Varnishing

Varnishing protects a painting and I find gloss varnish really makes the colours more vibrant. Allow enough time for the oil paints to dry before you attempt to varnish the work. This can take a very long time and if the paint is put on with a palette knife, for instance, it can take up to several years to be completely ready to varnish. On one of my paintings - Last Days of the Doges - a small french flag which was painted using paint straight from the tube has taken five years to dry sufficiently to touch. If the paint is not too thick and it is necessary for you to varnish the work quickly, use artist's retouching varnish. Always try to varnish in a warm room with as little dust as possible, even so, you will get hairs and fluff in the varnish, it just always happens.

Don't be afraid of wiping off paint and altering things. You will learn more from mistakes.

As a general tip, work tidily and keep going. If you find that everything you try doesn't work and you are becoming frustrated put the work away and go and do something else for a while and then come back and have another look. I always have several paintings on the go at once and work on another if I think I am over doing something. Sometimes you just can't see where you are going wrong and you need a break. Always try to allow yourself adequate time to paint - the concentration builds up over a decent period of time and the paint flows more easily. Going at it in small bursts just doesn't give you enough time to get the flow going properly.

Finally, painting is a robust activity both mentally and physically. It is no good approaching it half heartedly. Ideally you need a room where you can leave everything out and where you can work undisturbed. Preparation before beginning to paint will pay dividends. Preparation can mean mental preparation as well as gathering source material and information about what you are going to paint. Some planning beforehand means that you are mentally prepared to paint and know what you are doing. However, always leave room for manoeuvring, don't try to solve all the problems beforehand, this will allow you to keep the painting fresh and for you not to become bored with it. If you are bored with what you are doing the onlooker will pick up on it straight away. An inspired painter achieves that alchemy which makes a painting a work of art and an object of lasting interest, inspiration is infectious.