Painting Techniques
Lifting Colour in Watercolour and Acrylic
How to lift watercolour and acrylic mistakes with timing and a clean brush, and which stains will not fully leave.
Painting Techniques
Painting Techniques
Overblending: How Paint Loses Its Freshness
Why endless blending turns a lively passage dull, and how to leave edges that still describe the form.
Painting Techniques
Sgraffito: Drawing Back into Wet Paint
How to scratch and draw into wet paint so a line reveals the colour underneath without tearing the surface.
Painting Techniques
Slowing Acrylics That Dry Before You Are Ready
Practical ways to keep acrylic paint open a little longer, from palette setup to working in shorter passes.
Painting Techniques
Painting with a Palette Knife: Edges and Mixes
How to mix, lay and scrape with a palette knife so edges stay deliberate and colours do not turn to mud.
Painting Techniques
Masking Fluid: Clean Edges and Common Mistakes
How to reserve crisp watercolour highlights with masking fluid without staining the sheet or tearing the surface.
Painting Techniques
Underpainting: A Quiet Start for Stronger Oils
A plain guide to grey underpainting and warm grounds, and how that quiet start makes later colour easier to judge.
Painting Techniques
Impasto: When Thick Paint Helps a Picture
When a heavy stroke adds light and texture, and when thick paint only hides a weak drawing underneath.
Painting Techniques
Alla Prima: Finishing an Oil Study in One Sitting
How to plan, mix and finish a small oil study in one sitting while the paint is still open from the first stroke.
Painting Techniques
Wet-on-Wet Watercolour Without Losing the Drawing
Learn how to time a wet-on-wet watercolour so blooms stay intentional and the drawing underneath remains readable.
Painting Techniques
Rescuing Muddy Watercolour: Causes, Fixes and Prevention
Why watercolours turn dull and muddy, how to rescue a tired painting, and simple habits that keep your colours clean and bright.
Painting Techniques
Dry Brush and Scumbling: Adding Texture With Little Paint
Two simple techniques for broken, textured colour: how to load the brush, which surfaces suit them, and when to use dry brush or scumbling.