tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3737773913366737782024-02-07T00:13:59.145-08:00Artist Derek Collins,Acrylic landscape paintings, painting lessons and randomnessArtist Derek Collins acrylic landscape paintings lessons and randomnessDerek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-88099562994990967652017-03-14T09:33:00.000-07:002017-03-14T09:33:10.343-07:00Trees, a Watercolor painting of a light filled forest landscape <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a alt="watercolor painting of a light filled forest" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9roepTquavczqH4-nuC8nAU3IUl1IvXVbt4o2a-Pswp9UoyAJAeaf5Vw05DZOc-jNpIcaOCHqy1EV5TZX4IZ6KGLcRntaavk0KNoF-WBOjK3CyAhFXl5WhyphenhyphenxQl64O0aqwqIrso6Z6A4g/s1600/a-ray-of-matchpaperetsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9roepTquavczqH4-nuC8nAU3IUl1IvXVbt4o2a-Pswp9UoyAJAeaf5Vw05DZOc-jNpIcaOCHqy1EV5TZX4IZ6KGLcRntaavk0KNoF-WBOjK3CyAhFXl5WhyphenhyphenxQl64O0aqwqIrso6Z6A4g/s400/a-ray-of-matchpaperetsy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A Ray of Light</div>
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watercolor painting of a light filled forest landscape </div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/202262107/watercolor-painting-print-forest-trees?ref=shop_home_feat_3">See in my Etsy Store </a></div>
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various sizes</div>
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This painting was all splattered on except for the highlighted yellow leaves and the tree trunk.</div>
Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-14370689998838295192017-03-13T07:37:00.000-07:002017-03-13T07:51:04.796-07:00Ocean sunset painting colorful sky By derek collins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKb9nEcRQ9MfqnB6hu8rj3m_kGtoEgu7GJ3ALXVjGOza_-5YUNLw-CnKqSsitOZs9PAWnTRHlN-_NZ8Gejq7i1dF-3kBgZFL9feduLswVdihpQ4y2Xy1rMP0XfleB07nJTTA4RIADzr1k/s1600/IMG_1689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ocean sunset painting colorful sky" border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKb9nEcRQ9MfqnB6hu8rj3m_kGtoEgu7GJ3ALXVjGOza_-5YUNLw-CnKqSsitOZs9PAWnTRHlN-_NZ8Gejq7i1dF-3kBgZFL9feduLswVdihpQ4y2Xy1rMP0XfleB07nJTTA4RIADzr1k/s320/IMG_1689.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Colorful Sunset</div>
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Ocean sunset painting colorful sky</div>
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24x36 on canvas $375</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/504600460/seascape-beach-sunset-abstract?ref=shop_home_active_1">In my Etsy Store</a></div>
<br />Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-46260141548513940372017-03-09T09:37:00.001-08:002017-03-09T09:37:37.579-08:00Original acrylic landscape painting trees and cloud billows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1XIwYzcT66x0MoXMUyZr9SHGoJMbLemX_l9XCPL0I1427PtSi5wPqyoakgkODE1ge_GNzQMxKtoU_szJFpu1JpzG_x3qvzhBgPe_fpYPqzv_inuvzHmb8SGTg9KkWiqJ7-i4bH1Mfus/s1600/oh-cloudy-day-a-10jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1XIwYzcT66x0MoXMUyZr9SHGoJMbLemX_l9XCPL0I1427PtSi5wPqyoakgkODE1ge_GNzQMxKtoU_szJFpu1JpzG_x3qvzhBgPe_fpYPqzv_inuvzHmb8SGTg9KkWiqJ7-i4bH1Mfus/s400/oh-cloudy-day-a-10jpg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
original acrylic landscape painting trees and cloud billows<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/212316708/landscape-painting-original-abstract?ref=shop_home_active_2">24x36 in my Etsy Store</a><br />
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Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-4299364116093007782017-03-06T10:41:00.001-08:002017-03-06T10:41:52.739-08:00Textured abstract acrylic landscape painting with clouds <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTj6MzyiUr9136aVBNGX7sY_ZDUAPuIxsiujhv1xjYOU5Et7-DEtnmgcpnMMHUVgG0rfSbKqf1QXJs8SH5bTej1mO9al5qu0tsredUQlrclfPWo25chBoQRbG9RvAtrdj8NrNe6aR0a8/s1600/Calm-in-the-storm-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="textured abstract acrylic landscape painting with clouds" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTj6MzyiUr9136aVBNGX7sY_ZDUAPuIxsiujhv1xjYOU5Et7-DEtnmgcpnMMHUVgG0rfSbKqf1QXJs8SH5bTej1mO9al5qu0tsredUQlrclfPWo25chBoQRbG9RvAtrdj8NrNe6aR0a8/s1600/Calm-in-the-storm-a.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">textured abstract acrylic landscape painting with clouds </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">24x36 on canvas</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/154457762/abstract-landscape-textured-original?ref=shop_home_feat_1">See in my Etsy store</a></span></div>
Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com1United States37.09024 -95.712891000000013-36.4162205 99.052733999999987 90 69.521483999999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-33566796045025279612017-03-05T13:49:00.000-08:002017-03-06T10:27:48.118-08:00Acrylic painting of trees and water reflections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVArG8yc5-z-baIdJjUJwjwUrUAp8PR18fA0wm3525sUbEIAcBVFsUVfVtR4jL4-B0m_oy_2s6VwOWlvddUk8tHAIjRKndY3qT-Vh7tmluwQVYUGHtGIZtjMbjhhJu1Fe0wApsP8JJ10/s1600/Abstract-Line-of-treesa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Acrylic painting of trees and water reflections" border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVArG8yc5-z-baIdJjUJwjwUrUAp8PR18fA0wm3525sUbEIAcBVFsUVfVtR4jL4-B0m_oy_2s6VwOWlvddUk8tHAIjRKndY3qT-Vh7tmluwQVYUGHtGIZtjMbjhhJu1Fe0wApsP8JJ10/s320/Abstract-Line-of-treesa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/492900209/river-painting-water-reflections-trees?ref=shop_home_active_1">Acrylic painting of trees and water reflections</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/492900209/river-painting-water-reflections-trees?ref=shop_home_active_1">Abstract Line of Trees</a><br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/492900209/river-painting-water-reflections-trees?ref=shop_home_active_1">See in my Etsy Store</a></div>
Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-64797776566200915392010-11-02T17:50:00.000-07:002010-11-19T11:17:13.513-08:00Setting up your Etsy store, Etsy SEO,<div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Helping you set up your Etsy store</strong><br />Some helpful tips:<br />You don't have to be a programmer to do this, I am going to show you where to go. All you have to do is look for phrases and words that are in your store. The code should be in Black and I believe the words that have been inserted from your store will be in blue. Find where they are and you will know which words or Phrases Google is using as Keywords, and as a description for your Etsy store, and your individual listings.<br />-<br />First go to you Etsy Store,<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Right click some empty area on the page</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. </span>Next click<span style="font-weight: bold;">, view page source</span><br />-<br />You are going to be viewing the code behind that page.<br /><br />What do you see near the top<br />Meta name: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Keywords</span> , ( this is you Etsy Sections )<br />Meta name, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Description</span> (This is the first couple lines of your Etsy Shop Announcement)<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lets Start Here</span><br />Now go a third of the way down and you will start to find your Etsy Images.<br />I'm going to abbreviate this, but you should be able to find one, it will start out with<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">img src=</span>( Etsy Image 3, What ever Etsy named it) then <span style="font-weight: bold;">Alt =</span>( Etsy has inserted the title of your individual listings here).<br /><br />-<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">img src</span><br />Let me explain, <span style="font-weight: bold;">img src,</span> where did the image come from, Image source. This is usually the name of the painting and then where the image is stored. Etsy voided the name you gave your painting and renamed it. Why did they take your title off. Simple. they what your item to be found, so they renamed it with a Alternative name, Alt=<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alt=</span><br />Alt=, Alternative name, this is the new name for your painting, the name that Google will see. Etsy is Naming your painting the title you used for that listing.<br />Here. is one of mine: Aceo Original Watercolor Painting Fishing Man Stream Fall.<br />-<br />This is critically important, if your listing title is only the name of the painting, this is not going to help you at all. Please notice when you list a painting, Etsy says (A brief descriptive title works best), that means Keywords that describe the painting. Descriptive title, not the name of the painting, or your name.<br />-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Benefits of using Keywords in your item title</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">1. They are also used as searchable tags on Etsy so this can give you a few more tags if you run out.<br />2. The Customer can see what the Item is without clicking on it, maybe a word in the title will entice them to click.<br />3. If someone Googles the keywords you have chosen, you might come up on their Google search.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-</div><span><span><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="text-align: left; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;" class="Apple-style-span" ><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>My titles look something like this:</strong> 11 x14 Original Acrylic painting Landscape Abstract Tree.<br /></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-family:arial;">This describes the painting to the </span>Etsy<span style="font-family:arial;"> shopper and also gives keywords so I can be found on Google . It describes Media, style, and subject matter. Don't assume the </span>Etsy<span style="font-family:arial;"> shopper will click the image to read the description. Write the title so that they don't have to click to find out what it is. It is sometimes difficult to recognize what something is with a tiny little picture</span></span></li></span><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span">-</span></span></span><br /><span><span><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span">-</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">An Individual Listing</span><br /></div><span><span><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span">Now let's right click the page on one of our Etsy listings. Then click view page source.<br />Now you are going to see:<br />title (here again you see the Title you gave this listing, followed by your Etsy user name)<br />meta names =keywords( this is a list of all your Etsy tags)<br />meta name = description (This is the first line in you item description)<br />This is why the first line in your item description needs to have keywords and needs to be descriptive.<br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span">-</span></span></span><br /></div><span><span><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span">Here is the first line of my Description on one of my Etsy listings.<br /></span></span></span>Original acrylic painting,Blue skies and clouds<br />By artist Derek Collins<br /><div style="text-align: center;">_<br />_<br /></div>I would suggest that you right click one of my listings or someone you think is a big seller on Etsy and compare your listing to theirs.<br />Bring up a different browser and right click yours and do a comparison. Once you know what you are looking for you will be able to see how other people have set their pages up and how and where they have used Keywords.<br /><span><span><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><br />-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shop Title:</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This describes to Google what your Etsy store has in it. This should be a Phrase of Keywords<br />like Original Watercolor Paintings * Original Tree Paintings etc.<br />I put a Asterisk to separate the two Phrases. You can use Google Keywords to find the most popular keywords. This is tricky, If you just use just 2 words you will be lost behind a whole lot of websites. For example, Oil paintings, there a gazillion web sites selling oil paintings. Impressionist oil paintings, narrows it substantially. I suggest 2 separate phrases<br /></div><strong></strong></div><strong><br />The Etsy Shop Announcement : </strong></div> <div><strong></strong> </div> <div>The Shop Announcement is searchable by Google. Every very web site is searchable by it's title Page description. This describes what the whole web site is about. Your announcement is also the Description or the Title page description of the Web site , which is your Etsy Store.<br />This is also true of the banner on Ebay, if you have an Ebay store. It is also good to repeat a couple of your Sections here to use as a Keyword phrase, ie. Original Landscape Paintings<br /></div> <div> </div> <div><strong>This is my Announcement</strong></div> <div>Original Acrylic Abstracts and Modern Landscape Paintings by Artist Derek Collins, Modern, Impressionism,Large paintings on canvas,realism, trees,clouds,sunsets,fields,streams<br />When you right click you page you will see how much Google show.<br /><br /></div> <div>It has Artist name,Media,Style, Subject matter. If someone searches for Artist Derek Collins they can find my store. If they search for Original Acrylic abstracts they may find me, you get the idea.</div> <div> </div> <div>Make the first part of your announcement descriptive of what the web site (your Etsy Store) is about. If you want to run a sale or have a greeting, do it below this. If you use your Announcement just to greet people, you are loosing an opportunity to be found on Google.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div></div> <div> </div> <div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Define who you are your store Announcement:</strong><br /><strong></strong></div><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">You have to decide who you are, you can't be this, that and the other. I am a ______?<br />You only get to be one thing, please choose. You have to pick one direction to draw people to your store. Remember, this is the description of your web page, (your Etsy store). This is what people are going to see on Google search.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">You can't be all things to all people. If you are a Painter, but you also have a few pieces of Pottery and a few other random things, only mention your main interest. What is your art, Your name,Medium, Style, subject matter.<br /></span></strong><div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span></strong><br /></div><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></strong></div></div> <div>Don't say you have Original Acrylic Painting and Ceramics Tile, and Key rings. sounds like you have an equal amount of Painting,Ceramics, and Key Rings . You have put the Key Rings on equal footing with your paintings The obvious implications here is, if you could make a living selling paintings,you wouldn't be doing all this other stuff. So you must be a hobbiest. Just saying! Remember people on Google are just seeing a small description.<br /></div> <div><br /></div><div> </div> <div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Choosing Tags</strong>:<br /></div>Lets say you have Acrylic and Mixed Media Paintings<br />Below is a list of the Categories under art on the Etsy site, then the Sub categories under Mixed Media, then the sub-categories under Acrylic.</div> <div>1. When you describe your art and assign Tags you need to use as many of these as possible,because these words put your art in different categories within Etsy. The more categories you are in, the greater chance you have of being found if someone is searching by category. So these are the first words you should consider.<br /></div> <ul style="padding: 0px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px;" id="category-nav"><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/aceo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aceo</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/collage" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Collage</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/drawing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Drawing</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/fiber_art" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fiber Art</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/illustration" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Illustration</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/mixed_media" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mixed Media</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Painting</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/photography" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Photography</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/print" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Print</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/printmaking" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Printmaking</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/reproduction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reproduction</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/sculpture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sculpture</a></li></ul><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;" >Mixed Media</span><br /><ul style="padding: 0px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px;" id="category-nav"><ul style="padding: 0px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px;"><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/mixed_media/3d" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3d</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/mixed_media/altered" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Altered</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/mixed_media/assemblage" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Assemblage</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/mixed_media/book" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Book</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/mixed_media/mixed_media_original" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mixed Media Original</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/mixed_media/mosaic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mosaic</a></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/mixed_media/scrapbooking" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scrapbooking</a></li><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="text-align: left; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;" class="Apple-style-span" > <ul style="padding: 0px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px;"><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/abstract" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abstract</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/acrylic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acrylic</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/canvas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Canvas</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/digital" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Digital</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/encaustic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Encaustic</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/gouache" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gouache</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/landscape" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Landscape</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/oil" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oil</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/original_painting" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Original Painting</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/pop" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pop</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/portrait" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Portrait</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/print" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Print</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/reproduction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reproduction</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/still_life" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Still Life</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/surreal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Surreal</a></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 12px; color: rgb(1, 146, 181); text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.etsy.com/category/art/painting/watercolor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Watercol</a>or</span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">2.</span> <span style="font-size:100%;">After you have chosen all of the above categories as tags. The second most important thing to consider is Medium or substance, Style and Subject matter,Color, then groups you are in, maybe your seller name. </span><br /><br /><ul style="padding: 0px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px;"><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block; text-align: center;">-<br /></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>My titles look something like this:</strong> 11 x14 Original Acrylic painting Landscape Abstract Tree</span></li></ul></span></span><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="text-align: left; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;" class="Apple-style-span" > <li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></li></span></span></ul></ul><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="text-align: left; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;" class="Apple-style-span" ><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><br /></li></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="text-align: left; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;" class="Apple-style-span" ><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><br /></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Describe Your Art<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Put this on every listing,Be specific I can't read your mind,I am a man.</span></strong></span></div></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Original or Print</span>: Original one of a kind Painting<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Size: 5x7</span> If you put it in a 2 inch matt,it will fit a 8x10 frame<br /><div><span style="display: none;">The painting is 21.5 x 31 inches and is on a matt board giving it a 2 inch border all around. This painting is ooak and is signed by me on the bottom.<br />The painting will ship without the frame.</span></div> <div><span style="display: none;">The painting will ship without the frame, is a little vague to me. Sounds like you could be shipping the frame separately</span></div> <div><span style="display: none;"> actual Image size 22.5 x 31 inches</span></div> <div><span style="display: none;">Total size </span><span style="display: none;"> 26.5 x 35. This painting is painted on acid free matt board and has a 2 inch border , it will fit a 26.5x 35 inch frame. Frame not included. </span></div> <div><span style="display: none;"> "the painting is signed on the front and back, Certificate included. That's how I do it. I sign in ink or pencil on the back.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Surface, or materials:</span><span> Acrylic</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Painted on 140lb. Arches watercolor paper<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color: </span>Maybe you want to describe the main colors of your art, to make the customer comfortable that the colors they are seeing on the computer are the actual colors of the art in person .</span></div></span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><div><br /></div></span></li></span></span></div><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="text-align: left; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;" class="Apple-style-span" ><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Disclaimer</span>: The colors of my paintings are true. But you monitor may have a different setting, so it is possible that the colors could be slightly, but not substantially off.</span></li><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></li></span></span></div><ul style="padding: 0px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; text-align: center;" id="category-nav"><ul style="padding: 0px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px;"><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span">-<br /></span></ul></ul> <p style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"> </p> <p style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"> </p><p style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Your bio</span></p><p style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Make sure you have your Bio page complete</span></p><p style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block; text-align: center;">Put an abreviated Bio at the bottom of each listing.<br /></p> <ul style="padding: 0px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px;"><ul style="padding: 0px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px;"><li style="padding: 0px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 0px; display: block;"><em>Google Analytics tell me that a lot of people only look at one page of my shop and then leave. For that reason I put my Bio on the lower part of each listing. Maybe they don't see the link for Profile,maybe they don't think to look for it. maybe they don't know what Profile means, but they may read it, if it's right there. </em><br /></li></ul></ul> <div>You wouldn't want a 4 page Bio on Each listing. But at least an abbreviated one.<br /><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shoppers are Intelligent</span><br />This is a terrible assumption to make. That is like thinking your husband can read your mind. Good luck with that!<br /><br /></div> <div>I have learned from selling on The Internet, you don't want people to ask questions. Don't misunderstand, you want to encourage them to ask questions. But in many cases, if they ask a question it means that you haven't explained something very well or have left out key information. If you leave something out, don't assume they will ask, most won't. If they buy it and something is left out, they may want to return it, or leave negative feedback.</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> -</div> <div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Policy page</span></strong><br /><strong></strong></div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Fill out your Policy page by all means, but also put your policies on each listing.</span><br /></span></strong></div> <div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><u><strong>I Suggestion you put Policies on every listing<br /></strong></u></span></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">100% Money back Guarantee for any reason:</strong> If you are not happy with your purchase, you may return for any reason. Item must be returned within 7 days and in good condition<br /><br /></span></div> <div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">How long does it take you to ship</span>: I usually ship within 3 working days,<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Who do you ship with:</span>USPS First Class mail<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ships securely</span>:This painting ships rolled, bubble wrapped, in a new box.</span></div> <div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tracking Number</span>: you will be emailed with a tracking Number</span></div> <div><span style="font-size:100%;">Consider printing Certificates of Authenticity on your computer</span></div> <div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Certificate Of Authenticity:</span> Included with this painting<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Questions?</span> I know you do! Please Don't hesitate to ask. Click the Convo link at the top of the page and send me your question. Please, Pretty, Please.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spell Check: </span>Really, did you get A+'s in spelling, are you an exceptional Typer? Do you want people thinking you dropped out of school when you were 12? </span> For the collective dignity of the art community, please use spell check.<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><div><br />I hope some of this is helpful. I didn't go into everything, but maybe there is some useful information for you here. I am thinking of doing a post on Photographing your work.<br />Derek<br /></div> <div> </div><br /></span></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-62690621313720770562009-10-17T09:54:00.000-07:002009-10-24T22:34:11.670-07:00How to write an Artist Statement Bio<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Writing an Artist Statement</span><br />-<br />-<br />I am not claiming to be an authority here, but I do know a few things. There are many different ways to skin a cat. Sorry, PETA<br />-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tailor it to the Audience</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">You need different artist statements depending on who you are addressing. Is this to a Gallery, for the general public, or for the Internet.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bio/ Artist Statement</span><br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;">A lot of Artist Statements will be a combination of a Bio and a Statement. It could include a picture of the artist in action, shows you have done, awards, Galleries that represent you, etc. Have you taught, or given demonstrations? Are you a full-time artist, how long have you been painting, where have you studied. Maybe you include, contact information ( online and off), phone, address, Website, Email, etc.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Artist Downfall</span><br /></div>-<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A lot of artist are almost apologetic when talking about themselves or their accomplishments.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Play up your strong points. It is often what you don't say that is most important. Don't try to make an award won at a County Fair into a big deal. People will see through that. You can say that you are an award winning artist. Just leave it at that. It's true! You are! You just don't have to volunteer that it was at a County Fair. Have you taught art to 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span></span> graders? Then you can say you have taught art. You get the point. You don't want to lie. On the other hand you don't want to minimize what you have done.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Personal verses "Just the Facts <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Maam</span></span>"</span><br />-<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">If the Info is for a Gallery it may be more of, "Just the Facts <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Maam</span></span>" More business like. Hopefully you are meeting the Gallery owner in person. You're going to have a relationship with the Gallery. They want to know your art process, but not endearing stories, at least not initially.<br /></div><br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;">If the info is at an art show it will be a little more personal. Hopefully you will meet and talk to your customers as well. You better, if you want to sell<br /></div>-<br /><div style="text-align: left;">I think most people agree that on the Internet it is very important to be a little more personal, so that people can get to know you. You are just 1 of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ga</span></span>-zillion people trying to sell on the Internet. You need to make them feel that they know you. It's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ok</span></span> to be business like, but it is easy to come across as gruff, when the person doesn't have the benefit of your smiling face. Especially when you are dispensing payment/ shipping terms and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">policy's</span>, all very impersonal.<br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Statement</span><br />-<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Sometimes a Statement can be about , why you do what you.<br />and or<br />How you came to the point of doing what you do.<br />and or<br />The actual process of how you do it.<br />and or<br />(Your Art Theory)<br />Your belief of how art should be done or should be viewed<br />( Art <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Mumbo</span></span> Jumbo) This never made a lot of sense to me.<br />I<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">- </span><br /></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sample</span><br />-<br /><a href="http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/22402831/aview/Bio-with-picture_internetjp.jpg">Combination Bio/ Statement</a><br />click the link<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;">This was done for a particular art show. Normally, I will have contact information on the top. For this audience, I thought the most important thing was the shows that I have done, so I put it on top. As I didn't expect that they would take the time to do a lot of reading. Some shows will actually ask you to describe the process of making your art.<br /></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Random Stuff</span><br /></div></div>-<br />-<br /><br />This is some of the Information that I have on some Internet sites<br />-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">About Derek:</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Derek is a full time, established, award winning artist and has been painting for over 20 years. Derek exhibits at the top ranked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">juried</span></span> art shows in the nation. He does about 20 shows a year in 12 different states. He has been featured in print and interviewed on television concerning his art. His Baseball abstract "You're Outta Here" is displayed in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Sports Art in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prints of Derek's paintings grace the walls of 4 and 5 star hotels. He lives outside of Memphis, Indiana, which is a suburb of Louisville, Kentucky with his wife and 2 sons. He lives in a restored 1924 farmhouse and has a working studio/gallery that he built in a barn behind his home.<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why I paint</span>:<br /><div style="text-align: left;">Painting took me quite by accident. At the age of 26 I had a serious back injury. As I lay there watching TV, I happened upon PBS. I saw Bob Ross doing painting demonstrations. He is the fuzzy headed guy painting happy little tree oil paintings. I had an epiphany watching him paint a scene of a waterfall. I purchased some Oil Paint, and 6 months later I started selling paintings. I have never looked back.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Process:</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I usually have a very basic idea when I paint a painting. The more I think about a painting the easier it is to get bogged down in the details, and then I can't even muster up the courage to start. If I just have a basic idea, then I am then free to paint, and let the painting just happen. I usually paint with no drawing or sketching. I draw with the paint, mixing colors on the paper or canvas. I do a lot of negative painting. Instead of painting the sky and then the tree, I will paint the tree and then paint the sky, redefining the shape of the shape of the tree. Often in the middle of a painting, I will see something happening and I have learned over the years to always go with the feeling. When this happens, an abstract may turn into a landscape or a sunset may turn into snow scene. It took me many years to get to this level of freedom. When I first started painting decades ago, my paintings were very tight and I used very small brushes. I would draw everything out first, in great detail . With each passing year painting becomes more like play.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I hope this helps<br />-<br /></span>If it did, please feel free to comment<span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span>It's good to know that people are listening. It keeps me motivated.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div></div><br /></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-59978254794181703412009-10-16T06:48:00.000-07:002009-10-21T05:13:49.976-07:00Correcting a Painting - acrylic painting of fall treesThis is another repainted painting. A dramatic difference in this one. I think! When I painted this painting, I really didn't mean for it to be a super realistic painting. I actually like this painting, but it didn't seem to get a lot of attention. So, what the heck!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /><span>-</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />What could be done differently?</span><br />Think about it before you see what I think!<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Before</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcB8faQDsBKLN84iPmCJlqOMu8cqt0xETi39XlBDKTSHA3hzfESXTjaRPvLARNqxsN8nnc_eTTayA33OfEVrkM3Chs0qHD4VP1eYyEBC8wLu9EYs-l6HS5XO5HFMXfKIZ34KDU0ZA4Zs/s1600-h/Oh-Happy-Day.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcB8faQDsBKLN84iPmCJlqOMu8cqt0xETi39XlBDKTSHA3hzfESXTjaRPvLARNqxsN8nnc_eTTayA33OfEVrkM3Chs0qHD4VP1eYyEBC8wLu9EYs-l6HS5XO5HFMXfKIZ34KDU0ZA4Zs/s400/Oh-Happy-Day.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393195470284709634" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Too Many Warm Colors</span><br /></div>Again there are mostly warm colors. The Lavender is cool, but it is a warm cool, because Lavender has some red in it<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Let's add a Greater Sense of Depth<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">On the left side behind the red trees you see some light from the distant field</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">On the right side you are not really getting the fee</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ling that the field is receding all that much</span>.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br />Change the shapes<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span> <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Notice the overall shape of the red trees and the yellow in the sky. They both form a circular shape. The painting will be more interesting if we can break these shapes up into a more uneven, interesting line.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;">_<br />_<br />AFTER<br /><br /></div><br /></div></div> </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPObWKiYtFBrsAVZdk8urlWBLn7Py_kVkSYzi-fu2ygK8z6zXLH1NyjYWvEkTGuxDVl4Lb9LnX0WuTlaUd3cj4L3s1Roj7K-V96QaAFFAxYrKBA_0oB0MV-RA7mVEPEMdqX6woqCrD4tE/s1600-h/Oh,-Happy-Day-Blogger.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPObWKiYtFBrsAVZdk8urlWBLn7Py_kVkSYzi-fu2ygK8z6zXLH1NyjYWvEkTGuxDVl4Lb9LnX0WuTlaUd3cj4L3s1Roj7K-V96QaAFFAxYrKBA_0oB0MV-RA7mVEPEMdqX6woqCrD4tE/s400/Oh,-Happy-Day-Blogger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393202194776776162" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32680232"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Original acrylic Painting of fall trees</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">12x24 on canvas</span><br />-<br />-<br />What did I do?<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br />I added Depth<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I layered the painting in Values to give a sense of depth. Light, then dark,light then dark! I lightened the distant Lavender trees, then I put a dark row of trees in the distance. Then I defined a distant field and made it a very light value. From back to front,Light,Dark, Light!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">I added some darks to the red trees, to give them more dimension.</span><br /></div>-<br />I changed the shapes.<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left; font-weight: normal;">I made the distant Lavender trees much smaller. I made the yellow tree a little taller and skinner. This also helps to give a sense of depth. I changed the shape of the red trees and actually defined a single small red tree.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I Added a Cool Blue</span><br />-<br />That is really all it took to balance the warm and cool colors<br />-<br />-<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Having done all of this, I have to say there are no perfect paintings. There is always something that could have been done differently. You could paint for years on a painting and never actually finish it. <br /></div>-<br /><div style="text-align: left;">Try painting a painting with your only focus being on warm and cool colors or maybe layering your painting with light and dark values. If you focus on one specific thing for a while it will then become part of you. You will then begin doing it as a gut reaction, without thought.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />This painting is in <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32680232">my Etsy Acrylic store</a><br /></div></div></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-87523654080440418322009-10-14T06:27:00.000-07:002009-10-21T05:18:39.815-07:00How to correct a painting - large acrylic impressionist painting on canvas<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Too Many Cool Colors</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">&</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Too many straight lines</span><br />-<br /></div>This painting had the opposite problem as the last painting. This painting has too many cool colors.<br />The changes that I made weren't nearly as extensive.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Before<br />-</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Xp7Hgiux_Pe3uRKRdugmRqOAfL23A-dpE-llD4nj4_cR7cigSRmDlGMoJ8Ao9dvVMTGdKsVSLriSf9aYCFVS_BeuEWDw40G8ROkcYzRoc4i6lqBvFz9fMmbjtCW3nK9GwwhrJ3vdbQw/s1600-h/Windy-Daybefore.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Xp7Hgiux_Pe3uRKRdugmRqOAfL23A-dpE-llD4nj4_cR7cigSRmDlGMoJ8Ao9dvVMTGdKsVSLriSf9aYCFVS_BeuEWDw40G8ROkcYzRoc4i6lqBvFz9fMmbjtCW3nK9GwwhrJ3vdbQw/s400/Windy-Daybefore.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392448074390781298" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">This whole painting is almost all cool colors. Design wise there are a lot of straight lines that need to be broken up. Some straight lines are OK, but this painting has gone a little overboard. The land, the shoreline and the water itself, all form a straight line.<br /></div>-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">After<br />-</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MOPgk_FVxntQpb8qSpjNoQFEsg1DGaf-56QZasJrVa55nDeUGhSGRYhOfqbQnMvci_21n4rkJ9wrP6ObeJ-RLjZau05MQS-ck3RuWeoyvu5Hl-EnhALXZjRX1bJuNyd3Pkh0e7T9U6g/s1600-h/Windy-Day800.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MOPgk_FVxntQpb8qSpjNoQFEsg1DGaf-56QZasJrVa55nDeUGhSGRYhOfqbQnMvci_21n4rkJ9wrP6ObeJ-RLjZau05MQS-ck3RuWeoyvu5Hl-EnhALXZjRX1bJuNyd3Pkh0e7T9U6g/s400/Windy-Day800.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392449852332526114" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32389386">large acrylic impressionist painting on canvas</a><br />18x36<br />-<br />-<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I Did!</span><br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;">To break up the line that the grassy field formed, I added the trees on the horizon.<br /></div>-<br /><div style="text-align: left;">I also added the warm yellow field. This warm are against all the cool colors really makes the painting pop. When I painted the yellow field, I brought it down to the waters edge, again breaking up the straight line that the green field formed.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div>To break up the line that the shoreline made, I added some more dark bushes and reflected them down into the water.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div>The bushes on the horizon and and on the shoreline, also serve as a visual stop, to keep your eye from going off the painting.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div>I hope this correction series is helpful. It is often hard to correct your own paintings, as you have locked yourself into looking at the painting in a set way, and have a hard time deviating from it.<br /></div><br /></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-66214393173049186162009-10-10T07:23:00.001-07:002009-10-21T05:24:08.999-07:00How to a balance warm and cool colors! - original landscape painting acrylic panorama<div style="text-align: center;">Below is a painting that I repainted<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1KR06louGN6tS9KI8A_V9IucWTqHscMV8AihxKNvb-m9wEXEv0iCrFx1i_90LL9Y3fDzpQNJD361MNxosumcELH3Ob1hl3eYHcGd96mAgGOTtWCxelXBQSoCcDuZOUv9BwlQ_dqJgZQ/s1600-h/Older-than-the-Hills_before.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1KR06louGN6tS9KI8A_V9IucWTqHscMV8AihxKNvb-m9wEXEv0iCrFx1i_90LL9Y3fDzpQNJD361MNxosumcELH3Ob1hl3eYHcGd96mAgGOTtWCxelXBQSoCcDuZOUv9BwlQ_dqJgZQ/s400/Older-than-the-Hills_before.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390978154522123874" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Before</span><br /></div>This is the original painting. It isn't a bad painting, it just doesn't have the pop that it could have. It has 2 basic areas that could be improved.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">1. Light and dark values<br />2.Warm and cool colors<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Light and Dark</span><br />There are to many mid tones in this painting, no real dark areas. Notice the green field area in the foreground, and the background are the same value. They are also the same value as the distant mountains. This isn't giving you a sense of distance.<br />-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Warm and Cool</span><br />The painting is almost entirely warm colors. The combination of all of the mid tones and the warm colors give this painting a very soft feeling, no pop.<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_mxoH9eaDJAChkxQT_SRUo8w7H-uopz7O3HV_YC0iTbprFhXq0BfYeixctqm4S9egRrBAhq8_QyhA_1_ChUMVhyphenhyphenYVL1rGV3-jpALDldF7_LU9U553V8mSJjPghoCMU5XzB5sg02xpAs/s1600-h/Older-than-the-hills700.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_mxoH9eaDJAChkxQT_SRUo8w7H-uopz7O3HV_YC0iTbprFhXq0BfYeixctqm4S9egRrBAhq8_QyhA_1_ChUMVhyphenhyphenYVL1rGV3-jpALDldF7_LU9U553V8mSJjPghoCMU5XzB5sg02xpAs/s400/Older-than-the-hills700.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390977980386307266" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32366971"><span>Original acrylic painting landscape panorama<br />24x36 on canvas</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />-<br /><br />AFTER</span><br />-<br />T<span style="font-weight: bold;">he </span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Darks</span><br /></div> Notice the foreground <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">darks</span> are better defined, giving more separation from the distant field. This adds a greater sense of depth.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Lights</span><br /></div>Notice the light area in the sky. The light area in both painting is almost exactly the same color and value. Because I added more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">darks</span> in the 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">nd</span> painting, the light area looks much lighter.<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cool and Warm</span><br /></div>The biggest change is in the sky. The first sky is all warm. The after painting has a large area of cool blue playing against the warmer yellow.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div>I have another painting that I repainted that I plan to show you in my next posting.Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-10706510320616159542009-08-27T16:21:00.000-07:002009-08-27T17:10:27.653-07:00How to paint with creativity! - Original watercolor painting water reflections fall trees<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Happy Accidents</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I heard an art teacher type, say the other day, that he hates to hear someone talk about having happy accidents when they paint. The point is well taken. If you don't have any painting skills, everything you do will be an accident, I mean the total loss kind of a, you better hope you have insurance kind of accident.<div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Inflexibility</span><br /></div>The problem with a lot of academics is that they plan their painting out in such detail that there is no room for deviation. There is little chance that a happy accident can happen when you, paint in an inflexible manner.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">We are all failures!<br /></div>You are going to make mistakes, everyone does. Every mistake is a, mistake, or it is an opportunity to be creative. The easy thing to do is quickly correct it. It will be your first impulse. Resist!<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Look for Ink Blots</span><br /></div>Before you correct that mistake, look at it for a minute like an Ink Blot. What do you see? Does it look like anything at all, if it does, then make it so! If you do this, it will add a new dimension to your painting. You will find yourself doing things in a different way than you normally would have done. It will be exciting, I guarantee.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">So, was it a Happy Accident, or was it simply a mistake.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEee1k17ob5StB2gbPSJLVg9I2AQslNnRtHOqUtPdNr3tzFpWhZeGAHaZ2UfUiQW0tL3TWKIg5GyrXDJlNlyY6lXIrWhRjPMY4Eals2wMW4mMHwpMAOoNScQOT7R6T9Ff5aZPJ6B7fN4/s1600-h/Rocks-and-Trees600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEee1k17ob5StB2gbPSJLVg9I2AQslNnRtHOqUtPdNr3tzFpWhZeGAHaZ2UfUiQW0tL3TWKIg5GyrXDJlNlyY6lXIrWhRjPMY4Eals2wMW4mMHwpMAOoNScQOT7R6T9Ff5aZPJ6B7fN4/s400/Rocks-and-Trees600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374794159814358034" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29986926">"Rocks and Trees"<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">original watercolor painting water reflections fall trees</span></a><br />7x10<br />$48 in My Etsy store<br />-<br /><br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">At some point in the future I will photograph a happy accident, as it occurs, and show you how I dealt with it.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br />My Happy Accident<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"> I had intended for the green grassy area in this painting to go all the way down to the water. I inadvertently made the center area a little darker than I wanted. There were a couple spots where the paper was still white. The dark area looked to me like a dirt drop off and the white spots looked like rocks. So, that is what I made them. I have painted similar scenes to this before and have never had a dirt area or rocks. If not for my Happy Accident, I would have painted the same thing I have painted before<span style="font-weight: bold;">,</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">because we tend to paint what we are most comfortable with.</span><br /><br /></div></div></div></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-9089939569057661782009-08-26T05:30:00.000-07:002009-09-03T08:30:57.538-07:00Artist advice - How to be an artist<div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Artist advice - How to be an artist<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Are you an artist, or a business person.</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">There are many artist who are technically good, but their work doesn't sell. Then there are artist who's work is just OK, and they can't stop selling.</span><br /></div>-<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I often have parents come up to me at art shows and ask what advise I would give to their 14 year old budding artist. I say, "If your he or she, wants to be an artist, then he actually will be a salesman, so he should go to college and get a marketing degree and a minor in art. If his art skill are good, his marketing degree will help him be successfu</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">l. If his art skills are excellent</span>,<span style="font-weight: normal;"> but he doesn't know how to market himself, or talk to people in groups, and individually, he will fail.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span> </div><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">What does an artist do!</span> </div><span style="font-weight: normal;">You have to present yourself in written and verbal form to Galleries, the general public. You might what to give talks, demonstrations, or give lessons as a way of promoting yourself.</span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span> </div><span style="font-weight: normal;">You need to know about price points, so that you know how to price your paintings.</span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span> </div><span style="font-weight: normal;">Your going to have to do research, to learn how you can cut your cost and find the cheapest supplies, outsource, figure out how to Wholesale.</span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">- </span> </div><span style="font-weight: normal;">You need to know who your market is, and figure out, where is the best avenue to reach them.</span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">- </span> </div><span style="font-weight: normal;">To some degree, you going to have to do some accounting.</span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span> </div><span style="font-weight: normal;">You may Physically have to learn how to make frames and matts. Or invest in machinery to help you make then, in order to cut your cost, so that you make more profit.</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">If you are a full time artist, you will lose a fortune if you are having a frame shop do your framing for you</span>. <span style="font-weight: normal;">Unless they are giving you a heck of a deal.</span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">The toughest job, with the highest turnaround is Salesman<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Not only are you a salesman, you are selling yourself. Not only are you selling yourself,, you are selling something personal. The reason that sales people don't last is because they can't handle the rejection. When you are an artist, the rejection is worse, because you aren't selling a vacuum that you have no emotional attachment to.</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">You are selling yourself, and it is hard, to not take it personally, when you don't sell.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: normal;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I could go on and on<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">So, what is my point! Nothing in the long list I have given, has anything to do with creativity and the actual producing of your art work. The sooner you start thinking of yourself as a business person, the sooner you will start to make progress with your art career. That means that you have to dedicate time to thinking about the business side as well. You have to do some research to learn whatever it is that you need to know. Study, do your homework! AH, Dad, stop it! As my son would say. You may need to take a speech class, or whatever it takes. The sooner the better.</span><br /></div></div></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRts2EBWHimB713Q_n809yg7ZEiMur7I9o1m-1m9c3sO9v4MbA1oFm2osJNoU_GP4gVhOEqAHQX-NfgP82sh8cSGBo_cnOG3kpyhc4y6IqmhCJnIKoasGuwjn1LXdv1McUSjMhzKn_RY/s1600-h/Circle-of-Life600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRts2EBWHimB713Q_n809yg7ZEiMur7I9o1m-1m9c3sO9v4MbA1oFm2osJNoU_GP4gVhOEqAHQX-NfgP82sh8cSGBo_cnOG3kpyhc4y6IqmhCJnIKoasGuwjn1LXdv1McUSjMhzKn_RY/s400/Circle-of-Life600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374264101049616930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">One of my abstract paintings</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29827522">Original acrylic geometric abstract</a></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">in MY Etsy Acrylic Store</span><br /></div></div></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-59658985757893942222009-08-02T15:42:00.000-07:002009-08-03T13:29:18.636-07:00How to paint reflections on water - original watercolor painting trees lake<div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br />-<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgi4lrTmmubHsvyyaDtN_JDoKE6jXZPckuPF-LTbIWyHJJD3PkUCUEWCjcOtDzl8WsE2YNroMSMB0yHce92IPayJu2pnNiOkoMaTOKdnwMlUg4EyawmO25296hHTprWty8CJQ3yIvm1w/s1600-h/demo-Reflection5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgi4lrTmmubHsvyyaDtN_JDoKE6jXZPckuPF-LTbIWyHJJD3PkUCUEWCjcOtDzl8WsE2YNroMSMB0yHce92IPayJu2pnNiOkoMaTOKdnwMlUg4EyawmO25296hHTprWty8CJQ3yIvm1w/s400/demo-Reflection5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365553251387549794" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28745762">"Colorful Sunset"<br />original watercolor painting water reflections trees lake</a><br />5x7<br />$35 in <a href="http://www.watercolorsbyderek.etsy.com/">Artist Derek Collins Etsy Store </a><br /><a href="mailto:artistderek@gmail.com">Questions?</a><br />Please add your comment or question!<br /><br />-<br />-<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">How to Paint Reflections in Watercolor<br />-<br />-<br />Misconceptions!<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;">Water is not Blue<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Water has no color, it reflects what ever is around it, be it sky, trees, or Star Trek groupies. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">The color of the water may also be determined by what is under the water. If the bottom of the<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>stream is mud, the water may be brown, if it's mossy, it may be green.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></div><br />Water reflections are not the same value as the sky<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">The value and or color of the water is going to be darker than the sky</span>. <span style="font-weight: normal;">You may look at a scene and say, "They look the same to me!"</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">But you have to make it darker anyway, for the sake of perspective and maybe to add balance to the painting. Also, just to differentiate the sky from the water<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></div><span style="font-weight: normal;">You can see in the painting above, the darker water in the foreground focuses you eyes back up to the brighter colors, and the center of interest. If the foreground water color was lighter, your eye would go right off the painting.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div>Don't Make Waves<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We aren't painting "The Perfect Storm", we are paintings still or nearly still water.</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">We are painting a totally flat surface</span>. <span style="font-weight: normal;">The water has to be smooth, the colors need to be blended together and have a smooth appearance.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br />Do<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Have fresh paint ready, don't use dried up paint, you need color and you need it quick. You should never used dried paint</span>. <span style="font-weight: normal;">Every time you add water, you dilute the paint, it ends up being a lot of water and very little paint.</span><br /></div></div><br /><br /></div><br />Here We Go<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">With a large brush,wet the entire paper in one direction, when you are finished, without adding more water, go over it in the opposite direction. You are just trying to insure that the water is spread evenly</span><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sXJ-OXs9bFdLqyx0UljOHMBIFJfHiIBm0z73zRhM6mPHxfrGQNe1ja51dA_6n0_R-fCn4pBkMN2vySmV-5yq1bZsb9-JMdQ31GT89DzvRoZBg4oaysFaYlMk2h1oExxAwdXBPQPBu_o/s1600-h/demo-Reflection2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sXJ-OXs9bFdLqyx0UljOHMBIFJfHiIBm0z73zRhM6mPHxfrGQNe1ja51dA_6n0_R-fCn4pBkMN2vySmV-5yq1bZsb9-JMdQ31GT89DzvRoZBg4oaysFaYlMk2h1oExxAwdXBPQPBu_o/s400/demo-Reflection2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365501186020086738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Notice the Sky is lighter than the water</span><br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;">The Sky is light Cerulean Blue, the water is darker Cerulean Blue, in the foreground it is Ultramarine Blue, an even darker Blue<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div>In the sky I used Cadium Yellow, in the water Ochre, a darker Yellow, you get the idea here.<br />The colors that you use, aren't as important, as getting the appearance of a glassy surface.<br />If it looks like a smooth surface it will look like water.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I painted the sky in this order</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">From the horizon upward, first the Cadium Yellow, then on top of it, Cadium Red, which blended and became a soft Orange. The Lighter colors to the darker colors. Then I painted the Light blue Sky with Cerulean, then over top of it with a dark Purple, which was Ultramarine Blue and Alizarine Crimson. Again the lighter color, then the darker color<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alternate if your Bold</span><br /></div></div></div></div>Use multiple brushes. Paint the yellow in the sky. Then immediately, paint the mirror, but darker Ochre in the water. Paint the Lighter Cerulean in the sky, then immediately paint the darker Ultramarine in the water, etc.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wet a section at a time if your timid</span><br />Wet the Sky, paint it, then wet the water and paint it. You can always re-wet an area if need be.<br />-<br />-<br /></div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbi1x9tuLedFUso83m0A3GQrWCTz4wqPZVEYo-O5yGpaRlELUn2RoalMzWwSZpMtKm5xAQbH153JMJpDok1uhwbCQLyASMpMauqnp03sMmPifiUtgi6zR2NWy3AptAqcC2xqExYeTJSyE/s1600-h/demo-Reflection3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbi1x9tuLedFUso83m0A3GQrWCTz4wqPZVEYo-O5yGpaRlELUn2RoalMzWwSZpMtKm5xAQbH153JMJpDok1uhwbCQLyASMpMauqnp03sMmPifiUtgi6zR2NWy3AptAqcC2xqExYeTJSyE/s400/demo-Reflection3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365500878581419042" border="0" /></a>-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Re-Wet the Water</span><br /></div>I obviously painted in the trees and land, now back to the reflections. Now, I'm going to paint the trees, reflecting in the water. Normally, I would just re-wet the area below the trees, but I thought the water color was a little to bright. So I mixed Alizarine and Utramarine Blue and made a dark purple. I did a wash starting at the bottom, as I moved upward the wash lightened.<br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">-<br />Paint the Tree Reflections<br /></div>You don't want the paint to spread too much, when you paint the trees. You want the paper to be just wet enough to diffuse or blur the edges. If it spreads too much you won't be able to get a shape that looks like the shape of the tree.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji6z_dgUAAQRpGxwn0_GSeackyOLTLhYelqyeC-EnOgfnPyhameHQTZe833qkfw-Uj06avE5PfdLv-hVD8p2ZAyX5cgLYrZri1ZYCCUa0oLq8adVTRDfwLlWJKNJnR5uiXMK2VnGihh6w/s1600-h/demo-Reflection4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji6z_dgUAAQRpGxwn0_GSeackyOLTLhYelqyeC-EnOgfnPyhameHQTZe833qkfw-Uj06avE5PfdLv-hVD8p2ZAyX5cgLYrZri1ZYCCUa0oLq8adVTRDfwLlWJKNJnR5uiXMK2VnGihh6w/s400/demo-Reflection4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365500654733473522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Add the Tree Trunks</span> </div>I added some highlights to the trees. I thought the tree reflections needed to be a little darker, so I darkened them a little more, being careful to keep it soft. You want the water to be pretty much dry when you add the tree trunks. You don't want the paint spreading, the reflection of the tree trunk could then be 3 times the size of the actual trunk. Then I added the tree trunks, and immediately added their reflections in the water<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Piece of Cake</span><br />-<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: left;">Please add your comment. I hope this was helpful, if it was, please let me know. If something was unclear, let me know that also. Maybe I will expound on it further. Derek<br /></div></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-38014543229134703692009-07-29T05:47:00.001-07:002009-08-03T13:33:44.367-07:00How to choose a Matt for a painting<div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">How To Choose a Matt for a Painting<br /><br />Don't<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">1. Pick the color of your Couch, Curtain ,or your dogs Poopy box, </span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">and then use it as one of the matt colors.</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />2. Don't have a preconceived idea of the color you want to use</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">3. Don't pick an obvious color</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">4. Don't try to make it match your room, focus on the painting only, not the room.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Choosing a Color<div style="text-align: left; font-weight: normal;">1. When you choose a color for a matt you want to choose the 4th, or 5th dominate color. Not the 1st or 2nd or 3rd dominate color.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div>2. The painting either matches your room or it doesn't. If you try to make it match the room, you will be adding a color that will overpower the painting.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div>3. Choose a color, based on the painting, not on the room.<div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What is the Goal</span><div style="text-align: left;">The goal its to pick colors that become invisible. When you look at the painting you won't even notice the matt colors. You chose this painting ,for that room, because the colors in the painting matched the colors in the room. So there is nothing that you can do to make the painting not match, because it already matches. What you can do, is pick colors that draw the eye away from the painting and onto the color you chose. Yuk!<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">How to tell if the colors are right</span></div><br />Put the sample Matt's on the painting. Go to the opposite side of where you have the Matt's. Stand a couple feet back. Focus intently on the center of the painting. Because you are standing a few feet back, you will be also also see the Matt colors. Now, can your eye stay focused on the painting. If it can, you chose the right colors. The Matt colors should disappear<div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div>If your eye is drawn to the Matt color, you chose too strong a color, or a color that doesn't quite match.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div>Still having trouble? Then go to the opposite side and view the painting a couple feet back, looking over top of the Matt.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Still Having Trouble</span><div style="text-align: center;"> Your preconceptions of the colors that you wanted, are getting in the way.<br />Leave it to a Professional and call Dr. Phil!<br /><br />-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DO:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyabFAyEds5I3rIE5Nlde2y-YuIuV5F62kffIIkAPQ9pxhMK3NK2mkSNHuwg05325dH8M98BMMRkxwGzl8R4fvhFD_pzYFVy0TT3GuV4ilhzcXeqtgvUv7uldA3SDLwJrYec4FuXyVHtk/s1600-h/Beautiful-Anticipationolive.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyabFAyEds5I3rIE5Nlde2y-YuIuV5F62kffIIkAPQ9pxhMK3NK2mkSNHuwg05325dH8M98BMMRkxwGzl8R4fvhFD_pzYFVy0TT3GuV4ilhzcXeqtgvUv7uldA3SDLwJrYec4FuXyVHtk/s400/Beautiful-Anticipationolive.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363888101972439650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn48-76BfTl0yFgU0KyxxFqnqsRfKTWrdcIcudB7qDoAYR2c1vqbMZkWi0U-6c7l-N_WHgXjW9lwe5n50UVm6fv5H2uIlqNtylhcKFwTykTUTIZYLVx1m-yOpkIbwzTN223NUOb2e6NGA/s1600-h/Beautiful-Anticipationyello.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn48-76BfTl0yFgU0KyxxFqnqsRfKTWrdcIcudB7qDoAYR2c1vqbMZkWi0U-6c7l-N_WHgXjW9lwe5n50UVm6fv5H2uIlqNtylhcKFwTykTUTIZYLVx1m-yOpkIbwzTN223NUOb2e6NGA/s400/Beautiful-Anticipationyello.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363887471008162994" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-Painting-Landscape-fall-Tree-colors-art-Derek_W0QQitemZ370230382007QQcmdZViewItemQQptZArt_Paintings?hash=item5633734db7&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&refid=store">Original watercolor fall trees painting<br />By Artist Derek Collins</a><br />-<br /><br /></div>In the first example is a light Olive, you may not like the color, but get the concept. It is a green,but it is not the dominate green. It's an in between color. It's not yellow, but it pulls some of the yellows, it also pulls some of the lighter greens that you probably didn't notice , because of the overpowering darker greens in the painting<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The second example is just the opposite of the first one. The Matt color reads more as a light yellow, but maybe has a slight cast of Light green. It also goes with the yellow, and the green in the painting. But this color is not the dominate Yellow in the painting. It is a lighter paler yellow.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">NOT!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtvHS51EmczHXtvRSv8qoP1ADlYB4eevRH1DzWRggFvUxQzbJTUcTFCVrTCUBx-ZYlar4cyhK53H99YycaouqjAuHNAKZOeqFK6TaDK2TxsbLHzzRzvWWRF0vvsEePclRMsOvpxCkBzA/s1600-h/Beautiful-Anticipation-red-.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtvHS51EmczHXtvRSv8qoP1ADlYB4eevRH1DzWRggFvUxQzbJTUcTFCVrTCUBx-ZYlar4cyhK53H99YycaouqjAuHNAKZOeqFK6TaDK2TxsbLHzzRzvWWRF0vvsEePclRMsOvpxCkBzA/s400/Beautiful-Anticipation-red-.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363885513302183186" border="0" /></a>This is an example of a common practice. A lot of people like to use a Maroon, it does match, but you can't look at the painting without your eye being drawn to the Maroon Mat. You would also get this unappealing effect, if you had chosen the dominate, bright yellow, or the Bright green .<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tip</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I have been framing my own paintings to sell for 25 years. Even for me, it is easy to to have a certain mind set towards certain painting, which makes it difficult to find a matt that works. You just can't get past the colors that you have in your mind. If you run into one that you are having a problem with. Try all the different color groups. You may find one of those in between colors that you were totally not expecting.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div><br /></div></div>Happy matting, Derek<br /></div></div></div></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-12017662916532367712009-07-19T21:41:00.000-07:002009-07-20T05:32:45.274-07:00Loosen up your painting style! What are you afraid of?<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Loosen Up</span><br /></div>From my experience , it seem that 3 out of 4 artist would say,"I would really like to loosen up my style." If you fall in that boat, I would like to know what you are afraid. I am not suggesting that everyone should change their style. But, I think there are many of you who would like to, but fear is holding you back.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reject </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Criticism</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I think there is truth in the adage of the tortured artist. Everyone has an opinion about your work. When you put your work before the public, you are really asking the question, " Do, you like my work". Some will actually say they do or they don't. Some will infer it with a cursory glance, or just by not buying it.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't People Please</span><br /></div>There are going to be more people who don't like your work, than do. This is true for any artist. Picasso has no shortage of people who hate his work. You need to practice your best duck waddle a let the insecurities and criticism , slide off your back.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Go your Own Way</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Don't let the fear of losing sales stop you from making a change. If you come up with a different style, you can sell it in a different market . So it doesn't interfere with the customer base that you already have. If it's in your heart to do it, you should. If you don't, you will be in an eternal struggle, trying to please those who can't be pleased and unhappy because you aren't painting what you would really like to be painting.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It's a Win, Win<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">What better time to do this than in a market that is down<span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span> In order to loosen up, you are going to have to get out of your comfort zone and try some new things. Even if you don't come up with an entirely different style, you will learn in the process. You will take what you have learned, and it will add a new dimension to your work.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Since when, is more knowledge a bad thing?</span><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-2772874774809560982009-07-16T06:13:00.000-07:002009-07-16T09:04:10.322-07:00How to paint a Tree - original Watercolor oak tree paintingBecause of the technique that I'm using here, you can use this same process in Oil or Acrylic.<br />Today, I am going to continue the discussion on Light and Dark values. Particularly how that relates to painting a green tree. What we don't want is a tree that is just a, Whole Lotta Green. First, when you paint a tree, you have to know how you are going to highlight the tree. Is the light source, high in the sky? In this example, the light is behind the tree, which means that the tree is going to be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">back lit</span>. <div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Paint in 3D</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Paint in Layers</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">When you look at a tree, you see leaves in the back, in the middle, and in the front.<br />Think about this when you paint the tree.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't paint what you see.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> When you look at a green tree, all of the leaves look green. The leaves in the back may be slightly bluer and darker. The leaves in the front may be lighter and more to the yellow side.<br />Don't paint the tree like this, or it will look flat, and way to green. That's how you end up with a, Whole Lotta Green. Yuk!<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Learn the art of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">exaggeration</span></span><br /></div><br />Make the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">darks</span>, way darker than they really appear, this will give the tree depth. This is true of any subject matter. Always make the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">darks</span>, darker than they really appear. It adds drama, and it give the painting, or tree in this case, depth.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >The Painting is the easy part</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br />-<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Paint the b</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ack</span> first</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In this stage, you are going to use a dark, it doesn't matter so much what the dark is, the important thing is that it is dark enough. Don' get persnickety, use a bigger brush or a Fan brush and dab it on, loose is better. You can fix anything by adding another tree branch. Paint the entire shape of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">foliage</span> of the tree. Remember to leave a lot of space were you can see the sky behind the painting. That's the back of the tree.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Paint the middle of the tree<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mix up a green</span>, <span style="font-weight: normal;">don't use a green straight out of the tube. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Geez</span>! If you are using watercolor, use fresh paint, straight out of the tube, not worked up dry pain</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">t. Use a lot of paint and very little water<span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span>Again,dab it on, leave at least 40% of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">darks</span>. Don't cover up all the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">darks</span>! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Geez</span>! Let some of this go over the sky areas that are peeking though. Stop! Don't cover them all up. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Geez</span>! We all have a tendency to want to over do everything.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br />Paint the Front<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />With a tree that is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">back lit</span>, there aren't going to be a lot of bright sunlit leaves. But at this stage you can add a few brightly lit leaves. These will be more to the yellow side, maybe almost pure yellow,you can make these with a large liner brush or dab them on. Just a quick, small, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">curvy</span> line. Don't make me say <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Geez</span>, just a few. That's it, piece of cake!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">-</span><br />To Illustrate the Point<br /></div></div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKGPoYHY_KHg__or-ULaP1lc-t33NnoV2IDx9P70Kn5r7Adv7sxMmZtDrPyXF7vuT8o7Oth34o6N1CVSmcurXpXt78g9XhWAwSfFkUpwCiTS5VxjM3LV5pymbC29ZU-1S7OMpLIU6P-M/s1600-h/Cow-Wading_600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKGPoYHY_KHg__or-ULaP1lc-t33NnoV2IDx9P70Kn5r7Adv7sxMmZtDrPyXF7vuT8o7Oth34o6N1CVSmcurXpXt78g9XhWAwSfFkUpwCiTS5VxjM3LV5pymbC29ZU-1S7OMpLIU6P-M/s400/Cow-Wading_600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359070002504747730" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27836291">"Cow Wading"<br />Original watercolor Cow Painting oak tree water</a><br /><a href="mailto:artistderek@gmail.com">Questions?</a><br /></div></div></div><br /></div></div></div><br /></div></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-5983699381841081922009-07-15T04:01:00.000-07:002009-07-15T19:11:51.444-07:00Variation - How to mix colors and improve your paintings skills<div align="center"></div><div align="center"><strong>How to mix colors?</strong></div><div align="left">You get 2 colors, then you use a tool to stir them together, until the color changes.</div><div align="left">Just kidding? Lighten up, art is suppose to be fun. Stop using the same colors, over and over.</div><div align="left">Stop trying to get the exact color that you want. If you are real obsessive about the exact color that you want, you are going to continue to mix the same colors over and over. There are a bi- zillion colors and your mind can only conceive a few.</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><strong>Warm and cool colors</strong></div><div align="left">We are going to discuss greens, I think they are the toughest colors to master. Why? Because, there are so many greens in nature. In a summer landscape, the ground and all the trees are green. That can practically be the whole painting. If you don't have color Variation, your painting can quickly become one big blob of green. You need to have warm greens and cool greens.</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">- </div><div align="center"><strong>Warm Green</strong> </div><div align="left">A warm green may be a green to the brown side, you can accomplish this with a touch of red.</div><div align="left">It could be an olive green, you can get an Olive color by mixing a Blue, with an Ochre. Ochre, really is a yellow to the brown side. On a green tree, you can use pure yellow to highlight the top of the tree or a few leaves. It will be read by the brain as a green that is in light. </div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><strong>Cool Green</strong></div><div align="left">Well, that's a piece of cake. A lot of greens are already to the cool side. Most people need to focus on getting more warm greens. In all likely hood, if you are looking at your painting and saying," There is something wrong, it's just so green", you probably don't have enough warm colors or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">darks.</span></div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Darks</span> and Lights</strong></div><div align="left">I can say this with confidence, you need more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">darks</span> in your painting. The applies to every area of your painting, but we are talking about greens.</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Darks</span></div><div align="center">Mix your green with a dark blue(Cooler), a dark brown(warmer),a black (cooler), a purple which is blue and red( cool, but warmer than blue because of the red).<br />-<br /></div><div align="center">Lights<br /></div><div align="left">Do all of the above and add white, maybe lots of white and some yellow. If you are painting with watercolor, you do this by using less pigment and letting the white of the paper show through.</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">- </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><strong>I understand, but exactly which colors should I use?</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>-</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>-</strong></div><div align="left">This is the question you want to ask, and also your biggest obstacle. Having someone tell you, 2 parts Ochre and one part Ultramarine, is keeping you stuck right where your are. You have to experiment with colors and explore all the different combinations that you can come up with. It will become part of you, only when you do, and discover on your own. Your mistakes will teach you what not to do. The more you do on your own, the more proud you'll be with the finished painting.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><strong>The Example</strong></div><div align="center">Notice the painting below</div><div align="center">The yellowish grass in the distance reads as Green, highlighted by the sun.</div><div align="center">The dark trees in the back looks almost black, but reads as green in shadow.</div><div align="center">None of the greens are straight out of the tube, they have all been mixed.</div><div align="center">The grass, trees, and water are green, but are all slightly different greens.</div><div align="center">There are a lot of dark areas of green</div><div align="center">There are light green areas where the sun is shining.</div><div align="center">You are not overwhelmed with any one particular green.<br />-<br />-<br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358643950333665826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 191px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAeLgE_yEf5ArOA1JBjw5_3RHrok6SghYAodn0Ac5Zh7n9DYq1Rx1g-DmdCA2BkgHt5PdtDewZ-aump4efCQMMNlfRglrNHaDRh66xBF3NzNx8jLWTvy5BJ6lYAylCq2wBNJ9AJsQ3rKw/s400/Cloud-Movements_blogger.jpg" border="0" />Cloud Movements<br />24 x 36<br />by artist Derek Collins<br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21187162">Large canvas acrylic cloud painting river and trees</a></div><div align="center">To see in greater detail , click the link, then click the painting twice</div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-18793482624189463402009-07-08T05:36:00.000-07:002009-07-08T07:10:01.042-07:00Are you a Professional Artist Wanna be - How to beAre you a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Professional</span> Artist wanna be? Maybe technically, you are a hobby Artist, it doesn't matter. You really have to start thinking of yourself as a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Professional</span>. Why? There are a number of reasons. How about!<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br />IMPROVE YOUR CRAFT<br /><div style="text-align: left;">No matter the level of the artist there are always new things to try or improve upon. When your income is not dependent on art, there is no urgency to improve your skills or to make changes to your work that will make it more marketable.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">PAINT EVERY DAY<br /><div style="text-align: left;">The number one thing you can do to improve your skill is to paint every day. It's easy to put painting aside when your not dependent on the income. I know that it is not always possible, not even for me. For me , the business side of art often get in the way. If you have a real job, or maybe kids, life gets in the way. Still, if you don't make it a priority your skills will remain the same <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">indefinitely</span>.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">TRY NEW THINGS<br /><div style="text-align: left;">I have done <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">juried</span> art show for many years. It is interesting to watch all the other artist through the years. There are some artist who's work hasn't changed one Iota in 20 years. Then there is a group of more spirited, adventurous artist, who are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">always</span> trying to fix the broken wagon. I fall in that category,I am never satisfied. <br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div>As I am going to Art shows this years I am noticing a lot of artist with entirely new bodies of work. Some are adding a different twist to their work. Some have changed their work entirely.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When the economy falls apart and sales are slow. I always think, if I just do this differently my paintings will sell better. This struggle, and the changes that I have made, haven't always produced immediate sales. But this process has always improved my skills, and eventually the sale have come.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">PRICING YOUR WORK<br /></div>What should you charge for a painting. Well, until you start thinking of yourself as a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Professional</span>, you will never have the backbone to raise your prices, so it's a moot point.<br />No one else is going to see real value in your work, if you don't.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">IMPROVE YOUR TONE<br /></div>I have found that when a hobby artist talks about their work, they present their self in a couple different ways.<br />1. The apologist: The are constantly apologizing for their prices, offering sales, and just presenting a overall tone that cheapens their work.<br />2.The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">diversionist</span>: They don't have confidence in their work, so instead of talking about their work. They talk about their feelings. How they feel when they paint. How the painting makes them feel when they look at it.<br />3. The aloof artist: You are not really aloof. You just appear to be, because you are afraid to talk to people, so you say nothing.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">-<br />-<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG<br /><div style="text-align: left;">Do you think that when your skill level gets to a certain point, your paintings will start magically selling, when you are coming across as an Amateur. Because you are not a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Professional</span> at this point, you don't have the pressure of the market bearing upon you. So it is critical that you start thinking of yourself as a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Professional</span>. Make it a priority to improve yourself in all these areas, because they are all inter- related. If you act like a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Professional</span> Artist, people will believe you are. More importantly, you will start to believe.<br /></div></div></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-54158398195932061102009-06-28T14:27:00.000-07:002009-07-05T05:03:31.761-07:00Is a web site necessary for an artist?Please feel free to add your opinion. I am just giving you information to think about.<br />I am right 95% of the time, so there is always a small chance that I could be wrong about something,somewhere, at some time.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">-<br />-<br /></div>I just think that with the advent of blogs, the necessity to have a web site has been lessened.<br />The whole point of a website is so that people can find you and your work. Right!<br />Two weeks after I started my blog, my search position on Google catapulted. I can be found much easier now that I have a Blog, than when I had a Website.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">I had a website for ten years and never had a sale on it. I wasn't really trying to sell on the Internet. My web site was really targeted toward the customers that I had at my art shows. Everyone at the show wanted to know if I had a website, but none of them ever bought anything from my website. They wanted to see the art in person, that's why they go to art shows.<br />After a website has been there awhile and not updated, it gets down graded by Google.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">-<br />-<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The Pitfalls</span><span id="formatbar_Buttons" style="DISPLAY: block"><span onmouseup="" class="on down" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 11);ButtonMouseDown(this);" id="formatbar_JustifyCenter" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" title="Align Center" style="DISPLAY: block" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);"><img class="gl_align_center" alt="Align Center" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" border="0" /></span></span></div>It is possible to have a kick butt website, that is not <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">SEO</span></span> friendly. Each page of a Website has a title. The person that builds the site needs to manually give each page a title, and add a description of that page ,using Keywords that describes your product. Will the person that builds your site, know what words are the best keywords for your product? Did the person that built your site do this? You'll probably never know. This is done in the background of the programming, it's not something you can see.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">-<br />-<br /></div>Is your site really fancy, does it have music, scrolling pictures or words, or other such niceties.<br />These fancy <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">professional</span> looking things, all slow your website down, and frankly are totally <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">unimpressive</span> to most people. They are to busy being annoyed that the page won't load, to notice how impressive your site is. Goggle downgrades sites like these,precisely because the pages load too slow.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">_<br />_<br /></div>If you have a website built, what are you going to do when you sell, and your Website becomes outdated. How are you going to add new work to your site. This is the problem you will have if someone else builds your site. If it needs changed a lot. It could be a money pit.<br />-<br />-<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Online Stores</span><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Are you selling your work on some of the online stores like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ebay</span></span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Etsy</span></span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Yessy</span></span> , etc. ... If so, I don't see the point of having a website where you are selling the exact same product. If you are selling totally different products then that makes sense.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">-<br />-<br /></div>The good thing about the on-line stores is that they are already optimised for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">SEO</span></span>. After all, if people can't find your work there, you will leave, or you won't sell, and they won't get a commission.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">-<br />-<br /></div>The second thing, is that it is easy to add new products and revamp your store whenever you deem it necessary.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">-<br />-<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><br /></div>Thirdly, the on-line stores already have shopping carts. There is absolutely reason to have a Website that doesn't have prices and a shopping cart. That's just making it too difficult for someone to purchase from you.<br />-<br />-<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Using Your Website as a Hub</span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Why?<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">If your not actually selling from a Website, why have it?<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">The number one, easiest way to be found on the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Internet</span> is a Blog, not a Website.<br />Because you update a Blog often, and because it is already optimized for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">SEO</span></span>,(Keywords).<br />If you are using your Website as a hub, just to point people to all the places you can be found on the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Internet</span>, why not use a free blog instead.<br />-<br />-<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">But I want to keep my name.</span><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">www.<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">I'm</span> famous.com<br /></div>I commonly hear people say that they have a web <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">URL</span> that they want to keep so that people can find them. At one time would have agreed with that. My old site was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">artistderek</span> DOT com. I gave up that name and someone else has it right now. I just Googled Artist Derek. I came up in the number 2,3,4,5 position on the first page. Nowhere on the first page was the person that has the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">URL</span> , <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">artistderek</span> DOT com. So who is better off? Every day a couple people find me by searching for Artist Derek Collins. That's the goal, so you can be found. I just Googled Artist Derek Collins, there are 9 spots on the first page, I had every spot but 1. Do you have a website? Google yourself, how easy or hard you are to find?<br /></div></div></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">-<br />-<br /></div><div style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">What should you do?<br /></div>1. Start a Blog today<br />a. A hub to send people to all the places you sell art<br />b. so your customers can get to know you.<br />c. It will elevate your search status.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Website?</span><br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div>1.Use one of the online stores as a website and drive traffic to it with a Blog and whatever else.<br />2.Use one of the services that will let you build your own Website, like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Godaddy</span></span>, then use a Blog and whatever else to drive traffic to it, so that you can update it and have full control over it.<br />3 Already have a website? Then start a Blog and drive traffic to it.<br /></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-79827695209168107622009-06-27T15:53:00.000-07:002009-06-27T17:45:38.402-07:00What kind of watercolor paper should I use?<div align="left">I am glad you asked! You probably think I'm going to talk about brands and Archival quality, and nothing but the best. You would be wrong. I don't find the different brands to be all that different. The only <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">caveat</span> would be that some brands have whiter paper than others. Having a really bright white might be important to you, especially if your doing a snow scene. But even then it is not critical.<br /></div><div align="center">-<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><strong>Hot Pressed, Cold Pressed or Rough </strong><br /></div><div align="center">Hot Pressed is smooth, Cold Pressed has some texture, Rough has a lot of texture.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">-<br /></div><div align="center">-<br /></div><div align="center">Hot Pressed</div><div align="left"><br />The paper is smooth. So it doesn't absorb a lot of water. The water sits and floats, on top of the paper. When you wet the paper, it makes it very difficult to get the water even on the paper.</div><div align="center">-<br />-<br /></div><div align="left">It also dries faster and not as evenly. I am sure you are aware that watercolor can be hard to control. If you use Hot Pressed, smooth paper, you are just adding another element that you have to try to control. </div><div align="center">-<br />-</div><div align="left"><br />The up side to the smooth paper is that is is much easier to put fine line detail work, because of the smoothness of the paper. If you are doing a lot of wet on dry, sharp focused realism, then Hot pressed could be your choice. If you want to paint wet on wet, then stay away from Hot pressed. If you are an inexperienced painter then that goes double for you. </div><div align="center">-<br /><br /></div><div align="center">-<br /></div><div align="left">Because the hot pressed doesn't absorb as much water, it is harder to get intense colors. Since it doesn't absorb as much water, by default it is absorbing less pigment. Hence, less color saturation. I like intense colors, so it is an annoyance to me. If you want intense colors you will have to build it up in layers. I am a professional artist, and even I have to work harder to control the Hot Pressed Paper, especially wet on wet<br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><strong>Here is a painting that was painted on Hot Pressed Smooth paper.</strong></div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352154069682041618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccn-6RqlwBVXjwKnhuqSze9B8T8QzOlhOeGS0OEB_bFlNh2q39VN0UPkXB-T2zINqpgvpirpQwFKo_DWQau1hK_SpC6akSQYwnnoO9JqbP2g5y8-EmDmg6beLtBNqBXzGbUjbDD-eb1Y/s400/moonlite-Eve600.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center">Notice the Red, how it appears to be sitting on top of the Blue</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">- </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><strong>This painting was painted on Cold Pressed paper<br /></strong><br /></div><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352155437688881106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_owELvCAriwsITrFz_JB4FrAMMZVU2BrixKZrd2dblh5lX58s72-5GShWxcYDwF0b8ok_GlVkeiuCnp8v5pzWNEkrCSDLvH1BX2LehobsnS_M_d6ex85-19vOyz8sW0DFF29BXFrpCe8/s400/Well-lit-Night600.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Notice the red in this painting, how it merged and mingled with the blue.</p><p align="center">Also how much freer and more impressionistic this painting is. </p><p align="center">_</p><p align="center">-</p><p align="center"><strong>Cold Pressed</strong></p><p align="center"><strong>-</strong></p><p align="left">The amount of water that you have on the paper is critical when painting a watercolor. Cold pressed paper has some texture, little grooves in the paper. These little grooves cause the water to spread. This may not make sense, but this is what makes Cold Pressed easier to control than Hot Pressed. </p><p align="left">-</p><p align="left">-</p><p align="left">Listen closely! Remember, Cold Pressed absorbs more water. The water doesn't sit on the top, like it does with Hot Pressed. The key is that is absorbs the water more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">consistently</span>. So while the watercolor will run, it will run in a more consistent manner. Making it easier for you to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">predict</span> what will happen. Then all you have to worry about is the amount of water on your brush. Trust me on this one.</p><p align="center">-</p><p align="center">-</p><p align="left">As I said before, because it absorbs more water it absorbs more pigment, allowing you to get more intense colors more easily. Cold pressed is the number 1, selling paper, there is a reason for that.</p><p align="center">-</p><p align="center">-</p><p align="center"><strong>Rough Pressed</strong></p><p align="left">It is really a lot like Cold Pressed, just more of the same. The grooves are deeper. So it requires boldness. You will have to be willing to use larger brushes as it will absorb even more Water and Pigment. It does allow you to add more texture in your paintings. Not for the timid. Cold Pressed is still the safer choice, as it is more versatile and the fine detail work will be easier because the paper isn't as rough. Rough might be the choice for more abstract or splattered impressionist paintings.</p><p align="center">-</p><p align="left">If you are wondering what kind of paper you should be using, the answer is Cold Pressed. It is the most versatile of the three. It bridges the gap between Rough and Smooth, and gives you the best of both worlds.</p><p align="left">If you are a new or <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">frustrated</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">watercolorists</span>, please switch to Cold Pressed now, Before it's too late.</p><p align="center">-</p><p align="left">I beseech you!</p><p align="left"><br /> </p><div align="center"><strong></strong></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-1961397755964508042009-06-23T09:43:00.000-07:002009-06-23T10:15:54.515-07:00Develop Thick Skin - How to be an artistI often say, I didn't know what depression was until I became an artist, or maybe when my kids became teenagers. It is hard not to take your art personally. When you are selling, you are on a high. When you are not selling, you can't even see the top of the mountain, because of all the haze around you.<br /><br /><div align="center">-</div><br /><div align="center">-</div><br />It is a roller coaster ride sometimes. You have to have a thick skin. There are people who just won't like your work. That's a given! If you take your work to Galleries, some of them won't like your work. If you do juried art shows you are putting your work out there for people to judge. And judge they will. You become invisible, there as so many tents with artists, that you become invisible. People will stand right in front of you a say what they don't like about your work.<br /><br /><div align="center">-</div><br /><div align="center">-</div><br />I don't hear a lot of negative comments anymore, but when I was starting out I certainly did.<br /><br />Some of these comments can actully help you, if you can take your bruised feelings out of the equation. There are always things that we can improve in our work. Art is an aspiration. It is a lofty place that we are attaining to get to. Always out of our reach, like a Mirage in the Desert.<br /><br /><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><br />Listen to comments and learn though them. Don't let them become distractions.<br /><br /><div align="center">-</div><br /><div align="center">-</div><br />Develope a thick skin!Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-85660357261832589922009-06-18T06:19:00.000-07:002009-06-18T08:16:32.286-07:00Eagles, Deer, Hawk, Crow, and Egret - My fishing tripI went fishing yesterday with my oldest son. Male bonding! It was quite the day. I had a new Battery that apparently is a bad battery. An old Battery that also tuned out to be a bad Battery. My connector for the oars had broken off. Why would I need them anyway! I have 2 Batteries for my trolling motor. So we spent the entire day paddling a 14 foot boat across a 400 acre lake.<br /><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div>We saw 9 deer up close and personal. One was eating moss out of the water. We saw an Eagle dive down to the water to scoop up a fish. Two 2 crows trying to steal food from a flying Hawk.<br /><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div>Buzzards flying around, maybe they thought we wouldn't survive the heat.<br />A Wild Turkey, Squirrel, and a variety of birds.!<br /><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div>And then, the most amazing thing of all. We were fishing about 18 feet from the bank. There was an Egret that was walking down the shoreline. He stopped right in front of us. He just sat there looking right at us. When we caught a little fish, we thew it at him and he would eat them. At one point we thew one that landed 5 feet short of him, in the water. He gave one big flap of his wings and pounced in the water to get it. Amazing!<br /><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div>I only go fishing to provide food for my family. That's what I tell my wife, anyway. With all that drama, we did actually catch a lot of fish. Have to fill the freezer up for winter.<br />-<br />-<br />The art can become an all consuming thing, it is good to get away from it occasionally. "All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy"Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-73031119952645609402009-06-16T16:48:00.000-07:002009-06-18T13:08:50.772-07:00The Principle of Three - How to paint Trees<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQQ98W2hyoSMTOuqmQSZbq1t5gfD2i7yHY4c8qqpH6VRIKF80xjQHfPK8CLRCHkt1fB0G9Dks7OWjpuH-MwG9sdSo75MzNE2kQq229h0AtCUlNaF2fVR0rs0hyOycbnvo1-IdG7HhwIs/s1600-h/a-day-remembered_v_cl1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348088363681177682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQQ98W2hyoSMTOuqmQSZbq1t5gfD2i7yHY4c8qqpH6VRIKF80xjQHfPK8CLRCHkt1fB0G9Dks7OWjpuH-MwG9sdSo75MzNE2kQq229h0AtCUlNaF2fVR0rs0hyOycbnvo1-IdG7HhwIs/s400/a-day-remembered_v_cl1.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>Notice the Body</strong>: The deep darks of the trees leaves are almost black looking</div><div align="center"><strong>Notice the Soul:</strong> The deep shadowy olive leaves</div><div align="center"><strong>Notice the Spirit:</strong> The bright yellowish green leaves</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><strong>The Principle of Three</strong></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">The Principle of Three, is a basic teaching concept that I have come up with. I believe that you can apply it to your work in a multitude of ways. 3 values, 3 hues, 3 sizes, three objects, 3 color gradations, etc.. This is the first installment</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><strong>Body, Soul, and Spirit</strong></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">Let me rephrase that. Dark value, Mid-value, Highlight. The dark value is the body. Think of it as a silhouette of an object, a body without life. It tells you what the object is, be it person or thing. </div><div align="center"><br />-</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">-</div><div align="left">The mid- value is the soul. It give the person or object, a Soul, or life as it were. It helps to describe what specific type of person or object something is.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">The Highlight is that which give the person, or object, individual personality.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">A lot of people who find my paintings on the internet, are using searches like: How to paint grass or How to paint Clouds. When you ask How to paint anything, in a Landscape painting, the answer to your question is always the same. Body Soul, and Spirit! If an object is really small you may not always be able to get all three into that small space. If the object is large, it always needs to have a Body , Soul, and a Spirit. </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">If you give every object three values, it means by default, you are also giving it three different (HUES) colors. If you do this, to each object, you will be improving that object 6 different ways. Three values + Three Hues. Learn to focus on one object at at time. Don't let the vastness of the painting overwhelm you. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">When time allows I would like to show you 4 or 5 different ways to paint a tree. That will be my next step by Step Demo. </div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="left">Do you have a preference! Would you like to see a tree done in watercolor or Acrylic?</div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-41573337649916745962009-06-12T07:59:00.000-07:002009-06-12T08:39:24.883-07:00Unfold - Illustration Friday- Original acrylic modern landscape painting<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln1sf_szN24jnk5a6hP102cNveIGvFonlpwevjZbSo2gAW10F5SO5wUzotxzN3qIrKF455ck24iyhc_f9CNw4lRvtoPN1ZSzYmAv9LYGm3b6ifkThqWsFTEjZ9Hw7w86DxpiwMmCJXHM/s1600-h/Beautiful-and-Techerokeeblo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346457707472367938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln1sf_szN24jnk5a6hP102cNveIGvFonlpwevjZbSo2gAW10F5SO5wUzotxzN3qIrKF455ck24iyhc_f9CNw4lRvtoPN1ZSzYmAv9LYGm3b6ifkThqWsFTEjZ9Hw7w86DxpiwMmCJXHM/s400/Beautiful-and-Techerokeeblo.jpg" border="0" /></a> The Topic Is UNFOLDING</div><div align="center">On the website <a href="http://illustrationfriday.com/">Illustration Friday</a></div><div align="center">Where a topic is interpeted through Art</div><div align="center">This is my interpetation of the topic Unfolding</div><div align="center">Click the link to see other artist entrys </div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">- </div><div align="center">This is a picture in time, drama is happening.</div><div align="center">A story is unfolding.</div><div align="center">What do you think?</div><div align="center">Is this a storm that is coming in?</div><div align="center">Is this a sunset on a cloud filled day?<br />Is there any wind or is it fairly calm?</div><div align="center">Is it unfolding or has it unfolded?</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="left">This is the Day that Hurricane Ike hit us in Indiana. We had blue skies all day and no rain.</div><div align="left">But we also had 90 mile an hour winds,for 3 hours straight. Nearly 1 million people without electricity. Ours was out for 3 days. </div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="left">This is the view from my house. I painted this in the evening as the storm was moving out. The winds were still 40 miles an hour. I held the canvas down with one had as I painted this painting with the other. Drama had unfolded!</div><div align="left">-</div><div align="center">"Beautiful and Terrible"</div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Original%20acrylic%20modern%20landscape%20painting">Original acrylic modern landscape painting</a></div><div align="center">In <a href="http://derekcollins.etsy.com/">My Etsy Store</a></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373777391336673778.post-6482320516702974402009-06-12T07:15:00.000-07:002009-06-12T07:29:59.551-07:00Art of Child- original watercolorAceo painting of a boy fishing<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccauC6GrIkQqhfiackdpWXiyJbIobLtpUr1tTNp6elmQpKHxJJxmTqyDlc29pibG_8_FgZ8JX-AvpCl6hgvRwNh3H_8UjWLyofpLqk8tKIjz9pJWFMqp5EDflDd5iTafR2LeVt4MC8Hw/s1600-h/Little-Fisherman.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346445155700800802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 285px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccauC6GrIkQqhfiackdpWXiyJbIobLtpUr1tTNp6elmQpKHxJJxmTqyDlc29pibG_8_FgZ8JX-AvpCl6hgvRwNh3H_8UjWLyofpLqk8tKIjz9pJWFMqp5EDflDd5iTafR2LeVt4MC8Hw/s400/Little-Fisherman.jpg" border="0" /></a> "Little Fisherman"</div><div align="center"><div align="center"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22313347">Miniature <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ACEO</span> watercolor painting of a little Boy Fishing</a></div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">It was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">thissss</span> big <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Grandma</span>, I swear.</div><div align="center">Give the kid a break, the fish look bigger in the water.</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center">-</div><div align="center"> This is my entry for the website</div><div align="center"> <a href="http://www.inspiremethursday.com/">Inspire Me Thursday</a></div><div align="center">Where a topic is given and different artist express the topic through art or written word<br />Topic this week : ART OF CHILD</div><div align="center">Click the link to see what other artist submitted</div><div align="center"></div><br /></div>Derek Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743906360134438590noreply@blogger.com2