Artists Network: The Online Home of Traditional Media Painting Education

Artists Network is the digital home of The Artist's Magazine and Watercolor Artist, two of the most respected traditional media art publications in the United States, and it has grown into one of the most comprehensive online resources for painters working in traditional media. With a history stretching back to 1984, the platform has accumulated an extraordinary archive of tutorials, artist profiles, technique videos, and instructional content covering watercolour, oil painting, acrylic, drawing, pastel, and virtually every other traditional painting and drawing medium.

The platform serves a large and diverse audience of traditional media painters, from complete beginners who are just starting to explore painting to experienced artists who want to continue developing their skills and stay connected with the broader painting community. The combination of free and premium content, active community features, and the credibility of the magazine brands behind it makes Artists Network one of the most substantial and trustworthy resources available for traditional media painters.

The Magazine Heritage

The Artist's Magazine, founded in 1984, has been one of the most influential publications in American art education for four decades. The magazine has featured tutorials, artist profiles, technique articles, and instructional content from hundreds of professional artists and educators, building an archive of instructional material that is unmatched in its breadth and depth. This archive is now accessible through the Artists Network website, providing subscribers with access to decades of high-quality instructional content.

Watercolor Artist magazine, which focuses specifically on watercolour painting, has similarly built a substantial archive of watercolour-specific tutorials, artist profiles, and technique articles. For watercolourists who want to deepen their understanding of the medium, the Watercolor Artist archive provides an extraordinary resource covering every aspect of watercolour painting from basic technique through advanced approaches.

The magazine heritage gives Artists Network a credibility and depth that purely digital platforms cannot match. The editorial standards of the magazines, which have been maintained over decades of publication, ensure that the content on the platform reflects genuine expertise and professional quality rather than the variable quality that characterises much user-generated content.

Tutorial Content

The tutorial content on Artists Network covers every major traditional painting and drawing medium, with tutorials ranging from beginner introductions to advanced technique explorations. The tutorials are produced by professional artists and educators with genuine expertise in the media they teach, and the quality of instruction reflects the platform's magazine heritage and editorial standards.

Watercolour tutorials are among the strongest content on the platform, reflecting the strength of the Watercolor Artist magazine archive and the popularity of watercolour among the platform's audience. The watercolour content covers basic technique, colour mixing, wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry approaches, landscape painting, portrait painting, and a wide range of other subjects and techniques.

Oil painting tutorials cover the full range of oil painting approaches, from direct painting through glazing and indirect techniques, with instruction from professional painters working in a range of styles from classical realism to contemporary expressionism. The oil painting content is particularly strong in the areas of portrait and figure painting, reflecting the traditional strength of these subjects in American art education.

Drawing tutorials cover graphite, charcoal, coloured pencil, pastel, and other drawing media, with instruction that ranges from basic mark-making and proportion through advanced rendering and composition. The drawing content is well-suited to artists who are developing their foundational skills as well as those who work primarily in drawing media.

Artist Profiles and Interviews

The artist profile and interview content provides insight into the working methods, materials, and creative philosophies of professional artists across a wide range of traditional media and styles. These profiles are one of the most valuable aspects of the platform for artists who want to understand how professional painters actually work, including the specific materials they use, the processes they follow, and the thinking behind their creative decisions.

The profiles cover both established artists with long exhibition histories and emerging artists whose work is just beginning to attract wider attention, providing a picture of the traditional media painting community that reflects its genuine diversity of approach and style.

Online Workshops and Premium Content

Beyond the free tutorial content, Artists Network offers online workshops taught by professional artists and educators, providing more structured and in-depth instruction than individual tutorials can offer. These workshops cover specific subjects, techniques, and media in depth, with the kind of cumulative skill building that comes from following a structured curriculum rather than watching individual tutorials.

The premium content subscription provides access to the full magazine archive, exclusive tutorials, and other content that is not available to free users. For artists who want to access the full depth of the Artists Network archive, the subscription provides excellent value given the breadth and quality of the content available.

The Community

The Artists Network community connects traditional media painters across all skill levels and media, providing a space for sharing work, asking questions, and engaging with the broader painting community. The community is active and supportive, with a culture that reflects the traditional media painting community's generally collaborative and encouraging character.

The community forum provides a space for discussing specific technique questions, sharing work in progress, and connecting with other painters who share specific interests. The quality of discussion in the forum reflects the genuine expertise of many community members, and the advice and feedback available through the forum can be genuinely valuable for artists who are working through specific technical challenges.

The Bottom Line

Artists Network is one of the most comprehensive and trustworthy online resources for traditional media painters, combining the credibility and depth of The Artist's Magazine and Watercolor Artist with the accessibility and community features of a modern digital platform. For painters working in watercolour, oil, acrylic, drawing, or pastel who want access to high-quality instructional content, artist profiles, and a supportive community, Artists Network is one of the most valuable resources available.