Free tips for artists

If you’ve ever drawn on Pastelmat, you’ll probably know exactly the stage I’m about to talk about. You start a drawing. You add the first few layers. And then suddenly you look at it and think: “Oh my goodness… this looks so grainy.”“Should I start again?”“Why does this paper feel so hard to draw on?” […]

Leaves look simple… until you try to draw them. Suddenly there are overlaps, twists, shadows, odd shapes, bits missing  and it can all feel a bit overwhelming. So let me start with this: You don’t need to copy the photo exactly. Drawing leaves is about understanding shape, light, and layering not perfection. 1. Start with […]

Merry Christmas 💛 If you find yourself picking up your pencils at any point over the festive period – even just for a few gentle minutes – I thought I’d share a few cosy little ideas to add some seasonal charm to your drawings. From Santa hats to snug beanies (or something delightfully daft), these […]

Drawing Leather. It might seem like a simple brown strap at first glance, but wow it’s anything but boring to draw. It’s got depth, texture, subtle curves, soft shadows, sometimes even stitching… and if you rush it, you’ll lose all that gorgeous detail. So, if you’ve ever found yourself staring at a leather halter or […]

Here are some of my biggest takeaways and top tips if you’re thinking of giving landscape drawing a go:If the thought of drawing a landscape makes you instantly panic about greens, skies, or trees, you’re not alone. Landscapes can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re more used to drawing fluffy fur or glistening eyes. But here’s […]

Diary management hasn’t always come naturally to me. For years, I tried to keep everything in my head until the day I forgot someone was turning up at my house and left them standing on the doorstep while I dashed off to the garage. Not ideal! As artists, we often crave freedom. We want to […]

There’s something really special about drawing humans. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working with my lovely Art Club members on a portrait of a young girl, and I thought it might be helpful to pull together some of the biggest lessons we uncovered along the way. Whether you’re just starting out with portraits […]

Discover the power of creative connection in Bonny Snowdon’s free Coloured Pencil Facebook Group

Let’s be honest, drawing dogs in coloured pencil has to be one of the most joyful things we can do… right after you’ve lovingly sharpened them all to a perfect deadly point, only for your actual dog to send them flying off the table with a wag of their tail. Whether you’re creating a detailed […]

This week I want to take you back to the beginning. Back to when I was sat with my colouring books in 2015, hiding away in the evening with a pack of pencils and a whole heap of self-doubt. I had no idea back then that I’d one day be running a business teaching thousands […]