About North Canvas

North Canvas is an independent blog about painting, drawing and design. We write for people who enjoy making things, whether that means a weekend watercolour, a sketchbook kept on the train or a poster laid out for a village fête.

What we write about

Our articles sit in six broad areas: painting techniques, colour theory, design basics, sketchbook habits, materials and tools, and art history. We try to explain how things work rather than simply list rules. If a guide covers how to mix a muted green, it should also say why the mixture behaves the way it does.

Who it is for

The site is written for hobbyists, students and anyone who wants to look at visual work with a more practised eye. You do not need a studio or expensive supplies. Many of our ideas work with a small set of paints, a few pencils and a patient attitude.

How we work

Every article is written by a person, with a clear aim: to be useful to someone sitting at a table with paper in front of them. We prefer plain language to jargon, and we say so when a technique is a matter of taste rather than fact. When we mention products or materials, we describe what they do and where they may fall short. We do not accept payment to praise anything.

We also try to be careful with history. Art writing can drift into legend, so we separate what is well documented from what is merely repeated. Where something is uncertain, we say it is uncertain.

An invitation to practise

Nothing on North Canvas replaces time spent making. Read a guide, try the exercise, and then adapt it to your own way of working. If something is unclear or you spot a mistake, please tell us through the contact page. Corrections are welcome, and they help the site improve for everyone who reads it.