Start with a free wildlife painting lesson

Learn how to create clean, controlled brushwork for realistic detail

Watch the free lesson

Featured free lesson

Brush Techniques for Realistic Detail 

Brush Techniques for Realistic Detail

Learn how I improve brush control to create clean, intentional marks for texture and detail. I’ll show you how I use different brushes, paint loads and movement, along with the key mistakes to avoid so you can paint with more confidence.  

Free

What you’ll learn in this free lesson

Brush Control

Learn how to use pressure, direction and movement to create more intentional marks.

Paint Load

See how much paint I use on the brush and how that changes the result on the surface.

Texture and Detail

Understand how small changes in brush choice and movement help build realistic fur, feathers and fine detail.

Hi! I'm Carla.

I'M HERE TO SHARE MY PROCESS

  

I’ve been running live classes for a number of years now, and one thing I kept noticing was how much more people improved once they understood what was actually happening with the brush.

That’s exactly what this lesson focuses on.

I’ll walk you through how I approach brush control, how I load the paint, and how I use movement to create clean, intentional marks. It’s a small part of the process, but it makes a big difference once it clicks.

If you’ve ever felt like your work is getting a bit muddy or overworked, this is a good place to start.

What artists are saying

Here's feedback from the last one...

"Thank you for your tutorial. I found it very informative...especially with regard to 7 layers to create the shadows. Very helpful."

-Wendy

"Thank you so much for the great demo Carla, really enjoyed watching it!
I have not attempted to paint with acrylics yet, but really excited to try now xx"

-Claudia

  More free lessons

Once you’ve worked through the brush lesson, you can start applying the same ideas with a couple of additional demonstrations from my studio.

Simple But Effective Grasses - Demonstration

Learn my process to painting simple but effective realistic grasses with acrylic and oil paint. In this tell-all live demonstration, I share more than just simple painting techniques. This is perfect for beginners and more advanced painters.

Free

Flamingo Feathers - Demonstration

Discover how I work with acrylic to create realistic, vibrant flamingo feathers in seven layers and with only five colours. This is a share-all live demonstration where you can paint along and discover a new way to work realistically with acrylic paint.

Free