Why Paint Upside Down? 15 Helpful Painting Hacks

It’s always exciting to start a painting, but there are a lot of simple painting hacks that can make the process much easier. Below you’ll find 15 helpful painting hacks that I’ve used and some that other artists have shared with me throughout the years.

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Helpful Painting Hacks #1 – Paint Upside Down

I learned this amazing trick decades ago, but continue to use it nearly every time I paint. When you look at your painting for too long, something bizarre

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How To Paint White Fur – Painting A White German Shepherd Step-By-Step

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Knowing how to paint white fur may not seem like that big of a challenge until you try it. The trick is to not paint white fur with white paint – at least not at first.

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In today’s tutorial, I’ll walk you through step-by-step how I painted this beautiful white German Shepherd named Maiden. I’ll go over some of the challenges I had with the lighting of the fur and how to model it. I’ll also talk about how I decided when to

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Pet Portrait Painting: Watch Me Paint A Pug

Pet portrait painting a pug – it may not be easy to say three times fast, but I’ll make it easy to go through each step. You’ll learn my approach to painting black fur, creating a focal point, my painting challenges in oil and how I decide when the painting is “done”.

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All of the images from this article are screenshots from a video I did while painting this pug. The video should appear on the screen somewhere on this page, but you can always head over to my YouTube channel to see the full video.

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10 Tips For Painting A Dog Portrait Featuring A Japanese Chin

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In today’s tutorial, I will go over 10 tips for painting a dog portrait. The images in this post came from screencasts of a painting I started on the iPad with ArtRage and then finished on the desktop with ArtRage 6. I use the same approach to digital painting as traditional painting, so whether you paint on a canvas or a tablet, the steps below will apply.

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If you’d like to watch the speed painting I created from the screencasts, click the

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6 Tips On How To Paint A Tomato

Have you ever wondered how to paint a tomato? Maybe not, but there is a lot you can learn by painting this simple, delicious subject. In this tutorial, you’ll learn 6 tips for painting this tomato’s portrait.

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If you are new to painting, it’s always good to start out with a simple subject. But as I show you how to paint a tomato, you may realize

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How To Paint A Cat On The iPad Pro – Digital Painting Tutorial

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Learn how to paint a cat following along with this painting tutorial on the iPad Pro. Whether you are a traditional or digital artist, this approach will help you develop your skills and get results. As with any tool in the artist’s toolbox, it takes practice and patience to achieve a quality piece of fine art. Artists are visual learners and seeing the process step-by-step can help you understand how to create portraits of your own.

Learn how to paint a cat digital painting tutorial

This portrait features a very special cat named Tippy. He was a feral cat (thus the tipped ear) who decided he liked humans and living indoors. I met him at a local pet store where the lovely women of Diva Cat Rescue had him up for adoption. He was such a handsome boy I had to paint his portrait to help get him and the organization

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Help My Paintings Win An Online Art Contest

Five of my paintings are currently featured in an online art contest for PM360’s Art Attack. You may remember that last month my painting, Silver Cup, was chosen to be on the cover of PM360’s Greatest Creators. The people at PM360 had a lot of art to choose from, so they decided to show ALL of the artwork submitted and let the public decide which one they like best.

PM360 art attack online art contest

Here’s the catch though, you can only vote for one artwork out of hundreds in this online art contest  Five of my paintings are included in the contest (above) really need your vote. If you already know which one you’d like to vote for click the button below. There are a lot of paintings to scroll through, so keep scrolling until you find the one you like.

VOTE NOW

If you don’t know which one to vote for in this art contest, I’ll tell you a little bit about each one below including their story and some

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Greatest Creators Cover Competition Winner

I’m excited to share that my painting, “Silver Cup”, was selected as the 2019 Greatest Creators cover winner in a special edition of PM360 magazine. I’m so honored and grateful that my work was chosen among so many talented artists.

2019 greatest creators cover winner PM360

What is PM360’s Greatest Creators?

PM360 is the premier magazine for marketing decision makers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industries.

Every year, PM360 has a special edition showcasing some of the best creative work from ad agencies serving the life sciences industry over

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8 Tips For Painting Black Fur – Traditional & Digital

I love black dogs (and cats) so I thought I’d share some of my tips for painting black fur. I recently came across an inspiration photo on Sktchy that looked EXACTLY like my dog Claire that had passed many years ago. Claire and I were very bonded, so it was like getting a “hello” from heaven when I saw the picture. I knew right away I had to paint her!

8 tips for painting black fur traditional and digital in artrage step-by-step tutorial

I did this quick study on my iPad using ArtRage, but the tips I’ll be giving here apply to painting in oil or acrylic as well. This is the same approach I use when I’m on the easel.

ArtRage is as close to traditional painting as it gets. It’s fun and convenient and,

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Painting A Cat In ArtRage Featuring Rémy The Gargoyle

Remy the gargoyle cat portrait painting in artrage Painting a cat in ArtRage featuring Rémy the Gargoyle

Here I am once again painting a cat study in ArtRage. AND – once again – it’s a bare naked Sphynx cat. But this is no ordinary hairless kitty. Nope. This is Rémy the Gargoyle who is gaining fame due to his gorgeous eyes, adorable little elf ears and curious view of life on Instagram.

Painting a cat in ArtRage step-by-step featuring Rémy the gargoyle

How Painting A Cat In All His Naked Glory Can Make You A Better Artist

My parents hate it when I paint naked cats as they find them to be “ugly”. That’s their opinion. A lot of artists like Jennifer Gennari love painting Sphynx cats because they are so challenging. If you’re an artist and want to improve your skills, these

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