Of course, anything can be used to make art but this page focuses on the paints, surfaces, brushes, tools and media that have been specifically developed to create 2D and 3D artwork – strange substances that may seem out of the ordinary and, indeed, mysterious – especially if you’re a beginner.
So, let’s reveal their secrets…!
A Guide to ‘A’ Paper Sizes
When it comes to choosing paper to create art works on, paper dimensions will inevitably vary throug…
Choosing Watercolour Paper
Watercolour papers come in three surface types – Rough, Cold Pressed, which is also known as Not, an…
What is Lino Printing?
What is Lino Printing? Lino Printing is a form of block printing that involves carving a pattern or …
What do I need to make Lino Prints?
Lino Cutting is a print-making method where a design is cut into a sheet of lino or vinyl, inked and…
Choosing and Using Art Charcoal
Charcoal: The clue’s in the name with this one – it is simply burnt wood and it’s been around since …
A Brief History of the Graphite Pencil
Despite the commonly used term ‘lead pencil’, pencils have never contained lead but, instead, …
Choosing and Using Sketching Pencils
Sketching graphite Pencils come in a range of grades, from 9B to 9H, that describe the tone of the l…
What is a Dip Pen?
A Dip Pen consists of a pen-like handle into which various nibs can be slotted to draw or write with…
Introduction to Inks
Dip Pens Sepia Drawing Ink and a range of Dip Pens For over 2000 years, Ink has been used as a drawi…
Introduction to Acrylic Paints
Acrylic paint is pigment bound in a synthetic resin. Its development was spurred on by a group of Ar…
Looking the work of Degas using Artists Extra Soft Pastels
Artist Quality extra soft pastels are composed of high quality pure pigment grounded with a natural …
Introduction to Artists Pastels
There are basically two types of Pastel – 1. Chalk or Soft Pastels and 2. Oil Pastels – and they are…
A Brief History of Watercolour
Watercolour has been used ever since man began to express himself through Art, albeit in a very simp…
What is Gouache Paint?
Gouache (pronounced goo-ash or gwahsh – depending on how French you want to sound) is an ‘opaque wat…
Introduction to Watercolour Painting
‘The Monumental Turf’ by Albrecht Durer Watercolour, or aquarelle, consists of pigment b…
A Brief History of Oil Painting
‘The betrothal of the Arnolfini’ by van Eyck Tempera – dry powdered pigment held in any one of a ran…
Solvents for Oil Paint
As an oil-based paint, it will not mix with water and so needs certain solvents to thin the paint an…
Introduction to Oil Paint
Oil Painting – possibly a Self-portrait – by Jan Van Eyck, one of the foremost pioneers …
Cleaning and Storing Artists’ Brushes
Receiving new brushes Softer brushes such as sable and squirrel will be sold coated with a gum arabi…
A Painter’s Guide to Brush Shapes
For several centuries, brushes could only be round due to their construction being based on the quil…
Choosing Oil Painting Brushes
Hog hair Hog hair is the traditional hair for oil painting brushes and still the most commonly …
Introduction to Rigger Brushes
The long-haired rigger brush A rigger brush has much longer hair than other types of brush and is us…
Which Brushes are best for Painting with Acrylic?
To some extent, this will depend on your style of painting – whether you use your acrylics like oil …
Introduction to Miniature or Spotter Brushes
A miniature or spotter brush is a round brush that has had the hair – the brush head – clamped at th…
Winsor & Newton Series 7 Brush – by Royal Appointment
Winsor & Newton’s Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Brush Range is respected the world over as one of…
An Introduction to Mop or Wash Brushes
A mop brush is a large, round wash brush most commonly used to cover large areas in watercolour or o…
Choosing the Right Watercolour Brushes
A Goat Hake, a Squirrel Mop and a Sable Round When choosing a brush for use with watercolour, gouach…
Why Are Some Brushes More Expensive?
The first thing that will determine the cost of a brush will be the hair type. Sable hair, taken fro…