Studio habits
Sketchbook ideas that turn into a habit
Sketchbook ideas built for repetition: forty small prompts, a ten-minute routine, ways past the blank page and how to keep going after the first week.
On paper
Notes on drawing, washes, prints and the sheets they live on. Newest first.
Looking at art
How printmaking changed who could own art
How did printmaking change the world of art? A short history from woodblocks and Dürer to ukiyo-e, posters and screenprints, told through who owned them.
Framing & care
Framing works on paper: mats, glazing and hinges
How to frame a drawing, watercolor or print so it lasts: acid-free mats, UV-filtering glazing, hinges and spacers, plus what to ask a framer.
Framing & care
Storing drawings and prints flat at home
How to store drawings, watercolors and prints at home so they stay flat and clean: boxes, folders, interleaving, where to keep them and what to avoid.
Printmaking
Monotypes on a gel plate: printmaking without carving
Gel plate printing explained: what a monotype is, the kit you need, ten techniques from leaf prints to ghost prints, and how to fix pale or patchy pulls.
Watercolor & gouache
Gouache vs watercolor: what actually changes on the page
Gouache vs watercolor compared at the brush: light and transparency, working order, corrections, paper, drying shifts and when to combine them.
Studio habits
Picking a mixed media sketchbook that takes wet and dry work
What makes a mixed media sketchbook work: paper weight, surface, sizing, binding and size, plus a simple test to run on the first page before you commit.
Paper & materials
How to stretch watercolor paper so it dries flat
Why watercolor paper buckles, when stretching is worth it, and three reliable ways to do it: gummed tape, staples and the quick tape-down method.
Printmaking
Linocut at home: a first block, printed without a press
A first linocut at the kitchen table: choosing a block, transferring the design, carving safely, inking with a brayer and printing by hand with a spoon.
Drawing
Drawing pencils: what the grades mean and which ones to own
What H, B, HB and F mean on drawing pencils, how the grades really behave on paper, and the four or five pencils that cover nearly every drawing.
Paper & materials
Choosing watercolor paper: cotton, weight and surface
How to choose watercolor paper: what cotton changes, what 140 lb really means, cold press vs hot press vs rough, and blocks, pads or loose sheets.
Watercolor & gouache
What gouache is, and how it behaves on paper
Gouache is opaque watercolor: the same gum arabic binder, more pigment and often a white filler. Here is what that means once it touches paper.