Dear , ​​​​​​​

During the many years I've been blogging and writing newsletters, a number of helpful resources have surfaced online for the artist, especially for painters.   But among them are far too many that are well-meaning, but misleading.   I'd like to point you in the right direction on three that I trust.

CONNECTING WITH OUR MASTERS

It's hard to find a reputable art historian who is also a masterful painter and excellent communicator.  Jill Poyerd, who has a presence online, including YouTube and Facebook, shares in-depth knowledge of how painting has evolved over the centuries and explains it clearly. You can find her on YouTube by clicking on this photo.

TECHNIQUES YOU CAN TRUST

In addition to Jill, James Gurney is one of the very few YouTube painting instructors I trust.  James and I differ a bit on our approach to color, but both of our approaches are sound so that doesn't matter. James is unsurpassed in his approach to plein air painting. 

Find James' all-inclusive website by clink on this photo:

COPYRIGHT-FREE STUDY REFERENCES

Seasoned painters know that the best references to use for our paintings are from real life rather than photos. In the real world we can position ourselves to get a viewpoint we'd like to work with as well as see subtilties that photos can't show.  But for learning, photos work very well, especially when learning techniques.  Also, sometimes we want a subject not available to us in real life, so photo references can be helpful.   

It's important to remember that when somebody else takes a photo, the results is that person's viewpoint.  With all that in mind, Pixabay and Pexels both have multitude of copyright-free photo references. 

 Be careful about using a copyrighted photo reference.  It's best to avoid them altogether.

Enjoy a weekend of broadening your horizons!

Light and Shadow: The one thing that lets our eyes see.
Visual Movement: What our eyes do when images are visible.
Seeing Beyond the Image: The possibilities beyond just describing what our eyes see.
Freeing the Artist Within (Curiosity): Finding our individual interpretation to what our eyes are seeing. 
Composing:  Finding ways to put together all that we discover.
Drawing:  Searching the potential of images.
The Craft:  Continually forging our skills to visually communicate what we continue to discover with our eyes, mind and soul.

And the eighth:

The Art:  The results when all the above are working together.