Knowledge base

Caring For Your Brushes

Tips for looking after your brushes. Because I use Winsor & Newton Alkyd fast drying paints, Liquin and white spirit, I usually clean any brush...

Painting Frost & Snow In Oil

I really like painting winter scenes, I find the contrast between the delicate twigs and the smooth pillow like snow on the ground striking. Leaves...

Create Stars With The Fan Brush

I was taken out of my comfort zone with my latest lesson, ‘Starry Night’. Especially while revisiting some techniques that I haven’t used since my ...

Painting Portraits

I’ve always enjoyed painting figurative works, especially portraits, they can be quite challenging but are equally rewarding. My lessons guide you ...

Painting detail with the Series 6, short flat brushes.

I use these brushes in many of my landscape paintings, especially when painting small details, for example on rocks and foliage. Series 6, availab...

Get a perfect smooth finish with series 7 Flat Synthetic Brushes

I’m often asked how to use specific brushes and which brushes are more suited for certain areas in my paintings. I use the Series 7 brushes in man...

Painting fine details with the Series 2 Pointed Brush

I get many questions asking how I achieve such high detail in my paintings. Brush control is paramount when painting fine details and of course ha...

Painting lifelike fur

I enjoy painting animals, most of the time they appear in my landscape paintings, rabbits, sheep, cattle etc a smaller element in a bigger scene, b...

Painting effectively with the Dagger Brush

Painting long grasses, distant tree canopies and ripples in water is made easier by using the Dagger Brush, so named because of it’s sword like app...

Using the comber brush

Creating quick fine lines very close together can easily be achieved by using the Comber brush, when worked swiftly, it gives the effect of lots of...

How to use the blender fan brush

I use the blender fan brush in many of my paintings, to smudge and blend the paint together, creating a smooth and softened effect. Often I use ...

How to use the sketching diagram

*Watch my YouTube Video 'How to sketch out your subject prior to painting' At the bottom of this article. I always use the grid method for my sk...