Mark Mannering Barton - Private Art Lessons & Pet Portraits

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Mark Mannering Barton - Private Art Lessons & Pet Portraits

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Bespoke pet portraits, house illustrations and private art lessons for adults.

I capture personality and expression through detailed commissioned work and offer calm, supportive one-to-one tuition in South West London and online.

09/10/2026

I made this ink drawing while I was away on holiday. It is not a perfect architectural record; it holds the time spent looking at the palms, gate, path, shadows and small details of that place. In this week’s article I share a practical way to fit urban sketching into a holiday without turning it into homework.

Read it here: https://www.markmanneringbarton.com/art-lessons-pet-portrait-blog/urban-sketching-on-holiday-ink

or calm, structured help with pen and ink or sketchbook drawing, enquire about a private lesson in Teddington or online.

03/10/2026

A single fallen leaf is a complete coloured-pencil exercise: clear shape, changing colour, delicate veins and plenty of individual character. This week’s guide shows how to build one in light layers without making every vein too strong.

Read it here: https://www.markmanneringbarton.com/art-lessons-pet-portrait-blog/draw-autumn-leaf-coloured-pencils

For calm, structured art tuition in Teddington, South West London or online, enquire about a private lesson.

27/09/2026

Glass becomes convincing when you draw what it reflects and what you can see through it... not when you outline the whole object. This week’s beginner exercise covers ellipses, broken edges, highlights, distorted shapes and the cast shadow. Read it here:

https://www.markmanneringbarton.com/art-lessons-pet-portrait-blog/draw-glass-without-outlining-everything

If you would like help developing your observational drawing, enquire about a private art lesson in Teddington or online.

17/09/2026

Greens are often the colours that make a beginner watercolour feel too bright or too flat. A few simple mixes can give you a much more useful range for leaves and landscapes.

This week’s blog includes a small grid exercise you can try with paints you already own:
https://www.markmanneringbarton.com/art-lessons-pet-portrait-blog/mix-natural-greens-watercolour

For individual help with watercolour and colour mixing, enquire about a private art lesson.

11/09/2026

Shading does not need to begin with a huge set of pencils or complicated tricks. A simple five-value scale can help you see light, shadow and form much more clearly.

This week’s article explains a calm starting point for beginners:
https://www.markmanneringbarton.com/art-lessons-pet-portrait-blog/how-to-shade-drawing-five-values

If you would like individual help with drawing or shading, enquire about a private art lesson.

05/09/2026

Before you start drawing, it is worth deciding what the picture is actually about. A simple card viewfinder can help you crop a busy scene, find stronger shapes and make a more confident start.

I have shared an easy way to use one in this week’s article:
https://www.markmanneringbarton.com/art-lessons-pet-portrait-blog/drawing-composition-beginners-viewfinder

If you would like calm, structured support with drawing or composition, enquire about a private lesson.

28/08/2026

Watercolour does not need to be a battle with the brush. My new post shares a calm starting process: protect the light, let the first wash settle and add only what the painting truly needs.

Read it here:
https://www.markmanneringbarton.com/art-lessons-pet-portrait-blog/start-watercolour-painting-beginners

For relaxed private art lessons in Teddington or online, please get in touch.

21/08/2026

When a drawing looks slightly wrong, it is tempting to stare harder at the object. Sometimes the better answer is to look at the spaces around it.

My new post explains a simple negative-space exercise that can help with proportion and observation.

Read it here: https://www.markmanneringbarton.com/art-lessons-pet-portrait-blog/negative-space-drawing-beginners

For relaxed, practical private art lessons in South West London, or online, please get in touch.

14/08/2026

When a line drawing feels unfinished, the answer is not always “add more”. A few deliberate choices about line weight, shadow and where to place the detail can make a simple study feel clear and confident.

My latest article explains how:
https://www.markmanneringbarton.com/art-lessons-pet-portrait-blog/make-simple-line-drawing-feel-finished

If you would like tailored help developing your drawing, I offer relaxed private art lessons in Teddington, South West London and online. Just message me!

07/08/2026

Drawing a house from a photo can feel daunting when every window, brick and shadow demands attention. The answer is not more detail at the start — it is finding the big shapes first.

My new post shares a calm, beginner-friendly way to build a house sketch from the outline inwards. Read it here:
https://www.markmanneringbarton.com/art-lessons-pet-portrait-blog/sketch-house-from-photo

If you would like help developing your drawing, or are thinking about a house portrait commission, please get in touch.

Address

Walpole Crescent
Teddington
TW11

Telephone

+447356021585

Website

https://www.markmanneringbarton.com/

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Avery Associates
291 Mitcham Road, London