art classes Archives - INESE'S ART STUDIO

October 21, 2026October 21, 2026

The sunny road and autumn lake

Primed canvas

I usually mention that it’s very beneficial to paint with acrylic on a primed canvas. I personally do not use acrylic primer, but leftover acrylic paint for this reason. Pre-painted or primed canvas resolves a few issues: saturates canvas with the first layer, therefore, applying next layers is easier and makes the paint stick to canvas better which is sometimes problematic. It also can serve as a middle value for fairly complex paintings. It most often gets covered until the final stages, so it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Autumn lake, acrylic on canvas 20 x 24”

Autumn lake was inspired by memories from my homeland – Latvia and fall season around a lake. I experimented a lot because I didn’t have any photo of the scene, it’s just as I recall it. I think the final painting looks good, and, please, remember my photos taken with iPhone, are always worse than the actual thing.

Finished painting of Autumn lake, acrylic painting

Starting with mess

No first layers of acrylic painting need to be perfect. It’s better to create some mess and bring it to more defined shapes as we go. The lake painting was simpler, except, since there was no real reference, but only imagination, it was difficult to figure out the sky reflection. We use also fan brush a lot. That allows moving on much faster, and any adjustment can be done in the next layer.

Check the dry canvas, not the wet one

Acrylic paint dries very fast, especially with large and very large paintings, it can become very annoying. The solution is to work in segments by separating the surface in spaces that we cover each one at a time. The other best practice is to work in layers building up the values and colors we prefer. It takes time because it’s excellent to let painting dry between painting sessions. Acrylic paint dries much darker, therefore, you see the true colors only on dry canvas.

Creation of Sunny road, autumn landscape acrylic painting

The sunny road, acrylic on canvas 24 x 18”

The sunny road is also a product of imagination rather than a copy of reality or photo. Therefore, I had to figure out the placement of shadows and the values which were involved. It wasn’t easy, but the completed painting is very sunny indeed and adds a lot of light and pleasant cheer to my space.

Putting no pressure on our painting

It makes no sense to forcefully move wet acrylic paint around in hopes that it will become what you want. Take it easy, there’s always later. Acrylic painting isn’t difficult, it simply takes more work than, for instance, oil painting. I’m completely allergic to oil paint, therefore, I have worked out all kinds of approaches of acrylic paint application. Most people when they come to class, have not thought at all how important brushstroke is. Nobody learns it right away, but only over time. We have many ways of using brushes to create different effects.

Fantastic time to paint fall season nature

I am really in the fall colors and fall season landscapes at the moment. Just look outside, and that’s all reference we need. People ask how to paint trees. Look at them, look at color transitions, branch patterns and shapes. Every tree is different; it makes sense to observe the specific features of each one. We use fan brush in first layers, later defining them. We build up color in layers.

I hope I have inspired you to paint some fall season landscape.

Have a great fall season!

September 22, 2026

Walking into fall season, acrylic painting

Fall season acrylic painting in vibrant colors

When I started using acrylic paint some 20 years ago, it felt like a medium I can really engage in. Watercolor is beautiful and has its own applications, but acrylic paint allows creating volume and pretty much touchable effect. I love that it doesn’t have smell and I can use acrylic paint in many layers to achieve the magic in my paintings.

The most recent painting has been long in making since it took me almost a year to recover. It can be difficult to return to the mindset and intended painting process I had envisioned that long ago. Nevertheless, the first steps were inviting, and I decided to add more layers and complete this painting. Just like always I have quite many unfinished acrylic paintings. All will be done sooner or later.

When the fall season starts, I do enjoy the bright colors I can apply to my watercolor and acrylic paintings. I had some grey periods and then gold and subtle color period, but eventually I returned to strong, bright colors. To have more magic with acrylic painting, more contrast and volume. As I have mentioned before, I use paint in layers.

Every picture shows more added layers. Like always, the actual painting is better than pictures thereof. Walking into fall season is 20 x 24” acrylic painting on canvas. It is available now, after 2 days I finished it. There are certainly people who appreciate bright and lively colors in a great landscape which also has a fantastic perspective.

Have a great fall season!

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August 7, 2025August 7, 2025

Perfect subject for acrylic painting

Beginner art classes in acrylic painting

Summer is always busy, and I am wrapping up summer art classes next week. After that, I have only private classes for a while, and we restart in September. Since my students are mostly beginners who have been trying other options, like tutorials and video lessons and decided that it’s worth to learn rather directly.

Getting acquainted with new medium

Introduction in new medium, art supplies, like brushes, canvas and other tools should realistically start with exploration thereof. Most people come to an art class with new brushes, new paint tubes and neither I, nor they know what they have. We have numerous paint manufacturers, some pretty bad, some acceptable and a few – decent. The only way to know how our paints work is to try, test and use them.

Important aspects of painting

I am trying also to teach about basics of painting apart from practical things and techniques. It’s important how we create composition, how we lay down the first layers and how we achieve contrast and value distinction. It’s important to approach acrylic painting based on the properties of acrylic paint, meaning, how long till it dries, what happens if you don’t stop working some segment when paint is tacky and so forth.

Brushstroke and brushes for acrylic painting

Brushstroke is very much neglected part of painting, and it takes quite a while until one gets sufficient with the use of their brushes. Fan brush is fantastic and we use it often with landscape painting, except, that one has to practice using it until they can achieve the desired effect. Brushes can do a lot; we just need to be aware of what! Below is an image of updated barn painting from a few years ago.

Specifics of acrylic painting

I teach painting in layers and segments with first blocking in the main shapes. The correct way is to start with what’s underneath and that means also applying dark colors. We basically never paint details first, as well as the final colors. We build them up. The first layers can look not attractive at all, but we keep adding layers and painting starts to come to life.

Patience matters

We are always rushing and impatient nowadays. We want results right away and on the spot. In painting, results come after spending time with our paints and brushes, after learning what painting involves and how to achieve what we would like. That never happens within a few days or weeks. It takes time to make our movements automatic, like cleaning the brush every time we switch color.

Good subjects for acrylic painting

Clearly defined subjects, like this barn and other barns in landscape, are easier for beginners, there’s something to hold on. We need abstract parts and defined parts in a painting, but we should never put small details in the background. All students were extremely satisfied with their paintings while they admitted there’s much more to learn.

Fantastic result – old barn in summer meadow

I personally enjoyed painting this barn in a summer meadow. Colors worked very well, and like always, the actual painting is better than my photos. I don’t think any camera has the ability to perfectly capture the soft and gentle color transitions, as well as vert accurate colors. Well, it’s available. Barn painting is 20 x 16”. The other barn with flowers is 24 x 18″, and I think it looks impressive.

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January 13, 2025January 13, 2025

Creation as art therapy

Harmony and balance – main goal of creation as art therapy

To regain harmony, balance and self-fulfillment, many people are trying to find simple ways to cure their stresses and change the rushed lifestyle in nowadays unforgiving world. The most healing, as well as most accessible path is using creation as art therapy. You don’t have to be an artist to find huge satisfaction, calmness and feeling whole again since creation of art, painting, drawing, sketch is already art therapy. If you never tried, maybe you should do that right now while it’s cold and not that great outdoors.

Landscape painting, acrylic sunset painting

The healing potential of creation as art therapy

The healing aspect of creation is based on the idea that it involves mind, soul, emotions, feelings, activation of memory pathways, harmonizing movements of hand with brush or pencil, thus, stimulating self-expression, intuition and getting in contact with person’s inner self. All of that gives us a chance to free ourselves from never ending stresses, being in competition with everybody else, and getting rid of emotional blocks. The other aspects of creation of art are ability to focus, improvement of memory and decision making.

Relaxing creativity

Creation as art therapy involves fantastic relaxing potential. Especially, if you prefer using color as the main feature in art. The colors we feel as ours, disclose the subconscious state of our mind and lead to transforming experience. Creation of art involves all of our brain processes, and that manifests as a healing effect and feeling of inner balance. Participation in art classes is one way to facilitate the creativity and learn how to implement it in our life.

Power of colors

Each color possesses unique energy which affects us. Working with colors releases different energies. For painting, we usually go either with color of our subject and reference, or choose it intuitively which is what I do most often. Choice of color can be frequently subconscious – we feel attracted to some colors and avoid using others. The same goes for subjects which we feel are ours.

Blooming wildflower fields, summer landscape

Blue and green – colors of life and harmony

Blue color calms and facilitates peacefulness decreasing stress and anxiety. Look at the blue sky, which represents endless calm. We surely can paint sky and water as blue as we want. Green color symbolizes the energy of nature, harmony and balance, healing and increasing the feeling of the inner calm. Green color means life and renewal, just like in spring everything comes back to life. Green is dominant in nature during spring and summer, it’s the most healing color, the best art therapy.

Orange and red for passion

Orange color is the color of enthusiasm, living energy and creative intentions, it gives us vitality, helping to open our mind to new ideas. Red color activates our energy, power and passion, especially passion to live and create. Red color also can be a manifestation of subdued emotions and inner restlessness. I have rarely used only red, orange or yellow, but these colors are very essential for fall landscapes where they are represented in abundance.

Yellow for joy, purple for magic

Yellow color is associated with joy, self-awareness, mental clarity, it facilitates positive attitude and perception. Yellow brightens our space and sparkles up feeling of pleasure in our mind. Having different shades of good quality yellow paint is absolutely crucial for any painting. Purple is color of spirituality, intuition and depth of soul. Color of mystery and magic. I have rarely used purple as a dominant color, but it’s useful for softening green. Purple has its place in art therapy.

White and black

White means clarity and purity, new beginnings. White is unavoidable in art. We need to brighten and lighten other colors, and pure white is very important for watercolor and acrylic painting. Black color represents completeness and strongly indicates value, shape and form in art. I don’t use black color in watercolor at all, but as a mixing component in acrylic. Strong indication of values is important in any painting.

Painting, creating and using colors

When we create a painting, we rarely use paint straight from the tube. It’s important our painting has light and dark values and warm and cold colors. Therefore, most often it is a mix of colors and different shades. Yet, the overall impression usually shows a tendency towards some particular color palette, like I love combining all kinds of green with blue, white and yellow. Fresh and uplifting, at the same time, emotionally loaded and peaceful. Fall paintings have numerous red, orange, yellow and mixed shades. Saturated colors, warm, bright and vibrant.

Different preferences

I have written before about my grey and subdued color periods, as well as blue, green and red. Over time, the perception of color becomes very refined. The color choice usually reflects the mood of that time. Grey looks fantastic in art. Sometimes less color makes painting much better. However, there are seasons when I feel I need the brightness, the strong, bold colors. Nobody says we have to stick to something one. In art, we experiment, explore and test. Time spent painting becomes meditation and art therapy.

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March 29, 2023October 15, 2024

Techniques for spontaneous watercolor painting

Abstract watercolor painting, private art classes

The versatile watercolor

Watercolor is a medium we can use in hundreds of different ways. What we create and how it looks depends largely on technique we apply. While many of my watercolors look carefully worked out, I often start painting with just randomly washing some paint onto watercolor paper. I posted my spring palette colors in the previous article. For spring paintings, I am using a limited palette:

Color combinations for spontaneous watercolor

Payne’s grey

French ultramarine

Brilliant yellow

Burnt sienna

Burnt umber

Gold ochre

Leaf green

It’s possible, however, to create numerous color tones using these paints. They work well together and with decent application of water, there’s no mud. I will work on floral spontaneous watercolors next, and I am adding magenta and carmine for these.

Allowing paint and water to work

While the paint application is extremely loose, I still have some idea. Washes look great when painting treescapes and paintings with abstract water. This is a technique which perfectionists might not like. We simply allow colors to mix and flow as they please. It’s a myth that watercolor painting cannot be adjusted or changed. One just needs to know how to do that.

Lifting paint

I think many watercolor artists use too less of paint lifting technique. For paint lifting, large brush with pointy tip is very useful. My main brush is Luke number 14, round. Along with simple lifting, I implement one more step: lifting with very liquid other color. It’s a fantastic, but unpredictable process. It’s also fun, and I love this technique because it allows me adding definition to subject. Lifting paint is an essential technique for spontaneous watercolor my-style.

Non-cotton paper has its uses

Lifting automatically takes care of the negative space. When to lift and where to add paint depends on our personal preference and feel. For this technique, cotton paper is not the best option. Non-cotton watercolor paper makes lifting paint an easy step. In fact, it’s way easier to lift paint from some thick non-cotton papers than to add an extra layer. I am using for these paintings Strathmore 400 series paper. It requires flattening afterwards. All non-cotton watercolor papers must be weight-pressed after application of water and paint since they become uneven.

Watercolor painting, rocks, trees, water

Multi-step process

While people ask when I will have online art classes, I must say, I probably won’t. Things I am writing about most often cannot be shown online. One must see the actual process in order to understand how we create loose, spontaneous watercolor painting and add the touch of reality to it. The process involves drying paper and restarting wet-on-wet, then adding dry paint, then lifting more and so on. It takes about 6-8 hours to paint one artwork. I have spent about 3 days in average on each painting.

Abstract landscape watercolor, art classes for beginners

Testing paints

Spontaneous watercolor works great for people who just want to explore what their paper and paints can do. Check compatibility of colors before you start painting. Water takes care of lot of things with loose watercolor painting, but there are colors which will destroy the flow and cause unpleasant muddy shades. To avoid that, learn what your paints do. My paints are rich in pigments, all artist grade. I never use white or black colors, as well as, I don’t even have masking fluid. These paintings consist only of watercolor paint on paper.

Abstract watercolor, landscape and water

Give it a try

Want to try this approach? No better time than now. This means absolute freedom, you don’t need any photos to follow, but having an idea is helpful. I love using the earth colors togethers with blue and green. Burnt sienna adds a bit of red tint. Simplicity is beautiful; however, I’ve never been a minimalist in any regard. That goes for any of my paintings. Well, we can stop working whenever it feels right.

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The sunny road and autumn lake

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Walking into fall season, acrylic painting

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Perfect subject for acrylic painting

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Creation as art therapy

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Techniques for spontaneous watercolor painting

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