Posts by Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
Drawing
February 18, 2018

100+ Drawing Ideas That Will Get You Sketching Right Now

Practice is a vital part of perfecting your drawing skills. Learning the basics and repeating them over and over again is the only way to improve. For proof, just check out what a few years of drawing practice can do. It’s truly incredible the progress that you can make by dedicating time to this pursuit. Those who do have gone from scrawling simple figure sketches to fully-rendered portraits in seemingly no time.

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Resources
February 8, 2018

150+ Museums Around the World Are Turning Their Collections Into Free Coloring Book Pages

Everyone can benefit from coloring. While the activity is often viewed as one for children, adults can find solace in the quiet practice of coloring inside of the lines. Once you’ve found the best colored pencils, there’s a seemingly endless supply of adult coloring books. And even if you completed all of your available coloring supply, cultural institutions are making sure that you’ll never run out of interesting things to illuminate with different hues.

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Portrait Photography
February 5, 2018

Photographer Shoots Exquisite Portraits to Look Exactly Like Old Masters’ Oil Paintings

Photographer Gemmy Woud-Binnendijk infuses the luscious beauty of Old Masters paintings into her fine art photography. Their timeless works go beyond passing inspiration, however, and lovers of art history will find direct influences in her work. In one photo a young girl, her head covering, clothing, and accessories are styled exactly like the painting Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer.

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Drawing
January 31, 2018

6 Colored Pencil Artists Who Masterfully Create Lifelike Drawings

Colored pencils are commonly associated with being art supplies for children, but as savvy adults know, they are versatile tools for drawing at any age. The utensils come in a variety of hues and have a waxy finish, allowing you to blend colors like you would oil or acrylic paint. Thanks to this malleable characteristic, it’s possible to create artwork that looks like a photorealistic painting.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.