whether it's your skill level, lack of time to dedicate to a big project, or you just don't know how you want to paint something, there is an alternative: paper! The Cheap Joe's Outlet Store has a fantastic selection of handmade paper, and some of it is for sale on our website! Check out these that are made from bark or these packs that have their own color schemes (I used one pack in this post!) You can also get crazy with layering tissue paper--hmm...that might be a future blog post! This used to be a plain black bookshelf. But thanks to a few sheets of this gorgeous handmade paper I found in the Outlet Store, it's now a stunning work of art! I also used an assortment of papers to give a collage effect to this smaller shelf. The decorative paper method is one that I love and have had great success with--the best part? It's so easy! For my example this time, I used this totally bare trash can cover/holder that my dad (Hi, dad!) made me hide this ugly old bin--and also keep my cat from knocking it over again... I started by planning it out, of course, in my handy dandy Hand•Book Journal. I knew that I wanted to incorporate a solid accent color with the decorative paper I chose (an all-over pattern would take away from the print and make it harder to distinguish its shapeless is more sometimes!), but there were so many design possibilities! Once I figured out which look I wanted to go with (top middle), it was time to make it happen! The first step was priming all over. After two coats of Joe's Prime Really Good Gesso, I dragged this bad boy out into the yard for some spray painting! I used Montana Gold Professional Acrylic Spray Paint in Shock Red for the sides and back of my holder. I went with Montana Gold for a few reasons: the red matched my paper perfectly and the drying time and coverage for spray paint are insanely better than fluid or heavy-body acrylics. You're also much more likely to get an even coating--no brush strokes! Once the outsides dried, I painted the inside of the lid and a few inches down into the holder, that way you wouldn't just see bare wood when you opened it up. When those parts dried as well, I brought it back inside to apply my paper to the top and front with Golden Soft Gel Medium. I cut the sheets a little bit larger than what I needed, just to make sure I could cover everything completely, but then I only adhered to the parts that I wanted to cover. With everything good and stuck on, I used an X-Acto Knife to cut away the excess and glued any loose edges back down with my Gel Medium. To protect the outside and also give it a nice finish, I covered everything that was painted red with Golden Soft Gel Medium (Gloss)--in case you can't tell, I love using this stuff. It's so versatile! The final touch was to reattach my handle... And I was done! What a happy little trash can holder :) It is much better looking than a black piece of junk, and it only took part of my afternoon!
Trash to Treasure!
Hey, everyone! This week's blog post goes out to those who want to decorative-paint the mundane things in their life, but have trouble making it happen. Whether it's your skill...
Frank Webb Paints Using His Head, Heart and Hand
I love learning from video material. I will watch an instructional video over and over until I have accomplished the technique or at least have a good understanding of the initial concept. When I first watch a DVD, I make many notes in my sketchbook. I write down step by step techniques, procedures, and details that will help me to reproduce the lesson and thus, learn from the material. Recently, I reviewed Frank Webb’s DVD, “Using Your Head, Heart & Hand”. I took notes as usual, but I found myself writing down many of the quotes and key sentences that Frank used more than the actual process of the demonstration. I did because they seemed to be teaching some valuable lessons. They seemed also to be words of wisdom and words to live by as an artist. Frank Webb, A.W.S., D.F., N.W.S, is a world-renowned watercolorist and has been painting for as long as or longer than I have been on earth. He has a wealth of knowledge in his teachings. He has been instructed by the early master teachers, one of which was Edgar Whitney. His mentors have passed their teachings on to Frank and he has customized his painting technique beyond what he has learned. Frank is a very unique painter and teacher himself. Quoted from his website – “Frank Webb has been self-employed as an artist since 1958. The author of four books has taught hundreds of painting seminars worldwide and in 50 states. He is a Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society, a member of the National Watercolor Society and has Master Status in the Transparent Watercolor Society of America. He has won more than 110 major awards, has lectured to the National Watercolor Society, twice to the American Watercolor Society and has juried more than 100 national exhibitions.” I look up to Frank, and not just because he is a very tall man, but also, as a wise and knowledgeable guide. Someone who has collected information and gained years of experience and now is passing it on to anyone who would want to learn. As I watched the DVD, I enjoyed the soft and persistent message that Frank was now passing on to me. The Chapters below outlined what is included on the DVD. Lessons that seem to be common to watercolor painting, however, Frank gives new and unique insights to every chapter. This DVD is suited for all levels of experience, although, beginners will find a wealth of great information to help build a healthy foundation. DesignDirect PaintingWet Into WetColor PatchingDrizzlingCalligraphic PaintingDarks FirstWrap Up As I began the first chapter on Design, I found myself making notes of familiar basic concepts that I have heard time and time again. But there seemed to be so much more than I was hearing. Below are some quotes from the DVD and what I found to be more important things to remember after watching.My comments are just below the notes from the video. CH 1 – Design – “Design is the gravity that holds your painting together.”Gravity is what keeps us on the ground. The design keeps our paintings grounded in good principles. “Nouns= Design Elements- Line, Shape, Value, Size, Direction, Color, Texture”“Verbs= Design Principles- Unity, Contrast, Dominance, Alternations, Repetition, Balance, Gradation, Harmony”Frank referred to the elements of design as nouns and the principles of design as verbs. This statement better explained the jobs of both. Elements are tools, and the principles are what we can do with the tools. “Be a Shape Maker”A shape maker, someone who makes shapes, not things. Not just a house or tree, but a shape that might include a cast shadow or that might represent two buildings that overlap one another. A shape, not a thing. “A painting is a presentation of contrasts.”Contrast is the difference between elements or the nouns of design. Light and Dark, Bright and Dull, Black and White, Big and Small, Rough and Smooth. A painting includes strategically placed contrasts that tell a story in a pleasing way. “White gives a painting sparkle.”Every painting needs a little bling or jewelry, these are the whites. They are usually preserved or avoided during painting. “Begin with four values- white, light mid, dark, mid-dark”This makes it easier to group values together and then use the information to create a painting. This is your “road map”. As much as we (I) try to avoid making value studies, this is an essential part of a painting. Try to make it fun and interesting and don’t paint unless you do this first! “Catskill” by Frank Webb Ch 2 – Direct Painting – “Simplify” the scene.This technique is a basic color washes in basic shapes. The most simple of techniques. Frank refers to it as “color book painting.” Frank has developed some favorite items that he uses faithfully in his workshops and in his daily production of artwork. Frank Webb Palette Frank Webb Palette – This specially designed palette has slanted wells that are even with the mixing area to allow you to drag the paint from the wells. Frank demonstrates the usefulness of the three lid wells in the DVD as he makes large puddles for his lessons. Frank Webb Liners Webb Liners Set – The Webb liners are useful for Frank’s calligraphic style of painting. He shows how to get the most of this painting technique using his specialty brushes. These are extra long and square ended to allow you to pick up a sufficient amount of paint for the long calligraphic strokes. Frank uses 2″ or 1-½” flats in most paintings –This is genuinely what is called “big brush” painting. It is a great way to keep you loose as you can get great detail with big brushes. Frank stays with the biggest brush for as long as possible. Then moves on to the next biggest brush only if needed. He does most of the details with the Webb liners. This allows Frank to produce a large painting in a small amount of time! “Observations made on location to make paintings in the studio.”Frank generally creates value sketches in the field, instead of trying to paint completely plein air. He notes that he can give more attention to the design elements and principles when he is back in the studio. “Wharf” by Frank Webb Ch 3 – Wet into Wet – “Blend shapes of the same value.”This is connecting and harmonizing the painting through like values. It keeps your painting from looking like a puzzle with pieces that seem pasted on. “Original Value study guides and shows everything for a good design but color and texture.” This is the value study he prepared on location when he is able. “Look at the subject, study it, then close your eyes and what you see then, paint that!”This seems like an easy concept, however, you must remember what you see to be able to paint it. This takes time and attention to master. “Water Tank” by Frank Webb Ch 4 – Color Patching – “Dazzle the eye with color changes within shapes”Where direct painting is basically filling the shapes in with a color, Color patching is switching up colors as you fill in the shapes. This creates exciting blends and textures within the shape. “Paint what ought to be not what is.”This is what being an artist is all about. Being a storyteller, a director in a play, using what you know to be good design. Artist license is the right to move things around, add elements or change what you see to what you want it to be. It is your painting and your interpretation of the subject that matters. “I can hardly wait to see what I will do tomorrow”This is the essence of an art passion. Being excited about what tomorrow will bring our way. What new places will we visit, what new things we will see. Wes Waugh, an artist friend, made a comment that I could totally identify with. He said he and his family were riding along the Blue Ridge Parkway and he suddenly stopped the car and parked on the side of the road. He got out with his camera and snapped several pictures of a view he just knew he had to paint. I have done this several times myself! I think it is just an “Artist Thing”! “Derelict” by Frank Webb Ch 5 – Drizzling – First, drizzling is painting upright and allowing the wet paint to flow down the paper. “Pool warm and cools together and allow to mingle”This is basically the old saying, “opposites attract”. This creates excitement. “Drizzle for luminosity”The colors lie next to each other instead of mixing. This allows the white of the paper to glow underneath the wash. “Fold in colors, do not mix, and they will stand alone as colors” Avoid over brushing, but touch in the paint and allow it to flow from your fully charged brush. “Water has a memory and will fill in when lifted.” Barbara Nechis “The aim of drizzling is not to make a picture, but to be in such a state of heart and mind, that a picture will be a by-product of the state that you are in.” “Mendocino” by Frank Webb Ch 6 – Calligraphic Painting – “Calligraphy is the art of beautiful graphic marks.” “I paint only because I like to cut mats.” A quote from one of Frank’s artist friends “I like brush strokes made visible.” “Sutter’s Creek” by Frank Webb Ch 7 – Layering “See yourself as a “Shape Maker” and you will be a better painter.” “Layering forces you to focus on shapes.” “Mother Color wash” unifies the painting from underneath. “Add “Lace” in the painting, like stair rails, or dock supports in more than one area of the painting.” “Asilomar” by Frank Webb Ch 8 – Darks First “Opposite of norm of light to dark” “For the best, kindest, purest blend, mix it on the paper, friend.” -O’Hara Whistler story – To Mr. Whistler, “You’ve made my nose too big and purple, Mr. Whistler”“Oh, you can fix that when you get it home!” Whistler said. After watching all of the chapters, one of the things about this DVD that I really appreciated, was that Frank used the same design drawing for every lesson. This allowed me to understand how each technique could be applied to the same subject. It also shows that you can use different color combinations and paint the same scene quite different every time. Thanks! Frank! Great lessons and wonderful teaching methods. Ch 9 – Wrap Up “Art is a matter of the heart and of the mind and of the hand.” “The Heart – is being moved by something enough to want to paint it.” “Artists care about the things that we see. We want to communicate the delight we have to someone else, so we paint.” “Art is a one way of sharing with others.” “The Mind (Head) – Design is a matter of the mind. Use the mind to make design a habit, a habit is a flywheel that keeps us running. Study design and improve composition, thus, improve your painting.” “The Hand – Art is in the hand.” To Matisse – “How do you know the good drawings from the bad?” Matisse – “One feels that in the hand.” “Painting is a blue-collar physical thing. You paint with your whole body, not just your eyes.” This was by far my favorite chapter. I know it should just be a review, however, Frank simplifies what art is. He expresses his soul felt ideas about art. It is what all artists already know but might have never expressed ourselves. Art is who we are. What we are. What we do. How we think. Art moves from our heart, to our heads, and out through our hands for all to see. Art begins within. Frank said, “The secret of great art is to rob the moment of its impermanence by giving it permanence by painting it.” Rob the moment of its fleeting nature, and capture it, to share it, and allow others to see what you see in it. How true. Others could never see our art if we never create it. It is our job as artists to use our gift to bring glory to God and his creation. A flower blooms for just a few moments, but we can preserve that beauty on paper for all to enjoy. Frank Webb: Painting With Pizzazz, Aug. 5-9, 2013 Frank Webb: Painting With Pizzazz, Aug. 5-9, 2013 Frank is currently scheduled to teach at Cheap Joe’s August 5-9, 2013. Spaces are limited but this is a wonderful opportunity for you to learn from one of the nation’s most talented and cherished watercolor artist. This workshop is open to all levels of experience. The information Frank has to offer is invaluable to anyone who wants to further their interests in watercolor. I really enjoyed reviewing “Using Your Head, Heart, and Hand”. It was full of great information to inspire you to paint subjects close to your heart! This is only one of the many DVDs that Frank Webb has to offer. Other titles include: Frank Webb on WatercolorPainting with ExpressionPainting by DesignPainting Enjoyable Color You can find all of the DVDs at Cheap Joe’s and they are great! But don’t forget to sign up for Frank’s Workshop and learn from him first hand. There is really nothing better than the real thing! Happy Painting! and Keep your brushes wet and your canvas colored!
Frank Webb Paints Using His Head, Heart and Hand
I love learning from video material. I will watch an instructional video over and over until I have accomplished the technique or at least have a good understanding of the...
American Journey Brushes
Paint along with Joe! In this video and post, 'Cheap' Joe Miller demos the American Journey Watercolor brush, an interlocked nylon brush that's the first of its kind. We're super proud of this brush! Because of the unique bristle structure, it holds a lot of paint and the color will go a long way when painting.
American Journey Brushes
Paint along with Joe! In this video and post, 'Cheap' Joe Miller demos the American Journey Watercolor brush, an interlocked nylon brush that's the first of its kind. We're super...
Using The Rigger
The little Rigger brush is one of the most fun brushes, and one of the least expensive brushes you can buy, and it's just so much fun. I'm going to show you some tricks that may help you with the Rigger. I love using it and I think you will, too
Using The Rigger
The little Rigger brush is one of the most fun brushes, and one of the least expensive brushes you can buy, and it's just so much fun. I'm going to...
Mixing Watercolors
Well, it's me again, ol' Joe from Cheap Joe's. Today I'd like to show you how to mix color and allow the color to mix on the paper rather than mixing it on the palette and creating mud. Because I hear so many people say "how can I mix it and keep it clean and pretty without it becoming mud?"
Mixing Watercolors
Well, it's me again, ol' Joe from Cheap Joe's. Today I'd like to show you how to mix color and allow the color to mix on the paper rather than...
Setting Up Your Watercolor Table
Cheap Joe Miller demonstrates how he sets up his studio table for doing watercolor paintings. He show the correct set up to make you more efficient while doing watercolor paintings.
Setting Up Your Watercolor Table
Cheap Joe Miller demonstrates how he sets up his studio table for doing watercolor paintings. He show the correct set up to make you more efficient while doing watercolor paintings.
Setting Up Your Watercolor Palette
Hi, I'm Joe from Cheap Joe's. I'm going to show you how I set up my watercolor palette in hope that if you need help setting yours up it will help you.
Setting Up Your Watercolor Palette
Hi, I'm Joe from Cheap Joe's. I'm going to show you how I set up my watercolor palette in hope that if you need help setting yours up it will...
Artist Tip 5: This Old Barn
Read along as Artist Chuck McLachlan shares a tutorial on how he paints one of his favorite old barns in watercolor, working from photo to sketch before adding watercolor. Great for watercolor artists who aspire to loosen up and paint something fresh! "I've painted this old barn many times, each time for a different reason. It's a simple subject, and I treat it loose and simple." -Chuck McLachlan
Artist Tip 5: This Old Barn
Read along as Artist Chuck McLachlan shares a tutorial on how he paints one of his favorite old barns in watercolor, working from photo to sketch before adding watercolor. Great...
