Rachel Bennett

I learned to paint with acrylics because a friend told me they were the most forgiving medium on the planet. Years later, after hundreds of canvases, I still believe it. Every “ruined” painting I’ve ever thrown into a closet has come back to life with a little white paint, patience, and the layering technique I’m … Read more

Starting oil painting feels overwhelming when you walk into an art store and see hundreds of tubes, brushes, and mysterious bottles. The good news is you only need six basic supplies to begin: oil paints, brushes, canvas panels, a medium, a palette, and cleanup supplies. That’s it. Everything else is optional until you develop your … Read more

If you’ve checked your painting after 24 hours and the oil paint is still tacky, you’re not alone. Oil paint doesn’t work like acrylic – it doesn’t dry by evaporation. Instead, it cures through a slow chemical reaction called oxidation, which can take days, weeks, or even months depending on several factors. I’ve spent years … Read more

Choosing the best pens for inking comics and illustrations can completely change the feel of your finished artwork. I’ve spent years testing brush pens, fineliners, dip pens, and traditional sable brushes on everything from sequential comic pages to standalone illustration prints. The tool you pick shapes your line weight, your workflow speed, and how long … Read more

Choosing between a brush pen and a fineliner shapes how every line in your final artwork looks and feels. I have spent the past several years switching between the two for comics, illustration, and quick sketching, and the honest answer is that they are not rivals. They are different tools built for different problems. This … Read more

Learning how to draw with charcoal for beginners is one of the most rewarding ways to build your drawing skills fast. Charcoal is bold, expressive, and surprisingly forgiving, which makes it perfect for anyone who feels intimidated by the precision that pencil drawing demands. I picked up my first vine charcoal stick three years ago … Read more

Graphite is the best starting point for most beginners. It’s more forgiving, easier to control, less messy, and widely available in familiar pencil form. In this guide, I’ll break down the charcoal vs graphite debate from every angle—the science behind each material, the tools available, when to reach for one over the other, and exactly … Read more

If you have ever finished a charcoal drawing only to find your hand has smeared the highlights, you already know how to fix smudging in charcoal drawings. The trick is a layered approach: prevent smudges while you work, recover any that still happen, and seal the finished piece so it survives handling, storage, and mailing. … Read more

Choosing between soft pastels and oil pastels can feel like standing at a crossroads in your artistic journey. Both mediums produce stunning, vibrant artwork, yet they work in fundamentally different ways. If you’ve ever wondered what the real difference is between soft pastels and oil pastels for artists, you’re in the right place. I’ve spent … Read more