Making shell gold – decanting it

After making the shell gold powder, I settled it and washed in a clean jar, but that gave me the problem that I then had gold in a jar. As it dried, the powder stuck to the bottom. So, I

Masters’ Soap

I’ve never quite been convinced by brush soap, even as I use it. Other soaps might work as well, and there’s always washing up liquid. Still, the pot I have is good for working colour out from the base of

Allegro – brief aside

A few weeks ago I discovered that the Allegro paint surface was cracking, because of one of the paints I had used, Michael Harding’s King’s Blue Deep. Sometimes, shit happens. I went over the sky with a different blue, keeping

Pupils needed

I am always open for commissions, but I could do with your help finding another sort of work as well. I want to teach people. I’m after pupils who want to learn Fine Art, at two possible stages. Firstly, I

How To: Varnish a Painting

Varnishing a painting protects the surface, and makes its surface consistent and glossy, like the top surface of a freshly finished painting. A coat of varnish can be taken off and replaced without destroying the top coat of the painting,

Making shell gold

I have been making Leaf Gold into Shell Gold. That requires grinding it up on honey. If you want to see just how thin gold leaf is, take a look: Pretty, ain’t it? A casual movement of the hand that

Dragons: Day 5 – the dragon

This day was spread out over a couple of painting sessions, to allow the paint to dry, but the underpainting took no more than a couple of hours, so I’m calling it a single day. I knew the dragon in