There’s nothing worse than spending money on nice art supplies only to find that they’ve dried out, gone bad, and expired once you sit down to use them. This is definitely something you have to worry about with paints, but what about colored pencils? Do colored pencils go bad? Colored pencils do not go bad …
Drawing is hard. There’s no doubt about it. There are times when it’s so hard that we just feel like giving up and quitting art altogether. If you’re feeling that way, you may be asking yourself if that’s the right choice. Should you stop drawing? If you’re asking yourself if you should stop drawing, the …
Many of us don’t look at our sketchbooks and think that our drawings are primary sources. We’re used to seeing primary sources that are old, historical, and belong in libraries. When we think about primary sources, we’re not used to thinking about them in our own homes, let alone being the creators of them! Could …
We all know that iPads are great for digital drawing, but it’s a little known secret that they’re great for traditional drawing as well. If you don’t have a lightbox, using your iPad is a great alternative. To use your iPad as a lightbox for digital photos, adjust the settings that increase your brightness and …
There’s nothing worse than creating a beautiful pencil drawing that you treasure, only to find that it starts to fade overtime. For most art, there’s no doubt that it takes care and effort to make sure it lasts for many years to come. But, what about pencil drawings? Does graphite fade? Graphite has a very …
Drawing from reference falls into a sticky territory. Is it bad? Is it cheating? Is it actually helpful? There’s a common misconception that drawing from reference is the same as copying, but it’s not. In fact, you could end up with a very original and unique piece, even after using a reference photo. Drawing from …
We’ve all dreamed of being great artists; pulling out our pencils and quickly drawing a masterpiece that we can be proud of. But, anyone who has tried to draw a perfect picture on a whim knows that it isn’t easy. Can it be learned though? How hard is it to learn to draw? It is …
There’s nothing worse than pencil stains and indents that won’t go away. When you’re doing a pre-sketch for a drawing, painting, watercolor, or more, you want the lightest pencil that won’t leave a trace behind. 9H pencils are the lightest drawing pencils you can get because they have the hardest lead. That said, 9H pencils …
There’s nothing like opening up a new blending stump, tortillon, or kneaded eraser. Mainly because they are so clean! But, even if you have old blending tools and erasers, there’s still hope. You can clean them and get them back to new. To clean a blending stump or tortillion, rub the tip of it with …
You pull out your brush pens, ready for a great session of lettering or drawing, only to find that your brush pens are all dried up. What gives? Brush pens are amazing tools, but sometimes they can be a bit fragile. You leave them alone for a bit and they simply shrivel up. Luckily, there’s …