Blog

Aluminium etching is a familiar process in printmaking circles, but like most hands-on work, the small steps can make the biggest difference. If a plate isn’t prepped the right way, you are bound to run into problems. Lines can break up, tones might look patchy, and worse still, you might have to toss the whole thing and start again. Prep work becomes even more important in summer. Hot days and high humidity can speed up drying times in odd...

Inks behave differently depending on how you use them. Some are made for sharp, clean lines that stay fixed in place. Others are better for soft washes that move with water and leave gentle shades behind. When you pick inks for drawing, it helps to know how they work with your tools and your paper. If you're focused on detail, the wrong ink can cause smudges. If you're going for a broad wash, the wrong ink might stay too thick or dry too fast. To...

Graphite pencils often fly under the radar. They are modest, reliable tools that most of us have used since childhood. But hidden inside each one is a mix of clay and graphite that controls more than just what the mark looks like on paper. It affects how smooth or gritty the stroke feels, how easily it smudges, and how much space we can fill when shading large areas. When we are selecting fine art supplies for drawing, one of the quickest ways to...