Three years ago, as a volunteer at St Catherine’s Hospice, I initiated the reuse of second hand frames for original paintings and photographs donated by local artists. Branded ‘In the Frame’, it has gone from strength to strength. With over 700 framings completed I am going to share with you some tips which may help you save some money on your next project. Start with a frame not a painting! It is essential to get a frame that complements your painting. I recommend having a frame in mind before you start painting as it can prove to be a more cost effective way of framing your artwork. Second ..read more

This tutorial is part of our month long celebration of Derwent’s pencil range. Artist Rosie Wallace has written these step by step instructions for drawing birds feathers using Derwent Chromaflow. Rosie has selected drafting film as her surface as the Chromaflow pigment lays down smoothly and blends beautifully on it’s surface. Materials needed for this tutorial Derwent Chromaflow pencils (available individually or in sets) specific colours used have been highlighted in bold and listed here: Coffee Bean Raisin Light Blue Blue Orchid Iris Blue Orchid Magenta Spice Pastel Mint Pear Gras ..read more

Inktense pencils and blocks offer great versatility – use them dry like a colour pencil or bring the pigments to life by using them with water. Once they become activated and left to dry the colours become permanent allowing you to safely layer them many times. Their permanency and solubility makes them fabulous for using on their own to create loose punchy watercolour paintings. I have created this tutorial and video using Inktense pencils and paper, I hope you enjoy painting along! What are Inktense? Derwent Inktense pencils are intensely vibrant, watersoluble pencils that have been formula ..read more

As a botanical artist I have taught myself how to mix with primary watercolours to get the best effect for painting. It can be exciting but expensive when you start to invest in a palette of pigments without knowledge of what pigments would suit your style of work best. I have gradually eliminated many unnecessarily purchased pigments over the years! In this article I am sharing with you some tips on training your brain & eyes to identify and mix colours to match your subject. Even if you are not a botanical artist I hope these tips will help you achieve more realistic paintings through mo ..read more

Unfortunately, due to updates in trade agreements with Colart, we are no longer able to send certain art materials to customers outside the UK and Europe. But don’t worry! We’re dedicated to bringing you the very best art materials regardless to where in the world you are. We’ve put together a handy list of alternatives for international artists looking to source high-quality substitutes to their favourite Colart art supplies. Recent updates to our trading agreements with one of our main suppliers mean that we aren’t able to ship their goods to customers based outside the UK and Europe. This i ..read more

Discover the perfect gift for aspiring soft pastel artists with the Artful Let’s Learn Soft Pastel Box. This beautifully illustrated cardboard box contains an array of high-quality soft pastels, pencils, surfaces, accessories – even a magazine – to inspire creativity and foster a passion for soft pastel art. Experience the quality of the materials for yourself as we take a look inside the box. The Artful Let’s Learn Soft Pastel Starter Box is a thoughtfully selected set ideal for both new artists and enthusiastic hobbyists. Ideal for artists looking to experiment with a new medium, this box p ..read more

Artist Rosie Wallace shares this tutorial on how to recreate fox fur using Derwent’s new beginner pencil range ‘Chromaflow’. Chromaflow’s high pigmentation mean that they are beautifully vibrant even on dark surfaces. To illustrate this Rosie has selected Canson Mi-Teintes Touch paper in black for this step by step study. Materials needed for this tutorial Derwent Chromaflow pencils (available individually or in sets) specific colours used have been highlighted in bold and listed here: Peach Sand Spice Redwood Natural Brown Coffee Bean Parmesan Black White Lavender Ash Platinum Red S ..read more

We saw a huge increase in people taking up art during lockdown and in particular oil painting.  No doubt encouraged by the dulcet tones of the lockdown television sensation Bob Ross.  At first oil painting can seem a little daunting with the rules, fumes and clean up.  Mixing the right green or skin tone can be difficult despite the plethora of colours that are available! Fear not, we have curated a set of video tutorials for you. We have watched many hours of tutorials and this article contains the ones that we think are most helpful, we’ve split them into categories to help yo ..read more

With a wonderful mid blue hue and great mixing capabilities, it’s not hard to see why Ultramarine is a hit with artists all over the globe. Today it’s an essential colour for many, but it hasn’t always been so easily accessible. More precious than gold, Genuine Ultramarine was once the preserve of only the richest patrons. Discover more about the history of this popular colour and how modern chemistry helped Ultramarine to find its way onto the palettes of artists’ today. For many artists, Ultramarine is their first choice of blue – regardless of the medium they work in. It’s a versatile blue ..read more

I was delighted to be asked to do a product review of the 11 new colours added to Daniel Smith’s watercolour stick range. As a professional artist I find the sticks are an excellent complement to Daniel Smith’s tube watercolours.  They are great for adding bold linear marks to compositions. In this article I will also share with you how I use Daniel Smith watercolour sticks in my work. Daniel Smith Watercolour Sticks are manufactured using the same pigments as their Extra Fine Watercolour Paint Tubes. Both formats are artist quality paint. The beauty of the sticks is that they are portab ..read more