A sure way to get more from the brushes & tools you have right now

We get a lot of questions about the brushes and tools we use. 

For instance, questions about the palette knife which keeps our paint alive:

Or the hake we use for matting:

Or the brush which serves us loyally for tracing long and lovely lines:

And on the one hand this is great. I’m thrilled by your willingness to spend money and invest in yourselves. I’d do the same. When I know someone who’s figured out the answer to something I don’t know, I’ll go and ask them. 

Yes, it makes good sense to seek advice. 

But – it also troubles me. 

It troubles me because sometimes people imagine there’s a simple answer. 

A simple answer in the shops.

When actually the best answer might be close at hand right now. 

Close at hand but difficult to see. 

And that’s my point. 

Often there’s a way to get more than we dreamed possible from an ordinary tool or brush. 

That’s what you’ll see today: how you can get more from what you have right now. 

Grip #1

We’re writing a free e-book on how you hold the 6 essential tools: this is the 1st of its free videos. It won’t make much sense on its own: if you’ve signed up for our newsletter, we’ll email you when the free guide is ready.

Update:

It's ready now: get your copy here

For a free copy, subscribe to our newsletter here.

Illuminate:

It's Like 2 Days With Us In Our Studio

Illuminate will teach you the key techniques of stained-glass painting, wherever you are:

I thoroughly enjoyed going through these lessons. They helped to nudge me back onto the true path” (Phil A., Australia)

If you’re new to glass painting, or you haven’t painted in a while and want to get back up to speed, check out this 8-week online course:

I have been wishing, for quite a while, to “upgrade” from Tiffany-style stained glass pieces (very nice though),  to the more classical and immortal work of real painted glass. But I didn’t know how to start, what materials and tools to use, or how to go about it. This opportunity is at hand, now, with this very professional course, where one can learn the trade, step-by-step, with these two wonderful masters who not only know it well, but are also capable of teaching artfully” (Luis M., Portugal)

It contains extraordinary videos, even if English isn’t your first language:

C’est formidablement expliqué. J’adore” (Jacky P., France)

There’s no need to travel, there’s no need to book accommodation – it’s like spending 2 days training with us in our studio:
You have beautifully demonstrated a very complex and delicate process which ends in lovely results: wonderfully informative” (Babs T., USA)

Illuminate – you can learn more here

Flooding

3 key points

On Tuesday we launch a new course called Illuminate.

I’ll say more in a moment. Right now, I hope you’ll watch this 70-second clip from the lesson where we take you through the do’s and dont’s of flooding:

  • Flooding – the darkest paint of all.
  • Flooding – for silhouettes and blocking in.
  • Flooding – which easily bubbles and blisters in the kiln …

So how do you avoid those ghastly blisters which wreck your work?