plein air landscape painting
Painting From Life vs. From Photos


Do or die list for artists

Art News Blog posted a great list of survival tips for artists. The one that made that warm, resonating tone in my head was:

Inspiration is found in the studio while you are working. If you sit around waiting for inspiration before you start creating you will have about 15 paintings finished when you’re 60.

How true how true how true! The corollary: don’t let a lack of inspiration bother you if you are not actually doing art at that very moment.

What a fool I am sometimes, walking in the evening and wondering if I am on the right track with my artwork. When I am painting in the studio, I know I am. That’s the opinion that matters.

In the post at Art News Blog, Dion asks what I will ask here: do you have other artist survival wisdom to share?

Also by Karl:

How to Store Oil Paints

oil paint tube

  1. Tube Trouble?
  2. The Greatest Invention Since the Paint Tube

How to Care for Brushes

oil painting brushes

  1. Turpentine Trouble?
  2. Storing Brushes
  3. Cleaning Brushes
  4. Shaping Brushes
  5. Transporting Brushes

Things to Ponder

whatisart

  1. What is Art?
  2. How to Make Art Last?
  3. Is Art School Worthless?
  4. Why is it Difficult to be an Artist?

Frames and Framing


  1. To Frame or not to Frame?
  2. Internet as Frame
  3. In real life, the frame matters

Painting from Life vs. from Photos

plein air landscape painting

  1. From Life by Zipser
  2. From Photos by Bodner
  3. From Life by Bartman

How to Blog

  1. How to Write the Perfect Blog Post?
  2. “Bloggers have to Earn the Right to be Read”
  3. How Should Artists Blog?
  4. Can You Create in Public?