Blog

Helen Page Helen Page

Children’s art

Children’s art and craft activities foster creativity, self-expression, and fine motor skills through hands-on exploration. Using materials like paper, paint, clay, and recycled items, kids can experiment with colors, textures, and shapes. These activities encourage imagination, problem-solving, and sensory development while providing a fun and engaging way to learn. Art and craft also help build confidence and a sense of accomplishment in young creators.

Read More
Helen Page Helen Page

Charcoal

Charcoal drawing is a bold and expressive medium known for its deep blacks, rich tonal range, and soft, blendable texture. Artists use techniques like smudging, hatching, and erasing to create dramatic contrasts and delicate shading. The versatility of charcoal allows for both gestural sketches and highly detailed renderings. Due to its powdery nature, fixatives are often used to preserve the artwork.

Read More
Helen Page Helen Page

Plein Air

Plein air painting is the practice of creating art outdoors, capturing the natural light, colors, and atmosphere of a scene in real time. This technique emphasizes spontaneity and direct observation, often resulting in fresh, lively compositions. Artists use fast, expressive brushwork to adapt to changing light conditions, making plein air ideal for landscapes, cityscapes, and seascapes. It’s a dynamic approach that enhances an artist’s ability to see and interpret the world around them.

Read More
Helen Page Helen Page

Colour pencil

Colored pencil is a precise and versatile medium that allows for rich layering, blending, and fine detail. Artists use techniques like hatching, burnishing, and layering to create depth and smooth gradients. The wax- or oil-based cores provide strong pigmentation, while different pressures and strokes can achieve varied textures. Colored pencils offer control and permanence, making them ideal for realistic renderings and expressive artworks alike.

Read More
Helen Page Helen Page

Acrylic painting

Acrylic painting is a fast-drying and versatile medium that allows for a wide range of techniques, from bold, opaque layers to delicate washes. Artists can use acrylics thickly for texture or dilute them with water for a watercolor-like effect. They dry quickly, making layering and corrections easy, while their strong adhesion allows painting on various surfaces. Acrylics are durable, vibrant, and can be modified with mediums to alter texture, drying time, and finish.

Read More
Helen Page Helen Page

Sketching and drawing

Charcoal drawing is a versatile and expressive art technique that uses charred wood or compressed charcoal sticks to create rich, deep blacks and a wide range of tonal values. Artists can achieve bold, dramatic contrasts or soft, delicate shading by blending, smudging, and erasing. The medium allows for fluid mark-making, making it ideal for sketching, figure drawing, and atmospheric compositions. Charcoal’s powdery texture requires careful handling and often a fixative to preserve the artwork.

Read More
Helen Page Helen Page

Watercolour

Watercolor painting is a fluid and expressive medium that relies on transparent pigments mixed with water to create luminous layers and delicate washes. Artists use techniques like wet-on-wet for soft, blended effects and wet-on-dry for crisp, defined edges. The unpredictability of water movement adds spontaneity, while lifting and glazing allow for depth and detail. Mastering control of water and pigment is key to achieving the characteristic lightness and vibrancy of watercolor art.

Read More
Helen Page Helen Page

Soft Pastel

Soft pastel is a vibrant and blendable medium made of pure pigment held together with minimal binder, allowing for rich color application. Artists use layering, blending, and smudging techniques to create smooth transitions and striking textures. The powdery nature of pastels enables both delicate shading and bold, expressive strokes.

Read More
Helen Page Helen Page

Oil painting

Oil painting is a rich and versatile medium known for its deep colors, smooth blending, and long drying time, allowing for detailed work and layering. Artists use techniques like glazing for luminous depth, impasto for thick, textured strokes, and wet-on-wet for seamless blending. The slow drying process enables modifications and refinements, making oil paint ideal for both realism and expressive styles. Proper surface preparation and varnishing help preserve the artwork’s longevity.

Read More