HowTos Index
How To Create Time for Painting
Making time for painting every day is essential. These tips will help you find time for yourself and your painting.
How To Paint with Light
An explanation of how to create a light painting.
How To Prime a Canvas For Acrylics or Oils
When you've stretched a canvas, the next step is to prime it so you can paint on it. With a ready-made gesso suitable for both acrylic and oil painting, priming a canvas is easy.
How To Create a Painting by Pouring Paints
An explanation of how to create a painting by pouring the paint rather than applying it with a brush.
How To Choose Between Pan and Tube Watercolors
What's the difference between watercolor paints that come in pans and those in tubes? How do you decide which style of watercolor paint best for you?
How To Clean Your Paint Brushes
Your brushes are an investment. By cleaning them thoroughly and properly at the end of a painting session, your brushes will last longer.
How To Stretch Watercolor Paper
It's generally recommended that watercolor paper less than 356 gsm (260 lb) is stretched before use, otherwise it'll warp. Stretching watercolor paper is a simple process.
How To Use Salt to Create Snowflakes in Watercolor
When you're painting a scene in which it's snowing, it's impossible to leave hundreds of tiny specks of white across your painting. The secret is to take the salt from your kitchen and use it in your painting.
How To Paint a Pumpkin
Find out what to do if you want to paint a pumpkin rather than carve it.
How To Set a Price For a Painting
Setting a price for a painting is hard. If you overprice your work, you may not sell anything but, conversely, if you underprice it you may not recoup your costs or get taken seriously. Here are some factors to consider.
How To Fix Mistakes and Remove Errors in a Watercolor Painting
If you make a mistake in a watercolor painting, you either need to react fast and remove it almost instantaneously, or wait for the painting to dry.
How To Start Saw Blade Painting
How to prepare a saw blade for painting.
How To Paint a Sunset
Tips on how to paint a sunset working quickly and decisively.
How To Choose a Watercolor Paper
Watercolor papers come in different surfaces and weights. Do you know which watercolor paper best suited to which watercolor painting techniques?
How To Fix Broken Pastels
What do you do with the tiny bits of broken pastels that you're left with? Don't throw them away, it's simple to make some new pastel sticks. You can also use this method to fix a broken pastel should you wish.
How To Take Reference Photographs
Photographs provide invaluable reference for paintings and complement on-the-spot sketching. To get really useful photographs, you shouldn't simply point and shoot a subject, but take a bit of time over it.
How To Paint Realistic Clouds
By careful observation and collecting reference photos, you will be able to paint all manner of cloud, from fluffy bunches of cotton wool to moody storm clouds.
How To Varnish an Acrylic or Oil Painting
Varnish is more than simply a layer to protect your painting from pollution in the atmosphere on and abrasion. It will also bring out the colours to the brilliance they had when you applied them.
How To Paint a Faux Stained Glass Christmas Ornament
How to paint a faux stained glass Christmas ornament, complete with free pattern to print.
How To Prepare Slippery Surfaces for Decorative Painting
Tips on how to paint successfully on slippery or smooth surfaces, such as glass.
How To Do a Simple Lightfastness Test for a Paint Color
An explanation of how to do a simple or basic lightfastness test to see how stable a paint color is.
How To Price Your Decorative Painting Work
Some tips on how to set a price for decorative painting work you intend to sell.
How To Work With Models For Figure Painting
Whether you've got a professional model posing for you or a friend, it's important to establish a good working relationship so you get the most from the sessions.
How To Make Slides of Your Paintings
How to make slides of your paintings yourself, saving yourself the expense of hiring a photographer to take slides.