THE BEST Painting

The Art Assignment argues that whether it be something as primitive as bones or as advanced as a neural network, there’s always a human touch at the root of all machines used to make art. We like to think of it from the other end: art is unfinished until a human mind ponders it.

Annette Labedzki’s paintings are more like temporary sculptures. She molds models of various objects out of thick, frozen layers of paint, then destroys her creations by mixing them down into a new color of paint for a wonderfully soothing type of performance art.

Artist Justinas Zozo shows us the amazing technique he uses to create his photorealistic paintings. He painstakingly cuts dozens of intricate stencils, which he then uses to mask layer after layer of spray paint colors. Kingfisher took him about six months to complete.

Black Light Visuals shows us how they use a tank filled with water and various colors of paints to create a truly one-of-a-kind marbled shoe design. Here, they dip a pair of ordinary white Converse Chuck Taylors and turn them into a wearable work of art.

Mashable introduces us to Tomislav Topic and Thomas Granseuer of Quintessenz. The duo creates colorful and dynamic art installations by spray-painting flexible mesh material, then layering them into gradations of color. When set against real-world backdrops, they look almost like digital imagery.

Artist Iris Scott doesn’t believe in paintbrushes. Instead, she creates detailed and vibrant images using only her gloved fingers. Her works include people, animals, landscapes, water, and urban scenes. Find more of her art on her website, and canvas prints are available here.

Seo Gyeong-deok channels his lifelong love for anime by painting Gundam models and other figures in a vibrant two-dimensional cartoon style. Thestory met with Seo to learn more about his craft. He also accepts commissions. You can see more of his work on his Instagram page. Turn captions on.

Get a great deal on the original natural media painting software, updated for 2019. You’ll get over 900 brushes to bring digital masterpieces to life, along with a dark mode, transparent color wheel, and smoother performance than ever. Save 41% in The Awesomer Shop.

Art Insider introduces us to Perth, Australia-based graffiti artist Straker – known for his ability to replicate the glowing look of neon lights using spray paints. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think his canvases were connected to a high-voltage transformer.

You don’t have to speak a word of Spanish to get the fire and enthusiasm of artist Porfirio Jimenez, who creates wonderful pop art paintings using spray paint and stencils. He may have talent, but his real super power is not getting any paint on his white t-shirt.

Stuart Semple’s Culture Hustle is known for making the pinkest pink paint available. He sells it at an affordable price too. Now he’s helping make the blackest commercially available black paint, and wants everyone to get their hands on it as well.

Artist Josie Lewis created this satisfying time-lapse video of her painting a colorful map of the United States using watercolors. We’re impressed how she was able to keep the colors from bleeding across state borders. Prints available here for $30.

Artist Ewan McClure shows of a nifty painting technique, in which he looks in the mirror to view his own image, then paints a self-portrait from behind the backside of the canvas, while looking at its reflection in the mirror.

Back in 2015, Virgin Australia repainted all of its airplanes with a fresh new look. It took 18 painters, about 69 gallons of paint, and 11 days to complete each jet. The most fascinating part of the time-lapse footage is watching the old paint melt off after it’s bathed in thinner.

Illustrator Adam SB shows us how the simplest of mediums – plain old H2O – can be used to create art. By dripping precise amounts of water onto a smooth surface, he creates a temporary artwork that’s sure to satisfy any obsessive need for order.

This ancient Turkish art form involves dripping dots of ink into a water-filled basin, then laying in a sheet of paper. Garip Ay’s approach lets the dark water speak for itself. He was recently commissioned to create a series of images for The Crown, Stranger Things, and Narcos.

Video of the incrediblly steady hand of an artist from Japanese tableware company Kutani Choemon, as they embellish a ceramic dish with delicate linework, and floods of colored glaze that we were convinced would spill out of the lines, but miraculously don’t.

One of the cooler ways to decorate an electric guitar body is to dip its body in a vat filled with several colors of paint. The technique isn’t nearly as easy as DeanSwirled makes it look, so you might want to just have Dean do it for you.

Artist Jordan Molina aka “TutoDraw” shows off how the effective use of a black background can create all sorts of creepy effects on his hand, from his wrist being severed to exposing the bones inside, or chunks bitten out of it.

Artist Garip Ay demonstrates how to replicate Vincent Van Gogh’s iconic swirled masterpiece The Starry Night by painting it on water that he’s dyed black. Be sure to stick around for an awesome surprise at the end.

The Slow Mo Guys loaded up a drill bit with several colors of wet paint, then captured the ensuing spatter with their high-speed camera at up to 2500fps. The spiraling paint drops are cool, and they could probably sell the artwork they created at a fancy gallery now.

Darryl Cox’s surreal art are tree branches that look like they’re growing out of antique picture frames, or vice-versa, made using a combination of sculpting, painting and woodworking. Check out his Etsy shop for available pieces. He also accepts commissions.

“I think there’s an artist hidden in the bottom of every single one of us, and here we will try to show you how to bring that artist out.” The Bob Ross company now has full episodes of The Joy of Painting on its YouTube channel. Learn, relax and be inspired by some happy little trees.

Video game system customizer Oskunk shows off more of his amazing painting skills as he takes an ordinary Nintendo Game Boy and transforms it into the ultimate Pokémon handheld. Check out his online shop for more awesome artwork.

Designer Andre Levy takes everyday coins and hand-paints them with images of pop culture icons from cartoon and movie characters to historical figures. Too bad the Magneto coin isn’t actually magnetic.

While the details and secondary colors are painted with additional brushstrokes, we’re still amazed by how artists, such as those at Japan’s Kousyuuya can create such impressive dragon bodies with a single stroke of a brush. More here.