Recent writing

On technique, materials, and artists.

  • The five mistakes watercolour beginners make in the first month and how to avoid them

    Getting Started Materials Beginners Most early frustrations with watercolour come down to the same handful of problems. Understand what they

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  • Best watercolour set for beginners: what to buy and what to leave out

    Getting Started Materials Beginners By the end of this article you will know exactly what to spend your money on,

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  • Five British Watercolourists You Should Know in 2026

    British watercolour has a long tradition of restraint and observation. These five painters, working now, in different registers, are worth spending time with.

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  • What Paper Should I Buy First?

    The first paper decision is also the most consequential. The wrong choice can make a sound technique look like a failing one. Here is what to buy before you have strong opinions of your own.

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  • A Limited Palette for Woodland Painting: Seven Pigments That Do Everything

    A forest contains hundreds of greens. You do not need to buy them. Seven carefully chosen pigments will mix every green, shadow, and bark colour a woodland painting demands.

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  • Arches vs Fabriano Artistico: Tested Side by Side

    Both are considered benchmark papers. Both are 100% cotton, 300gsm, and widely available. The differences are real, but they favour different kinds of painting.

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