Art & Architecture Articles

Article / Updated 09-28-2022

Keep this wheel handy when you’re working on your oil painting to remind you which colors mix to make other colors and which hues are complementary. Mix the two colors on either side of the color you want to make that color. To make tints, you make pure versions of basic hues and then add white to them. You make shades by adding black or complementary hues to the pure hues. To those shade mixtures, you add white to make tones. As you add white, black, and complementary colors to your pure hues, you change their values and their intensities in very specific ways Complementary hues are directly across from each other on the color wheel. For example, the complement to orange is blue. Notice on the color wheel how the values and intensities change from ring to ring. The color wheel includes: The pure hues: Located on the outer ring of the wheel, are the brightest, most intense forms of a hue. Their values can run form very light, like the yellow, to very dark, like the blue and blue-violet. The shades: Found on the second ring these are always duller and darker than the pure hues but seem brighter to other colors. Shades are similar to the colors of autumn leaves. Tones: Found on the third ring, they’re the most versatile of colors with a wide range of values and intensities. Tones can range in value from dark to light and intensities can range from bright to dull. Most colors used in your palette will likely be tones. Tints: The inner ring of the color wheel, tints are always lighter in value than pure hues. They tend to be brighter and look like spring. The formula for them is pure hue plus white.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-26-2022

Learning about color never ends! For hands-on learning, why not try some watercolor painting? Information about watercolor paints and techniques are available from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, including colorful examples from the museum’s collection. For further reading about color, explore the Faber Birren Collection of Books on Color at Yale University. No need to visit Yale to find titles; simply type the title and author in your browser to locate books at vendor sites or maybe even your local library. For example, to find out about the colors the famous psychic Edgar Cayce saw, see his book titled Auras: An Essay on the Meaning of Color. Looking for a quick explanation of color perception? Color authority Pantone has a concise article on their site. Scroll down for links to other articles such as color trends and in-depth features on individual colors.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-19-2022

Learning how to draw people is a process that starts with purchasing the right art supplies. Try a simple method for drawing a human head and if you make a figure drawing mistake, use some quick techniques to fix the problem. Drawing people in public settings is fun and relaxing, so consider this list of inspiration spots — just be sure to take the supplies you need with you.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-25-2022

The Japanese comics and cartoons known as manga bring a unique style to age-old art forms. Like the art forms that precede it, manga works within specific archetypes and genres. However, the manga conventions are a new twist, and if you’re exhibiting at one you need to know what to bring.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-01-2022

Appreciating art is as easy as making a trip to your local museum where you can compare notes and make your own judgment about whether a work is any good or not. Art pieces recognized as great works today were produced by the up-and-coming artists of yesteryear, so it pays to keep an eye on today’s future classics.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-28-2022

Fashion drawing is all about attitude, exaggeration, and style. As you develop your fashion illustration skills, infuse your work with personal flair — your signature — to create a look unlike any other. Start by observing the golden rules of fashion drawing, mastering the S curve and other figure drawing techniques, and putting a creative spin on the fashion drawings you create.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-24-2022

When you're ready to start your oil painting project, be sure to gather and organize all of the necessary supplies. If you're trying to decide on colors or want to mix your own colors, refer to the color wheel for help. Making and using a viewfinder will help you stay focused when painting a still life. And as with most things, a little maintenance love goes a long way: Your brushes will last longer if you clean and maintain them properly.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-22-2022

The history of art is immense; the earliest cave paintings pre-date writing by almost 27,000 years! If you're interested in art history, the first thing you should do is take a look at the timeline table in this Cheat Sheet, which briefly outlines the artists, traits, works, and events that make up major art periods and how art has evolved to the present day.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-18-2022

Discover everything you need to know to get started with drawing, including what supplies and styles to use to create different types of drawings. You'll also find ways to come up with ideas about what to draw.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-14-2022

To hone your basic knowledge of architecture, get to know the terms used to describe various features, the features that make for good architecture, and some of the great architectural domes around the planet. You can draw inspiration from notable architects and from Pritzker Architecture Prize winners.