Sonriseartists Co / Techniques
I keep a running inventory of everything I use in the studio — from the archival gesso I prefer for panels to the exact make of sumi ink I reach for when I want a fast, staining line. Over the years I developed a simple, repeatable system for cataloguing and tagging mixed-media materials that...
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I run and take part in a lot of studio critiques — as a teacher, organiser and fellow maker — and I've learned that a carefully timed 60-minute session can be transformational for a body of work heading towards an exhibition. The trick is to make space for focused looking, honest but helpful...
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I spend a lot of time photographing test swatches, small paintings and pigment studies that contain metallic and iridescent particles. If you’ve tried this before you’ll know the problem: a beautiful shimmer in real life turns into a blown-out white hotspot in the photo, or the colour shift...
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I often get asked during workshops: “Should I heat-set this layer or just let it air-dry?” It’s one of those deceptively simple questions that depends on the materials, the urgency of finishing, and how durable you want the work to be. Over years of studio experiments — and the odd panic...
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I recently switched the bulk of my underpainting work to Schmincke Horadam Gouache and ran a controlled studio test to see how it performs when layered for mixed-media pieces. I wanted to know whether that particular brand truly made a practical difference — not just in colour or finish, but in...
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I take my mixed-media practice to festivals and outdoor events a lot — small commissions, quick commissions, live painting, or just sketching between talks. Over the years I’ve refined a kit that is compact, resilient and, crucially, forgiving of rain, mud, coffee spills and the odd bumpy ride...
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Water damage to a gouache painting can feel like a small disaster — colours that bled, paper cockled, edges that softened into a muddy haze. I’ve had my fair share of chilly mornings in the studio when a cup tipped, or a storage envelope let in damp during transport. Over time I’ve developed...
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I’ve been asked more times than I can count: “Can I swap synthetic brushes for natural-hair when working in gouache?” It’s a great question, especially as gouache sits somewhere between transparent watercolor and opaque acrylic in its behaviour. I decided to run a practical test in my...
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I’ve spent years refining a compact mixed-media kit that fits comfortably under a café table, in a train seat pocket, or on my lap without turning a brief sketching session into a logistical puzzle. The trick isn’t just squeezing supplies into a small bag — it’s designing a system that...
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There’s nothing quite like the sinking feeling when you lift a flap of collage and find brittle, cracked layers beneath — torn paper revealing white gashes, flaking paint, or adhesive failures that threaten the whole piece. I’ve walked into my studio to find a finished panel with a cracked...
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