Ribbon SketchesMo made some very wide watercolour sketching pads, about 10 x 35 cm, to produce sketches like the two at left. In making these, he also took offcuts of watercolour paper of about 2 cm height or less, which he folded to produce very compact sketching...

Stretching and Flattening PaperI have prepared this summary of my experience with preparing and treating paper for watercolour, drawings and prints, in case it may be useful to others. Tony Wynne, October 2025Choice of Paper For outdoor watercolour, I now prefer...

Easel TrayMost portable easels lack a tray to hold drawing or painting materials. Here is a design for a homemade tray that simply fits over the front of an upright easel and wedges into place. It is quite sturdy and not large or heavy enough to tip the easel forward....

Which White?Titanium WhiteLithopone WhiteSome of our lunch time discussion has concerned the choice of white oil paints. Lead white has become quite expensive, and it can be difficult to obtain, due to its very high toxicity.  But some painters still choose to use it,...

Pochade Box Pochade boxes were popular in the past, they date from the 18th and 19th centuries. The traditional box is wooden, with a hinged lid at a suitable angle to use as an easel, and also to store paintings. The palette serves as a lid, and slides to one side...

Drawing a Straight Line I remember Pat saying to me that if you want to draw a straight line freehand, don't look at the end of the pencil, look at where you want the line to go. Margaret