Every artist knows the intimidation of a blank white canvas staring back at them, and underpainting is the perfect solution when deciding where to start. As a technique first utilised by the Old Masters, it underpins Renaissance painting, and lies quietly beneath masterpieces. Some have considered these traditional methods stifling, restrictive to the spontaneity that happens on canvas without a tight plan. But it’s important to consider that the definition of an underpainting is flexible and personal. It can be as simple as a coloured ground with a few lines, or as complex as a fully realised ..read more

Learn all about how to varnish an oil painting, a water-mixable oil painting or an acrylic painting. A varnish is a coating of resin applied to the surface of a painting for protection and appearance. Most paintings in oil, water-mixable oil, and acrylic will benefit from being varnished, both in their appearance and their longevity. Applying varnish is a good skill to learn. There are some basic steps and tools to use. As part of learning the skill of vanishing you may wish to try a few different types of varnish as there are a number to choose from with different characteristics.   Cont ..read more

Jackson’s Gesso Primer has an exciting new formula which provides a versatile and reliable ground that can be used under both oil and acrylic paints. It ensures the longevity of your work on a stable surface, at a very affordable price considering the 1 litre volume of the product. Here, we test the primer on a variety of Jackson’s surfaces, since the enjoyment in using a ground comes from the enhancement of the surface below.   Gesso and its Modern Properties Historically “gesso” referred to the traditional mixture of animal glue, chalk or gypsum, and white pigment. It would be applied i ..read more

We asked painters Georgia Peskett and Alex Egan to try Plein Air Painting with Jackson’s plein air equipment and materials. Here they take us through their plein air painting set ups and share their thoughts on using the Jackson’s Pochade Painting Box, Jackson’s Artist Apron as well as Jackson’s Artist Oils, Viewfinders and more.   Georgia Peskett Packing Equipment for Painting En Plein Air Getting my bags packed up ready for this plein air session, I made sure I had all the Jackson’s equipment: my Jackson’s Viewfinder, Foldable Water Container, brushes, paints and Pochade painting box. I ..read more

As artists, we encounter a vast amount of terminology while researching, reading and talking about our materials. In this instalment of the ‘Art Terms Explained’ series, we explain the meaning of certain commonly-used words, phrases and terms in the context of acrylic painting.   Acrylic Brushes Brushes for acrylic painting come in different levels of stiffness that allow different levels of control with different thicknesses of paint. Stiff brushes are firm and springy. Similar to a palette knife, they are best suited to textured and impasto techniques using heavy body paint, as opposed ..read more

Michael Harding has released a new range of Non-Absorbent Acrylic Primers, coming in a variety of colours perfect for priming your surface with a tone of your choice. The primers are designed specifically to protect your surface and ensure that your painting will look its best for years to come. Oftentimes, standard acrylic primers can cause the vibrancy of oil pigment to dull as the oil is absorbed resulting in a less dynamic, more washed out image. These new primers from Michael Harding combat that through a non-absorbent resin base, allowing for the entirety of the pigment to be retained on ..read more

Two painters, Fred Ingrams and Mark Jessett tried Jackson’s Artist Acrylic paint to see how it handled when applied to their existing painting practices. Here they share their findings on colour, viscosity, labelling, packaging and price point and some of the work they they made using Jackson’s Acrylic Paint. Above image: Work in Progress by Mark Jessett with Jackson’s Artist Acrylic Paint   Fred Ingrams I have been painting with acrylic paints since my foundation year at Camberwell School of Art in the early 1980’s. Strange as it may seem today, I was refused entry onto the painting degr ..read more

Sometimes art terms can be confusing – some words mean more than one thing, or one product can be called two or three different names. A case in point is the words that we use for the materials and methods used to prepare surfaces for painting. Although it is possible to paint in oil or acrylic on an unprimed support, you will find that there are some difficulties with paint handling if you paint directly on raw canvas, paper or wood. With acrylic paint, canvas can repel water so the paint beads up and doesn’t flow. With oil paint, canvas can soak up oil and produce halos of it around painted ..read more

You’ll notice that in our acrylic painting department, there are thousands of paints, mediums and tools available. This reflects the versatility of the medium, and the many techniques you can try with acrylic paint. By focussing on a particular technique or process, you’ll find it easier to work out what materials you’d like to invest in first. You just need a few paints and tools to get started. Once you’ve had a chance to gain some experience, it’ll soon be clear if you want to add to your kit by trying out a certain medium, gel or paste, or a different kind of surface. The process of just g ..read more

Acrylic painting papers either have an embossed texture that replicates a canvas weave, or a cold pressed surface identical to watercolour paper. The texture provides resistance, so when you drag a brush loaded with paint across its surface, the paint adheres to the texture and is held in place. This article, taken from our Paper Guide, explains everything you need to know.     Acrylic painting paper takes up less room, is lighter and is less expensive than stretched canvas, making it easier to store, carry and post. It is a great surface on which to experiment with techniques and p ..read more