There are many complex factors that go into the ways that an artistic tradition develops, including the philosophies and histories of the artists involved. When examining the differences between traditional Chinese and Western art, we see differences in composition, medium, use of color and tone, perspective, and the list goes on. While much of traditional...

Graphite and charcoal are two of the most user-friendly media for drawing. Not only do they allow for expressive lines, but they also help to render values through blending. For many people, this can be a much easier learning curve than working with layering. As far as drawing goes, both charcoal and graphite have a...

Marbling is a long-standing and elegant art form, often used to decorate paper for calligraphy, bookbinding, collage, and stationery. With traditional marbling techniques, each paper created is unique, meaning that no two marbled papers are exactly alike. One of the beautiful draws of marbling is how it allows you to maintain control over the design’s...

You may be wondering, if calligraphy simply refers to the art of beautiful writing, then why aren’t all words, when they’re beautifully represented, considered calligraphy? Hand-lettering and calligraphy are both expressions of artistic lettering. However, there is a very distinguishable difference between these different lettering methods. This distinction boils down to differing methods. Calligraphy relies...

Fabric painting gives you the chance to practice your art and creativity on the very versatile substrate of fabric and textiles. There are some great benefits to fabric painting. It allows you to customize clothes, wearable textiles, as well as fabric for upholstery and other crafts. The majority of fabric painting uses paint specifically formulated...

Valentine’s Day remains an important day out of the year for celebrating a special and loving relationship in your life. Valentine’s gifts come from all kinds of sources to demonstrate your care and support for your partner. However, we think that some of the best and most memorable gifts are the ones you make yourself,...

Inktober is a month-long event in the global artist community and drawing challenge. Most Inktober participants communicate digitally, using social media hashtags, profiles, and portfolios. Still, many locations offer local support throughout the challenge as well. The idea behind Inktober is daily drawing for a month. This allows the artist to abandon art fear and...

Do you feel inspired or satisfied when you watch ink drop into a pool of water?  For many, watching paint spread and disperse into water can have therapeutic effects.  Marbled paper is made from just this process.  In fact, most marbled paper in the United States is done with thin acrylic paints or inks dropped...