5 Ways to Improve Your Painting

1) Make sure the drawing is sound. Don't try to fix it in the painting stage.

2) Learn the difference between form shadows and cast shadows.

3) Choose a dominant color.

4) If the highlights are warm, make the shadows cool (and vice versa).

5) Treat the background like your subject. Don't just add it in at the end.

h/t Harley Brown

A Dwarf Warrior

I decided to draw a Dwarf Warrior today.

Why? Because it's fun -- that's why.

Announcement - Brand New Prints Shop Online

I'm very pleased to announce to Grand Opening of Markers and Paint - my Etsy shop for digital art print.

My shop specializes in nature images that were made with ink, Winsor & Newton pigment markers and acrylic paint.

All of my image at 6" x 6" and would look great hanging on any wall (yours and all your friends!).

If you'd like to check it out for yourself, click here:

Markers and Paint - Etsy Shop

Random Music Post

Sometimes I have to listen to some Local H.

That grungy, lyrical, melody infused, hooky grunge rock.

Listen for Yourself

To The Blessed Among Us

I admire people who sort of travel organically along a certain path -- each step of their process built upon a previous step in a definite (and useful) direction.

I have to fight the impulse to flit from idea to idea.

A Lesson From the Media

We can learn an important lesson from the childish media.

Responsible, mature people can debate in a measured way, addressing the points and assumptions of others without getting too hung up on the actual language.

Minutely parsing speech is worse than useless.

It is a stain on our discourse that we are too busy being offended and playing "gotcha" to engage in grown-up debate.

A Birthday Lesson

When my wife and friends are so considerate and thoughtful on my birthday, I realize how much more considerate I'd like to become.

What a great birthday gift.