DIY painting guides written by a tradesman
Clear, step-by-step ebooks built from more than 20 years on the tools—helping DIY painters prepare properly, avoid expensive mistakes and achieve a finish they’re proud of.
The Auspaint difference
No vague shortcuts. Each guide turns real trade experience into clear steps, practical checks and decisions you can use on your own project.
Start with your project
Choose the job in front of you or search for a problem. We’ll point you towards the most useful guides first.
A great place for DIYers to start
Practical shortcuts, professional habits and small details that make DIY painting cleaner, easier and less frustrating—without skipping the preparation that makes the result last.
Choose where you want to start
New to painting? Start with The Essentials. Working on a particular material? Head to Surfaces & Substrates. Trade painters and whole-home planners have their own dedicated series.
Start with the fundamentals: planning, preparation, tools, paint quantities, sheen, colour and the core techniques behind a reliable finish.
View The Essentials
Understand what you are painting before you open the tin. Learn the preparation and coating approach for different materials and conditions.
View Surfaces & Substrates
A closer look at professional painting work: commercial expectations, job planning, systems, quality control and the realities of working in the trade.
View The Trade Series
Practical guidance for real households—from ladder safety, children and pets to budgeting, choosing a painter and sequencing a renovation.
View Around the HomeLook inside the guides
These watermarked sample pages give you a genuine look at the layout and level of detail inside the collection. The complete ebooks are delivered only after purchase.
Tools, preparation, product choices and the techniques that make the rest of the job easier.
Explore this series
Assess what is already there, prepare it correctly and choose a coating system that will last.
Explore this series
Systems, standards, planning and the working knowledge behind dependable commercial results.
Explore this series
Safety, planning and practical decisions—including when tape helps and when it causes trouble.
Explore this seriesSample pages are shown for evaluation only and remain © Corey Hicks / Auspaint Industries.
Real advice from real homes
These books are shaped by years of speaking with homeowners, assessing real surfaces and completing the preparation that professional results depend on.
Meet the author
I’m a Perth-based registered painting contractor, founder and Working Director of Perth Paints, and I’ve spent more than 20 years working across residential, commercial and public projects.
I created this series because I kept seeing the same frustrations: homeowners diving into painting projects without the right knowledge and ending up with results they weren’t happy with. These guides are my way of sharing real trade knowledge in plain, practical language.
The goal is simple—to help you understand the job before you start, avoid expensive mistakes and achieve a result that lasts.
Autobiography
A Tradesman’s Journey
This is the story behind the painter and the books—apprenticeships, hard lessons, setbacks, leadership, family and the long road to building Perth Paints and Auspaint Industries.
Told across 26 chapters using real photographs from Corey’s own albums and jobs, the autobiography sits beside the 85 practical guides as Corey’s personal story.
Ebook shop
Secure ebook delivery.
Only previews appear here. Complete ebooks are supplied after purchase.
Preparation, products, tools and core techniques.
The right preparation and system for the surface.
Professional systems, standards and job knowledge.
Safety, household challenges and project planning.
Practical shortcuts, professional habits and common mistakes to avoid.
When to use tape, how to prevent paint bleed and when freehand cutting in is the better choice.
A Tradesman’s Journey.
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Digital purchases will be subject to the Auspaint Industries Terms & Conditions, including the personal-use licence and Australian Consumer Law protections.
Included with selected ebooks
Helpful demonstrations can be linked from selected ebooks using a private URL or QR code. That means the videos support paying readers without becoming a free public video library on this website.
Companion videos are short illustrative clips for viewing alongside the relevant book content. They are not complete step-by-step guides and may not show every preparation stage, safety precaution or finishing step. Read the accompanying instructions and follow current manufacturer guidance and local safety requirements before starting work.
Already own a guide? Use the companion link printed inside your ebook. Public access is not required.
Experience behind the books
Corey’s experience spans homes, public spaces, infrastructure and commercial environments across Western Australia.
Infrastructure
Coating works across 120 pylons and eight abutments at multiple stations.
Public space
Durable painting work delivered in a high-use community environment.
Community
Commercial painting experience in a demanding aquatic facility.
Hospitality
Detailed finishes for a modern hospitality venue.
Industry recognition
Project work delivered through Corey’s painting businesses has been recognised across housing repaint and commercial construction categories.
Project and award experience shown above was completed through Corey’s painting businesses. Auspaint Industries is an education and publishing brand and does not offer painting services.
Good to know
The collection is designed to let you go straight to the information that matches your project and experience.
No. Every volume is designed to stand on its own, so you can buy the exact guide you need. The four series simply make the full collection easier to navigate.
No. The knowledge comes from Corey’s trade experience in Australia, but the preparation, application and problem-solving principles are written for DIY painters and painting professionals worldwide.
Yes. The Essentials begins with the fundamentals, while the later series let more experienced readers go deeper into surfaces, professional work and whole-home projects.
The collection is being finalised for sale. The shop has been organised by series and will connect each volume to its purchase and download page when it is ready.
No. Auspaint Industries is an education and publishing brand. Corey’s contracting and project work is completed through his painting businesses.
Professional advice. DIY friendly. Real results.