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
9th September 2025, 10:00 - 12:30
When painting in watercolour, it is often easy to assume that There is only one surface available to us but there are lots out there to explore and give us the freedom to be more creative with our techniques.
Ali will take you through this delightful animal portrait, one that is most definitely going to have you imagining you are ‘On Safari’ (her theme for the month) whilst discovering new ways to use your paints.
Old Window in watersoluble ink and watercolour
14th October 2025, 10:00 - 12:30
If you haven’t had the opportunity to explore this combination of materials before, you are in for a treat!
The history of the architecture can be brought to life by understanding how to make ink and watercolour work together, giving the textures rich colour and age.
Ali will guide you through the project step-by-step and you will leave the session with new techniques to ecxplore further.
Eye Studies in chalk pastel
11th November 2025, 10:00 - 12:30
Starting to tackle portraiture can feel very daunting, there are so many techniques to battle with and so this tutorial starts to break them down into manageable parts, starting with the windows to the soul - our eyes.
Pastel is a favourite medium of Ali’s and she will help you to understand layering and blending so that your portrait skills go from strength to strength.
Lavender in 30 minute watercolour
9th December 2025, 10:00 - 12:30
Ali is often asked how to make watercolours look more impressionistic and one of the solutions is to speed up, giving yourself a short amount of time to get everything down on paper.
This doesn’t happen by magic, there are skills to be learnt so that the idea of painting quickly isn’t daunting and you feel confident to take the technique forward into other subject areas.
Archive: Available as Catch-Up
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
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.
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.