Cyber Monday Deals - But only til midnight!

I Don't Usually Do This,

But Hey, 

You're Gonna Love It!

You have until midnight tonight,

Monday, November 26 to get in on these 

INSANE Deals.

Never offered anything like this before and probably never will again, but I'm giving you the chance to get anything on my website at ridiculous prices.

Deal #1

I have several single subject classes on my website that normally sell for $19.99.  Today, if you use the coupon code 

Ondedayonly2018

at checkout you'll receive 

50% off.

Do the math!

Click HERE to go to my website and then scroll down till you see the single subject classes.  

If you'd like to purchase either or both, just use that coupon code at checkout and you're taking an online painting class for only $10.

Deal #2

If you've thought about joining the 

Painter Nation Members Club,

a monthly membership club where you always have access to a minimum of 6 art concept classes plus every month I release a new bundle of drawing and painting classes on a specific theme.  Right now there are at least FOUR Bundles on there with hours of instruction.

It sells for $24.99 a month, I know, that's a great price,

but until midnight tonight you can take 50% off the first month and every single month you're a member.  You can cancel at any time, but why on earth would you.  

Coupon code Todayonly2018 gets you that discount.

Click HERE to learn more about the 

Painter Nation Members Club.

Deal #3

I can't believe I'm doing this, but hey,

 "you deserve a break today".

Use coupon code CMPWA2018 and take $80 off,

yes, you heard that right,

$80 off my Full Blown Art Course.

Click HERE to see what's included.

Remember!

You only have until midnight tonight, November 26,

to make up your mind.

Are you kidding? 

On these incredible deals.

What's to think about.

If you've wanted to get serious about learning to paint,

adding art to your homeschool curriculum,

or to step up your skills, 

today is your moment!

I'm going to just back on outta here while you

get your thinking cap on.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving 

and 

Happy Cyber Monday!

Create a Painting From a Drawing

How To Create a Painting From a Drawing

Once you have your drawing completed,

now you have to create a painting from it.

How does that happen?

There's a number of ways to transfer a drawing to a support, but I once read somewhere,

anyway you can

is the rule.  

So don't stress over how do I get my drawing on my support.  there's lots of ways and in the end, it doesn't really matter.

Now we need to paint it.

This is just a fun painting you can 

really let your creativity loose on.

Use your own colors, your own facial markings,

 your own idea for a background.  

The process is the same regardless of the end game.

You can draw your subject right on the support.

You can use transfer paper to get subject on support.

You can use a light box to get your subject on the support.

(I don't have one)

Hope you learned a lot from this post about getting the drawing ready to paint and actually painting it.  

Kentucky Scenery Painting Finished!!!

WhoooHOOOO!

I love finishing something - don't you?

I've been working on this triptych for a while,

longer than I normally spend on a painting,

but it's really 3 paintings in one.

(That's my story and I'm stickin to it)

We will be selling our farm next year and after painting the walls in our combination, living room, dining room, kitchen,

I took down all the family photos and realized,

I had nothing left.

So I set on a quest to create a triptych that depicted

Kentucky scenery.

You can see a scene just like this 

just about anywhere in Kentucky.

This is a closeup of the front and center area 

of the center panel.

Here's a time-lapse video as I was finishing this bad boy up.

I love time lapse videos, so I hope you do to.

I live on the top of a hill, and there are about 5 ways for me to get to town, and I can see this type of scenery anyway I choose to go.

Our area is very hilly and on those hills Kentucky farmers grow corn, soybeans, tobacco, hay, 

and cows, sheep and horses.

If you were to fly over my area of Kentucky, you'd see ponds and lakes all over the place.  Nearly every farm, regardless how small, have a pond or a lake.

We do and our family loves fishing in it.

I have a YouTube channel and I post a lot of instructional videos for drawing and painting on there.  

Click HERE to check out my channel for some fun art videos.

If you enjoy my videos I sure would appreciate it if you would click the "Thumbs Up" button and the subscribe button.  Sometimes there's a little bell next to the subscription button.  If you click that, YouTube will let you know when I upload any new videos.

Because I love teaching beginning artists in drawing and painting, I've put together an easy peezy drawing shopping list for you so you can easily get started drawing today.

Click HERE to get that Shopping List.

I am hosting a FREE Homeschool Facebook group where you and your kiddos can learn art concepts, drawing and painting lessons, hints tips and tricks, and even some art history lessons.  If you're a homeschool family who would like to add art to your curriculum, please join our group and share with any homeschool family you think might enjoy.  

Click HERE to go to the 

Painter Nation Homeschool Art Club.

Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by today.

Why Join A Facebook Group

So Why Should You Join A Facebook Group?

I'm not going to sell you on the merits of Facebook

cause we all know they have their bag of problems.

But - 

A Facebook group is a horse of a different color.

There are groups out there for all sorts of interests.

I'm an artist who loves to paint and

teach beginners to paint.

When I was creating my courses and classes and membership site my homeschooling daughter asked me to remember the homeschool market because they are very under served in the art world.

So I did.

Then when Facebook came up with groups, 

I didn't catch on right away, but I've got it now

and you can be the beneficiary.

A Facebook group, or my Facebook group,

Painter Nation Homeschool Art Club

was created for homeschool families who would like to add art to their curriculum,

but aren't themselves artists and don't really know where to begin.  

I can help with all that and a bag of chips.

Painter Nation Homeschool Art Club

will teach your kiddos beginning painting and drawing concepts

as we draw and paint fun things.

We drew a ship for Columbus Day

and we even had a 5 year-old draw one and her mom posted it.

We drew this super fun giant witches hat and 

we'll be painting it soon.

Concepts we've learned in these two drawings are:

 perspective - the shape of the sails and bars, and seeing that small back part of the deck of the ship

creating form - making the hat look round, 

getting the brim to go around to the back,

where the light is - you can see where the light comes from on the hat by where the shadows are.

I've posted two different tutorials on how to use greens and red.

Click Here for video

Click HERE for video on using red.

I've posted a tutorial on how to use different shades of red to create a flower.

Click HERE for free tutorial

I've posted several different articles I've written about famous artists for art history.  (There will be more).

So you can see, there's lots to do and learn in this Facebook group.

Another great thing about Painter Nation Homeschool Art Club,

is these are families who know what your homeschool life is like.  They know the struggles you face and can encourage you and you can encourage them.  

I promise not to spam you with offers till the cows come home.

Because it is connected to my business, I will from time to time tell you about something that is available on my website, 

but I truly want the Painter Nation Homeschool Art Club to be a community where we can all learn together and support each other in adding art to homeschools everywhere. 

Even on my website I have a FREE blog.

I will offer you free guides, tips and sometimes even a free class in exchange for your email but it won't be often and you never have to sign up.  

It's pretty obvious I'm not all about money,

cause there aren't even any adds on this blog.

I give away tons of information and I really would love it if you would join us and let's learn to paint and draw together.

Whew!

I'm done.

Just in case you're wondering, I do have a YouTube channel.

Click HERE to visit my YouTube channel.  While you're there why not subscribe and click that little bell near the subscribe button and you'll be notified every time I upload a. new video. 

You can follow me on Instagram and Twitter @kypaintster.

OK, I thought I was done, but are artists ever really done?

Confused over what drawing supplies you really need?
Let me help with that.
Click HERE to receive your drawing supply shopping list in your inbox.

Art Concepts AND a Fun Drawing

Who Says You Can't Have Fun 

AND Learn At The Same Time

This fun drawing is just one of the many drawing and painting lessons I'm unleashing on my FREE Facebook group

the Painter Nation Homeschool Art Club.

This FREE Facebook group is specifically for homeschool families who want to add art to their curriculum but aren't artists and feel like they don't have an artistic bone in their body.

(I'd argue with you about that, but I won't)

This video will tell you about this drawing

and if you join my FREE Facebook group 

Painter Nation Homeschool Art Club you can get this and many other FREE lessons today.

Hope to see you in my Facebook group real soon.

Do you need a simple list of drawing supplies to start drawing, like right now?  

Click HERE to receive it in your inbox.

Every artist needs to understand how color works.
7 Tips for Mixing Color was created for all beginners, regardless of age.  Click HERE to receive it in your inbox.  

Painting With Glass

Are You Kidding?

Painting With Glass?

You read that right, but maybe not in the way you thought.

I have a good online friend/mentor I've never met.

She is an artist I follow online and we communicate, but we've never met face to face.

It's that way with most of my art friends.

Her name is Julie Ford Oliver and she is an incredible artist I learn something from with every blog post she writes.

Click HERE to go to her blog.

I love her work, because it's loose and bright 

and always interesting.

Several years ago on her blog she said when she has an area on a painting that she is struggling with, she paints what she thinks she wants on a piece of glass over top of her painting.

That way she can see if she really does like it, if the perspective is right, etc.

I know!

Genius!!!

I've been working on a 3 painting piece for my living room and I am getting near the end.

I wanted to add a dock in the foreground of the center piece, but I didn't want to screw up the whole thing.

Fortunately for me, I remembered Julie's lesson so I pulled out a small piece of glass to work on.  It was almost too small but I wasn't walking back to the house to get another one, so I made do.  

I did it three times before I got what I liked.

Oh Yeah!

This definitely wasn't it.

You can see the outline of the small piece of glass I used.

It's acrylic paint so I sprayed with water and wiped off with a paper towel.  Easy peezy!

This was better, but the angle at the top wasn't right.

Rinse and repeat!

Much better!

Then I used soft vine charcoal to draw the dock where I wanted using my glass as a guide.

I'me very happy with it.

This is the middle of the three pieces.

Maybe a few tweaks and it will be finished.

Thanks Julie.

If you have a home school family who would like to add art to their curriculum, you might want to share this link with them.  

I created a FREE Painter Nation Homeschool Art Club group on Facebook where I teach short art concepts, painting and drawing lessons, links to my videos on YouTube and lots of other goodies.

And it's FREE!

Click HERE for the link to the Facebook group.

Please share with anyone you think would like it.

They can ask to join and they'll be in to receive lots of FREE ways to add art to their curriculum.

Color mixing is another art concept that has a life long learning curve.  I've created a printable tip sheet just for you.
  Click HERE to download 7 Tips for Mixing Color.  
Print it out and keep it where ever you paint.

Beginning Drawing Concepts - 3 FREE Videos

You Have To Start Somewhere!

Learning to draw takes some time

and some knowledge

and some practice.

I created these three videos for you

to help you learn and understand 

some basic drawing concepts.

In this video you will learn how to draw an ellipse, how to create a shadow, how to seat the vase on the table and how to see all the aspects you see while looking at the vase.

I hadn't really planned on making a series out of this, but once I had the first one done, it made perfect sense.

In this video I'll show you how to put a table cloth on the table, how to create the front of the table shadow and why it's important.  Putting the stripes on the table at a diagonal gives the drawing a much more dynamic feel and adds movement. It helps with the perspective of the table also.  I also show you how you could add a very simple wall paper on the wall behind the vase.

Hope you enjoyed this short series.  

If you did, please click the thumbs up button on YouTube and subscribe to my channel.  If a little bell shows up near the subscribe button, click that and you will be notified whenever I upload more videos.  

Thanks a lot for stopping by today 

and let's paint together real soon.

Need a simple drawing supply list that you can download and only buy what you need?  I've got you covered.
Click HERE to get that list in your inbox.

For beginning painting instruction, visit my website at

www.paintingwithacrylics101.com
Go to the FREE daisy painting class and sign up and get the 4 video series in your inbox.  

Click HERE to join my FREE Facebook group for homeschool families who would like to add art to their curriculum.  

I have another FREE Facebook group for people who have it on their bucket list to learn to paint and/or draw. 
 Click HERE to visit that page.  

Visit my facebook page for more interesting

 painting and drawing info.

https://www.facebook.com/paintingwithacrylics101/

Another FREE Video - How To Paint Red Flower

Let's Paint a Red Flower Tutorial

Yep!

You read that right.

I recently released a FREE painting tutorial for this flower
on my YouTube channel
Sharon Durbin Graves
Click HERE to go to video 

If you enjoyed the video, please hit the thumbs up button and subscribe to my channel.  There should be a little bell near the subscribe button.  If you click that, you will receive a notification every time I release a new video.

Here's what's on my easel in the studio right now.

This is a three piece painting I'm doing for myself.

I'll keep you posted as I work on it.

Every artist needs to understand how color works.  I've created a printable with 7 Tips for Mixing Color.  
Click HERE to get this invaluable tip sheet.

Thanks for stopping by today and please feel free to friend or family member who you know would love to learn to paint.  

Free Video About Brushes and Their Uses

What Brush Does What?

When artists are first starting out,

a common question is...

What brushes should I buy?

Here is a video that shows you many brushes,

what they do, and how to use them.

If you liked this video, how about hitting the thumbs up button and subscribing to my channel.  If you click the bell next to the subscribe button, it will alert you when I post a new video.

Care for your brushes.

It's super important to take good care of your brushes.  

I recommend you buy the best brushes you can afford,

but don't go into debt for them.

Having said that, you want to take care of them so they will last.

When I am finished with a painting session I wash them in the kitchen sink with warm water and Dawn dishing washing liquid.  

I rub the soap all the way through and rinse thoroughly.  

I reshape them between my fingers to get out any excess water and dry them flat on paper toweling.  

Never dry or store your brushes with the bristles down.

If you will take care of your brushes you will have them for a long time.  I've had some of my brushes for 17 years. 

Brushes do wear out but they can still be used for specific things even when they are past their prime.  I seldom throw a brush away.

That could be my pack rat nature though.

Enjoy the video.

If you want to learn to paint, check out my website at

www.paintingwithacrylics101.com.

There you will find single subject classes, my full blown art course and my latest and greatest addition

the Painter Nation Members Club.

Have a great day and let your creativity flow.

Paint, Even If You Haven't Painted In A While

Haven't Painted In A While???

Do NOT let that stop you!

Often times we paint a lot,

and then not so much.

Not sure how or why that happens, but it does.

Then when you're ready to pick up your brush again,

the "voice" comes to you telling you,

"well you haven't painted in a long time, may as well just forget it".

Ignore that voice, just like it's your three-year old asking "why" for the 1,000th time this morning.

Here is Aidan painting after not painting for a long time.

Dig out some reference photos, set up a still life,

put a flower in a vase, or paint something from your imagination or from memory.

Just sit down, spend an hour and play in the paint.

My grandson Aidan hadn't drawn or painted for a while,

but he was in the studio the other day while I was making a video for my youtube channel.

Click HERE to view my channel.

He got inspired and wanted to paint.

I taped some 140 lb. water color paper to a board,

set him up a palette and gave him 3-5 brushes and a pencil

and let him alone.

He drew a car, he's a boy, he likes cars and he has

 learned how to draw them.

Then he painted the car using a lot of color.

Then he asked me if he could mix colors.

I said, hey it's your painting and your paint.

Knock yourself out bubba.

He's 9 so I left him alone to paint anything he wanted,

any way he wanted.

You can tell by that smile, he was pretty tickled with his art.

We should all be tickled with our art,

even if it's just that we

 learned a way how not to do something.

Don't let the "voice" talk you out of 

learning and improving your art.

Regardless of your art form.

Don't let the "voice" tell you you can't do it.

Don't let the "voice" tell you you don't have time.

Don't let the "voice" tell you you don't have talent.

Don't let the "voice" tell you you don't have

 a creative bone in your body.

Don't let the "voice" dictate your life.

Much of art is learning how things work, or the rules.

The rest is practice and learning how to break the rules.

This was Aidan at age 5 learning how to paint the rooster that is in my full blown art course.

He has always loved creating anything, and he wanted to try his hand at the rooster.  

Practice and trying again and again is when the real magic happens.

Have a great creative day.

If you want to learn how to paint,

visit my website at www.paintingwithacrylics101.com.

I created 7 Tips for Mixing Color and you can get it in your inbox, like right now.  
Click HERE to get your FREE Printable.