Harbour nights

How do you balance the realistic and stylistic in a painting? I like to combine realistic depictions of a landscape with stylistic flourishes that make it a personal vision. My imagery is a visual dia

What paints do you favour and why? I use mostly Golden Heavy Body or Fluid Acrylics. The colour is phenomenal and much stronger than other makes. Mixed media technique is another favourite: I can incl

Painting a street scene in acrylics can be tricky, as you contend with rapid drying times and trying to capture too much detail. If your pictures look flat or confused, try to remember that acrylic su

I want to pass on my expressive approach to painting still lifes from observation using mixed media. I find this way of working freeing and fun. When a painting is started with an attitude of freedom

Avoid leaving tubes of acrylic or a loaded palette in direct sunlight or next to a radiator: the paint will harden rapidly. This also goes for canvases, which can warp. The quickest way to ruin brushe

I once painted at a local primary school to demonstrate how an artist works. One little girl, aged eight, watched me, glued to my side Towards the end, she said: “I get it. First you do it all roughly