News

My Gouache Palette

My Gouache Palette

The most common questions I receive are related to my palette, whether it’s the colors or the actual box. It’s something I don’t really talk about often because exact pigments aren’t a huge deal to me, and I think there’s a benefit in being flexible and working with whatever you have available to you. With that in mind, and the fact that I am constantly changing things and trying new paints, let’s go into some detail about my gouache palette. Oil palette will be another post for another day. CHOOSE WISELY The type of gouache palette you use is highly...


A Year of Learning

Heather Martin

Tags classes, learning, new year, resolution, schoolism

A Year of Learning

Amidst a barrage of terrible news about tech layoffs, market crashes, and AI takeovers, the new year seemed like a good time to invest in some learning and distractio- I mean, self improvement. My sights were initially set on individual online classes to learn new programs and techniques, but I was eventually lured in by Schoolism’s $100 off their annual pass and variety of classes. My initiation to the world of gouache was courtesy of Schoolism - Specifically, Nathan Fowke’s Course Landscape Sketching in Watercolor and Gouache that I took in December 2016. I vividly recall watching it while simultaneously creating game assets for my day job, then eagerly...


Painting Sunrises - Tips and Tricks

Painting Sunrises - Tips and Tricks

Are you a morning bird looking to get some painting done in the early hours of the day? Perhaps you’re like me, a night owl that is curious about what those sunrises look like after years of blackout curtains and late nights. Maybe you are just trying to do this annoying challenge that I posted and aiming to get a sunrise painting completed before the 2024 new year. Whatever it is, I’ve been painting sunrises for the past few months and have completed more than 50 paintings to prove it. These paintings have taught me so much, and are a...


Shop Small! Links to Artists and Small Businesses

Heather Martin

Tags artists, featured artists, gifts, holidays, recommend, shopping

Shop Small! Links to Artists and Small Businesses
I've gathered a list of links of artists and small businesses to shop from this holiday season! Shop small this year and support the arts.

If I Could Turn Back Time…Five Mistakes to Learn From

Heather Martin

Comments 6 Tags art studio, art tips, artist tips, framing, inventory

If I Could Turn Back Time…Five Mistakes to Learn From

While my jump from a steady full time job into the fine arts world wasn’t completely unplanned and impulsive, I must admit that I’ve mostly been flying by the seat of my pants. If you’re toeing the edge and about to take the leap, here are five things that I would change if I could turn back time. Do your future self a favor and take note! Organize your Inventory Early - The Key to Your Future Self's Sanity If you're painting on a regular basis, stop right now and start organizing! The game, "Find the Painting" gets real old after...