Art Tips

Colored Pencil Expert Sarah Becktel created a popular how-to series of videos that thousands of artists have used to improve their colored pencil techniques. 

'Draw a Story' is a Singapore-based creative studio specializing in fashion and lifestyle illustration. See the process for creating this beautiful piece. 

Give a handmade greeting this holiday season! Follow along to Jess Park's 3 DIY card tutorials. 

These 7 watercolor tips and basics for beginners will help you to improve your work and feel confident with this fun and spontaneous medium. 

Follow along to Robert Burridge's FREE online oil painting workshop with 4 video lessons and downloadable instruction sheets. 

If you missed our 2018 Online Workshops, you can catch all the video lessons and tutorials on the Strathmore YouTube Channel. 

The Spring Edition of our Artist Newsletter is here! Featured artist Angela Staehling shares her process for creating bright and vibrant gouache illustrations.

We are excited to share 5 new videos created by Strathmore's Art Educator and Colored Pencil expert Sarah Becktel. In these short, 2-5 minute videos, Sarah explains her colored pencil tips and techniques for choosing the right paper, getting started, blending, and using water soluble colored pencils. 

We are excited to kick off our Artist Interviews with Tattoo Artist Laura Schrampfer! Each month we will be posting an interview with a different artist in our Art Blog to get a look into the minds of creative people across the globe.

When you've finished your charcoal drawing, you may be wondering whether or not you should seal it with a fixative. Read our precautions and recommended steps. 

Have you been following along to Kelly Eddington's FREE watercolor workshop? Watch her four video lessons today. 

FAQ: Is there a difference between a varnish and a fixative? Should I be using them on my art? Read more to find out. 

We recently introduced 3 new Learning Series products! New topics include colored pencil textures, drawing nature in colored pencils, and hand lettering basics. 

Our FREE Pastel Workshop with Amy Pearce Stone begins on Monday, May 1, 2017! Join us and follow along to the video lessons. 

If you missed our 2015 Online Workshops or if you just can't get enough, we've got great news! Video lessons from all 3 Series are now available on YouTube!

Illustrator Kevin Keele uses our toned gray paper for his fascinating illustrations. See his work and tips that show his process. 

Have you been following along to Graham Smith’s FREE Sketchbook Fury workshop?

Through online video lessons, Professional Artist & Illustrator Graham Smith is showing us how to develop a sketchbook strategy so you can customize your sketchbook, build your drawing skills, overcome your fear of the blank page, develop ideas, and execute finished art.

We sat down with Peter Bucks for our second Artist Interview (well, we wish we sat down with him... we corresponded with him electronically) and we can't wait to share his ]story and artistic insight with you!

Every artist has their own unique background, style, experiences, techniques and perspective. We can all learn from each other, be inspired by one another, and continue to share the joy of art.

Let's hear what Peter has to say:

The "Techniques in Pastel Art" workshop with Instructor Amy Pearce Stone is fully released and available for viewing!

Read our interview with artist Kevin Hayward who creates beautiful wildlife drawings using graphite. 

To select the right paper for graphite shading techniques, a few factors need to be taken into consideration.

The cold, long days of winter are fading away, so grab this fresh and inspiring Issue of the Artist Newsletter and find a nice spot outside to dig in! Click here to download.

Our 2016 Online Workshop video lessons are now on our YouTube Channel! See the video lessons from our Sketchbook, Watercolor, and Marker workshops!

Workshop 2, Colored Pencil with Mixed Media, starts May 7! Follow along to Sarah Becktel's FREE video lessons. 

Mark Reep creates dreamy, atmospheric drawings using charcoal and graphite on our bristol smooth paper. Read our interview with Mark and see his stunning work. 

What does it mean to stretch watercolor paper? Why & how should it be done?

Many artists soak or stretch their watercolor paper prior to painting. This is typically done on lighter-weight watercolor sheets to stop the paper from buckling when wet media is applied to the surface.

When you hear the word watercolor you automatically think of using watercolor paper. Makes sense. However when I started to teach classes, I wanted something that was transparent so the students can use my letters underneath as a guide. I knew that watercolor paper was not transparent so I tried tracing paper and that did not hold the ink up well. Then I went in to my local art store and found Strathmore’s 500 series Marker Pads. From the first brushstroke I made on the paper, I was sold.

Most of our products have a “series” number on them. This is our way of classifying our papers to help you determine which best suits your needs as an artist.

Summer is the perfect time to get outside for some Plein Air painting. This pastime is a wonderful way to improve your studio skills while enjoying the great outdoors. Here’s a few tips to get you started in your own Plein Air practice.

We interviewed artist Kim Taggart to get an inside look at her serene graphite and charcoal drawings of the Midwest skies, plains, and rolling hills.

Take a look at this fun, fall-inspired greeting card made by Instructor Jane LaFazio in the Week 2 video of our Artful Card Making Techniques Online Workshop.

Drawing & painting papers need to have excellent surface strength. The tape pick test can be used to evaluate how strong the surface is on a fine art sheet. 

Did you read the summer edition of our Artist Newsletter? It's all about Toned Sketch! Click here to download your free copy.

Alphonso Dunn's free Pen & Ink Workshops are now fully released and available on our YouTube Channel!

In his first video lesson, Alphonso covers the basic aspects of drawing and creating textures with pen and ink. Consistentcy in mark making is an essential foundation skill and is the first area of focus. From there Alphonso covers a few key principles of creating realistic textures and goes over helpful practice exercises.

The Fall Newsletter features Grace Hart's "10 Tips to Papercutting Success." Grace has also included a FREE papercutting template and tutorial video!

The selection of paper for shading techniques is influenced by the type of pencil used, the degree of darkness desired, the shading technique used, and the expression of the shading technique desired.

The key is to select a paper surface (medium or smooth) based upon the effects you’re looking to achieve. As a general rule, a medium or textured surface will be able to produce a more even, luminescent shade than a smooth surface.

Bristol generally describes a drawing paper that is pasted to form multi-ply sheets. Bristol sheets provide a stiff, strong surface to work on without the need for mounting. The term Bristol derives from the early days of European papermaking when mills would send their finest papers to Bristol, England to be pasted together. Bristol papers generally have two types of surfaces: smooth and vellum.

Did you see our FREE 2017 Online Workshops? We've got video lessons on 3 topics: Brush Lettering + Watercolor, Pastel, and Toned Mixed Media. 

Follow along for FREE to our full Brush Lettering + Watercolor workshop with instructor Jess Park! See the full-length video lessons and downloadable instruction sheets. 

What is the difference between the top side and back side of art paper? How can I tell what side is the front? Is the performance the same on both sides?

The Winter Edition of the Artist Newsletter is here and features Christine Karron's 5 steps for creating stunning mixed media illustrations. Read it here. 

The Winter Newsletter features Casey Neal's stunning artwork and his best tips and tricks for drawing with charcoal. 

We are excited to announce our free 2016 Online Workshops which start on Monday, March 7!

We’ve got a fantastic line up this year with 3 extremely talented and inspirational artists who will be leading you through follow-along online video lessons… FOR FREE!

We recently introduced a full line of Printmaking papers that covers the range of needs from beginners to professionals. We have some very helpful downloadable PDF's available that explain printmaking terminology, different printmaking techniques, and methods for creating monotypes.

Workshop 1, Realistic Watercolor for Beginners, starts March 5! Follow along to Kelly Eddington's FREE video lessons. 

We asked artists "what's the best piece of art-related advice you've ever been given?" Read through over 100 valuable responses we received. 

Our Black Artist Tiles work with a wide range of mediums that let artists create unique and fun pieces. The black paper extremely versatile and works great with gel pens, white charcoal, colored pencil, crayons, oil pastels, chalk pastels, metallic inks, and other light media.

Having the right tools for Urban Sketching can help enrich the experience and make it even more fun. Check out our list of top Urban Sketching supplies.

See our step-by-step process for creating a soft sunset on Toned Blue Mixed Media paper. 

Markers are a blast to work with, but can be intimidating because erasers don't work on them! See 5 tips from pro artist Will Terrell on using markers. 

The prep-work it takes to get ready for a watercolor painting can be time consuming and easy to overlook. However, taking the proper measures prior to starting a watercolor painting (and in this case, a watercolor landscape) can help bring you success in your painting and make the execution more free flowing.  

Artist Graham Smith demonstrates our new 500 Series Heavyweight Mixed Media paper with an old-time boxing strongman portrait. 

Read our interview with Artist Katherine Liontas-Warren, a Professor of Art at Cameron University in Lawton, OK, and see her gorgeous drawings and paintings. 

Artist Minnie Small demonstrated our new Toned Blue Mixed Media paper with this vibrant gouache and colored pencil fish. 

See Industrial Designer Reid Schlegel's 10 Commandments of Industrial Design Sketching & 5 Commandments of Toned Paper Rendering in our Fall Artist Newsletter. 

The term vellum as it relates to paper can be somewhat confusing because it can refer to two distinct aspects:
1. Vellum as a paper 2. Vellum as a finish

Together with artist Minnie Small we bring you an introductory video series on gouache. Learn gouache 101 & see tips, techniques, and tools to get you started. 

Industrial Designer Reid Schlegel demonstrates his process for creating a sword illustration on Toned Tan paper. 

Sketch and drawing papers have many similarities and many differences. Knowing the differences is important in determining which to use for your artwork. 

Justin Maas is known for his stunning portraits. Justin uses grayscale on Toned paper to employ value, show form and make drawings with incredible depth.

There are a few different paper types that are best suited for colored pencil work. Read on to find out which. 

What is the difference between feathering and bleeding when using ink or markers on paper? How to I prevent either from happening?

See Artist Kirsty Partridge's techniques for blending and shading charcoal to create realistic drawings. 

Artist Patti Mollica has a convenient solution for storing her acrylic paints that saves time and allows her to get straight to work. 

Alphonso Dunn's free Urban Sketching Workshop has begun! Follow along to this 4-part workshop where Alphonso demonstrates how to draw on location. 

Gouache paint is often described as opaque watercolor. It has a bold, matte look and is great for illustration, fine art and lettering. Learn more. 

We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite art hacks that can take you to the next level.

Jordan Rhodes demos a skull study in gouache. Follow along!

Justin Maas' How to Draw Portraits Workshop is now open and it's completely FREE to watch and follow along!

Read our interview with Laura Kay, the fashion illustrator behind Diary Sketches.

Read our interview with fashion illustrator Sunny Gu!

Read our interview with artist Jane LaFazio - a true greeting card master.

Read our interview with bright & cheery greeting card artist Joanne Sharpe!

Tips and techniques to improve your colored pencil artwork.

Read our interview with portrait artist, Rachel Christopoulos!

What is an NFT?  Why should I turn my art into one & how?  Artist Stacy Neale answers all of your NFT questions in this article.

Read our interview with contemporary landscape artist, Michael Wall!

Read our interview with gouache artist, Jess Chung!

It's time for vacation!  No matter where your travels take you, this list will help you get your art kit road trip ready.

Thinking about getting out there and doing some urban sketching?  Read our list of essentials to make it a breeze.

In this guided how-to series, artist Shayda Campbell demonstrates how to begin painting with watercolors.

Does the thought of dragging your art supplies out every time inspiration strikes immediately quash your artistic spirit? We can help!

In this guided tutorial series, artist Ken Goshen demonstrates how to draw with charcoal and find success with this medium.

Read our interview with self-taught artist, Amy Louise!

Let's face it - drawing faces can be hard! In a 4-part tutorial series, Kelly Foss will break it down, one feature at a time, and improve students’ ability to bring life to a portrait.

What is the slap-dash noodle doodle method? Aside from being something fun to say, it's also a fun card-making technique courtesy of artist James Teaford. 

If you missed our FREE 2017 Online Workshops, you can see all video lessons on YouTube. Topics include: Brush Lettering + Watercolor, Pastels, & Mixed Media. 

If you paint frequently with acrylics, you probably know what a hassle it can be just to set up & get ready. Artist Patti Mollica has a great, time-saving tip for you. 

Our Watercolor Cards are perfect for creating handmade, personalized greetings! Check out our quick demo video of a holiday card idea that you can follow along to and create your own!

We worked with Grace Hart to bring you a 3-Video Series on the ancient art of Paper Cutting. See the process & techniques, then try it out!

If you've created a painting on a piece of paper and are experiencing buckling or waviness after it has dried, we've got two methods you can try to flatten it.

Artist Sarah Becktel created 4 new educational videos on Graphite that show you how to select the right tools, how to start a drawing & more tips & techniques. 

Our Summer Artist Newsletter is here and features Sarah Becktel's 5-step process for creating dimensional animal drawings on Toned Mixed Media paper. 

Read our interview with Teoh Yi Chie; a talented artist, urban sketcher, and blogger in Singapore. See his amazing on-site watercolor sketches.

Leslie Espino started creating sustainable art by accident.  Now, she's hoping her art will be a visual catalyst for sustainable change.

What is granulation?  Can I control it?  Artist Sarah Becktel answers these questions and more in this article.

Follow along to miniaturist Blake Gore's tutorial demonstrating his quick and approachable process for drawing tiny trees.

Shayda Campbell's Joyful Watercolor Workshop is now open and it's completely FREE to watch and paint along!

In this 4-part video series, Jeannie Dickson dives into the world of watercolors with her top tips and techniques and a floral wreath tutorial.

Brandon Schaefer's workshop is now open and it's completely FREE to watch and draw along!

Do you have an artist in your life that you're shopping for?  Look no further than our gift guide - we've got it all covered.

Artist Sarah Becktel does a deep dive into watercolor pencils and explains what they are, their benefits, and different techniques for using them.

How should you choose paper for your project? Many factors come in play when choosing the correct paper for your work.

Exploring through a range of subjects how combining and layering mediums in your sketchbook can add depth, texture, style, and finish to your paintings.

Read our Interview with Comic Artist, Writer and Strathmore Ambassador, Soroush Barazesh, better known as Koteri Ink.

Shedding light on the differences between the two sides of art paper.

Discover the distinct characteristics of watercolor and gouache to find out which medium best suits your artistic style.

Read our interview with Artist Justin Maas who is known for his stunning portrait drawings and the way he uses form, line and light to render his pieces.