Documente Academic
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Documente Cultură
Our
50th
year!
STEP-BY-STEP wisteria
JULY 2017 £4.20 in watercolour
IMPROVE YOUR
composition and
perspective skills
BE INSPIRED
by line and wash
DEVELOP YOUR
TONAL WORK
Focus on acrylic
palettes and
supports
DAVID BELLAMY
on painting in
the Arctic
How to paint a
portrait in pastel
!
Val also runs week long courses at her base in Cornwall, located on the edge of
the beautiful Camel Trail, loved by artists, walkers, and cyclists alike, who like to explore
the variety of landscape and seascapes available on the Cornish Peninsula. Her cottage
studio is within easy walking distance of the River Cam and the Camel Trail that ends
in Wadebridge after meandering through the old railway route into the town.
Contact the studio for a brochure and/or see the website for further information
on dates of workshops and courses.
Prices begin from £25 for a half day workshop or £95 for one day workshops,
to £275 for 3 day courses and £450 for intensive 5 day courses.
Editor
Ingrid Lyon
L ast week’s judging day for this year’s
Open Competition, which included
professional artist and tutor, Liz Wood
Contributing Editor
Jane Stroud
Editorial Consultants
and professional artist, David Curtis, was the highlight of the year.
Diana Armfield, RA, NEAC (Hon), RWS
David Bellamy
We saw a superb variety of subjects and media, including more
Tony Paul STP
mixed-media and oil work than ever before, and the standard
Advertising Sales
Anna-Marie Brown (Tel: 01778 392048) continues to rise year by year. We noted many good subject ideas
(annamarieb@warnersgroup.co.uk)
Advertising Copy and strong compositions, but the ranges of tone and contrast were
Sue Woodgates (Tel: 01778 392062)
(suewoodgates@warnersgroup.co.uk) sadly lacking in some of the paintings that were shortlisted, but not
Accounts
creditcontrol@warnersgroup.co.uk
chosen for exhibition. Liz recommends drawing six small graphite
Events Manager reference squares, ranging from darkest to lightest tones and
Caroline Griffiths
Subscriptions & Marketing Manager ensuring your paintings show at least some of these tones.
Wendy Gregory
Subscriptions
‘In the same way that composers write refrains in music to hook
Nicci Salmon & Liza Kitney
(Tel: 01580 763315/763673)
the listener in,’ she continues, ‘so should we use a repetition of tone,
Online Editor shape and colours throughout a painting. Repetition of shape and
Dawn Farley
Designers colour is especially appealing. Van Gogh, Cézanne and Matisse all
Alison Renno
Sarah Poole took shapes and invested them in different areas of the composition.
Leisure Painter is published Look at their work for guidance, especially Turner’s paintings of
every four weeks by:
The Artists’ Publishing Company Norham Castle and Van Gogh’s seascapes with boats.’
Limited (TAPC), Caxton House,
63-65 High Street, Tenterden, David Curtis comments on this year’s entries: ‘I get a clear sense of
Kent TN30 6BD
(Tel: 01580 763315) steady improvement in technique and subject awareness in both the
Publisher familiar names and some new contributors to the competition. I am
Dr Sally Bulgin, Hon VPRBSA
sure this in no small part can be attributed to the informative articles
Publication of an article or inclusion of
an advertisement does not necessarily and content the artists derive from this magazine. Especially, I see
imply that TAPC is in agreement with
the views expressed, or represents very capable application of the watercolour technique in all its forms
endorsement of products, materials
or techniques. TAPC does not accept and, it seems, an increasing use of the oil medium, which appears to
responsibility for errors, omissions
or images received in good faith be on the ascendency in both the Leisure Painter and The Artist
Annual subscription rates:
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USA $80; Canada $92; EC member
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Printed by Warners Midlands plc,
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36 6
24 Arctic adventures
IN EVERY ISSUE In an extract from his new book,
David Bellamy describes his experiences
7 Diary 64 Art clubs of sketching in cold and remote places
Things to do this month News, highlights and
exhibition listings 28 An acrylic view
8 Exhibitions Part 2 Tony Paul discusses palettes, supports,
Some of the best shows 70 Online gallery priming and colours as he continues his four-
around the country Jane Stroud chooses a part series on painting with acrylics
pastel painting of a boat
10 Letters from PaintersOnline 32 Wisteria in focus
Your tips, suggestions, From materials and techniques to drawings and
ideas and questions a finished painting, follow Rachel McNaughton
as you paint a spring favourite in watercolour
36 A true likeness
Part 2 Martin Ash completes the portrait of
FEATURES a small child step by step in pastel pencils
and soft pastels
12 Coastal waters
Hints and techniques for painting beaches 40 Line and colour
and coastal scenes through the seasons in Part 2 Make every line count as you practise
oils, with Christine Pybus line and wash techniques, with Tim Fisher
Coming
5
next month
Learn to draw and paint with confidence.
Here are just some of the highlights to be
found in the summer issue of Leisure Painter
58
ON SALE 16 JUN
n Try three different
approaches to
painting with acrylics
n First steps to painting
a harbour scene
n Paint a nocturne in
watercolour
n Beginners’ botanical
studies
n Complete your
detailed portrait of
an owl in watercolour
n How to use
6 61 watercolour pencils
n Explore coloured Tony Paul Bathers in the Frome
t
55 Loosen up!
More from the brush of Wendy Jelbert as she paints a lively
farmyard scene step by step
58 Go green
Richard Holland focuses on strong composition, perspective and
mixing greens as he paints buildings in the landscape in oils
PAINTERSONLINE
and STAEDTLER Competition
PaintersOnline,
the online home of ENTER NOW
Leisure Painter and
The Artist, has teamed To win one of five tins of
up with STAEDTLER 50 triplus colour fibre tips
to offer you the chance from STAEDTLER please visit:
to win one of five tins
of 50 triplus colour www.painters-online.co.uk
fibre tips worth
£62.50(rrp) per set. the online home of
and
magazines, and click on the links
Discover the comfort and ease of 1mm. It contains water-based ink that to competitions. Closing date
writing and drawing with a triplus washes out of most textiles and has a for entries is July 30, 2017.
triangular shaped pen from STAEDTLER. ventilated cap for safety. The ink is also
Ergonomically shaped for a relaxed grip, ‘Dry Safe’ which means it won’t dry up Winners will be selected at
triplus pens remain comfortable to hold if accidentally left uncapped. random from all online entries.
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Diary
THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH
Open studios
n Derbyshire David Thomas
t
Over 200 artists and artisans will be Cranesbills and Book,
oil, 113⁄4x13in.
showcasing their work in this year’s (30x33cm). David will
Derbyshire Open Arts, which has been be taking part in the
extended to run from 27 May until 2017 North Yorkshire
Open Studios
4 June. Full details of all the
participating artists are available from
www.derbyshireopenarts.co.uk
n North Yorkshire
From fisherman’s cottages to
Victorian workshops, 129 artists will
be opening their studios for on of
the largest open studios event in the
country. The North Yorkshire Open
Studios takes place over two
weekends in June – 3 and 4; and 10
and 11 (10.30am to 5.30pm daily).
To find out more go to
www.nyos.org.uk
n Open for Art
Eighty artists in the Dorchester,
Weymouth, Portland and
Abbotsbury areas of Dorset, including
Tony Paul Riders in the Frome at Moreton, acrylic,
t
Janet Mayled The Visitor, dye, acrylic and
t
Leisure Painter’s editorial consultant, 113⁄4x153⁄4in. (30x40cm). Tony will be showing his work pastel, 211⁄4x29in. (54x74cm). Janet will be showing
Tony Paul, will be opening their as part of Dorset’s Open for Art open studio event her work at the Derbyshire Open Arts event
studios between 20 May and 7 June
as part of Open For Art. Brochures are n Surrey 2001 and provide an opportunity to meet
available detailing all the exhibitors Over 148 studios will open their doors and talk to artists in their studios, watch
and the 42 venues that will be showing in locations throughout Surrey and its demonstrations, buy artwork and get
solo and group shows. For details borders for 16 days from 3 to 18 June. involved in creative workshops. For full
email osadmin@artwey.co.uk Surrey Artists’ Open Studios began in details visit www.surreyopenstudios.org.uk
LONDON
REGIONAL
n Attenborough Arts Centre
The University of Leicester, Lancaster Road,
Leicester. 0116 252 2455. ‘A Brush With
Colour’: marking the 20th anniversary of
the arts centre, the exhibition in the
Balcony Gallery will showcase over 500
postcard-sized works by 50 of the centre’s
Creative Learning artists working to a brief
set by tutor, Jenny Gravette, 9 June to 6
August.
John Singer Sargent Spanish Fountain, 1912, watercolour and pencil on paper, 21x1312⁄ in. (53.5x35cm)
n Falmouth
t
Art Gallery
Watercolour brilliance Municipal Buildings, The Moor, Falmouth,
Cornwall. 01326 313863. ‘Artists Afloat –
A major exhibition of watercolours by the Anglo-American artist, John Singer
Tuke and Hemy at Sea’, until 17 June.
Sargent comes to the Dulwich Picture Gallery this summer. The exhibition is ‘Winifred Nicholson: Liberation of Colour’,
arranged thematically and will include landscapes, architectural subjects and 24 June to 16 September.
figurative scenes, focusing on the artist’s use of unusual perspective and arresting n Harbour House
poses. This exhibition of nearly 80 works is the first major UK showing of Singer The Promenade, Kingsbridge, Devon.
Sargent’s watercolours since 1927. The exhibition can be seen at the Dulwich Picture 01548 854708. ‘Drifting into Plein Air’:
Gallery, Gallery Road SE21 from 21 June until 8 October. Telephone 020 8693 5254 paintings by Jolanta Bogdan, until 31 May.
for opening hours or visit www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk ‘Swansong’: paintings by Simon Dobbs,
23 May to 4 June.
n Hilliers Gardens
Jermyns Lane, Ampfield, Romsey,
Hampshire. ‘Off the Wall’: work by a diverse
group of local and internationally-known
artists, including Leisure Painter contributor,
Wendy Jelbert, 9 to 28 June.
n The Jerram Gallery
Half Moon Street, Sherborne, Dorset.
01935 815261. Paintings by Katherine
Swinfen Eady featuring Salisbury Plain, the
west coast of Scotland, France and Italy, 10
to 28 June.
n Tate Liverpool
Albert Dock, Liverpool Waterfront. 0151 702
7400. ‘Portraying a Nation: Germany 1919-
1933’, featuring the work of painter Otto Dix
and photographer August Sander, 23 June to
15 March 2018.
n Victoria Art Gallery
Bridge Street, Bath. 01225 477233. ‘Bath
Society of Artists 112th Annual Open’, 20
May to 15 July
Contemporary Passions
Contemporary Passions is an annual exhibition at
the Harbour House Gallery in Kingsbridge, Devon
featuring new work by ten members of the South
Hams Arts Forum, including that of Stephen
Thomas (above). The exhibition runs from 6 to 18
June. For more information telephone 01548
854708 or go to www.harbourhouse.org.uk
New English
Founded in the later part of the 19th century, the
New English Art Club now boasts around 90
painters working in a variety of media, but all
with a concentration on direct observation and
the human figure. Its annual exhibition takes
place each year at the Mall Galleries in London
and features works by members as well as
paintings, drawings and prints selected from an
open submission.
The annual exhibition of the New English Art
Club can be seen at the Mall Galleries, The Mall,
London SW1 from 16 to 25 June. Telephone 020
7930 6844 or visit www.mallgalleries.org.uk.
Readers of Leisure Painter are offered free entry
for two on mentioning the magazine at the
gallery desk.
Letters
reading my last two copies of
Leisure Painter, I have started to paint
in pen, line and wash. I am 81 years
old and it’s great to try something new.
I haven’t tried acrylic or oil painting
yet, but there’s plenty of time to learn
YOUR TIPS, SUGGESTIONS, them later.
IDEAS AND QUESTIONS David Parkes
Castles in the Air Between Sea and Sky Colours, canoes, rivers
A serene agriturismo and a charming
Take in the colourful coastal
landscapes of northern Italy’s
and reflections | 2018
medieval village each present their Cinque Terre, the very same which When we say Kerala is a colourful
own charms on this wonderfully have stirred the souls of wandering destination, we mean it — prepare
varied Umbrian painting holiday. artists and poets for centuries. paintboxes with a rainbow of hues.
Date Exc Single Supp. Date Exc No single supplement! Date Exc Single Supp.
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PAINTING WALKING
June AnnivComp halfh_Layout 1 04/05/2017 09:37 Page 58
SINGING SIGHTSEEING HOLIDAYS
BOOK NOW info@authenticadventures.co.uk
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ANNIVERSARY COMPETITIONS 2017
To celebrate LP’s 50th and PaintersOnline’s 10th anniversaries
we continue a year of painting competitions for Leisure Painter readers
t
Girl in a Red Beret, Sketch at Sandside Café, oil on board, 6x8in. (15x20cm) A favourite drawing and painting place of mine, beachside
cafés have an abundance of colour, interest and let’s not forget, coffee and cakes. What more civilised place could there be to sit with
a sketchbook or paints?
Coastal waters
Spring Take a stroll by the coast with Christine Pybus as you
pick up hints and techniques for painting the changing seasons
LEARNING OBJECTIVES winter waves to, whilst still requiring warm clothing, are people
unwelcoming, a more structured and with energy, movement, colour and
n Develop compositional skills in business-like demeanour. Gone is that vibrancy.
any medium wild energy and turbulence of those It’s also very easy to be blinkered and
n Practise mark making with oils winter storms and the sun, now higher to see just the three options: beach, sea
in the sky, has changed both the or beach and sea. However, beginning
n Work through the oil-painting colour and tone of the sea. From a to spring into life at this time of year are
process from sketch to finished hard, steely grey it’s now turned to a multitude of other unique, exciting
painting a distinctive, soft turquoise and whilst and interesting subjects clinging to the
still well short of the crispness, sparkle coastal peripheries, all of which can be
and colour of its full midsummer incorporated into a composition: cafés,
t
Sandsend from the Old Railway
Line, oil on board, 6x8in. (15x20cm).
This is another of my little
‘immediate’ sketchbox oils. These
studies are often much livelier and
fresher than the larger, more
considered works. The compositional
possibilities are endless at this time
of year when there’s no leaf cover,
long shadows and light sparkling
through the branches. Adding this
detached, almost intrusive, extra
dimension to an otherwise ordinary
beach scene is just one of those
numerous possibilities.
Oils
t
The original idea, with
notes, which was much
changed in the finished
picture (below right)
t
Step 1
Put down a few tentative
marks, essentially a rough
line drawing then establish
first those darkest areas,
whilst at the same time
considering the
composition. Nothing at
this stage is fixed so you
still have the option to
stand back, look at the
layout, change your mind
and to alter or amend
elements until they feel
comfortable.
Step 2
t
1 Establish the sky colour, working from darker at the top to
lighter towards the horizon. Note the vigorous, dynamic
brushwork and regular changes of colour and tone in that blue.
Use bigger brushmarks at the top (nearer) and smaller towards
the more distant horizon. To achieve movement in the sky, it
must be painted rapidly, perhaps better thrashed, scrubbed or
lathered on, as opposed to painted.
2 Once the sky is established the wet sand into which it reflects
can be suggested using broad, downward marks. That then
essentially is the board covered and you can now go on to
Step 3 which is to refine it as much or as little as required.
Over refining, of which we are all often guilty, will quickly dull
that freshness and light so carefully established early on.
t Step 3
1 Initially, soften those obviously too can be
dark cloud shadows along with their refined.
corresponding reflections, a few soft, Paint out the areas that you don’t and the boat on the horizon reduced to
distant clouds on the horizon will add want with white and leave what you a suggestion. Look at the overall picture
depth too. Add the braking waves using do want dark. and ask yourself: Does any mark or area
titanium white straight from the tube 3 A little ‘action’ can be added to the jump out? Is it too harsh? If it is, adjust
with just the tiniest amount of lemon foreground using warm and cool colours, accordingly; if not, leave well alone.
yellow added to crisp it up. This paint just breaking up those harsh vertical
isn’t brushed on, but more put or laid on. marks and adding a suggestion of sand
Overworking these marks will kill all the beneath the surface.
light and impact from them. 4 With gaps in the waves filled in, using Christine Pybus
2 To lift the subject, a white wave is put crisp marks on the wave tops, softer at the Find out more about Christine and her
behind the dark figures and it’s at this bottom, the figures can now, if required, work by visiting www.pybusfinearts.co.uk
stage, using white paint, that the figures be toned down using blues and purples
t
The finished painting Surfers at Upgang, oil on board, 10x12in. (25x30cm)
Sponsored by
magazine
is available Watercolour
Step 5
digitally
wet the eye and drop in a thin wash of French
ultramarine, avoiding the highlight areas and
the edges of the eyes.
2 Let this dry then do the same with a mix of
French ultramarine, lamp black and alizarin
crimson, being careful not to go too wide around
the eyes.
3 Once dry add a touch of the same colour but
watered down to the light areas to the sides of
the eyes.
4 With the No. 00 brush add a tiny second
highlight within each eye by using tiny circular
motions then, whilst wet, lift off the area with
a point of a piece of kitchen roll.
5 Let it dry again then add the details to the
bottom and top of the eye with a mix of raw
umber, burnt umber and burnt sienna. Use a little
white watercolour to add the highlight.
Step 6
magazine
feathers and the curves of the lines.
Some areas are darker than others so
add more detailed layers to these parts.
2 Use the same process with the
brown areas underneath the eyes with
a mix of raw sienna and burnt sienna.
3 Add the details around the heart-
shaped face with the same blue-grey
colour, adding a touch of raw sienna
to some of the outer edges.
4 Wet the beak with clean water and
add a light wash of raw sienna. Whilst
wet, paint the outline with the French
t
The finished painting Spring Landscape, watercolour, 15x22in. (38x56cm)
Painting project
Part 2 Paint spring greens in the landscape, with Jem Bowden
a working tonal sketch (below right) I’d like to focus on the painting method
LEARNING OBJECTIVES based on our spring reference photograph as we go along. It is aimed at being fresh,
(below left). I also suggested some mixes energetic and, if anything, underworked.
n How to loosen up your style for greens, primarily aiming to avoid This approach generally involves some
n Paint loose and lively gaudiness! risk-taking, but I think helps to convey
watercolours In this half of the project we’ll paint our the nature of our subject, which really
watercolour, aiming to replicate the tones is spring itself.
n Practise mark making in the sketch and use those colour mixes It may help you to work on a smaller
you practised last month, along with a scale, but still try to be swift and use
The photograph that introduced the spring landscape last month The finished tonal sketch of the scene
t
t t
Watercolour
t
Suggest the ground foliage with a range of
loose marks, including some strong tones
(thick paint) set against white paper in places.
I used a little burnt umber dropped into one
part wet in wet for a spot of warmth. The
colour used to the left is the greyer mix
shown last month. Keep the far right very
pale. The whole area is slightly dappled with
light and shade, and can remain vague.
t
Here the foreground tree is shown half
completed. Use thicker blends of the
cadmium yellow and grey mix with yet more
vigorous brushmarks to suggest foliage. The
trunk uses a thick mix of French ultramarine
and Indian red. A few branches are scraped
out at the top – light against dark – with
a fingernail while the paint is damp.
Jem Bowden
Jem is a full-time artist and
watercolour tutor, providing
one-to-one tuition,
demonstrations, workshops,
weekly classes, and residential
painting holidays, including
the Wye Valley in Watercolour
(9-14 July) with Alpha Painting
Holidays (www.alphapainting
holidays.co.uk). For more
details, and to see a blog and
galleries of his work visit Jem’s
website at www.jembowden
watercolour.co.uk, email
jembowdenwatercolour
@gmail.com or telephone
0117 9711735.
t
The finished painting Spring Landscape, watercolour, 15x22in. (38x56cm)
Our
50th
year!
to STEP-BY-STEP wisteria
in watercolour
JULY 2017 £4.20
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LP07 21-23 Kerr_Layout 1 05/05/2017 12:01 Page 21
Drawing
Drawing Project
Part 2 Complete your drawing of this Mediterranean town scene
using graphite and pen and wash techniques, with Anne Kerr
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
n
n
How to work from photos
Build confidence with your
L ast month we looked at the
photograph I had taken whilst
visiting the beautiful little
Mediterranean town of Montenegro
(below). I also included the greyscale
our reference picture, I suggested
several ways of tackling the project
using drawing materials of your choice.
I suggested you might like to mix up
the types of drawing materials to give
drawing skills
version of the photograph (page 22) new and interesting effects. Remember
n Ink drawing and pen & wash to help you to distinguish the light and there are no rules when it comes to art.
techniques to follow dark tones. Using this photograph as The materials I used were:
l Arches Hot-Pressed (HP)
watercolour paper, 111⁄2x81⁄4in.
(30x21cm)
l Micron permanent ink
drawing pens, Nos. .02
and .05
l Winsor & Newton
Professional Water Colours:
ultramarine blue, burnt
sienna, raw sienna and
phthalo turquoise
l A large watercolour brush
and palette.
Before I began, I checked that
the ink in my drawing pen was
waterproof, as I intended to
add watercolour washes to the
drawing. The following steps
show the three-pass method
I used to build up my picture:
an initial outline sketch,
followed by additional detail,
and finally the dark tonal values
and texture lines added to the
centre of interest.
I hope you enjoy following
drawing and painting along
with me over the page. LP
Demonstration
Montenegro
t
The photograph that introduced last month’s painting project: buildings in Montenegro
t
Drawing
Demonstration continued
t
This black-and-white version of the scene
will help you to produce a fully tonal drawing
t
Step 1 Drawing from the inside out
I completed an outline sketch of the scene
beginning with the largest shapes and working
my way down to the smallest shapes, which
enabled me to place the picture accurately on
the paper without running out of space. I kept
many of my drawn lines broken and slightly
uneven to give the picture movement and
interest. The little market stall and the chair did
not add anything to the ambience of the scene
so I replaced the market stall with additional
foliage. I went straight in using ink (without a
pencil drawing first) and decided to treat the
picture rather like a vignette so that filling the
whole of the paper was not important to me.
t
1 Having completed the drawing
I was ready to add colour using light
watercolour washes. I was conscious
that this was a line and wash picture,
not a pure watercolour painting, and
loose, gentle and unfussy washes of
colour were all I needed. It didn’t
matter if the colour ran over onto
nearby features; this all added to
the loose and spontaneous look to
the picture. My first washes were
wet in wet:
Sky Ultramarine and a little
burnt sienna.
Buildings on the right of the picture
Raw sienna and burnt sienna.
Building to the left of the picture
Ultramarine and burnt sienna.
Central wall and house Raw sienna,
and leaving small white patches.
Road Ultramarine and burnt sienna
with a little pure burnt sienna
dropped into the foreground.
Windows Any mixture already on
my palette with a little turquoise
dropped into the central windows
to draw the eye.
Foliage Ultramarine blue, raw sienna
and a touch of burnt sienna.
2 Once the first washes were
completely dry, I added the shadows
to the picture using various mixtures
of ultramarine blue and burnt
sienna, wet on dry.
Anne Kerr
Anne teaches on painting holidays in the UK, Italy and Spain She gives talks
and painting demonstrations to local art groups and runs classes at her home
studio. Full details can be found on her website www.annekerrartstudio.com
t
t
Tasiilaq harbour iced up
Arctic adventures
Join David Bellamy and fellow artist, Torben Sorensen, as they
venture deep into the Arctic to find inspiration and colour everywhere
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
n How to paint in cold climates
n Techniques and ideas for
sketching with water-soluble
media
n Be more flexible with your work
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Icebergs Caught in the Evening Glow. Tense moments sketching as the light faded, while imagining a host of hungry polar bears about
to emerge out of the gloom.
Travel arrangements
Our route lay across fjords, up mountain
slopes and down the far side to the next
fjord. There was no sign of life, no birds
or beasts to relieve the grey desolation.
Visually the weather ranged from sunny
and benign to moisture-laden indigo
nimbus broken here and there with
white strands; the snowstorms obligingly
keeping well into the distance. In this
landscape dominated by blacks and t
David sketching with a spotter scope. Photograph by Torben Sorensen.
whites, especially in flat lighting that
tends to diminish colour, the starkness
of the contrasts was striking. An artist evil-shaped rocks sticking out of the Sketching foray
has to be careful to seek out those snow. In the evening we felt a desperate need
nuances of intermediate tones that are Sledging across hard sastrugis – ice to stretch our legs, so, clad in down
present, but this was difficult to see ridges sculpted into the surface by the jackets and snow boots, we emerged
against glaring white snow. I had to wind – can be likened to riding a road from the hotel and hiked across deep
look hard for colour here, while at the drill at high speed, as the ice is rock snow towards the fjord. Once away from
same time watching out for rocks ahead hard. At one point we stopped to check the building, thoughts immediately
that might overturn the sledge. I had whether Bent, Torben’s driver, had sprang to mind of polar bears hiding
lost enough pencils already – they flew caught any seals in a net he had set a behind every large icy eminence, waiting
out of my hands as we swerved, took day or two earlier. A post driven into to jump out at us. We had no rifles, my
off over an ice hummock or crashed the sea ice marked the spot and the largest weapon being a No. 10 sable
into a snow bank. Huskies appear to Inuit dug down until a patch of dark brush to fend off any bear attacks. Where
have little concept of how annoying it water was revealed. Sure enough, when land ended and the fjord began was not
can be to see your sketchbook Bent’s friend, George, hauled the net in, obvious, but we hoped the fjord ice was
disappear down an icy crevasse. At a small ringed seal had been caught. thick enough to take our weight. The
times I imagined the lead dog must Torben had the pleasure of its rather evening was clear, with a sunset in the
have a grudge against artists, as so often smelly companionship on his sledge offing. Huge icebergs lay frozen into
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he seemed to head directly for the most for the rest of the day. Ikaasaartik Fjord, waiting for the summer
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Huskies in full cry. The original pencil sketch holds a fleeting memory of hurtling down a steep slope while looking backwards at the
following sledge, holding myself in position with legs straddling the sides, then bouncing off the sledge onto a snow bank and back on
again, still with sketchbook in one hand and pencil in the other.
thaw to release them. Beyond the fjord, knew full well that if one did appear, a coloured line, but not the intense
the snowbound slopes of Iperajivit we would have no hope of reaching one I would expect working into a
were turning pink in the evening glow. the hotel before it was upon us. The damp surface. The temperature was
To the west rose a range of sharply icebergs glowed a fiery red in the falling rapidly. Still no bears in sight.
defined peaks. From where we stood, evening light, so watercolours were Torben was working away nearby and
no sign of civilisation was visible, obligatory. The water was kept in a we exchanged howls of laughter at
simply raw Arctic scenery. container in a neoprene pouch inside our pathetic efforts.
Stopping near what we thought was my jacket and as I poured it out, it Over the years, experience has
the edge of the fjord, we extracted our turned into an icy sludge. Quickly taught me that however hopeless a
sketching gear and began drawing. I dipped a large brush into the sludge, sketch may be, something positive
Removing a glove reminded me flicked it into the paint and applied it always accrues from the work. Simply
how cold it was. Another bear check to the sketchbook, but the brush hairs by looking at the marks you have
revealed none in sight, though we were already rock hard. I discarded the made, however wild and incoherent,
brush for a second you find so much detail of the scene
one, just managing flooding back into your memory.
to get a wash over Completing well-remembered or
part of the repetitive details immediately you
This article was adapted background before return to tent, hotel, or wherever,
from David Bellamy’s the hairs froze. The will further enhance the sketch,
Arctic Light (Search Press, washes instantly although it can be self-defeating if
£25). Save £2 when you reticulated on the you overwork it.
buy this book from our paper as they iced As we packed our pencils away,
bookshop at www.painters- up. Normally, for the light was fading, so it was time
online.co.uk. Turn to page rapid-fire sketching to return to base. Into the Arctic dusk
48 for details. Meet David like this, we hiked, through deep snow, our
at Patchings Festival in I work into the wet thoughts enlivened by the imaginings
July (see page 71 for washes with a of a whole host of polar bears in hot
details) and find out more watercolour pencil, pursuit, as we continually glanced
about David by visiting but here it simply over our shoulders. LP
www.davidbellamy.com rattled across frozen
reticulations, leaving Into the misty icebergs
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Inspiration
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Old Church, Tasiilaq. To increase the rock textures in the foreground, I stuck small pieces of oriental paper in place. The church is now a museum.
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Acrylics
An acrylic view
Part 2 Tony Paul discusses palettes, supports, priming and colours
as he continues his four-part series on painting with acrylics
Polythene palettes
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
n
n
Understand acrylics
Make the right choices for
T his month I want to look at
polythene, disposable and stay-
wet palettes to help you make
the right choices then go on to discuss
supports and how to prime them.
When acrylics were introduced, starter sets
were often supplied with small polythene
palettes. Polythene’s greasy feel is ideal to
give the strongly adhesive acrylic resin
palettes and supports Finally, we’ll look at how support, little to grip on to. These 9x6in. palettes
n Tips and techniques for painting priming and colour palette come were suitable for small paintings only,
portraits together to produce a portrait. particularly as the thumb hole reduced
further the available mixing area.
On a recent visit to Ikea I noticed that
lids were sold separately to the shop’s
polythene storage boxes so I bought a
39x28cm lid. This is reasonably light and
can be hand held if necessary, but I tend
to put it on an adjacent table or chair.
The design I have has a raised central bar
along its length and recessed areas to
either side. I adopted the regime of setting
out my palette on the bar, leaving the
adjacent wells for mixing. These can hold
a considerable amount of liquid paint
if required.
Cleaning the polythene palettes is
simplicity itself. After cleaning off the wet
mounds of paint with kitchen roll, place
the lid on a horizontal surface and, with a
jug, pour warm water until the lid is filled
to its top edge. Add a dash of washing-up
liquid and hey presto, in less than a
minute the residual paint will begin to
wrinkle as the water creeps beneath it.
Drain off the excess water and wipe off
the loose skin of paint with more kitchen
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Polythene makes cheap and easy-to-use palettes for acrylics. Colours shown from left roll. Any obstinate bits can be rubbed off
to right: phthalo green, burnt umber, cobalt blue, phthalo blue, burnt sienna, cadmium with the residue loaded kitchen roll.
red, alizarin crimson, yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, lemon yellow and titanium white. It may be difficult to remove acrylic from
some hard plastic or wooden palettes.
Unvarnished wooden palettes are really
unsuitable and should not be used.
Disposable palettes
Tear-off palette-shaped paper pads,
complete with thumbholes, come in two
types: those made of greaseproof paper
and those, again of paper, which have
a plastic-coated mixing surface. The
former, older type tends to wrinkle and
distort and, if worked fairly wet, can
end up in an unholy mess. The plastic
laminated type (right) is more stable
and therefore easier to use.
Stay-wet palettes
These are basically vacuum-formed
plastic trays into which dampened
absorbent paper is laid. Over this is placed
a membrane of greaseproof paper on
which you mix the colour (top right).
Acrylics dry by evaporation. As the water
begins to evaporate, the paint draws water
through the membrane paper to replace
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Winsor & Newton plastic laminated disposable palette, 912⁄ x1412⁄ in. (24x37cm) the water lost so, in theory, the paint
Supports
Acrylic is an excellent adhesive. It is also
elastic, although it does become less so
as it ages. It is better tempered than oil
when used on stretched canvases, its
elasticity far more able to cope with the
tightening and loosening of the canvas
as the seasons or humidity change.
Any non-greasy or non-water repellent
surface can be used for painting on
without needing a primer. But beware:
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Linen canvas
some linen canvases are oil primed and
unsuitable for acrylics and so are the
famous Daler boards. Increasingly what
is known as universally primed or acrylic-
gesso primed canvases or boards are
marketed as suitable for oil or acrylic
use – these should be used.
The surface finish of a painting in
acrylic will depend on the texture of
the boards or canvases and the quality
of the colours used. Cheap acrylics
painted on a smooth board will probably
have a greasy, plasticky appearance, with
brushmarks reduced almost to nothing
if painted thinly.
As acrylic dries by evaporation the
paint shrinks in thickness, so the impasto
needs to be a little heavier than you
desire and it is sensible to use a support
which itself has a reasonably textured
surface. The broken texture of the
support will break up the light reflection
and give the painting greater character.
Linen canvas (above right) has an
attractive slub texture, more characterful
than that of cotton canvas (right), the t
Cotton canvas
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Acrylics
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generously and randomly to give a
broken texture. Remember, acrylic’s
thickness shrinks as it dries.
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Two primed canvases in my usual
colours – raw umber (for portraits and
interiors) and red oxide (landscapes)
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I painted over a failed watercolour with
the raw umber tinted acrylic gesso.
I used just two brushes – a No. 6 Rigger
and a No. 12 golden synthetic filbert,
both by Rosemary & Co.
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I painted the model using just three
Golden Open pigments – titanium white,
burnt sienna and phthalo green. This mix
gave a greyish green, which was sympathetic
against the beige of the toned-in background.
Tony Paul
To find out more about Tony’s workshops,
email tonypaulart@btinternet.com.
Tony will also be opening his studio for
the event ArtWey, which runs from 20
May to 4 June (10am to 4pm; open
Mondays from 2pm).
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Note in this close-up how the texture of the board and the brushstrokes combine for
a painterly character.
Watercolour
Wisteria in focus
From materials and techniques to drawings and a finished painting,
Rachel McNaughton takes you through the painting of this spring favourite
starting point only. Copying a photo is be fresh, clean yellow-greens, which
LEARNING OBJECTIVES as much an infringement of copyright as I mix from aureolin and Payne’s grey.
n Colour-mixing practice copying someone’s painting. In any case, However, the time that wisteria is in
why would you wish to make a copy of flower, there are few leaves on the plant.
n Make the right choices for your a photo? It is far better to be creative and Palette I am fond of the muffin tray-type
materials produce something original. However, palette I use. I can mix strong dark
n Learn a new loose and lively if you are unsure what a flower, bud or washes and the deep wells keep the wash
method with watercolour leaf looks like then photos are a great liquid longer than the flatter palettes.
resource. Build up a library of images Brushes I love to use the Da Vinci liner
you can call on when necessary, and brush Series 17, No. 8. It has a good
Your materials
reservoir for plenty of colour, but comes
to an incredible point so I can make both
fine lines and larger areas.
A water spray is another useful piece of kit.
If I find myself becoming too detailed a
no longer excited me. Many, many sheets I hope the following will be useful to quick spritz of water loosens it up again.
of paper later and I evolved my paint-it- you as you choose your own materials Magic eraser You can find these among
and-mess-it-up technique. for this project: the cleaning products in the supermarket.
Having spent many years painting Paper My favourite paper is Saunders A small piece torn off and dipped in
flowers in a more controlled and detailed Waterford High White 425gsm, mainly clean water is great for removing hard
way was a big advantage to loosening because it is so white and clean and I lines where you don’t want them or
up. I have a wealth of flower shapes and like a rough surface to help with texture. for blurring outlines and blending. And
colours locked in my head and as my Colours I use Winsor & Newton I always have kitchen roll and a paint
new technique of painting doesn’t involve watercolours in tubes. It is much easier to rag to hand as well.
drawing, my mental filing system is mix large washes from soft paint in tubes
invaluable. However, it is easy to make than to make enough from pans in a A new technique
assumptions about any subject if you paintbox. I prefer Artists’ quality paints My paint-it-and-mess-it-up technique
haven’t taken time to really look at it. for their clean colours and this is begins with a fairly careful painting of
The best way I know of making myself especially true of Payne’s grey. In the a few of the individual blossoms on the
look closely is to spend time on drawing Winsor & Newton Professional Water hanging racemes of wisteria. Before the
my subject in pencil. Obviously it is better Colour range, this paint is much bluer paint has time to dry completely, I clean
to do this from the real thing but, if the than others and it makes good strong the brush and with it slightly damp, drag
subject isn’t available, photos are the greens when mixed with most yellows. it gently and lightly through the painted
next best option. I use my own photos For wisteria my colour choice is: Winsor flowers. I then go onto painting more
as well as ones found on the internet. violet, cobalt violet, cerulean blue, blossoms and repeat the process,
I have a word of caution here. If you permanent rose, a little opera rose and splattering a little whenever the fancy
are using internet material, use it as a white gouache. Stems and leaves tend to takes me. LP
Demonstration Wisteria
Wisteria has to be one of my favourite
floral subjects to paint. Although its
flowering period is short, it is spectacular
while it lasts. That profusion of purples
and chalky mauve is irresistible! There is
no drawing on the watercolour paper, but
it is a good idea to make a few sketches
first, just to acquaint yourself with the
structure of the flower. You really need to
have a good mental picture of your subject
as well as photographs and the real thing!
Think carefully about your composition
before you commit to paint. Off centre is
generally better than a flower placed in
the middle and you need to have different
lengths and movements. All the same size
and all perfectly straight is boring to
look at and unnatural, too.
Watercolour
t Colours used
You will need
n Surface
l Saunders Waterford
High White 425gsm
paper 17x9in.
(43x23cm)
n Watercolour
Winsor Cerulean Ultram Cobalt Aureolin Opera Payne’s
(see colours, right) violet blue arine violet rose grey
t
Step 1 t
Step 2
1 Begin by making the following 1 Keep adding more, varying the colour
washes: cobalt violet; Winsor violet and each time and allowing the washes to run.
ultramarine; and a creamy mix of aureolin 2 Before everything dries, rinse your brush clean
and Payne’s grey (to make a yellow-green). and take excess water from it by gently wiping
2 Starting away from the centre and using on a rag. Drag the damp brush through your
the Winsor violet and ultramarine wash painting lightly to create ragged areas of colour.
paint a few individual flowers at the top This is my paint-it-and-mess-it-up technique.
of a spray of wisteria. Add more with Use it sparingly. Too much messing up makes
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Look hard at your subject and make a cobalt violet and allow the colours to a big mess! Repeat this sequence until you
variety of preliminary drawings of wisteria run into each other. have a spray of wisteria.
Step 3
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Step 4
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Watercolour
Demonstration continued
Step 5
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1 You can now begin another either
higher or lower than the first. If the
second runs into the first that is to
be encouraged, but if it doesn’t
happen, that’s fine, too. Make sure
your second blossom is of a different
length and shape from the first.
Avoid rigid, straight stems; a little
more curved is more relaxed and
natural.
2 Splatter purples and pinks from
your paintbrush then use a water
spray to soften them if necessary.
The magic eraser comes in handy
here if you need to soften hard
outlines.
3 A third spray of wisteria can now
be painted. The second and third
spray of flowers should be left a little
more unfinished and indistinct to
give depth to the painting. Use the
water spray to blur outlines a little,
and paint more clearly defined
flowers on dry areas. It isn’t always
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Step 6
necessary to give every flower a stem. Dilute the creamy mix of green with water and add a
Leave something for the imagination little more yellow if necessary. Use this to paint an
to fill in. It makes a more interesting area of leafy foliage above the flowers. Suggest
painting and helps to create an veining in the leaves with the point of a cocktail
overall loose effect. stick while the paint is still wet.
t Step 7
1 Spend a little time looking at how shape resembles flowers. Use both sometimes and a little splatter.
the paint has settled and dried on the positive and negative painting to define 2 Notice how stems pass over some flowers, pushing
wisteria flowers. Pick out areas where the them, adding dark green stems them to the back and creating depth. Take your time
and work over the
whole painting,
moving on when an
area becomes too
wet to continue. Use
darker flowers to set
off the pale ones
and don’t become
overwhelmed with
unnecessary detail.
Look at the two
images here of
largely the same
area of flowers.
Notice how more
florets have been
suggested in the
right-hand image
without overdoing
the detail.
3 Use both hard and
soft edges to ensure
a more interesting
painting for the
viewer.
Watercolour
Rachel McNaughton
Find out about Rachel, her work
and her classes by visiting
www.artbyrachel.co.uk
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The finished painting Wisteria, watercolour, 17x9in. (43x23cm)
Pastel
A true likeness
Part 2 Follow Martin Ash step by step as he paints
a portrait of a child using pastel pencils and soft pastel
LEARNING OBJECTIVES and lively three year old. Of those photos, and so results in a more natural
50 were blurred, with the face turned and unselfconscious pose. Numerous
n How to paint pastel portraits away or just not the right expression – photographs provide alternative
n Practise pastel techniques and the latter ones show she became viewpoints and light sources and, of
suitable for all subjects bored. I printed a shortlist of 36 images, course, limitless time to study your subject.
12 to a page for easy side-by-side
n How to produce a realistic comparison. This is a vital exercise if Colours used
likeness of your subject you have a lot of similar pictures, and Although I name the main colours and
Darcie’s parents narrowed this to 12, brands used in this painting below, there
Demonstration Darcie
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Step 1 t
Step 2
This is the initial sketch drawn life-size to establish the This shows the basic drawing transferred to the chosen support –
simplified structure of the head within the mass of hair. Draw Colourfix soft umber primer on white mountboard. The light and
a centre line to indicate how much the head is tilted from the dark lines indicate where light and dark areas are located in the
vertical and how much it is rotated from directly facing the painting. As we work through the next stage of blocking in the
viewer. By careful measuring establish the positions of the eyes main areas of tone and colour, these rather bold ‘landmarks’
and mouth within the depth of the head and draw parallel lines will be lifted out using Blu-Tack.
through them, again to confirm the tilt of the head. Indicate
the main shapes of the hair, neck and shoulders.
skin tones and much modified with other Blending and mixing
colours. Also used for the hair highlights. The smooth skin tones in my pastel
CarbOthello bister 635 (sepia) pastel pencil portraits involve a lot of blending and
To delineate dark items, for instance, mixing of colours, both within the
eyelids, nostrils and within the mouth. painting and on test strips of the same
Also used in the hair and skin shadows. paper. I also stray into the spare space
CarbOthello caput mortuum 642 and 645, at the edge of a painting that will
and Derwent burnt carmine 65f pastel eventually be covered by the framing t
Useful aids for pastel painting Fan and
pencils Used for the lips and tongue, and mount. small stiff brushes, ready-made torchons,
to introduce a certain amount of ‘rouging’ I use a variety of aids. First is the tip cotton buds, Blu-Tack, which can be
to the cheeks and into shadows. of my little finger. Other useful tools are modified to any shape for lifting and
Derwent Chinese white pastel pencil used torchons, which are ready-made pointed cleaning, and a mahl stick.
for the teeth, eye highlights and to mix sticks of compressed fibrous paper used
with and modify other colours. to apply and blend colours. I also make useful blender in any medium, and
CarbOthello light flesh tint 681 pastel my own by cutting a 6in. piece of a short stiff brush can be used to carefully
pencil To add warmth to the cheeks and blotting paper, tapering from 2in. deep scrub out unwanted pigment for a major
neck. Use sparingly and beware of any at one end to 1in. at the other. Rolled up, amendment.
colour purporting to be flesh tinted; very this produces a tapered stick, which can There is also Blu-Tack. Keep a piece
little skin is actually that pink. be soft or hard by choice, depending on warm in your non-painting hand; it is
CarbOthello leaf green middle 570 pastel how tightly it is rolled. Pigment mixed always useful for picking out unwanted
pencil A light green base colour for on test strips can be picked up on the pigment, lifting out small areas and
Darcie’s eyes. torchon and applied to and blended cleaning the area around the image.
CarbOthello leaf green deep 595 pastel into the painting. Finally, to keep hands and cuffs off
pencil Dark blue-green for the dark parts Cotton buds can be used either to the painting, I use a mahl stick – a piece
of the irises. blend or wipe out pastel. The shadows of dowel with one end padded with rag
CarbOthello cobalt blue 425 pencil was below Darcie’s eyes, for instance, were or kitchen roll, which can be rested on
used for Darcie’s shirt. gently wiped out to allow soft umber to the painting with the padded end away
Rembrandt white supersoft soft pastel was show through a light coating of red-grey. from the image. Your wrist or hand is
used to apply a lot of light pigment to So many skin colours are indefinable, supported and steadied by the stick,
create the blended highlights in the face. but reddish-grey occurs a lot; look at the enabling you to work closely on detail.
Daler-Rowney red-grey soft pastel was shadows on your hands. I also use oil When the pad becomes grubby just
used in the skin shadows. painting brushes. The fan brush is a add another piece of kitchen roll. LP
t
Step 3 t
Step 4
1 Block in the light areas using the flat side of the sharpened tip of Here a little more pastel has been added to strengthen the light
a CarbOthello ivory pastel pencil. areas above the eyes, around the mouth and on Darcie’s neck
2 Use CarbOthello bister (sepia) pastel pencil to confirm the position of the and cheeks. Note the light area added down the profile of her
eyelids, nostrils, the shape formed by the lower edges of the teeth and the right cheek, which will be the basis of an area of reflected light.
dark shape within the mouth. These dark items are useful in establishing Also note that, at this stage, no blending has been attempted.
the likeness and are a much-needed confidence builder as we feel our way All the pigment in the roughly blocked-in area, including the
into the painting. It is important to make them right, as faults in blue shirt, will eventually be rubbed into the surface to become
draughtsmanship can show up at a later stage and cause disappointment. the foundation for the next application of pastel.
t
Pastel
Demonstration continued
Step 5t
1 Add more pigment to the light areas and colour to the lips
and tongue and Darcie’s right cheek, using tints of CarbOthello
caput mortuum (642 and 645) and Derwent burnt carmine and
Chinese white.
2 To anticipate the iridescent irises lay a foundation of pale
green (CarbOthello leaf green middle 570), which will be overlaid
with dark bluish-green (CarbOthello leaf green deep 595) for the
shadows in the upper irises and the dark edges of the irises.
3 Apply dark blue where the collar of the shirt will be in the
shadow of Darcie’s hair.
4 I emphasise the need to think ahead while painting to decide
how you are going to produce a certain effect, as in the eyes, or
where there are going to be light items overlaying dark areas, for
instance, the hair. Pastel, of course, has the advantage of being
corrected easily, either by brushing out with a hog’s brush or by
lifting out with that essential stand-by, Blu-Tack.
Step 6
t
From this angle, Darcie’s right cheek is seen in profile, while
her left cheek, the inner area of her right cheek, left upper
lip and left sides of her chin and nose tip are convex surfaces
facing the viewer. To create this illusion and to achieve a
balance with the apparent volume of the right cheek, you need
to emphasise those surfaces so must add a significant amount
of light tone. To apply enough pigment you need a soft pastel
stick and I used Rembrandt white supersoft. This close-up shot
shows what appears to be an alarming crudity of application,
which, in earlier years, I might have thought had ruined the
whole image. But this seeming overload of pigment will be
blended easily into the surrounding areas and any
superfluous medium can be brushed away.
Step 7
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Martin Ash
Martin offers tuition to individual students and art
groups, and for many years has tutored adult education
art classes for East Sussex County Council and Adult
Colleges for Rural East Sussex. For information, please
telephone 01892 853536 or 07759 925087 and email
martinashartist@btinternet.com
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The finished painting Darcie, pastel on mountboard primed with Colourfix soft umber, 14x11in. (36x28cm)
t
Step 8
1 The final stages involve modelling of the accuracy to achieve an unmistakable likeness ivory and sepia pastel pencils. You need a
skin tones. Add more colour to the shirt and in the face, you can be a bit freer with this light touch to avoid disturbing the foundation
model the folds. To avoid them becoming too area. I like children’s hair to be tousled in layer. Note lighter tones where the hair
dominant, keep the colouring of clothes fairly a portrait. A young child lives in the moment, curves outwards and allow some light over
muted in a head and shoulders portrait. unselfconscious of appearance and Darcie’s dark and vice versa. Where the hair flows
2 I erased and redrew Darcie’s teeth, showing hair was like this. To achieve this effect, rub over the shirt, lift some of the dark blue but
that they recede into shadow. in more base tones then stroke in the it is possible with practice to put in fine
3 Finally, work on the hair. While you need individual hairs with continually sharpened light hair with a few deft strokes.
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Staithes Harbour, pen & wash on 270gsm cream-coloured paper, 11x16in. (28x40.5cm)
t
Pharaoh’s Garage, pen & wash on 270gsm cream-coloured paper, 11x16in. (28x40.5cm)
The paper tends to be absorbent and will looser and more fluid. I begin working with the last sketch, I worked across two
buckle easily. Recently, I was introduced quickly with a lighter line so that mistakes pages of the open sketchbook to give
to a new range of sketchbooks made by can be rectified more easily. Towards the me a large panorama.
Stillman and Birn (available from Jackson’s end I reinforce some of the ink lines to I noticed the windows were quite dark
Art Supplies), which are ideal for dry and give more of a feeling of depth to the and so in places added black pen into the
wet media, including watercolour and ink. work. When the drawing is complete and openings. This was quite a complicated
The books come in a range of weights if the weather’s not too good, I will retire subject, but it was helpful to visualise the
and I use the A4 Delta series, which to more comfortable surroundings to shape the sky made as a negative shape
contains 270gsm cream-coloured paper. complete the work in colour. A digital against the buildings. I also worked lightly
The off-white colour offers the extra photo is handy for later colour references. outwards with the pen from one point,
opportunity of applying white ink or other I also avoid adding ink shading or other drawing each adjacent shape, as this way
media for highlights. The heavy-weight unnecessary detail, which saves time of working makes the scale easier to
paper also stays firmly in position when when producing the sketch. control.
painting under slightly breezy conditions, For the view of Staithes (above left), Once the drawing was complete,
whereas normally I would need an elastic I was fortunate to be able to perch on I applied the colour. The sky was a
band to hold the paper in position. the harbour wall tucked out of the wind wash of ultramarine into which grey was
For drawing I pack a Faber-Castell Pitt blowing in from the sea. Once the sketch added – mixed from Venetian red and
Artists’ fine waterproof drawing pen and was complete, I added the colour: blue for darker clouds. The buildings
a retractable 2mm 3B clutch pencil. Sky Ultramarine blue, diluted at the edges were washes of yellow ochre and pink
Retractable pencils save disappointment for softer clouds. A little Venetian red was using diluted French vermilion. The
when finding the pencil tip has broken added to the mix for the stormier clouds. foliage was a mix of primary yellow
upon arrival at the sketching site. They Distant hill A mix of primary yellow and and ultramarine blue.
often also contain a sharpener at the ultramarine blue, varying the proportions At the very end of the painting, I
opposite end to help keep a sharp point. of the two colours as I worked across added the shadows. It was a dull day, but
Finally, a packet of disposable tissues the paper. including shadow gave the painting more
always comes in handy for mopping up. Orange rooftops A mix of primary yellow volume and a three-dimensional effect.
All these items pack compactly into a grip and French vermilion. I kept the direction of shadow consistent
seal bag, which is especially useful to Shadows (all the buildings and across with a light source chosen from the left.
prevent suitcase leakages when travelling. the road) Ultramarine with a touch of Generally, working out of doors means
vermilion. Shade was added to the darker that the paint is much slower to dry and
Working process parts of the stored lobster pots and the so a little planning is required as to where
My method of working is to stand when harbour wall and bridge to the left. to place the next wash. Even so, I still
sketching and work rapidly with pen onto The next sketch shows the remains of encountered back runs where wet paint
the surface with no preliminary pencil Pharaoh’s garage in Ravenglass (above). met damp and formed a hard edge. Back
work. When combining ink with colour I stood to sketch the old petrol pump and runs are difficult to remove so I tend to
while standing, the ink line becomes
t
the cottages receding into the distance. As leave them as a reminder of the day. LP
n Faber-Castell Pitt
Artists’ fine waterproof
drawing pen
t
A reference photograph of the scene
Step 1
t
Visualise the shape the buildings make against the sky and
the shape of the foreground road. Sometimes it’s a help to
add the outline lightly with pencil before beginning to draw.
Step 2
t
Step 3
t
1 Add a wash of yellow ochre over the sky, allowing some of the
colour to wash over the building rooftops and walls. Reserve the
white buildings as dry paper. Whilst the wash is still wet, add
diluted French ultramarine blue and allow it to drift downwards.
2 Add the distant hill with a mix of ultramarine and vermilion.
Mix a green from ultramarine and primary yellow and feed it
into the base of the wash.
3 Paint the rooftops on the left-hand buildings. This is a green-
grey mixed from ultramarine and Venetian red then separately
primary yellow and ultramarine. Add these mixes in turn and
allow them to blend on the paper.
4 Thoroughly mix these two sets of colours for a brown-grey and
paint the building fronts in the far distance, varying the strength
of the wash to give the impression of light at the end of the
street. Continue with this colour to fill the street between
the buildings.
5 Mix Venetian red with a touch of ultramarine and use this
brick colour on the left side of the street and for the impression
of cobbles on the road. Reserve white paper for some of the
buildings. Continue the wash into the building on the right.
6 Add the darks for the timber frames, windows and gutters
using a mix of Venetian red and ultramarine. Leave the painting
overnight so that it is completely dry before adding the shadow.
t
The finished painting Mermaid Street, Rye, pen & wash on Arches 140lb Rough watercolour paper, 10x14in. (25.5x35.5cm)
Inspiration
t
one specific story rather than trying to
Helpful tool
When searching a vista for subject
matter to draw or paint, a viewfinder
ONE PHOTO, FIVE STORIES
If you already have reference photos
that contain too much information,
important as the details you leave out. is a useful tool to help isolate exactly you can still isolate different stories
We also explore ways in which to use which story you want to tell. To make in different parts of the photo. Let’s
a photo of a subject but change the one, cut two L shapes from a piece of explore how we can tell five stories from
background, how to use a great photo of cardboard then hold them up in front this one scene of an old homestead on
a background and add different subjects, of you and look through the window to a country property, depending on which
and how to combine ideas from multiple frame the scene. Move the position of the aspects are focused on and the format
photos to create your own composition. two L shapes to test which format works used for the artwork.
t
Original scene of country property
Inspiration
t
t
Story 1
Zooming in slightly creates a more intimate feel and establishes a stronger
t
Zooming in
connection between the people who live in this house and their livestock, as on the house
the focus is no longer on the vast property. The traditional landscape format
creates a more
The unconventional portrait format
t
personal story
(where the top and bottom of the image are longer than the sides) lends of a landscape tells the story of the
itself well to a nostalgic scene like this. relationship between the house with
its inhabitants and the sheep
t
Story 3
This portrait format (where the sides
of the image are longer than the top and
bottom) shows only a sliver of sky and
ground. By removing a lot of the context,
the story focuses on the homestead and
sheep and the relationship between
them. Even though it is a traditional
subject matter, the use of the portrait
format rather than landscape format
is not conventional and adds interest
to a simple subject.
t
Story 2
By cropping most of the land and creating a low horizon, the focus shifts
t
A panoramic
to the sky. The viewer’s attention is drawn to the subtle cloud patterns that format tells the
may not be noticed if other information is included in the painting. The story of a big
wide panoramic format tells of huge open spaces in the country where the sky and immense
presence of humans in the small house is dwarfed by the immense sky. landscape
t
A portrait of a sheep
t
Story 5
This is a simple portrait of a sheep
centred in a square format with no
other distractions. The story focuses on
the sheep’s anatomy, texture of wool,
play of light and shadow over its form
t
Story 4 and the mood conveyed by the expression
This story is all about a herd of grazing sheep: how they interact as a t
This is a on its face. Again, with the context almost
group, their proximity to each other, the direction they are facing, and their simple story completely cropped, the story asks rather
behaviour and mood. This can even be about the play of light and shadow about a herd of than answers questions. What is the
on simple forms. When the painting does not tell the complete story – such grazing sheep sheep looking at? Where is it? Is it alone?
as the location of the sheep – the viewer has a chance to interpret the story What’s going to happen next?
in their own way, depending on past experience and memories.
t
Sea Horse, oil on canvas, 20x24in. (51x61cm) was inspired by the photograph of the horse below
or one completely inappropriate for a
successful painting. This is when you
can use the photo to paint the subject and
your imagination to paint a background of
your own choosing. This is how I created
the painting Sea Horse (above).
On a day at the races I took lots of great
photos of thoroughbreds being exercised
before and after their races. The animals
were all magnificent but the wire fences
and concrete stalls were very unattractive.
As my favourite landscape to paint is
the sea, I thought it would be fun to
incorporate the horse subject into an
imaginary seascape and be playful with
the painting title at the same time.
t
The finished painting Hamilton Days, oil on canvas, 3112⁄ x47in. (80x120cm)
RRP
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£12.99 £12.99
£12.99 £10.99
£10.99 £10.99
RRP
RRP
£12.99 RRP RRP
£6.99
£10.99 £9.99 £9.99
£7.99 £7.99 £4.99
Available from
www.painters-online.co.uk/store
and follow the link to books
closing date 5th July 2017
LP_FullPage_JULY2017.indd 1 25/04/2017 13:06:38
LP07 49-53 Hopkinson_Layout 1 05/05/2017 15:30 Page 49
Watercolour
Close encounter
Part 1 Learn how to take and use photographs of wildlife, before you begin painting
a barn owl using a variety of watercolour techniques, with Paul Hopkinson
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
n How to work from photographs
n Build your watercolour technique
repertoire with confidence
n How to paint detail in
watercolour
Taking photos
With any animal portrait I always
recommend taking the photo outdoors
and on the largest photo size their
camera can take. It’s a good idea to
crouch down low to the animal so you
are level with its eyes to remove the
issue with your subject having a large
head and a small body. Have sunlight
behind you and try to take the photo
on an overcast but bright day.
There are many ways to take pictures
of birds. One way is to visit a bird of
prey centre where you can get up close t
This lovely photograph of a
to a variety of beautiful birds, including barn owl, which is the reference
owls. As for your own garden, set up a material for the following two-
perch – such as a broom handle stuck part project, was taken by
in the ground with a branch screwed to photographer, Phil Winter. See
the top of it – then place a feeder on more of Phil’s photographs at
both ends. This can be positioned near https://goo.gl/8GXpqy
a window where after a few days you
should receive a few visitors. Hide A close-up of the face of a barn
t
behind a gap in a curtain so you can owl shows the kind of detail you
slowly peek your camera through. If need to study
you don’t have a garden, why not try
a similar set up on a window box or, on an overcast but bright day.
with permission, set one up in a nearby If the sun is in front of you the
wood, leaving and replenishing seeds photos will be dark and the
in the area for a few days. The main birds silhouetted, but if it’s a
problems you might encounter will be very dull day the photo may
the light and distance so try to get as be grainy and blurred. Timing
is very important. LP
t
Watercolour
Colours used
t
Step 1
Draw the barn owl using my drawing as a guide. Keep
your drawing lighter than the one shown here, which
was darkened for this lesson. When drawing, remember
to place a sheet of paper under your hand to avoid
transferring natural oils from your skin to the paper.
This will act as a resist and may cause problems when
you apply washes of colour. Use the putty rubber to
lighten the lines if they turn out too dark, just
enough so you can see them.
Step 2
t
Step 3
1 Make up four separate thin washes of translucent grey, 2 Do the same with burnt sienna, burnt umber and
t t
burnt umber, yellow ochre and burnt sienna. Wet the background translucent grey, but use less grey at the top of the paper,
(avoiding the bird) with clean water three times, but before you which will give you a nice light effect. Leave to dry flat for
start make sure that your paper isn’t running like a waterfall! two or three hours before the next stage of removing the
Let the water soak in a little before you apply the colours. Begin masking fluid. Do not dry it with a hair dryer, as this
with the lightest colour, yellow ochre, and ‘squiggle’ it randomly can cause the masking fluid to harden within the paper
around the background, leaving gaps for the other colours. and could tear the painting when removed.
Step 4
t
Watercolour
Step 5
t
1 I always begin with the eye of a bird, as this is
where painting comes alive. Using a No. 3 brush,
wet the eye and drop in a thin wash of French
ultramarine, avoiding the highlight areas and
the edges of the eyes.
2 Let this dry then do the same with a mix of
French ultramarine, lamp black and alizarin
crimson, being careful not to go too wide around
the eyes.
3 Once dry add a touch of the same colour but
watered down to the light areas to the sides of
the eyes.
4 With the No. 00 brush add a tiny second
highlight within each eye by using tiny circular
motions then, whilst wet, lift off the area with
a point of a piece of kitchen roll.
5 Let it dry again then add the details to the
bottom and top of the eye with a mix of raw
umber, burnt umber and burnt sienna. Use
a little white watercolour to add the highlight.
Step 6
t
Step 7
t
Watercolour
Step 8
t
1 Once this is dry change to the
No. 5 brush and very lightly give
the barn owl’s face a light wash
of clean water. This will soften
the details a little and help them
to look more natural.
2 Now begin on the outside of the
head. With the No. 5 brush, add
a light wash of raw umber and burnt
sienna to the brown areas then a
light wash of the same face colour
(blue-black) to the bottom right of
the face.
3 Once dry, make up a thicker mix
(creamy consistency) of raw sienna
and burnt sienna and another of
burnt sienna and burnt umber. Using
the No. 00 brush, carefully paint the
details, varying the colours from your
mixes as you go. Remember every
layer you paint will become darker
so add a few layers extra to the top
and sides of the head, adding the
smaller darker marks as you go.
4 Add the whiter areas using your
French ultramarine and lamp black
mix, but very watery, and add a
second layer of the same mix to
the right underside of the face.
5 Once all this is dry, strengthen
your mixes and using the No. 00
brush paint the fine detail lines,
ensuring these are not too straight.
Step 9
t
Paul Hopkinson
Find out more about Paul,
his work and classes by visiting
www.devonartist.co.uk and
facebook.com/thedevonartist
paul or follow him on Twitter
at twitter.com/thedevonartist.
If you have any questions
about this article, please
email paul@devonartist.co.uk t
Follow Paul as he completes this painting of the barn owl in next month’s issue
Reader holiday
Watercolour
Loosen up!
Part 3 Follow Wendy Jelbert step-by-step as she completes her painting
of a farmyard using a variety of loose and lively painting techniques
t
The finished painting Farmyard Chickens, watercolour, 12x16in. (30.5x40.5cm)
paints. LP
Watercolour
t
Step 2 t
Step 3
1 Wet the paper’s surface and drop bright yellow over 1 Quickly lift out the wattle area and add a bright red spot.
the neck area and ochre over the face. Allow the colours Allow it to merge over the face into the background. Do let
to merge into the body and feet. this vital seeping of the colours happen.
2 Add Hooker’s green to the background between the 2 Paint deep violet over the body and add more ochre
birds, emphasising the negative shape between them. to the neck.
t
Step 4 t
Step 5
Keeping the surface wet, accentuate the body shape with Using a wetted tissue, soften and alter the chicken’s shape to
deep violet and a weaker wash added to the silkie’s body to a more rounded and satisfactory feature. Strengthen the tail
give it definition. Tint the tail area with cerulean blue and and colour the pots using burnt sienna and white gouache.
add an accent of burnt sienna to the base of the neck and
background pot behind the white chicken shape.
Step 6 t
1 Whilst still wet, use alizarin crimson to define the
wattle and eye areas. Darken the sides of the body using
violet and sienna, and add Winsor blue to the lower body.
2 Roughly place more flower pot colours and splatter
the foreground using burnt sienna, violet and blues;
allow to soften in the wetter places.
3 Place cerulean blue under the chickens in the
shadowed areas.
t Step 7
1 If the paper begins to dry, rewash very carefully. The
paper needs to be thoroughly dry before rewashing or
you will create unsightly watermarks in your work.
2 Redefine the pots with a combination of sienna and
violet, and darken the tail a little with Winsor blue.
As you proceed, try to leave something for the
imagination to work on in your painting.
Step 8
t
Step 9
t
Wendy Jelbert
Wendy’s courses and
exhibitions are on her website
www.wendyjelbert.co.uk
Oils
Go green
Richard Holland focuses on composition, perspective and mixing
greens, using a view he has sketched and painted through the seasons
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
n
n
How to mix greens
Follow an oil painting process
from initial sketch
I n this article I want to look at painting
a view I have sketched and painted
many times through the seasons. For
my latest version of this scene, I used a
watercolour sketch (below) made in the
see in the finished painting (page 78).
We also concentrate on composition and
perspective issues before we tackle colour
mixing and how to achieve a variety of
greens without resorting to readymade
autumn as the basis for the greens you tube colours. LP
n Beginners’ perspective
Step 1
t
Watercolour sketch
To capture the moment
at Hill Top Farm
I painted this small
A5 watercolour sketch
on location to work
from as my reference
material back in the
studio. I painted this
early last autumn, just
as some of the foliage
was going over, which
offered me deep greens
with the hint of
autumnal colour.
Oils
Head towards
vanishing point
Centre third
Looking
up at
Horizon/eye level
Looking
Lead-in down to
Light flash
Serpentine
lead-in
t
Step 2 Perspective and composition
1 To begin, consider the horizon or eye level also became smaller as it went into the that draws you into the painting. The wall
in this painting. Whilst sketching I sat up on distance. Making preliminary working line on the right-hand side, the open gate and
a bank looking at the farm and outbuildings drawings are the best way to work this out, the barn roof beams all lead you into the
side on. The foreground dropped away but keep looking and measuring and, as view as well as the strong flashes of light
before coming up to meet my eye level time goes on, it becomes more obvious to along the back of the painting. All the main
again. I needed to draw the wall on the which way your lines need to go. interest in the painting, including the main
left-hand side progressively smaller as it 2 From a compositional point of view focal point – where the path leads to – sits
went away from me. The main farm building I used a serpentine lead-in with the track within the centre third of the painting.
Step 3 Preparation
t
Oils
t
yellow yellow yellow deep sienna yellow You can generally mix all the greens you need from
five yellows and five blues, with a little extra help from
alizarin crimson and buff titanium. The chart shows
the mixes from indigo, French ultramarine, cobalt blue,
cerulean and Sansepolcro blue mixed with lemon
yellow, cadmium yellow, cadmium yellow deep, Naples
Indigo yellow and raw sienna. If you want a darker or more
olive green, add a tiny amount of alizarin. If you’re
looking for a creamy green, add buff titanium rather
than white, as this can make your greens look chalky.
French
ultramarine
Step 5 The mid-tones
1 Begin by painting the sky using a mix of Sansepolcro
Cobalt blue, cobalt blue and buff titanium. Add the distant hills
blue with greens made from Naples yellow (or raw sienna)
with French ultramarine to produce the aerial
perspective you need.
Cerulean 2 When the sky and distance is dry, block in the buildings
and walls with a mix of burnt sienna, raw sienna and
French ultramarine to make a dark stone colour.
3 Block in the trees and the mid-ground and foreground
Sansepolcro grass in darker green mixes of indigo and French
blue ultramarine with both cadmium yellows and a tiny
amount of alizarin.
t Step 6 The highlights across the centre of painting can be Buildings Mix buff titanium with raw
Trees Use a wide range of the lighter greens left with the mid tones, but the darkness sienna, burnt sienna and cadmium red
on your colour chart, most having a little of this shadow area will make the lighter along with Venetian rose flesh to give
buff titanium added to give the colours greens around it stand out more. you the sunlit areas, while maintaining
a softer feel. For the distant trees, aim to Foreground Use your stronger light the mid-tones for the shaded areas.
use more Naples yellow and raw sienna greens, such a lemon and cadmium Accents Strong dashes or wafts of the
with cobalt and French ultramarine mix to yellow with cerulean, cobalt blue and brighter greens help to give the painting
create a more blue-grey green for distance. French ultramarine, to bring looseness and impact as well as drawing
Shadow Much of the shadow that falls the foreground forward. the eye into the painting.
Richard
Holland
Richard will be
demonstrating
landscape painting on
his stand at Patchings
Art, Craft and
Photography Festival
this July (see page 71
for details). For further
information go to
richardholland
landscapeartist.co.uk
or email ricardo2244
@yahoo.co.uk
t
The finished painting Hill Top Farm, oil on canvas board, 12x16in. (30.5x41cm)
t
Stacks at Souter, watercolour, 10x14in. (25.5x35.5cm). I loved the play of light on the rocks and beautiful colours in the sea.
Watercolour
t
Step 1
Draw the scene using a 2B pencil. Mix pools of
well-diluted quinacridone gold and manganese
blue hue. Apply the yellow wash to the lower
part of the sky, continuing down over the hills,
the foreground grass and rocky outcrop behind
the cottage. Add the blue for the rest of the
sky and the loch. Leave to blend and dry.
Step 2
t
1 Add a touch of cobalt blue to the
remainder of the manganese blue hue
and strengthen the upper part of the sky.
2 Mix light green using cadmium yellow pale
and cobalt blue to add strength and variation
to the grass area.
3 Mix a darker green-blue for the background
hills using Indian yellow, ultramarine blue
and a touch of burnt sienna. Weaken the
wash with water as you move down towards
the loch. Whilst still damp apply more blue
to the mix to add shape to the hills and
allow this to blend. Also add this mix to
the bushes near the road.
t Step 3
1 Make a strong mix of the hill colour to the illusion of aerial perspective. Throw in left while still damp and allow to blend. Leave
create the layers of hills, using a second a touch of green for the distant fields. Add to dry before adding the final layer of hills
brush just dampened with water to create burnt sienna and violet to the hill on the down to the loch. Mix a dark with ultramarine
blue and burnt sienna to paint the dark tidal
lines of all the lochside hills, leaving just a
hint of the lighter tones here and there.
2 Once dry mix a darker blue using what you
have left from earlier, with more cobalt blue
and the slightest hint of burnt sienna. Use the
dry-brush technique to give the effect of water
disturbed by the wind, moving swiftly from left
to right and barely touching the surface.
Strengthen areas where needed. Using a smaller
Round brush, add detail to the patterns in the
water in the distance.
3 With a dilute grey mix add tone to the rocks
and poles, and paint the road, except where the
sun cuts across. Apply burnt sienna with a little
dark from the palette to the rocks behind the
cottage and allow to blend.
4 Apply cadmium red light to the roofline then
water down, pulling it towards the bottom. Add
touches of madder lake deep for variation.
5 Add Indian yellow to the areas where the
sunlight hits the grasses. Apply the same yellow
and cobalt blue around the rocks and more
liberally elsewhere. Before this dries put some
more blue and burnt sienna here and there
to give variation.
Step 4
t
1 The way to create the effect of light is to be
bold with the darks. Using more pigment than
water mix ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and
a touch of cobalt green to achieve a nice juicy
dark. Using the side of a large dry Round
brush, scrub around the area of the trees.
This gives a dry-brush effect and implies
leaves and branches.
2 Before it has a chance to dry, add Indian
yellow at the top to warm it up, and use
a Rigger and the dark mix to add a few
branches. Don’t overdo this; it’s easy to get
carried away. Can you see now why I left the
area behind the trees unpainted earlier?
3 Continue with the same dark mix and work
on the verge beneath the tree, adding a few
warm yellows and browns into the mix, right
up to the edge of the shaft of sunlight. Use
Indian yellow and cobalt blue mixed on the
paper to add the sunlit grass verge.
Strengthen the greens on the main grass
area either side of the sunlit area.
5 Mixing grey with a hint of violet now tackle t Step 5
the shaded areas of the road, coming back 1 Using a blue-grey mix, add shadow to Colin Joyce
into it with more of the mix as it dries to the side of the cottage, chimneys and Colin lives in Dunfermline, Fife and
imply tyre wear on the single-track road. window. Add more of the blue-grey to the paints in and teaches both oils and
6 By painting around a few areas create edges of the cottage to make it stand out. watercolours. He demonstrates for
dappled light on the road. Dilute this mix a 2 Using manganese blue hue add detail art groups and organises painting
touch to add shadows on parts of the grass to the electricity pole, deepening the blue holidays. Meet him at Patchings Art,
and behind rocks, and the shaded sides of with grey for the shadows. Add a dark grey Crafts & Photography Festival (see
the rocks themselves. Notice how I broke to the shadow side of the poles. page 71 for details). To find out
the plane of the grass against the Loch with 3 If you’re feeling brave, place power more, visit www.colinjoyceart.com
the big boulder. lines with a Rigger.
t
The finished painting Sunlit Morning, Loch Shieldaig, watercolour, 11x15in. (28x38cm)
CLUB EXHIBITIONS
Art clubs
OVER TO YOU FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON CLUB
n Boughton Art Group
Annual exhibition at Edwinstowe Craft
Centre, Nottinghamshire on Saturday 29
July from 10am to 5pm and Sunday 30
July, 10am to 4pm.
n Denbighshire Art Society
EXHIBITIONS AND ACTIVITIES Summer exhibition at The Studio, 10
Penrhos Road, Colwyn Bay LL28 4DB from
1 to 16 July, 10am to 5pm daily.
n Fleet Art Society
Annual exhibition at The Church on the
Heath, Elvetham Heath, Fleet GU51 1HA
on Thursday 15 June, 1.30 to 5pm; Friday
16 June, 10am to 5.30pm and Saturday
17 June, 10am to 5pm. Visit
www.fleetart.org.uk
n Great Yarmouth Guild of
Artist and Craftsmen
Annual exhibition at Great Yarmouth
Library from 29 June until 7 July. Open
daily, 10am to 4pm.
n Lindley Art Association
Exhibition at Tetney Village Hall,
Humberston Road, Tetney, Grimsby,
North East Lincolnshire DN36 5NG on
Friday 23 June, 1 to 6pm; Saturday 24
June, 10am to 6pm; and Sunday 25 June
from 10am to 4pm. Enquiries to 01507
610604.
n Milford Art Group
Exhibition at All Saints Church Hall,
Church Hill, Milford SO41 0SQ from 29
July until 12 August. Open daily, 10am to
5.30pm; from 11am until 5.30pm on
Sundays and closing at 4pm on final day.
n Nettleham Art Group
13th annual exhibition at the Old School
(near the church), Nettleham, Lincoln LN2
2PE on Friday 7 July, 2 to 4pm and 6.30 to
8pm; Saturday 8 July from 10am to
4.30pm; and Sunday 9 July from 11am
until 3.30pm Enquiries to Ian Straw
01522 753558.
n North Lincs Art Society
Annual exhibition at Grimsby Minster
from 2 to 26 June. Open daily between
10am and 4pm, excluding Sundays when
services are held. Enquiries to Anne Harris
01507 610604 or visit www.nlasart.co.uk
n Royal Tunbridge Wells
t
Ron Etherington Rudbeckia, oil on board, 133⁄4x101⁄2in. (35x27cm) on show in the annual
Art Society
exhibition of the Saddleworth Group of Artists Summer exhibition at 61 The Pantiles,
Tunbridge Wells, Kent from 1 to 16 July.
Highlights Visit www.rtwas.org
Saddleworth Group of Artists n Sherborne Art Club
The annual summer exhibition of the Saddleworth Group of Artists will take Annual open exhibition at the Digby Hall,
place at the Saddleworth Museum, High Street, Uppermill OL3 6HS from 17 June Hound Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AA
from 22 to 30 July. Open 10am to 5.30pm
to 16 July. The exhibition will include up to 50 works, with most paintings daily; closing at 1pm on final day. Visit
offered for sale. The group, which was founded in 1950 by watercolourist, www.sherborneartclub.com
Ellis Shaw and friends, currently has around 60 enthusiastic members, some
n Stotfold Mill
full-time professionals, but all committed to their work. The museum is open
Summer art exhibition at Stotfold Mill,
daily from 1 to 4pm. For more information about the group visit Bedfordshire SG5 4NU from 7 to 9 July,
www.saddleworthartists.co.uk 12.30 to 5pm daily. Visit
www.stotfoldmill.com
To advertise your holiday, course or business call Anna-Marie now on 01778 392048
Holidays & Courses
LEARN AT HOME. Watercolour
Art & Craft Days PAINTING COURSES. 1-7 day SUE
and FORD’SBeginners/advanced
drawing. PAINTING HOLIDAYS
The Butterßy Art & Craft Studio,
and weekly art courses painting correspondenceCourses
Mixed Media courses. Easy, relaxed,
Flacks Green,Terling, Essex CM3 2QS
flowers and gardens, landscapes, Cober HillDetails:
thorough. and Red Lea Trotman
Jenny Hotels both in
NDD.
Enjoy a special day at watercolour or line and wash with Scarborough,
Tel: 01305 264568various dates.
The Butter:ly Art & Craft Studio Jan Blanch in Norfolk also Brusho Glenthorne, Grasmere, Higham Hill,
www.catswhiskersart.co.uk
classes. Very good accommodation. Bassenhwaite, various dates.
Popular Artists
THE SKY’S
Carole Massey, Marilyn Allis, Painting holidays in Corfu. The Watermill in Tuscany, July 15-22.
Kay Elliott, Charles Evans, The Old House Studio.
Tel: 01493 393639 or 07702 069300 www.sueford.co.uk
David Webb, Helen Rubinstein,
In the Peak District National Email: janblanchartist@gmail.com
Park, Derbyshire Suefordartist@icloud.co.uk
Julia Tanner, Teresa Norfolk,
TrevorJanie Pirie,8Paul
Osborne
Vic Bearcroft
Contact Brian29
Alcock.
& 9 Jul
or &
2017
30 Jul
Julie for2017
more
www.janblanch.co.uk Email: info@watermill.net
Call Bill or Lois: +39 366 488 2587
THE LIMIT
Tel: 01642 712926
Celebrating our 15th year Tel: 020 3239 6786 or 0034 637 458679
Painting Holiday”
Sylvia Paul, Robert Dutton and many more…
A
• Delicious food and wine 15-18 Jul Rocks, Waves, Sea and Sky - Acrylics
• All accommodation en-suite 1-4 Aug
rtist and holiday organiser, Linda Matthews is passionate
Sketching is an Art in Itself!
• No single supplement
• Stunning locations - easy walking
5-8 Aug
12-15 Aug
about painting from life, en plein air, and in fact was the
Cliff Top Painting - Look East and West
Sketching Buildings with Pen and Wash
founder of the first four-day plein air
studio based
Somerset, Exmoor
painting festival – National Park,
Ashcraft Framing Artists Frames
• All abilities and non-painting A Brush with the Broads – in 2014. Her schedule
21-24 Aug Loosening up with Watercolour North Devon is a busyCoast,
one, North - Save money on framing
partners welcome
• Well equipped studio
6-11 Sep The Four Stages of Watercolour
with courses ranging from weekly morning
studio based Cornwall,
classes toLake District, Wye- Complete or self-assembly
week-long
painting holidays both in this country and abroad. What they - Plain wood or painted
• Small numbers to ensure
individual attention
15-20 Sep
26-29 Sep
Seascapes and Harbours
Painting Dorset Skies- acrylics or Valley, Provence, France & The
all have in common is her dedication to getting out there and - Inlay frame specialist
- Large, standard and bespoke sizes
becoming aware of what is around you. Western “WhereverAlgarve,
you look Portugal
watersoluble oils
20-23 Oct Watercolour - the Basics and Beyond
studio based
there is something to paint,” she says. “You can never be bored Exclusive - St Ives/Nicholson style
Painting by David Webb
£145
Boscombe Nr Bournemouth
LONDON!
FRANCE!
tailor courses to meet the needs of individuals - whether it’s one-
MOROCCO! to-one tuition that’s needed or special courses for groups. Look
66 JULY 2017 on the website for full details of all the courses and options on www.painters-online.co.uk
offer. You’ll even find some step-by-step tutorials to follow.
Suppliers of the finest
lp CLA July_NEW.indd 66 art materials 05/05/2017 13:53:03
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www.deborahlast.co.uk
Watershed Studio
Teaching art has been David’s
Holiday of the month Celebrating our 16th year
passion for over 15 years,
passing on his knowledge PEGASUS ART • Proven reputation for quality courses
• Warm welcome & home-cooked food
• Rural studio in its own grounds
and tips from over 50 years of • Excellent local accommodation
painting and helping students • High profile, popular tutors
learn, improve and achieve. Fraser Scarfe, Tim Fisher
Jeremy Ford, Charles Evans,
Watercolours • oils • pastels Diana Seidl and many more…
Call Allison Bond for details:
Saturday workshops and holidays
01255 820466
www.watercolourartist.net Email: allison@watershedstudio.co.uk
Tel: 01246 826311 www.watershedstudio.co.uk
St Clere’s Hall Lane, St Osyth,
Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO16 8RX
www.learntopaintinfrance.co.uk
With Mike Hall Des RCA.
Award Winning Art t
Managing director Jane Fisher leads a demonstration
Regular contributor to ‘The Artist’ Join popular artist
S
magazine and popular tutor. ince 2005, professional artist, Jane Fisher, has led a and experienced
Painting Holidays 2017! tutor Mike for
passionate team of artists at Griffin Mill – home to Pegasus
Higham Hall, Lake District a long weekend
Rydal Hall, Lake District Art, comprising a shop and vibrant artists’ studios based in a
Cober Hill, Scarborough converted Victorian Mill in the Cotswold Valleys. The shop stocks or a week’s all
HF Holidays – Malham, Whitby an impressive range of artists’ materials, with a fast and efficient inclusive painting
Dalvaro Art, Spain holiday in France.
Paint Andalucia, Spain mail order service run by knowledgeable staff, all of whom are
Sandpiper Studio, South Wirral practising artists. There are six artists’ studios at the mill as well as Small painting groups in Limousin.
Watershed Studio, Essex Studio One – a teaching studio that hosts demonstrations and
Norfolk Creative Arts, Norfolk All levels welcome.
workshops for artists of all levels, including children.
Workshops available nationally. See the website for details
www.rdcreative.co.uk Regular art classes are held mornings, afternoons and some
evenings each week, and include watercolour classes with Richard or call Mike on
for further details or contact
Callingham; acrylic classes with Alexandra Darbyshire, mixed- 01256 850167 or 07774 616361
0113 2252481 or email
rdcreative@ntlworld.com
bscshep@aol.com
media classes with Alison Vickery (who also runs an after-school
club for eight to 12-year-olds); life-drawing classes with Paul
LEARN AT HOME. Watercolour and drawing.
Beginners/advanced correspondence
Fowler; and developing skills and creativity with Rob Collins. Most Art Shops
'Leisurecourses.
Painter 1-16 courses run for six or seven weeks, but students can join at any
Easy,advert.indd 1
relaxed, thorough. 01/12/2016
Details: 10:11
www.boscombespahotel.co.uk
30/31st October and 2/3rd November 2017
r breaks
Art
rt r aks
bre
re k in Exmoor
ks E moor
Ex
See website for details - janebetteridge.com
or tel 07925826937
Shorland Old Farm
Create contemporary, coastal related pieces of work
Wide
‘with a twist’, using watercolours, inks, grounds,
and texture making mediums.
range of courses for all abilities
collage
17C farmhouse in beautiful location
Light, well-equipped studio
binders
TARN AREA, SW FRANCE. Painting holidays.
art holidays
Good food, friendly in atmosphere
cornwall
Protect your copies of and
Excellent food and accommodation, superb
Non-painting partners welcome build up your own art study library at home
landscape, forestry, mediaeval villages,
binders take a complete
studio, large swimming pool. Professional www.shorlandoldfarm.co.uk
www.shorlandoldfa f rm.co.uk
fa volume of 13 issues and have no loose clips
tuition by Ken Ray BA, WSCAD,
or rods. In a matter of seconds you can
Diana Golledge, Cora Martin. Details: insert or extract a copy – just slide it on or
‘a great deal more than just a painting holiday...’
Bob and Carla Schaap, Chateau de Pourpry, Ready-made off the sprung cord. The binders are robust
81220 Damiatte, Tarn, France. Small Groups
groups also
Stunning Locations and attractively covered in a mulberry
Tel: 0033 563 707 176 welcome
4 Star Accommodation leather finish with gold-lettered spines.
Email: bobencarla@aol.com Call Sandy or Mark 01598 763505
All Abilities
Tel 01579 383491 Prices (including VAT and p&p)
enquiries@shorlandoldfa
Email: enquiries@shorlandoldfarm.co.uk
www.callingtonartschool.com f rm.co.uk
fa UK £7.95 or two for £15.00
Art Groups Europe £14.00
Rest of world £16.00
Friendly Art Group
Benington Art Group meet every THE SKY’S
THE LIMIT
Monday 10am-2pm at
Benington Village Hall, near Stevenage.
Friendly, well established group, keen to
Only
welcome new members of all abilities.
Our aim is to enjoy what we do. A tutor
£7.95
inc VAT &
attends on alternate weeks covering WHEN IT COMES TO
a variety of subjects and mediums.
p&p
ADVERTISING WITH
Refreshments provided, free parking.
Join us for free ‘taster’ session contact
LEISURE PAINTER
Rosalind on 01992 892588.
Call Anna-Marie to discover the
opportunities available to you.
Order online at www.painters-online.co.uk/store or send your name
T: 01778 392048 and address, with a cheque payable to TAPC, to: LP Binders, 63-65
E: annamarieb@ High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6BD. To pay by credit card telephone
warnersgroup.co.uk +44 (0) 1580 763673. Alternatively, email liza@tapc.co.uk
64
68 APRIL2017
JULY 2015 www.painters-online.co.uk
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Reader holiday
Paint in Rajasthan,
India with Hazel Soan October
16 to 31,
2017
Join popular art tutor, Hazel Soan, on the ultimate painting holiday
in India and return with an impressive portfolio of work
l Paint the grandeur of the Udaipur, known as the ‘city of sunrise’ Painting programme & tutor
Mughal Empire in the Royal is a glistening oasis in the Rajasthan desert. Hazel Soan is a versatile and
It is one of the most serene, romantic and
lakeside city of Udaipur paintable places in India. Apart from the
talented artist, and an excellent
l Experience Diwali –
teacher with a natural gift of
special light, its ornate white-marbled drawing out the best in
palaces and lakeside location are most
the Festival of Lights appealing. Women washing their clothes
students. She will illustrate a
Online gallery
Jane Stroud’s selection of works from our PaintersOnline gallery
WWW.PAINTERS-ONLINE.CO.UK
B oats are notoriously difficult to paint. Their complex shape and reflections result
in numerous perspective problems to overcome. Gerry Jensen’s striking painting,
below, caught my eye immediately, with the boat taking up as much room as the
Feeling the atmosphere
Born in Tunbridge Wells, Gerry Jensen
emigrated to Australia with her parents
reflected image. Here, Gerry tells us a little bit about her approach to painting with in 1950. She now lives on the north west
pastels and how she set about this particular subject. If you would like to see more of coast of Tasmania where, she says, she
her work, post a comment or have a go yourself and upload your own images to our “commits to the discipline of painting
free online gallery, visit www.painters-online.co.uk every day. I don’t mind what the subject
is. At the moment I love painting boats,
figures and still life, but I paint any
subject that catches my eye. I work in a
variety of media. Pastel is top of the list,
although I enjoy watercolour and oil as
well. My style is traditional with an
impressionistic twist. It’s fascinating to
pick up a pastel stick, brush or pencil and
watch as the idea unfolds. Sometimes a
bit of magic happens. It’s the process
that makes the journey so exciting. As I
get older I want to simplify my work,
becoming more impressionistic and
seeing where it takes me. Each painting is
a learning experience and every stroke of
pastel, oil or pencil teaches me
something. I love drawing and think it is
a very important part of an artist’s
vocabulary.
“Moored was inspired by the wonderful
reflections of the boats in the still water
of Strahan Harbour in Tasmania. I drew
the subject with pastel pencil on black
MiTeintes paper, making sure it was
reasonably accurate. It doesn’t have to be
an exact representation – it’s more about
the feel and atmosphere. I started with
the larger shapes, refining anything that
jumped out and leaving some of the
black paper showing through the water
and sky. You don’t need to cover the
whole surface! I painted the jetty using
negative shapes, allowing it to blend in
with the positive shapes. I worked
intuitively through the painting, making
changes as needed. I used soft and hard
pastels and because this paper is
smoother than a sanded surface, I
blended more than usual to get the soft
reflections, relying on the black of the
paper to give the impression of texture in
other parts of the painting.”
(120x85cm)
PatchingsFestival 2017
ART, CRAFT & PHOTOGRAPHY JULY 13 TO 16, 10AM TO 5PM DAILY
Supported by The Artist and Leisure Painter magazines
NEW
FOR 2017
Don’tmissthisopportunitytomeetover250 Resident Festival Artists
artists,photographers,craftmakersand Angus McFadyne, silversmith;
designersdemonstratingtheirskillsatoneof Laura Boswell, printmaker;
Southern Stone, stonemasons;
theUK’sfinestcreativeevents,setin60acres Stephen Ashurst,
ofpicturesqueNottinghamshirecountryside portrait painter; E+M Glass,
furnace glass-blowing
FREE DAILY DEMONSTRATIONS BE demonstrations
The Artist andLeisure Painter marqueewillincludefree30-minute
demonstrationsfivetimesadaycoveringavarietyofsubjects,mediaand
INSPIRED!
techniques,presentedbyLeisure Painter contributorsFiona Peart Come and enjoy viewing the
(Thursday to Saturday, July 13 to 15) and Tim Fisher (Sunday, July 16), 140 selected works in two
sponsored by Daler-Rowney. Manyotherfreedemonstrationswillbe separate exhibitions from this
providedbyCaran D’Ache, Derwent, Pebeo, Premium Art Brands, year’s The Artist and Leisure
Search Press, UK Coloured Pencil Society andWinsor & Newton Painter Open Art
Competition and view the
finalists in this year’s Art Club
of the Year competition,
sponsored
by Jackson’s