Welcome to the Step by Step Art website

Within the pages of this website, you will find articles covering a variety of art products. We cover coloured pencils, acrylic paints, graphite pencils, soft pastels and others. We also offer a selection of art tutorials for all artists, from absolute beginner and beyond. We run coloured and graphite pencil art workshops in the UK, 2 - 3 times a year.

You can find all this information here, managed by artist and art tutor, Karen M Berisford. We update our articles to keep up with the latest information and products. You can also check out our latest blog posts to see what is new.

​We add new articles every three months, which we include in our latest newsletter. If you would like to join the mailing list, click the link below to join for free!

Go to the Subscription page

Where would you like to go today?​
​

Articles & Reviews

This page offers a link to every available article on this website. There is a selection of product reviews, art tutorials, personal recommendations, hints and tips. 

Art Workshops

Our art workshops are run four times a year. Each workshop has an individual page, where you to find out more about the event and book a place via our online booking form. 

Mini Tutorials

Why not try one of our mini tutorials. We provide written and visual guides to  create an easy to follow experience. You can find a colour chart and reference image provided on each page.

Step by Step Art Blog

Keep up with what's new on this website via the 'News blog'. All the latest articles, workshops and general art related news will be posted here.

Join our social community

Why not join our Instagram page where we post the latest information. You can read the latest article(s) by clicking the link in our bio. Our Facebook page is currently offline.

About the SBS Founder

If you would like to find out more information about the artist & art tutor, Karen M Berisford, visit this page or visit Karen's official site at:
​www.karenmberisford.com

Latest articles
Autumn newsletter 2020

Below are our latest articles. They include a mixture of product reviews, recommendations, hints, tips and art tutorials. Click on any of the images below to visit the article of interest. You can find all our articles here. There are between four and six articles, including mini tutorials, released every four months. These are all included in our newsletter including art workshops that are currently available. We update our articles from time to time, so check back regularly. You can see what other articles will be available in the future via our site map and if you wish to request a specific article, please get in touch.
You can always subscribe to our newsletter to ensure you get information and the latest articles delivered straight to your E-mail.​

FABER CASTELL POLYCHROMOS

DERWENT PASTEL PENCILS

STARTING OUT WITH ACRYLICS

SOFT PASTEL TUTORIAL

The Polychromos pencils by Faber-Castell are one of the most popular ranges out there. They have 120 highly lightfast colours and made from high quality materials. Read more...

If you need some advice on where to begin with acrylics, here are the 8 most important things you will need to begin and a few more that may be helpful too. UPDATED

Derwent Pastel pencils have a unique highly pigmented fine chalk texture and are easy to blend. Find out more about these pencils.

Learn how to layer and create water droplets using soft pastels This tutorial depicts a Violet flower on Colourfix paper. 

LOXLEY FIXATIVE - Blog

ART SPECTRUM COLOURFIX SMOOTH - Blog

DERWENT INKTENSE - Updated

THE COMMISSION BASED ART BUSINESS - Updated

Read our blog for some hints and tips on when to use a fixative, how to apply and why you should never use hairspray as a cheap alternative.

For anyone who is a fan of the Colourfix paper, did you know that Art Spectrum, also has a smooth version too? Find out more...

Wondering what the Derwent Inktense pencils are all about? This review offers personal thoughts on these pencils and lightfast information.

Are you thinking of stepping out into the commission business and want some pointers and advice and tips on how to price your art? This article may help.

2020 Art Workshops

All 2020 Art Workshops have been rolled over to 2021*
*May be subject to change dependent on the Coronavirus situation at the time

Click to view our art workshops for 2021

Articles from the summer newsletter 2020

DERWENT DRAWING

PRISMACOLOR NUPASTELS

AMPERSAND GESSOBORD

These highly lightfast coloured pencils are rich and earthy. The soft, creamy texture and the extra wide colour strip are a big help when you’re trying to build up dense fur or feathers in your drawings of animals. Read our article.

Prismacolor Premier NuPastels feature rich, creamy pigments that allow for easy blending and shading. Perfect for creating illustrations or drawings, these pastels can be sharpened to a fine point for detailed work or dulled for full coverage. Find out more.

The superior quality acrylic gesso ground does not dull colours and the lightly sanded surface provides exceptional brush control. This makes Gessobord the perfect art panel for all painting styles with oil paints, acrylics and mixed media.
​Read our article.

PEACOCK FEATHER - COLOURED PENCIL TUTORIAL

CARAN DACHE LUMINANCE PORTRAIT - Blog

BOCKINGFORD NOT TINTS - Blog

In this tutorial, I show you how to create a Peacock feather using coloured pencils. Learn how to build up the base layers and achieve realism with the application of the finer details. An additional tip shows you how to give your feather a bit of sparkle. Click to view.

For anyone who uses the Caran d'Ache Luminance pencils, the company has released 24 new colours. You can buy individual pencils or purchase a box set of 20 called the 'Portrait assortment' Click to read our blog about these new colours.

A tinted watercolour paper in 5 colours, suitable for pastels, pencils, acrylics. When trialled with coloured pencils, this toothy paper grabs the pigment extremely well and allows for extensive blending, erasing and layering. Click to read more via our blog...

​Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Subscribe to receive our free newsletter filled with the latest information from the Step by Step Art website which includes tutorials, art product recommendations and reviews, help and advice on various mediums, special guest articles, latest news and updates on art workshops run by Karen M Berisford