Video Art Lessons: Artists’ Materials
Learn more about artists’ materials
Learn about artists’ materials and painting from our collection of instructional art videos and blog articles on the Natural Pigments and Painting Best Practices websites.
The most popular videos and online courses among artists are below. A comprehensive online course is available on the Painting Best Practices website.
Joshua LaRock—Processes and Materials
Finding Your Happy Medium
Will Lead White Soon Become Unavailable?
Artist Oil Paints—A Paler Shade of White
The Ancient a Drawing Medium of SIlverpoint
The Best Medium for Glazing
Changes in Binding Media and Search for the "Lost Secrets” of the Old Masters
Dramatic changes in the techniques and materials used by artists began to occur in the latter half of the eighteenth century as the binding media was given much more attention than in previous centuries. This change is related to the vain search for the “lost secrets” of the old masters.
Painting Best Practices: Why Paintings Fail
The choices that artists make have consequences on their work. Painting Best Practices is about those choices and how research helps you make better choices. In our courses and webinars, we examine common causes of painting failures, what are the best supports for your work, and how to prepare them to receive paint. You will acquire an understanding of paint by exploring its basic ingredients: pigments, binders, and diluents, and how they affect the properties of paint.
Sinking In, Oiling Out, and Retouching Varnish
The process of oiling out is often touted as a safe method to restore the sheen of dried oil paint films that have sunken in. But is it safe to oil out, and are there alternatives? The first part of this series explores how this practice got its start, its history, and its use and abuse.