I thought I would list some resources for materials, instruction and feedback that you might find useful. You may already know all about all of these, but on the off chance you don't, check them out!
First: materials.
Online art supply stores, listed in no particular order, that I use all the time:
http://pictureframes.com/
http://www.jerrysartarama.com/
http://www.aswexpress.com/
http://www.dickblick.com/
http://www.cheapjoes.com/
http://www.raymarart.com/
Instruction:
http://smartflix.com/ rent instructional videos of all kinds, some really good ones out there, easy and cheap. sort of like netflix.. only for art instruction.
youtube.com - There are literally thousands of painting videos and demos on youtube. Try a search for
"potrait painting" or "oil painting demonstration" for example. There are some amazing ones, and some duds, but it'll sure keep you occupied, and maybe even inspire you.
amazon.com - great source for books, and DVD;s if you know what you're looking for.
http://www.abebooks.com/ - wonderful resource for used books, or some that might be out of print or hard to find. If you know what you're looking for, check here.
North Light Books - another publishing house that specializes in fine art instruction books.
Inspiration:
http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/contents.asp - if you want inspiration, definitely the place to go. Or if you want to find quality prints of fine art for copying and learning, find 'em here.
http://www.raymarart.com/ - check out the art contest entries - or maybe enter yourself!
http://faso.com/boldbrush/ - another art contest - you can enter, or just be amazed at the great work being produced today.
webhosting:
http://faso.com/ - Fine Art Studio Online. Get a FREE (really free) 30 day trial and create your own great looking art website. Fast, easy, professional. Even if you're not a techie, your page will look good.
Artist community:
http://wetcanvas.com/ Here is a huge community of artists, with forums specified to your interests( portrait, landscape, abstract, whatever).. Get feedback, encouragement, critiques, and suggestions by fellow artists.
Occasional online demos and instruction, all free. Warning: can be addictive!
The Blogosphere:
you all have your favorite blogs. I have several that I follow regularly, and others that I visit on occasion.
I encourage you to check out:
stapletonkearns.blogspot.com
frankordaz.blogspot.com
http://hatfieldfineart.blogspot.com
http://dailypaintworks.com/ - they do more than just list daily paintings by their artists. They host weekly "challenges" which are open to all artists, and right now are using one of these challenges to raise money for Japan.
http://carolmarine.blogspot.com/ - one of the dailypaintworks artists - always makes me laugh.
Other:
Don't forget to check out ebay, craigslist in your area, consignment shops, used bookstores, and even the local yard sale listings for books, DVD's and interesting still life objects to paint. I've found a few treasures here for cheap. Most all of my still life props come from junky stores or ebay. If your local dump has a "swap shop" or similar, look for goodies there! Free and the perfect way to recycle!
Lois adds emptyeasel.com to the list. I just checked it out. Great stuff there! Here's a link to a nice painting video about painting water.
.http://emptyeasel.com/2011/03/14/video-understanding-the-play-of-natural-light-on-water/
If any of you have some favorite resources, please share them in the comment section and I'll add them to the post!
Thanks, and happy painting!
Emptyeasel.com is a great resource for artists.
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