Technique

My father introduced me to Japanese art of Ukiyo-e when I was a kid. He fought in the Second World War, and when the war ended he came home. Money was tight and he signed up to Z Reserve for which he got eight shillings a week for being the first to go if there was another war. No one thought there would be another war, so he thought Z Reserve was a safe bet. … Read more

Paper and ink in 19th Century Britain were made from different materials compared to today. Paper was made from materials that would be impossible to use today due to supply limitations. In 19th century Britain paper was made by hand. Today, gigantic paper machines roll out paper at eighty feet per minute. A watery slurry goes in at one end, and with high speed drying and pressing, paper comes out the other end seconds later. … Read more

The word ‘quill’ is from the Early Middle Ages Low German word ‘quiele’. It was an all-purpose word that meant a writing instrument, a reed, and the hollow, rigid part of a bird’s feather.

You have to work in partnership with a fountain pen.. I hear a lot of children are not even taught cursive lettering. What a waste. My experience with handwriting and fountain pens says that it’s a skill well worth having. To go back a bit, my handwriting started to drift all over the place from using ballpoint and gel pens. So I bought a fountain pen. This was about five years ago. I bought a … Read more

Let’s start by looking at what a frame is. Pretty obviously, more than anything it is to keep the artwork flat against a wall and safe from being bumped or crushed. Yet in the act of framing, something happens. Whether we like it or not we have made a statement in relation to the artwork. Just to divert for one second – by artwork I mean anything that can be framed – a painting, drawing, … Read more

Chiaroscuro lighting, or ‘Rembrandt’ lighting as it is also called, is a technique used in photography and in painting. It accentuates the focal point of the composition by bathing it in light. That way the area surrounding the focal point disappears slowly into the darker recesses. The Italian word ‘chiaroscuro’ means light and dark. And the alternative name of ‘Rembrandt’ lighting comes from the painter himself. It comes from the fact that he used that … Read more