Painting Demonstrations & Art Tips

What makes a painting successful at the finish might just be what you do at the start. Check out these underpaintings and advice from Barbara Jaenicke, who is on the Pastel Live faculty!

I view the world in shapes and color notes — not objects, and this is how I approach my paintings as well. In general, I begin a painting by ...

Artist Paul Kratter shares three examples of how to paint trees with character by taking artistic license, playing with color, and ...

In this painting tip of the day, learn why you shouldn't "jump around," for yourself and those viewing your painting.

Understanding how to paint the light is a common conversation topic for plein air artists, and it’s one that came up during a special talk led by ...

Motivation for the most important learning activity a landscape painter will ever engage in.

Join us for the Pastel Live Main Event, taking place today through Friday. Simply visit PastelLive.com and register now so you don’t miss another minute!

John Hughes shares why he hopes he never loses his enthusiasm for learning more about making art, because “that would surely spell disaster.”

... "And I learned to accept the convoluted process I personally need to go through to finally say 'YES!' to new opportunities."

In this on-screen interview with Eric Rhoads, legendary painter Don Demers gives a demonstration on how to lay in a seascape painting. Demers is known for "moving seas" and crashing waves, but he says ...

"What I’m trying to do is paint the appearance of nature, the experience of looking at it," McGurl explains. Learn more, and see what's in his landscape painting toolkit!

During the cold winter months it becomes a challenge to paint en plein air with watercolor. It's not impossible, but it takes a little more effort than usual and water crystalizes very quickly in sub-freezing weather - not to mention that the fingers and toes aren't too happy...

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“Many people who have had Lyme disease are terrified of going outdoors again.” That’s Deborah Lazar, a Vermont artist and a victim of Lyme disease, explaining why you and all of your plein air painting friends want to avoid this affliction. How? Lazar has some tips.

This week we're seeing up-close-and-personal presentations during Watercolor Live, an online art conference unlike any other.

Artist and art industry veteran Terry Stanley has some advice for art instructors who encounter creatively blocked students.

"As a contemporary impressionist painter, I'm obsessed with capturing light," says Jill Stefani Wagner. "Plein air painting is my passion, but during the colder months I work on larger pieces in my studio. I paint in both pastel and oil, two mediums which complement each other nicely." Here, Wagner shares her step-by-step in a pastel landscape painting demo of "Mill Creek Glimmer," which she created en plein air.

In this Art School Live interview with Eric Rhoads, Melanie paints a fall landscape using only a palette knife.

For Jane Boyd, the key to simplifying her paintings was simply to put down the paintbrush.

Plein air painting can get to be a mental endurance test, so here are some tips to keep concentration high.