April Update

April’s fresh batch of videos has landed at The Expressive Mess Club — think buttery marks, shimmering glass and a punchy purple-and-yellow palette to tie it all together. Whether you’re a sticky-fingered beginner or a seasoned smudger of everything colourful, this month’s content is built for big gestures and wildly expressive results.

Painting Glass in Still Life: Light, Refraction and Rhythm

This video makes painting glass simple and practical. It covers how to see value shifts, spot hard vs. soft edges, and find core reflections. You’ll learn to turn complex reflections into clear shapes that keep sparkling. It also shows palette and mixing tips for believable warm and cool reflections, using greys without dulling colour, and placing opaque highlights. Finally, watch complete demos of a still-life painted start-to-finish, with choices for brushwork, glazing, and when to let layers dry.

Oil Pastel

This month’s oil pastel guide celebrates the medium’s colour and texture, how to layer and blend using feathering with a stump and when to embrace the paper’s tooth. Oil pastels deliver quick, rich results while teaching you to avoid muddy colours, keep layers vibrant, finish pieces that look intentional, plus time-saving tips and one clever way to turn smudges into strengths

Colour Palette of the Month: Purple + Yellow

This month’s colour combo is all about contrast and personality. Purple and yellow are complementary, so they deliver instant punch — but there’s elegance and nuance to explore beyond the obvious.