TODAY'S FEATURED POST

Painting Sleepy Hollow


Gregory Manchess

Of all the books and stories I’ve loved, one stands out as a near perfect Halloween tale for me. It’s old, yet rich with descriptions and characters, moods and smells, colors and sounds, myths and hauntings. All the tastes of the season that Autumn-thinkers appreciate. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It’s a book I’ve wanted to illustrate for so very many years. In childhood, I first found the story in a book of Shirley Temple’s…

READ MORE

YESTERDAY’S POST


Image

“How do you know when you’re finished?”


Vanessa Lemen

September 11, 2025 - This is answering the question “How do you know when you’re finished?” when it comes to a painting or creative project, especially something that is without a deadline and/or is not using a reference but is invented or from imagination. This answer is the way I tend to think about it, and expands on the concept of that answer that is based on a feeling of being finished, which of course includes being sufficiently satisfied with the technical aspects of the piece, but in this article, I focus more on the feeling of knowing something is finished, and what that means. I understand why it’s asked. It’s as if to say “without a deadline or reference point of some sort, it feels as if you could just keep going on and on, and never be…

READ MORE

RECENT COMMENTS


Recent Comments

  • Courtney on Painting Sleepy HollowThank you for sharing these Illustrations (capital "I") with us, Greg! Now, I have to go re-read the legend. What a perfect way to ente…
  • Kate Braund on Drew Struzanʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴄᴀꜱʜ ᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ᴊᴏʙ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀʀɴꜱ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ $500 ᴘᴇʀ ᴅᴀʏ. ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴘᴀɪᴅ ᴡᴇᴇᴋʟʏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ $4.5ᴋ ᴏʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜱɪᴍᴘʟʏ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ᴇᴀꜱʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴏɴʟɪɴᴇ. ɴᴏ ꜱᴘ…
  • Gabriella Rawling on Drew Struzanᴄᴀꜱʜ ᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ᴊᴏʙ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀʀɴꜱ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ $700 ᴘᴇʀ ᴅᴀʏ. ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴘᴀɪᴅ ᴡᴇᴇᴋʟʏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ $3500 ᴏʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜱɪᴍᴘʟʏ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ᴇᴀꜱʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴏɴʟɪɴᴇ. ɴᴏ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ…
  • Kate Braund on Painting Sleepy Hollowʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴄᴀꜱʜ ᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ᴊᴏʙ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀʀɴꜱ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ $500 ᴘᴇʀ ᴅᴀʏ. ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴘᴀɪᴅ ᴡᴇᴇᴋʟʏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ $4.5ᴋ ᴏʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜱɪᴍᴘʟʏ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ᴇᴀꜱʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴏɴʟɪɴᴇ. ɴᴏ ꜱᴘ…
  • Gabriella Rawling on Painting Sleepy Hollowᴄᴀꜱʜ ᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ᴊᴏʙ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀʀɴꜱ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ $700 ᴘᴇʀ ᴅᴀʏ. ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴘᴀɪᴅ ᴡᴇᴇᴋʟʏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ $3500 ᴏʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜱɪᴍᴘʟʏ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ᴇᴀꜱʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴏɴʟɪɴᴇ. ɴᴏ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ…
  • locksmiths lake city fl on An Illustrated Ghost-Story of ChristmasMy neighbor recommended All American Locksmith after they used them to replace office locks. They said the crew was professional, quick…
  • beca iluz on Drawing FeetSuch an insightful breakdown, Ron! 👏 The “door wedge” concept really clarified foot structure for me — it’s amazing how perspective and…

ABOUT MUDDY COLORS

Muddy Colors is a collective of more than 20 artists, dedicated to providing a free, online resource for aspiring and professional artists alike.

With a library of thousands of articles, and a new one being posted each day, Muddy Colors is the largest educational website dedicated to the Fantastic Arts.

SUPPORT US ON PATREON

We are using Patreon as an opportunity to ask our readers for support in our endeavors.

These funds will be used to provide better content for our readers, maintain website expenses, and support aspiring artists through Muddy Colors programs and scholarships.