Keiko Tanabe - Blog: DVD

Tell Your Story

4/11/2019 1:08:56 PM

This is an article that I wrote for and was published in American Watercolor Weekly (February 26, 2019). The topic is how we can use composition to effectively tell our story in our painting. To me, the key is knowing what I want to say and deciding where to put focus. Choosing a good composition can be challenging, and it is something that I take it seriously especially when I paint on location. Compositional possibilities are endless, and it can be daunting to choose the right one. I find it helpful to take some time beforehand to do a few thumbnail sketches [...]

Simplifying a Painting

2/25/2019 10:08:46 PM

This is an article that I wrote for Outdoor Painter, the home of PleinAir magazine, about one of the most important topics for plein-air painters, How to Simplify a Painting. This doesn't just happen. We have to make it happen. How does one simplify a complex scene in a painting? My approach to this question starts with having a vision. I want to have a solid idea about what I want to communicate and what I want to achieve in a painting before I begin. I use this as a guide to make some of the important creative decisions including simplification. Whether [...]

Pre-Sale Begins: My First DVD "Spanish Landscapes in Watercolour"

5/28/2016 11:02:51 AM

As I wrote on my blog exactly a year ago, my first DVD set is about to be launched from Veopintar, a Spanish video production company. I am very happy and excited that five complete plein-air demonstrations that I did in Spain last year are included in this 2-DVD set. The audio portion will be available in English and Spanish. Watch the trailer on YouTube. Veopintar has just started offering my DVD set as a pre-sale with a 10% discount (this offer is valid until June 15, 2016) from their website. The shipment will be after June 16 2016. Download this DVD I hope you will [...]

Maybe Foes in Soccer but Friends in Watercolor

5/26/2015 2:17:59 AM

Barcelona and Bilbao. I was recently in both cities in Spain to conduct plein-air workshops. Walking on the streets, I couldn't help noticing how much people there love soccer (or fútbol in Spanish) as their love for the sport, and for their local team in particular, was evident with their own team's flags and banners displayed all over town to show their support. Two teams from these cities may be rivals in soccer, but this is not a case in the watercolor community at all. I found, first-hand, watercolor painters I worked with in both cities were equally friendly, kind, enthusiastic, supportive of each [...]