Whether you are a beginner experimenting with techniques and materials, or an experienced artist with years of practice, every day offers new opportunities to discover something new.
Artistic development never stops. Even renowned masters continue to explore new perspectives, refine techniques, and challenge themselves with unfamiliar materials.
In this theme, you’ll find inspiration, techniques, and tutorials to boost your artistic journey.
Discover how to:
Refine your work with subtle techniques
Find new perspectives for familiar subjects
Challenge yourself with unfamiliar materials and methods
The more you discover, the more you realise there is still so much to learn.
Why artists use muted colours
Colour is a powerful means of expression, but not every shade needs to leap from the canvas. Sometimes, the real impact lies in subtle, muted tones that bring calm and create depth. With desaturated, or ‘muted’, colours, you bring balance and harmony to your work. These softened tones support your story and create space for focal points.
Combine calm colours with a few bright accents and you immediately create a natural point of focus. Instead of a busy composition, you achieve a balanced whole where the eye is naturally drawn to the highlights.
Whether you work with acrylic, watercolour, oil, or pastel, this approach can be applied to any medium and will take your use of colour to the next level.
Give your painting a head start – start with the background
Did you know the colour of your background has a huge impact on your final result? A deliberate choice of gesso and background colour lays the foundation for your entire composition.
The right preparation immediately brings:
Balance in your colour harmony
Optical depth
A cohesive overall look
Efficiency in your painting process
In our demonstration video, you’ll see how different background colours influence the appearance of your work: from warm base tones that make colours glow to cool backgrounds that radiate calm and serenity.
With Cobra Study, you can enjoy the benefits of oil paint without solvents. This water-mixable oil paint retains all the properties of traditional oil paint but works safely and easily with water.
Amsterdam’s auxiliaries and mediums support your creative process at every stage: from building up layers to creating spectacular effects. Perfect for quick sketches as well as layered masterpieces.
Optimise your work with Talens Auxiliaries: from thinning and drying to protecting with professional varnishes. Create transparent effects, adjust processing times, and ensure optimal adhesion and durability.
