Category: Mediums & Materials
See Jerry’s Blog on Art Mediums and Materials. Get tips and techniques, detailed information on what to use from watercolors to oils, acrylics to mixed media and much more. See posts below or use our search tool to find more interesting topics on your favorite art mediums and materials.
The Final Step: How to Properly Varnish and Preserve an Oil Painting
Varnishing an oil painting is an essential step once the artwork is finished and fully dry. A proper picture varnish protects the paint surface, restores color vibrancy, and helps preserve your painting for years to come. Finishing an oil painting doesn’t end when the last brushstroke is placed. Once the painting is fully dry, varnishing…..
Jerry's -- 01/01/2026
Oil Painting Ideas for Beginners: 10 Inspiring Projects to Build Your Skills
Oil Painting Ideas for Beginners: Discover 10 simple yet inspiring projects designed to teach you the fundamentals like color mixing, value, composition, and brushwork. With the right art supplies, beginners can explore still life, landscapes, monochrome portraits, and sunset skies while building confidence and mastering essential oil painting techniques. Starting your oil painting journey? Whether…..
Jerry's -- 14/05/2025
How to stretch watercolor paper for better painting experience
TOPICS: How to stretch watercolor paper (step-by-step), materials and techniques for a better painting experience. (This Tutorial Guide Has: What it is, Materials, Step-by-step, Video and FAQ’s) Stretching watercolor paper is a technique used to prevent warping or buckling of the paper when it becomes wet during the painting process and is an essential preparatory…..
Jerry's -- 16/04/2025
How to paint a grisaille painting, The Power of Layering and Value
How to paint a grisaille painting using Tusc & Pine Oils Grey Set. Resident artist Michaela Westra at Jerry’s takes you through the process and goes into how to paint a grisaille painting.See article, images and full length video below What exactly is a grisaille painting? Some people either do not know what it means…..
Michael Marchetta -- 19/03/2025
The Best Oil Paints & Brands
A Guide To The Best Oil Paints Before we get started discussing and outlining the best oil paints and the best oil paint brands, it is important to understand that every artist has their own unique wants and needs when painting in oils. Oil Paints are a pleasure to paint with and have many benefits…..
Jerry's -- 07/01/2025
A Unique Way To Display Watercolor Art
The more traditional ways to display watercolor paintings are frames with white matting, multi-opening collage frames, clear acrylic floating frames, mounting to acid-free board and using the proper art frame along with many other ways. (see more details below, see also: Mounting board) However, we are here to talk about a new unique way to…..
Mot Tuman -- 07/11/2024
All You Need To Know About Jelly Gouache
What is Jelly Gouache? Jelly gouache is a medium that has been rapidly growing in popularity over the last few years. Both hobbyists and professionals have enjoyed this unique and playful paint, but what exactly sets it apart? In this article filled with videos, images and explanations we will look through what jelly gouache is…..
Mot Tuman -- 23/10/2024
Demystifying Water-soluble Oil Paints
The Science of Art by Mot Tuman Ready to get into water-soluble oil paints, how are they different from traditional oil paints and how do they work? Join Mot in the “Science of Art” as we explain the secrets behind water-soluble oil paints in this article with a full video. Find in this article: explanations,…..
Mot Tuman -- 19/09/2024
The Best Professional Watercolor Paint Brands
The best watercolor paint brand will vary depending on which artist you ask. Each brand will have slightly different attributes, including color range, form, consistency, quality, price, and more. Choosing the best watercolor paints can make a significant difference in your results. Artists often invest in high-quality art supplies, including professional watercolor paints, brushes, and…..
Jerry's -- 12/09/2024
How To Draw Figures With Gesture
There are countless different ways to draw the human body. In most art curriculums there may even be several methods of drawing people depending on whether you want to practice anatomy, movement, or character. In this “how to” blog article we will be delving into the basics of depicting movement in the human figure with…..
Mot Tuman -- 09/09/2024
Magnani 1404 Paper: Buyer’s Guide
Love Your Papers! If you are interested in using top-quality Italian made papers used by great masters or you are shopping for someone else, your workshop, class etc., but you are not sure where to start, then this is the breakdown for you. We are going to explain the different types of Magnani 1404 papers…..
Mot Tuman -- 06/09/2024
All You Need To Know About Acrylic Paint
By Mot Tuman Even though acrylic paints are one of the most popular mediums in today’s art arsenal, they are fairly new in comparison to other mediums. Acrylic paint was not invented until the 1930s and did not become popular until the 1960s. This makes them the youngest sibling of other popular mediums, such as…..
Mot Tuman -- 30/08/2024
Using Watercolor Pencils for Impressionism
Jerry’s LIVE Episode #JL342: In this Jerry’s LIVE episode one of Jerry’s Artarama’s Resident Artists, Michaela Westra, explains how to utilize watercolor pencils for the art of Impressionism. Learn more in this video with accompanying video and article. Includes: Video, Article, Images, Materials Used plus Questions and Answers Materials and Inspiration “I wanted to look…..
Mot Tuman -- 28/08/2024
The Art of Homemade Paints
The art making your own paint The convenience of commercially made paints is unbeatable. It is easy to forget how fortunate we are as artists to have easy access to ready made paint. Prior to the industrial revolution, most artists made their paints themselves. Their excellence as artists came not only from their skills at…..
Mot Tuman -- 13/08/2024
Brushstrokes & Molecules: Unveiling the Chemistry Behind Oil Paint
The Science of Art by Mot Tuman Uncover the chemistry of oil paint! Get ready to explore the secrets behind those vibrant colors and the magic that makes oil paintings timeless. Join Mot as they explain the chemistry behind oil paints in this article with a full video. We will go into the chemistry of…..