Water-Mixable Oils A beginners guide to painting in this vibrant medium

Discover the numerous merits of working with water-mixable oil paints in this accessible beginner's guide. Water-mixable oils are more environmentally friendly and easy to use for artists of all skill levels.

Water-mixable oil paints offer a simple and easy way into the world of oil painting. They offer all the qualities of traditional oils – rich pigments, buttery consistency, long drying times and the ability to change and evolve as you paint – but with one big difference, there is no requirement for solvents or other mediums.

The aim of the book is to encourage and inspire beginners and to provide them with all the skills and knowledge they need to produce successful oil paintings. It starts with an introduction to the medium, and explains what water-mixable oils are and why they offer a good alternative to conventional oil paints. This introduction is followed by several sections on materials, preparation (getting your space ready, how to care for your brushes, storage of paints, etc.), color (selecting your basic palette), mixing the paints and preparing your surfaces. The first demonstration explains how to explore colour to paint in the style of Vincent van Gogh.

There are then five longer projects that guide the reader through an entire painting from start to finish, on themes such as abstraction, still life, landscapes, buildings and working from a photograph. The projects are designed for success, which fosters confidence and encourages practice, which in turn makes people into enthusiastic, happy painters!
Each project will be accompanied by a clear list of materials needed as well as top tips and skills practised; Sarah also interjects with useful anecdotes and words of wisdom garnered from her experience working in this vibrant and exciting medium.

At the end of the book, the reader discovers how best to store and transport finished paintings, especially if the paint is still tacky to the touch, and how to crop a painting for greatest impact.

Sarah is a professional artist who paints plein-air in oils and watercolour. Her larger paintings are often completed using plein-air reference either at home in her Cornish studio or on her travels in her mobile studio. 

Sarah has exhibited many times with the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, in the Discerning Eye exhibition and with the Royal Society of British Artists.  She is represented by Beside The Wave Gallery in Cornwall and Brian Sinfield Gallery in Oxfordshire. She was the only English artist who worked on 'Loving Vincent', the world's first fully hand-painted feature film, about the artist Vincent van Gogh and his paintings. Sarah also featured in the Cancer Research video 'The Missing Third', painting van Gogh’s sunflowers, and provided the artists' perspective for the audio guide for the Tate Britain exhibition, Van Gogh and Britain. 

Sarah works with Artlook Software as their Client Support Specialist. She is sponsored by Royal Talens, artists' materials, and is their Artist Ambassador. Sarah runs regular workshops and gives talks and demos. 

She is also an illustrator and author. She has written 'how to paint' books, and has worked for the BBC on 'Jackanory', with The National Trust and many others, including numerous publishers both in the UK and all over the world – to date, more than 100 titles.