Category: Art Facts

Art surprises lurking in your art supplies

Imagine the following scenario with me if you would.
Standing in your favourite art store, item in hand thinking, “I’d love to try this.” That impulse kicks in and the words echo in your heart, “Sold!!! I’m taking this…”

Making Waves in the World of Watercolour

Somerset West was the setting for the biggest international art event in South African history. The IWSSA (International Watercolor Society of South Africa) recently hosted the 1st International Watermedia Festival, Colors of the Rainbow Nation, which featured 150 artists from 26 different countries. The exhibition itself took place from the 4-16 September at the Art Curator Gallery, Lourensford Wine Estate, but that was certainly not the only element of interest surrounding this event.

Types of White Paint and How to Use Them

Is white paint the most important colour on an artist’s palette?  This hue finds it way into most, if not all, colours in a painting.  Artists often argue the merits of one type of white paint over another.  Whatever the case white paint certainly is a significant part of our painting materials.  But did you know how many types of white are available?  Not to mention how to use them all.

Do You Need Talent to be an Artist?

How often do you look at a friend’s art and wish you had their talent?  Some people just seem to make drawing and painting look so effortless. But how much of that is in fact talent and how much can you learn?

The Peculiar History of Pigments

I love colour – I love the different hues and variations and the way the colours in a box set of pencils or pastels move from one to the next.  As a child, I would repack my crayons over and over trying to work out the best way for them to seamlessly move from red to blue to green.  I admit though that it wasn’t until I listened to a podcast interview with Gamblin founder Robert Gamblin about his search for a Flake White Replacement that I became intrigued with pigments.

Paper Facts – Guiding you through the Paper Maze!

Wading through the world of paper jargon can sometimes be quite a daunting task.  Considering that paper will make up quite a big part of your arsenal to produce art, it is very useful to know a little more!

The Psychological Benefits of Making Art

People often have the misconception that one has to be an artist to benefit from doing art and furthermore that only painting or sculpting is considered art.  I should possibly have reconsidered the heading of this blog and amended it to ‘The Psychological Benefits of Being Creative’.  Any creative process – whether you are drawing, colouring or doing mosaic – will give you the same type of benefits.

Coloured Pencil Joy – 5 Reasons to try Coloured Pencils as Art Medium

It’s difficult not to imagine the start of a school year without the mandatory new set of colour pencils – I remember so vividly how beautiful I thought the perfectly colour-arranged packets were – the barrels shiny, the lid marked where the sharp points stained it so alluringly.