Art, people think, needs to be done on canvas – if you want to be taken seriously, that is. People tend to look at paintings on paper as “less than”. But why is that? Who made the rules here?

Canvas was the preferred medium at one point because of its archival quality. It lasted longer, it was easier to transport without tearing or damage. And it’s easier to hang up without the need for framing.

But art on paper is no less durable – you get excellent quality archival paper in various paper weights that you can use depending on your medium. It is much easier to transport than canvas – less weight, easier packaging, better portability. Depending on the size of the painting, you can frame it and hang it up on your walls or stick it into a frame and display it on a table or mantle place. And most importantly, it is easy to store, unlike canvas, which requires a lot of real estate.

Mixed media painting on paper: Lotus Moon

More than the substrate, I believe it is the painting itself that should be the primary focus for both artists and art lovers.

Take this painting, as an example. I created it on plain copy paper that I had used to create texture on another painting. It had a layer of gesso and some texture from the modling paste, which helped it to withstand the layers of paint.

A friend of mine saw the painting, fell in love with it, and purchased it from me. It mattered not one whit what the substrate was – what mattered was how the painting made him feel.

If you don’t have the space to store canvases, if you don’t have the resources to buy expensive supplies, you don’t have to! Paint on paper. Use cheaper paints. Buy a few colors that can be mixed together. Start small and slowly build your art supply stash. But don’t let arbitrary rules hold you back or make you question the worth of your work.

After all, weather you paint on canvas or on paper, the skills and the vision needed are the same!

At the end of the day, rules are often arbitrary and need to be questioned, and broken. Not just in the art world, but in any area of life!

Supply list

Camel gesso

Pebeo: Azo Pink, Cobalt Violet; Raw sienna; Yellow Ochre

Amsterdam: Titanium Buff

Camel: Permanent green light; emerald green; zinc white; gold; medium magenta

FW acrylic inks: Antelope brown; marine blue

Derwent Intense pencils

I hope you enjoyed this video. Do subscribe to my YouTube channel – I will be adding a new art video every 2nd and 4th Saturday!

P.S.: What’s your favorite rule to break? Tell me in the comments!

Creating faces in my art journal is one of my favorite things to do. They add expression and personality to my pages, and offer me a way to access my innermost reaches and bring forth a variety of emotions. Often, I will journal the emotions and thoughts that arose during the painting process while waiting for layers to dry, building up a narrative that is deeply personal and meaningful to me. And by the time I have finished a painting, I will often find either a few words or a snippet from my journal or a quote to encapsulate what was going on during the painting process.Continue reading→

I have a confession to make: watching art journal flip throughs on YouTube is one of my favorite things, ever! I love seeing completed spreads from other art journalers; all the different styles and color combinations; the layout ideas; and a little bit of a talk on the page, when it was created, why…oh, it is so much fun!

So for this week’s art journal video, I decided to share a flip through of my moon journals from last year. I hope you enjoy!Continue reading→

What if you did something creative every day for 100 days? You could spend as little as 10-15 minutes each day on this creative project, or longer if or when you have the time. Ideally, you would finish this project in 100 days, but you can give yourself some grace. The point is to do said creative thing for 100 days – be they consecutive days or not, that is up to you.

That is the simple premise of the 100 day project.Continue reading→

Over the years, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with abstract painting. While there are some abstracts that leave me completely baffled, there are some that have a lot of depth and interest, which prompted my fascination with this art style. But abstract painting can be difficult, and there are times when I struggle too. But today, I’m going to show you a very easy abstract painting technique that is perfect for beginners (like me!).

All you need are a few of your favorite colors, a paintbrush, and your fingers!Continue reading→

Watercolors can be really tricky; and trying to paint portraits using watercolors can be a nightmare! The key, for me, is to keep it loose and whimsical, and today I’m going to show you just how to paint a loose watercolor portrait.

Loose watercolor portrait demo

This video will show you how to paint a loose watercolor portrait from start to finish. You’ll find some watercolor portrait tips and a supply list below the video.Continue reading→