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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.
Doug Swinton
Jun 1, 20242 min read
1,128 views
54 comments


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.
Doug Swinton
Mar 17, 20244 min read
2,013 views
30 comments


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.
Doug Swinton
Feb 16, 20242 min read
2,344 views
55 comments

10 things I know about painting edges.
Unlock the secrets of painting edges with these 10 expert tips!
Doug Swinton
Oct 13, 20233 min read
2,225 views
32 comments


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.
Doug Swinton
Sep 16, 20233 min read
1,649 views
36 comments


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.
Doug Swinton
May 19, 20234 min read
1,775 views
59 comments

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.
Doug Swinton
Jan 7, 20235 min read
1,745 views
29 comments


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.
Doug Swinton
Aug 9, 20215 min read
2,345 views
46 comments


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...
Doug Swinton
Oct 30, 20205 min read
822 views
41 comments

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.
Doug Swinton
Sep 1, 20205 min read
6,359 views
25 comments


10 Things Artists Can Do During Downtime
Besides social distancing.
Doug Swinton
Jun 10, 20204 min read
495 views
25 comments


9 Ways Photos Lie to a Painter
The devil is in the details.
Doug Swinton
Jan 10, 20206 min read
670 views
24 comments


Self Critique - Asking the right questions about your painting.
Good questions are the key to solving painting problems.
Doug Swinton
Dec 10, 20192 min read
838 views
25 comments


10 Things About Painting Shadows
The Shadow Knows...
Doug Swinton
Sep 10, 20192 min read
11,288 views
24 comments


7 Ways To Give Your Painting Dimension
Value, Temperature, Chroma, Perspective, Texture...
Doug Swinton
Apr 10, 20193 min read
22,914 views
30 comments


10 things to consider before taking a reference photo for your painting.
“bad reference photo equals bad painting”.
Doug Swinton
Mar 10, 20194 min read
501 views
22 comments


The Secret Curve
Using convex vs. concave lines in life drawing.
Doug Swinton
Nov 10, 20182 min read
722 views
22 comments


Painting Beyond Chaos - Simplification and Massing
How to simplify your subject to produce a better painting.
Doug Swinton
Sep 10, 20182 min read
399 views
24 comments
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