Inspiring Art Projects

This project shares techniques for painting a halo of warm sunlight radiating through foliage. While the project focus is on sunlight and landscape, the same technique can be used to achieve glowing light regardless of its source or your subject matter. Whether you’re painting the sun, glaring light from a candle, streetlight, or oncoming headlights, understanding gradations of light can help to set the desired mood to make your painting a success.

Follow along with artist Steph Fizer Coleman as she demonstrates how to create a vibrant pumpkin illustration using gouache, colored pencils, and oil pastels.

Learn tips and tricks for drawing realistic flower petals with Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. Discover how artist Keena Gozé layers and combines different pigments to create a vibrant rose. Explore her useful techniques for bringing petals to life by creating seamless blends and colorful depth.

Learn how to draw bright florals with the new Sharpie Creative Markers! In this tutorial, artist Lois Sparks will show you how to draw basic flowers and leaves to create a floral bouquet bursting with color.

With a few simple folds of fabric and a couple of dips in Rit Dye, you can create a beautiful shibori masterpiece to mount on your wall!

Artist Christina Kent breaks down how to paint a still life—a great exercise for beginning and experienced artists alike. After toning her canvas and arranging her still life composition, Christina demonstrates how to sketch out the design before adding vibrancy and depth with Gamblin Artist’s Oil Colors.

Follow along with artist Kristen Brown as she combines Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylic and Liquitex Effects Iridescent Medium to paint an ocean scene that shimmers.

Brighten any space with a fresh foliage-themed painting! Learn to mix unique color combinations using an analogous color palette on a cold press watercolor block. Incorporate masking, staining, and lifting techniques with color washes. Get inspired as you create artwork that will give your space a pop of spring color!

Follow along as nature artist and children’s book illustrator Stephanie Fizer Coleman transforms Caran D’Ache water-soluble pastels and colored pencils into stunning washes of color to create a lush, fall-themed owl painting.

Give your table cover a spooky makeover with fake blood splatter! Learn how to make fake blood with Rit dye and a food thickener, then create a splatter look using a squeeze bottle. Set the dye with Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative, rinse in cold water, and wash before using.

Get into the Halloween spirit with colorful trick-or-treat bags! Learn how to make unique tie-dye patterns on a cotton pillowcase using Rit dye. Apply a Halloween vinyl embellishment as a finishing touch for a trick-or-treat bag that’s so cute, it’s scary.

Learn how to draw a realistic wolf with artist Katy Lipscomb and Derwent! In this step-by-step drawing tutorial, Katy shares her top tips for sketching, shading, blending, and building layers with Derwent Inktense and Chromaflow Pencils. Learn why Katy chooses Derwent for her illustrations, create frame-worthy art, and leave with skills you’ll use again and again.

Discover how to take your oil paintings to the next level with cold wax medium! Cold wax is a dense medium perfect for adding depth and texture to paintings. Unlike encaustic painting, it does not require heat. Learn how to combine it with oil paints to achieve a texture perfect for impasto techniques, plus explore traditional oil painting concepts like fat over lean.

Rustic wood slices make the perfect surface for a whimsical woodland friend! Explore three ways to decorate! Paint directly onto the wood slices, collage with decorative papers, or use a Versa Tool to “draw” the images! Perfect for parties, this easy project is fun for all ages!

Find your niche with R&F Encaustic Paints! Discover the magic of hot wax art. Find out how to paint using R&F Pigment Sticks, then heat and transform R&F Encaustic Paints and Mediums with Encaustic Brushes to make an orange blossom painting on an Ampersand Encausticbord. Learn to incorporate collage elements and sculpture techniques to create incredible textures in your artwork!

Transform basic branches into a sparkling bouquet to match any décor.

Add a fun, personal touch to your gifts with this easy tutorial! Using Blick Matte Acrylic Paints and Utrecht Artists’ Acrylic Gesso, you’ll learn how to deck out assorted papers with three artistic paint effects: dots, splatters, and swipes.

Make your holidays merry and bright with this fun project! Follow along with artist Jeannie Dickson as she demonstrates how to hand letter festive phrases on watercolor paper. Using Finetech Artists Mica Watercolors, Blick Premier Watercolor Blocks, and Royal Talens Angora Watercolors, learn how to combine watercolor and hand lettering techniques to create a cheerful work of art to share with family and friends.

Get merry this holiday season by making your own watercolor ornaments! Follow along with artist Jeannie Dickson as she demonstrates how to add bold colors and a bit of sparkle to your design using a variety of watercolor techniques. Once you’re finished, you’ll have a dazzling, one-of-a-kind ornament to deck the tree with or gift to friends!

Learn how to illustrate a perfect poinsettia! Start with a sketch, then layer colored pencils, design markers, and acrylic paint markers on paper to create a colorful, textural design great for holiday decorating, greeting cards, and more.