Email:
You can reach out to tracieannekiernan@gmail.com
Please do not send customer support related questions through the Facebook group, Instagram messenger, Pinterest messenger or Facebook messenger as those may not be received in a timely matter.
If you are a member or have a question related to a download product you purchased, please state that in the email OR use the “messaging feature” in your membership portal upon logging in here. If you forgot your password, you can reset it here.
FAQ About This Website:
I’m new to painting, where do I start?
Welcome! My website is designed for beginners to learn on their own time and at their own pace. You can see my recommended supply list here. I also have a beginner resource library here. Most people simply pick a tutorial from my gallery of over 100 free tutorials and just dive right in! Each tutorial has the materials list, almost all have a video and picture/ written steps.
Does acrylic paint stain?
Acrylic paint will stain fabrics such as your clothes so you want to be sure to use protection such as an apron while painting. Also, protect your surface because acrylic may stain an unfinished table surface. Acrylics paints do not stain your hands or hair and will wash off with soap and water.
Do I have to use the paints and brushes you use?
Nope! Use whatever products you have on hand! A lot of my new tutorials have a section you can use to convert Liquitex to Apple Barrel Crafts. I also provide a color swatch to help you match. Most will look at the color swatch on the tutorial and simply find a color that looks similar to it. As far as brushes go, I let you know what size brush I use but if you don’t have that exact one that is fine! You may achieve the same technique using a similar brush.
What is an ultimate beginner tutorial I should try if I’ve never painted before?
The three easy painting lessons that I recommend are my: “How To Paint An American Sky”, “Sunset Hot Air Balloons” and “Sunflower”. Those three are my most popular tutorials and also make a great FIRST TIME painting! I also have a free download available now for my popular “American Sky” painting if you would like to view that one offline 🙂
I want to learn about acrylic painting techniques such as brush strokes, blending, what brushes to use, etc. Where should I look for that?
I have a “resource library” where I publish tutorials on acrylic painting techniques.
Do you take requests?
I like to hear your requests! You can send requests to: tracieannekiernan@gmail.com. However, because I get such a large volume of requests, I can’t guarantee if or when a request can be fulfilled. As an artist, I try to find a balance between painting things that inspire me and painting what is “trending” or what may be popular/seasonal.
How often do you create new tutorials?
There are 4 free tutorials released each month and 1 bonus members exclusive tutorial released each month. Written tutorials on the website are released on Wednesday night and the YouTube video for that tutorial is released the following weekend. Members get early access to the video tutorial on Wednesday mornings.
What is the difference between your free and paid tutorials?
I have hundreds of free tutorials on my website! Those are yours to use for free! There are videos, traceables, written steps, etc. all on this website! You can learn at your own pace and access this website whenever you want! 🙂 As far as the paid ones…I also sell PDF downloads to those free tutorials in my PDF shop. For $5, you can download the tutorial as a PDF printable and download the video. This allows you to view them offline without ads. I also have a limited selection of exclusive paid tutorials available in my Etsy Download Shop.
What is your membership?
The membership is much like a “Patreon” where you can get access to bonus content and support all the tutorials that Tracie releases. As a member, you can view tutorials ad free, download PDF files of Tracie’s lessons, gain access to bonus traceables and more. Tracie also includes in depth techniques within the membership. You’re welcome to join whenever you want, the doors are always open and you can cancel anytime!
Can I email you a photo of my painting?
Of course! I love getting emails like this and seeing your beautiful creations! You can email: tracieannekiernan@gmail.com If you have FaceBook, I also have a very active FREE Facebook group where members can share their paintings.
How do you come up with your paintings each week?
I’m always thinking of my next painting! It’s a part of my daily life. I’ve trained myself to look for inspiration literally everywhere I go! Sometimes something will pop in my head out of nowhere and I’ll quickly sketch that idea down. Sometimes the design comes out very easy but other times it’s very difficult to get what’s in my head out on paper. Sometimes I will pick a theme that may be seasonal or trending and I’ll do sketches related to that theme. Sketching is the first part of my process. After I feel I have a good sketch, I do a painting rough draft on canvas paper or multimedia paper. I also like painting on my tablet using the “procreate” app! I’ll play around with the colors until I think it “pops” enough and everything seems balanced. Sometimes that means doing multiple revisions. Then I do a final draft! Then I record myself teaching the painting! It’s not a simple process but truly is a labor of love!!
Can I purchase a member exclusive painting without joining?
There is a limited selection of exclusive paintings available in my Etsy Download Shop. However, most of the bonus exclusives can only be found in the membership. You are welcome to join during a month you wish to learn the bonus tutorial and then cancel when you are finished with the painting.
Are the bonus tutorials only available during the month they are released?
No! As a member, you will be able to access the entire library of exclusive tutorials.
Can I sell my painting that I did using your tutorial?
Yes, I am okay with this! You can sell your finished paintings at craft fairs, on Etsy, etc. I understand that it’s fun to sell your art and sometimes we end up with way too many paintings that we don’t know what to do with! If you are selling online, please make sure you use your own picture of your painting. The design of the painting, however, is not to be resold (example: you can’t sell rights to my design to others so they can make money off of the painting design too).
Do you have a Patreon?
I do not have a Patreon. However, I have a membership that is very similar to a Patreon type of platform where you can access bonus content while supporting the work that I produce! You can join or find out more info here about that!
Do you have any drawing or watercolor tutorials?
At this time I only create acrylic painting tutorials.
FAQ About Products/ Membership I Purchased:
It is asking me for a verification code to login, however, the verification code isn’t working. What do I do?
This is no longer an issue because the membership & downloads app now allows verification codes to be turned off. Because so many were running into issues with the codes, I have made the decision to not require a verification code for your device. If you are still running into issues with logging in, please let me know and I can take a look at your account.
How do I cancel my membership?
You can login to your membership portal and use the messenger feature in the lower right and state you you want to cancel your subscription. I will respond promptly to your request.
Additionally, you can go to your account. Scroll down to “Billing” and click “Edit” (under Community) and then scroll down and click “Cancel Plan”. You can see additional information about how to cancel here.
You can also email me at: tracieannekiernan@gmail.com. Please note that you will get a confirmation of your cancellation. If you don’t receive a cancellation reply from me, let me know and I can double check for you!
Do you offer refunds?
Refunds are taken on a case by case basis. Please contact me to address your concerns.
I have a question about membership or a PDF product I purchased…
Please email: tracieannekiernan@gmail.com with that question or use the messaging feature after logging into your account.
My password does not work:
You can reset your password here.
My username does not work or I forgot my username:
You may have forgotten which email you used when you signed up or it is possible you entered your email address wrong when registering your account. It happens! I can easily fix this! Simply email me and I can look up your account to see what email you are registered under. (tracieannekiernan@gmail.com)
I think I created two different accounts with two different emails. Can I combine them?
Yes you may! Please email me and I can fix this for you.
I have another billing related question:
Please email: tracieannekiernan@gmail.com and make sure you put your account name and email address you used when purchasing the product or membership so that we can quickly respond and look up your account.
I am having trouble downloading the video from a product I purchased:
Because of the nature of the video (it being a large file size) sometimes there can be problems with this download. For example, you need to have enough storage on your device for the video to download or you may not have the correct app to open the video. Whichever the case, feel free to email me and I can provide some solutions to you to help you get access to that video! Also, some of the PDF listings only have a link to the video. If you wish to receive a download copy of the video, let me know and I can send it to you!
FAQ About Using The Tutorials/ Copyright:
Can I sell or gift my finished painting?
Yes! Your finished painting is your painting! Feel free to sell it, gift it, display it, sign your own name on it, etc.! If you are selling online, you can cite: “Tutorial by Tracie Kiernan” or “Inspired from tutorial on www.stepbysteppainting.net”. However, you don’t have to. Also, if you are selling online please use your own picture of your painting and not mine.
Can I create a YouTube video of your tutorial or Do A Free Facebook Live for my audience?
The short answer is no. The long answer: I consider this “commercial use” because you are either monetizing this on YouTube and/or claiming my artwork as your own and building an audience with my art. Please do not recreate my tutorial for this purpose even if you are doing this for free.
Can I have a DIY paint party?
Yes! You can host your own DIY private paint party using my tutorials! In fact, I encourage this! You can see my post here about having a DIY paint party!
If you are a business that profits from the tutorials, please join my small business membership or purchase a single license for the painting your are profiting from. Using my tutorial for your paid event without purchasing commercial rights goes against my copyright policy.
Can I make a paint kit with your tutorial and sell it?
This is considered commercial use and you must join my commercial use single employee membership AND request permission to do this.
Can I use your traceables for my business?
My traceables are a part of my art and hand drawn by me or extracted from a painting that I did! They are free for personal use only. If you are wanting to make money off of my traceables, you must join my commercial single employee use membership or purchase a single use license.
Can I use your painting image from your website and put it on a t-shirt, puzzle, print, keychain, etc. and sell it?
No. This is considered commercial use and I do not allow this unless you have received explicit permission from me. I typically do not allow my art to be for sale on merchandise online so if you see this, please let me know.
How can I reach out to you about using your art for my paint party business?
For paint party business inquiries, please use email: tracieannekiernan@gmail.com. You can also go directly to sign up for the monthly subscription through my membership OR I also have a commercial single use license you can buy in my downloads shop.
I am a non-profit, library, church, volunteer, community worker, school teacher, parent etc. can I use your tutorials for my students and/or fundraiser event?
I am okay with you using my tutorials for this purpose! Please give credit to the website when doing so, especially if you are advertising online and on social media (even if it is a free event). You can tag @tracie_kiernan_art on Instagram or @Step By Step Painting With Tracie Kiernan on Facebook.
I am a blogger and want to link to your tutorial or do a roundup post with some of your artwork?
That is fine, I’m okay with link backs! Just make sure you are linking to my website in your post especially if you are using photos taken from my website and embedding them in your post. I reserve the right to request my images be taken down if they are used without permission or do not have a link back.
I have another special circumstance I want to use your tutorial for, how can I ask you?
Please email: tracieannekiernan@gmail.com with your circumstance.