Ressources

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- Alla Prima
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Academy of Realist Art

The Academy of Realist Art is a school that teaches classical drawing and painting skills based on 19th century European atelier techniques. If you love the painting style of Ingres, Bouguereau and Sargent, then there’s a good chance you will enjoy their online courses. And if ever you’re in Boston or Toronto, then you might want to check out their live classes and workshops.

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Alla Prima
drawing
Free educational videos
techniques
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- Alla Prima
- Books
- color
- composition
- techniques
Alla Prima II
I love this book!! If you have only one book to get, this is the one! A beautiful blend of technique and creative expression, this book will make you fall in love with painting. Richard Schmid is a master of direct painting. The new expanded edition is now available. You can also find it on Amazon.
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Alla Prima
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- color
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- for beginners
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Art Tutor
A good place to explore if you’re just starting out. They have free videos, blog articles and “Free Guides”, as well as subscriptions to get access to many more video courses.
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Articles/Blogs
color
composition
drawing
for beginners
Free educational videos
techniques
Video Courses
- Articles/Blogs
- Books
- for beginners
- Free educational videos
- techniques
- Video Courses
Artists network
A site filled with information, not only for oil painting, but also for watercolors, pastels, acrylic and other mediums. There are a lot of free stuff, such as interesting articles and short videos, but also a wide selection of other things you can purchase, like books, video downloads or better yet, an all access video subscription where you pay a single amount either per month or per year, and get access to over 700 videos.
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- creativity
Big Magic
A truly practical (and sometimes magical) look at the ever elusive creative muses and the mysteries of inspiration. Will change your perspective on what it is to be an artist.
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Books
creativity
- Art Supplies
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Blick – Art Supplies
Big online store, based in the US. They also have a few videos on their site that shows you how to use some of their products.
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Art Supplies
Free educational videos
materials
- Books
- color
- techniques
Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green
This book was a recommendation from Richard Schmid (Alla Prima II) and I must say, I had a major Aha moment when I read it. His explanation on how colors are reflected or absorbed and the importance of color bias for primary colors is quite enlightening. Having a warm and cool version of your red, yellow and blue (split primary), gives you a wide range of color mixing possibilities. This book will help you understand why some color mixes are vibrant and others are muted. It will certainly help you get the colors you’re looking for. A word of warning however: this book is extremely repetitive in its color mixing examples, which can make for a difficult read (and can also make your eyes glaze over…). If you would like to only get the key points of the book without going through all the examples, then you may be interested in this article.
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color
techniques
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Brushwork Essentials
Very interesting book on the art of brushwork. It shows the many different ways to manipulate your brushes and paint, where a lot of an artist’s personality comes through.
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Color
One of the books that helped me the most on the subject of color! Well explained, with many practical excercises that will help you understand the theory.
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color
for beginners
practical exercises
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- for beginners
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Creative Catalyst
A site for artists of all genres (watercolors, acrylics, graphite…) with a section for oil painting and subjects such as landscapes, portraits, still life, plein air and a few video courses specifically for beginners.
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- Art Supplies
- Canada
- materials
Curry's Artists' Materials
If you live in Canada, then Curry’s is a great place for you to shop! Their online store carry an impressive variety of renowned brands, some of which are difficult to find, such as Old Holland oil paints. And if you live in Ontario, you might be lucky enough to be near one of their stores. It’s a one-stop shop for much of your art supply needs.
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Art Supplies
Canada
materials
- Art Supplies
- Canada
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DeSerres
Another Canadian art supply store where you will find everything you need for your creative journey.
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Art Supplies
Canada
materials