Materials and Tools
A Small Starter Kit You Will Actually Use
A modest starter kit for painting and drawing, built from a few tools you will use rather than a crowded box.
Materials and Tools
Materials and Tools
Storing Paints So They Last Between Sessions
How to cap, store and revive paints between sessions so tubes and pans do not dry out or grow a skin.
Materials and Tools
Charcoal, Graphite or Ink for a Drawing
How charcoal, graphite and ink differ in line, erasure and mess, and how to choose one for the drawing you mean to make.
Materials and Tools
Varnish: What It Does and When to Wait
What varnish does on a finished painting, why oil needs a long wait, and when glass is the kinder protection.
Materials and Tools
Table, Box or Floor: Easels for a Small Room
How to choose a table, box or floor easel when the room is small, and when a flat board is enough.
Materials and Tools
Artist Tape: Crisp Edges without Torn Paper
How to use low-tack artist tape for clean edges, and how to remove it without lifting the paper surface.
Materials and Tools
Oil Mediums: Using Less, Staying Lean
How to use oil painting mediums sparingly, keep early layers lean, and avoid a slippery, slow-drying film.
Materials and Tools
Pencil Grades from H to B, in Plain Terms
What H and B pencil grades mean, which few grades are worth carrying, and how pressure changes the mark.
Materials and Tools
Wood, Glass or Plastic: Choosing a Palette
How wooden, glass and plastic palettes differ in use, and how to keep mixes clean without a complicated setup.
Materials and Tools
Paper Weight and Tooth: What the Numbers Mean
What paper weight and tooth mean in practice, and how to match a sheet to pencil, ink or a wash.
Materials and Tools
How to Clean and Care for Your Paint Brushes
Step-by-step brush care for watercolour, acrylic and oil, with tips on storage, drying and avoiding the mistakes that ruin good brushes.
Materials and Tools
Student or Artist Grade Paints: What the Difference Means
An honest look at student and artist grade paints: pigment strength, lightfastness and price, and how to decide what suits your stage.