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Blog
Practical posts to help you draw and paint with more confidence, and insights for collectors who enjoy following the stories behind the artwork.


New Greeting Cards Now Available
I’ve just organised a range of greeting cards featuring my floral still lives and landscape paintings! They’re the same images as the giclée prints I’ve been selling over the past few years — just in a smaller, handier format. Each card is professionally printed on beautiful heavyweight glossy card, supplied with a kraft envelope, and left blank inside so they’re suitable for any occasion. You can buy them individually or as packs of 10 . View the cards here A Little Backg

James Otto Allen
1 min read


My Recommended Perspective Books
During the Head and Hands Drawing workshop I taught this past weekend, quite a few students asked if I could recommend any good resources on perspective. It’s a question that comes up a lot, so I thought I’d share my favourite perspective books (and one excellent YouTube channel) that have helped me most over the years. Some of the books are available in the public domain and some aren't so I've linked them either to where you can read the pdf or where you can buy them if yo

James Otto Allen
2 min read


The 5 Essential Tools and Materials You Actually Need to Start Oil Painting
If you’re thinking about starting oil painting, you’ve probably already had a look in an art shop or online supply list - and felt overwhelmed. The truth is you just need a few carefully chosen materials to get going confidently - and that’s what this post is here to help you with. SHOPPING LIST: TOOLS (these things you will only buy once) Easel Palette Brushes - here you'll find a pack that will give you most of the hog hair brushes covered in the video - perfect to get st

James Otto Allen
2 min read
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