Top 10 Framing Tips
What should artists and collectors look out for when framing a work of art? After my extensive interview with my framer (read that here) I took out ten tips. 1. You should always be able to change the frame; so …
Colour at Incamminati
In the past couple of blog articles I have been exploring colour a little. But there is this one place that celebrates colour like no other. That is the Studio Incamminati; a school of art in Philadelphia, founded by the …
Painter of light and colour: Monet
Claude Monet (1840 – 1926) has always been known to us all for his amazing waterlily paintings. We all know him as one of the masters of impressionism. After visiting the exhibition Monet & Architecture at the National Gallery in London I …
Colour: Value, Chroma and Temperature
Colour is a major part of most paintings. So how do you choose your paint colours and how do you mix and combine them? Can you and should you aim to copy the exact colour of your subject? What does …
How to Frame Art: An Interview with my Framer
Framing is a big part of many artists’ work. But the choice of a good frame can be tricky. Not only can the choice be very personal in taste but it also needs to support and enhance the art work, …
Royal Society of Portrait Painters 2018
The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is having its annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries this month. As usual, the exhibition shows the best of current portraiture, with not only members showing their work but also a generous number of …
Graphite Pencils Explained
As I am working on a graphite and charcoal drawing at the moment I thought you might find it useful if I write down the basics of graphite. What are those letters of HB and H and B at the …
17th Century Dress: A Speaking Fashion
Dress in 16th and 17th century portraiture was loaded with meaning. Elizabeth I’s portraits, which functioned as one of the most important means of propaganda for her reign as well as a treasure chest of symbolic imagery, are well-known. Her …
Two Countries in One Portrait
My Self Portrait with Dog was painted over the course of the months November 2017 until January 2018, although the seed for it was planted way before that still. In the painting I wanted to incorporate a few things as …
Bitesize Blog: Van der Helst
Click to enlargeBartholomeus van der Helst, Portrait of Abraham del Court and His Wife Maria de Kaersgieter, oil on canvas, 172cm x 146,5cm, 1654. Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, RotterdamBartholomeus van der HelstPortrait of Abraham del Court and His Wife Maria …