AMERICAN

Painting
ARTIST ®

Instruction

Highlights from Master Teachers

®

Six Ways to Get Dynamic Action in Floral

Painting, With James Sulkowski
by James Sulkowski page 8

Improve Rapidly by Making Many Starts,

With Nelson Shanks
by M. Stephen Doherty page 16

Getting Accurate Light in Your

Landscapes, With Matt Smith
by M. Stephen Doherty page 30

Paint Vibrant Portraits With a Three-

Color Oil Palette, With Dawn Whitelaw
by M. Stephen Doherty page 44

Get Pure Colors From a Palette Knife,

With Carol Swinney
by Linda Morton page 56

Mastering Edges, Light, and Color

Harmony in Still Lifes, With Joni Falk
by M. Stephen Doherty page 62

Make Acrylic Landscapes Come Alive From

Photographs, With William Hook
by Bob Bahr page 74

First, Master the Figure, With Ted Seth

112
Jacobs
by A’Dora Phillips page 88

Harnessing Tradition and Design, With

Sam Vokey
by Linda S. Price page 96

Today’s Still Life, With John Morra

by John A. Parks page 106

Make Accurate Color Choices Using a

Prismatic Palette, With John Phillip
Osborne
by Mark G. Mitchell page 112

106 30
COVER
John Phillip Osborne painting at the
Ridgewood Art Institute in Ridgewood,
New Jersey. Photo: Murray Smith.
Copyright © 2009 by Interweave, a division of Aspire Media,
all rights reserved. Title registered ® in U.S. Patent Office.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either
in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner.
American Artist Highlights is printed in the U.S.A.

FEATURED
TEACHERS
62 16

Joni Falk
page 62

William Hook
page 74

Ted Seth Jacobs

page 88

John Morra
page 106

John Phillip Osborne

page 112

Nelson Shanks
page 16
74 56
Matt Smith
page 30

James Sulkowski
page 8

Carol Swinney
page 56

Sam Vokey
page 96

Dawn Whitelaw 8
page 44

96

88 44
 AMERICAN
ARTIST
Highlights ®

EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

EDITOR’S NOTE
M. Stephen Doherty
MANAGING EDITOR
Bob Bahr
SENIOR EDITORS
Allison Malafronte • Brian F. Riley
What Great Teachers Offer Us ART DIRECTOR
James B. Bogner III
On January 7, 2009, when I posted a blog on American Artist’s website ONLINE EDITOR
Karyn Meyer
(www.forums.myamericanartist.com/blogs) asking “How Did Teachers Help
ASSISTANT EDITOR
You?” a number of artists wrote about the concise instructions, motivating Austin Williams (646) 841-0050
encouragement, and personal attention they received from high-school, col- PUBLISHING
lege, and workshop instructors. Many listed the specific pieces of advice that PUBLISHER
remain fixed in their memories since they first studied drawing and painting. David Pyle
MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR
Those reader comments encouraged us to sift through past issues of Jim McIntosh (513) 961-0034
American Artist, Workshop, and Drawing magazines to identify articles on MEDIA SALES MANAGER
some of the best teachers in the country. We made an effort to select a range Mary McLane (970) 290-6065
of subjects, styles of expression, and pedagogical methods so that you can use AD TRAFFICKERS
Teresa Warren • Melissa Mahosky
this Highlights magazine to further your own art education. CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
Some of the featured instructors are prepared to help you tackle the chal- Bob Kaslik
lenges of painting portraits, whereas others focus on capturing posed models CIRCULATION MANAGER
Sheila Derrington
with accuracy and expression. Nelson Shanks (page 16) and Dawn Whitelaw
WEB BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
(page 44) are two distinguished teachers who are adept at presenting the Tricia Gdowik
human figure alone or in the context of a rich and elaborate setting. PRODUCTION
Many artists have come to enjoy the pleasures and challenges of painting PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
landscapes, and several of the teachers featured here are experts on selecting Nancy M. Pollock
PRODUCTION EDITOR
materials, planning the sequential development of a painting, and bringing Nancy Arndt
their own points of view to the resulting pictures. William Hook (page 74) FOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES
deals specifically with the use of acrylic paints in the studio and on location; (866) 917-8599 (U.S.) • (760) 317-2316 (outside U.S.)
workshop@pcspublink.com
and Matt Smith (page 30) discusses ways of using oil colors to capture the
light, atmosphere, and seasonal markings in nature.
Several instructors continue the grand tradition of painting still life
arrangements of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and other objects. John Phillip FOUNDER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Linda Ligon
Osborne (page 112) explains how to premix your palette of colors and work CEO: Clay B. Hall
PRESIDENT: Marilyn Murphy
under a cool north light, and John Morra (page 106) follows a classical CFO: Troy Wells
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, EMEDIA: Eric Shanfelt
approach to painting unusual collections of antiques, bricks, and industrial VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING: Bob Kaslik

equipment. VICE PRESIDENT, SALES & MARKETING: Stephen Koenig

If there are other great teachers you would like to read about or introduce
to other artists, be sure to join the community of practicing artists who are
receiving the American Artist e-newsletters and posting comments in the
forums section of the magazine’s website (www.forums
.myamericanartist.com).
VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION: Trish Faubion
VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNOLOGY: T.J. Harty
VICE PRESIDENT AND DIVISION PUBLISHER FOR ART AND JEWELRY: David Pyle
Send editorial mail to Workshop, c/o American Artist magazine, 29 W. 46th
Street, New York, NY 10036.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part
without the consent of the copyright owner, Interweave Press, a division of
Aspire Media.
Attention Retailers: To carry Workshop in your store, call IPD at (866) 473-
4800, or write: American Artist Dealer Dept., c/o IPD Source Interlink
Companies, 6195 Lusk Blvd., San Diego, CA 92121-2729.

M. Stephen Doherty
Editor-in-Chief
mail@myamericanartist.com PRINTED IN U.S.A.

4 highlights from master teachers