If you’ve ever reached a point in your drawing where everything suddenly feels wrong… you are absolutely not alone. The colours look odd.The fur looks messy.Nothing feels realistic yet.And you start thinking: “This isn’t working.” Welcome to what many artists call the ugly stage of drawing. It’s one of the most common parts of creating […]

One thing people always tell me they struggle with when drawing with coloured pencils is backgrounds. They can feel slow… overwhelming… and very easy to accidentally overwork. But honestly? Backgrounds don’t need to be complicated to look beautiful.  In fact, when approached the right way, backgrounds can completely transform your artwork – adding atmosphere, depth, […]

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and honestly… I don’t think we talk enough about the connection between creativity and mental health. Not because we all need to become professional artists. And not because we need another hobby we feel pressure to be “good” at. But because life can feel very loud sometimes. Stress. […]

Choosing coloured pencils can feel like a bit of a minefield… can’t it? There are so many brands, so many opinions, and it’s very easy to think you need all of them to get good results. But let’s simplify it. All coloured pencils are made from a mix of wax and oil – it’s just […]

You may have noticed a shift in how i approach my drawings lately. So I’d love to properly introduce you to it my Global Layering Method 🥰 It’s a simple approach, but it can make a huge difference when it comes to creating realistic coloured pencil drawings. What is my Global Layering Method? The name […]

Can we have a really honest moment? How many unfinished drawings are sitting in a drawer somewhere… waiting for you to come back? If you’re nodding along, you’re absolutely not alone. I see this all the time (and I’ve been there myself too). You start full of excitement.You’ve found the perfect reference.You’re ready. And then…A […]

March has been one of those months where so much has been happening in the studio – lots of drawing, lots of progress… and quite a few things I can’t share just yet! But there are a few lovely moments I can show you, including this month’s Art Club piece, what we’ve been working on […]

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?” […]

February has been a wonderfully full creative month, so I thought it was time for another relaxed catch-up. In this episode of my February Coloured Pencil Chronicles, I sit down and chat about what’s been happening behind the scenes, from recent drawings to a few exciting updates around the Academy. In this episode I chat […]

Drafting film is a bit of a funny old surface. The first time you try it, you might think, “Ooo this is smooth… lovely!” and then five minutes later, “Why won’t this behave like my normal paper?” 😅 It’s brilliant but only if you understand how it wants to be used. So let’s keep this […]