Hangin’ with the Donkeys
Gurney Journey | Artist Blog
by James Gurney
3m ago
  Donkeys are very friendly and sweet, but it’s hard to sketch when you’re in there with them ..read more
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A guy talking on the cell phone
Gurney Journey | Artist Blog
by James Gurney
3d ago
Cell phones occupy so much of people’s attention that they hold still and they don’t notice you sketching them. I paint this guy in a New York City park. He is talking into his earbud mic for a long time, not moving much, and he doesn’t look over. When I’m done, I show him the picture so he can put it on social media ..read more
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Street Scene Demo
Gurney Journey | Artist Blog
by James Gurney
1w ago
In today's Substack post I paint a street scene where the goal is to capture the feeling of objects against a bright sky.   The technique uses watercolor and gouache over casein. I add a bright light effect with pastel once the paint is fully dry. Also I answer a few of your questions and discuss whether it ‘breaks the rules’ to combine media in this way. Street Scene Demo, free post on Substack ..read more
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What is a Diffuser, and Why Does It Help?
Gurney Journey | Artist Blog
by James Gurney
2w ago
 Getting the best light on your artwork while sketching outdoors makes a huge difference. Ideally you want soft, diffused white sunlight at a level close to the brightness of the scene itself. The worst thing is cast shadows or dappled light across the painting.  That's where a diffuser comes in, and you can make one yourself. On my Substack  https://jamesgurney.substack.com/p/what-is-a-diffuser-and-why-do-i-need  I do a deep dive into various designs that are windproof, lightweight, and adjustable ..read more
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Lilias Trotter, Victorian Gouache Painter
Gurney Journey | Artist Blog
by James Gurney
2w ago
Lilias Trotter’s mentor, John Ruskin, said that if she stuck with it, she could become the “greatest living painter” and create immortal works. She did stick with it, but her first calling was as a Christian missionary. She overcame resistance from people around her and traveled to Algeria, where she spent 40 years of her life. She painted lots of little gouache sketches in her sketchbooks and illustrated letters. Her studies are executed with strokes that are economical, relaxed, and graceful. She was also interested in light and atmosphere, both in her landscapes and in her spirit ..read more
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Contre Jour Lighting
Gurney Journey | Artist Blog
by James Gurney
3w ago
 Contre-jour lighting is a type of backlighting where you place the subject right in front of a bright, sunny sky.  It's a mysterious effect that makes your paintings glow. More today on Substack ..read more
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Listen to Dinotopia Part 2
Gurney Journey | Artist Blog
by James Gurney
3w ago
I just put part 2 of the Dinotopia Audio Adventure on Substack. So anyone (psst, you don’t even have to give your email) can escape this world for an hour of free listening.  Part 2, Dinotopia Audio Adventure   ..read more
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Dinotopia Audio Adventure
Gurney Journey | Artist Blog
by James Gurney
1M ago
The story begins with the wreck of the Venturer. We follow Will and Arthur Denison as they try to figure out this place where people live alongside intelligent saurians. Link to free 14 minute sample of the Dinotopia Audio Adventure ..read more
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George Pratt's Sketching Trip to Morocco
Gurney Journey | Artist Blog
by James Gurney
1M ago
Artist and teacher George Pratt is featured in an exhibition at the Ringling College Museum of Art in Florida. The show is called “Carnet de Voyage: Maroc,” and it’s based on a sketching trip George took to that fabled land Gurney: “What's in the exhibit?” Pratt: “The exhibit has a handful of early drawings done in the early and late 1980s from my wishful thinking about visiting Morocco when I was a student or fresh out of art school. The bulk of the show is new work: There are oil paintings, watercolors, photographs and sketchbooks. On view is also many of the carpets, bowls, daggers, han ..read more
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Dumond's "Smear" Demo
Gurney Journey | Artist Blog
by James Gurney
1M ago
When Frank Vincent Dumond (1865-1951) taught at the Art Students League, he said that the center of interest or focal point of the work could be in any of the four quadrants of the canvas but not in the middle-too dull and boring, he said. Paintings by Frank Vincent Dumond One former student, Gifford Beal, wrote an account of his painting annual painting demonstration:"Clad in his customary pink smock and talking as he painted on a small canvas, he began what he called a 'smear.'" Read the rest in today's Substack post   ..read more
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