Before the Barbizon School and the Impressionists promoted the idea of painting on location or ‘En plein air’ most artists would work in the studio.  While initial sketches and even some painting was done outside, the majority of the work was completed in-doors. Using acrylics in a hot climate necessitates a return to this method of working, and thanks to the technology that is now at our disposal contemporary artists can avoid prolonged spells in an inhospitable climate and work in the relative comfort of the studio. While some purists may argue that an artist should only work from their own sketches and drawings, those who are willing to embrace the digital camera will find that the opportunities to capture scenes and images are limitless.  Spending seconds rather than long minutes making detailed sketches, a 21st century artist can capture the essence of the scene before them and return to the studio with an album of photographs upon which they can base their next painting. If necessary these photographs can be manipulated with appropriate software until exactly the right image is found, and at this point you are ready to make a painting.

1.  Measure your stretched canvas and square it up.  You will not want too many lines across your work so it is probably advisable to limit the squares to about 6cm (about 2.5 inches).

Read the rest of this entry »

Related Topic

• Acrylic Painting Ideas
• Tips On How To Shop At An Acrylic Painting Gallery
• How to Earn an Income Painting With Acrylics
• Acrylic Paints Can be Diluted With Water
• Acrylic Painting 101