As we prepare for a new year on the Jackson’s Art blog I took a look back on all the great writing on the blog during 2018. We published nearly 200 articles and interviews on the blog this last year. Our two most read posts were about oil painting. The next most popular were the articles about our painting prizes. Our articles looking at materials, covering a range of mediums: oil, acrylic, drawing and printmaking, were as popular as ever. The series of articles with advice for emerging artists was very popular. We also have an expansive calendar of exhibitions, artist opportunities and workshops on the blog that was read regularly by many artists.
Here is a round-up of the most-read articles on the Jackson’s Art blog from 2018.
Did you miss any of these great articles from this last year?
1. 3 Ways to Thicken Your Oil Paint for Impasto Techniques
Impasto oil painting means to paint with thick paint that will hold the imprint of your brush or palette knife. This blog post presents some ideas for ways oil painters could add bulk to their paint.
2. Oil Painting Solvents: What is the Difference Between White Spirit, Turpentine and Zest-It?
Most oil painters use solvents to thin their paints and mediums and to clean their brushes and palette. This post explains what you need to know about White Spirit, Turpentine and Citrus-based solvents, to help you navigate the wide choices of solvents on our website.
3. Our Three Jackson’s Art Prizes
The competitions that Jackson’s organised in 2018 were entered, voted on, and read about by a large number of people. The competitions were our annual Jackson’s Open Painting Prize, the new Jackson’s Amateur Artist Prize, the new Jackson’s Emerging Artist Prize and a few smaller social media competitions.The blog posts include mini interviews with the winners.
4. 8 of The Best Painting Holidays: Time to Think of the Sun
A look at eight of the best painting holidays in Cornwall, Italy, Pompeii and other destinations for inspiration and exploration.
5. Acrylic Pour Painting with Schmincke Pouring Medium and Inks
and
More Acrylic Pour Painting with Schmincke Pouring Medium
For the Pour Painting technique acrylic paint colours are mixed with a special acrylic pouring medium that creates a thick, glossy, even surface, and using gravity and chance, the colours swirl on the surface and make surprising shapes sometimes similar to marbling. You are never sure what you will get!
If you counted these two articles together this topic would have been in first place!
6. A Beginner’s Guide to Urban Sketching
Phil Dean, The Shoreditch Sketcher, is an urban sketcher who captures the architecture in London with marker pen, fineliner pen and watercolour wash. He shared with us his Beginner’s Guide to Live Sketching with Winsor & Newton.
7. Holbein Acryla – A Superb Acrylic Gouache Paint
Holbein Acryla Gouache is an opaque and highly-pigmented acrylic paint which dries to a velvety-matte finish. The Acryla colours are very popular with designers and artists, who love their superb quality.
8. Advice for Emerging Artists
In this series of 13 blog posts, we asked 29 independent artists, studios and galleries ‘What advice do you have for emerging artists?’. Each post contains answers from a different field of the art world, providing several unique perspectives on how to get the best out of your practice and reach the success you’re aiming for.
9. How to Use the Canvas Wedges That Come with a Canvas or Stretcher Bars
After hearing a few experienced artists say they just threw their wedges away and later hearing them wonder about the best way to tighten up a sagging canvas, I decided maybe the humble canvas wedge needed some clarification.
10. Linocut Christmas Card Inspiration
Each year we ask artists to submit a photo that will encourage people to make their own linocut Christmas Cards. It has become an annual tradition at Jackson’s! This year the winning image, as shown above, was made by Veronica Butt with an excellent photo layout for inspiring cardmaking showing the carved lino block, the roller and the multiple printed cards in different colours.
If you are interested in the next ten most popular posts here they are:
11. Choosing the Right Canvas for Your Painting
12. Advice from Botanical Artists: Heidi Willis
13. Priming your canvas with house paint
14. Zest It Cold Wax Painting Medium Review
15. Comparing Two Top Sable Watercolour Brushes
16. Anna Mason’s Watercolour World Interview
17. The Difference between Graphite and Charcoal Explained
18. Russ Mills: Constructing Portraits
19. Isaro Oil Paints – Handcrafted by a Colourwoman
20. Botanical Artists’ Thoughts on Stonehenge Aqua Hotpress
Did your favourite Jackson’s Art post from 2018 make the list? Tell us your favourite in the comments below!
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