Kathy barker

Most artists agree that portraiture is the most difficult genre to conquer when drawing or painting. Achieving a large percentage of a likeness can be dragged down by minor inaccuracies. The first and

Babies grin gummily, seemingly submerged deep inside inky pools of turquoise. Women lie back in washes of magenta or violet. Then the focus changes as if the lens of a camera has been switched and the

My father wasn’t an artist, but he did life drawing for fun. His pastels and drawings from friends were all over the house, and sometimes, I would go and draw from the figure as a young kid. Like most

Alla Prima is Italian for “at the first” and in painting terms means completing a painting at once, in a single sitting or session. The overall aim is to capture an immediate impression of the subject

What’s a good starting point for painting from life – an entry-level challenge? Painting a plaster cast is a great way to start. They are useful to work with because they don’t move and there are no c

For over 30 years, I have lived in Walberswick – a tiny village on the east coast – in view of Southwold and its working harbour. I have walked, jogged (my kids usually call this shuffling) and sat an