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Starting out with Oils
A guide for beginners

An article written by Welsh artist Chris Chalk. If you feel daunted by oil paints and want to know where to start, this article offers some helpful advice and explains the 3 most important things you will need to begin.

Starting out with Oil pastels
A guide for beginners

Article to follow.

Winsor & Newton | Artisan oils

Currently in progress - article to follow.

Sennelier oil pastels

Article to follow.

Faber Castell | Oil-based coloured pencils

The Polychromos pencils by Faber-Castell are probably the most loved oil based pencil out there. Available in 120 highly lightfast colours and made from high quality materials.

Blending practices for oil pastels

Article to follow.

Papers and Canvases
Replace with those suitable for oil paints, oil-based pencils and oil pastels

Art Spectrum | Colourfix

Art Spectrum® Colourfix™ papers are sheets of acid-free, 300gsm hot pressed watercolour paper with a fine, deep tooth. It is a superb surface for pastels, oils, acrylics, inks, oil pastels, gouache, watercolours and dry media such as charcoal and pencils.

Art Spectrum | Colourfix smooth

For fans of the Colourfix paper, did you know that the company also has a smooth version too? Find out more about the Colourfix Smooth, compare between other surfaces and see where you can buy some. 

Canson | Mi-tientes 'Touch'

A highly innovative and unique surface - this versatile, finely textured paper is perfect for pastel, charcoal, pencil, & acrylic artists and suitable for both dry and wet media techniques.

St Cuthbert's Mill | Bockingford
​REMOVE

Looking for a smooth watercolour paper suited to pencils and paints that is vegan friendly? Bockingford might be the one for you.

St Cuthbert's Mill | Bockingford Not (tints)
REMOVE

​A tinted watercolor paper available in 5 colours, suitable for pastels, pencils and acrylics. Find out more on our blog.

Comparing watercolour papers

Compare hot pressed watercolour papers before buying your  own preferred paper. See what size, weight and brightness each one is as well as which is vegan friendly too. Suitable surfaces for watercolours, pencils, gouache, acrylic, pastel,  pen & ink and charcoal.

Ampersand Boards

Looking for a high quality canvas for your art? Ampersand have a collection of boards available for artists of all mediums from paint to scratchboard. 

Ampersand | Gessobord

This superior quality gesso ground does not dull colours and the lightly sanded surface provides excellent brush control, perfect for all painting styles with oils, acrylics, airbrush and mixed media.

Ampersand | Pastelbord 

This canvas is an ideal surface for many different mediums, not just pastels and in this article I show what is achievable using acrylics & coloured pencils. Suitable for acrylic, casein, charcoal, coloured pencil, graphite, mixed media, dry pastel and oil pastel.