Sophie’s blog
Inspiration and Practical Tips for Artists and Art Lovers
Sophie is an artist, writer, tutor and art historian. On this blog you will find painting tips and techniques, art history, exhibition reviews and more. Tuesdays are posting days!
Sophie’s Blog
I am an artist, writer, tutor and art historian. On this blog I aim to open up the world of art and pick out some inspiration and honest paintings tips.
Recent Posts
How to Avoid Common Painting Mistakes
We all make mistakes. Imagine what the world would look like if we didn't. I often explain my painting method as one
A Community for Artists
Your Data Points Are For Sale....When, in the last couple of decades, our artists’ communities moved online and then onto social media
Oil Painting: The Fat over Lean Rule
Scared of OilsA recent article in a main UK art magazine made me remember why I took so long to discover the
Basic Pastel Painting Techniques for Beginners
Do you want to try painting in soft pastel but you are not sure where to start? Check out these basic pastel
A Guide to Colour Temperature in Pastel Painting
Colour Temperature is an important concept for painters. Once we learn to see the temperature of colours we can make our paintings
What is Your Favourite Oil Paint?
So many brands, so many choices. Please vote for your favourite oil paint brand in this poll and pass it on to
Open Studio Tips (2)
Last week I published my first article on holding an Open Studio. I have been doing open studios for about 10 years
Open Studio Tips (1)
Open Studios are great fun and run all over the world. Almost every town or region will have its own open studio
Popular Posts
Oil Painting: The Fat over Lean Rule
Scared of Oils A recent article in a main UK art magazine made me remember why I took so long to discover the joys and beauty of using oil paint. Although oil paint is one of the oldest and widely
Top 10 Best Books on Painting
The top 10? Well, maybe a top 11 or 12. And that’s not counting the ones I don’t know about and you do. There are a lot of books on painting out there. And I mean a lot. They range
The Dusty Side: Soft Pastel
(updated November 2018) What is Soft Pastel? Pastel is one of the loveliest art materials out there. It is immediate, uncomplicated and can be incredibly soft and delicate as well as bold and expressive. I fell in love with pastel
Oil Painting: Toxicity in Oils
0 shares Share0 Share +10 Tweet0 Pin0 Share0 Updated May 2018A Hot Topic amongst many (beginning) oil painters is the toxicity of working with oils. Many people refer to the unpleasant smell of oil paints and so choose to stay
Blog Topics
Featured post
A Master of Pastel
Jean-Étienne Liotard: Marie-Anne Françoise Liotard with a Doll, circa 1775, pastel on parchment, 45x50cm. Musée d’art et d’histoire, Geneva Although Jean-Étienne Liotard (Swiss, 1702 – 1789) is not very well-known (and I must admit I knew very little about him) it was wonderful to go and see an exhibition without the usual array of oil paintings but one of historic pastel paintings! Pastel is often a little overlooked within the museum or gallery world and most of us know few other pastellists than Degas and De La Tour. But I love pastel and have always worked with it so I was very excited to learn about this 18th century Swiss master who happens to
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