Will Kemp Art School https://willkempartschool.com/ painting tutorials, courses, tips & techniques Sat, 05 Jul 2025 10:01:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://willkempartschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cropped-willkempartschoolfavicon-1-32x32.png Will Kemp Art School https://willkempartschool.com/ 32 32 Urban Sketching in Copenhagen https://willkempartschool.com/urban-sketching-in-copenhagen/ https://willkempartschool.com/urban-sketching-in-copenhagen/#comments Sat, 28 Jun 2025 15:21:59 +0000 https://willkempartschool.com/?p=48970 It’s impossible not to pause in Nyhavn. The colours bounce off the water like a painting. I kept thinking how many artists must have stood here, brush in hand, trying to catch that perfect line where ochre meets cobalt. It was a fresh, clear morning, and I was exploring one of Copenhagen’s most picturesque 17th-century […]

The post Urban Sketching in Copenhagen appeared first on Will Kemp Art School.

]]> https://willkempartschool.com/urban-sketching-in-copenhagen/feed/ 38 7 Oil Painting Truths That Could Sabotage Your Progress https://willkempartschool.com/7-oil-painting-truths-that-could-sabotage-your-progress/ https://willkempartschool.com/7-oil-painting-truths-that-could-sabotage-your-progress/#comments Sat, 14 Jun 2025 14:56:30 +0000 https://willkempartschool.com/?p=48923 I’m back in the studio, knee deep in a series of oil paintings. And I’m really enjoying working with the fantastic malleability of oil paint. You can push it around, layer it thickly, and enjoy a long working time and soft, smoky blends. But. Even as a seasoned oil painter, when I’m sorting out my […]

The post 7 Oil Painting Truths That Could Sabotage Your Progress appeared first on Will Kemp Art School.

]]> https://willkempartschool.com/7-oil-painting-truths-that-could-sabotage-your-progress/feed/ 38 Where to Find Epic Copyright-Free Reference Images for Your Paintings (7 top sites) https://willkempartschool.com/free-reference-images-for-artists/ https://willkempartschool.com/free-reference-images-for-artists/#comments Sun, 11 May 2025 15:27:55 +0000 https://willkempartschool.com/?p=48620 Disclaimer: I’m an artist, not a copyright attorney; everything here is shared for general educational purposes only. Morning class, I get lots of emails from students who want to pick up a paintbrush but find the first stumbling block is what to paint! It’s easy to find yourself at a loss when looking for a […]

The post Where to Find Epic Copyright-Free Reference Images for Your Paintings (7 top sites) appeared first on Will Kemp Art School.

]]> https://willkempartschool.com/free-reference-images-for-artists/feed/ 37 Student Success for March & April 2025 https://willkempartschool.com/student-success-for-march-april-2025/ https://willkempartschool.com/student-success-for-march-april-2025/#comments Thu, 01 May 2025 14:37:15 +0000 https://willkempartschool.com/?p=48529 Morning class! Thank you to all the students who shared their beautiful paintings from the last couple of months. So delighted to showcase a recent roundup of work from the students and artists following the blog. Amazing work, everyone! Brenda Devlin Carmen Martin David Wilkinson Laura Fowler (from the Cornish Lane oil tutorial) Shelley Randell […]

The post Student Success for March & April 2025 appeared first on Will Kemp Art School.

]]> https://willkempartschool.com/student-success-for-march-april-2025/feed/ 13 12 Best Art Podcasts for Beginners: Learn to Paint, Get Inspired & Create More Art! https://willkempartschool.com/10-best-art-podcasts-for-beginners-create-and-paint/ https://willkempartschool.com/10-best-art-podcasts-for-beginners-create-and-paint/#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2025 20:13:15 +0000 https://willkempartschool.com/?p=48421 The sound of silence If you’re accustomed to painting with music or in silence, you’re not alone. Many artists find comfort in familiar sounds—or the absence of them as they create. But have you ever considered inviting a new kind of companion into your studio? Why Listen to Art Podcasts as a Beginner (or Experienced […]

The post 12 Best Art Podcasts for Beginners: Learn to Paint, Get Inspired & Create More Art! appeared first on Will Kemp Art School.

]]> https://willkempartschool.com/10-best-art-podcasts-for-beginners-create-and-paint/feed/ 6 What if confidence, not skill, is the key to your painting progress?  https://willkempartschool.com/what-if-confidence-not-skill-is-the-key-to-painting-progress/ https://willkempartschool.com/what-if-confidence-not-skill-is-the-key-to-painting-progress/#comments Sun, 27 Apr 2025 14:38:38 +0000 https://willkempartschool.com/?p=48360 What if confidence, not skill, is the key to your painting progress? Most beginners struggle with acrylics because they’ve never been shown a simple, structured approach with progressive techniques. My YouTube channel has helped over 300,000 artists get started, with more than 25 million views. My speciality? Helping students who believe they “can’t even draw […]

The post What if confidence, not skill, is the key to your painting progress?  appeared first on Will Kemp Art School.

]]> https://willkempartschool.com/what-if-confidence-not-skill-is-the-key-to-painting-progress/feed/ 14 How to Paint an Impressionistic Still Life: A Step-by-Step Guide https://willkempartschool.com/how-to-paint-purple-flowers/ https://willkempartschool.com/how-to-paint-purple-flowers/#comments Thu, 10 Apr 2025 08:05:36 +0000 https://willkempartschool.com/?p=48264 Morning class, Before starting a larger painting, I almost always create a “postcard” colour study. This small-scale version helps determine if the concept will work at a larger size and provides a roadmap for the painting process. These simple studies allow you to plan composition, colour balance, and value structure before committing to your final […]

The post How to Paint an Impressionistic Still Life: A Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on Will Kemp Art School.

]]> https://willkempartschool.com/how-to-paint-purple-flowers/feed/ 16 Student Success for Jan & Feb 2025 https://willkempartschool.com/student-success-for-jan-feb-2025/ https://willkempartschool.com/student-success-for-jan-feb-2025/#comments Thu, 06 Mar 2025 13:35:31 +0000 https://willkempartschool.com/?p=48043 Morning class! What a creative couple of months it has been for students following the courses and lessons! Some had never held a paintbrush before, while others were returning to art after years away. Each painting tells not just a story of subject matter, but of personal growth. The tentative lines have given way to […]

The post Student Success for Jan & Feb 2025 appeared first on Will Kemp Art School.

]]> https://willkempartschool.com/student-success-for-jan-feb-2025/feed/ 10 How to Paint a Cornish Lane in Oils https://willkempartschool.com/how-to-paint-a-cornish-lane-in-oils/ https://willkempartschool.com/how-to-paint-a-cornish-lane-in-oils/#comments Sun, 02 Mar 2025 15:14:08 +0000 https://willkempartschool.com/?p=47949 Morning class, This week, I’ve been painting a small postcard study of a street scene in Mousehole on the Cornish Coast. It was a really grey day, full of a mizzle sky and lots of rain reflected on the road. I liked how this view had dashes of yellow from the double yellow lines that […]

The post How to Paint a Cornish Lane in Oils appeared first on Will Kemp Art School.

]]> https://willkempartschool.com/how-to-paint-a-cornish-lane-in-oils/feed/ 9 The 35 Mile Pencil Problem https://willkempartschool.com/the-35-mile-pencil-problem/ https://willkempartschool.com/the-35-mile-pencil-problem/#comments Sun, 02 Feb 2025 23:18:14 +0000 https://willkempartschool.com/?p=47805 I read an article that said a pencil can write 35 miles. 35 miles! I’m sure that can’t be true.  But the idea got me thinking about how keen we are to judge our drawing efforts before we’ve had time to develop our skills. Many people give up on drawing after just a few attempts, […]

The post The 35 Mile Pencil Problem appeared first on Will Kemp Art School.

]]> https://willkempartschool.com/the-35-mile-pencil-problem/feed/ 7