Also @ Creativity Portal

Collaging with Cancer: Goddess of Peace and Mindfulness
If I learned only one valuable lesson on my recent journey with cancer, it was to stay out of the future, out of the past, and to rest in the present moment.

Getting Unblocked From Writer's Block
I believe writer's block can be solved quite easily, simply by changing your perspective and a few simple practices.

Follow Your Dream Signs
Paying attention to the signs to our dreams is often a difficult one.

The Tree-mendous Memory! Game
Sharpen your mind with a fun simple game that is available to everyone as a free printable download in PDF format. If you want to exercise your brain and you like board games, print the game out for your table top. Great fun for kids and family. Elderly people benefit too by strengthening their mind muscle with the "Tree-mendous Memory! Game". Be sure to check out the autumn version of this game.

The Creative Zone
The key to managing creative process is to recognise that there is not one zone but several.

Magic Crayon Journal: Pressure
How much pressure do you put on yourself? Do you think you have to do everything perfectly?

Photo Essay: Branching Thoughts
Next year I think that I will produce a book of branches. That's right, a big thick book of photography composed of nothing but the images of tree limbs in silhouette against the sky, reflected in water, and swaying in the breeze.

The Creative Compass: Allegiance to Story
In this article, we aim to help you approach your manuscript as an early reader might, so that you may gain insight into how to transform it as a writer.

Essay: My First Earthscape by Chris Dunmire

Painting : Watercolors, Acrylics, Gouache, and Alkyds

Creative Painting Techniques

Painting with Watercolors, Acrylics, Gouache, and Alkyds

Categories:
Decorative & Tole Painting
Finger-Painting
General Painting
Oil & Trompe L'Oeil
Rock Painting
Watercolor & Gouache

We enjoyed experimenting with watercolor paints as children in our elementary school art classes. We were fascinated by the effects such a chalky substance could create on paper! If you left your watercolor painting passion back in third grade, you can continue exploring this softer art medium by taking in some of Creativity Portal's instructional articles and visiting some of the following Web resources offering free watercolor painting instruction, project inspiration and ideas, and plenty of tips and tricks to help you master this fine art form.

How-to Watercolor Painting Sources

One Thing You Must Have to Complete a Successful Painting
By Stephen Blackburn
What is the one thing you must have to complete a successful painting? Without this, you will muddle along with your work and probably never paint anything that will make you proud.

Free-atively Dabbling in Watercolor Art
By Molly J. Anderson-Childers
Are you new to the world of watercolor painting and just itching to get your brush wet in some creative play? If so, you'll enjoy this free-style instructional tutorial that simply encourages you to experiment and play with paint!

Unpretentious Painting: My First Earthscape
By Chris Dunmire
Four valuable things I learned about the creative process when I painted my very first landscape painting with acrylics and gouache.

Watercolor Primer with Diana Trout
This 2-part tutorial by Diana Trout (author of Journal Spilling: Mixed-Media Techniques for Free Expression) illustrates building a watercolor palette, sketching, layering colors, and expanding your watercolor repertoire.

Watercolor Painting and Projects
Watercolor painting instruction, techniques, lessons, tips and advice on how to paint watercolors, with "free" step-by-step visual tutorials, illustrations, and hand painted examples.

Ellen Fountain's Watercolor Tips
Visit the Watercolor Learning Center featuring watercolor painting techniques, tips and instruction — also available online and in Ellen's watercolor videos and workbooks.

Robert Dance
Instructional essays by painter Robert Dance. Includes: Painting with Alkyds; Painting with Watercolors; The Basics of Realist Painting; Painting Atmospheric Effects; and Building Scale Models for Study.

Watercolor Paintings and Lessons
Watercolor paintings and free online watercolor painting lessons by watercolorist Roland Lee. His pencil drawings, sketch books, and landscape painting have been featured in many art magazines including "The Artist's Magazine" in March 2005. He regularly teaches painting workshops in England and the US.

Art and Watercolor Lessons
From the art of Larry Weiss — fine artist painter. Features a learning area with tips and advice for beginning a new painting; lessons on color theory, mixing colors, color effects, and color schemes; and a lesson in masking fluid for watercolor painting.

Water-Based Painting Basics
Michaels Artist's Studio Education helps you learn about the three primary water-based painting mediums watercolor, gouache, and tempera, and how-to's to application. Includes an informational glossary of terms to help you better understand these fine art mediums and how to use them.

Watercolor Online
"Dedicated to the promotion of all forms of watercolor and the artists who create works in the various media encompassed by this broad classification. You can view works in acrylic, gouache, transparent watercolor, tempera, and various other water based paint."

Watercolor Painting
Offers free watercolor tutorials, free step-by-step watercolor painting lessons, current news, featured artists, artist galleries, art shows, art links, and original instructional material for everyone wishing to learn how to paint watercolors.