Out of focus

Extremes in dark and light are effective tools in creating punchy focal points. I have painted lots of sunny, acrylic street scenes – mainly backlit – and really enjoyed dabbing in the sparkly highlig

Spotlight on readers’ excellent images and how they captured them

Avoid the Instagram hotspots and go off the beaten track to reveal more interesting images of your visit

SOMETIMES THE INSPIRATION FOR YOUR NEXT PAINTING can be right in front of you – literally. Trying to find the correct subject with great lighting and composition is quite an art: a lot of images won’t

For more interesting portraits, take a direct approach and ask your subject for a shot

Wildlife photography isn’t all about attention-grabbing species, writes Rob Read