Still Life Secrets

From Being Kind to Your Brushes to Picking the Perfect Colour Palet Te, Artist James Gillick Answers Your Queries to Help You Get Great Results

How important is a painting’s background to creating a successful still-life scene?

Backgrounds are important, but the decision artists need to make about them is simple. It is: do you want a context for your subject or don’t you? A background that contextualises your subject places it in a set location and time; a background that does not contextualise elevates the subject of a painting into a type of sacred object.

Are there brushes you would recommend?

Brushes should match your brushstroke and your medium. A longer-hair for a long stroke and a short-hair brush for a strong, stubby stroke. For sable brushes, I would opt for Rosemary & Co: you get quick, economical delivery of an excellent range of sables from a great catalogue. For hog hair, I use Pro Arte Series A long filberts.

What colour palette do you use?