Don't start painting until everything is within arm's reach. Once your hands have paint on them, you don't want to be searching for a brush or a rag. Treat this like surgery prep — everything laid out, clean, ready. Check off each item below as you gather it.
McKean uses acrylics, not oils. Fast drying. Can be painted over in minutes. Layer after layer after layer. Get at least: White, Black, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber, Viridian Green.
For drawing, splattering, dripping, and line work over dried acrylic layers.
For scribbled marks, scratchy texture, and expressive colour over painted surfaces. They resist acrylic washes applied on top — creating texture.
For rough expressive drawing and smudged atmosphere. Vine charcoal is soft and dusty. Compressed is bold and dark.
Old brushes, new brushes, stiff, soft, big, small. McKean uses whatever creates the texture he wants. A splayed old brush creates scratchy marks. A clean new brush creates smooth washes. Do not be precious about tools.
Non-traditional mark-making tools. Scrape paint with a credit card edge. Dab with a sponge. Smear with your fingers. Every texture is valid.
For collage elements. Cutting and gluing found materials — magazine pages, text, photographs, fabric — onto the surface. PVA glue or acrylic medium works as adhesive.
Thick paper or board that can handle water, glue, collage, and multiple layers without buckling. 300gsm watercolour paper, illustration board, or even plywood. McKean does not care about precious surfaces.
Collect before you start: old magazine pages, newspaper text, old photographs, fabric scraps, ticket stubs, handwritten notes, wrapping paper. Anything with texture or meaning. The found materials ARE the painting as much as the paint is.
Use as glue for collage and as a transparent mixing medium. Thin acrylic for glazes. Seal collage elements. Multiple uses.
For thinning acrylic, cleaning, and spraying wet surfaces for texture effects.
Upload your photo. Click McKean. Layered chaos, mixed texture, experimental composition. Use as a starting point, not a strict guide.
A4 PDF with your ticks. Save it, share it, or print it.
Easel or table? An easel is ideal — it keeps the canvas at eye level and lets you step back easily. But a table works fine if you prop the canvas at a slight angle.
Lighting is critical for Caravaggio. You need any light that works. McKean does not have a lighting rule. The work itself dictates the mood. Use whatever light feels right for the piece you are making — a desk lamp, clamp light, or single window with all other curtains closed. Let the room be whatever it is. McKean works in chaos. Embrace it. You are recreating McKean's actual studio: whatever light exists — McKean works with chaos, not rules. If you can see a honestly, it does not matter — this is about process, not perfect studio conditions, you have the right setup.
How to hold your brush. Not squeezed tight like a pen. Grip it in the middle of the handle — like holding a conductor's baton. For bold strokes, move your whole arm from the shoulder. Your wrist does detail work. Your shoulder does confidence. If your hand cramps, you are gripping too hard. Relax. The brush does the work, not your muscles.
Lighting. Natural daylight from a window is best. If painting at night, use a daylight-balanced bulb (5000-6500K) positioned to your left. Never paint under warm yellow tungsten light — it shifts all your colour decisions warm, and the painting looks wrong in daylight.
Your device. Place your phone or tablet where you can see the VOLUX reference. Prop it 30-60cm from your painting spot, screen facing you.
Choose only one master — Nature.
Attributed to Rembrandt van RijnEach step expands when you tap it. Take as long as you need, and move on only when you're satisfied with your work.