First Treasury (Evar, yo.)

A few pieces of mine have made it into others' treasuries before, but I've never been able to actually snag one. So after sitting around for several hours with a mouse in hand and eyes riveted to the screen, I have finally succeeded in creating a treasury.

Have You Seen this Artist Yet?

Have you seen this artist yet? Because if you haven't, you are, without question, missing out. Words like exquisite and extraordinary hardly do his illustrations justice. This master of many traditional media produces stunning works in not only watercolor, but inks, graphite, and others, all in his uniquely elegant style. In fact, I should stop talking, as you shouldn't be even spending time reading this- go take a look at his deviantArt now.

Of Colors and Acrylic Paint

Most of the time, there's nothing wrong with bright colors. They're meant to be light and cheerful, but at other times, bright colors need to avoided or at least used conservatively. So suppose you've already laid down a layer of acrylic paint, hoping that when it dries the color will be not quite as blatantly loud and lacking in subtlety. Suppose, as frequently happens, that this does not occur.

What is this? Barney? The Incredible Hulk? Eww.

Instead of applying another coat (one of the lovely advantages of acrylic), try a light wash. Dilute a dark, neutral color, such as brown or black, and brush it over the offending brightness. This will give the surface a nice, aged, toned-down look. Unfortunately, the effect is not always strong enough. In this case, you will need another coat- but remember to blend first this time.

Second coat over the weak wash. Still wet, but much better.