“A Fish out of water”
Abstract thoughts.
A lot of artists feel like fish out of water, where “views” are treated like success.
Some of us dreamed of simply making art for a living. That alone once felt impossible. Yet now, even after reaching that point, it can feel like the job demands so much more than the work itself.
Algorithms. Content schedules. Trends. Engagement. Constant posting.
At times it feels like being an artist quietly became being a marketer, editor, performer, and brand manager first.
But social media is just the tool here. Not the measurement of your worth as an artist.
Virality is not the same as mastery. Followers are not the same as fulfillment. And views are not visibility .
Some of the greatest growth happens in silence, in studies nobody sees, in paintings that take months, in the slow shaping of your voice.
Don’t let the pressure to be visible disconnect you from the reason you started creating in the first place.
Separate social media from the soul of the work.
The art still matters, even when the algorithm doesn’t notice.
Keep going artist.
Just get started.
Not everything has to be a masterpiece.
Practice is where artistic growth happens.�Color studies. Anatomy studies. Value studies. Composition studies.
Every sketch, every failed painting, every repetition is building visual memory and sharpening technique.
�Talent might spark the interest, but disciplined learning creates mastery.
Study the fundamentals. Practice deliberately. Trust the process.
And have Fun.
#art #tutorial #artistsupport #oilpainting #queen
Lace comes after the form.
If the fabric underneath isn’t convincing, no amount of pattern will save it.
Think transparency, not lines.
You’re painting what shows through it just as much as what sits on top.
Keep your edges soft and broken suggesting the shape.
Now folds.
Simplify into planes.
Light, halftone, shadow. Push contrast where the fabric overlaps or compresses.
And the key to all of this is just..
Lose information.
Realism isn’t in painting everything…
It’s in knowing what to leave out so the eye completes it.
Garments are easy when you think in light and shadow first.
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Painting sunflowers on a sunny day.
You can control the day and energy of a painting when you control the temperature.
Here’s a few tips for painting warm tones on skin.
Start with a warm colors like burnt sienna or Caput Mortuum so the whole painting breathes from underneath.
Keep your lights golden, not white.
Let the sun sit on the skin try yellow ochre, soft orange, warm mixes.
Cool your shadows slightly. That contrast is what makes the warmth glow.
And don’t overdo it.
Save your richest warmth for where the light hits first.
You’re painting sunlight… resting on skin.
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Value is everything,
not just money.
It’s about the balance of light and dark in your work. You can have all the colors, but if your values are off, it can look flat.
Values are what give your piece form, show light, and add real depth. To make your painting pop, nail those values.
Here are some quick tips:
👉🏾Do a quick value sketch before you start painting to save yourself some hassle later.
👉🏾Use fewer colors to really see how light or dark something is without distractions.
👉🏾Snap a pic and turn it grayscale for a quick reality check.
But remember, it’s not just about the paint. There’s value in what you create and share with the world. Whether it’s a finished piece, a process video, or just celebrating your own growth, it all matters. Paint with purpose and share with heart. That’s true value.
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Lapis lazuli wasn’t easy to come by, so ultramarine blue used to be seriously expensive. Like, more than gold expensive.
Patrons would literally pay for a specific amount of blue in a painting, just to make sure it was used where it mattered most.
I’ve been thinking about that while working on this.
Color isn’t just visual, it’s value, intention, and restraint.
A few quick tips if you’re working with rich colors like this:
Layer it slowly thin glazes will always feel more luminous than one heavy pass
Build a solid underpainting so the color can glow instead of sit flat
Pair it with neutrals or earth tones to make it stand out naturally
Me personally I can’t afford Lapis lazuli 😅
So in this painting I used ultramarine blue, cobalt and cerulean blue for the highlights.
Giving It the same color as a true Lapis Lazuli stone.
Try It out!
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Skin tones are easy when you understand that they’re not just color. They’re more like a conversation.
A back and forth.
Start with the basics:
Red. Yellow. A touch of blue.
That’s your foundation.
But the life comes after that
Push red where the blood sits closer to the surface
Let yellow warm the light
Use blue to cool and create depth
Now here’s where it changes everything:
Stop looking for “skin color”
Start looking for temperature
Warm light. Cool shadows.
Soft shifts. Subtle transitions.
Add a little green to calm it down
A touch of purple if you want to bring it back to life
Because skin isn’t flat
It moves, it shifts, it breathes.
Slow down and really look.
The more you see… the better you paint.
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Curiosity always looks irrational from the outside.
The red rabbit isn’t meant to make sense.
It’s meant to pull you.
Red is.
It’s urgency.
It’s instinct.
It’s the part of you that refuses to stay comfortable.
Most people wait for clarity before they create.But what happens when you follow what you don’t understand.
My red rabbit is that feeling.
The idea that keeps tapping at my mind.
The image you can’t shake.
The direction that doesn’t make logical sense but feels necessary.
Follow It.
Even if it leads you somewhere unfamiliar.
Even if no one else sees it yet.
Because every artist eventually has to choose
Stay in the ordinary
or chase the thing that changes them.
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Your reminder
Trust the process.
Learn color. It’s the language your soul speaks in.
Find your flow. That’s where real art lives.
Create from abundance, and the work will come naturally.
Create from fear, and the color loses its pulse.
The canvas reflects your energy…. every time.
And when it comes to red, keep it simple:
Don’t rush it.
Mix with intention.
A touch of blue deepens it.
A hint of yellow brings warmth.
Balance matters on the canvas, and in life.
#art #tutorial #artistsupport #oilpainting
Manganese violet takes the lead in this one.
It’s quiet. Controlled. Never trying to over power the palette.
It’s a semi-transparent oil, best for glazing. Laid over a dry underpainting, it doesn’t smother the light, it lets it come through.
It naturally leans cool, drifting toward blue when pushed. But a touch of warm yellow and it pops.
I reach for it when I want something richer than black something with subtle complexity.
Try it and see what it does in your work.
#art #tutorial #artistsupport #oilpainting
People who love green tend to value balance, curiosity, and growth.
Green sits right at the center of the color spectrum, which might be why it often feels so harmonious. It’s deeply tied to nature, renewal, and the idea that things are always evolving.
For this study, I went all in and painted the entire piece in green to see how much form and depth could emerge from a single color.
Limiting your palette like this is a great exercise. When you remove the distraction of many colors, you start focusing on what really builds a painting, values. Push your lights, deepen your shadows, and you’ll start to see just how much dimension one color can hold.
Sometimes the fastest way to grow as an artist is to give yourself fewer options.
Stay Green. 👌🏾
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Phthalo Turquoise is def a deep color.
Probably one of my most used this year so far.
I was pushing myself to experiment with colors I don’t usually reach for, and this study grew out of that. And since I’ve used It in most of my work.
mastering a color isn’t just about the hue. If your values are off, even the most vibrant pigment will fall flat.
Quick tip for artists:
Push your darks darker. Let your lights breathe.
Try colors you don’t normally use. They’ll challenge your mixing and open new creative doors.
Keep this thought. Artists aren’t in competition. Now more than ever we should be building, collaborating, and protecting the stories art carries.
