Martina's Articles

Just one thought, one single thought can change your perception about art.
If one notion, just one thought, may transform your perspective on art and inspire you to begin or continue studying artistic talents, then I have done what I ventured to achieve. I hope that my articles may inspire and inform readers, resulting in a better understanding of an art career. 

Martina's Articles

You will find  a collection of articles here that I have published over time and find useful. Wherever possible, I attempt to keep them up to speed with industry changes.

15 Must Have Skills Every Art Student Should Master
There are as many opinions about "must have" skills for art students, as there art instructors. My personal perspective comes as a long-time art instructor and judge of art shows and competitions. If you concentrate on these essential skills, you'll be much better off in your art career in the long run. 

Art Competition Benefits
The way to stimulate your art career and getting your name in the game. Art Competitions provide opportunities on several levels. Find out what those are.  

Art Material Glossary
A bit of an introduction glossary of art materials for total beginners who are intending to either join art classes or learn at home on their own. 

Benefits of Art Classes
Having taught classical art for over 21 years has revealed that teaching art in person has some advantages online instruction cannot provide. This understanding came from my observation and frequent remarks from my art students.

Coloured Pencils
In this article, I discuss the distinctions between coloured pencil brands and the most common approaches employed when working with coloured pencils. I explain the pro’s and cons of oil and wax-based pencils. And a little background history on the humble colour pencil.

Coloured Pencil Studies
A few useful downloadable exercise sheets for the medium of colour pencil for both white and coloured paper.

Colour Mixing
The backbone of any artist is the ability to mix colour. It is far easier to learn than most people imagine. These are some suggestions for what to look for in an online training program or an art teacher who can cover the entire range of what you need to know to mix any colour by using just the double primary colours and white.

Did You Know?
Occasionally, we come across those little annoying problems when organising an art studio, working with paint or when sketching. Sometimes a bit of creativity helps to solve those issues.

Learn to Draw in 15 Minutes a Day
Drawing is the 'bones' of art. You have to be able to walk before you can run. Here are two simple and fun exercises to get you started.

The Art of Learning Art
The debate: Is it better to learn via traditional, in person approaches, or are online courses the way to go?

Why We Need Creativity
We can't use up creativity, the more we use the more we have. A very revealing article with some essential research data.