Notes From Artist Jackie's Studio
A Free Newsletter for Those Who Love to Paint
Copyright 2005 - For Personal Use Only
Color of the Month
Manganese Blue 
An interesting blue somewhere between cerulean and cobalt. In addition to using it for sky and water, I like to use it as a background color for still life paintings. I find it nicely sets off compositions of brown, beige, gold or orange objects. When mixed with colors such as raw sienna, burnt sienna, yellow ochre or other warm shades it grays them down just enough without making mud. Give this blue a try and it just might find a permanent home on your palette.
Tool of the Month
PVC Pipe
The inexpensive white pipe used for plumbing can also be used to help you around your studio. It comes in many diameters. Sometimes you can get scraps from the store, plumbers or do-it-yourself buddies. There are end caps available as well. So you can cut the length you need and make a brush carrier. Cut several lengths straight at one end, diagonally at the other, glue or tape them together, put on a base and have a handy way to store your brushes, pencils, whatever. Use that imagination of yours and you just might find some other uses as well.
Don't Fence Me In
Whether it's a real fence, a hedge, a line of sand dunes, a guard rail, a pathway or any object that runs across the front of your picture be careful when you paint it. You need to invite viewers into your paintings not fence them in or block them out. A straight barrier tends to keep the viewer's eye from traveling through and seeing the whole painting.
In real life fences, hedges, etc. will run straight across a scene, but use your artistic license to modify the landscape to make a better painting. Add an open gate or a gap. Change the angle of the barrier so it diminishes or add something in front of the line to soften it. Try a few things and find the best way to break through the barricade and invite the viewer into the landscape. Set up your composition correctly so you don't fence your audience out!
Samples Block the viewer out... and... Letting the viewer in
Sample Palette
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