John Burton

I recently came across some photos (prints) taken when we first moved into our current home. I had forgotten exactly what the house was like, and I enjoyed looking at these pictures. They made me realise that the digital age has (for me certainly, and many others possibly) crushed the joy, and artistry of photography.

Nowadays, most digital cameras have a zoom lens. Back in the days of film, photographers equipped themselves with a whole bunch of "prime" lenses of differing focal lengths. This was partly because zooms were very expensive, but mostly because each lens had a specific use. Regrettably, today the zoom lens is most commonly used as a device that merely saves the user from altering their distance from the subject, and the specific application of it's differing focal lengths has been forgotten.

Every artist who sells over the Internet, and undertakes private commissions, must consider a critical question: am I selling goods or services?

Just about every web site has a links page, and most of those pages suffer the same problems. Resources, Partners, or Links pages are usually one of two styles: a hotchpotch of design, with lots of different sized graphics competing while failing to provide an overall pleasing layout, or; an orderly text list that is dull an uninviting.

I am sure that many people interested in painting and drawing as a hobby will picture the lifestyle of a professional artist through rose-tinted glasses. The point of this article is to provide balance, and highlight a few flip sides to the expected positives.

I have written a few articles about my dislike of modern art; however, I have come to realise that what I really loathe is the arrogance, evangelism, ignorance and intolerance of devotes of modernism.

The first most significant component of watercolour painting is the "water". The second most significant part of watercolour painting is the "colours".

When the vast majority of people draw or sketch, they pick up a graphite pencil. I guess the humble pencil is a very familiar and comfortable tool to work with, but charcoal can produce much better results.

Sometimes, when we look at an objective, we suffer from tunnel vision, and we need to look at our aims from differing perspectives. You may need to take a fresh look at your pricing strategy.

My article "Drawing and Painting Tips – The Layout Sketch" details the methods available to complete a layout sketch working from a reference photograph. This article explains the counterpart techniques used to work from life.