The background is what is BACK and BEHIND the objects, subject matter, figures or forms of the composition. In life it would be what is farthest back...  < read on >

Blending of colors or values is most easily accomplished by starting with light applications of two or more colors. Drawing many light applications...  < read on >

Burnish usually means to rub something to polish, enhance or perfect. With colored pencils I am talking about taking a white or other light value...  < read on >

In the strictest sense complementary colors are colors that have no common color. In this way they are total opposites. Red, Blue and Yellow are the...  < read on >

One mark on a paper and you have a composition! Every other mark, smudge, color, shape, pattern or form and on and on is then a component -- a part...  < read on >

The way that I explain it in the classroom is that CONTENT is first physically everything that is in a work of art – all materials, all color,...  < read on >

Contour drawing is one of the big teachers in drawing and a very relaxing activity. It can calm you down and drop you into the "zone". It teaches...  < read on >

When working with color there are four contrasts that are very good to be able to identify and thus manipulate. These are: value, color,...  < read on >

This is a term that I use and that my teachers before me used. Simply put it just refers to the darks that are the most dark and the lights that are...  < read on >

Simply imagine a person (a figure) standing on the earth (the ground). In drawing and painting all objects or forms or even shapes that stand out can...  < read on >