Learn to… Art!

Busy Week and a (non-Art) Announcement

Aug 14, 2010 Special Bulletins

I have to apologize for the short hiatus. I have had an extremely busy week and haven’t been able to post anything new.

My big announcement is that my boyfriend and I got engaged a couple weeks ago. We are really excited and have spent the last week nailing down a date and trying to line up a venue and catering. Thanks to my family, this has been a relatively painless process. I am completely clueless when it comes to event planning and all the little details are overwhelming!

I’ve also been teaching a mixed media workshop for kids. That was a learning process! The kids flew through things I thought would take a long time and took their time on what I thought would be quick projects. Each day I had to have several things planned, plus a few extras just in case. All in all it went well and the kids enjoyed it. It was a lot more challenging than I’d anticipated, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat!

My other news from this week is that I had another critique with my old prof. I was able to get some feedback on my recent abstract work and most of it was good! Thanks to this prof, I will be having a solo exhibition in September to showcase my new paintings at the UBCO Fine Art Gallery.

Regular posts will resume tomorrow, so please hang in there just one mor day!

One Year of Art Blogging - Giveaway Winner

Jun 1, 2010 Special Bulletins

First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who entered this draw. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the number of entries, as well as by all the kind comments and encouraging words. It’s so great to know that I’ve helped so many people!

When I started this blog, the whole idea was to share practical, down-to-earth tips and advice for both new and experienced artists. I feel like I’ve only scraped the surface of achieving this goal. At the beginning,  I had no idea if I would have enough to say to write regular articles. Well,  it appears I do!

Secondly, I want to thank all of you, my readers and supporters. This blog is sometimes a labour of love, and it’s all worthwhile when I know that an article has struck a chord with someone.

Lastly: Drum roll please……….

The winner of a custom tote bag and a selection of drawing supplies is…

Kendra and I met on Twitter, and later at her studio. She is a spectacular watercolour artist who specializes in winter landscapes. I really admire the way she is able to capture the warmth of the sun on the snow. Take a few minute to look at her paintings.

Thanks again for taking part in this draw!

All the best!

Tags: giveaway, messages

Want to Win Free Art Supplies?

May 19, 2010 Special Bulletins

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED… THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!

At the end of this month, Learn to… Art! is one year old!

I can’t believe it’s been so long already. When I first started blogging, I wondered if I’d even have enough to say to last this long. Apparently I do!

To celebrate the blog’s birthday, I’m hosting a giveaway of a tote bag loaded with drawing supplies! The tote bag is totally practical and great for taking to workshops or plein air painting and drawing. The art supplies area  variety of different media to encourage you to try new things! This prize package is great for beginners as well as those needing to re-stock!

What You  Get:

• a custom Learn to… Art! canvas tote bag.
• a sketch book
• two pencils (different graphites)
• two blending sticks (different sizes)
• a graphite stick
• a charcoal stick
• a white conte stick
• a kneaded eraser and a regular eraser
• a pencil sharpener

Estimated value: $50

How to Enter

To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post. I’d love it if you let me know your favorite part about Learn to… Art! or make a suggestion about what you’d like to see more of.

Extra entries for:

• tweeting about this giveaway with a link to this post
• following me on Twitter
• sharing this link on Facebook
• becoming a fan on Facebook
• blogging about this giveaway with a link to this post
• subscribing to my RSS feed or e-mail feed
• signing up for the monthly newsletter

If you do any of these extras, or have already done, leave a comment and let me know!

Deadline: May 31st

This is my way of showing my gratitude and appreciation  for an ever-growing audience. This blog is all about helping people expand their artistic horizons, learn new techniques, becoming better artists and having the confidence to put yourself out there.

Good luck!

Tags: giveaway, messages

Are You Getting Your Newsletter?

Apr 15, 2010 Special Bulletins

Did you sign up for the newsletter, but aren’t receiving it?

It’s come to my attention that there is a little mix-up with the newsletter. Basically, the newsletter service was sending out confirmation e-mails from a different address than where the newsletter was coming from. What that means is that the e-mails have probably gotten stuck in your junk mail folder!

I’ve fixed this little problem, but if you haven’t been getting the newsletter, make sure to check your junk mail or set info@learntoart.com to your safe list.

Sorry for the confusion!! This is all new to me and it’s definitely a learning curve!

And for those of you who haven’t signed up yet, below is the March issue. Take a look at all the juicy tid-bits you’ve been missing! I’ve also added links in the sidebar (to the right) to the latest newsletter, as well as the archive.

If you want the next issue in your inbox, please submit your address!

In this Issue: A Message from Miranda, The Best Way to Approach Portrait Drawings, You Might Be an Artist If…, March from @Learntoart A Message from Miranda Hello and happy April! I can’t believe another month has gone by. March was a busy one, and the rest of the spring looks to be the same. The past month at Learn to… Art! was full of colour as we began introducing the topic of painting. If you missed any of these articles, be sure to check them out! An Introduction to Colour Theory Watercolour vs. Acrylic vs. Oil Choose Your Colours Exploring Warm and Cool Colours Tips for Mixing Oil and Acrylic Paints Do you have a burning colour question? Let me know, I’d love to help! Sincerely, Miranda Aschenbrenner The Best Way to Approach Portrait Drawings You’re sitting at your table with a clean, fresh piece of drawing paper in front of you. You draw your grid (or not) and then you outline the features of your portrait. Now what? All that white staring back at you can be intimidating! There are probably as many ways to start a portrait drawing as there are people who draw them. I’ve narrowed them down to two basic approaches: the all-over approach and the wallpaper approach. The question is, which approach is best? The Wallpaper Approach When papering a wall, you start on one side and work your way methodically across. When you draw this way, it’s much the same; you start on one side of the page and complete the drawing in sections as you move across. Brian Duey demonstrates this in his portrait drawing tutorial. While this approach almost ensures that you won’t drag your hand through your work, it can be difficult to create smooth transitions between the areas you’re working on. You also have to be spot-on with your values as you work. The All-Over Approach This approach takes the entire page into consideration. Each layer of graphite is built up gradually across the whole portrait. My portrait tutorial is a good example of this. Drawing this way lets you respond to the portrait as a whole piece, rather than just rendering each area as you see it, but you need to be careful where you rest your hand. What’s the Verdict? Visit Learn to… Art! to find out which approach I like best and let me know which works for you! You Might Be an Artist If… On a lighter note: Have you ever wondered to yourself, “am I really an artist?” Well, if you can relate to any of these statements, the answer is probably yes! you’ve cleaned your fingernails with a palette knife you choose a wine with an eye toward using the bottle in your next still-life you’ve rinsed your watercolour brush in your coffee you’ve painted an abstract and decided it looked better upside down Read the rest of the list. March from @Learntoart Don’t use Twitter? That’s okay, you don’t have to miss these great tweets from the past month! Going Beyond Inspiration http://tinyurl.com/ycodxst “Keep showing up. Sometimes, inspiration will meet you there.” 8 Ways to Improve Your Paintings Instantly http://tinyurl.com/cr9kop 9 Very Common Figure Drawing Mistakes, And How to Avoid Them http://tinyurl.com/y9lzl94 Follow me on Twitter!   Give Your Next Painting a Caffeine Boost - and Paint with Coffee! http://tinyurl.com/yzh39e5 Biggest Mistakes Artists make in their Careers http://tinyurl.com/yhq3on5 How to Make a “Rub-out” Drawing Using Watercolors and Pencil http://tinyurl.com/ycpxq9q Learn to… Art! www.learntoart.com info@learntoart.com

Tags: messages

Happy Easter! (and Don’t Forget the Newsletter)

Apr 4, 2010 Special Bulletins

I hope your day (and weekend) is full of friends and family and fun. And chocolate.

Oh wait, that’s me!

Happy Easter!

On another note:

 Have you signed up for the newsletter yet?

 If not, what are you waiting for? Sign up now! 

To get an idea of what the newsletter is all about, have a look at the April issue.

PS: Learn to… Art! has been providing you with art tips for nearly a whole year! I know, it doesn’t seem possible! Anyways, keep an eye out for an upcoming contest/giveaway to celebrate a year of blogging!

Tags: messages