This week, I’m doing something different. I going to stroll through the over 700 posts on this blog looking for 10 favorite blog posts to share with you. These are not necessarily the most popular posts, though some of them are.
Rather, they’re blog posts that were meaningful to me when I wrote them, and are still meaningful. Some are fun, some are serious.
But they’re all personal favorites. Let’s go!
10 Favorite Blog Posts
I’m arranging the following posts in chronological order, beginning with the oldest favorite post and working forward. They are not categorized in any other way, but they represent a range of topics. I hope you find something fun and helpful in list.
Living With Creative Stillness
This might seem like an odd topic for a favorite post, but I deal with this problem on what seems like a regular basis. Reading things I’ve written in the past often opens my eyes again to the lessons I was learning when I first wrote the post.
3 Methods for Blending Colored Pencil
This is a favorite post for several reasons. It’s the first post I wrote that went viral on Pinterest, so of course it’s special for that reason.
But it’s also basic information that helps colored pencil artists see that they don’t need all the fancy tools to blend colored pencils. These three methods are all that’s really necessary.
And yes, even I need to be reminded of that every now and again!
How to Draw a Clear Sky with Colored Pencil
This post contains not only a step-by-step tutorial, but basic tips on color and paper selection for drawing clear blue skies. The bonus is that although this post features Bristol vellum, it also includes links to a similar post showing you how to draw a clear blue sky on sanded art paper.
The Most Important Thing to Get Right with Colored Pencils
This is a favorite post because it took me a long time to learn the importance of values in producing realistic artwork. If you learn only one thing from this blog, this is the lesson I hope you learn. Values first, then color.
How to Draw a Landscape Green that Looks Real
When I started drawing more landscapes, getting believable greens was my biggest challenge. Even when working with oils, I was never happy with the greens until I learned this lesson. I’ve written on this topic more than once, but this is my favorite one on this topic.
2 Easy Ways to Draw Distance
This post was a review of a Craftsy class I did many years ago. The class taught me a lot about using line quality to create the illusion of distance in even the simplest drawings. This method has now become a staple in all of my landscape drawings and sketches. The class is also still available, with a link in the post.
Finding Enough Time for Art
This post isn’t a favorite because I enjoy reading it; it’s a favorite because I need to hear this message frequently. Maybe you do, too. Time tends to get away from us if we’re busy or distracted, doesn’t it. So frequent reminders to be more careful in making the most of time are important.
Finding Your Artistic Style
I’ve been asked about finding artistic style several times over the years, and my answer is always the same. Just keep drawing, and your style will find you.
Why Use the Umber Underdrawing Method
This is a favorite post because the topic is my favorite drawing method, the umber underdrawing method. It’s not the only post on the topic I’ve published, but it is among the most basic for those who are not familiar with the process.
It Doesn’t Have to be Difficult to Draw Landscapes
I come to the end of the list with this post on drawing landscapes. This one is a favorite topic of mine because it took me so long to figure this out for myself. It really doesn’t have to be difficult or scary to draw landscapes! I explain why in this post.
10 Favorite Blog Posts
Well. I got through only about four years on the blog, the last post having been published in July 2019. That’s not to say there aren’t favorite blog posts since then; it just means my list should have been longer.
Or that I need to do a followup list at some point.
I hope you’ve found one or two favorite posts among these ten, and that you find one or two new favorites.
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