James Gurney Art

I was a happy kid, but I came from an unhappy home. My mom was a chain-smoking alcoholic, prone to unexpected outbursts. Learning to draw was my way out. I did this pen and ink drawing from observation of a rocking chair when I was 13 years old. More on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...

You, too?

Music by Kevin MacLeod. Sketchbook by Talens. Assorted fountain, parallel, calligraphy, and flex pens.

Far and away the greatest concern people have right now is lazy brain syndrome caused by AI.
More on my Substack. jamesgurney.substack.com/p/questions-...

On Substack today, the story of how I acquired a human skull.
"It came in the mail the other day. It was wrapped in about 15 layers of packing material, which intensified the suspense. The box said on the outside, ‘FRAGILE HUMAN SKELETAL MATERIAL.'"
jamesgurney.substack.com/p/the-story-...

Are people noticing lately a lot of errors (such as lost payments, crazy accounting, etc.) from business associates (such as payment processors, distributors, etc.) who are using AI?

The first page of a sketchbook can be a bit daunting, even for experienced sketchers. So what I do is start on page 2. I can always come back later and do a knockout first page. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...

This painting will be auctioned at Heritage on Nov. 4, 2025. fineart.ha.com/itm/pulp-pul...

Where My Vision of Childhood Came From .The roots of Dinotopia and my love of Wordsworth

Children come into awarenesses that are brand new and highly charged. Emotions overtake them. Relationships emerge and develop. They stagger into the light of life with openness and expectation.

More about childhood at my Substack: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...

(Left, my breakfast doodle. Right: Gemini takes a crack at it.)
On Substack, I share 10 concerns about using AI as a creative collaborator. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Painting the Pre-Electric Night open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...

Milt Kahl used contour blends in this drawing of an adolescent Bambi. What's a "contour blend?" Answer here: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...

Marty Owings on YouTube: "If you read the book it will unlock many secrets to being a better sketcher." youtu.be/G3hhyFvCHEA?...

Quick sketch of a lady taking a photo on the ferry.

When I look again, she's gone.

Lettering is one of my secret joys, and I was so happy when Dover agreed to republish the book that inspired me at age 12.
You can find it at my website: jamesgurney.com/products/art...

Lettering is one of my secret joys, and I was so happy when Dover agreed to republish the book that inspired me at age 12.
You can find it at my website, jamesgurney dot com.

Mixing time lapse and real time in the same shot.

Is dusk light COOL (left Krøyer) or WARM (right C. Hassam)? jamesgurney.substack.com/p/art-coloni...

Artists at the Olde Lyme colony played "The Wiggle Game". An artist would draw a few random, squiggly lines—"wiggles". They would then hand the paper to another artist, who had to incorporate those lines into a complete and often humorous drawing. More: jamesgurney.substack.com/p/art-coloni...

Art colonies that revered twilight. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...

There's a place up on Agriculture Hill where you can see across to the spinning midway, feel the cool spray from the gardening display, smell the french fries and chicken sandwiches, and hear the crowd laughing at the juggler.

“How do you place a figure in an invented space?” and other questions from Jacob. jamesgurney.substack.com/p/questions-...

Sno Cone shack, sketched in gouache at the county fair. Watch videos: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...

YouTube video by James Gurney Finding the Story in a Landscape Painting

Finding the story in a landscape painting. youtu.be/3tQPp_QEryc

On the new YouTube video, I redid the thumbnail and changed the title from "Painting a Stranded Boat in Gouache" to "Finding the Story in a Landscape Painting". youtu.be/3tQPp_QEryc

New Video About a Stranded Boat Watch it first on Substack

I paint a stranded boat and answer your questions. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...

Which Colors Are Primary? And how should artists think about primaries?

Which colors are primary? One of the most basic art questions turns out to be not so simple.
More on Substack today: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...

Stanhope Alexander Forbes, A Street in Brittany, 1881

The French word “repoussoir” refers to an object placed in the foreground of a composition that enhances the illusion of distance with other objects. More on Substack open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...

Edwin Austin Abbey’s advice to art students: focus first on learning the basic skills and science of your craft, and wait until later to explore the artistic or creative side. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...

Steve Jobs wanted the personal computer to be like a “bicycle for the mind.” How has that vision worked out so far? jamesgurney.substack.com/p/a-bicycle-...

A strange tree I saw on a forest hike. At the link, four explanations. jamesgurney.substack.com/p/strange-tr...