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The Louvre just put its entire art collection online.

There is nothing like spending a rainy afternoon at a museum, soaking in the beauty and wonder of art and history. Now the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum, is letting you do that right from home.

The French museum has released an online platform featuring all of the museum’s artworks, consisting of more than 480,000 pieces. Art lovers and researchers alike will now be able to view the entire Louvre collection online for free. (Read more…)

Artists Materials – Review of Medieval Italian and Russian Tempera Painting Technique – Natural Pigments

The technique followed by painters in medieval Western Europe to prepare and paint tempera panels and that used by painters in Russia of the same period are closely allied. However, there are some differences in the process from the preparation of the panel to the final varnish. These differences are interesting to note and can provide some insight into the technique and process used by the earliest Byzantine artists to make panel paintings. (Read more…)

A New Book by Philip Guston’s Daughter Explores the Origins of the Painter’s Ku Klux Klan Imagery—Read an Excerpt Here

When Philip Guston was young, social injustice and the cruelty of the world reverberated deeply through his paintings. In 1968, the United States was again in a state of profound unrest, with its moral leaders assassinated, its inner cities rife with looting and rioting, and its police violently suppressing protestors; halfway around the globe in Vietnam, the death toll was steadily mounting. The art world had seemingly detached itself from the real world and was busily gazing inward, celebrating formalist abstraction and elevating consumerism. (Read more …)

Squeeze Bottles Simplify Studio Life

Recently I purchased some squeeze bottles; the kind that you might use to put mayonnaise on your hamburger or hot dog in a restaurant.

I use them to organize my oils and solvents. Now it’s very easy to access these liquids. No more breaking my hand prying off a frozen linseed oil cap or overtightened Gamsol bottle.

It’s also much cleaner to apply them either to a cup or my pallette or wherever I want them to go. Less wasted product too. The precision tips are great and they allow me to direct the contents precisely.

It may not seem like much but it’s a pretty amazing and simple solution that really makes my studio time more efficient, cleaner, and much more organized. Give it a try and see what you think.

I would love to know what your experience with this is so leave a comment below and I will feedback with you.-

10-Billion-Pixel Panorama Reveals The Extremely Up-Close Details Of Vermeer’s ‘Girl With A Pearl Earring’

In 2018, Emilien Leonhardt and Vincent Sabatier from Hirox Europe, with the support of Abbie Vandivere, carried out a close-up examination of the painting in which they used a 3D microscope to create an incredible 10-billion-pixel panorama of it.  It is a fascinating look at an iconic work of art, the likes of which we have never seen before. Take a look at it here.

Learn how to clean paintbrushes properly, whether you’re using oils, acrylics, or watercolour.

Learning how to clean paintbrushes properly is an important skill. As the saying goes: If you look after your tools, your tools will look after you. When you start painting, a good set of brushes is one of the most important investments you’ll make – and they can set you back a fair amount of money too. So it makes sense to give them a bit of TLC.

Here are some techniques you need to know.

How To Paint With Acrylics: A Step-By-Step Guide

Like any craft, learning how to paint with acrylics takes a little time to get the hang of and involves plenty of trial and error as you set on your way. With guidance and advice from painters who’ve been working with acrylic paints for many years, skillshare.com has put together a comprehensive 101 on the topic. Check it out here.

How to Become a Professional Artist

Jill Poyerd is a contemporary realist known for her tranquil subject matter and unique painting style. Her award-winning work can be found in private collections both nationally and internationally. She has been featured in national publications, and is a signature member of several prestigious art societies. Her perspective on how to become a professional artist is well worth the read. Click here to take a look.