Technique Tuesday Tutorials
Learn with Ali & expand your skills
Ali’s Technique Tuesday broadcasts have been a firm fixture in her calendar, since just before the lockdown of 2020. They kept her in touch with people around the world while taking some time away from the noise and fear that was circulating at that time. Now, still loving broadcasting using her technology and education skills, she is able to bring you a new set of tutorials, designed with affordability and skill building in mind.
Ali injects each of her sessions with techniques that can be used in every creative project you tackle, plus a relaxed and informal teaching style aimed at encouraging you to find your own way through a painting making you a more self sufficient artist in the future.
How does a Technique Tuesday Tutorial work?
Choose the subject or media you would like to explore below, new ones will be added all the time and even if it has already taken place, you can still watch via catch-up. Add it to your basket and checkout in the usual online shopping way.
You can choose to watch live via YouTube or watch by catch-up after the broadcast. When you book for your chosen session, you will automatically receive an email with the link, the resources and a suggested equipment list for the particular subject. Make sure you don’t delete the email and if you do, give Ali at least 72 hours ahead of the session to send it to you again.
A Technique Tuesday Tutorial is fast paced but highly creative and experimental, equipping you with a wealth of techniques and very individual creations to take forward into your own interpretations. You can pause, rewind and watch again and again to explore each aspect and really make the painting unique to you.
Giraffe on Black watercolour paper
Tuesday 9th September 2025, 10:00 - 12:00 (approx)
Ali’s theme for September is ‘On Safari’ and who can resist a giraffe? Such friendly and intriguing animals that seem to navigate the world at their own pace, we will spend our time making sure we capture their personality.
In this tutorial, Ali will add some drama to the portrait by encouraging you to paint on black watercolour paper, a favourite technique of hers to bring animals to life.
Old Window in Watersoluble Ink & Watercolour
Tuesday 14th October 2025, 10:00 - 12:00 (approx)
In the Kingdom of Rust (Ali’s theme for October), there are old windows and doors to be admired and cherished. Their surfaces have seen many years of weather and generations peering out from behind them.
Ali will guide you through some of the more unusual techniques that can be achieved with pens that run when you wet them, all contributing to the textures that are sometimes elusive when we try to capture them.
Eye Studies in Chalk Pastel
Tuesday 11th November 2025, 10:00 - 12:00 (approx)
Portraits can be very daunting but breaking them into parts to study and perfect techniques can help towards the whole subject.
Using the forgiving medium of chalk pastels, let Ali show you how to turn a complicated subject into something that tells a story and build your confidence with portraits in the future.
Lavender in 30 minute watercolour
Tuesday 9th December 2025, 10:00 - 12:00 (approx)
Be brave and hold your breath while Ali guides you through not one but two paintings in this session!
It is sometimes helpful to give yourself a time limit in order to loosen up your style and introduce you to new ways of applying watercolour with expressive marks. Lavender is the perfect subject for this as it is forgiving and by the end of the session you will have more confidence to approach subjects at speed.
Archive: Available as Catch-Up
Silver Birch Trees in Charcoal & Pastel
Although Ali is perhaps better known for her watercolour work, she absolutely adores chalk pastel, taking inspiration from her mum who used to specialise in animal portraits before she turned to textiles.
In this tutorial, Ali will share her wealth of knowledge of pastel application techniques, giving you skills to tackle landscapes in the future.
Manhattan Bridge in Watercolour & Ink
After falling in love with New York in 2019, Ali has a trip planned for later in the year and can’t wait to go back and photograph all the things she missed the first time around!
Keen to encourage you to tackle subjects that might seem daunting at first, Ali will use her relaxed, step-by-step approach to help you to painting this impressive structure.
Wisteria in Watercolour
Ali’s theme for May was ‘Flower and Fruit studies’ so with a wealth of subjects to choose from, it was hard to narrow it down. Ali has fond memories of the wisteria growing up the side of a particularly treasured holiday location, plus it’s purple so what’s not to like?
Ali will guide you through a variety of watercolour applications with particular focus on negative space and using tone to sculpt the petals of this remarkable flower