This blog is full of painting tips and techniques, product reviews and much more. Many are aimed at beginning artists but there is plenty of the professional as well. The series called Busting the Myths of Oil Painting is very popular and has some lively debates in the comments. There are articles on art materials, pastel and art books. I hope you will find the articles useful and fun.
Busting the Myths of Oil painting
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
Oil Painting: Toxicity in Oils
Updated May 2018A Hot Topic amongst many (beginning) oil painters is the toxicity of working with oils. Many people refer to the
Busting the Myths of Oil Painting: Supports
An oil painting should be done on canvas, right? Wrong. It can be painted on a whole host of supports and the
Oil Painting: What’s in a (Brand) Name
Updated July 2019 to add pollWorking with good quality paint does not make you paint better and become rich and famous, does
Oil Painting without Solvents
Oil painting without using solvents or toxic mediums; can it be done? Absolutely. This guide explains how oil painting can be enjoyed
25 Oil Painting Myths
So many oil painting myths are still going around. Do not use black, use a medium, oil paint is toxic; the list
Join the Clan!
Join the mailing list and receive all the latest from Sophie’s studio as well as a monthly blog roundup
Your email will never be used for anything else than this mailing list and you can unsubscribe at any time. Please also see my Privacy Policy
Materials & Technique
The World of Easels….
Updated March 2019The World of Easels…… is fairly small in the UK. For years I have been working on the easel my mother bought me when I was a teenager (thanks
In Defense of Working from Photos
Image: Rembrandt, The Artist in his Atelier, 1629 I am so pleased that slowly the art world is changing and re-appreciating good old-fashioned skills like drawing and painting. Conceptualism is
Hughes Easel
Updated October 2018 (photos) As you might have read in an earlier post I have been on the hunt for a new easel for a long time. After much deliberation I
Langridge Oil Paint Review
Langridge oil paints are not as widely known as Winsor & Newton or Old Holland paints yet they are highly rated by professional artists all over the world. The paints are
My Essentials
Share0Share +10Tweet0Pin0Share0 Updated April 2018Every artist has their favourite materials and ways of doing things, their own essential gear. And every artist has figured out their (often unique) way of
Top Tips for Painting from Photos
Many artists work with or from photos. Many artist hate the thought and swear by painting from life only. Most artists probably do both. Some (beginning) artists do fall into the
Product Reviews
Reviews of paint brands, pastels, books, paper, canvas and more.
Your Artists’ Website
Tips on how to build a website, which apps to use and everything else related to the web.
Let’s Get Organised!
Articles on how to organise your paints, your time and your schedule.....
Pastel
I Need Your Help Writing a Book on Pastel
Do we need another book on pastel painting? You tell me!I think there are not that many books on pastel painting out
Best Pastel Papers
Over the years I have worked with quite a few pastel papers and found some personal favourites. There are a lot of
Soft Pastel: Is It Safe To Use?
I recently heard of an art college that banned soft pastel because they thought it is toxic and should not be used.
Why Soft Pastels are not Chalks
Again and again people seem to refer to soft pastels as chalks, chalk crayons, chalk pastels and so forth. Even large art
Review: Terry Ludwig and Sennelier Soft Pastels
I recently bought two new sets of pastels: a small set of Terry Ludwig pastels and a set of Sennelier. This is
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
Books
Book Review: Chromatopia
An Illustrated History of Colour, so reads the subtitle of this small but chunky book. The blurb on the back of Chromatopia
Book: Paintings. Fabrics and Lace
It is nearly Christmas and this year I wanted to do something special. So I have designed this gorgeous coffee table book
The Miniaturist
If you are in the UK you might have watched the tv adaptation of The Miniaturist on the BBC on Boxing Day.
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
Steal Like an Artist
The other day I cyber-bumped into Austin Kleon on Facebook. As you do. Someone shared a video of Austin Kleon giving an inspirational
Artists’ Book Shelves
What Do Artists Read?Or do artists just like to look at picture books? It is both of course. My book case is
Art Business
Posting and Packaging Artwork
How do you get your artwork to an exhibition? How do you pack your paintings, without risking any damage, and ship it
Photographing Your Art: Which Camera to Buy
Artists have used cameras for as long as cameras have existed. The creative possibilities are endless when you mix photography and other
How to Package an Oil Painting for Shipping
Shipping a painting is always a bit scary, especially if the painting has to cross borders. I usually use normal couriers for
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
How Does Artwork Archive Work? A Review
Artwork Archive is a database program especially made for artists, collectors and galleries. Because it is made for artists it is different from
Advice for Emerging Artists
A while ago the art materials shop Jackson’s asked a few artists what advice they would give to emerging artists. I thought