Wanderer above the sea of fog, After Casper David Friedrich. Charcoal Sketch (featured on Drawing / Sketching Guide)
Art is about learning to see and possessing the discipline for regular practice - no innate talent or art school is required even if all you can muster is sickly looking stickmen! This website features free art lessons (including guest demos) and commercial art instruction video tutorial guides to develop art skills in a variety of mediums from graphite, oils, watercolour, pastel, ink, charcoal, acrylics from sketches to finished artworks. Inside you can find free art lessons teaching how to draw portraits and sketch faces in charcoal, with more free art demonstrations in pencil, oils and watercolour to be featured at a later date.
To compliment the free art lessons, we have two great multimedia art video tutorial CD's for improving artistic skills, complete with art videos, animations and intricate step-by-step instructions, teaching the process of 'seeing', hence the ability to draw. Following from this excellent Drawing and Sketching Guide (aimed at artists of all abilities - beginner's can learn how to draw and paint, intermediate and slightly more advanced artists can learn tips and tricks to develop their artistic skills), we are pleased to also present our Wildlife Art Guide, Land, Sea and Air with detailed step-by-step tutorials and three hours of video covering nine unique animals in graphite, oils, pastel, acrylics and watercolour.
Artists are as diverse and varied as they come, not only in experience (or lack thereof), but style and attitude, yet many things are shared, from meditative time alone to a mutual love for aesthetics and the cathartic feelings that stem from purging our imaginations and desires onto a sheet of paper or canvas
The beauty of art is that it can be picked up at any age. If art looks magical to a beginner then that's probably because they never spent any real time painting or drawing since leaving school. The process of seeing can be mastered by all, and seeing is the key to drawing and sketching, and drawing/sketching the key to using any medium. Drawing largely amounts to measuring, coordinating the hand to interpret a representation seen by the eyes. The more accurate those measurements, the more like the subject that drawing will resemble (true, it can be easier said than done!). The basic skills learnt correctly can lead you towards your goals be it striving for photorealism, expressionism, impressionism or anything inbetween.
Drawing and Sketching Art Videos / Lessons Home Study Art Course - beginner, intermediate and Advanced lessons. Click here for details
With the right art instruction and background reading, combined with astute observation anybody can develop as a proficient self-taught artist. This website is geared to developing and harnessing both the latent skills of beginners, and those with some experience behind them (whether self-taught or a student of art). Primarily the in-depth and structured art demonstrations and instructions are represented through the series of unique multimedia titles, combining video, animation, and photographs with careful and thorough descriptions of each stage. Also provided are a set of completely free art lessons, and whilst not representative of the commercial products, they are written to a high standard and it is my intention that they serve as a means to develop, aid and instruct others interested in producing and creating art.
HANDMADE LEATHER SKETCHBOOKS, MADE BY ARTISTS FOR ARTISTS.
Handtooled and crafted from thick, high quality Buffalo hide, these sketchbook/journals are designed for artist's on the move. The paper is individual stitched with leather thong and will not crack or tear like glued bindings. A leather tie strap fastens the sketchbook and an inner leather flap protects the pages from damage. Available in various sizes, and with various papers for different medium types, they make the ideal gift for any artist wishing a far more intimate and personal sketchbook to take on their journeys. 'Vegan' sari sketchbooks also available, free from animal products. VIEW THE JOURNALS
Water Buffalo, Oil Painting - WORK IN PROGRESS. 20in by 12in on Plywood.
Teaching Yourself Art
As a self-taught artist myself, I have always been wary of those art guides that purport to turn you into a Cezanne, Gogh or Monet in a day. Not only do I think it important to become the artist you are to become (not that emulation is necessarily a bad thing - copying old masters has many benefits), art is a path you have to dedicate yourself to, and be prepared to work at. I keep all my old sketches and drawings to measure progress - stick figures represented the best of my 'talents' back in Spring of 2002.
Many similar abysmal efforts followed, with the odd success mixed in amongst frustration. I became a proficient reader and maintained a high standard of discipline when it came to drawing practice. My journey continues and I've yet to fall into a niche, but evolution is the fun part to development and it would be a pleasure to help others along their evolutionary artistic adventures.
The online art shop offers secure online ordering to destinations all around the world. We have a number of art related products on offer from the Drawing and Wildlife Art Tutorial Guides, to handcrafted artist's sketchbooks, fine art canvas prints from the Old Masters, alongside contemporary, modern art canvas prints.
Be sure to also check out our Gallery, where original artworks and limited edition signed prints, from the artist, are available for purchase. Occasionally we may also list artwork by other artists.
All major credit cards are accepted, and whilst prices may default to British pound sterling, you will be billed in your local currency. You will also find an up-to-date currency converter to give you the latest in exchange rates.
To see the full range of art products available, please click here.
