In this tutorial we are exploring one of the most striking elements in any artists palette, the bold Brilliant Red.
We will focus on painting this daub of oil paint. Though it looks simple, this tutorial offers many chances to improve your painting skills. capturing the smooth yet textured surfac...

This beautiful Poppy scene is a really colourful and detailed summer scene, however it isn’t as complicated as it looks!
In this lesson, we use many previously learned techniques and skills to achieve as much realism and detail as possible. Unusually for me, this scene has a busy sky and landsc...

There are certain scenes which really stand out to me. The colours and the lighting in this scene are beautiful, the stark contrast of the storm clouds opening up to allow the sun to shine through, casting a bright, sunny foreground against a dark, moody sky is spectacular.
Despite it’s simplic...

One of the most difficult elements in a landscape to paint is water. For this tutorial, I spent a lot of time looking for just the right spot at my local river where there was an appropriate amount of surface movement, reflection and interest to test artists of all levels. It lends itself to a sm...

I’ve been asked to do a tutorial on pine trees and mountains a lot over the last year but until now I’d not found any scenes that I felt inspired by. Thankfully this scene has both of those elements which work well together giving the viewer a great composition and feeling of depth. The snow adds...

I took this photograph last summer while holidaying in Wharfedale, Derbyshire. Thirteen years earlier I proposed to my wife at the Inn not more than two hundred yards from this spot.

I’m always on the lookout for a simple subject that will be more appropriate for the beginner, mainly because muc...

This area, the river Wye in Wales, holds a special place in my heart. Not only have I been there on photography trips, searching for painting inspiration and subject matter, it’s been a regular feature of my studio too. To me, it feels like a place where every turn and meander of the river reward...

The subject of this lesson couldn’t be any more different to what you normally see me paint and so requires a total reprogramming of mind! I wanted to move away (temporarily) from subjects that are in the large part technique based (like Landscapes) and get back to basics, the simple application ...

This particular scene is vintage MJS from around 2008-2016 when I painted many Scottish scenes as the demand was outstanding. The breathtaking view of the Scottish hills and valleys in this landscape is so awe-inspiring, I had to include it in this lesson of the Rocky trail.
I have spent numerou...

I was drawn to the beautiful, warm and subtle colours in this scene. It isn't oversaturated; the colours seen mainly in the sky and water make up the majority of the palette.
This lesson focuses on perfecting the colours seen in the reference image. The goal is to improve your understanding an...

A couple of years ago my family and I were lucky enough to holiday at Woolacombe Bay on the North Devon coast in England. We had such a lovely time. Surfing, paddle boarding and skim boarding were enjoyed as well as digging one huge boy size hole to play in! The North Devon coast has some of the ...

In this lesson I'll show you how to achieve the subtly in light and colour needed to accurately recreate this delicate landscape scene. I love the light in this painting with the contrast of the cool greens in the grass and the warm light in the morning sky. This scene may seem a little daunting ...

This is a scene that reminds me of my early years as a professional artist and it’s very typical of the type of subject matter that I was looking for at that time. It’s an uncomplicated scene in both colour and technique, but there’s enough in it to be an attractive smaller painting.

Although th...

This tutorial was designed with the intermediate to beginner artist in mind. It has a very simple colour palette and although the techniques for the fine tree details will take practice, mastering them will set you up for a whole host of successful future landscape paintings. The techniques I use...

Looking for attractive but simple scenes that make good lessons is more difficult than you'd think! This beautiful, lush green woodland carpet with a delicate splattering of bluebells is perfect for an intermediate or beginner artist. I'm not saying that this scene is particularly easy but there ...

Learn how to paint this beautiful atmospheric landscape in this 4+ hour lesson. This lesson is perfect for artists of all levels but is particularly good for those with less experience. Although the scene is vast with subtle lighting, there are limited elements and therefore limited techniques re...

I’ve been looking for something a little bit different for a while now, and as a golf enthusiast I’ve thoroughly enjoyed painting this scene. For those who are familiar with golf courses this is the 7th hole at Pebble Beach in California.
This lesson has a very dramatic feel with lots of interest...

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It's surprisingly difficult to find a night landscape photo that has enough light and detail to make a good painting but this scene has been on my short list for some time. I was taken out of my comfort zone with this painting, especially while revisiting some techn...