The Most Popular Painting Posts of 2017

It is that time of year again that we take stock and make new plans! So to take stock I will give you the ten most popular painting posts of 2017 for this blog. Next week I will list the most popular posts that are not on painting.

To make new plans I would like to ask you to let me know what you would like to see me write about in 2018. Leave a comment or email me directly, I’d love to hear what you would want me to write on and what you have particularly enjoyed on this blog in 2017.

I really hope some of my blog articles have been useful to you.

Ten Most Popular Painting Posts in 2017

Busting the Myths of Oil Painting: Toxicity in Oils

Forever on number one, this article is my most popular article almost every month. It deals with the often upheld myth that oil paint is toxic and oil painting unsafe. None of it is true and I explain why.

Busting the Myths of Oil Painting: What’s in a Brand Name

Different oil painting brands not only have different colours but also a completely different feel to their paints. Some paints are thicker, some are thinner to work with. Some are considered ‘student’ quality, while others are ‘professional’. Where to start?

Busting the Myths of Oil Painting: Supports

There is a huge range of oil painting surfaces available to work on. What is on the market and what are  the pros and cons of each? I help try to find your way in the jungle of canvas, panels and boards.

Busting the Myths of Oil Painting: Fat over Lean

The fat-over-lean rule in oil painting causes a lot of confusion. Can I use a medium in my first layers of painting? Will my paint crack if I don’t stick to this rule? In this article I try to explain and get rid of some restricting myths

The world of Easels

I have used the easel my mum bought me when I was a teenager for years and years. I know I needed a better one but I could not find the perfect one. My main problem was the height of my ceiling: it is a normal height and therefore too low for most easels. During my hunt for the perfect easel I compare models and options.

25 Oil Painting Myths

Oil painting is scary and complicated. It is so scary it kept me away for years. But the more I work with it, the more I realise it is really not as complicated as I feared. There are dozens of myths out there keeping artists away from this beautiful medium.

The Top 10 Books on Painting

I list my favourite books on painting, drawing and pastel  in this article. The books that really help, that talk about universal painting truths and principles such as colour, composition, light and edges.

My Colour Palette

Often people ask me which colours I used for a specific part of a painting. In this article I list the colours that you can find on my palette most of the time. Many artists have their own preferences and so do I.

Busting the Myths of Oil Painting: Starting Out

What do you really need to get started in oil painting? It is a lot less than you might think. In this picture post I show you what to get.

The Dusty Side: Soft Pastel

Let me introduce you to my first love: soft pastel. In this article I explain how it works, its most popular types and brands, papers and most famous pastel artists.