I keep my brush-cleaning setup intentionally small and solvent-free — partly because my studio is compact, partly because I like rituals that are slow and sensory, and partly because I want to protect my natural-hair brushes from harsh chemicals. Over the years I’ve refined a kit and a routine...
Aug 27, 2026
• by Éloïse Martin
Latest News from Sonriseartists Co
I often use gouache as an underpainting when I want my acrylic highlights to sing: the matte, velvety base of gouache gives a colour depth and immediacy that acrylics alone sometimes lack. Over the years I've developed a repeatable, studio-friendly workflow that works with both high-end paints (I reach for Schmincke when I want maximum pigment strength and mixing reliability) and more affordable...
Read more...
I ship a lot of collage work — small studies, commission pieces and fragile mixed‑media experiments — and over the years I’ve learned the hard way that exposed torn or layered edges are the most vulnerable part of a piece. One knock in transit, a sweaty day in a van, or an overzealous courier can lift a fragment, crease a thin paper tongue or crush a corner. I now treat edge stabilisation...
Read more...
Turning a tiny corner of my studio into a portable live‑teaching setup was one of the best investments I’ve made in my practice. I wanted something compact that I could pack away between classes, quick to set up before a demo, and versatile enough to teach in person or stream online. Over several semesters of workshops and streamed demos for Sonriseartists, I refined an approach that balances...
Read more...
I often get asked how I photograph iridescent and interference paints on canvas with nothing more than my phone and a single household lamp. These paints are playful and fickle: they change colour with viewing angle, light source and even the slightest move of your hand. Over the years I’ve developed a simple workflow that captures those shifting colours reliably without a studio full of...
Read more...
Keeping collage seams intact through framing, handling and shipping is one of those small victories in my studio that makes exhibitions and sales less stressful. Over the years I've repaired my share of popped corners, lifted edges and discoloured tapes — and I've developed a workflow that keeps seams secure and stable while respecting archival standards and the delicate look of collage. Below...
Read more...
I wanted to understand why my tubes of Schmincke gouache behaved so oddly on a particular paper I’d been experimenting with in the studio — a sheet I had sized to a silky finish using a dilute animal glue sizing and a couple of coats of Chinese silk sericin mix (a workflow I’d been using to get a smooth, low‑absorbency surface for collage and ink). The same colours that behaved...
Read more...
I photograph a lot of textured, mixed-media pieces for the journal and for my own practice, and over the years I’ve developed a simple approach that works reliably with just a phone and a single light. The aim is to make texture sing — to capture ridges of collage, brushstrokes, torn edges and surface sheen — without needing a studio full of kit. Below I share a one-light set‑up, camera...
Read more...
I often get asked whether to use a matte or satin varnish on mixed media pieces that combine acrylic and gouache. It’s a deceptively simple question—one that opens into considerations of colour depth, surface texture, light behaviour, and practical protection. Over time I’ve developed a little decision flowchart in my head (and on scraps of paper in the studio) that helps me choose the...
Read more...
I always approach studio visits with a clear intention: to turn generous, focused conversation into practical edits that push work toward clarity and, when relevant, gallery readiness. Over the years I’ve learned that a ninety-minute visit is a sweet spot — long enough to get under the surface, short enough to keep momentum. Here’s the structure I use (and adapt) that makes those visits...
Read more...
I love pushing the limits of materials — the meeting point between gouache’s matte, velvety presence and acrylic’s resilience is one of my favourite playgrounds. Over the years I’ve developed a workflow for creating small hybrid studies that retain gouache’s delicate surface but can safely be varnished or handled without the gouache lifting or changing tone. The keys are an...
Read more...
