Product Advice

Help with general questions about art materials.

83 articles in this collection
Written by Jackson's

About Jackson's

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Updated yesterday

Colour

Should you varnish a watercolour painting?

What to consider when deciding to varnish a watercolour painting.

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How do you choose between watercolour pans or tubes?

What to consider when deciding between watercolour pans or tubes.

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What is granulation in watercolour, and how do I use it?

Understanding what causes granulation in watercolour.

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What are the different ways to use watercolour pencils?

Understanding the different types of watercolour pencils and their uses.

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What is the difference between watercolour dye-based ink and watercolour pigment-based ink?

Understanding the difference between dye-based ink and pigment-based ink.

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Updated over a week ago

What is the difference between oil sticks and oil pastels?

Oil sticks are also known as oil bars or pigment sticks.

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How do you rescue dull patches in an oil painting?

This is the process known as ‘oiling out’, which will unify an uneven surface quality on an oil painting and saturate the colours.

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How should you store a wet oil painting?

Ways to keep paintings clean as they dry.

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Updated over a week ago

What can I use with acrylic paints to slow the drying of my painting?

Ways to slow the drying time of acrylic paint.

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Updated over a week ago

What can I use with acrylic paints to stop them from drying out so quickly on the palette?

Understanding what options there are to slow the drying of acrylics on your palette.

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Are Cadmium colours safe to use?

Cadmium paint is sometimes spoken about as dangerous, is this true?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What are the benefits of Water-Mixable Oils over Acrylics?

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Updated over a week ago

When I apply a lighter colour pastel over a darker colour it results in muddiness. Do some brands of pastel not do this, should I try a different make of pastels?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

When I apply a lighter colour pastel over a darker colour it results in muddiness. Do some brands of pastel not do this?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What can I use with acrylic paints to stop them drying out so quickly on the palette?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How do you fix a pastel painting?

The best technique for fixing a pastel painting

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Updated over a week ago

After sketching out on canvas is there a thorough and effective way of erasing pencil marks/ or fixing pencil marks so that the lead does not interfere/smudge when painting?

Painting over sketch marks

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What is the difference between 'Permanence' and 'Lightfastness'?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How long do paints last?

What is the shelf life of art materials

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What paint and mediums can I take on a plane?

Safe art materials to take on an airplane

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What do I need to know to get started in oils?

Everything you need to know to get started in oils, an extensive guide.

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Painting in acrylic or oil on top of gold-leaf

How best to go about painting acrylic of oil paint over gold-leaf

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Updated over a week ago

Understanding different viscosities of paint

Understanding the terms heavybody, softbody, fluid or ink with our dairy scale

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What's the difference between Titanium White, Zinc and Mixing White?

An explanation of the difference between whites

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Are heavy body acrylic paints suitable for acrylic pour painting and what is a suitable ratio of paint to pouring medium?

Pour painting with thick viscosity paint

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

When a colour or paint is listed as 'lightfast in normal conditions', what does this mean?

Understanding lightfast

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Updated over a week ago

Which blue would be suitable to use with the colours in the Zorn palette.

What is a Zorn palette

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Can you paint over gold leaf?

Using gold leaf in painting

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What's the best way to sharpen a charcoal pencil?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What's the difference between Ultramarine Blue and French Ultramarine?

An explanation of the difference

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Can you use Cold Wax on Aluminium Painting Panels?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Brushes and Painting Tools

How do I reshape the point on my paintbrush?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What's the difference between a synthetic brush and a natural hair brush?

An article that describes the development of synthetic brushes and how they replicate properties of natural hair

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Updated over a week ago

What does the brush stiffness rating mean? Why is it important?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

My sable brush has splayed hairs? What can I do about this?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How to Use Palette Knives for Painting

A blog article explaining how to use palette knives

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Surface - Paper, Board, and Canvas

Why do many watercolour papers say they are NOT/Cold Pressed?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Is there a vegan or vegetarian product that you can use instead of rabbit sking glue, for sizing a canvas before applying gesso?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Is there a vegan or vegetarian product for sizing a canvas before applying gesso?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How do I choose the correct centre bar for my stretcher bars?

How to select the correct size centre bar

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How do you prime a canvas?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What is the difference between cotton and linen canvas?

Understanding the characteristics of linen and cotton

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What is Vellum paper?

A short description of Vellum paper

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Why do many watercolour papers say they are NOT/Cold Pressed?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Can you remove dried acrylic/oil paint from a canvas?

The method to remove dried acrylic or oil from a canvas

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How do you treat a smooth wooden panel (unsized/unprimed) before paint application?

Everything you need to know to prepare a painting panel

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Everything you need to know about watercolour paper

What does mould made watercolour paper mean? And what are the advantages of internally/externally sized papers?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Choosing the right canvas for your painting

Help with understanding the differences between canvas and linen materials

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Everything you need to know about drawing/sketching paper

An in-depth look at the different types of paper and how they affect the materials used

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How to stretch watercolour paper

Helping you prevent wrinkled watercolour paper

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How to make a canvas painting panel

Choosing the right materials for the job

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How to assemble Alu-Pro aluminium canvas stretcher bars

A step by step guide to making an aluminium stretched canvas frame

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How to remove a dent from a stretched canvas

Repairing a stretched canvas

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How to assemble stretcher bars for canvas

Help with with creating a stretched canvas

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How to use the canvas wedges and what are they for?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How to Stretch Canvas

A visual guide to stretching a canvas

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Can you correct warped stretcher bars?

What to do if a canvas warps.

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Can you sand acrylic primer and gesso primer?

Sanding acrylic primer

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Can you use PVA to size a painting surface?

Priming a surface with PVA

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What canvases are vegan?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Does Watercolour Paper ever expire?

How long does watercolour paper last

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What is the difference between a block, a glued pad, a ring-bound book and a stitched or stapled sketchbook?

Sketchbooks binding explained

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Studio - Mediums, Solvents, Primers and Varnish

What is the best varnish to use for oil paints?

Understanding varnishes for oil painting

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What is the difference between acrylic primer and acrylic gesso primer?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What is the best way to clean an oil brush without using solvents?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What paint should you use to paint a mural that will be exposed to harsh sunlight and rain? Also which sealer varnish?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What's the difference between, Linseed Oil, Poppy Oil, Walnut Oil and Safflower Oil?

Understanding the difference between different drying oils for oil painting

Written by Jackson's
Updated yesterday

Solvent safety guide

An extensive article explaining the differences between many of the different solvents available today.

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How to clean your Oil and Acrylic brushes

With more on how to use Jackson’s Marseille Soap

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What can I use with acrylic paints to slow the drying of my painting so I can blend the colours more?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How do you safely clean up and dispose of paper or rags used for wiping oil painting brushes, if you are worried about spontaneous combustion?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Should a retouching varnish always be removed before using a final varnish? Or is it okay to varnish on top of the retouching varnish once the painting has been allowed to cure?

Using Retouching varnish

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How long should you wait before varnishing alkyd oils - is it the same as traditional oil?

Drying time of oils and alkyds

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How do you remove varnish from a painting?

Removing Varnish from a painting

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Can you glaze a painting with oil thinners?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What is Linseed Oil for and do I have to use it?

Using oil mediums

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Does turpentine affect the fat over lean rule when oil painting?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How do I use a Powder Blender for Pencils and which brushes and sponges should be used?

Powder Blender Explained

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What is Pouring Medium?

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

Accessories

Help with choosing a frame for your artwork

Canvas, panels and paper are matched with suitable frames, here is a short guide

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

How to care for a wooden oil painting palette

Looking after a wooden palette

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago

What do you recommend for packaging artwork for transporting or sending via a courier?

Packaging Artwork for transportation

Written by Jackson's
Updated over a week ago