Figurative Painting in Handmade Oil Paints

A long, long time ago , artist number one picked up a small, charred branch from a dead fire (possibly the day after cavemen introduced...

Someone once asked: “How do you do it? How do you know the sculpture should look this way and not another?” Michelangelo calmly replied:...

The chunks were quite large — some even bigger than a walnut . → Sanguine  might seem inaccessible at first, as hard as rock . But all it...

This is one of the earliest written instructions on how to make drawing charcoal — a recipe from the Italian master → Cennino Cennini , ...

Hi Michał, we’re in → Novigrad , Croatia . Do you happen to know what that rusty-looking stuff is? – Yes. That’s → terra rossa .  A...

This is the moment when I squint my eyes. Through the narrow slits, the image comes in simplified — as if seen from a distance. Awkward,...

When I typed “→ Bat Cave ” into Google Maps, I got a message: “This place may be closed.” Good.  That meant it was the last call  to...

– Were you scared?– Of course I was.  But admitting it? That would be a shame.– What were you afraid of? You’ve hiked all over the...

Learning the Art of Gold Leaf Gilding Gold leaf gilding is a traditional craft  I had always wanted to learn. At the → art conservation...

Oh well. White is white  — so what’s the big deal, right? Not quite. Semi-glazing titanium white  is something else entirely. With this...

Try saying barite  in a conversation with a photographer. Instantly, you’ll be tossed into a drawer labeled “Knows Things.” Say...

Lucky are those who have no problem with turpentine.  I do. Working in a professional mask is far from pleasant, but sometimes it’s...

An Art Diploma Defense That Got Out of Hand The lecture hall of the → Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow was packed—not only with faculty...

The final year at the → Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow is when every student must complete their diploma project. I approached the topic...

“Take your linseed oil and, in the summer, pour it into a brown or copper basin or bowl. When the sun is in the sign of Leo, expose it to...

Old masters painting techniques are rarely taught today in a way that connects theory with actual practice. In → Olsztyn , I had the...

Traditional painting techniques shaped the way I see art and painting itself. This article is about the man who taught me those...

I set an alarm that night. Maybe you’ve never had to — because the thrill of your first job wakes you up on its own. But I did. I had...