Author: Anthony Waichulis

A great question came up on Instagram yesterday about some of the potential issues with intermixing graphite and white pastel (chalk/charcoal-white.) Mixing graphite with white pastel or chalk/charcoal-white is usually problematic, not because of any chemical reaction, but because the materials behave very differently on the surface of the paper. The issues tend to fall into three main categories: adhesion, optical mismatch, and the (somewhat) unpredictable effects of fixatives (if added into the mix). From a handling perspective, graphite tends to plate and subtly burnish the drawing surface. Its microscopic flakes (called basal planes) are flat and slightly greasy, and under pressure (especially when using…

A study from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (School of Design) in China made some waves in 2019 (pun intended) with a careful investigation into an often-encountered yet relatively under-examined bit of ornamentation—decorative wallpaper (Fu, Zhang, & Lin, 2019). Using a test that is designed to assess the strength of cognitive associations by examining latencies in classification tasks (Implicit Association Test), eighty willing participants demonstrated a strong preference for, in terms of semantic decodability (assigning meaning according to convention), regular (repeating motifs) and realistic patterns over random and abstract ones. And while I would not stretch such a narrow study to…

We are delighted to share that our celebrated colleague and dear friend Tanja Gant has received a Merit Award for her colored pencil work, Up in the Air: Turbulence, in the Visual Arts Center’s 15th Biennial National Art Exhibition in Punta Gorda, Florida. The exhibition is on view through March 26, 2026, as part of the Visual Arts Center’s nationally recognized juried exhibition program. Rendered in colored pencil at 15 x 21″, Up in the Air: Turbulence reflects the kind of technical sensitivity, visual intelligence, and expressive control that have long distinguished Tanja’s work. This recognition is a wonderful acknowledgment…

Rethinking Focus, Mastery, and Innovation from the Ground Up In the world of creative and technical pursuits, innovation often conjures images of dramatic breakthroughs, cavalier experimentation, or constant changes to practice and process. Yet for many dedicated practitioners, the path to innovation can paradoxically look static to outside observers. This seeming contradiction, between external stillness and internal momentum, is a topic I think is worth unpacking this month. Not too long ago, a thoughtful colleague remarked on the narrow-looking trajectory of some artists’ careers, questioning whether such focused paths can significantly limit overall artistic growth. It’s a fair question, but…

Thoughts on evaluating the many art “rules” and traditions that continue to thrive in the studio and classroom. (Image: Albert Einstein during a lecture in Vienna in 1921, Public domain) “Art ‘rules’ are often personal opinions shouted loudly with a big stick.” -Kara Castro McGee. American Author Hilary Hinton “Zig” Ziglar is often credited with the popularizing of a clever story about blindly following tradition and dogma. The tale now exists in many versions, with numerous details changed, but the story’s core remains the same. Here’s how it appeared in Ziglar’s 1977 book, “See you at the Top.”: “In this…

Artists inherit a landscape dense with “rules.” We are routinely advised to work from dark to light, to observe fat over lean in oil painting, that warm lights produce cool shadows, and that the subtractive mixing of any two colorants will result in a reduction of chroma. Some of these guidelines are grounded in material science and long-term conservation concerns; others persist because they are useful enough under most conditions. What they share is not infallibility, but an attractive path to efficiency. These are heuristics. They are cognitive shortcuts that reduce complexity, lower error rates, and allow practitioners to function…

The Art Renewal Center® is pleased to present the winners and finalists of the 18th ARC Salon. The ARC received approximately 3,500 entries from 72 countries; 40% of those, 1,970 works, have been selected as semi-finalists. Our finalists comprise a select group of the very top-rated entries, 816 works in all, or approximately 23% of entries. Both finalists and semi-finalists have been published on the ARC website. ARC has acquired nine new works for the ARC collection, including six ARC Purchase Awards and three MacAvoy Purchase Awards, totaling $75,850. Our highest award, Best in Show, a $25,000 prize generously donated…

Bradbury and the Soft Machinery of Cultural Control Over the past year, I found myself in quite a few conversations about the meaning and boundaries of censorship. Some centered around the Maryland Institute College of Art’s revised expression policy, others focused on the Smithsonian’s quiet shelving of Amy Sherald’s American Sublime, or Denver artist Madalyn Drewno’s claim that History Colorado had censored her politically charged painting from the Big Dreams in Denver’s Little Saigon exhibit in late 2025. Still others reflected broader concerns about the current U.S. administration’s posture toward the arts and journalism. In each case, the word censorship…

The term crutch gets tossed around in visual art discussions with remarkable frequency—often used to dismiss a technique, tool, or strategy as somehow illegitimate. But when pressed for clarification, the defining factors for what constitutes a crutch are usually vague, contradictory, or simply pejorative. So what is a logically consistent way to define what is—or is not—a crutch, especially in the context of art training and performance? Here’s a clear and functional definition: Crutch: A tool, strategy, or process that compensates for a skill deficit by bypassing essential perceptual, cognitive, or motor work. Crucially, whether something functions as a crutch is not inherent to the tool or…

RYB and the Question of Pedagogical Validity It’s been a while since I’ve publicly addressed the utility of the RYB (red–yellow–blue) color model. A recent conversation on social media, however, prompted me to revisit the issue, not only for its utility as a powerful heuristic in early education, but also as a valuable tool for professionals working in complex practices. My hope is that what follows will help clarify some common misconceptions about my position and highlight what the RYB model is (and is not) in many contemporary scenarios. In recent decades, artists and educators have shown a growing interest…