1. Work larger than you think you should.

2. Practice lots of sketches and techniques in a notebook.

3. Pay good attention to composition, colour, tone and light in your artwork.

4. Use good quality paper, canvas, etc.

5. Divorce yourself from always needing to be realistic in form or colour.

6. Note, and make use, of patterns and lines in your subject.

7. Paint from real objects, people, animals or scenes.

8. Use light and dark contrast to best effect, but do not over-darken the shadows.

9. Don't put every detail into your artwork - leave something to the imagination.

10. When finished (or better still, when half-finished!), stand back and critically assess your work under the criteria in 'What makes a good painting?'

        GOOD LUCK!