Light and shadow

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

■ Paint dark to light, thin to thick

■ Work across the entire painting, one colour at a time

■ See things in an abstract way. Divide the subject into several shapes, each one affected by light in a different way

There is something magical about marbles; the transparency of the glass, the way they shine through the light, and the colourful highlights and shadows they cast on the ground. I was always attracted to them as a child and now as a painter, I clearly understand where the appeal comes from.

By painting them, you will learn so much about light and how it bounces, shines and goes through each object. It is also a perfect exercise for seeing your subject in an abstract way. Indeed, as for most transparent objects, one of the best ways to capture marbles with paint is to simplify the subject. View it as a combination of basic shapes, blobs of colours and tones, and depict those just like you see them, rather than overthinking what a marble should look like. It is also very easy