FAQ

Do you have online tutorials?
Yes! They are called ArtBytes and you can find them in my ArtByte Store. These are bite-size lessons that you can read/watch as many times as you want. Many include videos - all include text, images and links. One is about my materials.

How can I see what work is available? 

Click here to see everything I have available right now.

Do you sell books?

Yes, I currently have 4 small books, and one instructional book available through Amazon: Daily Painting: Paint Small and Often to Become a More Creative, Productive and Successful Artist.

Do you sell tshirts, aprons, mugs, etc.?
Yes! Please visit my Cafe Press store to see what's available. (all at cost)

Do you take commissions?
No. Sorry.

Do you frame your small paintings?

I sell them unframed. That said, I can recommend a few online framers that are very good (from least to most expensive):
www.webpictureframes.com - Web Picture Frames (floating frames for panels)
www.frankenframes.com - Franken Frames
www.kingofframe.com - King of Frame 
www.metroframe.com - Metro Frame
For my paintings, I like the floating frames specifically for panels.

What medium do you use?

I mix my own: 2 parts linseed oil | 1 part stand oil | 1 part Gamsol (mineral spirits)
When I travel I use Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel
When I plein air I also use Gamblin Galkyd Gel

What is your palette?

(Gamblin brand) titanium white, cadmium yellow medium, cadmium red medium, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, 1980 phthalo blue, and burnt umber - I sometimes add to this: cadmium yellow lemon and permanent rose.

What brushes do you use?

My favorite brushes are Silver Bristlon brights. They are synthetic & have a nice crisp edge. I mostly use sizes 4, 6, 8 and 10. I also use a size 2 filbert for drawing.

What panels do you use?

I currently use gessobord from Ampersand (purchased from Dick Blick), but I used Raymar's smooth cotton canvas panels for a long time and really liked them. I switched because I paint rather thin and I felt the texture of the canvas was competing with the texture of my brush strokes.

Do you varnish your paintings?

Yes, I use Gamvar picture varnish, glossy, which I apply when the paint is dry.

How do you ship your paintings? 
I use archival bags from Clear Bags. I insure each painting and ship it in a Priority Mail box that generally takes 2-3 days to reach the buyer (domestic), and 7-10 days (international). Full tutorial.



Do you give workshops?

I taught workshops for 12 years, and "retired" in 2019. : )

How long does it generally take you to finish one of these small paintings? 

It took me 20 years to get to the point where I can paint one small painting in 1 to 4 hours. That is my official answer. : )

How do you photograph your paintings?

I go outside with my (automatic digital) camera & art. I find a spot in open shade and prop my painting up with something so it doesn’t fall/blow over, and nothing is in front of it. I make sure my painting is not facing any light source (the sky, or even a window that is reflecting the sky). I sit down and rest my elbows on my knees to steady my camera. Then I zoom in a little since my camera is defaulted to wide-angle (most are). I square the painting in my LCD panel, hold my breath, and take a picture. I take several just to be safe. I open my picture in Photoshop (or Picasa – free from google). I crop it, change the image size (to about 1000 pixels per side) and use Image>Levels to make values “right”. I adjust colors if they need adjusting. Finally, I save (for web) as a .jpg (no less than 70%). For WAY more info see my ArtByte on photographing and editing small paintings.

How long does it take each day to post a painting?

It takes me about 15 minutes, from photographing, blogging, listing in auction, and posting to social media. Sometimes it takes a little longer as I agonize over what to write about my painting. : )

What kind of setup do you use for plein air painting?

I use an Art Box from Art Box & Panel Co. I prefer the smallest size (mini).

Do you ever do demos?

Yes. I have a few free ones, and several (so far) in ArtBytes with a voice over that you can buy for $10/ea.

Where/how did you learn to paint?

I went to the University of Texas at Austin but learned nothing there other than what I taught myself. My professors were only interested in developing the concept behind the painting, rather than teaching us the basics of design, composition, etc. I want to make a living doing what I love most - painting! I learned by poring over art magazines and books, studying and copying work that struck me, and experimenting a lot. Painting (just about) every day is the best thing I do towards improving!

What does your shadowbox look like?

It is a really cool box invented/built by my husband. It is constructed of pvc pipe and plywood, is lightweight and mounted on a heavy duty tripod so I can raise and lower it to get just about any angle on my still life. You will find instructions and pictures in my free Shadowbox ArtByte.

Do you plan to release a DVD or instructional book?

I wrote an instructional book for Random House. It's called Daily Painting: Paint Small and Often to Become a More Creative, Productive and Successful Artist, and you can order it on Amazon. : ) I don't have plans for DVD's at this time.

58 comments:

Barbara Tibbets said...

Hi Carol,
I love your answer to "how long does it take to do a small painting", 20 years! I'll try that with my 30 years of painting! Love your work.

Deborah Kirkeeide said...

Carol, I love your ArtBytes on Daily Paintworks and would recommend them to everyone! I have done 3 of them and I'm learning so much. What a great way to share your experience, especially for those of us that haven't been able to get into your workshops. Thank you for this wonderful resource!

Deb

Julie Mai said...

You mention in your new tutorial to only post work on your Blog that you are proud of. In your early blog years, how did you handle this. My understanding is that you committed to a painting a day to "improve" That suggests to me some possible "failures, or work you weren't proud of. Did you post anyways? Did you redo? How did you handle this. I am considering a blog, and willing to be vulnerable, but not if my honesty is going to be damaging. Julie Mai

Carol Marine said...

Great question, Julie! When I first started posting on my blog I had a lot more wipers in a day than I do now! I tried then to only post what I was proud of, but I admit my standards have gone up since then. Then I probably wiped 1/3 of what I painted. Now it's probably only 1/5. I also was almost always ahead with my paintings, so if there was one I didn't wipe, I had a few days to think about whether it was post-worthy.

Julie Mai said...

Thanks Carol. My guess is to be a few days ahead of your posts is helpful, especially since your paintings are selling before the paint dries! Thanks again.

Eugene Veszely said...

G'Day Carol,

I too am looking at joining DPW. Before I do I was wanting to sort out some details, specifically postage.

I seem to recall you had a picture of the painting in a box ready to go, but I cant find it...anyway I went to my local post office and they either had boxes that seemed much too large or were too small. They also showed me the padded envelopes but they didnt look sturdy enough.

Can you please show me(us!) a more detailed look at how you go about packaging your paintings so they stay safe during postage?

Eugene

RonGrauer said...

RonGrauer, CA. Carol, your work is superlative. One in 5 is a dud... wow. that's terrific. You're fortunate, (which means you've worked very hard) to be able to paint so well, so fast. I paint so slowly that is I had a dud rate like that I'd go broke. I sure envy and admire your skill and ability. Another fifty years and you'll be about my age and I'd bet, one of the country's finest painters. RonG

Cindy Ratliff said...

I enjoyed the paintings oh Germany in summer! My son studied Engineering there last summer and fell in love with the countryside especially. He will return to study German in Munich this summer. Would love to someday purchase a lovely painting of the German countryside! I have so enjoyed my evening reviewing your paintings. Thank you for sharing!

Kelly said...

Hi Carol,

In regards to your palette, do you mind confirming whether you recommend Utrecht's Alizarin Crimson, or Permanent Alizarin Crimson? I'm new to oil paints and not sure how much of a concern lightfastness is in the Alizarin Crimson pigment (PR83) in this medium. Thanks very much!

Carol Marine said...

Hi Kelly! Honestly I don't know just HOW much to worry about lightfastness, but to be on the safe side I do buy the permanent version. Hope that helps. : ) -Carol

Unknown said...

Just wanted to say thank you for your art tutorial, how to sell your art work on line. It's very informative and helpful. You and your husband are the best! God bless you both!

Jane Turnquist

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol, Long ago I read about an H frame studio easel with a counter balance that you recommended. How was the maker?

Thanks, Kathyrn

Carol Marine said...

Hi Kathryn! I have a Sorg H frame that is fabulous! http://www.studioeasel.com/ If you buy it straight from David Sorg, he gets a bigger cut, and he's very very nice to talk to. : )

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol! I am sure that you get asked all the time and have probably answered this question before, "Where do you find your solid colored coffee mugs, saucers, and vases? I have looked and i am having a really hard time finding these things. I am so inspired by you and would love to start daily painting. I wanted to find a few things to get me started ... Thank you, Kym

Gigi Ortwein said...

Hi Carol, I'm curious about your palette -- no greens? Do you always mix your greens?

Carol Marine said...

Hi Gigi! Yep, I always mix my greens. And oranges and purples. : )

Sandra Scofield said...

Carol, the book is fabulous. I just ordered copies as gifts for several friends who feel intimidated by painting, but want to do it SO much. And the book is so generous--really, it has all the great things you taught me in a workshop, minus your ebullience, precise feedback, and contagious optimism. I'm happy to hear that 2015 is for YOU. Since I spend almost half my time in Portland, though, I hope I'll have a chance to see you (short workshop?) in 2016.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to ease out of teaching, too (writing) so I can Just Paint.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol - your book is so complete and inspiring. Many thanks.
I did a few small pastel paintings years ago that I put in floater frames (including glass!!!).
Recently I bought some Franken Frames incase any of my 6 x 6 oils on 1/8" gessobord panels come out OK. Question: Do you mount your panels on some baker board to raise them just shy of the face of the frame?
I thought just putting the ptg in the floater made it sit too low.
Can't wait for January so I can purchase 3 more of your "100 Small Paintings" books.

Brandon said...

Had a question about how you ship your paintings: When you use the Priority Boxes that you mention, do you put any type of foam or padding around your painting in the clear bag for protection? For instance, if you ship out a 5x7 or 6x6 in that box which is 11x13x2, without out padding I would imagine that they slide around in the box. Just wondering. Thanks for all the great work you do :)

Carol Marine said...

Hi Brandon! I use crumpled up newspaper as padding around my paintings. That or, if we've gotten any packages from Amazon lately, I reuse those plastic air pillow things. : )

bcrtist@att.net said...


Hi Carol, Where can I buy your small books 1-6 small painting collections? How much are they? Thank you, Barb










Carol Marine said...

Hi Barb! My small books will be available very soon, on my website: www.carolmarine.com. Within the next week or so. My husband is having to program something to make it possible for me (and all DPW members) to sell books (or prints or whatever). He just had surgery on his knee, so he's been slowed down a bit. But he's close to being done. : )

vickiz said...

Hi Carol, I love your site. I am in Australia and an amateur painter. I am just wondering if you would share with me what colour you under paint your boards with. Many thanks - Vicki

Carol Marine said...

Hi Vicki and thanks! I use all different colors for "grounds" or "underpaintings," depending on the colors in what I'm going to be painting. If there is a lot of white in my subject, I usually use burnt umber. Otherwise I will often choose the compliment of the dominant color (the color that will take up the most ROOM in the painting). It's all in my book, Daily Painting. : )

tracy sage morris - girl with a brush said...

Hi Carol,

Thanks so much for this incredible resource of technique, enjoyment, and inspiration! I'm loving the Daily Painting book too!
I have a question regarding drying time. It seems you post your paintings very soon after completing, and mail out quickly. I'm relatively new to oils and am wondering how long it generally takes for paintings to be dry enough to safely wrap up for delivery?
Thanks so much!
Tracy

Unknown said...

Hey Carol,

Can you tell me how long it takes (generally) for your paintings to completely dry so that they can be shipped?
Thanks and stuff
Dave

Carol Marine said...

Hi Dave and Tracy! My paintings are usually dry to the touch in just a few days (I paint fairly thin), and dry enough to ship by the time my 7-day auctions are over and my buyer has paid. I don't know if the medium I use makes it dry faster, but it's a mix of 2 parts linseed oil - 1 part stand oil - 1 part gamsol. -Carol

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol,
Thank you so much for all the very valuable information you shared in your book. I just finished reading it as did several of my friends in my painting group. We do have a question and maybe you covered it in the book but if you did we missed it. I understand that you work on a painting for a few hours and aim to complete it that day, but do you ever go back in and do more work on that painting the next day or several days later if you feel it needs something else to improve it ? Or do you hold fast to the rule that it be a daily painting and as such was only painted in one painting session on one day .
Thanks,
Pat

Anonymous said...

I just finished your wonderful Daily Painting book and I wondered if you have any directions for how to make the little shelves you use in your studio to hold your small paintings. My husband is handy and just needs to know if your husband put a groove in the shelf to hold the paintings or something else. Your book has helped me immensely. I've already done several daily paintings and I'm in love! (with doing them, that is)

Carol Marine said...

Hi Vana and thank you! The little shelves are about 2 inches deep so I can stack several paintings (once the ones behind are dry), and have a little lip on the front so, just in case they lean too far, they won't fall off. I have heard they have something that works very well for this at IKEA, FYI. My husband custom built mine. I hope that helps!

Patty said...

Hi Carol,
I'm planning to buy an outdoor easel from your source, but find it hard to buy things like this online because I want to put my hands on it, stand in front of it, and get a feel for which size will work for me. Do you prefer the mini mainly because you take it on flights, or is there another reason to choose the smallest? Sorry if this seems like a stupid question!
I love your book, it's very inspiring and a great resource. I keep on referring to it in my studio. You are so generous with the useful info and personal experiences - your comment about learning nothing about painting from your teachers in college made me laugh as I had the same problem. Thanks for being so forthcoming yourself!
Thank you very much.
Patty

Carol Marine said...

Hi Patty! I totally understand wanting to see something in person first before you buy it. I'm the same way. I chose the mini because of what you said - wanting something small to travel with. The mini fits perfectly into my backpack too. The guy who invented them recommends the bigger sizes because then you have more mixing room. I find for my small paintings that I have plenty of room, and if I need more I just scrape off some old mixes. I hope that helps!

P*A*T (Photography*Art*Travel) said...

Carol,
Greetings. I'm delighted to discover your Painting a Day books
and the Daily Paintworks website.
Your interview with Antrese Wood on Savvy Painter
really caught my attention as well.

I am a member of the NM Watercolor Society and am curious if you paint
very often in watercolor or gouache? These water-media would seem to
be amenable to daily painting since they dry fairly quickly.

I also coordinate the Workshops for NMWS in Albuquerque and
am curious if you would be willing to consider doing a workshop
in watercolor with us in the Fall of 2017? If so, please reply
via my email and we'll discuss offline. Thanks and keep up the good work!

Carol Marine said...

Hi P*A*T and thank you!

I sometimes dabble in watercolor (haven't tried gouache yet) but so far I've only sold my oils. That said, a lot of the artists on our online gallery (www.dailypaintworks.com) use those mediums and many more! I can totally see your point about them drying quickly.

As for workshops, I used to teach all the time, but have been cutting back the last couple of years. I am down to 3 a year and those are mostly local (and in oil). I am not looking to take on any new locations at present. Thank you for understanding!

P*A*T (Photography*Art*Travel) said...

Ms. Marine,
Thanks for you quick reply and I totally understand the need to protect your time.
Regards,
BJM

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol!
I wanted to know what is the name of your technique please? And what is it about?
Thanks in advance, Salma.

Carol Marine said...

Hi Salma! Alas, I don't know that there IS a name to my technique. I just paint the way that works for me, and it changes all the time. I wrote about my general process in my book, "Daily Painting," in case you'd like to read about it. I hope that helps! : )

Aubrey said...

Hi there,
I was on Pinterest and stumbled by chance upon your painting "Faith Surprised" from back in 2011. Do you by any chance have prints/multiples of that painting available to purchase? My parents just adopted my baby sister, Faythe, and your beautiful painting is an uncanny representation of what she will likely look like in a few years

Carol Marine said...

Hi Aubrey! Unfortunately I don't have any prints of that painting. : ( But what a sweet story!

Leena said...

Hi Carol, in your book you said that your blog contains a link to your friend Karen's site for purchasing a Panel Holder. Where is that link? Can you add it to this FAQ.

Carol Marine said...

Hi Leena! Here's the link for the panel holder: http://catalog.krikegallery.com/viewProduct.cfm?item_id=734062

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol,

I have recently purchased your book, Daily Painting, and am inspired to get painting again. Thank you!
I have a comment to make however. I happened to notice that you promote Amazon as your bookseller. I work in a book store--our city's only remaining independent book store. I understand that of course you want your book to do well, but why not also suggest that buyers try their local book stores for your lovely book? For independent book shops, every purchase makes a difference, if we wan to keep them in our communities.
Thank you, and I very much look forward to reading Daily Painting from cover to cover.
Tere

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol,

I posted a comment yesterday about how much I am appreciating your book, and about independent book stores; I don't see the comment here, so I hope I didn't offend you in any way.
All the best,
Tere

Unknown said...

Hi Carol,

I am in the process of reading your book. It is the best art book I've ever bought and I have bought a lot. I work in watercolors. I have already been doing art each day but will fine tune it with your approach. Thank you so much for publishing the book!

Jeanne, artandhisword.com

Sarmed Mirza said...

Hi
Love the book and your work. I am going to recommend it to anyone and everyone who is starting out. The brush work is explained just the way I needed it. Usually don't get that sort of straight advice minus the fluff and plus the humor quite in this way. Thanks!

Can you please say something about selling giclee prints of the work. It seems the paintings on daily painting site are only original art and not copies. Wouldn't it be an option too?

Thanks
Sam.

Carol Marine said...

Looks like I'm behind responding to a few comments! Sorry about that.

Tere (Anonymous), you are so right! I should definitely put something somewhere about buying my book from independent book stores. That is an oversight on my part. Thank you for your kind comments!

Jeanne, thank you!

And Sam, thank you too! Selling giclee's is definitely an option, and something a lot of daily painters do. Personally, I have considered it, but so far it hasn't seemed worth the trouble since I make so much more from the originals, and sell one (almost) every day. I guess I didn't put it in the book because I had no experience with it. We don't allow any prints on the front page of DailyPaintworks.com, but each artist has their own gallery page and can sell prints (or books, workshops, etc.) from there. You can see all our artists who sell prints, here: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists#/offers=prints&mode=search&page=1

Shadi B* said...

Dear Marine,

I am French but I live in London. I am an Art lover and found your amazing book Daily Paint in one of the biggest museums of London during an exhibition a month ago...
Well, first of all I thought it's again an "other" book but when I opened it, I saw EVERYTHING that I love in painting : Still life , all subjects are the ones that I prefer ...Thank you for this book. It's always with me when I travel.
I resumed painting 3 months ago after a 13 years break ! yes but never stopped reading and going to exhibitions. Thanks to your book I am trying to paint daily but it's very difficult in a small flat, especially because I am also a teacher and have some students at home . Each time I paint it takes me 1 hour or so to get rid of the smell and all the mess of a room covered with plastic on the floors and chairs etc...
My question is : how do you keep motivated when you have a small space to paint and when you feel frustrated you can't do this at the pace you would like ? To give myself motivation I took a private teacher in painting twice a month and started to spend money in additional materials.... , it's a bit better but still.
Also I find your style great and I love the thick lines of your painting. How do you get this? Maybe the quality of my paint is not good enough ? maybe I don't put enough paint and too much linseed oil? When it dries it becomes very poor.

Many thanks and best wishes from the other side of the Atlantic. Shadi

Carol Marine said...

Hello Shadi-
Great questions! I have been lucky not to have to bring students into my home - I only teach workshops in other places. That makes it easy to have my studio always set up and ready for me to use. Maybe you could have a spot in your studio that no one uses but you? That way you don't have to clean up every time? An idea.
As for the thickness of my lines, I use mostly flat (or bright) brushes, and this gives me a certain kinds of line(s). I think it's important to experiment with different mediums and thicknesses of paint until you find a combination(s) that works for you. Also, lately I've been varnishing all my paintings with Gamvar, after they're dry, and this pulls it all together. So if some areas become dull after they dry, the varnish fixes that.
I hope this helps! I wish you many happy paintings!!
-Carol

Joan Marsh Art Studio said...

Good Morning Carol:
I was so inspired and motivated by your book and am trying to paint daily on 5 x 7 or 6" x 6".Looking forward to becoming an artist on Dailypaintworks.. Most of my paintings are gallery wrapped. I know you are not framing your pieces that I have looked at but are you wiring the back for hanging? (Gallery wrapped will not be framed). Thanks for your expertiese.

Carol Marine said...

Hi Joan-
I paint on thin panels (1/8" thick), so there's not much to wire. : ) I recommend floating frames for my buyers and give them a few links to check out from each auction page.
-Carol

Unknown said...

Hi Carol,
I've recently joined Dailypaintworks, and have found a puzzler that I don't seem to have run into before. In trying to complete a painting in one day, I've found that my paints seem to have lost their consistency, seem to be oilier than ever before, so that often the paint will just slide around, even picking up paint below it, rather than staying where I put it. My yellows seem to be the worst offenders, being oilier and more transparent than any other colors. I've found some help from a tip from your Daily Painter book (?) to start with the brightest colors first at times. When I leave it for a day, and come back to add to, I do have better results, but I'm wondering if you run into this and how you solve it.
Have an extraordinary day,
PD Jensen

Carol Marine said...

Hi PD! Yes, doing a painting in one day requires a different approach than one completed over a longer period of time. It is much easier to layer when the paint underneath is dry. I think of my alla prima (in one day) paintings kind of like a chess game. I plan my moves, keeping in mind what will and won't go on top of other colors. Yellow is probably the most "vulnerable," in that it won't easily go on top of anything. But orange and red are also guilty of that. If I AM going to layer, I make sure the first color is fairly thin, and that on top a bit thicker. But you will also pick up colors that are NEXT to each other, so you have to be careful with that too. Really it just takes becoming very familiar with the materials, and that takes time. That said, there is nothing wrong with coming back to it tomorrow! I just happen to LIKE doing them in one day. You should do what works for you. And as cheesy as it sounds, what makes you happy! : )

Unknown said...

Hello, I just got your book and am looking for that holder you describe. The description isn't sufficient enough for me to get an idea of how to construct it - no offense ;) but I can't find it on your blog. Do you sell it still or have better instructions for how to build it?
Thank you.

Carol Marine said...

Hi Kathryn! Here is the link to where you can buy a panel holder: http://krikegallery.com/CarolMarinepanelholder.html. I don't have instructions on how to make them, but I suppose that is something I can work on. : )

Unknown said...

Carol, my name is Amber. I would love to be taught by you. That has been a goal of mine. I live in Fort Worth Texas. I want to be a really great artist. I have worked in the medical field for almost 20 years and about 2 years I decided I wanted to be an artist. If you ever do a class in Texas I would love love love to come😍

Carol Marine said...

Hi Amber! Unfortunately, for the foreseeable future, I am no longer teaching the still life workshops that used to bring me to Texas. But I have a book, and some online tutorials (many are covered in the book) that include most of what I know about art. You will find links to these things on my website: carolmarine.com. Happy painting! : )

Greta M. Stearns said...

Hi Carol-How do you handle varnishing the paintings? Do people buy them and then are content to wait six months to receive them? What do you tell them? How long do you let the paintings dry?
Thank you!
Greta

Carol Marine said...

Hi Greta! I use a varnish that only requires a painting be "dry to the touch" before using. It's called Gamvar (from Gamblin). I paint pretty thin, so by the time my auctions are over (7 days) my paintings are dry enough to varnish, and that's dry by the next day. So my buyers don't wait. : )