Discount Code to Purchase my Paintings until February 2014 Only!

Hi Y'all,

For the new year, I thought it would be a good start to offer my paintings for 90% of my profit price.  That does not include shipping and material since the printing company still needs to pay for that.  But check my paintings out if you get a chance!

The code is: JAKMFL

 Below is my most recent upload.  If you just want a plain old print or a gift card, this is also an option.  I like to buy the gift cards and then frame them in a 4in by 6in frame, or a 5in by 7in frame with 4in by 6in matting.  It's a really cheap way to buy prints!  I have a link attached to the painting, and as you see I have a watermark on it, but it will not be visible once purchased.

Enjoy and I appreciate the support!

~Angelique

Using Both Oils & Acrylics on Canvas

My Approach to Using Both Oils & Acrylics on Canvas

Decisions, Decisions... Oil or Acrylic?  I say both!

I have always had a strong love for using oil paints, but I admit, it takes patience before putting in another painting session while waiting for a coat to dry.  Oils can also get expensive and I spend more money on paints when painting strictly in oils.  It's usually worth it, but I have found an interest in mixed media over the years, particularly with oils and acrylics.  The cost ends up being a little less (though not much) and the paintings are just as valuable to me.

Do Your research Before Using Both Oils & Acrylics
Let me get one thing straight:  I don't physically mix the two paints together while wet.  I start with a base of dry acrylic on canvas and go from there with my oils.  Keep in mind that the longevity of mixing oils and acrylic has been in debate for many years, so I suggest that you do some research if you are concerned.  I've been using this technique for almost a decade and the quality of my paintings still appear in mint condition.  Personally, I am not concerned if a painting is going to outlive me or generations to come, as long as it got some enjoyment from my viewers and customers.  Needless to say, I'm sure my paintings will still be around, passed down to family and friends.

Using Both Oils & Acrylics in a Nutshell:  Acrylics First, Oils Last.

I don't have to wait around for days for my acrylics to dry as I often do with oils, so it only makes sense for me to begin the base of my paintings with acrylics first.  I usually wait a few hours or less for my acrylics to dry, depending on how thick the paint is applied.  Sometimes, just to be sure, I might leave my painting alone for a day before adding oils to the painting.

In a nutshell, here's what I'm about to explain more thoroughly:  First off, having experience in painting with acrylics and oils separate from each other will make this process a lot easier.  Begin your painting with acrylic paint by applying acrylics just as you would any acrylic painting, using water and acrylic mediums whenever needed.  Allow your acrylic painting to completely dry.  Add oils to give accents, add imagery, or to build up the painting however you'd like.  You can treat the oils as you would with any oil painting, so feel free to use your favorite mediums, mineral spirits, and paint thinners.  Read on for a better explanation and specific tips on creating a painting consisting of both acrylics and oils, step by step.

Step 1: Acrylic Application

Map it Out & Begin Your Painting

Before you begin, you may need to map out the obvious: what you are going to paint, what is the first layer, and how do you want it to build up from there. Once my gessoed surface is prepared (and dried), I typically begin painting my entire canvas with acrylic.  I personally find that acrylic paint works great for backdrops, large surface areas of color, and for layering, while oils will later serve for refining details.  For example, if I want to paint a portrait of a person in front of a pale blue sky, I will  mix a pale blue hue with my acrylics and cover the entire canvas with a backdrop before ever considering adding the person.  You may paint multiple layers to build up your back drop and get as detailed as you wish, keeping in mind how much detail you want your final layers of oils to play a part of.  If this is your first time, I would suggest reading following advice before diving into the acrylics...

Layering & Sketching

Understanding How Oils will Appear on Top of Dry Acrylics
As you are painting with Acrylics, take note that any dark or bold acrylic colors may be seen as transparent through your oils.  Depending on the mood you are trying to create, this can be a great way to show the process by allowing your under-painting to peek through.  I like to add acrylic layers to start building up the subject I want to refine in oils.  One way to do this is to paint the highlights and shadows of your subject in acrylics or begin to block in large areas of solid colors found in your subject (with acrylics).  When it's time to add the oils, you will find that these acrylic under layers will add richness and color that compliment your oils.  If you don't want your acrylic backdrop to be seen through the oils, choose light acrylic colors that will be easy to paint over such as white paints.  Completely paint over the areas of your backdrop that you intend to build up with oils by painting your subject areas with the white paint, or mix up your own neutral acrylic.  If you are not bothered by the fact that your acrylic backdrop will play a roll in how the oils will appear, then just fill the entire canvas with acrylic colors of your choice.  If you just want to go head and paint an entire backdrop scene in acrylic, you can always sketch out additional images with your oils later.  I have included some of my favorite techniques below that I use to sketch on top of my dried acrylic backdrops.

Approaches to Sketching Out Your Image onto Your Finished Acrylic Backdrop:

1. Sketch with Acrylic Paint:  If you want some of your under-painting to show through the process once the oils are added, you could plan ahead and sketch out your subject with some acrylic paint.  Choose a neutral color if you don't want the sketch to be too obvious, or use a bright and bold color if you really want it to stand out.  Don't forget to let the sketch dry completely before adding oils. The great thing about sketching with acrylic is that once it's time to paint with the oils, you can take a cloth to wipe your oils away if you make a mistake, and your acrylic sketch is still in place for you to give it another go.  Just be mindful that you may nob be able to wipe it completely clean of oils if you have a textured surface.
2. Sketch with a Sharpie:  Use a neutral colored sharpie such as brown for less obvious marks or yellow if you don't want the marks to be seen at all under the oils.  Use dark, bright and bold sharpies to make a statement.  Go ahead and draw directly on your (dry) acrylic backdrop.  Sharpies usually dry within a few seconds, but you could wait 3 minutes if you want to be safe before diving into the oils. If you need to refine your sketch to sharpen your proportions, take another colored sharpie or bold acrylic paint color and draw over your first sketch to add colorful layers of the process.
3. Sketch with Colored Pencils:  If you prefer that your sketch is painted over, lightly draw it out with colored pencils.  I would suggest sketching in colors similar to the oil paints that you will be using to paint over the sketch, in case of bleeding of the pencils.  This shouldn't be an issue if you use a good quality colored pencil such as Prisma, and make sure you are not using watercolor pencils. The colored pencils may not take very well to the acrylic if your surface is textured and bumpy.
4. Sketch with a Lead Pencil:  I typically don't use lead pencils to sketch my image out on top of acrylics, because I don't like the effect it has on oils.  I would suggest testing it out before making the choice of using pencils.  Take into consideration that soft lead pencils could bleed when painted over, and hard ones might be too hard to cover over with oils.  The harder the pencil, the darker, so a medium lead pencil might be your best bet.  You be the judge.  Here is a scale of how pencils are graded when shopping for artist pencils. 

 Hardest  Pencils----------------->                Medium  Pencils----------------> Softest Pencils    
9H   8H   7H   6H   5H   4H   3H   2H   H   F   HB   B   2B   3B   4B   5B   6B   7B   8B   9B

Step 2: Oil Application

Now that you have a better understanding of how the acrylics will respond under oils, go head and start painting.  The best way to do this is to explore on your own.  If it's not turning out the way you want it or the way you saw it in your head, then take it in a different direction and make your painting abstract.  It takes some time to get used to this technique, so just have fun with it.  Below are some tips that you might find helpful.

How to Create Transparency of the Under Painting Using Oils:  If you want the process of your acrylics to shine through, there are some tricks to emphasize this technique.  First off, as I mentioned above, bold and dark acrylic colors will be much more likely to shine through your first layer of oils. Begin painting and filling in the desired areas with oils.  You will find that light oil colors such as yellows and oranges are more naturally translucent than purples and browns.  Create a thin wash with your oils by using a paint thinner or another oil medium if you want the surface to be especially transparent.  Don't be afraid to wipe away your oils and play around with different techniques if you are not satisfied.  Keep in mind that you may not be able to wipe it completely clean, depending on the texture of your acrylics.

How to Build An Opaque Surface of Oils:  First, be sure to read my section above, Understanding How Oils will Appear on Top of Dry Acrylics, as these steps will be helpful before applying your oils.  To cover up areas from your underpainting, you may need to paint the best you can over the areas with your oils, allow this first layer of oils to dry for a couple of days, and add another layer of oils on top of it.  You can also avoid thinning out your paints by avoiding paint thinners.  In addition, dark and rich pigments will be easiest when covering on top of your acrylic painting.


I hope this information helps someone!  Please let me know if you found this helpful as I love hearing from my viewers!

Photos coming soon.

Watercolor Paintings on Display to Dry

In my art studio loft for my students, I have the kids "loft dry" their watercolor paintings by hanging them on a wire with clothes pins.  In addition, we pin a ruler with clothes pins to the bottom backings of the paintings in order to keep the painting from curling.

  Not only do my students enjoy seeing their art on the walls, but it is a quick and easy way to rotate art as well. This has been especially helpful for small paintings of 8 by 10 or larger, but I imagine you could use a yard stick for even larger images.  Our favorite way to display the paintings while drying has been to hang them within a picture frame with no glass or backing.  To learn how to wire a frame like this, see a quick and simple tutorial with pictures that I have posted on my craft blog:

Wire Hanging Tutorial For Frames

If you don't have rulers, you could also use thick cardboard strips or paint mixing sticks, too.  

I hope this helps! 

My Studio Space Renovated For My Students

Over the summer, I made some room in my studio to make it kid friendly, so that I could teach fine art to them.  Recently, an additional room was added so that I have more personal space.  Below is one corner of the room for my students.  To see more images, go to the link below.  As soon as I get my space cleaned up, I'll post the area that I do my own work in.  This has been such a great addition for the kids to really embrace and appreciate the arts.

To see more photos of this new space, you can visit my blog specifically for my little fine art students:

Little Wonders of Wonderland Blog

My Current Studio Space: Now Kid Friendly!

I've been sharing a cozy loft space for a studio with fine artist Shabnam Nassir, here in Durham, NC for nearly a year now. It is unique, because it is located up a steep stairwell in the corner of a large school playroom for children ages 3-6. I have been teaching at this school for about two years and only recently did I get the idea of teaching small group fine art lessons up in my studio. I toyed with the idea for a while, since I was nervous about having the children around my paints and other dangerous material, but I did some reorganizing, brought some child-sized tables into the mix, and started making lesson plans for this age group. I figured, what better way to teach fine art than to do it in a real live art studio?

The children absolutely love this new addition to their program. They know that in order to be invited to my studio, they have to earn studio time by being on good behavior during regular school hours. I explain to them that I need to know that they can be trusted in my personal space. For ages 3-6, these children take this offer very seriously and show great respect while I am giving a lesson in my studio. I am having so much fun sharing my space with them, and I think it has opened their eyes to a whole different perspective on what art can offer.



That's all for now, but stay tuned as I am working on a website for my students to sell prints of their work in order to raise money for more art supplies for the children (All profits will absolutely go back into the program). Thanks for tuning in!


As a loyal Artist of the Fine Art America organization, I like to sponsor a page every so often.
Here are some links to check out artwork from some of the artists at Fine Art America (FAA) Enjoy! female prints photography digital art

My Studio Space Back in PA at 1505 Art Works, Downtown Erie

After sharing a space with my brother Eric (see previous post), I moved into a bigger space with fine artist, Kirsten Bole. Kirsten is an extremely active artist who likes to paint big and bold on large wooden canvases that she builds herself. Sharing space with Kirsten was motivating for me as she always had something new in her head that she needed to get out through paint. My time painting next to Kirsten was always an experience; Kirsten was loud and expressive, had full of energy, and loved to share random stories about her life. I miss her bad-ass attitude and great sense of humor! Below is an image of our shared space. The two really large canvases are Kirsten's.



This was a really unique and large space in an old building dedicated to Artists in Erie, PA. Here is another angle of the room. You can usually tell our art apart pretty easily. Hers are big and painterly while mine are portraits in smaller scale.



This was a few years back in Erie, PA.

Currently I share a studio space with Shabnam Nassir, a beautiful fine artist from Iran. I will post images of our studio in a blog very soon.

In the meantime, I'll give you a sneak peak of Shabnam's style. If you want to see more, just click on the image:


Needless to say, sharing studio space has always been well worth it for me. It's a constant reminder to keep making and creating, because with a studio mate, you have each other to share praise, ideas, input and constructive criticism.

My First Shared Studio Space

A personal story about sharing studio space with my brother.

For the past 4 years or so, I have shared a studio space with other artists. When creating art, I am the kind of person who gets into a zone to a point where one might honestly believe that I don't need anyone else but me and my creation. However, in all actuality, the presence of others means the world to me while I am creating. It keeps me motivated to be around those who are creating and being productive. And when I say that, I don't just mean being around a fine artist, but any type of person who is inspired to create, experiment, and learn. True, I will get into my own zone, but the comfort of knowing that others are around and working their brains keeps me focused.

My first studio space outside of my own home was shared with my brother Eric Buman and his good friend Mark Graziano, both musicians and recording artist in Erie, Pennsylvania. In one room, I was painting and in the other, Eric and Mark were recording new musicians. We seemed to feed off of each other as we spent hours on end just hanging out and being productive. I certainly have a new respect for recording, and vise versa. Every musician who stopped in to get a recording by Eric and Mark would drop in and see what I was creating, always intrigued and interested in the way that we shared the studio space. It certainly was unique, I must say. Sometimes, it felt like a party, and sometimes it was a party... in a productive sort of way. All in all, we stayed busy and inspired.

Although this time in my life was short lived, it truly was very special. It was the first time in my life that I had a window into my brother's world, and vise versa. Even though my brother Eric and I probably spent most of our time doing our own thing, there was a new understanding and connection between us that was never there before. It was a time for growing together as we began to understand and respect each other for what we loved. Needless to say, I never really got close to any of Eric's friends until I met Mark. Prior to our studio time together, I was an outsider to my brother's world and sometimes his friends appeared young and disrespectful. But here I could clearly see that Mark adored Eric, believed in him, and together they stayed productive. I loved that Mark loved my brother, and he helped me to see the strengths in Eric. I never felt as close to my brother Eric as I did while sharing studio space together. It was during this time that we built a new love and trust for each other.

It is hard for me to find the words to explain, but I believe there is something about making art in some form or another around others that can bring you to a different level of understanding others. It's been years since I had the opportunity to share a studio space with Eric, but a connection was built and I believe it will always be there.

I miss you, Eric. I love you so much and I'm so proud of all that you've done. I hope someday we get an opportunity to share productive time together again. Hugs and love.

Readers, I realize this post was more for my brother than anyone, but hopefully I have inspired someone to be productive around someone you love.

Below is a link to one of my favorite paintings I painted back when I was sharing a studio space with Eric:


I love fashion illustration. To view more fashionable art, check out the artists here at Fine Art America:
fashion art

2012 New Years Art Talk Resolutions

Happy New Years, Readers! May your new year be happy, healthy and productive!

Last year I accomplished a lot, but I also got behind on things like updating my blogs and websites. This year, I hope to stay in better touch and share fresh new stories, information and art.

So where have I been and what have I been up to all of this time? A lot of school and work. I decided to go back to school after all, long after I said I'd never go back when I finished up my Fine Arts degree back in 2005. I am almost done with my schooling as I study to get my Montessori degree for ages 3-6. I have been working in a Montessori school as an assistant and fell in love with the original and creative way of teaching that I had to go ahead and learn more. It's been a lot of work, and I hardly have time to do my own art, though I often think about ideas and creations I want to get into.

As I finish up my Montessori training in these next couple of months, I should start having more time to start creating again. It's something I need to do this year. I want to make more time to create. I also want to make more time for dance, as I love hoop dance and other styles that have branched off of that.

And I don't know for sure if it will happen, but I am definitely going to look into being a home owner very soon. That way I can get creative in my own home, not feel bad about it, and make additions to suit my needs. I think it would definitely allow me to get even more artistic.

So all that said, the above are some of my New Years Art Talk Resolutions. Please write about yours if you are willing to share! Let's make this new year colorful and special!

Sincerely,
Angeique

A New Painting for a New Year

I'm excited to have finished my first painting of the year. I hope you enjoy!

New Year Painting

Exploring Fine Art America

If you are one of my artist friends and have not yet created an account through Fine Art America, I suggest you check it out.

If you are NOT an artist but appreciate the arts, this site is exploding and becoming one of the best places to buy art...

Click here, explore, be inspired, and enjoy!

abstract paintings