Traditional gouache is often divided into two categories- Artist and Designer gouache. But what do these mean in practice and what do they mean for painters? The simple answer seems to be that one caters for fine artists, and the other for designers and illustrators. However, choosing a paint should not be about categorising the kind of art you make, but about what each paint has to offer. In this article, I compare the characteristics of artist and designer gouache and what it means for your painting. I also compare the characteristics of seven ranges of gouache to help you choose the best on ..read more

On first look, the Holbein Artists Gouache Irodori (Starter) Sets are well curated and beautifully presented. Splitting these sets into seasons, reflecting the seasonal nature of Japan, is a lovely way to get a taste for the new colours. If you’re partial to dark and cool colours, warmer tones or pastel colours, you might choose the winter, autumn or spring sets respectively. However, if you’re confident in colour, and want a relatively well rounded palette, the Summer palette is a very good choice. In this article, I will be looking at the colours of the Summer Set, the blending potential, la ..read more

Jackson’s Procryl Brushes are designed for professional oil and acrylic painters. Made with acrylic fibres and a long matte black handle, they are moderately springy and absorbent. In this review, painter Chris Longridge tests the Long Flat Series of Jackson’s Procryl Brushes, and shares his thoughts.   Review of Jackson’s Procryl Brushes – Long Flat Series by Chris Longridge There are three vital components in any painter’s toolkit – pigment, support and brushes – and the last might just be the most important. Just as engineers demand precision from their tools, painters should be no les ..read more

Japanese double sided relief printing vinyl is a great alternative to traditional lino. It is easy to carve and gives a clean cut, the smooth surface gives an even print and it takes fine detail very well. Both the green and the blue sides can be used making it very economical, and the fact that it has a black core means it is very easy to see where you have carved. In this Customer Review of the Month, Vesta Dobreva-Stefanov shares her thoughts on the vinyl.   Japanese Vinyl 3 mm Double Sided Relief Printing Block   Japanese Double Sided Relief Printing Vinyl by Vesta Dobreva-Stef ..read more

Studio lighting is important in any studio or workspace, and the Lumi Task Lamp will enable you to see fine details and true colours while working. The large shade can be smoothly adjusted vertically, horizontally and laterally to any desired position. The dimmable light allows easy adjustment when less light is required. Here, Maggie Lawrence shares her thoughts on the Lumi Task Lamp.   Review of Lumi Task Lamp for Daylight Studio Lighting By Maggie Lawrence I’m an oil painter, working on small paintings on a desk, mostly at night, so as you might imagine, the lighting is critical. I’ve ..read more

It was a dream to be asked to curate several new soft pastel sets from the 200 colour range of Jackson’s Handmade Soft Pastels. Jackson’s Soft Pastels are high quality, artist grade pastels, they are carefully made by hand which makes them very soft with a smooth buttery consistency. They have a low binder to pigment ratio which makes them rich and luminous, allowing for both subtle and bold mark making. Jackson’s have some themed sets already which are popular so it was great to be able to think how these new sets I was curating would work alongside them.     All 200 colours of the ..read more

A clear primer lets the colour and texture of the canvas or wood show in your painting. We look at 11 brands to see how clear they are, what they feel like to paint on, and more.   Most oil paintings on canvas or panel are prepared with white gesso and then the whole surface is covered with paint so that you no longer see the white ground. If you don’t want to cover the whole surface of your canvas or wood panel with paint, but instead want to leave small or large areas of canvas or wood showing as part of the painting, then you may want to prime your surface with a clear primer instead o ..read more

Look inside the sketchbooks of Adebanji Alade, artist and President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. A prolific sketcher, Adebanji’s sketchbooks are filled cover to cover with drawings from observations of his daily life. Here, he shares his advice for making the most of your drawing practice on the move.   Adebanji Alade Takes Us Through His Sketchbook Practice I love sketching and it has been something I have done naturally for the past 45 years. I started at the age of five or six by sketching football players from a comic called Roy of the Rovers and I haven’t stopped sketching ..read more

Holbein’s Watercolour range was first brought to sale over a hundred years ago and this legacy has developed to a current collection of 108 colours. The paints are manufactured in Japan, so are formulated with the brush handling qualities of a traditional Japanese watercolour, where they dry with brush stroke marks and are very slow moving. They are made to be placed with intention, but still have the European quality of transparency in their formulation. I was glad to test the Holbein Artists’ Watercolour Set of 30 to see how this paint handles with its unique ingredients.     Pack ..read more

Introduced to artists paints in the 1960s, Unbleached Titanium (pigment index number PW6 or PW6:1) is a shade of yellow-grey that can be described as being like parchment, suede, or sand. As its name and pigment index number suggests, it is closely related to Titanium White. However, its characteristics are very different and the possibilities it offers in colour mixing are unlike any other pigment. This article explores its history, unique characteristics, and how its colour mixing capabilities can enrich any painter’s palette.   Unbleached Titanium watercolour mixtures   The Hist ..read more