top of page
Join Our Monthly Newsletter
Painting Tips & Tricks Every Month!
Get Inspired & Get Informed.
No worries, we hate spam too! All art tips on here.
Search
Doug Swinton
Jun 1, 20242 min read
Moving is Grooving! What to do when your Plein Air painting won't work.
Sometimes a fresh start in the same location doesn't cut it. A: you need to start over, B: you need to move your location.
1,093 views32 comments
Doug Swinton
Mar 16, 20244 min read
10 Things I Know About The Figure and How It Relates To The Landscape
Explore the dynamic relationship between figures and landscapes through 10 insightful observations.
1,930 views24 comments
Doug Swinton
Feb 16, 20242 min read
10 things to make a foreground work in a painting.
10 things to keep in mind that will help you make a foreground work in a painting.
2,269 views51 comments
Doug Swinton
Oct 12, 20233 min read
10 things I know about painting edges.
Unlock the secrets of painting edges with these 10 expert tips!
2,176 views29 comments
Doug Swinton
Sep 16, 20233 min read
What to do when you know you need to do something... but what? Self-critique.
The five dominations of painting. Learn what makes a painting interesting to look at.
1,617 views33 comments
Doug Swinton
May 19, 20234 min read
The Three-Act Play | What to look for in a painting.
The setup, the climax and the resolution. Every play or sitcom has a three-act play in it. So does artwork.
1,692 views34 comments
Doug Swinton
Jan 7, 20235 min read
Self Critique, Beginning To End
Critiquing your own work can be hard. Understanding how to critique yourself can make things easier and end in a better result.
1,726 views27 comments
Doug Swinton
Aug 9, 20215 min read
Harmony in Art.
See, the full meal deal is; You want to have a funky painting with lots of eye-popping creativity, and yet you want harmony in there too.
2,246 views31 comments
Doug Swinton
Oct 30, 20205 min read
10 things that offset the start of a painting.
The start of a painting is sooooo important. It sets you up for success. If your start is good the chances are, you will have a good...
814 views38 comments
Doug Swinton
Aug 31, 20205 min read
10 things I Know About Painting Clouds
The sky is key to painting a believable landscape. It determines everything that is about to happen in your painting.
6,328 views23 comments
Doug Swinton
Jun 9, 20204 min read
10 Things Artists Can Do During Downtime
Besides social distancing.
487 views23 comments
Doug Swinton
Jan 10, 20206 min read
9 Ways Photos Lie to a Painter
The devil is in the details.
663 views21 comments
Doug Swinton
Dec 10, 20192 min read
Self Critique - Asking the right questions about your painting.
Good questions are the key to solving painting problems.
823 views23 comments
Doug Swinton
Sep 9, 20192 min read
10 Things About Painting Shadows
The Shadow Knows...
11,170 views23 comments
Doug Swinton
Apr 9, 20193 min read
7 Ways To Give Your Painting Dimension
Value, Temperature, Chroma, Perspective, Texture...
22,243 views22 comments
Doug Swinton
Mar 10, 20194 min read
10 things to consider before taking a reference photo for your painting.
“bad reference photo equals bad painting”.
499 views19 comments
Doug Swinton
Nov 10, 20182 min read
The Secret Curve
Using convex vs. concave lines in life drawing.
707 views20 comments
Doug Swinton
Sep 9, 20182 min read
Painting Beyond Chaos - Simplification and Massing
How to simplify your subject to produce a better painting.
386 views21 comments
bottom of page