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60/30/10 - Balance and Visual Interest in a Colour Scheme.
The 60/30/10 Split. This is a great technique to capture balance and visual interest in a colour scheme. This can be used not only for paintings but also logos, brands, interiors, graphic design, websites and more.

Doug Swinton
18 hours ago3 min read
185 views
2 comments


Techniques for Simplifying Your Paintings
6 Essential tips to eliminate chaos in your paintings and photos! Simplify your art and create a clear message.

Doug Swinton
Apr 43 min read
1,672 views
46 comments


Moving is Grooving! What to do when your Plein Air painting won't work.
Sometimes a fresh start in the same location doesn't cut it. A: you need to start over, B: you need to move your location.

Doug Swinton
Jun 1, 20242 min read
1,168 views
58 comments


10 Things I Know About The Figure and How It Relates To The Landscape
Explore the dynamic relationship between figures and landscapes through 10 insightful observations.

Doug Swinton
Mar 17, 20244 min read
2,132 views
37 comments


10 things to make a foreground work in a painting.
10 things to keep in mind that will help you make a foreground work in a painting.

Doug Swinton
Feb 16, 20242 min read
2,440 views
62 comments


10 things I know about painting edges.
Unlock the secrets of painting edges with these 10 expert tips!

Doug Swinton
Oct 13, 20233 min read
2,300 views
42 comments


What to do when you know you need to do something... but what? Self-critique.
The five dominations of painting. Learn what makes a painting interesting to look at.

Doug Swinton
Sep 16, 20233 min read
1,703 views
41 comments


The Three-Act Play | What to look for in a painting.
The setup, the climax and the resolution. Every play or sitcom has a three-act play in it. So does artwork.

Doug Swinton
May 19, 20234 min read
1,863 views
76 comments


Self Critique, Beginning To End
Critiquing your own work can be hard. Understanding how to critique yourself can make things easier and end in a better result.

Doug Swinton
Jan 7, 20235 min read
1,768 views
33 comments


Harmony in Art.
See, the full meal deal is; You want to have a funky painting with lots of eye-popping creativity, and yet you want harmony in there too.

Doug Swinton
Aug 9, 20215 min read
2,639 views
154 comments


10 things that offset the start of a painting.
The start of a painting is sooooo important. It sets you up for success. If your start is good the chances are, you will have a good...

Doug Swinton
Oct 30, 20205 min read
838 views
45 comments


10 things I Know About Painting Clouds
The sky is key to painting a believable landscape. It determines everything that is about to happen in your painting.

Doug Swinton
Sep 1, 20205 min read
6,491 views
37 comments


10 Things Artists Can Do During Downtime
Besides social distancing.

Doug Swinton
Jun 10, 20204 min read
505 views
28 comments


9 Ways Photos Lie to a Painter
The devil is in the details.

Doug Swinton
Jan 10, 20206 min read
684 views
28 comments


Self Critique - Asking the right questions about your painting.
Good questions are the key to solving painting problems.

Doug Swinton
Dec 10, 20192 min read
849 views
28 comments


10 Things About Painting Shadows
The Shadow Knows...

Doug Swinton
Sep 10, 20192 min read
11,419 views
33 comments


7 Ways To Give Your Painting Dimension
Value, Temperature, Chroma, Perspective, Texture...

Doug Swinton
Apr 10, 20193 min read
23,594 views
102 comments


10 things to consider before taking a reference photo for your painting.
“bad reference photo equals bad painting”.

Doug Swinton
Mar 10, 20194 min read
514 views
25 comments


The Secret Curve
Using convex vs. concave lines in life drawing.

Doug Swinton
Nov 10, 20182 min read
729 views
23 comments


Painting Beyond Chaos - Simplification and Massing
How to simplify your subject to produce a better painting.

Doug Swinton
Sep 10, 20182 min read
414 views
25 comments
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