Jessica Lanan
Essays
Two watercolor paintings, side by side, showing the same scene of a wicker chair and paper bag on a patio with a large cactus in the background.

A Painting, Revisited

Sometimes I attempt the same paintings years later, just to see what is different. Read my discussion of two similar paintings made nine years apart, with comments on value, composition, and a variety of watercolor techniques.

Photograph showing a small hand-stitched leather sketching bag with a buckle on a white background.

Tools for Plein Air

Are you interested in doing more painting and sketching outside? Read on for a list of all the stuff I keep in my sketch bag and my larger watercolor and oil painting plein air setups.

photograph of a large stack of colorful art reference books on a white background

Resources for Beginners (And Everyone Else Too)

My favorite reference books and a host of other resources for aspiring authors and illustrators or anyone who wants to learn more about art and the children's publishing industry.