sketchbook painting

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Knowing THE STAGES OF A PAINTING gives you a roadmap so you won’t get stuck

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Knowing THE STAGES OF A PAINTING gives you a roadmap so you won’t get stuck

When people get stuck in their work it's usually because they are trying to do something when they're not ready or asking the wrong questions at the wrong time in the development of the work.

Once they know at what stage they're at with the work and what they should be focusing on then they know what questions to ask.

For example, if you're at the beginning stage of a painting you don't start analysing whether you've got the colours right, or whether the design is strong. Those are questions for later.

In this week's Vlog I demonstrate what to focus on at the various stages of developing a painting.

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Why You Should Have a Sketchbook Practice

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Why You Should Have a Sketchbook Practice

Sketchbooks, for me, are about recording my own growth as an artist. Trying out new mediums, having fun and exploring, and just seeing what happens when I play and paint.

In this video I take you inside my sketchbook, talk about why it’s an invaluable part of my creative practice, and share what type of book I use and some tips for keeping pages unstuck, so that it can become a treasured account of your life and development as an artist.

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Finding Clarity In Collage & Paint

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Finding Clarity In Collage & Paint

This is part of my new exploration - botanicals, media, drawing...  It gets muddled in the middle but I find some clarity in the end - so stick around to the end to see where it ends up.  I like the possibilities it presents for building meaning and relevance into my work - it's a step forward I think. Watch the vlog.

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Reconstructing Your Painting: From Finished to New

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Reconstructing Your Painting: From Finished to New

A recent sketchbook exploration didn't fill me with unbridled joy - so I changed it. Working right over the top with collage and paint I came up with something new and much more exciting.

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Building Surface To Paint On

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Building Surface To Paint On

In this week's Vlog, I'm showing you how I prepared my paper for a couple of collages I did. The collages will come to you later but watch the Vlog to see what I did first.

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Harmonious Color and Design Exercise

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Harmonious Color and Design Exercise

As I said last week these little exercises are great for fine-tuning your DESIGN-EYE - you will become more discerning with the more you do. So watch the Vlog and see if I can't tempt you to come with me on a little DESIGN tangent!!

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Paint Play: Adding & Subtracting

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Paint Play: Adding & Subtracting

I've found the 'thing' or group of things then it's time to apply LESS IS MORE. So I'll start to edit and take away what I don't need. This is basically the process I use in all my work: Add, add, add... then subtract. Watch the vlog to see.

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Soft Painting Using Sketchbook

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Soft Painting Using Sketchbook

So when I decided I was well enough to spend a little time in my studio I was in a quiet frame of mind. No strong value contrasts, no loud music.... just soft colours, subtle differences and gentle play.

I switched on RECORD, and this little session in my studio is the subject of this week's Vlog.

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Sketchbook Painting Exploration

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Sketchbook Painting Exploration

This week's Vlog is another foray into the sketchbook. This time playing with colour, value, and collage. I talk you through the tools and materials, and the WHY I do the crazy stuff I do...