The essentials ofportraiture

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

Being able to draw provides the confidence and perception to create a convincing representation of a subject. The skill creeps up on you through practise and ingrains as a habit making the act so much

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

Here I’m capturing another favourite subject in mixed media: the human head. I was lucky enough to have Aonghas MacNeacail, the wonderful poet and songwriter from the Isle of Skye, as my sitter. I lov

1 Painting a subject because it is beautiful or stimulating isn’t enough. You must first identify with precision what it is you want to convey, whether it is the effect of light, colour, pattern, move