Meet Karen M. Berisford - Artist, Tutor, and Founder of Step by Step Art
The Step by Step Art journey began in 2011 in my hometown of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, where I was running a small weekly art group. My focus was realism, and the classes were designed to help developing artists strengthen their skills and improve the accuracy and detail in their work. To support those early sessions, I created a simple, no‑frills website that acted as a digital noticeboard, giving students a place to check upcoming subjects and the materials they would need. As interest grew, the classes expanded from weekly sessions to twice‑weekly groups and eventually into structured five‑week courses for those wanting to develop more detailed work. The curriculum broadened from graphite and coloured pencils to include soft pastels and acrylics, with class sizes kept intentionally small to ensure consistent one‑to‑one guidance.
An early art class in Chesterfield, Derbyshire
In 2014, I relocated to Northumberland, and the move naturally changed the rhythm of my teaching. Without the ability to run weekly local sessions, I shifted to hosting intensive workshop weekends twice a year. To support these workshops, I began producing detailed work booklets for each subject, a practice I continued right up to my final in‑person workshop in 2023. Those booklets would later form the foundation for the new eBooks I’m developing today.
The move also became the catalyst for the website’s next stage of development. I realised that the step‑by‑step structure I used in the studio could reach far beyond the classroom, so I began creating mini tutorials that people could follow at home. What had started as a simple, functional site gradually evolved into a broader educational platform, expanding to include product reviews, beginner guides, and practical tips covering materials, techniques and surfaces.
The move also became the catalyst for the website’s next stage of development. I realised that the step‑by‑step structure I used in the studio could reach far beyond the classroom, so I began creating mini tutorials that people could follow at home. What had started as a simple, functional site gradually evolved into a broader educational platform, expanding to include product reviews, beginner guides, and practical tips covering materials, techniques and surfaces.
Newbiggin by the sea, Northumberland
Travelling back and forth to Chesterfield to run the workshops involved multiple transport changes and a six‑hour journey each way, all while hauling a heavy suitcase full of art materials. It became clear that I needed a way to continue tutoring without the physical and logistical strain. That realisation marked the website’s third major shift: a transition towards online learning, allowing me to keep teaching while making the content accessible to a much wider audience.
And that brings things to the present day. Rather than an ending, this stage marks a natural progression in how I share my teaching. The experience gained from years of classes, workshops and workbook development is now being brought together into a new phase of online tutoring.
And that brings things to the present day. Rather than an ending, this stage marks a natural progression in how I share my teaching. The experience gained from years of classes, workshops and workbook development is now being brought together into a new phase of online tutoring.
