Acrylic
How to Loosen Up a Tight Acrylic Painting (The Paper Smear Trick)
Acrylic painting feeling too tight? Smear it with paper and a spray bottle, use a paper straight edge, and balance crisp and messy edges.
Robert Joyner
Full time paint-slinger from good ol' Virginia specializing in loose, expressive art.
Mixed Media
Easy Cat Painting: Paint Symbols, Not Every Whisker
Skip the 47 whiskers. Paint loose, playful green cats over collage paper and a reject using simple shapes, bold color, and a little line work.
Watercolor
How to Take More Risks in Watercolor (Stop Painting So Safe)
Painting too safe? Paint one object several times, change the color, size, and detail, and let your watercolor surprise you. Plus a Savannah dinner story.
Acrylic
How to Start an Art Career: My Accidental Start as a Sidewalk Artist
I never planned an art career. A bamboo bike, a breakup, and a sidewalk in Florida got me started. Plus a juice bottle painting over an old reject.
Acrylic
Abstract Bird Painting: Loose Roosters and Two Strange Bird Stories
Paint loose abstract birds over a reject with big shapes and an explore mindset, plus two strange bird stories and a lesson on following ideas.
Watercolor
Watercolor Experiments for Beginners: Use a Simple Subject to Explore
Stop trying to paint a masterpiece. Use watercolor to experiment with a simple subject like glue bottles, loosen up, and let the medium do its thing.
Mixed Media
Abstract Cow Painting: How a Bad Plein Air Day Led to My Cow Portraits
See how a failed plein air day (and a run-in with the cops) turned into my loose abstract cow portrait series. Mixed media demo plus story time.
Acrylic
How to Know When to Stop Painting (Before You Overwork It)
Struggling to know when a painting is done? Here’s how I loosen up a stiff piece, spot the fussy stage, and stop before I overwork it.
Watercolor
Watercolor Still Life: Paint a Vase and Lemons with Negative Space
Paint a simple watercolor still life with basic washes and negative space. Follow along as a blue vase and lemons come to life, step by step.
Process
How to Critique Your Own Painting (and Decide What to Fix)
Not sure why a painting feels off? Here’s how I critique my own work: spot stiff shapes, straight lines, and dull color, then fix it or start fresh.
Mixed Media
Art Warm Up Routine: Draw a Recycled Container to Loosen Up
A simple art warm up routine using a container from your recycle bin. Draw it three loose ways, get your hands moving, and build a daily art habit.
Mixed Media
Paint Everyday Objects: A Mixed Media Still Life Over Collage Strips
Learn to paint everyday objects in a mixed media still life. Glue collage strips onto a reject watercolor, paint simple canisters on top, and let the layers show.