The Fearless Brush is a space for open and honest discussion about artist struggles, techniques, inspiration, and the never-ending quest to level up.
Oh, and making a living along the way.
What is in this blog?
Each week I use this space to create informative posts covering a variety of art topics, as well as a place to organise my in-depth painting tutorials.
- Painting tutorials (Watercolor, Gouache, Acrylic, and Oil Paint)
- “Learning How to Learn” – advice for self-taught artists
- Art critiques
- Plein air painting
- Making a living as an artist
- How to schedule and work towards your goals
- How much to charge for a painting
- Painting gear and reviews
- How to use social media (and grow a following online)
- Common artist struggles
- How to make video content
- Self-expression, intuition, creativity
Blog Categories:
- 100 Day Challenge
- Art
- Art Business
- Artist Diary
- Artist Spotlight
- Gouache Reviews
- Inktober
- Learn
- My Tree Series
- Paint Gear
- Plein Air
- Start Here
- Study Guides
- Swatches
- VLOGS
As time goes on, more topics may be added.
About Me
My name is Sarah Burns.
I’m an artist and a teacher, and very much a nature lover. I’ve been a full-time independent artist since mid-2015, and over the years I’ve been making a living through various online platforms such as Twitch live streams, Etsy, and Patreon. You can read more about how I make a living online here, and get some ideas for yourself!
I frequently paint outdoors, or “en plein air” in order to hone my ability to see and capture accurate colors. Plus, I’d much rather be outside than in a studio, no matter how fancy it is. Interested in plein air painting? Check Out my post about affordable plein air setups.
Since I’ve been teaching for a few years now, I know what the most common struggles are for new self-taught artists and that’s what I hope to cover in many of my posts.
I have a long history of blogging, going back as far as 2004 but more recently, I maintained a personal blog on my website, which I now reserve for personal things such as travel photos and news about my business.
You can read it all here.
Thanks for being here, and I hope you find what you’re looking for.
Latest Posts
Pleinairpril 2026 – My goals, curriculum, tips, & gear
This will be my fifth year participating in Pleinairpril. What is PleinAirpril and how do you participate? Simply put: Paint or draw outside every day during April. PleinAirpril is a daily art challenge started by the WarriorPainters (an art group based in California) to encourage artists to get outside and paint from life. Originally it was meant…
Read More
Sketching Scotland Volume 02 – COMING SOON!
ANNOUNCEMENT I’m currently editing the final draft of Volume 02 of my Sketching Scotland book series, and I’m planning To launch the Kickstarter in late April 2026. Stay tuned! I’ll definitely announce the launch when it happens. I usually offer a discount and special art goodies for the Kickstarter backers. After the Kickstarter is over,…
Read More
Nature Journaling: Small gouache studies
I’ve been getting into nature journaling, and loving my gouache palette even more.
Read MoreSomething went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.