Martin Allen

I'm Martin — a working British contemporary artist based in London. I've been painting professionally for over a decade. My work spans Formula One and classic motorsport, contemporary luxury fashion pop art, and figurative painting. It's been featured in British Vogue, exhibited at Goodwood Revival, Salon Privé Blenheim Palace and the Affordable Art Fair many times, and in 2024 I was personally commissioned by Lewis Hamilton to create original artwork for the Mercedes-AMG F1 farewell project.

I think it matters that your tutor is still actively making and selling work — still figuring things out, and still excited about creating art. I'm don’t teach from a textbook, I teach by trying to gain an understanding of what the student needs.

My lessons are one-to-one, completely tailored, and relaxed. I work primarily in oil on canvas and linen using traditional layering and glaze techniques, and also in watercolour and pencil — all of which are solvent-free and odour-free, making them perfect for home or online sessions. Whether you're picking up a brush for the very first time or you've been painting for years and feel stuck, I'll meet you exactly where you are.
I'm largely self-taught, which means I remember what it feels like not to know. I won't blind you with jargon or rush you through theory. I'll teach you to really look, to understand what you're seeing before you try to paint it, with a more hands-on approach to build a toolkit of skills you can actually use.

Sessions can focus on oil painting technique, watercolour, drawing fundamentals, composition, colour mixing, developing your own style — or whatever combination makes sense for you. We’ll work at your pace, toward your goals. I've spent years explaining painting to curious strangers at art fairs and motor shows, and I genuinely love that moment when something clicks for someone.