If you haven’t seen them before, we hope you’ll enjoy them too – and join us for more in 2016.

Notes to myself: Diebenkorn’s 10 rules for painting

“Tolerate chaos,” wrote American abstract painter Richard Diebenkorn (whose paintings lit up the Sackler Galleries in June) in what he called Notes to myself on beginning a painting. These rules – which are perhaps better described as statements of artistic intention – were invented by the artist to help him solve complex self-imposed compositional problems. Since the publication of this blog, we launched the #CreativeWisdom series on social media, sharing statements of purpose and nuggets of advice from practicing artists.

Ai Weiwei: 13 works to know

Ai Weiwei has worked in everything from paint to readymades. Our landmark exhibition – which opened at the RA in September – examined work from 1993 up to the present day, so we took a look at some of the key works to know from across Ai’s career.

Ai Weiwei: a beginner’s guide

From surveillance cameras to smashed ceramics, Ai Weiwei is uncompromising in his fight for the freedom of expression. In another popular feature on the artist, we offer a quick guide to everything you needed to know about China’s most famous artist.

Anish Kapoor’s new paintings at Lisson Gallery

“Red is my abiding obsession,” said Anish Kapoor RA, as he stood in front of a series of new paintings on show at Lisson Gallery in March. For his new paintings, Kapoor used silicone and resin to create thick surface layers in a kind of hybrid between painting and sculpture. The works recalled his 2009 retrospective at the RA, when the gallery’s walls, floors and doorways were covered with vivid red wax.

Lessons in life, love and art from Marina Abramovic

In October, Marina Abramovic Hon RA joined students of the RA Schools and told them of the lessons she has learned over her 40-year career. These lessons ranged from the romantic – “Never fall in love with another artist” – to the practical, as she taught the audience two handy exercises for positive energy and anger-management.

Inside the show: Jean-Etienne Liotard

The Swiss artist Jean-Etienne Liotard was one of the greatest portraitists of the Enlightenment period, whose oeuvre includes pastel portraits, oil paintings, still lifes, genre scenes and trompe l’oeil. In this video series, curator MaryAnne Stevens takes us inside the Sackler Wing exhibition devoted to the 18th century master, and picks out a few highlights.

Jean-Etienne Liotard is in the Sackler Galleries until 31 January 2016.

Michael Craig-Martin RA: advice for an aspiring artist

In this extract from his new book, Michael Craig-Martin RA – an artist and teacher who has nurtured talents including Gary Hume, Sarah Lucas and Damien Hirst – offers readers his insights into how to get on in art and the art world.

Urban Jigsaw: filling in London’s missing pieces

As part of our Architecture programme, we hosted a series of events and lectures which tackled some of the most pressing issues in the UK’s urban development. Here, our curator Owen Hopkins looked at the untapped potential of London’s underused land – and why the solution is not as simple as it seems.

Five quick tips to improve your life-drawing

As part of our inaugural Friends Week in June, Mark Hampson, the RA Schools’ Head of Sculpture and Printmaking, led a life-drawing masterclass inside the historic life-drawing room – still in the same, semi-circular setup that the likes of Sir Joshua Reynolds and J.M.W Turner worked in. Here, he offered some salient creative wisdom on drawing like a master.

Richard E Grant at the Summer Exhibition 2015

A long-time fan of the Royal Academy’s annual Summer Exhibition, actor Richard E Grant took us on a whistle-stop tour of his favourite works of art in this year’s show.