If you’re feeling stuck creatively - play with your art supplies. #ad I took some time today to do three exercises in oil paint but you can use any medium that is your favorite or play with something entirely new. Hit up @blickartmaterials if you need a buffet of delicious art supplies. All of the products used in this video (the full version available on YouTube) are from Blick, my go-to site to keep my studio stocked. Exercise 1 - A 10-minute timed study of plums, trying one thing that is out of the box. In this case, I used Kings Blue Deep to sketch instead of my usual Burnt Sienna. Exercise 2 - Limit the number of times the brush touches the canvas. I did this fig study in 35 touches. Exercise 3 - Use a brush that is uncomfortably large. I used a Princeton 6 flat, which is pretty big for painting four figs on a 5 x 7 hardboard panel. While they are sketchy and felt a little uncomfortable, I love how these studies turned out and I’m already buzzing with ideas for more paintings. On the palette - Ultramarine Blue (Michael Harding) Cobalt Blue (Winsor Newton) Cerulean (MH) Kings Blue Deep (MH) Rose Madder (MH) Chinese Vermillion (MH) Burnt Sienna (WN) Yellow Brown (Old Holland) Cadmium Yellow Medium (Gamblin) Naples Yellow Genuine Light (MH) Cadmium Lemon (WN) Flake White Replacement (Gamblin) Titanium White (Gamblin) Galkyd Gel Medium Other things from Blick - New Wave 12 x 16 Glass Palette (gray) Richeson Hardboard Flat Panel 5 x 7 Liquitex Professional White Gesso Princeton 6500 #2 Flat Robert Simmons Signet #4 Long Flat Gamblin Gamsol Anderson & Sons Airtight Solvent Container #blickartmaterials #createwithblick #marianparsonsart #oilpainting #missmustardseed #oilpainting #creativeplay #oilpaintingexercises #artsupplies

🎉 Congratulations to the five random winners of our 2023 Pet Portrait Challenge! 🐶 🐱 🐾 Soo K., Sweet Ginger in Repose, Glendale, CA 🐾 Jenny T., Daisy, Bay Port, MI 🐾 Stephanie S., K9 Grimm, Plover, WI 🐾 Peggy W., Cloe, Lacey, WA 🐾 Michael R., Lola, Somers, NY Thank you to all who entered!

Bring your brushes back from the brink ️️🪦 Don’t toss that gummed-up brush just yet! 🖌️ Revive it using this technique from legendary artist Frederic Taubes. 🎨 🔑 The key to this resurrection? Trimming the ferrule. ✂️ Quality brushes have hidden potential under there! Just remember—this is for cherished brushes, not cheapies. 1️⃣ Score a line about an eighth of an inch from the top using a fine file. 2️⃣ Carefully cut down to the line with fine snips. 3️⃣ Gently peel away the sharp metal strip with needle-nose pliers. 4️⃣ Use the file to blunt the sharp edge of the exposed ferrule. See that dried-up paint plug? 🤢 Here’s the 2-step technique for removing it: 1️⃣ Soak your brush overnight in Winsor & Newton or another non-toxic brush cleaner. 2️⃣ The next day, use Master’s Brush Cleaner and Restorer (or a similar brush soap) with a utility brush to scrub it out. Leave a little soap in the brush and shape those filaments! It might not be like new, but with some TLC your favorite brushes can be revived. Special thanks to our brand partners at @winsorandnewton for the manufacturing video! ✨ _______________ #blickartmaterials #paintbrushes #brushes #artmaterials #artsupplies #createwithblick

🖋️ Whether you’re sketching, doodling, or drawing, the quality of your pen-and-ink supplies can make all the difference. ✨ Find all the best brands at the best prices at BLICK. Your art will thank you. 😍👩‍🎨👨‍🎨 Shop at our link in profile! Artist: @habby_art Materials: Sakura Pigma Micron Pens _______________ #blickartmaterial #createwithblick #penandink #blackandwhiteart

🍁Who else loves the colors of Autumn? It was a treat to render the soft warm tones of this piece featuring a cardinal and maple leaf with materials from @blickartmaterials #art #painting #oilpainting #sponsored #realism #process #createwithblick #blickartmaterials Cardinal & Maple Leaf | 12” x 12” Oil on Linen Panel Materials Used: ■ Claessens 013 Linen mounted on Ampersand Hardboard ■ Liquitex Clear Gesso ■ Stabilo CarbOthello White Pencil ■ SpectraFix Spray Fixative ■ Winsor & Newton Artists’ Oil Paints ■ Winsor & Newton Safflower Oil ■ Silver Ruby Satin Round Paint Brushes ■ Gamblin Gamvar Varnish - 50/50 mix of Gloss & Matte, (I prefer this mix over their Satin finish) ■ Richeson Tabletop Easel

🚨 GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED 🚨 _________________ Update: @cassieelsaesser @fairytailartbylyricjean @worthi_creations are the randomly selected winners!!! Please send us a direct message with your name and mailing address to claim your prize!!! ________________ Create your custom Halloween costume or everyday staple piece with Rit All Purpose Liquid Dye. Use them for fun techniques like tie-dying, dip-dying, shibori, and ombré effects. Rit dyes are non-toxic, safe for disposal and septic systems, and won't harm the environment. ✨ Sponsored by our friends at @ritdye, we're giving away the following prize pack to 3 lucky winners: a $25 Blick gift card, Rit All Purpose Liquid Dye (8oz bottles): Tangerine, Purple, Scarlet, and Jet Black (only available in the Back to Black Kit!), with Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative, a pair of disposable gloves, and a pack of Rit stickers ! ✨ How to enter: ✅ Follow @‌blickartmaterials on Instagram ✅ ❤️️ this post ✅ Tag a friend in the comments who would love to use this kit! ⏰ We will announce the winners on THIS post on or after 9:00AM CT on Friday, October 6th. 🌍 Open to US Residents, 18+ This giveaway will close on 10/6/23 at 8:59 a.m. CT. On 10/6/23, we will randomly pick three (3) winners and announce them on this Instagram post. The winners will have 24 hours to direct message us on Instagram and claim their prize. If the winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen. No purchase necessary to enter. Only open to US residents 18+, with a US shipping address. Entries must be submitted by 8:59 a.m. CT on 10/6/23. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram. Void where prohibited. ⚠️ PLEASE NOTE: We will announce the winners ON THIS POST. We will NOT contact you through a DM and we will NOT contact you through another account. We will NOT ask you to click any links. BEWARE OF IMPOSTER ACCOUNTS pretending to be BLICK ⚠️ _______________ #createwithblick #blickartmaterials #ritdye #dyeing #diy

These aren’t your kid’s crayons! Follow along with watercolor artist Sarah Simon as she demonstrates the limitless possibilities with Faber-Castell Gelatos. Watch as Sarah effortlessly blends colors to mirror her botanical inspiration perfectly. These compact pigment sticks glide easily onto paper, canvas, wood, and more, creating effects similar to those achievable with watercolor paint! Artist: @themintgardener Materials: Faber-Castell Gelatos Sets - Dulce II, Set of 33 #blickartmaterials #createwithblick @fabercastellusa #fabercatell #watercolor #watercolorartist #watercolorillustration

✨ Whatever your media, technique, or artist’s vision, Blick has the perfect paintbrush for the job. 🖌️Choose Round brushes for creating thick or thin lines and details, Filbert brushes for blending, Flat brushes for making bolder strokes, Bright brushes for shorter strokes, and Fan brushes for creating textures, to name just a few shapes. 🖌️ Available in both natural and synthetic varieties, we carry these essential shapes and many more in a wide range of sizes, sourced from top brush manufacturers around the world. 👉 Shop for brushes by shape at the link in our profile! _______________ #blickartmaterials #paintbrushes #brushes #artmaterials #artsupplies #createwithblick

🖊️✨ Enter the Pen & Ink Challenge! Submit a photo of your original pen and ink artwork for the chance to WIN a prize pack worth over $500, sponsored by our friends at Sakura, featuring their newest products! Open to US residents, 18+. Limit one entry per artist. Tap the link in our bio for entry details! @sakuraofamerica _______________ #blickartmaterials #createwithblick #sakura #sakuraofamerica #penandinkchallenge

Overcome one of the biggest obstacles painters face with artist Varehya Pratt! Watch as Varehya provides four invaluable tips on painting hands while creating her own two-handed piece using electrifying colors from Liquitex Acrylic Paints. Artist: @veeartise Materials: Liquitex Professional Heavy Body Acrylic Paints, Blick Studio Stretched Cotton Canvas #blickartmaterials #createwithblick #acrylicpainting #handpainting #liquitex #painting

✨🎨 Get ready! Join the ArtsVote Movement and stand up for the arts in America! Enroll for free at the link in our profile and get a chance to WIN one of four $250 BLICK Gift Cards! @ArtsActionFund #blickartmaterials #createwithblick #supportarts #artsactionfund #vote

Here’s a question we get a lot: what type of brush is best? 🖌️ It all comes down to preference, of course. But whether you’re team natural, team synthetic, or a mix of both, there are some interesting differences worth considering. 💡 Did you know that modern synthetics are so similar to natural filaments in quality, performance, and appearance that you might just use them without ever considering the difference? Plus, they’re often more durable and resistant to losing their shape. 🎨 With so many choices out there, it’s easy to forget that until the 20th century all brushes were made with natural filaments. In fact, most painting techniques developed around it—one reason some artists prefer it. 🌟 Blick’s first synthetic brush, the DuPont Nylon Synthetic, hit shelves in 1954. It was followed by our Wonder White Taklon Series in 1976—and we’ve been innovating ever since! So, what’s in your kit? Let us know your brush preferences in the comments below ⬇️ _______________ #blickartmaterials #paintbrushes #brushes #artmaterials #artsupplies #createwithblick