Adding Detail with Fine Liners
Layers of careful looking become storytelling — learn how to define the key elements that give your sketch character and meaning.
Tips & Techniques
Free tutorials on watercolour, urban sketching, and pen & ink — each one focused on a specific skill or stage of the painting process. Dip in wherever you want to improve.
Browse all tutorials below, or use a full course to follow Mike’s method from start to finish.
Adding Watercolour to the Big Shapes Outline
Apply vibrant colour washes that set the mood and emotion of your sketch, without overworking the paint.
Adding Tone & Depth with Brush Pens
Use tone and shade to push your sketch from flat to three-dimensional — adding structure and depth with every mark.
Mixing Watercolours Using a Limited Palette
Simplify your colour choices with a limited palette so your colours always work together and complement each other naturally.
How to Simplify a Scene Into Big Shapes
Take a complex scene and break it down into its main compositional elements — the foundation of every confident sketch.