1. What materials do you use?

I have a full in-depth list on my Patreon FAQ section HERE.

 

2. How do you hook your drawings / paintings to the wall?

 

3. How did you get started with art?

I first started taking art lessons in high school and quickly found out that time went by much quicker in those lessons compared to most of my other classes. I spent more and more time in the art room, even spending most of my lunch breaks in there towards the end of my high school experience. I then went on to study illustration at university, however I found myself using the 3 years to build up my realistic drawing and painting skills in my spare time whenever I could instead of falling inlove with the abstract illustration field. After leaving university, I set up my own pet portrait art business and I’m still slowly growing it till this day. Pet portraits are great as you never know what animal or breed of dog / cat you’ll get to draw next, so each commission is and exciting first new experience. People love their pets so much!

 

4. What inspires you?

I would say that what inspires me the most is seeing all the other amazing artworks that other artists produce. As a lover of art, I appreciate skill and hard work when I see it. I am incredibly blown away by other artists creativity and craftsmanship on a daily basis. It gives me the motivation to keep pushing my skills as much as I can! I live in south Devon, England which is famous for its beautiful beaches, I’m definitely also inspired by the beauty of nature around me.

 

5. Do you teach art?

Yes! You’ll find a lot of helpful content from me in the ‘Tutorials’ section of this website. I post often to my YouTube channel. For a more in-depth insight, you can find many of my exclusive lessons over on my Patreon channel. There, you will learn all of my techniques, methods & tips.

 

6. Do you use fixatives on your soft pastel artworks?

I don’t use any fixatives on my soft pastel artworks. This is mainly because all fixatives unfortunately ruin the colours and tones, and often leave the artwork with a dull appearance. All of my soft pastel artworks are drawn on Pastelmat paper by Clairefontaine which holds the pastel pigment very well on its own. To avoid smudging the artwork, it’s recommend to frame pastel artworks as soon as possible. It’s also important to make sure that there is a picture mount between the artwork & frame glass.

 

7. How long does it take you to create a portrait?

My pastel portraits can range anywhere from 15-80 drawing hours depending on the size and complexity. Art is a process that I don’t wish to rush, I prefer to spend more time than is needed to make sure I have the details down perfectly. It’s really important for me to achieve a true likeness in a portrait for my clients. I’m very much a perfectionist at heart!