Paint & Clay

Why is it important to lift up certain elements while playing down others? In this episode Matt Smith dives into the difference between active and passive areas of a scene and why it is important to consolidate and highlight rather than to directly render what is in font of you. About the Artist: Matt Smith earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from Arizona State University. Somewhat f...

In this episode sculptor Simon Kogan reminiscences on how he got into carving wood sculptures and offers some tips for anyone who is curious about doing the same.  About the Artist: Since immigrating to the U.S. in 1991, [Simon Kogan] has steadily risen to national prominence as a sculptor whose widely acclaimed work - monumental to miniature - reflects a bold, yet poetic pursuit of the arche...

We all use photographs in the studio as references for our paintings, but photos can often distort the scene. In this episode, Skip Whitcomb and Gabor go over the key principles of amending camera distortion so that you can get the most out of your reference photos.  About the Artist: An accomplished outdoor painter, Whitcomb has received numerous awards for his landscape paintings in oil and...

As Spring enrollment for our 365 Day Online Mentorship Courses kicks off, we are here in the studio with Matt Smith, who wanted to discuss a common pitfall he sees many of his students falling into: Letting your reference dominate how you paint. He suggests that instead of documenting what is in front of you, try celebrating it.  About the Artist: Matt Smith earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts deg...

In this in depth discussion between renowned sculptor Simon Kogan and Gabor, the two explore the importance of being able to draw as a sculptor as well as the artistic relationship between sculpting and drawing.  About the Artist: Since immigrating to the U.S. in 1991, [Simon Kogan] has steadily risen to national prominence as a sculptor whose widely acclaimed work - monumental to miniature -...

Incorporating too much detail into a painting can be an issue that trips many artists up, so Gabor and Skip Whitcomb discuss his philosophy of simplicity. About the Artist: An accomplished outdoor painter, Whitcomb has received numerous awards for his landscape paintings in oil and pastel, his work resides in major public and private collections.  He has had several one-man shows and particip...

Founder of TAAO, Gábor Svagrik, offers some clever pointers on drawing animals from life. About the Artist: Gábor Svagrik was born in Szeged, Hungary. His family immigrated to the United States and settled in Illinois. Svagrik studied at the American Academy of Art in Chicago where he was fortunate to study with nationally recognized watercolorist Irving Shapiro who stressed the importance of...

Everyone wants their paintings to look light and bright, but often times overuse or improper use of the color white can lead to everything looking chalky. In this more technical episode, Gabor and Bill Anton dive into the best practices for painting with white. About the Artist: When Bill committed to painting full-time, he studied under Michael Lynch and Ned Jacob, who encouraged him to pain...

Founder of TAAO Gabor Svagrik discusses the positive impacts of incorporating North light into your studio. Find out more about our Mentorship Courses here: https://tucsonartacademyonline.com/courses If you are interested in more free content from TAAO make sure to visit our blog at: https://tucsonartacademyonline.com/blog https://www.instagram.com/taaonline/ https://business.facebook.com/TucsonAr...

Have you ever felt too uninspired to paint or lack the motivation to get back in the studio? In this episode Gabor and Bill talk through the ways he overcomes "painter's block" to get creativity flowing.  About the Artist : When Bill committed to painting full-time, he studied under Michael Lynch and Ned Jacob, who encouraged him to paint from life. Anton's work has been published in&nbs...

Laura Robb tells Gabor about some the artists she admires most: Some you have heard of, some you have not. For a full list of the artists mentioned in this podcast: John Singer Sargent, William Merritt Chase, Nicolai Fechin, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Henri Fantin-Latour, Emil Carlson, Hovsep Pushman, and Richard Schmid. About the Artist: Robb took her first steps to becoming an artist while st...

New Years is a time of resolutions, so why not make yours to spend more time painting from life? The camera can (and often does) lie about color and value, so Bill Anton and Gabor emphasize the necessity of going outside to observe your surroundings first hand. We get it, painting from life is hard, and often times the outcome leaves your feeling disappointed. But if no hard work goes into pr...

As the year comes to a close, Gabor and Laura discuss her artistic process of painting flowers from life and what time of day she favors. Laura also goes over how her studio is particularly designed to suit her needs. About the Artist : Robb took her first steps to becoming an artist while still in high school by attending Art Student’s Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After graduation she moved to New...

With the abundance of information available at our fingertips via the internet, it can be easy for someone new to painting to be steered in the wrong direction. Gabor and Ned Mueller go over how to avoid such pitfalls as a young artist.  About the Artist: Ned has written several articles on painting for the Artists Magazine, is called upon to jury shows, and is a popular and enthusiastic work...

In this episode, Matt and Gabor point out that it's not necessarily the scenery you are surrounded by, but the way you see, that inspires how you paint the world around you.  About the Artist: Matt Smith earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from Arizona State University. Somewhat frustrated with the abstract focus of the program at ASU he began looking to outside sources for insp...

Gabor discusses Laura's preference of canvas over panels as well as her other preferences for painting materials. About the Artist : Robb took her first steps to becoming an artist while still in high school by attending Art Student’s Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After graduation she moved to New York City to continue her education under Michael Aviano and upon returning to Oklahoma received critiq...

The key to introducing more color into your painting is to introduce more grays according to Ned Mueller. Ned and Gabor also get into some deeper topics like painting for the market and earning a living by painting.  About the Artist: Ned has written several articles on painting for the Artists Magazine, is called upon to jury shows, and is a popular and enthusiastic workshop teacher aro...

In this episode, artist Kenn Backhaus and Gabor discuss creating atmosphere and mood in your painting. Kenn notes that the "poetry" of a piece is what sets it apart from others. About the Artist: Kenn Backhaus is a Signature Artist Member of the California Art Club, a Master Signature Member of both the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society, a Signature member of the Plein...

Paintings are meant to be framed. Gabor and Matt go over some principal considerations you should make before choosing the right frame for your work, but ultimately conclude that the choice is a personal one.  If you are interested in more free content make sure to visit our blog at https://tucsonartacademyonline.com/blog For more from Matt Smith see https://tucsonartacademyonline.com/matt-sm...

Ned and Gabor go over how to hold your brush while painting (hint: the problem is never that you're holding your brush too loose). To see Ned's Video Downloads with TAAO visit: https://tucsonartacademyonline.com/ned-mueller-oil-painting-techniques If you are interested in more free content from TAAO make sure to visit our blog at https://tucsonartacademyonline.com/blog https://www.instagram.com/ta...

Plein air painting and art are synonyms, right? Wrong, says artist Kenn Backhaus. Tune in to this week's episode of Paint & Clay to hear Kenn's thoughts behind his statement and why study, practice, and execution are non-negotiable parts of Plein air painting. To learn more about Kenn's 365 Day Online mentoring course with TAAO: https://tucsonartacademyonline.com/kenn-backhaus   &nbs...

Colley Whisson and Gabor talk all things brushes in this episode by answering important questions like, "What are the advantages of a small brush versus a large brush?" and "what other factors should artists take into consideration when choosing the right brush?"  If you want to learn more about Colley's new Video series visit: https://tucsonartacademyonline.com/colley-whisson-monochrome-to-c...

It is a common misconception in plein air painting that you don’t need to be good at drawing to be a good landscape painter. Artist Matt Smith and Gabor break down why this is false by explaining the importance of both structural form and organic form in good painting.  If you are interested in more free content make sure to visit our blog at https://tucsonartacademyonline.com/blog For more f...

Value studies may seem like a pain, but if you want to take your painting to the next level, then this is where you should start. Artist Ned Mueller and Gabor discuss how valuable these studies are for being the best painter you can be.  To see the videos Ned offers through TAAO check out https://tucsonartacademyonline.com/ned-mueller-oil-painting-techniques If you are interested in more free...

It’s that time of the year when painters hurry outside to capture the changing colors on canvas, but not so fast, Gabor has some tips about capturing color that’ll help you along the way. To learn more TAAO's 365 Day Online mentoring course visit: https://tucsonartacademyonline.com/courses   If you are interested in more free content from TAAO make sure to visit our blog at https://tucsonarta...