Rendering water realistically (in any medium), with all of its many facets, is typically one of the frontier challenges of pastel painting. Self-taught pastelist Amy K. Sanders has relished this watery challenge. Because she lives along the Atlantic coast, she says the ocean fuels her artist’s soul.Here she shares observations gleaned from work on three of her pastel landscapes.

Have Your Pick in Watercolor PapersWhat watercolor paper you choose to work with when painting with this medium is key. Your paper’s weight, size, brand, whether its cold pressed or hot pressed, etc., can all influence the final outcome of your painting.Artist Birgit O’Connor wanted to put one well-known brand of watercolor paper to the test.

Michael Chesley Johnson’s article “Gear Up!” in the July/August 2010 issue of Magazine explains how to pack light and smart for plein air success in oil, pastel, watercolor and acrylic. The following is an excerpt—plus a complete list of suppliers of plein air gear (below).One morning while teaching a plein air workshop, I had a student cruise up in his Chevy van and drop anchor at our painting spot.

Many Abstract Painting Techniques to Choose FromIt feels slightly awkward to try to explain how to create an abstract painting. The little voice inside my head sneers, “Isn’t it obvious? You just go crazy all over a blank piece of paper or empty canvas.”But that’s not the answer that satisfies the art student in me, or not the only answer.

Esteemed watercolorist John Salminen, author of the newly released John Salminen—Master of the Urban Landscape: From Realism to Abstractions in Watercolor, shares the stories behind the travel paintings from a few of his most recent adventures in the December 2016 issue of Watercolor Artist. Below are some additional breathtaking pieces of his that didn’t make it into the printed edition.

Recent years have seen colored pencils taken up by an increasing number of artists, and work created with colored pencil sits in elite private collections and museums. Whether you’re a seasoned colored pencil artist or someone looking to dip their toe into these waters for the first time, Drawing magazine and Artist’s Network have what you need to get the most out of your colored pencil drawings.