A great way to check your proportions, is to overlay your painting with your source. I like to do an outline around the main features so it is clearer. In this case the source is the blue outline and my painting yellow. It’s super helpful.

#coach tip

To frame or not to frame…. That is the question.

Recently I got some pieces professionally framed into floating or boxed frames. Yes it is not cheap… but for some pieces makes all the difference especially on wood panel and the cost can be added onto your piece. Something to consider….here’s the before and afters.

Today I found my pear sketch from when I did the mastery program in 2019. Had a chuckle when I saw how I shaded with scribbles… My hard fast D side temperament isn’t very patient with sketching details.

#coach tip

EYES

From children we draw eyes in shapes that we understand. Often through to adulthood our brain defaults to the same shapes and colours. Stylised paintings can carry these eye with ease, but if a more realistic result is desired then taking extra time to learn eyes is well worth the time. Things to remember.

• The eye is essentially a soft ball inside a bone hole(socket). The eyelids protect that ball and conceal 80% of it.

• Eyeballs …

I like to have an abstract to the side of my easel that i work on when i need a break from my current project. It has no addenda except to loosen me up and get me into right brain. It’s job is not to become a master piece… but instead an outlet. It can be ugly as it likes… try it, its liberating.

#coach tip

MEDIUMS, often I am asked about the mediums that speed up the drying times. These products are resin based thus give us the fast drying time and beautiful finish. So here’s some info…

• Galykd , thins colours, increases transparency and gloss.

• Galykd Lite, thins colours, adds transparency and gloss. It is more fluid than galykd and is also less glossy.

• Liquin, a Windsor Newton product. It is slower drying than galkyd. Liquin is not …

Who loves painting at night….? I just love the silence of the night time hours.

I love to start with a freestyle intuitive abstract and see what it wants to become. I can see a mans face in there as well and quite a few other things.. what can you see?

#coach tip

One of the most common questions asked by my mentor students is where the warm and cool zones are on the face. I think studying the bone structure of the face is super useful. Basically where ever the bones are forward it will be warmest. As things recede they are cool. The nose of course will be warm as it protrudes forward The crest of the brow warm , but the eye is a ball in a hole essentially. The hairline is always receding and …

Another one went international . This is mixed media. Flow acrylics then oils. Because of its size (close to 160cm 64’x 32’) it was rolled and posted off its frame.