The palette is one of the most important tools in the history of oil painting. Yet its effect is one of the least studied aspects…

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…

This course provides artists with practical and safer methods to clean their own paintings than what is currently practiced by artists. The cleaning methods demonstrated in this course apply specifically to oil paintings, but the techniques and materials can also be used with additional precautions on gouache and tempera paintings.

This course will deepen your understanding and application of color in oil painting, with a special focus on the nuanced world of Chromatic Blacks. The…

“Fat Over Lean” is a confusing concept at its best. It has been explained in so many ways. Artists use many different metaphors to explain…

Flexible Supports—Stretched Canvas Since the sixteenth century, stretched canvas supports have enjoyed immense popularity. They are also a major cause of cracking in paintings. You…

In this Studio Tips course, George O’Hanlon, Technical Director of Natural Pigments, discusses making your own oil paint. He demonstrates the process of oil paint…

In this Studio Tips, George O’Hanlon, Technical Director of Natural Pigments, shows how to make your own waterborne paint. You will learn the basics of…

In the webinar we examine the causes of sinking. We discuss the common practice of “oiling out” (or sometimes “oiling in”), and its disadvantages. The webinar presents the best practices to correct irregular sheen, how to select and apply varnish, and get the best results in your art.

Our perception of a painting depends on the interactions between light and the layers of paint. In this course, we discuss the behavior of light…

Western art has had no greater influence than that of the Old Masters. We admire their luminous and harmonious colors. Where did the colors come from? How did they achieve the glowing pictures we admire so well? George O'Hanlon, technical director of Natural Pigments, will show us the origin of the pigments and how the Old Masters used them in their masterpieces.

Painting Best Practices Webinar shows why paintings fail and recommend best supports, grounds and techniques so you can make technically-sound paintings.

In this Studio Tips we show you how to prepare panels for the painting the right way. We show how to apply traditional chalk ground on wood, an oil ground on wood and an alkyd ground on aluminum composite material (ACM) panel.

All paintings on canvas should have backing boards as a preventive conservation measure. Backing boards protect the painting from damage from behind, prevent dirt from…

Blotchiness. Sinking in. Dead spots. These are well-known terms for oil painters that have caused vexation for centuries. The remedies range from oiling out with…

There are many ways to stretch canvas, but the choice of materials is most important for a successful painting. In this Studio Tips, we identify…

In this Studio Tips we discuss the best practices for choosing the right varnish for your painting. We show you the best methods of applying varnish and how to avoid defects commonly encountered in its application.

This course will help you to evaluate wood as a support suitable for painting. Evaluating wood for painting begins by exploring wood itself. Lessons focus on the basic anatomical structure of wood, and relevant physical properties with particular attention to atmospheric humidity and resulting dimensional changes. After taking this course you will be able to select the best support for your artwork.