358: Gumroad Video “Painting with Palette Knives”
I RECENTLY added two new videos about painting with palette knives to my Gumroad site (download for $9.95 each). I…
356: Plein Air Painting with Palette Knives
—I’VE been involved in art all my life. I have illustrated book covers, executed editorial work for publications such as…
355: Glazing & Scumbling: A New Gumroad Video
–ONE of my early influences was Maxfield Parrish. I loved his bright color and unique subject matter. I admired his…
357: Look Until You See
“CAN’T you see the red in that shadow?” I was taking a painting workshop at the Grand Canyon from one…
354: Love Your Collectors
The object becomes aesthetically significant when it becomes metaphysically significant. –Joseph Campbell I RECENTLY had an interview with Jerry Hardesty…
33 Why is painting with thick paint so hard?
zzz GENERALLY speaking, it is easier to paint thinly than it is to paint with thick, rich strokes of color….
353: Talking About Paintings
REALIST ARTISTS believe their work explains itself. They think what the viewer sees and feels is adequate. I sympathize with…
352: Black is a Color
–I HAVE read how many artists avoid using black paint at all costs. Some even decry it as not being…
351: Drawing Like Van Gogh
–LEARNING to replicate the energy of your drawings in your paintings is one of the most productive advances you can…
350: How to Get Bright Color Using Color Charts
–SIXTEEN years ago I read an art instruction book that recommended making color charts. I used artist tape to mark…
349: Painting with Bright Color–New Instructional Video
–I published a new instructional video with Gumroad (see preview below). They provide the best download speeds and easiest purchasing options (Paypal or credit card). The…
348: Studio Visit Video
–MANITOU Galleries suggested I make a short video giving collectors a view into my studio and my process. I filmed a…
347: Paintings at Manitou Galleries
–IT has been a lifelong ambition to get gallery representation in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is the third largest…
346: Understanding Creativity
–WHY do some people love art and others seem unmoved by it? I’m always interested in the reaction of people who visit our home….
345: Cypher Show Interview
–A few readers who were unable to attend the Persistence of Vision Show requested I upload some footage. I forgot…
344: Persistence of Paradox Show
“Out of the fires of desire and despair are forged all the formerly irreconcilable opposites of paradox.” –Cypher –OVER the…
343: Painting Interview
–TO be in the company of those who wish the best for you is one of the greatest blessings a…
342: Writing a Press Release
–IT is a good idea when having a show to write a brief press release. Press releases are prewritten articles to intrigue journalists into…
341: “Persistence of Paradox” Interview
Marker painting, Dali, 12″ x 14″, with QR code –I was honored to be interviewed for James Gurney’s blog about…
340: Why Paintings Crack, Part 2
Closeup of Summer Sky, 48″ x 48″ –PAINTINGS with thick applications of paint are especially prone to cracking. So I’ve…
339: Review of 12 Rules for Life
Cypher Graphic Novel, by Brad Teare –I was honored that clinical psychologist and Youtube superstar Jordan B. Peterson sent me…
338: Publishing with Zno
–I recently published a book with Zno and found it to be an easy way to print on-demand books. The prices…
337: Why Do People Like Abstract Art?
–I was honored to receive a review copy of Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Eric R. Kandel‘s latest book Reductionism in Art…
336: Making a Portfolio Magazine
–I recently made a new portfolio magazine via Blurb (you can preview the entire magazine below). I find the method vastly…
335: Preventing Paintings from Cracking
–IN time nearly every oil painting will crack. But the challenge is to postpone that inevitability as long as possible….
344: Playing with Pinterest
–I HAVE mentioned several times that Pinterest and Instagram are my favorite social media platforms. Instagram has proved useful, and I’ve sold…
343: The Power of Your Environment
–ONE of my favorite philosophers, Jordan Peterson, wrote; You are neither your own master nor your own slave. You cannot easily tell…
342: The Power of Newsletters
–MY original article about defeating a creative block was condensed and included in a newsletter for Plein Air Magazine (read…
341: Is Painting Still Relevant?
–AS my exploration of digital media continues I decided to check out Quora. I’ve answered a few questions relating to art…
340: Using a Failed Acrylic Painting as an Underpainting
–I transferred my acrylic supplies to my new studio in the hopes of doing some large abstract landscape acrylics–even though…
339: Using Acrylic Markers with an Underpainting
–IN an attempt to unify my woodcut and my painting style I’ve been experimenting with using a woodcut-like underpainting as…
338: Triggering a Transformation
–IN a previous post, I mentioned that I avoided plein air painting for three years. When I returned to the…
337: Smashing a Creative Block
–ALTHOUGH I always loved painting outdoors, my plein air work lagged far behind the authenticity of my studio work. On…
336: New video venue
–I AM just one exhibit away from being able to finish my new studio (my latest show will be this…
335: Varnishing a Painting
–RECENTLY I was preparing a set of paintings to send to my new gallery, the Leopold Gallery in Kansas City. To…
334: Adding Audio to a Blog
–MANY writers have remarked on an overall drop in blog readership. This blog is no different and reflects the trend….
333: 9 Steps to Instagram Success
–MY favorite social media platform is Instagram (if you want to see painting updates click here). Many assume that internet sales are…
332: Keeping Your Studio Safe
–THE best insurance is taking measures to keep ourselves safe and healthy. To comply with that belief I recently made several adjustments…
331: The Cure for Bad Art
–THE poet Alexander Pope, describing the slippery slope of degraded expectation wrote, “vice is a monster of such frightening mien, that…
330: My favorite palette knives
–AS promised I finally put together a video outlining all of my favorite palette knives (see below). I’m using all…
329: My Favorite Palette Knife
–I recently switched over to using palette knives for the entirety of my painting process. I cross-examined my motives, as I…
328: The Mystery of Plein Air Painting
–”YOU can’t till you can” sounds like a quip from baseball’s low-brow philosopher Yogi Bera. But it’s actually a quote from…
327: Acrylic Show
–IF you are in Salt Lake City from June 1 to June 17, 2017, I hope you will drop into Alpine Art…
326: The Importance of Daily Sketching
–EVERY artist knows the importance of a daily sketchbook. My problem has been that I often don’t have my sketchbook…
325: Our Dream World
–WHY do people like paintings? Why do they hang them in their homes and offices and travel to see museum…
324: The Difficult Truth
–I recently came across a video by Jeffrey R.Watts that had a lot of valuable information, especially for young artists. Watts…
323: Anti-advertising
–WHY is art important? This is a question even artists, who should appreciate art the most, have trouble answering. When…
322: My New York Adventure
–RECENTLY I was a guest on the Zion Art Society podcast, with Dr. Micah Christenen, and was asked about my experience as…
321: The Privilege to Experiment
–WHEN you learn about the techniques of fellow artists, you come across suggestions that have the ring of truth, such…
320: Repetition Fatigue
–WHAT type of artist are you? When I began my illustration career, my intent was to be a science fiction/fantasy book…
319: New Painting Workshop, May 2017
–I AM enthused to announce a new oil painting workshop Thursday, May 25, 4-8 pm, at Weber State University (click here…
318: Advanced Field Effects
–I HAVE often said in my posts and Youtube videos that the color it looks like is the color it…
317: Getting Temperature Right
–THE temperature of a painting is always relative. If a painting is mostly made up of blues nearly any color…
316: James Gurney’s Living Sketchbook
–IMAGINE being invited to your favorite artist’s studio and getting a chance to thumb through his or her sketchbook. That’s…
315: The Art of Textured Paint
–I’M enthused about an upcoming landscape show at my new gallery, Anthony’s Fine Art, on March 17. As suggested by…
314: Building a Portfolio Website
–THE internet offers an unprecedented means to connect with fellow artists and potential art collectors. But the connection is only useful…
313: Sleeping Well = More Energy
–SLEEPING well is a struggle for me. I often face the easel wishing I could have slept better, more prepared to…
312: The Power of Meditation
–TO be successful artists need to learn how to generate and maintain energy. The best ways are to eat well,…
311: Paradoxical Surrender
–ONE of the worst creative blocks I ever had was when I contracted to complete a 112-page graphic novel. I…
310: How to Scrape a Canvas
–ONE obstacle to painting thickly is the limit of one alla prima painting session. Once the highly textured paint has dried,…
309: Add More Joy
–WHEN we are unhappy, we fixate on what is wrong. It becomes difficult to focus on the positive. Our current unhappy…
308: Overcoming Creative Block
–I DON’T struggle with creative block often–but when I do it is overwhelmingly painful. It usually happens when the stakes…
307: Live Consult Via Carrot
–CARROT.FM is an online service that lets you consult with a wide variety of experts via mobile phone video. This Friday (tomorrow,…
306: Intuitive Composition
–AS a contrast to abstract elements in my new, looser painting style I thought I should improve my linear composition skills. (For a discussion…
305: Painting as a Discipline
– WHEN I worked in the animation business, the sentiment was expressed that if you weren’t drawing enough to need…
304: A Massive Thank You
–I’M coming to the end of an incredibly productive period. I want to thank everyone who gave me a boost…
303: Frontiers of Internet Connectivity
AS you know I love experimenting with new and innovative online opportunities. I was recently contacted by Carrot.FM to be…
302: Neither a Conformist nor a Rebel
–FOR years I resisted using a palette knife simply because a famous local artist used the knife exclusively and I…
301: Tribute to Louisa McElwain
A gallery I follow recently asked the question, “Can you name five women artists?” In the comments section I typed Mary…
300: Rise of the Artistic Polymath
–TWO decades ago I was speculating with a fellow artist about the future of fine art. I predicted that after…
299: Respect the Line (book review)
Click to view book –A THWARTED dream of mine has been a print show exhibiting the sketches that inspired the…
298:Learning Art Online
AS many of you know I’ve experimented with online learning although the major venue for my videos has been Youtube….
297: Finding Your Style
–AT A CRITICAL moment in my plein air development I attended a prestigious art festival. My studio painting was in a precarious evolutionary phase–I…
296: An Interview with Dan McCaw
Work in progress, 48′ x 48′, acrylic –I FIRST met Dan McCaw at a guest lecture at Utah State University…
295: Acrylic Landscape/Abstract fusion
–IN this video I demonstrate how I fuse my experimentations with abstraction with conventional landscape. I use the underpainting not…
294: The Art Paradox
IS ART the most important aspect of human culture? Or is it of no importance at all? Many might deem…
293: Adjusting a Painting
Spring Road, 12″ x 16″ –I PAINTED this painting at last week’s workshop. I did 90% of it with palette…
292: Painting with Markers
–AFTER my abstract painting reception (tonight at 8pm) I will be starting a new project. A few weeks ago I…
291: Thursday Artist Reception
—AFTER several incorrect posts I finally conferred with the gallery director and confirmed that the artist reception for my abstract…
290: Embedded Book Preview
–AS many of you know I love exploring digital possibilities for artists. I’ve explored making books for the Kindle as…
289: Daily Painting
–I RECENTLY received an advanced copy of Daily Painting by Carol Marine. As I opened the packaging I read the title on…
288: Workshop Preparation
–FOR those attending my workshop at Weber State University this Friday, June 24, 2016 I thought it would be beneficial to review some…
287: Elements of Abstraction
Subterranean Heat, 48″ x 36″ –IN this short video I discuss how and why I paint abstracts. Concurrently I also…
286: Upcoming Abstract Show
On view starting June 28, Dream of Blue, 36″ x36″, acrylic –IF you are in Northern Utah from June 28 to August…
285: Promote Your Work
Cover to new abstract collection –IN my continuing quest to secure quality promotional material I assembled a new collection of abstracts…
284: Interview with Paint Maker Walter Haas
Dry pigments from Lilly’s paint lab I MET Walter Haas online in a group about painting with thick paint. During…
283: My books on Wattpad and Amazon
–MY Wattpad book, The Art of Thick Paint, is being featured this month as an example of a book with embedded…
282: Sell Your Art
Abstract as it appears at Alpine Art in Salt Lake City –I WAS talking with a fellow artist who was…
281: Cloudscape Using Lilly Paint
Cloudscape, 12″ x 12″, Oil on Canvas – I WAS invited to an online group about thick paint from a…
280: The Longevity of Acrylics: An Interview with Mark Golden
The Gravity of Light, 48″ x 36″, acrylic FROM time to time controversy emerges about the archival reliability of acrylics….
279: Woodcut show
Eight block color woodcut I AM enthused for my woodcut show opening 15 April 2016 at Alpine Art from7-9. It is…
278: Painting Workshop
(NOTE: The class sold out on April 27 but the University is scheduling another session. If you add your name to the waiting list you will be added to…
277: Understanding Woodcuts
Long Valley Morning, 12 block woodcut COLLECTORS need to understand why you create your art. Additionally if no one understands…
276: Fostering Creativity
Persistence of Vision, by Debra Teare, oil on canvas Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible. –Richard…
275: Winner Take All
ART culture has problems. One of them is the rise of celebrity culture eclipsing 99% of art being created. For some…
274: The Path to Painting Success
If it bleeds, it leads. — Newspaper adage I HAVE bad news–everything you’ve learned about how to become a successful…
273: Painting an Acrylic, parts 3 and 4
6″ x 6″ closeup HERE are parts 3 and 4 in which I finish the 36′ x 36′ acrylic, Waiting…
272: Using Pinterest
RIGHT before I went to New York I was advised by a mentor to “look at everything–suspend judgement and just…
271:Why we like what we like
WHILE I was painting my newest acrylic I reflected on the impulses that drive us to find our particular styles. Although…
270: Painting an Acrylic Underpainting, part 2 of 4
HERE is the second part showing how I finish the underpainting. It is now ready to apply a layer of…
269: Painting an Acrylic Underpainting, 1 of 4
IN the following video I paint the first half of an acrylic underpainting. This is in preparation to adding a…
268: Realist vs. Abstract
RECENTLY a friend and fellow artist told me about a new website and movement called NoLabels.org. In the United States…
267: Sanding Acrylic Paintings
A FEW blog entries back I mentioned that it was nearly impossible to sand acrylic. I wanted to sand heavily textured…
266: Review of James Gurney’s “Fantasy in the Wild”
MY new year’s resolutions include having more fun with art while exploring techniques outside my normal purview. A video that admirably fulfills both…
265: Why Paint With Acrylics?
Closeup showing Zinc White texture SOME have asked if I’m abandoning oils in favor of acrylics. The answer is I continue to…
264: Paint is Still Just Paint
Closeup of a recent acrylic painting, Turn To Light, 48″ x 36″. WHEN things go bad with a painting negative…
263: Ideas for the New Year
Desert Blossom, 9″ x 9″, woodcut IN the coming year I want to shake up this blog by exploring new…
262: You Can’t Until You Can
OVER the last year I’ve written an unprecedented amount of posts about artistic improvement. Recently I’ve been reflecting on the…
261: Creating as Naturally as Breathing
“You must always work not just within, but below your means. If you can handle three elements, handle only two….
260: Types of Success
I RECEIVED an email the other day asking about the advisability of pursuing a career in art. In general if someone truly…
259: Failure=Experimentation
AS I WAIT for my new studio to be completed I decided to reconfigure my old studio for painting experimentation….
258: An Alchemist in his Apothecary
“I spin a cocoon around myself; let others do the same. I leave it to time to show what will…
257: Art and Introversion
EVERY once in awhile I read a book that clarifies my thinking with such astonishing force I shudder to think…
256: Mix Rich Color
Country Road, 20″ x 20″, oil on canvas I’VE been having a lot of success with my latest mixture of sun…
255: Using Calcite Sun Oil–An Interview with Louis R. Velasquez
RECENTLY I needed a thicker oil medium and have been experimenting with sun oil. So far I’ve enjoyed painting with…
254: Social Media Wars–the power of Pinterest
Screen shot of my woodcut board IN the ongoing clash between social media a few favorites are emerging for visual…
253: Using Sun Oil to Oil Up a Canvas
A VERY useful medium I use lately is sun oil mixed with about 1/3 Gamblin Alkyd Gel (or G-gel). In…
252: Landscape Painting, 4 of 4
IN this final installment I demonstrate how I make final adjustments to a painting. In this phase my primary objective…
251: Painting with Lines
Warmth of Summer, 16″ x 20″, oil on canvas I HAVE often stated that painting with thick paint is like…
250: Landscape Painting Tutorial
HERE are the next to last installments of the four part landscape tutorial. In the last two chapters I fine…
249: Energy = Creativity
Your art reflects the energy level you had when you painted it. “Everything requires Time. Time is the only permanent and…
248: New video series, parts 1 and 2
“Reflections”, 20 x 20, oil on canvas. I made a new series of videos–one of the first where I show the entire painting…
247: Instagram vs. Facebook vs. Twitter
Along the East Bench, 16″ x 20″, oil on canvas DURING the opening of my abstract show the gallery director…
246: Best Studio Lighting
Northern wall of studio model I HAVE struggled with lighting in a variety of locations over the years including a basement…
245: Using photoshop to adjust an abstract
ACRYLICS allow me to paint over an abstract as many times as I need to–the surface texture only gets richer. One…
244: Poetry and Power
AS ARTISTS why do we express ourselves the way we do? When I was younger I played in a rock…
243: The Role of Symbolism
Sketch for Reflected World, Graphite FINDING your way as an artist is not easy. As I look back over my…
242: Woodcut Show in April 2016
Woodcut, 9″ x 6″ I’m currently preparing for a woodcut show in April 2016 at the Alpine Art Gallery in…
241: One Million YouTube Views
On the evening of 7 July 2015 the Thick Paint YouTube Channel clocked over a million views since the first video…
240: Painting with Gouache
I HAVE never experimented much with gouache–probably from bad experiences using the chalkier, less versatile version known as designers gouache back in…
239: The Improvement Cycle
A common obstacle for new painters is to get blocked in the improvement cycle. This means we have trouble closing the…
238: The Mechanics of Beauty
I was walking along the foothills of my neighborhood and reflecting on how a large tract of untouched land at…
237: Art Tools
Autumn Color, 24″ x 24″, oil on canvas I regularly use two tools from Accurasee– an extremely well designed pencil holder…
236: Getting better faster
Close-up of large acrylic LEARNING to paint embraces a wide array of skills. It requires motor skills, or the simple…
235: The print market dilemma
Thumbnails from TurningArt.comshowing four of my woodcuts and five paintings. In the 90s a type of mechanical print became fashionable…
234: How to succeed in art
Ghost, Woodcut, 1.5″ x 1″ Due to factors beyond my control I’ve recently experienced a creative low ebb. To use the time productively…
233: Green Screen test with free book promo
I recently downloaded an app called Veescope Live. It allows for filming with a green screen with iMovie. This means…
232: Tectonic Shift
Tectonic Shift, 10″ x 10″, acrylic on canvas There comes a time in every artist’s journey when major changes are…
231: New chapter on composition
I added a new chapter about composition to my online book The Art of Thick Paint. Composition is one of the most important aspects of painting. In this lengthy…
230: Thick Paint book now with video
My online book The Art of Thick Paint now has accompanying video with every chapter. Click here or on the book…
229: Acrylic ideas and tips
Evolution of Blue, 48″ x 36″, acrylic Acrylic is an amazingly flexible medium–if you know how to use it. In…
228: Kinds of creativity
Much of the discussion of art is plagued with false dichotomies. Is realism the only legitimate art form, or is…
227: Concert Window event CANCELED
EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. I’m pleased to offer another Concert Window event tomorrow at 9pm EDT. This event will focus…
226: Thick acrylics on Concert Window
Dream of Light, 44″ x 44″, work in progress I‘m excited to share some new ideas about painting with thick…
225: The Genius of Van Gogh, Part 3
Vincent Van Gogh’s work is so unique I’ve renamed blogs #195 and #211 (originally titled Painting Like Van Gogh, now The…
224: Live Meercat demo tonight
Tonight (31 March 2015) at 9:00 Eastern Time I will broadcast a free live demo using Meercat which will consist…
223: Learning to paint, Part 2
Artists might think that sheer repetition is the means to improve their paintings. We often hear reference to putting miles…
222: Learning to paint, Part 1
Dream of Light, 44″ x 44″, close-up In the book Make It Stick authors Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A….
221: Creative Bucket List
Swallow’s Nest Rock, Pen and Ink, 14″ x 12″ I was intrigued by a recent blog entry by Lori Woodward…
220: Upload your videos to THICK PAINT
Dream of Light, 44″x44″, Close-up As many of you know I’m an early adopter and enthusiast of Gbox–the superior alternative to…
219: Make your [own] mark
Recently I’ve been impressed with the absolute necessity of developing a unique style. While it’s tempting to follow a current…
218: The Challenge of color temperature
Study for Venetian Doors, 48″ x 36″ I was reading past comments on this blog and came across the following from fellow…
217: The Art of Thick Paint Book
I‘ve been toiling for months writing a book about the art of thick paint. Although many chapters are finished I haven’t finished the book….
216: Painting acrylics like oils
Painting with 4 preliminary sketches Even if you use a heavy bodied acrylic pigment (which I recommend) painting with acrylics is…
215: Dream of Light
Work in progress, Dream of Light, 44″ x 44″ “I spin a cocoon around myself; let others do the same….
214: Creative contrast
Islands on the Bear River, 13″ x 23″, acrylic on canvas While studying deliberate practise I’ve come to realize that…
213: State of the Art Market
Trinchera Sky, 11″ x 11″, eight color woodcut I get many emails covering a wide range of topics. A recurring…
212: The limits of talent
In the book Talent is Overrated, Geoff Colvin outlines what separates world-class performers from everyone else—deliberate practice. (Read previous entries on the subject here…
211: The genius of Van Gogh, Part 2
Pen and ink sketch by Vincent Van Gogh In previous entries I noted elements that made Van Gogh’s work different…
210: Art Hurts–the pain of Deliberate Practise
In blog 205 I wrote about Deliberate Practise. Much has been written about practising deliberately for musicians and athletes but…
209: The Art of Transformation
Blue Dream, 36″ x 36″, acrylic on canvas The art profession generates lots of controversy. But recently there has been…
208: Connecting with an audience
Vestige of Sky, 12″x12″, acrylic Getting attention as an artist is not easy. It requires dedication, persistence, and luck–which according…
207: The next best step
Cliff Shadows, 9″ x 11″, 8 color woodcut WRITING a journal helps you keep track of goals you have made. Although…
206: How to improve
Summer Light, 11″ x 11″, 8 block woodcut When reflecting on how to improve in the coming year we might…
205: Practice deliberately
When research psychologist Anders Ericson was young he played chess competitively with classmates. One day he played against a boy…
204: The Artist’s Mark
If we envision a continuum with the artist’s physical presence on one end and manufactured objects on the other where…
203: The Genius of Van Gogh
I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. -–Vincent Van GoghThe…
202: Selling Art Online
Saturday I received a call from an art collector and sold a painting he had seen on this blog. Although…
201: Selling art
I AM currently at the Harmons City Creek gallery open house. I’m sitting in front of a wall of paintings with a…
200: Two shows
Below is a short video of two shows I had in November. One was a one-night landscape realist show at…
199: Abstract Evolution, the magazine
I recently made a magazine of my abstracts to promote my show at Alpine Art in February 2015. It was fairly…
198: Drawing with acrylic markers
I’ve been drawing with Liquitex and Montana acrylic markers and have really enjoyed the expressive nature of the medium. I sketched…
197: Trials precede transformation
All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy–for what we leave behind is a part of ourselves–we must…
196: Finding your style
This week I’m getting ready for for two shows–an abstract show that will be the largest exhibit of my work to…
195: The genius of Van Gogh, Part 1
Section of my painting with palette strokes and brush strokes. DID Van Gogh load his brush? Most assume he didn’t–but used the standard…
194: Writing an Artist’s Statement
Eventually every artist has to write an artist’s statement. I have an abstract show in a few weeks–the first for…
193 Abstract plein air
This afternoon I painted en plein air using acrylic paints. My intent was to abstract the scene to get a more…
192 Abstract Evolution
Here is a short Gbox video about how I add layers of acrylic paint to create the painting shown here,…
191: Interview with Dale Roberts
(UPDATE: click here to see the latest video of Roberts’ recent work.) I first became acquainted with the encaustic paintings…
190: Landscape abstraction
I HAVE written before about the Canadian painters known as the Group of Seven. They all used an element of…
189: The power of dreams
One night I had a dream. And the dream changed me.Like most artists I have drawn since I was young….
188: Using an acrylic marker
In previous videos I often used a Sharpie marker to draw my underpainting on canvas. Since it is a waterproof…
187 The Virtues of Chaos
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started…
186: Using the nine value grayscale in the field
Fellow thick paint enthusiast and painter José from Spain recently wrote me and asked how to use the grayscale in…
185: Plein air revolution
I’ve been searching for a way to simplify and streamline painting in the field. My oil painting gear has expanded…
184: Door County Show
I JUST got back from the Door County Plein Air Festival. It was a great experience. The painters in attendance…
183 Five Value Zones
I wanted to repost a video that has not been available for some time although it was very popular on…
182 Getting Greens Right (remix)
I recently did a remix of the popular Getting Greens Right (over 120,000 views). This version is available for free…
181: Five reasons to collect art
YOU BELIEVE IN AUTHENTICITY When people enter a well furnished room and see a fabulous painting they want to get closer….
180 Painting the foreground
I made a short video with Gbox about painting the foreground. It is often hard to get a really fresh…
179 Gbox evolution
Many of my videos are now available via Gbox, a new content provider primed to compete with media juggernaut YouTube….
178 Use 3 values to simplify in the field
Here is an eight minute video about simplifying values in the field. In order to paint quickly you need to…
177 The challenge of plein air painting
Many people wonder why painting in plein air is so difficult. I consider it the greatest painting challenge. Contrasting plein air…
176 New book on Amazon
I have wanted to publish a digital book with Amazon for several months. New developments allowed me to make this happen quickly—Amazon…
175: Interview with Lynn Boggess
–From a distance, the paintings of Lynn Boggess appear to have a hard-edged reality. Close-up that reality dissolves into a…
174 Trinchera revisited
The following article about the Trinchera Residency is from the Medicine Man Gallery site. I migrated it to this blog to insure preservation of the entry. It…
173 Limited plein air palette
There are many reasons to use a limited palette in the field. It promotes harmonious colors. It helps maintain a…
172 Plein air jump start
One of the hardest aspects of landscape painting is painting in the field. To help that situation I’ve devised a…
171 Shooting a promo photo
Most artists are introverts. If you’re like me one of the things you dislike most is shooting a promotional photograph….
170 Using Neo Megilp
I was enthused with my attempt to imitate Maroger medium and wanted to try Gamblin’s Neo Megilp–which is explicitly formulated as…
169 The Gbox Revolution
[NOTE: Since I originally wrote this post Gbox has essentially gone defunct as a video content provider. Accordingly I have removed my…
168 Using oil mediums
In this video I talk about the reasons to use mediums such as Maroger medium and how they work as…
167 Maroger medium substitute
Maroger medium is a useful but toxic medium prized by painters working in a realist tradition. I have been using…
166 Blogger vs Twitter vs Facebook
In the competition for attention it’s hard to know which platform is best. In my interview a few weeks ago…
165 Great opportunity
I was recently contacted by Gbox–a new video streaming provider. They wanted me to create unique video content for their…
164 One million visits
A few weeks ago the Thick Paint blog logged over a million visits. In the blog’s seven year history it…
163 Why collect art?
The deadline for my ad for the Door County Plein Air Festival booklet is at hand. Once again I feel inadequate…
162 Painting with tints
In this video I use a selection of tints and tones provided by Gamblin Colors. Many artists use tints and tones…
161 Frictionless creation
There is a concept circulating that suggests the main goal of the digital revolution is to reduce obstacles to creativity….
160 Painting with palette knives
Lately I’ve been feeling I need to get more variety of texture in my work. I’ve felt that by loading…
159 High sensitivity
Many artists have been plagued by high sensitivity including Vincent Van Gogh and Leonardo Da Vinci. As mentioned in a previous blog…
158 Repainting an old painting
In the video below I repaint an old painting that was done in a thinner style — almost a Hudson River…
157 Return to Door County Plein Air Festival!
I’m pleased to report that I’ve been invited to the Door County Plein Air Festival again this year. The accompanying…
156 Using palette knives
This painting was painted entirely with palette knives from a plein air sketch I did several years ago. Many people assume…
155 Adjusting an underpainting
Below is a video showing how I adjusted the underpainting I painted last time on Concert Window. Changes were very…
154 Thick encaustics 2 of 2
In this second video I add chalk to the encaustic pigments. Not only does it make a very usable impasto…
153 Thick encaustics 1 of 2
In this video I show the basic set-up for encaustic painting. In the next video I will demonstrate how to…
152: Interview with Rick Stevens
I DISCOVERED the paintings of Rick Stevens on Twitter several months ago. The first image I saw was a work…
151 Art synthesis
According to the German philosopher Georg Hegel the intellectual process involves thesis (an original idea), antithesis (an opposing idea), and synthesis (a…
150 We are all lame
I was walking in downtown Salt Lake City one cold evening when hunger ambushed me and I realized I could…
149 The anxiety cure
For reasons unknown many creative people suffer from uncontrollable anxiety. Three months ago after an exceptionally anxiety ridden week I…
148 Another acrylic 2 of 3
Here’s the second part of the three part series about painting with acrylics. Those familiar with my methods will not…
147 Another acrylic 1 of 3
I had quite a few requests to do another acrylic video showing all the steps beginning with the sketch. This…
146 Rediscovering black and white
I‘ve been working on illustrations for a book entitled The Philosophy of Thick Paint. It’s a collection of essays I…
145: Vacuum sealed bottles
I‘m pleased to report that the experiment to vacuum seal Gamblin mediums proved successful. At least partially so. I used…
144 Power of the Internet
I‘ve mentioned the book The Art Instinct many times. I love how it describes the evolutionary expansion of technology and how…
143 Tip for using Galkyd
I love using the mediums made by Gamblin Colors. I use G-gel, Neo Megilp (a Maroger medium substitute), as well as…
142 How to manage your brain
In the book The Chaos Imperative author Ori Brafman outlines the the biological mechanics of creativity. I consider myself well…
141 Rembrandt’s secrets
In the winter of 1977 I walked into the Orange County Museum and within a few paces came face to face with Rembrandt’s magnum…
140: No one dies
During a studio open house I conversed with a surgeon and mentioned that a medical illustrator–a former surgeon–told me that…
139 Glazing an impasto underpainting
In parts of my current painting, Rocks at Kent Falls, 6′ x 4′, I wanted to add some really rough impasto…
138 Oiling up an underpainting
In this video I oil up the canvas over a full value, full color underpainting. I did this underpainting exactly…
137 Transferring the sketch to canvas
In preparation for our class on Wednesday I transferred the sketch to canvas in this 5 minute video. You are…
136 Sketch video for Concert Window event
In preparation for the live demo that will be happening this Wednesday, September 11, at 9 PM EDT I filmed…
135 Getting a professional photo
The thicker the paint the harder it is to get a good photograph in the studio, especially if the paintings…
134 The Dream
Last night I had an unusual dream. In recent years I haven’t been dreaming as much as in past eras…
133 Note to the Land Down Under
I was thrilled to get several messages from Australia saying several thick paint enthusiasts will be joining us for the…
132 New online class
I recently came across a great opportunity to start an online class. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite…
131 Exploring composition
I‘ve stated before that composition is the most important component of art. It can be simple, some of the most beautiful paintings have a simple…
130 Art both rich and strange
LIKE MANY artists I occasionally listen to videos as I work. Some of my habitual favorites are TED talks. TED (short…
129 Paint strokes
Here is a video showing how I apply paint onto a large abstract painting. As you can see I use…
128 Finding a style
When we say artists have found a style it means they have arrived at a decision about their artistic expression….
127 Painting a small landscape
In this video I paint a small 8″ x 10″ landscape using a purple couch (or layer of medium). I…
126 Loading your own tubes
As mentioned in previous posts I’ve been buying paint in bulk from RGH Artists Oils. With my last order I…
125 Scumbling remix
Here is a repost of Scumbling, glazing, and dry brush 3 of 3 which was erroneously tagged with a copyright…
124 Between earth and sky, 40″ x 30″
I painted this large abstract from a small 8″ x 8″ color study I painted with oil sticks from R&F…
123 Reducing costs
When painting with thick paint, when layers can be half an inch thick, it’s important to have access to good…
122 Working toward the center
In this latest abstract, The Center Will Hold, 24″ x 24″, a large landscape was sitting behind my easel as…
121 Experimenting with paint
I’ve been experimenting lately with abstract painting. I find it an excellent way to focus on design and color. I…
120 Learning by teaching
I recently finished teaching an illustration course at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. I’ve heard teachers say they learn…
119 Studio tour
In my continued effort to leverage digital communication I‘m currently making what I hope will be an entertaining multimedia website using Wix.Wix is a HTML5-based site…
118 Dubai debut
I was honored to be featured in the art and design section of the May edition of Gulf Connoisseur magazine….
117 The unexpected power of Blurb
As I mentioned in an earlier post I recently published a collection of paintings and woodcuts with the on-demand publisher Blurb (see…
116 Add Paypal “Buy Now” button
I recently read the book Digital Disruption. The basic premise is that the economy has changed dramatically, which everyone knows,…
115 The art of the sketch
Doing a preliminary sketch is one of the best ways to insure the success of a painting. In the video below I focus on keeping the design of…
114 New book, Digital version
When I published a hardback collection of paintings and woodcuts with Blurb I noticed I could also publish digitally with them…
113 Scumbling & glazing
I enjoy painting alla prima and my best paintings are painted in one session with a minimum of adjusting after they dry….
112 Full value, full color underpainting
I have talked about doing an underpainting in other posts. Some have written and asked why do a full value, full color…
111 New book about paintings
I was thrilled when I recently published my book Persistence of Vision via Blurb, one of the world’s premier on-demand book publishers….
110 Who we are
In 1981 my friend Joe Hebert invited me to join him in an ascent of Devil’s Bedstead, a prominent peak…
109 Selling Art
AS I THOUGHT ABOUT how to to get the funds to run an ad campaign as suggested by Eric Rhoads I…
108: The Art of Sketching
IT’S BEEN A WHILE since I’ve made a video but I wanted to share some of the fun I’ve been…
107 How to sell paintings Part 2
IN MY PREVIOUS entry on how to sell paintings I wrote about quality as a means to sales. I recently…
106: Best chalk for painting
ONE OF THE primary ingredients for thick paint is chalk, otherwise known as Calcium Carbonate. The thicker I paint the more…
105 Abstract painting
I‘M STARTING A NEW PROJECT for painters interested in design and the art of abstract painting. I will be exploring the art…
104 How to learn to paint
I RECEIVED a few emails lately accusing me of teaching people to paint by numbers (presumably a critique of measuring grays and…
103 Great painting book
MY BIRTHDAY FALLS NEAR THANKSGIVING and my favorite gift is an art book. This year I received Leconte Stewart Masterworks. Leconte was…
102 The long view
I WAS RECENTLY READING a book about the landscapes of Gustav Klimt. I was intrigued to discover that he often used a…
101 Palette knife en plein air
LATELY I’VE BEEN painting en plein air with the palette knife. I don’t use the palette knife for the entire…
100 Painting with paint
I‘VE USED THE EXPRESSION paint with paint many times in this blog. What I mean is the paint brush should…
99 How to sell paintings Pt 1
SELLING PAINTINGS is not easy in the best of times. But there’s one sure way to sell paintings; create paintings other…
98: Natural gifts vs. acquired gifts
THERE IS A POPULAR THEORY that has been around for a while called the 10,000 hour theory. In his book Outliers author Malcolm…
97 Thick Paint in 53 languages
I was thrilled that Google recently made universal translation available for blogs. I immediately added the button to my site. You can…
96 Getting energy in your drawings
IN THIS VIDEO I explain in more detail how the Riley Method works. Although I’m using it here in reference…
95 Thinking outside the frame
PEOPLE OCCASIONALLY REMARK that my paintings have a rhythm they find appealing. When I consider my best paintings I agree…
94 Eye vs. Camera
I WOULD PREFER TO PAINT all my paintings from life or from sketches painted from life. However, this often just…
93 How to paint trees
THERE IS A DANGER of representing the overly familiar as symbols rather than reality. As a time saving mechanism the…
92 Thin paint
I have been so obsessed with the act of applying thick paint that I’ve forgotten to mention that nearly all of…
91 More about Advanced Plein Air Acrylic
It was a lot of fun oiling up the acrylic painting in the field. I thought it might be useful if I…
90 Advanced Plein Air Acrylic
I USED ACRYLIC retarding gel as an “oiling up” medium in the studio with great success. So I wanted to…
89 Aspects of color
ADJUSTING COLOR can be tricky but if you understand three aspects of color; hue, value, and saturation, it can make things…
88 Nine Value Grayscale
I USE THIS grayscale in the field and in the studio. If you use it outdoors be sure that the…
87 Acrylic En Plein Air
IN THIS VIDEO I paint a small acrylic in half an hour. The paint started to dry at about 20…
86 Acrylic Field Painting Kit
IF YOU NEED an inexpensive solution to painting outdoors with acrylic I demonstrate how I made my pochade box (a…
85 The Painting Journey
THERE ARE A LOT OF MYTHS surrounding the creation of art. These myths do little to help students of painting…
84 About that Hat
I REALLY APPRECIATE all the people who sent links to find a replacement for my old, worn out chapeau. I…
83 Kickstarter THICK PAINT Project
I WANTED TO EXPAND AND ADD to the ideas I advance on this blog and thought making an iBook would…
82 Thick Acrylic 2 of 2
IN THIS VIDEO I finish up my painting that is painted with thick, multihued acrylic strokes. I failed to elaborate…
81 Thick Acrylic 1 of 2
IN THIS VIDEO I paint a 16″ x 20″ acrylic painting using thick strokes of broken color. I also allow the paint…
80 The Thick Paint project
IN THE PAST YEAR digital publishing has evolved considerably. A digital book about thick paint could be extremely interesting. Imagine…
79 Vlogging Thick Paint
Many people have asked me how I make my Thick Paint videos so I decided to do a short entry…
78 Innovation happens
I’m making an exception to my No Blogging Until March 2012 rule because a friend sent me this great web site….
77 Taking a sabbatical
AS I MENTIONED in my last blog I will be taking a break until March 2012. This will give me…
76: The art adventure
AFTER High School my friend Joe Hebert and I left our Kansas home and traveled to the foothills of Moscow…
75 The slow painting movement
THE PLEIN AIR movement has been good for painters and landscape painting. It sparked a renaissance in the art of…
74 Using a wax medium 2 of 2
THIS video completes my experiment oiling up the canvas with a cold wax and oil medium. Specifically I used Gamblin’s…
73 Using a wax medium 1 of 2
AFTER dabbling in encaustics I’ve been intrigued with wax lately and decided to try adding it to a couch on…
72 First year anniversary
I MENTIONED to my brother Steve that my blog had been on-line for a year. He suggested posting an interview as a…
71 Listening to our own voice
RECENTLY I purchased a set of encaustic paints. I was always somewhat intimidated by the medium, which I viewed as…
70 Painting Alla Prima
IN this video I paint a 30″ x 30″ painting alla prima, meaning I paint directly onto the canvas without going…
69 The uses of putty
It has been over a year that I have experimented with putty, the little known medium for adding body to paint….
68 Making it fun
FORGETTING to make painting fun is another way to create a mental block. This often happens when artists press too…
67 Breaking a mental block
OCCASIONALLY I get a mental block and find it difficult to paint. Sometimes this will be caused by attempting a painting…
66 The Best 5 Books about Thick Paint
I have a large library of art books that I enjoy looking through from time to time. But what if…
65 Getting greens right
IN recent entries I have mentioned using a new palette of colors to achieve more vibrant greens. In this video…
64 Painting Door County
Door County was so beautiful I couldn’t resist putting together another video. I once again demonstrate doing a sketch, and…
63 What I learned in Door County
PERIODS of intense painting can be extremely productive in advancing painting ability which make plein air festivals, like the one…
62 SKETCHING TO MAINTAIN GOOD DESIGN
MY wife and I recently returned from a plein air festival in Door County, Wisconsin. We had a wonderful time. The…
61 Mental preparation
LIKE an athlete preparing for a major marathon I have been getting ready for the plein air festival on the…
60 BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN THE FIELD
Painting in the field can be a daunting experience. I purposely made this experience easier by keeping my paint application…
59 The problem with black
MANY painters avoid the use of black and prohibit it from the palettes of their students. Theoretically there is nothing…
58 Painting wet-into-dry
THIS video shows how I apply really thick paint over a previously dry layer. I also add some glazing and…
57 Teare exhibit
THIS is a two minute video of highlights from a show Debra and I recently had at the Frank Prince…
56 Remedial painting 101
ALTHOUGH I am primarily self-taught I have been privileged to take workshops from several excellent painters. But it has always…
55 Interview with Edward Martinez
I first met Edward Martinez in the summer of 2006 at an artists residency at Forbes Trinchera Ranch hosted by…
54 Plein air gear
IN this video I review the necessary equipment to paint in the field. I detail the paints I use and…
53 The pursuit of beauty
I was invited one summer to an artist residency at the Maynard Dixon studio in Mt. Carmel, Utah. It is…
52 Painting with thick acrylics
In this video I add light molding paste from Golden Acrylics to my colors. I also add some Golden Open acrylics…
51 Door County Plein Air Festival
A few weeks ago I received an invitation to attend the Door County Plein Air Festival 2010. I was pleased,…
47 Scumbling, glazing, and dry brush 1 of 3
In this series of videos I explain how to scumble, glaze, and use dry brush effects.
46 Plein air boot camp Part 2
… THERE are few things as disconcerting as arriving at a painting destination and forgetting critical supplies. A trip to…
44 PLEIN AIR BOOT CAMP Part 1
IT has been a long winter and here in Utah it isn’t over yet. It snowed eight inches yesterday. I…
43 Glazing and impasto
Here is a video about adding texture with acrylics and glazing the resulting texture.
42 CROSS TRAINING
…. IN athletics cross training is used to include a broader range of muscles exercised so the athlete doesn’t develop…
41 My favorite red
… TWO months ago I posted a survey at the bottom of the blog posing the question what is your…
40 Edges
This video explains the importance of edges. Edges direct the eye through the composition as well as other critical purposes.
39 The art of compostion
Do you have trouble applying the various theories of composition? Take a look at this video to help clarify what it is all about.
38 Paint is paint
… I’VE been intrigued with the idea that paint is paint and the only thing that distinguishes oils from acrylics…
37 Uncommon thinking, uncommon painting
…. Go to any museum or gallery and count how many paintings are based on the compositional law of thirds,…
35 Pattern, composition, texture
…. A friend and I attended a recent landscape exhibit. Coincidentally my friend introduced the idea that a painting should…
32 How to dry thick paint
Getting thick strokes of paint to dry can be a challenge. This video shows several ways to do it. Please note that cobalt…
31 Drying thick paint
SINCE I paint alla prima I usually let my paint dry naturally without any additives. More often I will add…
29 ADVANCED UNDERPAINTING 1 of 5
https://youtu.be/TjQhVpQYfU8Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Advanced underpainting 1 of 5 (https://youtu.be/TjQhVpQYfU8)
28 The color of trees
THERE are very few things I like to paint more than trees. There is something just as mysterious and inviting…
27 The sketch 3 of 3
THE final video about making a preparatory sketch.
24 The sketch
… PAINTING can be a complicated process with many steps leading to a great painting. One important step for most…
20 Using a full value underpainting
…. SOME may wonder why I bother to use a full-color, full-value under painting. And the answer is I usually…
18 The color of shadows
… THE color of light and the color of shadow relate to each other. If this relationship is off the…
17 Oiling up the canvas
What is meant by the phrase ‘oiling up the canvas”? I give a brief explanation here of how I add…
16 TECHNIQUE AND CREATIVITY
… IN the course of this blog I realized I have offered a lot of formulas and recipes for making…
14 CORRECTING A FAILED PAINTING
ALTHOUGH I love thick painting one of the disadvantages is that once the paint is dry it is quite difficult…
12: Correcting a Failed Painting
… ALTHOUGH I love thick paint one of the disadvantages is that once the paint is dry it is quite…
10 Tools to see the big picture
OCCASIONALLY strength can be a weakness. For instance, sometimes we see too well and actually need something to simplify the amazing…
8: Field effects
WHEN I load a brush I want to include as much variation as possible. This includes adding complementary color, variations…
7 Value zones
AS I’ve become more adept at the technical aspects of applying paint I have become more and more concerned about…
6 Painting from a sketch 1 of 2
In order to paint with spontaneity you have to do a lot of planning. Trying to inject spontaneity without proper…
5 The nine value grayscale
.. One afternoon I was looking out a window and noticed a small speck of dirt on the glass. I…
04 Loading the brush, working with the 9 value grayscale
There are lots of ways to load a brush. This is one way I have found to get lush strokes…
03 Loading the brush
… ONE of the most critical aspects of thick painting, and the most mystifying, is loading the brush. Using thick…
02 Intro to thick paint
A short video describing how I work with thick paint.
01 Thick paint
– FOR the last few years for at least once a month I browsed the internet for articles about Thick…