Wondering how you can create bolder, fresher pastel paintings? One of the first things pastelist and workshop instructor Jeanne Rosier Smith challenges you to do is to ask yourself if any—or all—of these five lies is contributing to your overworked paintings:1. “I don’t need to plan my whole painting; I’ll just figure it out as I go along.

Portraiture is the genre of painting in which the likeness of a sitter or model is depicted by the artist. Historically, portrait paintings were often commissioned by the well-to-do or powerful, but artists will also create portrait art when they find a compelling model or want to commemorate a person with the work.

Artists from around the world brought their best watercolor paintings to the party for the 8th Annual Watermedia Showcase competition. Freshen your drink and enjoy some of the finest work contemporary watercolor has to offer.“The language of art has no boundaries.”—Zhu LiangchuanPrize-Winning Watercolor Paintings“As I watched my daughter swim for the first time, I was struck by the riot of color—not only in the complicated waves of water in the swimming pool, but also by the rich colors reflected by her body.

Learning how to care for your paintings once they dry is an important part of the studio process. Oil or acrylic paintings are better protected when they are varnished, which is also important to bring out sunken darks once the medium has dried. But learning how to clean an oil painting is quite a simple task and another way to protect your work.

Autumn Art Colors That Are Powerful But Not OverwhelmingI’ve always loved the varied and intense colors of fall. With the season just starting, I realized it is the perfect time to share with you this stunning oil painting by artist Bob Rohm entitled Morning Color.It’s a wonderful example of how intense your art colors can be.

One of the most frequently asked questions of any pastel painter involves the pastel palette and palette box. While this is far from the truth, a well-appointed palette certainly can make the task of painting what we see, and wish, much easier.The literal definition of an artist’s palette refers to the surface upon which pigments are arranged for the purpose of painting.