FAQs

What is Behind the Easel?

Behind the Easel is a series of observational documentary films that take you properly inside the studios and working lives of contemporary painters.

Rather than a quick tutorial or a step-by-step demo, we spend real time with each artist - watching them work and seeing all the decisions, frustrations, mistakes and breakthroughs that happen along the way.

Basically, the messy but fascinating reality of painting.

Is it a painting course?

Not exactly.

There are loads of brilliant painting courses out there, but we wanted to do something a bit different.

These are films first - beautifully made, immersive documentaries - (see the about page to find out about our experience in this realm) but they're also absolutely rammed full of learnings about painting, creativity and the way artists actually work.

Hopefully you'll learn loads that you can take back into your own practice and feel freshly inspired.

If you don't, then we've probably got some explaining to do!

How much does it cost?

Each film will be available to buy for £70.

We've put around £25,000 of production value into each film because we wanted to make something that felt very different from watching a painting tutorial online.

You're getting proper time with an artist - not a 10-minute edited-down version of what they do. You'll see aspects of their daily life and learn what inspires them, as well as seeing the creation of a complete artwork from start to finish. And hopefully it'll be something you'll want to watch more than once whether that's at your easel, or on the sofa with cuppa or wine.

Why isn't it free?

Because making these films properly is expensive.

There’s a lot that goes into every film: professional equipment, editing, music and a huge amount of work.

And the artists themselves are being paid for their time and expertise.

We wanted to make something that felt genuinely worth paying for, rather than another bit of free content that you watch for five minutes and forget about.

How does it work?

Each artist shares the profit from every purchase. They’ve given their time and expertise to these films and, while our business advisor didn’t agree, we felt it was important that they were properly remunerated.

Do I get anything else with the film?

Yes. Each artist film comes with a PDF for easy reference, so you can dip back into the useful stuff without having to scrub through the whole film to find it.

It'll include things like the artist's palette, materials and other useful information from the film.

Can I watch from outside the UK?

Yes! The films will be available to buy internationally, so you can watch wherever you are.

How long are the films?

Each one will find its own natural length between a broadcast hour and feature length.

We wanted enough time to actually get under the skin of how an artist works, rather than trying to cram everything into a short tutorial.

Who are the films for?

They're primarily for painters and artists - whether you've just picked up a brush or you've been painting for years.

You don't have to want to paint like the artist we're filming. We're much more interested in what happens when you see how someone else thinks and works, and what that might unlock in your own practice.

But honestly, I think anyone with an interest in art would find them enjoyable and deeply immersive - an antidote to our fast-cut world!

When can I watch them?

The first films are coming soon.

We're currently finishing them and getting everything ready for launch. It's taking a little longer than putting a video on YouTube… but that's rather the point.