The Artist 2020 Volume 135 04 1080 April PDF

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How to capture atmospheric

street scenes in watercolour
OILS: NEW SERIES WATERCOLOUR INKS Plus
� Ideas for creating abstract
compositions from real
subjects
� Paint striking coneflowers in
mixed media
� Make a concertina sketchbook
to enhance your creativity
� Top tips for painting marine
subjects in acrylics
04>
Develop your landscape How to mix the Techniques to try to help

painting skills with ideal greens for spring improve your watercolour
Graham Webber foliage skills 9 770004 387193
artist
PAINTING HOLIDAY
October 31 to
November 11,
2020
Hazel Soan
Elephants at Sunset, watercolour by Hazel Soan
Instructional Wildlife Painting Safari

with Hazel Soan, Kafue National Park, Zambia
Hazel Soan is an experienced wildlife artist and excellent tutor.
Her paintings reflect her love of Africa, capture the mood and action of
wildlife in its natural environment and the colours of the local people.
She has chosen to return to Zambia because its diversity and profusion
of wildlife is perfect for an instructional painting safari.
PAINTING ON SAFARI
H
azel Soan will be working and teaching more open woodland areas, there is a good
in watercolour. She will lead workshop chance of seeing leopard. The swamp areas
tutorials and demonstrations when at allow for easy viewing of waterbuck, kudu,
the lodge, and will help and encourage you impala, puku, sable and antelope, and on
to paint and sketch the action when out on the grasslands you’ll see red lechwes, oribis
safari. and roan antelope, as well as other grazers, ▲ Lion’s Head, watercolour by Hazel Soan
There will be two painting safaris most including buffalo, zebra and wildebeest –
days, which will be tailored specifically to and where there is prey there are always
artists’ needs as much as possible. It may predators. boundary of the park. The lodge has its own
be decided to do some full-day safaris to Kafue has wild dogs, lion, cheetah and motorised boat and 14 chalets and tents.
venture further afield in to Kafue National hyena. In denser vegetation you’ll find A travel escort will accompany you from
Park as well as some portrait painting if the elephants, and boat trips on the River Kafue London and take care of everyone and all the
opportunity arises. This is an instructional will provide the opportunity to paint wildlife arrangements.
painting safari that is best suited for on the river banks and hippos up close.
intermediate artists. • Number of students 8 to 12
Kafue National Park is Zambia’s largest PRACTICAL DETAILS • Medium Watercolour
wildlife reserve. It offers a combination Flights are from London Heathrow via • Suitability Intermediate students
of water and land-based wildlife viewing, Dubai. On arrival in Zambia you’ll travel by • Price per person £7,495
enabling you to paint and sketch wildlife road to Kafue National Park, which will be • Single supplement £450
from different perspectives. Kafue is classic interesting and gently immerse you in to • Price includes scheduled international flights,
wildlife country with a diverse mix of habitats. Africa. The safari lodge is located on the banks nine nights’ safari lodge, all meals, park fees,
The riverine forests are full of birds and, in the of the Kafue River, which forms the eastern safari activities, art tutor and UK travel escort
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hippo Pool, watercolour by Hazel Soan Wildlife River Scene, watercolour by Hazel Soan Hazel with students
FOR FULL DETAILS CONTACT 01825 714310 • art@spencerscott.co.uk • www.spencerscotttravel.com

We have paintings holidays in 2020 with other well-known artists including:
Peter Brown PNEAC, RBA, PS, ROI, RP, Adebanji Alade VPROI, Richard Pikesley NEAC, RWS, Lachlan Goudie ROI and Haidee-Jo Summers ROI
The Artist has been offering overseas painting holidays since 1990 with renowned artists. These holidays are organised on our behalf by fully licensed operator Spencer Scott Travel Services CAA ATOL 3471
artist
incorporating ART & ARTISTS
First established 1931
ISSN 0004-3877
Vol.135 No.4
ISSUE 1080
WELCOME
from the editor
Publishing Editor:
Sally Bulgin PhD Hon VPRBSA Want to comment on something you’ve read, or seen?
Deputy Editor: Email me at theartistletters@tapc.co.uk or visit our
Deborah Wanstall website at www.painters-online.co.uk/forum
Subscriptions & Marketing Manager:
Wendy Gregory
Subscriptions:
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Liza Kitney and Nicci Salmon
subscriptions@tapc.co.uk
elcome to our April issue, packed full of inspirational, practical articles from
01580 763673/01580 763315 our team of top professional artists and tutors. We start the issue with an
Commercial Manager
Neil Miller illuminating insight into the work of Rosalind Robinson, winner of The Artist
Advertising sales: Award in a recent Society of Women Artists open exhibition. I selected Rosalind
Anna-Marie Brown 01778 392048
annamarieb@warnersgroup.co.uk as our award winner for her sensitive rendition of the human face and igure; in the interview
Advertisement copy: with her on pages 16-17 she generously shares the thoughts behind her decision to paint her
Sue Woodgates: 01778 392062
suewoodgates@warnersgroup.co.uk series of Sufragette heroines, and her working methods in oils.
Online Editor: Much can be learnt too from Deborah Walker’s feature on how to make and use a
Dawn Farley
concertina sketchbook (pages 20-23). She suggests developing this into a continuous habit
Design:
Brenda Hedley as an ideal means of keeping at bay the inevitable creative block that haunts all artists
Accounts: at times. We also welcome back Graham Webber who begins his new six-part series on
01778 391000
creditcontrol@warnersgroup.co.uk developing your conidence in landscape painting in oils on pages 24-27. As our thoughts
Events Manager: turn to spring, longer days and the hope of more clement weather, he ofers some great
Caroline Griffiths
advice on how to simplify your oil painting kit for successful outdoor painting. Continuing
Subscription orders
should be sent to: The Artist, Circulation Dept, the seasonal theme, Julie Collins shows how to mix the perfect colours for bright spring
Caxton House, 63/65 High Street, Tenterden,
Kent TN30 6BD. Tel: 01580 763673 foliage (pages 42-44), while Paul Weaver demonstrates watercolour techniques for capturing
Annual subscription rates (13 issues): sparkling frosty landscapes (pages 56-59).
UK – £47.20 (includes Northern Ireland);
EC member countries – E67; Our cover artist Amanda Hyatt’s relaxed approach to ‘relative’ perspective allows her the
USA – $80 (air freight); Canada – $92 (air freight). freedom to create moody, magical, atmospheric scenes in watercolour. As she says and
All other countries £57 (air freight). Payments
by credit card are taken in sterling at £57. demonstrates on pages 28-31, one of the creative joys of being an artist is that there really
Foreign currency prices include bank charges.
Periodicals postage paid at Rahway, NJ. US are no hard and fast rules, just helpful hints (she summarises her top ten helpful hints on
subscribers only: Send address corrections to
The Artist, c/o Mercury Airfreight International
page 29) that may or may not work for you, depending on your own preferences and style.
Ltd, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, NJ 07001 More inspiration and help for watercolourists are ofered by Brian Smith (pages 38-41)
News-trade distribution by:
Warners Group Publications plc. Tel: 01778
who outlines easy ways to work out your proportions and indicate people successfully in
391000 All material copyrighted; reproduction your compositions. He quotes another artist’s inluential words of wisdom: ‘Learn to capture
forbidden without permission. Publication
of an article or inclusion of an advertisement igures and the phone will always ring.’ Judi Whitton focuses on the artist’s decision-making
does not necessarily imply that the publisher
is in agreement with the views expressed, or process in front of the subject and stresses the importance of deciding what to leave out
represents endorsement of products, materials (pages 48-51). Whether or not your preferred medium is watercolour, Judi’s advice carries
or techniques. The publisher does not accept
responsibility for errors, omissions or images universal signiicance because, as she says, your choice of which inessentials to discard and
received in good faith.
artist is published every four weeks by the way you put this into practice, helps to put your own personal stamp of creativity on your
Warners Group Publications plc and is printed work.
by Warners Midlands PLC, The Maltings, Manor
Lane, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH. With many more great articles covering abstracting from reality, gouache painting en plein
air, painting conelowers in mixed media, following in Turner’s footsteps, ink techniques
to try, capturing marine subjects in acrylics, and all our usual news, views, information,
opportunities and open competitions to enter, there’s plenty here to inspire and enjoy.
artist Caxton House, 63/65 High Street, And please don’t miss our call for entries to our TALP Open Competition on pages 14-15, with
Tenterden, Kent TN30 6BD Telephone 01580 the opportunity to exhibit your work, see it published and win prizes worth over £18,000!
763673 Fax 01580 765411
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THIS MONTH’S COVER
Sally Bulgin Publishing Editor
Let us know what you think at

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Amanda Hyatt Parisian Street Scene 2,
watercolour, 16½21¼in (4254cm).
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See pages 28 to 31 • twitter.com/artpublishing
www.painters-online.co.uk artist April 2020 3

16 48
CONTENTS
determined as much by what you leave
out as by what you choose to include. Judi
Whitton shares some workable solutions
52 Gouache en plein air

In the second of two articles, Paul O’Kane
advises on selecting a subject and time-
saving techniques for painting en plein air
with gouache
56 The magic of snow and frost

Paul Weaver demonstrates how to capture
sparkling light and shadows on snow,
focusing on dry brush techniques and
negative and positive shapes
61 Abstracting reality
Andrew Newton demonstrates an
35 abstracted interior scene that retains just

enough information for the viewer to be
able to recognise the subject
FEATURES 35 Inspired by the sea

16 Focus on faces Paul Riley inds the versatility of acrylics
IN CONVERSATION Susie Hodge talks to ideal for marine subjects, and ofers his tips
Rosalind Robinson, winner of a recent The for successful outcomes
Artist Award at the Society of Women Artists’
annual open exhibition 38 On the beach
Brian Smith continues his series on
capturing igures by demonstrating how
PRACTICALS he worked up a watercolour sketchbook
study of a hot day on the beach, with an
20 Concertina habit alternative version to show you how your
Deborah Walker reveals how she makes initial sketches can be adapted
concertina sketchbooks and why they help
with creativity 42 Spring foliage FC
This month Julie Collins anticipates the
61
24 Why paint outside? FC coming of spring by showing you how to
Graham Webber begins a new six-part mix the perfect colours for bright spring 64 Develop your mark-making
oil-painting series showing the process of foliage skills with ink FC
landscape painting from plein-air sketches to Kim Whitby continues her three-part series
larger studio work 45 JMW Turner and the Thames by advising on the best brushes to use
Estuary with ink and how to develop your brush
28 Street scenes in watercolour FC Glyn Macey is documenting the changes to techniques and, by default, your watercolour
Amanda Hyatt demonstrates how to paint the English coastline with a painting inspired skills
atmospheric street scenes full of mood and by a well-known artist. This month he shows
magic you how to add drama to a sky in the style
of Turner PLUS THIS MONTH
32 Conelowers in mixed media 6 Your views 9 The Art World
Soraya French paints the ‘intense, lush 48 How to decide when and
colours’ of echinacea using acrylics and what to leave out 70 Exhibitions 73 Opportunities
mixed media to bring them to vibrant life The success of your painting can be 75 Art Books
4 artist April 2020 www.painters-online.co.uk

Join our friendly art community
PAINTERSONLINE Next month in
l Create your own portfolio of artworks in our
online gallery
l Create your own Studio Wall mood board
and share with other artists
artist
l Chat with other artists on a wide range of FEATURES
art-related topics
u IN CONVERSATION
l Connect with art tutors Michael Sole discusses
and art clubs the drip, pour, throw,
l Find details of art courses, lift and shake working
art shops, galleries, methods behind
framers and more his semi-igurative
l Be inspired by practical seascapes in acrylic and
painting and drawing oils with Susie Hodge
demonstrations
l Enter our competitions
with great prizes up for
grabs
PRACTICALS
t Be inspired by Charles
Williams as he shares his
Join our new Studio membership today. experiences as a contestant in
Try it for FREE for 30 days at https://www. this year’s Sky Portrait Artist
of the Year competition
painters-online.co.uk/membership/freetrial
COMPETITIONS, NEWS & OFFERS

7 WIN Search Press books worth £860 in our free-
to-enter PaintersOnline competition
u
14 ENTER our TALP2020 Open NEW SERIES
Competition for a chance to see your 2020 Vision:
work exhibited and win one of 45 Hazel Soan starts her
fantastic prizes worth over £18,000! new three-part series
by advising on ways to
19 Subscribe to The Artist, save money, and enjoy free hone your artistic skills
delivery direct to your door by identifying patterns in
72 WIN a painting holiday worth £1,250 in our free- your subject matter
to-enter PaintersOnline competition
74 Save money on discounted practical art books from
our online bookshop PLUS
78 See your work published in The Artist. Simply upload l Learn new techniques for drawing historic houses in line &
your work to our PaintersOnline gallery for the wash with Milly England
opportunity to be chosen for our monthly Editor’s l Follow Andrew Newton’s demonstration to discover how to
Choice feature paint a hyperrealist-style portrait in oils
l Tips and advice from Richard Suckling on the beneits of
EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS working en plein air in pastels
l Kim Whitby suggests more exercises to try with inks to help
develop your watercolour skills
PLUS
l With such a huge variety of drawing media to choose from
Robert Dutton highlights some of his personal favourites
Ken Howard OBE, RA David Curtis ROI, VPRSMA Haidee-Jo Summers l Julie Collins suggests how to mix the ideal colours for
studied at Hornsey School has won many awards for his en ROI, RSMA
of Art and the Royal plein air and igurative paintings has won many awards for her painting spring still lifes in watercolour
College of Art. He is a in both oils and watercolours. plein-air and alla-prima oil
member of the NEAC, ROI, He has had several books paintings. She is an elected
RWS, RWA and RBA. He published on his work as well as member of the Royal Institute
exhibits extensively and
has won numerous awards.
DVD ilms, and exhibits his work
extensively.
of Oil Painters, the author of
Vibrant Oils and also has a
DVD with the same title.
And much more! Don’t miss out:
our May issue is on sale from March 20

YOUR Email theartistletters@tapc.co.uk or write to The Editor,
VIEWS LETTERS, EMAILS AND COMMENTS

The Artist, 63/65 High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6BD
Please note we may have to edit letters for reasons of space
secretary to say that an individual in

STAR LETTER the USA had enquired (via email) about
setting-up their own online gallery. They
Winter painting ideas had highlighted several paintings on the
I am inding the articles on portraiture and life society’s website, including one of mine,
drawing in The Artist very helpful and inspiring, that they would like to purchase. It was
particularly during the winter when I stop doing when individual artists were asked to pay
landscapes en plein air. for the shipping costs that I again smelled
I fully agree with Eric Moore’s letter (January 2020 a rat, so I alerted the art society oice, as
issue) about Kathy Barker’s articles (November 2019 to did another artist who had grave doubts.
February 2020 issues). I would like to see an additional Thankfully the secretary concluded that
one on facial expressions: the sitter laughing, looking this ofer was too good to be true.
sad, etcetera. My portraits often look sad even if the Tim O’Brien, by email
sitter is merely bored – something to do with the eyes,
the mouth and the cheeks. This month’s star letter writer
will receive a DVD, Planning Seeing the light
I have also enjoyed the Ruth Buchanan articles on
your Painting by Joseph After reading your feature about the
how to draw and paint animals (January to September Zbukvic, worth £28.55,
2019 issues) and Penny German’s ‘Backgrounds exhibition ‘Sorolla: Spanish Master of
courtesy of APV Films,
for still life’ (January 2020), which is also useful for Light’ at the National Gallery, London, in
www.apvilms.com, telephone
backgrounds in portraiture. All these articles provide the June 2019 issue I felt encouraged to
01608 641798, plus art books
great inspiration for painting during the winter! or materials from our ind out more about this artist, of whom I
Jane Thomas, by email in-house store. had previously had little knowledge.
In September 2019 I succeeded in
viewing the exhibition at the National
Gallery of Ireland whilst visiting Dublin.
Money laundering scam explained that I’d been the unwitting The experience of seeing the large
In reply to John Allcock’s letter (March victim of an attempt at money laundering! paintings showing sunlight playing on
2020 issue) I was also the ‘victim’ of an There is, they informed me, no such thing water, lighting up a ship’s sails against the
online scam. I was forwarded an email as a ‘certiied cheque’! sky and the efects of softened light on
enquiry by an art association on whose At the end of the day no harm had all clothing and fabric drapes was truly
website my work is displayed. The email been done (except to my pride), and I still inspiring. I returned home eager to try to
was from a woman who ‘loved my work’ had the paintings, which were some of use a little of what I remembered from
and wanted to buy several paintings. my best work. So it seems that there are the exhibition in my own work. I am not
Supposedly, she was moving to the UK scams going on and that we artists are an experienced artist, having taken up
from the USA. She kept up an email seen as a soft touch. watercolour since retiring a few years ago.
correspondence with me for about a Carol Rogers, by email
Thank you for alerting me (and hopefully
month, eventually telling me that her many other readers, too) to the work of a
son had cancer and she was praying for Smelling a rat very special artist.
him. She informed me that a ‘certiied I read John Allcock’s letter in the March Jan Jones by email
cheque’ would be sent to me from her 2020 issue with interest. The same US
husband’s business account and that I marine engineer, stuck in the middle
should have the work safely packaged of the ocean, contacted me a few years Poppy power
ready to be collected by a courier. I was ago via the contact form on my website. The article ‘Inspired by white poppies’ by
to keep an agreed amount for myself, the He was, he said, desperately looking Soraya French in the February 2020 issue
rest I should give to the courier when he for a picture for his long-sufering wife. made me eager to pick up my brushes.
collected the artwork (I honestly couldn’t I smelled a rat when he placed greater Soraya’s painting is full of colour, which
see any problem with a ‘certiied cheque’ emphasis and urgency on me paying for clearly illustrated how many hues white
as no bank details had been passed on). the shipping costs up front and ignored lowers contain. It must be very helpful for
A cheque duly arrived but it was for a more important questions I had regarding anyone attempting them for the irst time.
lot more money than I’d expected. I felt the sale of the artwork. Some online So thank you Soraya and thank you The
nervous about it, but she told me not to research revealed that this is where the Artist for producing this article at just the
worry and to follow her instructions to con trick relies on collecting the ill-gotten right moment.
pass on the extra money to the courier. gains: in short, the scammer just wants I must also mention the digital art article
I paid the cheque into the bank (in an your hard cash and couldn’t care less in the same issue. I have tried several
envelope, in the paying-in machine) and about your painting. other apps on my iPad but Corel Painter
a few days later it was returned, crossed A few months later I was one of several 2020 looks most interesting and I must
through, as it had bounced. members of a high-proile UK art society delve deeper into it.
The bank asked me to visit and who were contacted by the society’s Ruby Oliver, by email
Subscribe at www.painters-online.co.uk or telephone 01580 763673

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6 April 2020 www.painters-online.co.uk

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PAINTER S ONLINE
& Search Press Competition
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with 50 top art books to be won
To celebrate its 50th birthday, we have teamed up with Search
Press to offer ten lucky winners the chance to win a set of five of ENTER NOW
their best-selling art books, with a total value of over £86 per set.
For your chance to win
please visit:
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Closing date for entries is
May 4, 2020. Winners will
be selected at random from
all online entries.
Each winner will receive the following titles: When completing your details please
● Paint Yourself Calm by Jean Haines make sure you opt in to receive our
● David Bellamy’s Arctic Light great regular email newsletters so
● The Addictive Sketcher by Adebanji Alade
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www.painters-online.co.uk April 2020 7

Digital Submissions
6th March - 26th June 2020
159th Open Exhibition

Mall Galleries, London, SW1
22nd - 27th September 2020
CALL FOR ENTRIES

MANY AWARDS
INCLUDING
£2000 SWA Special Fine Art Award
OPEN TO NON MEMBERS
www.society-women-artists.org.uk
BAF Artist and Leisure Painter Ad 15-1-20_Layout 1 20/01/2020 09:38 Page 1
Charity Reg No 298241
5 – 14 JUNE 2020
A Celebration of the Arts in the North Cotswolds
Workshops & Demos including:

Haidee-Jo Summers l Jake Winkle l Jean Haines l Adebanji Alade
Exhibitions Talks Theatre Music
l l l
Open Art Competition - Main Prize £1000

Closing date 26th April - Entry details on the website
The opening weekend showcasing some of

Britain’s top artists, designers and artisans
demonstrating their skills and selling their work
BEAT
B R OA DWAY
Paintings l Sculpture l Ceramics l Textiles
Jewellery l Glass l Wood
5 – 7 JUNE
Tickets go on sale on Good Friday at:

www.broadwayartsfestival.com

THE ART WORLD
NEWS, VIEWS, INFORMATION AND SPECIAL EVENTS IN THE ART WORLD
compiled by Jane Stroud
p Paul Gauguin Portrait of a Young Girl, Vaïte (Jeanne) Goupil, 1896, oil on canvas, 29½325½in (75365cm)
GAUGUIN AND THE IMPRESSIONISTS:

Masterpieces from the Ordrupgaard Collection
Gauguin and the Impressionists at the Royal Academy such as Corot, Courbet and Daubigny as well as a number of
of Arts, London will showcase 60 works from the collection Post-Impressionists’ work including eight paintings by Gauguin.
of Danish couple Wilhelm and Henny Hansen. Assembled in Gauguin and the Impressionists: Masterpieces from the
the irst decades of the 20th century, the collection includes Ordrupgaard Collection is at the Royal Academy of Arts,
masterpieces by Degas, Manet and Monet as well as Berthe Piccadilly, London W1, from March 29 to June 14. Tickets
Morisot, Pissarro, Renoir and Sisley, precursors of Impressionism, available from www.royalacademy.org.uk

l The Cambridge Drawing
Society’s spring exhibition is at the
Pitt Building, Trumpington Street,
Cambridge, from March 21 to 28,
10am to 5.30pm daily; closing
at 4pm on the inal day; www.
cambridgedrawingsociety.org
p Nick Hebditch Kingsgate Bay, oil on canvas, 8¼311¾in (21330cm)
Perspectives
Prize-winning local artist, Nick Hebditch will be showing recent work at the Smallhythe
Studio Gallery, near Tenterden in Kent, from March 17 to 28. Nick works largely in oil
and mixed media, basing his subjects on local scenes near his home in Tonbridge and
the surrounding Medway Valley, as well as further aield in the Ashdown Forest, the
South Downs and coastal scenery which he favours. ‘I enjoy the possibilities of mark
making, surface texture and abstract qualities that are encountered through the act
of painting,’ he writes. ‘My focus is to capture the feeling and emotion of a place whilst p Andy Dakin Dying Roses, oil
depicting the interplay of light, land, water and sky. ‘ on reclaimed wood, 23¼314¼in
Perspectives is at the Smallhythe Studio Gallery, Smallhythe Road, Tenterden, Kent (59336cm) at the Cambridge Drawing
TN30 7NB from March 17 to 28. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10am to 4pm. For more Society’s spring exhibition
information visit www.smallhythestudio.com or www.nickhebditch.co.uk
OUT OF
THIN AIR
Last April, three artists – Tim Scott Bolton, Tobit Roche
and Patrick Cullen travelled to the Annapurna region of
Nepal with ilm maker, Jack Hextall. Jack documented
the journey on ilm, while the three artists captured
their expedition in paint – each of them portraying the
magniicence and scale of the mountain scenery, as
well as the people who live there, in his own way. An
exhibition of paintings, oil studies, watercolours and
pastels from across the Indian Himalayas will go on show
at the Royal Geographical Society in London from
April 20 to 26. Jack Hextall’s ilm, Out of Thin Air will be
screened at the RGS and photographs and artefacts from
their extensive archive will also be on show.
Out of Thin Air is at the Royal Geographical Society,
(Exhibition Road entrance), London SW7 2AR from April
p Patrick Cullen Track Through the Village, Pisang, oil, 23331in (58.5379cm) 20 to 26; 10am to 5pm daily; www.rgs.org/events

EARTHWORKS
Following their successful joint show, Looking for
Georgia at the Mall Galleries in 2019, artist Lydia
Bauman and her son, the photographer Karl
Dudman have been travelling widely around
the world seeking the indigenous landscapes
of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Morocco,
and Israel – Lydia interpreting what she saw in
her unique mixed-media technique, while Karl
captured them with both ilm and digital
cameras, adding Canada, Iceland, Hawaii and
the USA to the mix.
Earthworks can be seen at the Mall Galleries
in London from March 24 to 29;
www.mallgalleries.com
To ind out more about Lydia and Karl’s work go to
http://lydiabauman.com and
https://www.karldudman.com
u Lydia Bauman Moroccan Landscape with Kasbah,

mixed media on panel, 35½335½in (90390cm)
ARTpicks
l The Salisbury Group of Artists
and Plain Arts are holding a joint exhibition at the
Medical Practice in Wilton Road, Salisbury, from
February 25 to May 18, 8am to 8pm daily.
Visit www.salisburygroupofartists.co.uk and
www.plainartssalisbury.co.uk for details.
p Tim Scott-Bolton Mansalu from Timang, oil, 24336in (61391.5cm)
u Tobit
Roche Nanda
Devi and p Teresa Rogers Cherry Blossom, watercolour and
Nanda Not, batik on Japanese rice paper, 11¾39¾in (30325cm)
oil, 16320in from the Salisbury Group of Artists
(40.5351cm)
April 2020 11
p David Hockney Gregory, 1978, coloured
pencil on paper, 17314in (43335.5cm)

DAVID HOCKNEY
Drawing from Life
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
St Martin’s Place,
London WC2H 0HE
☎ 020 7306 0055 u David Hockney No. 1201,
www.npg.org.uk 14 March 2012, iPad drawing
David Hockney: Drawing from Life at

the National Portrait Gallery, London
will be the irst major exhibition of
Hockney’s drawings in over 20 years.
The exhibition explores Hockney’s
draughtsmanship from the 1950s until the
present day, focusing in particular on self-
portraits and portraits of a small group of
sitters that include his muse, Celia Birtwell;
his mother, Laura Hockney; and friends,
Gregory Evans and Maurice Payne – sitters
that Hockney has revisited and explored
over ive decades. Around 150 works will
be on show, including previously unseen
early drawings and sketchbooks from
his art school days. The exhibition also
explores the range of media that Hockney
has used – from graphite, coloured pencil
and pen to the Polaroid camera, iPad
and iPhone – showing how the artist’s
experimentation with drawing has been
constantly developing and encompassing
of new media.
David Hockney: Drawing from Life
will be accompanied by a fully illustrated
catalogue, available from the National
Portrait Gallery shop and online at
www.npg.org.uk/shop
David Hockney: Drawing from Life can

be seen at the National Portrait Gallery,
London, from February 27 to June 28.
The gallery is open daily from 10am to
6pm; and until 9pm on Fridays.
The exhibition will tour to The Morgan
Library & Museum, New York, from
October 2 to January 17, 2021.
For information and tickets go to
www.npg.org.uk
u David Hockney Self-Portrait,

1954, collage on newsprint,
16½311¾in (42330cm)

TALP
ORGANISED BY
&
2020
OPEN CALL FOR

We are looking for the best two-dimensional works in any media
including drawings, paintings, printmaking and digital artwork from amateur
painters in the Leisure Painter category, and from more experienced and
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each category will be exhibited at Patchings Art Centre, Nottinghamshire,
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Over 45 individual PRIZES WORTH OVER £18,000 will be awarded to selected artists including:
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editor The Artist
gallery featuring the best of British materials
artists www.colart.com David Curtis ROI, VPRSMA
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£900 Daler-Rowney Awards Adebanji Alade VPROI
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www.jakar.co.uk www.daler-rowney.com editor Leisure Painter
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Two prizes of £250 worth of art products Two prizes of £250 worth of art materials Liz Wood,
selected from the Clairefontaine Graphic from the UK’s largest art materials’ artist and co-owner of
& Fine Art range supplier Patchings Art Centre
www.clairefontaine.com www.greatart.co.uk
WITH THANKS
TO OUR AWARD
SPONSORS
in partnership with Patchings Art Centre
HOW TO ENTER
ENTRIES The competition is open to artists worldwide.

Two-dimensional artwork in any media,
including drawing, painting, printmaking
and creative digital artwork is welcome. Only
original work completed within the past two
years will be considered and paintings based on
reference photographs must have been taken
by the artist or used with the permission of the
ENTER photographer. Photography, except where
incorporated into collage, is not acceptable.
ONLINE AT 1 The entry fee of £20 covers up to THREE entries
https://painte.rs/2CgZUOe of two-dimensional works in any media. To
give more amateur artists the chance to exhibit,
just ONE work per entrant will be accepted for
Closing date for entries exhibition in the Leisure Painter category. Please
ensure you enter the correct category. Artists can
April 9, enter either The Artist category OR the Leisure
Painter category - NOT both. The Leisure Painter
2020 category is for amateur painters and The Artist
category for more experienced amateur and
professional artists.
2 No entry should be larger than 120x150cm
WHEN FRAMED (canvases do not need to be
CARAN D’ACHE/JAKAR & THE ARTIST framed).
EXHIBITION AWARDS WINNER 3 TO ENTER upload digital files of your image(s)
Kate Langley Tree in Blossom, oil, 25x28¾in (63x73cm)
and pay your entry fee using our secure server
via our website at https://painte.rs/2CgZUOe.
Closing date for entries is 12 noon on Thursday,
April 9, 2020.
4 Entries will be judged after April 9, 2020 and
selected works called for exhibition. These must
be framed (canvases excepted) ready for
exhibition from July 9 to August 9, 2020 at
Patchings Art Centre. ALL works entered MUST
be available for exhibition if selected.
5 Successful entrants will be notified in mid-May
about delivering their work between June
12 and June 28, 2020 to Patchings Art Centre,
Nottinghamshire.
THE ARTIST PURCHASE PRIZE & THE ARTIST PROARTE & THE ARTIST EXHIBITION 6 All care will be taken with entries but no
EXHIBITION AWARD WINNER AWARDS WINNER responsibility can be accepted for loss or
John Shave Autumn Sunset, oil, 27½x43¼in (70x110cm) Craig Lee Little Red Dress, oil, 14x10in. damage in transit, incoming or outgoing, whilst
(30.5x25.5cm)
on the competition premises or during the
exhibition. Originals selected and submitted
£2,600 Award £400 Royal Talens Awards for final exhibition must be fully insured by the
One prize of a showcase feature on a selected Two prizes of £200 worth of art materials artist.
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www.painters-online.co.uk of entry in this competition automatically
£600 St Cuthberts Mill Awards
Highly Commended Award Three prizes of £200 worth of watercolour
constitutes acceptance of all the competition
A subscription to Leisure Painter worth £100 paper rules and agreement to allow The Artist and/
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repurpose entries in print and digital formats
£450 Patchings Award £500 Search Press Awards including but not limited to magazines,
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www.patchingsartcentre.co.uk www.searchpress.com
8 By entering the competition, entrants agree to
£350 ProArte Awards £400 Winston Oh Award be bound by the conditions of entry.
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w£175 each of your choice, provided by Winston Oh
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ALL ENTRANTS
will receive a complimentary
one-day entry ticket to the
Patchings Festival of
Art, Craft & Design,
WORTH £11
IN CONVERSATION
Focus on faces
Susie Hodge talks to Rosalind Robinson, a past winner of The Artist Award at
the Society of Women Artists’ annual open exhibition
R
osalind Robinson worked daylight. I feel lucky to have this private and pastel or charcoal for drawings. ‘I’ll
as a professional artist and space that I can lock up and leave at the occasionally use acrylics if I need to
specialist decorator, but end of the day.’ produce a piece of work quickly, but the
now concentrates solely on heady scent of oil paint works magic for
developing more personal work. ‘I like Smooth colour me. I’m gradually replacing all my oil
to work in my studio for three or four Having used many different materials paints with Michael Harding oils. The
hours every day if possible, mostly in during the course of her career, Rosalind quality of handling and clarity of these
the mornings when there is the best now works mainly in oil for paintings, colours is superb. For acrylics, I use
Lascaux colours and mediums. My basic
palette consists of the earth colours:
burnt and raw sienna, burnt umber,
yellow ochre and terre verte, with ivory
black, titanium white, cadmium red and
ultramarine. I use other more vibrant
colours as I need them. Additional
colours on my palette at the moment
are magenta and oxide of chromium.
I use Michael Harding Paint Medium
No. 1 if I need to thin my paint, and
the wonderful C. Roberson Matt Glaze
Medium for glazing.
‘A smooth surface facilitates the fine
detail I need for my smaller paintings.
The subtlety of facial expression can be
difficult to convey on a linen weave, so
I prefer to paint on wooden panels or
Ampersand Gessobord and I love the
softness of the surface of Arches Huile
paper, which needs no preparation prior
to starting work.
‘I usually like to work on at least two
paintings at once so that there’s always
progress to be made while waiting for
underpainting to dry or ideas about a
work to slowly resolve. It’s hard to say
how long each one takes, but I average
six large paintings a year and several
small works.’
Sufragette heroines
Rosalind used to paint mostly still-life
subjects but is increasingly fascinated
by the human face and figure. Several
of her recent works were painted in
celebration of the centenary of the
Representation of the People Act which,
from February 1918, allowed some
women over the age of 30 (and many
p You Made My Heart Sing Constance Lytton, oil on panel, 2243182in (58347cm). working-class men of 21 and over) to
Lady Constance Lytton was a member of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) or vote for the first time. ‘I decided to
Sufragettes, who sometimes used the name Jane Warton to avoid the authorities giving her paint my ‘Suffragette Heroines’ in 2018
preferential treatment for being upper class when she was imprisoned for her militant activities in celebration of 100 years of Women’s
while campaigning for Votes for Women. She was imprisoned four times, and was once force-fed Suffrage. The more I researched their
while on hunger strike. In this painting, Rosalind acknowledges her inner strength and courage stories, the more I admired these

brave women; I wanted to create a
link with the contemporary world by
incorporating ambiguous ornamentation
utilising the colours of the ‘Votes For
Women’ movement. In You Made My
Heart Sing Constance Lytton (far left) I
wanted to convey the energy emanating
from her, so painted her ‘hair’ as wild
and vibrant. The problem with painting
historical figures is that one is limited
to working from photographs. I prefer
where possible to work from drawings
that I’ve made from life – so family and
friends tend to appear frequently in my
work.’
Working methods
‘Most often I begin with a drawing in
which I will have sorted out some of
the tonal values. I might use two or
three together to make a composition,
then make an outline drawing on to my
prepared ground. I spend some time
making whatever ornamentation I need
as reference for the portrait heads using
paper or fabric; I hardly ever paint hair.
Then, if using oil, I work a thin colour
over the whole painting to establish
a background tone, after which I
work the subject tonally in fairly dry
opaque paint. This gives me a detailed
monochrome version of the finished
work. I have to leave this to dry for a
week or two, which is why I always have
two or three paintings in progress at the p We Two Together, oil on panel, 141/4311in (36328cm).
same time. When the underpainting is The gaze of these two women, although direct, is not intended to be confrontational, but their
dry, I complete the work using a series shared dependency excludes all others. ‘They are sufficient unto themselves. The Chinese
of colour glazes until I’m satisfied believe the pear to be a symbol of immortality, I use it here to represent the everlasting bond
with the result. I generally leave the between the sisters.’
background rather shadowy and non-
specific as I don’t want to suggest any
t Little Gull, oil on
particular setting or take the focus away
panel, 191/23153/4in
from the main subject. I don’t always
(50340cm).
work in this way. There are times when
‘This painting is about
I want to work quickly before an idea
the vulnerability of
slips through my fingers, and then I use
adolescence and the
much more direct painting methods. I
fragility of the natural
enjoy both ways of working.’
world. I wanted to
However, Rosalind says she is not
convey the importance
aware of having an individual style of
of our inter-dependent
painting. ‘I paint instinctively. I think
relationship on our
my paintings are recognisably mine. I
fellow creatures. The bird
simply try to effectively visualise and
in the painting is a little
communicate the thoughts and images
gull.’
that preoccupy me. So the style, if there
is one, has developed slowly from my
attempts to make each new painting
more successful than the last one.
‘If I’m painting a single portrait head,
the composition is fairly straightforward.
If a work incorporates several figures, I
make rough sketches to decide which
composition will best convey the idea
or emotion I’m trying to communicate.
For me, the idea, or the subject, comes
first. But I try to pay attention to light
in my work which can obviously help
TA04p16_18_In conversation.indd 17 05/02/2020 13:51

ABOVE LEFT
Sufragette Heroine #2 Winifred Jones, oil on panel, 636in
(15315cm).
The daughter of a solicitor, Winifred Jones was a member of the
militant group of women who decided that peaceful protest was
not working. Like Constance Lytton, Winifred was imprisoned for
her actions
p Sufragette Heroine #3 Annie Kenney, oil on panel, 636in

(15315cm).
Rosalind has conveyed Annie as if she was here now, but replaced
her hair with paper in the colours of the Sufragette movement
t Sufragette Heroine #4 Ethel Smyth, oil on panel, 636in

(15315cm).
An English composer Ethel Smyth was one of 109 women who
responded to Emmeline Pankhurst’s call for members of the
Women’s Social and Political Union to break a window of the
house of a politician who opposed votes for women. She served
two months in Holloway Prison for her crime, and her 1911 musical
composition, The March of the Women became the anthem of the
women’s sufrage movement
to convey form but can also create a which provides me with an opportunity
specific atmosphere within the painting.’ to introduce my work to a different
audience.
Inluences and exhibitions ‘I exhibit new paintings three or four
‘The tradition of early Netherlandish times every year in open competitions
portrait painting is an obvious influence and mixed exhibitions, mainly in
and I’ve spent a long time looking at the London, Bath and Bristol. I try to have
work of 15th- and 16th-century artists a solo show every three years so the
like Hans Memling and Lucas Cranach next will hopefully be in 2020. When
the Elder. Two 20th-century Italian I’m making work, I don’t think for one Rosalind Robinson
painters I admire are Antonio Donghi moment about exhibiting, that would be After studying for a BA in ine art in
for the mysterious narrative content of too inhibiting, I just concentrate on what London, Rosalind worked as a scenic artist
his work and Massimo Campigli for his I’m trying to do on a personal level. The for the BBC before pursuing her career
confrontational use of composition. idea that I might show my efforts to a as an artist and mural painter. She is an
‘Like most artists, I work in isolation, wider public comes later!’ TA academician of the Royal West of England
Academy and an associate member of
and it’s easy to feel disconnected from
the Society of Women Artists and has
the wider art world. Winning an award The Society of Women Artists’ next annual
exhibited widely. Rosalind has won
is wonderfully encouraging. It somehow open exhibition will be from September 22 to many awards; her work is in public and
validates the many hours spent in the 27 at the Mall Galleries, London SW1. Entries private collections in Sweden, America,
studio and is a recognition that the work can be submitted between March 6 and June Italy and the UK.
produced has merit. I’m grateful to have 29. For full details see www.rosalindrobinson.com
won The Artist Editor’s Choice Award, www.society-women-artists.org.uk

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SKETCHING
Concertina habit
Deborah Walker reveals how she uses and creates concertina
sketchbooks and why they make very useful learning tools
p Making a start, using separate images
I
’ve developed a habit – I don’t
think it’s a bad one – that helps my
working practice in general, rather
like a pianist practising scales.
Anything that helps break through, or
keep at bay, the ‘work avoidance’ or
‘creative block’ thing that haunts every
artist at times, has to be good, surely?
A while ago I bought a concertina
sketchbook, just because I liked
the idea of it. My ‘habit’, or project,
is to draw and paint trees in it as a
continuous process. I like to walk, when
I can, at the end of my working day. It’s
my time to think about the work I’ve
done and to relax my mind and plan my
next move, some of it consciously and
some unconsciously. I liken this time to
the drive home from work. ‘Drive time’
is, for many, a cut-off point from the
challenges of the day, where you engage
in the alert whole skill of driving, while
weirdly being able to allow your mind
to wander, run through ideas and sort
out problems. My studio is seven miles
from home, too far to walk every day,

PRACTICAL
p I was starting to use multiple images

together
‘Another enjoyable challenge is in being able
to link images together, to create an almost
but at the same time too short a drive.
So my walk is my drive. I take a number continuous story’
of routes, but my favourite one takes
me to the footpaths around two tree- my thoughts wandering back to the to be a huge advantage. I soon began
line lakes at the edge of my village. In previous evening’s walk if the light had to work on two, three and four pages
places the tree canopy is dense, so that been good. At the beginning, I just together. I tried different techniques
you walk through tunnels of branches, picked up my pens, got out the ink and and processes, different angles and
while in others they are sparse, giving gave it a go (left). viewpoints, in the search for a visual
a sense of space; on a good day there Each image seemed distinct and language to represent my response to
are continuous glimpses and flashes of separate from the other. This was the subject (above).
sparkling light on water that I’m drawn simply the start of my search for a visual The great thing about a good
to like a magpie. language that would evolve into a kind concertina sketchbook is that is
of diary. I began to start my day with a double-sided (each ‘page’ is in fact
Continuous theme sketchbook entry, as ‘a way in’ to work. two sheets of paper, back-to-back),
I’m not sure where the decision to Probably the first thing that struck me
fill the first concertina sketchbook was that unlike a ‘normal’ sketchbook,
full of trees came from, or to make you can view every page together if you q I was learning how to use multiple pages
it a continuous theme, other than wish, by spreading it out flat. This had and link sections together

SKETCHING
DEMONSTRATION: How to make a simple concertina sketchbook from a single sheet of paper
t STAGE TWO
Open it out and latten it. Fold the
paper in half in the opposite direction,
t STAGE ONE then each half to the middle, irming
Fold the paper in half the creases
lengthways and then
fold each end to the
middle. Firm each crease
with the bone folder
YOU WILL NEED:

l A sheet of good-quality cartridge paper, A2 or larger u STAGE THREE
l A craft knife or scissors Open it out to give 16 pages
l Paper creaser or bone folder
with two long strips of paper placed sketchbook a kind of continuity or flow p Sketches low in chronological order
together before being folded, so once that is very pleasing. At the same time
you reach the end you can turn it you can decide to end a particular string buildings, street scenes, still-life
over and come back the other way. As of images and start afresh by making subjects – whatever your ‘thing’ is, you
you are not working directly onto the the conscious decision not to match can keep a visual record of observations
back of a single page, there is a much lights and darks or continue a line. that can be viewed together and kept
reduced chance of the image on one Using all your options, once spread out, together. When you can view drawings
side seeping through when using wet the sketchbook begins to look like a and paintings together in chronological
media. Another enjoyable challenge is visual diary, with ‘chapters’ of trains of order, as you can in a concertina
in being able to link images together, thought. sketchbook, you are able to see the
to create an almost continuous story. Whilst my books are filled with tonal development of an idea or language of
When you start a new subject you can studies of trees and where I walk, I mark making as it happens in time. This
be mindful if you wish to the previous can see that concertina sketchbooks enables you to compare and contrast
image, continuing a line or starting with would lend themselves to all manner the beginning with the end and all
a light or dark area that links to where of subjects and all manner of drawing stages of the journey, making it a very
the light or dark ended on the previous media. Landscapes, seascapes, useful learning tool. I regard this as
page. Once unfolded this gives the panoramas, people, crowds, flowers, concertina thinking. TA

PRACTICAL
t STAGE FOUR
Cut from the right side, stopping at the irst
left fold of the irst row. Then cut from the left
side, stopping at the last fold on the middle
row, then repeat the irst cut from the right
side to the irst fold on the last row
q STAGE FIVE
Starting at one end, fold into a concertina,
reversing folds as you go
Deborah Walker
is an elected member of the
Royal Institute of Painters in Water
Colours (RI) and the Royal Society
of Marine Artists (RSMA). She works
from her studio gallery in Hamstall
Ridware, Stafordshire, where
she paints, teaches drawing and
watercolour and stages occasional
one-day workshops. For more
information go to: www.walker-art.
co.uk Deborah founded ‘fRIends of
the RI’, has served on the RI council
since 2014 and is their fRIends
secretary. For further information
about fRIends of the RI please go to:
http://royalinstituteof
paintersinwatercolours
.org/friends
q One of my concertina sketchbooks.

The sheet of paper I used measures
19325in (48363.5cm), but any piece
of paper folded and cut in this way will
make a concertina sketchbook

FROM FIELD TO FRAME: 1st of 6
Why paint outside?

Graham Webber begins a new six-part oil painting
series showing the process of painting landscapes
from plein-air sketches to larger studio work. This
A
s a landscape painter I am
always excited about the month he advises on how to simplify your painting
natural world. No two minutes
seem the same and each
kit and complete a simple rural scene en plein air
season brings its own character and
atmosphere – this is what inspires me
to paint and record my experiences. The challenge comes in the approach and colour. Once you begin to build
Primarily, our inspiration must come to painting outdoors. Having the right this knowledge, working in the studio
from the subject we are painting, so equipment in whatever you do always will give you a chance to tap into
starting at the source will make creating makes a job a lot easier. With just the it and identify with the work you
a painting easier and more fulfilling. essentials and some knowledge the create, bringing together imagination,
It may seem more convenient to take paintings you produce can be full of memories, experiences and knowledge
a photograph and copy it at home but variety, character and atmosphere. of your subject. Photographs, notes,
once you have been out painting you Painting en plein air isn’t as daunting sketches and recordings also help
realise that it can be far easier to work, as it seems and by working outside us to understand our surroundings,
at least in part, in front of your subject regularly you will feed your memory all of which ultimately feeds into the
as all the answers are right there in front and find you will begin to learn about paintings we do.
of you. light effects, composition, selection Before painting outside it is important
to have a goal in mind and to be
prepared. I recommend having an
outdoor painting kit, and to keep it
handy. The kit will vary from person
to person but it is essential to keep it
lightweight and relevant to you.
My basic outdoor painting kit

I have a rucksack that holds all my
kit apart from the wet panel carrier.
My Richeson Sienna pochade box is
lightweight and adjustable and an
extension table provides all the space
I need without being too bulky. It fits
onto a lightweight, compact camera
tripod with a hook underneath to hang
my bag on.
I prefer to paint on boards when
outside, usually primed MDF. They are
carried in the Sienna wet panel carrier,
which can hold 9312in and 8310in
boards. A wet panel carrier is essential
as it enables you to transport and
contain wet boards while keeping them
from touching each other.
I carry several colours – if you limit
your palette too much you can end
up unable to mix certain hues; one of
the advantages of working outside is
observing a variety of colours and how
they relate to each other. However,
working on smaller boards means you
need not carry large tubes, especially
of the lesser-used colours. I normally
use Winsor & Newton and also Ken

DEMONSTRATION
In Anticipation of Homer
This Is a good example of how a simple subject

can be made so much better by being onsite for
an hour or so. I had painted this barn a couple of
times in the past and on route to another subject
passed it again. A little further on in the next ield a
herd of cattle suddenly started to run towards me.
I hastily made my way back to safety over the style.
As I entered the irst ield I noticed that the farmer
had lit a ire outside the barn. Had I not have turned
back I would have missed this opportunity
MATERIALS
� 2.5mm MDF primed with an acrylic gesso.
� Colours: titanium white, ultramarine blue,
cerulean blue, light red, alizarin crimson, yellow
ochre, viridian green.
� Brushes: No. 6 lat hog bristle, No. 2 lat hog bristle,
small round synthetic.
 STAGE TWO
Turning my pochade 90 degrees to avoid the direct
p STAGE ONE sunlight that had just broken through I carried on by
Having decided on the composition I went straight into the painting, plotting blocking in the sky using a mix of ultramarine, cerulean,
the key darks using a worn No.2 lat bristle brush with a mix of ultramarine blue, titanium white and a touch of yellow ochre. This was
alizarin crimson and yellow ochre. I moved the tree closer to the barn for interest laid in with a No. 6 bristle lat with the intention of
and took some key photos for reference later (the colours and contrast are modifying the strength and tone as the painting
completely diferent in the photo, so painting from that alone would have created developed. I particularly noticed the subtle diagonal
a totally diferent image) cloud line, which I briely suggested
Bromley: titanium white, ultramarine

blue, cerulean blue, chrome yellow,
lemon yellow, alizarin crimson,
cadmium red, burnt sienna, yellow
ochre, viridian green, light red.
I use mainly hog bristle flat brushes
Nos. 2,4,6 and 8, a synthetic round No.
4 and a small rigger. They get quite a
battering when used on a rough board
and they gradually wear down over
time, giving an opportunity for some
interesting mark making. Occasionally,
to loosen the paint and to clean
brushes, I use Zest-it oil paint dilutant
and brush washer. It is kept in a steel
brush washer with a sealed lid to
prevent spillages.
Essential extras are a rag or kitchen
roll and a bag to hold the wet rags to
stop spreading paint onto the rest of
your kit. Finally, I always take a snack
and a bottle of water as I find I usually
travel further than I expect and am out
for longer than planned. 

FROM FIELD TO FRAME: 1st of 6
u STAGE THREE
Painting outside is all about observation,
what is changing, what to put in or leave out.
I wanted to establish the ire but got
distracted by the subtle changes in warm and
cool colour and tone on the barn roof. As I
had just blocked in the sky it seemed sensible
to establish its efect on the roof next. I added
a little light red to the sky mix already on
the palette to paint the degrees of colour
change in the roof. A light blue mixed using
the sky colour and a little more ultramarine
and light red was used to quickly strike in the
background with a couple of direct strokes
and the middle-distance tree was added after
the colour was darkened with some viridian
and ultramarine, and yellow ochre for variety.
These elements were treated broadly as they
play a supporting role in the painting and
establishing the main shapes quickly is an
important part of plein-air painting
t STAGE FOUR
A mid-green was mixed with viridian, light
red, titanium white and yellow ochre to block
in the middle distance ield and the ire was
included, most of this with the same No. 6
bristle brush, changing pressure and direction
to achieve diferent shapes and strokes. At
this stage the farmer got into his car and
drove towards me. When he arrived he said
he was curious as to what I was doing. After
a quick chat he informed me that he would
soon be letting the cattle into the ield to
feed, among which was a rather ‘playful’ bull
named Homer. I was advised not to run if they
came close as he would think it was a game
and chase after me...
u STAGE FIVE
Quickly swapping to a small synthetic round,
I sharpened up the barn with some dark paint
on the palette. The igures, which were added
as I noticed them move in to watch the ire,
established the scale of the barn and, as the
wind picked up, the smoke followed quite a
horizontal path, breaking up the mass of the
middle-distant tree. The scene had changed
quite a bit, with a large JCB unloading hay
bales and the ire beginning to dwindle. The
sweep of the path was licked in with the small
round and some lighter grasses added with the
No. 6. Once everything had been established
I adjusted the temperature and tone of the
sky in parts to harmonise with the land. As I
considered the balance of the painting the
farmer began to let the cattle into the ield – I
decided that I didn’t fancy their attention and,
as it was a long way back to the gate, I packed
up and headed of

PRACTICAL
‘Painting en plein air isn’t as daunting as it seems and by

working outside regularly you will feed your memory’
p FINAL PAINTING
In Anticipation of Homer, oil on board, 9312in (23330.5cm).
After assessing the painting I added a little more detail to Graham Webber
is a member of the Royal
the middle-distance tree and tidied up the foreground. The
Institute of Oil Painters and
line between the smoke and horizon seemed too parallel so
Institute of East Anglian Artists.
I softened the edge slightly to deepen the sense of distance. He exhibits widely and teaches
I was happy with the painting and felt I had captured the group workshops, as well as
essence of the experience. The whole process had been giving individual tuition. His next
informed by what was going on there and then, so it lives solo show will be at The Gallery,
as a moment in time rather than a rendering of a barn. Holt in association with Adrian
Everything you paint or draw outside will come in useful. Hill Fine Art, from May 21 to June
The experiences stay with you and ultimately build your 2. For more information visit
knowledge to enable you to progress and make better www.grahamwebber.co.uk
paintings

????????????
Amanda Hyatt
has exhibited widely, including in New
York and China. She is a member of the
Australian Watercolour Institute, the
Victorian Artists Society and the Twenty
Melbourne Painters Society. Her paintings
are in collections throughout the world.
She has three DVDs, available from APV
Films (www.apvfilms.com) and her book
Watercolour: Tonal Impressionism
is available from Amazon.
Amanda is teaching at Dedham Hall,
Colchester, from August 22 to 28 and
at the Italian Lakes from August 31 to
September 12. For full details, please see
http://amandahyatt.com.au
p Parisian Street Scene 2, watercolour, 161/23211/4in (42354cm)
Street scenes in is the joy of art: there are really no rules

for us, just helpful hints.
I approach street scenes, as I do with
watercolour
every subject, by beginning with Step
1 of my Five Steps to Watercolour
method, the draw up. For my
demonstration painting (right) I chose
to work from an old photo of 1880s
Melbourne. This street was lined with
Amanda Hyatt demonstrates how to paint buildings built in the grand traditions
atmospheric street scenes full of mood and magic of London’s Regent Street. In the name
of progress some were pulled down
but fortunately many still remain, and
S
this street, which is Collins Street, still
treet scenes are always popular important it is better for me to stick contains some beautiful old buildings
to paint and draw because they with one-point perspective in this whose histories are upheld and
are lined with interesting shops article. If you are interested in finding maintained.
and houses, awnings, lights, out about multiple-point perspective, The fact that it is a black-and-white
cafes and gardens, windows, people the information can be easily found photo allowed me to choose my own
and pets, bikes and barriers and lots of by searching the internet and it is colours (Step 2) and be guided by the
enticing windows to look in. interesting reading for an artist who tonal values. This method is taught in
My aim when painting street scenes is not familiar, or comfortable, with fine art classes. Step 3 is building up
is to capture the mood of the street, it. Architects, though, can never get the tones. Step 4 is creating the magic
be it busy or quiet or full of light enough of it! and Step 5 is pulling it all together.
and shadows. It is important to get Adding items of interest (people,
perspective correct and most people Atmosphere plants, awnings, street lights) to a street
paint one-point perspective because For this article I’m mainly concerned scene does not have to be decided
this is relatively easy – every line leads with creating a moody, magic, straight away as these can often be
towards one focal point on an imaginary atmospheric piece of art in relative added at the end in Step 5, when
distant horizon, if you are standing on perspective. Although I said that it balancing and pulling the painting
flat ground. is important to get the perspective together. I try to avoid painting cars
Things begin to get complicated correct, because we are artists, not in class demonstrations as students
when we are faced with multiple-point architects, we have artistic licence, usually have difficulty with not making
perspective, such as stairs or bridges, which gives us a ‘get out of jail free’ card them look comical or cartoonish – this
or diverging roads or bends in the to a certain extent. So, we can muck will instantly ruin an otherwise good
road, or we are viewing the scene up our perspective a bit and get away painting. A thought to help you decide
from above, or looking up or looking with it by covering up the bit that went whether or not to put in a car is if in
down a road. Because perspective is wrong with a tree or bus lamp post. This doubt, don’t. TA
TA04p28_31_Amanda.indd 28 05/02/2020 13:54

PRACTICAL
DEMONSTRATION Parisian Street Scene
Amanda’s Top Ten Tips
� Reassess the image and see it through
your eyes only. t MY
� Mistakes that happen early often fade REFERENCE
into insigniicance as mistakes increase PHOTOGRAPH
(as is inevitable with watercolour) as you The historic photograph
progress through the painting. Don’t get was not copied literally. It
hung up about mistakes too early on. was used for inspiration
Unless of course you spill your tea over to create a painting
your beautiful irst sky wash. Then you will that is my personal
have to start again. I’ve often thought of interpretation of the
incorporating the lovely brown tea stains scene using my Five Steps
into clouds but realise they may go mouldy to Watercolour technique.
down the track! The inal painting is my
interpretation of tone,
� Mistakes are 50 per cent of what makes
light and mood of a
your painting work, so leave them alone
by-gone era. It was used
while you proceed then come back to
because I felt an affinity
them later to see if they really were that
to it, perhaps because of
bad. Often they can be corrected.
its old-world charm and
� My tonal paintings rely on the light. I tonal values. Light can be
consciously don’t embrace a lot of colour. represented harshly or
I know that ‘tone does all the work and diffusely; I chose to play
colour gets all the glory’. I could have put up the diffuse feeling as
bright red awnings and stop lights all though it had just rained
along the road, but I wanted the beauty of
the light and the reduced colour palette to
be the dominant features.
� Use lost-and-found edges in your work.  STAGE ONE
This makes the eye go in and out through A rigger brush was used to roughly sketch
the painting, which mystiies rather than the parts I needed to make a painting.
makes it all obvious. A painting hanging on A rigger allows much more freedom in
your wall should always mystify and have drawing and no time for deliberation.
life rather than be banal and stagnant. Sometimes the strokes just paint
� Often, simple is best and less is more, themselves
but a balance needs to be found between
busy and quiet areas on your painting.
� Find your own way. Use other artists’
ideas but you will never be able to do
exactly the same painting and that’s the
way it must be for your own sake and
advancement. I can’t even copy my own
pMY PALETTE
work!
AND BRUSHES
I used ive colours: Indian
� Play around with bits of paper to yellow, alizarin crimson, burnt
position subject matter such as extra umber, indigo and cerulean
people – because a painting isn’t inished blue.
until it’s inished. There is a point at which I used ive brushes: a rigger,
a painting will fall apart and be ruined if a 2in hake, a 2in hake, a 2in
there is too little or too much work. This is synthetic lat and a very small
the whole Catch 22 of painting – knowing pointy synthetic one that I
when to stop. found in a drawer. My palette
� Don’t iddle when you think you can is notoriously ‘ilthy’ and
improve something. It won’t ix it. It will universally known as such.
ruin it (take my word, I recently ruined a This contributes to making
beautiful portrait that lowed off the brush a beautiful colour that I call
thinking ‘I’ll just do this’). ‘gunge’, which I use as a
� Don’t restrict yourself to one subject basic mixing colour to create
matter only. Paint what instantly takes different tones and colours
your eye whether it’s the clutter on your
kitchen bench or the British Museum. Paint
everything!

????????????
p STAGE TWO
The colours used were Indian yellow with alizarin crimson for
the sky, which was washed on in a graded wash leaving clean
water down the centre of the painting to create the light. Don’t
forget that the light in watercolour is the white paper. What
you paint next to the white paper is what is important. The
stronger washes over buildings were done in indigo and burnt p STAGE THREE
umber at the same time as the sky and road wash The painting was completely dried with a hair dryer and thicker layers of
indigo and burnt umber were added to the buildings, often twice over and
selectively placed for contrast
t STAGE FOUR
The road was re-wet and
relections were placed
where I wanted people
and vehicles to go. It was
challenging to adapt the
painting to look modern
without cars, yet still
make it look like a busy
street with vehicles,
none of which really can
be identiied
u STAGE FIVE
I felt that the painting
was unbalanced, so I
placed small pieces of
black paper in various
positions to see if that
would help. I decided
that it was necessary to
add more people and
interest

p FINISHED PAINTING
Parisian Street Scene, watercolour, 203144in (51336in).
The inished painting captured what I had aimed for, a street scene with mood and magic, atmosphere and light.
The minimal colour does not subtract from the fact that tonal work is all about capturing the light

Coneflowers in
Soraya French
is president of the Society of Women
Artists. She tutors occasional mixed-
mixed media
Soraya French paints the ‘intense, lush colours’
media workshops at her workshop in
Hampshire, and overseas. She
is the author of several books. of coneflowers using acrylics and mixed media to
www.sorayafrench.com
bring them to vibrant life
T
his month I have chosen to paint nails; it can endure all sorts of weather centres all make for inspiring subject
another one of my favourite conditions and brings a banquet of matter. You can further enhance the
herbaceous flowering plants, the intense, lush colour to the garden. beautifully rich centres by adding
beautiful Echinacea purpurea. This texture material such as Golden clear
is a truly eye-catching perennial flower Shape granular gel or glass bead gel.
from the daisy family of plants. My The most commonly known coneflower There are many varieties available
first introduction to Echinacea purpurea has droopy purple petals that radiate nowadays, some have thinner, more
or purple coneflower was as a health from a strong cone-shaped centre and spikey petals, and not all varieties
supplement, as it is mostly known for strong, sturdy stems, which make it have droopy petals. Colours range
its medicinal properties, but it is also a ideal to bring indoors as a cut flower. from creamy white to yellow, orange,
stunningly showy ornamental plant that As with other plants from the daisy magenta and a few different shades of
can grace the flower border for quite family it thrives in a sunny position in purple, all known, however, as purple
a long season of flowering. Echinacea the garden and its rather untidy clumps coneflower. For me, the purple form of
are native to north America but have with their uneven stem height provide Echinacea purpurea remains the favourite.
been popular in Europe for many years a perfect ready-made composition. Its classic shape and the wonderful
now, both as decorative plants and The added effect of sunlight shining on dark burnt orange centre with hints of
as a health supplement. It is an easy and through the petals of the stunning lighter orange at the tip make a dream
plant to grow and known to be tough as blooms and the glistening orange combination for painting. As ever,
observation is key to finding nuances
of colour that help the subject come
to life. Try to see the variations in
colour that you need to use, rather than
applying an even pink-purple for every
petal. Local colour can be seen in a few
places, balanced with shadow colour
and highlights.
Composition
The sturdy and robust stems make
this flower suitable for inclusion in
still-life paintings as cut flowers, but
I love them in their natural habitat in
the garden, glowing in the sunshine.
Once again, uneven size blooms and
different height stems will help create a
composition with variety that is not dull
and boring. Fading flower heads against
more in-focus ones brings recession and
interest to the composition. Balance is
the key word here.
t Echinacea Field, mixed media, 21328in

(54371cm).
A quick sketchy impression of a ield of
Echinacea. I enhanced the centres of the
lowers by applying some clear granular gel
to suggest their bumpy surfaces

PRACTICAL
DEMONSTRATION Echinacea Medley
MATERIALS
For this painting I recycled a water board prepared with a
few layers of Golden white gesso. I used Golden Heavy Body
Acrylics for their brilliance, to bring the subject to life, and added
highlights with Sennelier oil and soft pastels.
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics: benzimidazolone yellow light
and medium, quinacridone magenta, light magenta,
quinacridone burnt orange, light violet, dioxazine purple,
phthalo blue, Prussian blue, cadmium red light, cadmium yellow
dark, Golden white gesso.
Sennelier Soft Pastels: brilliant blue, vivid green.
Sennelier Oil Pastels: teal, light violet blue.
p STAGE ONE
Applying gesso with a rough brush can leave interesting marks that show
through the subsequent layers. I applied three layers of gesso to my water
board. Using a water-soluble wax crayon I lightly outlined the lower heads.
I chose a medley of diferent lower colours to show variation and choice,
as well as the variety of shadows. I started by applying benzimidazolone
yellow light and medium to some of the yellow lower heads as well as the
negative spaces around the lowers for future abstracted foliage
p STAGE TWO
I added medium magenta to the purple lower heads as well as a
few random marks in the background for future balance. I then
added light violet blue to the shadow side of the white lowers as
well as in the background and also applied cadmium orange to the
centre of the yellow and purple lowers. In the absence of cadmium
orange you can always mix a vivid orange with an orange-biased
red, such as cadmium red light, and add a warm yellow into the
mixture for a bright orange
u STAGE THREE
I started to add darker yellow to some of the petals of the yellow
lowers and medium magenta to the purple lowers. I didn’t
attempt to make these marks as perfectly-shaped petals, as this
stage of the painting was still about blocking in the shapes and
colours. I mixed a grey from cadmium red, phthalo blue and white
to block in the shadow side of the white lowers and added this on
top of the earlier light violet blue. While working onto the positive
shape of the lowers, I was still mindful of paying attention to the
negative spaces around them. These shapes need to work together
for the painting to be successful
u STAGE FOUR
The painting started to take shape as I added the darker tones
– darker values add depth and structure to a painting. As I went
around the lower heads with phthalo blue the blooms came
forward. I chose phthalo blue as I love the sweet undertone of
this strong and beautiful cool blue. I also brought in Prussian
blue for its versatility and for making more natural green hues in
the background. There are times when we don’t need the most
vibrant colour, and I didn’t want the greens to be too vivid. Notice
how the components of the subject have started to gel and the
painting looks less disjointed w

MIXED MEDIA
q FINISHED PAINTING
Echinacea Medley, mixed media, 18322in
(45.5356cm).
I painted the darker yellow petals of the yellow
conelowers with a mix of cadmium yellow dark
and a touch of cadmium red light, then added
titanium white to benzimidazolone yellow light to
bring in the petals lit up by sunlight.
I repeated this process for all the yellow lowers.
I then added darker magenta to the shadow side
of the purple lowers and then mixed titanium
white with the magenta for the highlights; I also
added some light violet to some of the petals of
the purple lowers. These colour variations are
more interesting than a uniform and even colour.
I also added the highlights to the white blooms
with titanium white and applied highlights to
the orange centres with light orange. A vivid lime
green mixed from benzimidazolone yellow light
and a touch of phthalo blue was applied with a
card to suggest some of the stems for the lowers:
p STAGE FIVE these vertical lines stop them looking as though
At this stage I started to add more deinition to the lower heads and their centres whilst they are loating. I used a bright green pastel for
also paying close attention to the negative shapes around them. I also used bright blue some of the stems. I continued with dabs and
and light magenta soft pastels and turquoise and royal blue oil pastels to blend and dashes of pastels to create a more interesting
smudge some of the colours to create some out-of-focus shapes in the background, which background. I stood back numerous times
helped to create recession. I applied quinacridone burnt orange heavy body acrylic to throughout this process to see the progress of the
the base of the cone-shaped centres and started to go around the petals. All the while my painting until I reached a point when I felt I could
intention was to keep things loose and free rather than rigid and detailed call it a day

PRACTICAL
Paul Riley
teaches all media from his home and
studios in south Devon. For details
telephone 01803 722 352 or email lara@
coombefarmstudios.com
www.coombefarmstudios.com
www.paulrileyart.com
u Gaffers at Sea, acrylic on canvas board,

8310in (20.5325.5cm).
Gaffers are named after their rig, which has a
spar at the top of the main sail called the gaff.
I went for a strong vertical statement with the
principal boat in contrast with the horizontal
Inspired by
sea. I emphasised the difference in lighting
between the sky and the sea to add further
drama. Note the diagonal of the clouds
counteracting the angle of the boats
M
arine painting is a huge
subject. Possibly the most
complex choice would
be a harbour scene with
the sea
its plethora of boats, buildings and
people, but if handled skilfully it is a
Paul Riley explains why he finds the versatility of
wonderful challenge. A way to reduce acrylics ideal for marine subjects, as he offers his tips
the complexity would be to focus on
a single moored boat whilst treating for successful outcomes
the background as a simple silhouette.
As with any busy subject, you need to they are ideal in as much as boats are it can seem difficult to know what to
stand back and break it down into what fiddly things to paint so it helps if you choose. Basically the paint comes in two
you can achieve. can use opacity for overpainting. I tend forms, thin and thick, plus inks (liquid).
It is a matter of personal taste as to use the medium like watercolour I use the basic thin type, then add a
to which type of boat appeals. I love at first, then resort to impasto for thickening medium if necessary, which
sailing boats, especially classic types texture and colour. I also find I can avoids needing two sets of colours. I
with lots of rigging. If you intend to add atmosphere with overglazing that use the same basic palette as I do for
tackle anything like these you need is different to watercolours, and add oils and watercolours: lemon yellow,
to know a bit about their rigging so it’s figures if need be at a later date. If cadmium yellow, rose madder, cadmium
as well to do some research – it is the you get something wrong it is a simple red genuine, French ultramarine, and
bane of marine painters’ lives as there matter to overpaint with a suitable phthalo blue (green shade). My extras
are numerous experts who can tick you ground and start again. are raw sienna, burnt sienna, raw
off! There are other types of boats with Many of the techniques used in both umber and burnt umber, plus phthalo
fewer challenges, though. watercolour and oil are easily applied green, black and titanium white. The
Try to sketch boats from life; if to acrylics, such as delicate details basic Jackson’s range is good but if you
necessary take photographs and work like line work – think planking on boat would like more colours Golden offer a
from those but it is best to use them sides, rigging using fine sables. Thin, large range with fluid, heavy body and
for reference only whilst composing transparent watercolour-style washes interference pigments (which I don’t
an image that will reflect the boat’s and glazing over impasto are also use!).
character. I like to add drama by possible. One of the main advantages When it comes to mediums the
introducing an interesting skyscape. is speedy drying which is a bonus for choice is endless, for example Golden
impatient types like me. Acrylics have at least seven for various
The flexibility of acrylics purposes, none of which I use as I feel it
Acrylics are versatile – they can have Colours and mediums pays to keep it simple. I normally wait
the transparency of watercolours and Manufacturers are forever bringing out until the image is finished, then put on
the opacity of oils. For marine painting new acrylic products so for the beginner a standard varnish. w
TA04p35_37_Paul Riley.indd 35 06/02/2020 14:14

ACRYLICS
TOOLS FOR ACRYLIC DEMONSTRATION Brixham Trawlers at Sea

PAINTING
u There is a tradition
for marine paintings
to be long and
horizontal, especially
when depicting leets.
I planned this with a
concept sketch showing
the principal vessel
of-centre, accompanied
by the rest of the
leet ranged back, in
scale and fanning
out. To be sure of the
From the top: details I did a larger
� Mahl stick to steady the hand for drawing of the main
intricate detail. ship, concentrating on
� Stiff hog-hair fan brush/blender – getting the perspective
perfect for sky and sea. right
� Fat one-stroke brush – ideal for crisp
angles and ripples.
� Three hog-hair bristle brushes: a round,
a lat and an angled brush all for mainly
small detail textures.
� Angled squirrel hair brush for details either a robust watercolour paper, 300 painting, I find that if you keep fiddling
in water. to 640gsm, depending on size or, for about whilst the paint is wet the end
� No. 2 round sable for all the details – very big images, a stretched canvas result can be very muddy, so take your
possibly the most indispensable brush. with deep reveals at the sides. The time and preferably let the paint dry
� No. 2 sable rigger (if it is remotely worn, watercolour paper can be dry mounted between layers.
chuck it!) onto ply for rigidity if necessary. This The exception to this
can be bought at builders’ merchants is when painting skies,
� Sable one-stroke.
and cut to size. which you may need
� Straight edge – home made so that I to blend (for this I use
can tilt it for ruling with paint. Working methods my fan brush). Then I
� Large angled hog-hair bristle for waves Before I start I have to have an idea thicken the paint and
and sky. that is strong to sustain the energy work quickly before it
� Large lat, for large areas and priming. required to complete the image. If dries – I prefer to work
your boat is to be large the detail will quickly, it’s cheaper
� Roll of masking tape.
be more complex. If you place it in than using a slow-drying
the middle distance the details can medium.
be more gestural but must still remain To create atmosphere,
Tools convincing. I invariably produce a try to be mindful of
For marine painting I select a group sketch or two, with the final one in the the weather. If it is
of tools (above) that are, for me, same proportion as the finished image. calm there will be
appropriate. Acrylics are inappropriate I thoroughly research any details, for reflections. Note how
for use with sable brushes as the which I will produce a detailed drawing, these are vertical with
pigment can dry very quickly at the even if these details are then reduced ripples crossing them.
ferrule end, which destroys the brushes in the actual image. Windy conditions will
pointing ability. However, I prefer them To transfer the image I quarter the affect the clouds and
to artificial hair, especially for detail. I drawing and the canvas/paper, and the movement in the
need a rigger or two for all the fine lines draw-in using fine brushes or a pencil. water. When you are
– Nos. 1 and 2; hog-hair bristle brushes, I proceed to work as though painting painting boats under
both rounds and flats. I also include in watercolour. I first mask out any sail the direction of the
a fan brush for spray and foam and areas I want clean, eg sails, then with wind is fundamentally
an angled-tip brush for gestural wave a succession of thin washes I break important. It is therefore
painting. On the occasion I need serious down all the basic tones. These tones useful to read up about
impasto work I find painting knives can be monochromatic, with the how a sailboat works with the angle
ideal. For added texture I use folded colour indicating the final effect. For of sail in relation to wind direction
watercolour paper, rags and, for areas example I might use blue greys in – Google is very useful for this. It
like sails, I will periodically use masking some instances or golden hues for a is difficult to know where to stop,
tape. As to surfaces it is a question of sun-drenched image. Although acrylics basically don’t fiddle, keep it fresh and
what you confine yourself to. I prefer are very forgiving with regards to over- spontaneous if possible. TA

PRACTICAL
t STAGE ONE
I primed the paper with three coats of
acrylic white undercoat, which gave
a perfect tooth for the subsequent
layers. I started by drawing out in
pencil, checking for proportion and
composition. Once satisied with the
drawing I commenced the sky, which
I needed to complete in order to
superimpose the boats. Having done
this I laid in a basic sea, freely applied
using the fan brush. Because of the
long horizontal format I stressed the
vertical emphasis in the sky to put
tension in the composition
u STAGE TWO
I needed to concentrate on the boats, alternating
between impasto and thin applications. Detail
is best achieved with small contrasting marks
both in tone and colour. Because there is a lot of
depth in the image I needed to crispen the edges
nearest the viewer and soften the furthest; I also
wanted to semi-lose the boats caught in the
squall to add atmosphere. Probably the trickiest
area was the superstructure of the nearest vessel
because of both perspective and camber, which
is peculiar to naval architecture. I was using
a restricted palette of primarily ultramarine
with black and titanium white, plus a little teal
(Golden) to give a greenish hint to the shaded
parts of the white superstructure
p FINISHED PAINTING
Brixham Trawlers at Sea, acrylics on Saunders Waterford cotton rag 300gsm, 843202in (22352cm).
For the iddly superstructure with the trawl gear I used the No. 2 round sable and the No. 2 rigger, the paint thinned with water, not medium.
However, you need a fair amount of opacity to show up against the sky. I’m not sure my rigging is correct! The boats in the squall were treated
more as silhouettes than the others, which have more colour. Finally, deft brushwork and ingers helped to imply movement in the sea, where the
maintenance of wave proportions, in perspective, was important

WATERCOLOUR
On the beach
In the second of three articles on capturing figures, Brian Smith used a
watercolour sketchbook study to work up a painting of a hot day on the beach,
with an alternative version to show you how your initial sketches can be adapted
T
he study (below) I used for Work have to build. I wanted to imply heat, how to link the big shapes. I was very
and Play (page 41) presented atmosphere and beach life. My first aware of the need to have linked areas
the opportunity to develop marks and decisions set the scene. A and was finding it difficult because I
this initial idea, but not to copy high eye-level line was established first didn’t have any foreground buildings
it. The study was made on a very hot to draw the viewer into the painting and cast shadows to work off. I set the
day and I needed to work quickly: with implied marks to suggest sand. light high and slightly to the right, which
the distant buildings were a simple I did not want a blue sky; the heat would create short shadows and make
tone of wash, the figures suggested of the day was building, the heavy the tones dark because the people and
to imply movement. The heat meant atmosphere set the scene with the objects would be in shadow. The light
that I could not linger when applying distant city a collective general shape. will hit top edges in places and flat
washes. I used a small travelling palette I used my old butter knife to imply surfaces that face upwards.
with tube colour squeezed out prior to structure and lift out pigment to create
arrival at the beach: cobalt blue, alizarin variation and tried to avoid hard edges, Figures
crimson, turquoise, cerulean blue and which would attract attention. Capturing the figures was essential
burnt sienna. A flick of a loaded brush I think it is important to know what for this subject. I trained under the
implied the foreground texture. you are trying to achieve with the bigger wonderful artist Charles Longhurst,
picture but allow yourself to adjust who gave me these words of wisdom:
Develop your idea the minor decisions as you progress ‘Learn to capture figures and the phone
Remember, the viewer does not through the work. My main problem was will always ring’. Here the figures and
normally see your starting point, they structures would evolve as
only view the finished image. As you the painting progressed.
develop your original idea you can take The reference photo of the
your idea in whichever way you feel two girls in the foreground
will benefit your work. The sketchbook (below left) would prove to
study is the skeleton on which you be very helpful.
I often ask my students
whether they put people
in their compositions to
DEMONSTRATION which, more often than
Brixham Trawlers at Sea not, the reply is ‘Never’.
My reply is always the
p My butter knife and tube paint squeezed into my palette

PRACTICAL
t STAGE ONE
I used a 4B pencil to suggest the basic elements – the distant city, the
water’s edge – and not much more. Whilst the paper was still damp I
applied a yellow/brown diluted mix to indicate foliage
q STAGE TWO
At this point I was not sure how the middle ground was going to
evolve. I wanted to create interest and form using a beach structure,
possibly a vehicle and people. Maybe even a canopy would help and
be in keeping with the setting. A viewing platform for lifeguards
would also help as I was moving through from background to
foreground. A touch of colour into the foreground gave perspective,
taking the viewer into the central area
MATERIALS
l Paper: Arches Not half sheet taped to
my board with brown framer’s tape.
l Daniel Smith and Winsor & Newton
watercolours: yellow ochre, cerulean
blue, turquoise, burnt sienna, Indian
yellow, French ultramarine, bleed-proof
white and alizarin crimson.
l Brushes: Nos. 4, 7 or 8 round and a
large mop.
same: ‘If you can indicate people in

your paintings but choose not to, you
have made the decision from a position
of choice; if you cannot suggest figures
your choice of subject is therefore
limited, which may or may not be a
problem.’
Personally, the more options I have
the better. The easiest way to work out
your proportions is to draw a figure
using eight oval head shapes, one on
top of each other, numbered 1 to 8,
top to bottom. The shoulders slant off
heads 1 and 2, the chest is between
heads 2 and 3, the waist and elbows are
between 3 and 4, the crutch and hips
between 4 and 5, the knees between 6
and 7. Let the feet disappear to suggest
movement. As we get older our heads
drop down into the shoulders, younger
people show a neck.
Try some small, quick studies with a
Pentel – you will be surprised where
they take you. And they will develop
your confidence to explore further
options and subjects. People in the
landscape create interest.
I hope this stripped-back explanation
is of use to you as we are all on
a journey of development and p STAGE THREE
understanding. We all pick up hints The sand is yellow ochre and the water cerulean blue with a touch of turquoise. I darkened
from each other, then adapt to our own the water’s edge as I wanted this to be wet sand with relections established later on. I left the
requirements. Keep searching for new white paper as I hadn’t decided whether to have waves breaking – you are always making small
subjects to keep your work fresh. TA decisions that will ultimately afect the overall look

WATERCOLOUR
t STAGE FOUR
I needed the buildings to link the other
shapes, so I used a truck and workmen in
conjunction with sunbathers on the beach.
I used burnt sienna with touches of pure
pigment to represent clothing as I strove to
capture proportion and gesture; angles of the
body and head and collective shape helped
to give the group movement. My igures were
based on a scale of 72 to 8 heads high for a
man, half a head less for a woman. A male
igure is up to 3 heads wide, a female 2 to 22
heads high. A small gap between the legs
helps deinition and gives movement
t STAGE FIVE
The left-hand side draws the
attention – this area had to
create mystery. I used the same
colour for the canopy as I did
for the truck and workmen.
I wanted to suggest movement
and did so with igures –
standing, laying, sitting, light
against dark and dark against
light. The general tone of
this area was made up with
French ultramarine and alizarin
crimson, with touches of pure
pigment to hint at detail. The
foreground group had to work
collectively; the three standing
women link with the middle
ground and help the narrative,
which I felt was very important
to hold the work together. You
need to have an area of focus
and other areas of suggestion,
allowing the eye to drift, linger
then get absorbed into the
narrative

PRACTICAL
p FINISHED PAINTING q The Cleaning Team, watercolour,

Work and Play, watercolour, 1343212/3in (35355cm). 1343212/3in (35355cm).
I began to work on small, collective areas. The beach vendor working his patch gestures to This second painting was produced in an
the two women walking in the surf. I adjusted the shadow, which was too long. I also gave attempt to show how initial plein-air studies
him a white hat to accentuate his glance to the right. The middle-ground igures to the can inspire and lead to other options. This
right of the vendor lead the eye across to the two foreground igures in the surf. Splashes time I set the scene in the early morning; the
and relections in the damp sand ground the igures. I scratched back with my scalpel to clean-up operation is in full swing and, to
create sparkle on the water. The lagpoles and lampposts create a vertical link. The open give a counter-balance, runners stretch out
foreground with splashes of texture invite the viewer in. I tried to ensure that I did not at the water’s edge as the city wakes up for
overwork the painting and felt it was time to put my brush down a new day
Brian Smith
runs classes for watercolour painters,
demonstrates to art societies and tutors
workshops at West Dean College and
Higham Hall, among others.
For more information visit:
www.briansmithartist.com.

MODIFYING COLOUR: 4th of 13
Spring foliage
This month Julie Collins anticipates the
coming of spring by showing you how to mix
the perfect colours for bright spring foliage
I
f I had to choose, I would say spring modified them, you will see that most
is my favourite season. It is so of them are very bright. Although we
exciting to see the plants emerge want bright, fresh colours for spring
after a long winter and their foliage some of the greens such as viridian, Colours used:
is brighter and fresher than at any other Hooker’s, and the Winsor greens, are Hooker’s New Burnt
time. During spring we see a wide range just too harsh if you want to represent green gamboge umber
of bright greens all the way through nature. The vivid greens in your palette
to a sage green. Young leaves are still can be modified with just a little yellow
developing so the leaves tend to be or brown.
lighter. New leaves are also thinner, All the examples here are from plants
with the fewer tough layers that are that grow in my garden and have been
characteristic of more mature plants. drawn and painted from life. If I haven’t
Younger leaves have fewer pigments, got a particular plant or flower, then I Mixes
so the green of the chlorophyll is not find it a good excuse to buy one to use
masked by other pigments. Leaves for my paintings and my garden. I have
such as those of the maple and acer found that many painters are also keen
are typically tinged red at this time of gardeners and love nature too. Seeing
year because the sugar in the leaf is the colours first-hand is the very best
Start with Hooker’s green and gradually add
sometimes converted to a red pigment teacher.
new gamboge to create a whole range of
called anthocyanin, which is stored in
fresh greens
the leaf. This is wonderful for artists,
as in spring the colours of nature are HELLEBORES
heightened to inspire us again. Hellebores are among my favourite plants.
Here we will look at how to modify Their fantastic forms provide scope for a
your spring colours for foliage to get good drawing and very exciting watercolour
the best results in your watercolour painting and the leaves ofer great
paintings. I have painted a very wide opportunity for drawing and learning about
Mix Hooker’s, green, new gamboge and burnt
variety of styles and colours of leaves. greens. There is such a large variety of plants
umber to make a very dark green. To create
And in each example I have used a for the gardener and the artist. Both those
even darker greens, gradually add more burnt
very limited palette. If you look at shown here grow in my garden and give
umber
the colours I have used before I have interest all year round.
Viridian + burnt sienna + permanent alizarin crimson

This is the Christmas
rose, Helleborus
niger. Although it
Viridian + burnt sienna
could be said this
is also a winter
plant, it is during Pale
the spring that the
foliage comes into
its own.
Dark
Medium

PRACTICAL
PULSATILLA
It’s quite a challenge to paint very small leaves and it can be very tempting to
use only one green and one tone over all the leaves. The disadvantage of this
is that you can end up with lowers that are much more interesting than the
leaves. Take time to study the leaves and draw the correct shapes. I drew my
pulsatilla leaf patiently and made sure the pencil was very light. Then I took
care to vary the tones and colours in this intricate leaf. You can practise small-
scale leaves before you commit paint to your work.
Daniel Smith Extra Fine watercolours:
Cadmium Cobalt Burnt Permanent alizarin

yellow pale blue sienna crimson
Mixes:
Cadmium yellow pale + cobalt blue
Permanent alizarin crimson +

cobalt blue + burnt sienna in
More blue More yellow 50/50
equal parts to make a dark
ACER
I’m lucky to have several mature acer trees in my garden. The leaf
here was painted free-hand from one of these trees.
I have noticed that during the spring the acer leaves are brighter
than later in the summer, when the colours never seem to be
so vibrant. For this leaf I used all of the pure colours and some
of the mixes shown here. I have included extra examples and
suggestions for modifying colours and mixes as there are so many
other varieties of this beautiful tree.
Colours used:
Caput Permanent Hooker’s Raw

mortuum alizarin green sienna
violet crimson
Mixes
Caput mortuum 50/50 gradually add water

violet + Hooker’s
green 3 Permanent alizarin crimson with gradual
additions of caput mortuum violet
4 Caput mortuum violet with gradual

2 Hooker’s green with gradual additions of caput mortuum violet additions of raw sienna

MODIFYING COLOUR: 4th of 13
TULIPS
The tulip is one of my favourite lowers and I have always enjoyed painting the tulip
leaf as it is quite large, thus providing a lot of scope for wet-in-wet painting. There
is a fantastic blue tinge to some tulip leaves. Here I have decided to use a slightly
imaginative palette. This is one of my favourite blue greens and I’ve deliberately
exaggerated the colours that I see in the leaves. I’ve used another limited palette
and included ways to modify cerulean blue and permanent sap green by using only
raw sienna.
Blue tulip leaf colours used:
Cerulean Permanent Raw

blue sap green sienna
Mixes
1 Cerulean blue
with gradual
additions of raw
sienna
2 Permanent sap
green with gradual
additions of
cerulean blue
COWSLIP
I drew the outline of the cowslip leaf as
Colours used: faintly as possible and didn’t include any
detail of veins or shadows as I wanted the
paint to do the work on the paper. Then I
Lemon mixed all the colours I would need for the
yellow
leaves. I wet the leaves with clean water
and worked wet-into-wet to create varied
tones and a light-coloured leaf. This
technique gives a soft paint efect.
Permanent
sap green
Burnt
umber
Mixes
Julie Collins
studied painting at the University of
Reading. She is an associate member
of the Society of Women Artists and
won 1st prize for watercolour at the
Royal West of England Academy of
1 Permanent sap green with gradual additions 2 Permanent sap green with gradual Art exhibition in 2019. Her work is
of burnt umber to create olive greens for the additions of lemon yellow to make a range of exhibited widely in the UK and her
shadow areas fresh spring greens that have a hint of yellow sixth book, Colour Demystiied will be
published in November 2020.
www.juliecollins.co.uk
3 Permanent sap green + lemon yellow –
to make another green and another yellow;
add a lot of water to make very pale greens
Next month: Spring still life

F R AG I L E COA S T CO N S E R VAT I O N P R O J E C T: 2 N D O F 6
J MW Turner and the

Thames Estuary
Glyn Macey is documenting the changes to the English coastline
with a painting inspired by a well-known artist. This month he shows
how to add drama to a sky in the style of Turner
B
orn in 1775, Joseph Mallord by working quickly and fluidly he was and popping with crustacean life. A
William Turner became able to capture the sea and sky as no perfect habitat for migratory, hungry
arguably the greatest artist other artist had before, and never more birds at the mouth of the Thames
of a golden age in British art. so than when painting the waters and and home to oyster catchers, plovers
This was a dazzlingly fruitful period shipping of his native River Thames and and, as Chris Packham describes, the
that began with the social commentary the south-east coast. In 1822 Turner’s Audrey Hepburn of birds, the amazingly
works of Hogarth, through Reynolds artistic rival John Constable prophesied beautiful avocet.
and Gainsborough to the Spiritual that ‘The art will go out, there will be The nature reserve of Blyth Sands
Romanticism of William Blake and no genuine painting in England in 30 is found on the northern shore of the
finally to the literary and nostalgic years.’ JMW Turner died 29 years later Isle of Sheppey. The stark difference
realism of the Pre-Raphaelites. in 1851. between the industrial landscape and
wildlife is striking and yet despite these
Vision Blyth Sands differences nature now flourishes in the
But throughout these movements, Today, as part of my Fragile Coast presence of industry. Back in Turner’s
Turner himself stayed true to his own Project, I find myself painting in day, the view was very different.
vision, true to his goal of artistic and Turner’s footsteps at Blyth Sands, a In 1838 Turner was taking a ferry trip
creative exploration both in subject shining expanse of tidal mud, oozing from Margate into London when he
and application. A professional artist
from his youth, he began hanging
watercolours in his father’s barber shop
in London’s Covent Garden, where
they sold for just a few shillings each. A
genius in the making, by 1790 his first
work was shown in the Royal Academy’s
summer exhibition. He was 15 years old.
Fiercely ambitious and wanting his
work to be seen regularly by the public,
in 1799 Turner built himself a gallery,
hung with dark red paper and big
enough to show 30 paintings at a time.
Obsessed by the drama of nature and
Sheerness Avocets, watercolour, 14314in

(35.5335.5cm)

F R AG I L E COA S T CO N S E R VAT I O N P R O J E C T: 2 N D O F 6
TRY THIS EXERCISE Add drama to a sky
As artists we get the ability to change the scene in front of us to
create whatever atmosphere we choose. Turner knew this, so when
painting The Fighting Temeraire he deliberately placed his dramatic
sunset to the east, where a sunrise should be, instead of to the
west. The ship was after all being towed up the Thames, westwards
towards Rotherhithe in Surrey. But for Turner it was the sunset that
helped to create the drama and symbolism. Here is a short exercise
on how to ramp-up the drama in an otherwise simple sky
SUGGESTED MATERIALS
l I use Winsor & Newton Professional watercolours as the
pigment quantity and quality gives me unmatched depth of
tone and richness of colour: Prussian blue, alizarin crimson
p STAGE ONE and lemon yellow
Using plain water I dampened my sky area before adding a brushful of l Granulation medium
lemon yellow watercolour. Notice how the paint lowed into the water
p STAGE TWO p STAGE THREE

I added Prussian blue, this time mixed with granulation medium for added implied A touch of alizarin crimson was added to the
texture. Granulation medium is used in the same way as water and as the wash dries, Prussian blue for added colour and depth. Note how
the colour becomes more granulated than it would using plain water the colours appear granulated
saw the illustrious HMS Temeraire being moored at Blyth Sands, Sheerness, and in the world these turbines are playing
towed up the Thames estuary by a filled with French prisoners from the their part in the race for renewable
smoking paddle wheel tugboat. The Napoleonic wars as it sat rotting in the energy sources.
distinguished war ship had played an bankside mud. The Thames estuary was changing
important role in the Battle of Trafalgar, rapidly in Turner’s day. He knew that
and her journey to the breakers Changing times and captured those changes as only
shipyard at Rotherhithe struck a chord. Today you can still find decaying hulks he could. Some changes were for the
He immediately saw the potential of the of wooden boats lying half buried in the good, some not so good. The Thames
subject and the symbolism the scene oozing slime along the shoreline. I like estuary is changing in my day as well
conveyed: the mighty oak war ship to pretend that they’re the remnants and will continue to change. The tidal
being towed to her final resting place of the Trafalgar ships but of course reach creeps ever higher and discarded
by a modern steam tugboat. The fiery these ship bones are largely what’s left plastic waste lines the shore. Yet the
sunset signalling the end of an era as a of discarded fishing vessels from the avocets have found a home and the
silver moon rises indicating the coming 1960s. wind turbines are beginning to pay
of the new Industrial Age. Across the estuary from Blyth Sands, dividends.
As Turner sailed by he saw other on Canvey Island, the now defunct
ships that, having finished their naval Coryton oil refinery (page 45) stands Ecological challenges
service, were moored along the banks out isolated against the flat, natural In 1957, the Natural History Museum
of the Thames. They were used as landscape. And now, as a mark of declared the Thames biologically dead.
prison hulks and filled with prisoners progress, just beyond the mud flats News reports from that era describe it
to help alleviate the overcrowding in are the newly erected turbines of the as a vast, foul-smelling drain. Wartime
London’s gaols. Between 1813 and 1819 offshore wind farm called the London bombings had destroyed some of the
HMS Temeraire had been one of them, Array. As the second largest wind farm old Victorian sewers that previously

PRACTICAL
t STAGE FOUR
Once dry, I added glazes of the Prussian blue and alizarin
crimson to deine darker, deeper cloud formations,
working wet over dry for crisper edges
‘The birds and the plastic

come; the prison hulks and
the disease go. But the
sunsets never change’
u FINISHED PAINTING
Sky Study, watercolour, 12316in
(30.5340.5cm).
A basic sea was added to create this simple
scene using cerulean and Prussian blue – but
the drama is all happening in the sky
helped keep the river clean and post-

war Britain did not have the resources
to ix the problem.
A member of the House of Lords
was reported as saying that purifying
the river was unnecessary: rivers were
‘natural channels for the disposal
of waste’ and letting them break up
organic waste gave them ‘something to
do.’ Furthermore ‘the tidal reaches of
the Thames constitute a badly managed
open sewer’, while the Guardian
reported that ‘No oxygen is to be found
in it for several miles above and below
London Bridge.’ Although bacteria do between 20 and 90cm over the next 80
indeed help rivers break down sewage, years. This will in turn affect well over
they use up precious oxygen in the 1m people living along the Thames
process leaving little if any for other life tidal loodplain as well as 3,000 acres of
forms. designated wildlife habitat.
New threats to the estuary come For me as an artist, the shining tidal
from plastic pollution, rising river mud, the forlorn reinery and the
temperatures, sea level rise and over avocets are fascinating. Like Turner,
development. Today, the population when he observed the HMS Temeraire,
growth around the Thames Estuary is far I too am aware of a change in the air, Glyn Macey
higher than the national average, which some good, some not so good. studied at Falmouth School of Art. He is
in turn could lead to huge changes to And turning west to face London, I the author of several books and has made
the natural and industrial landscape of several ilms. He has been commissioned
am suddenly blessed with the most
by Greenpeace, the RNLI and UNICEF
the area. Shoreline wildlife havens have amazing sunset. All rose and gold,
and his paintings can be seen in galleries
already been earmarked as potential gleaming and burning. A Turneresque around the UK. For details of Glyn’s acrylics
sites for housing development, putting sunset, you might say. The birds and workshops, other products and to see
more pressure on the fragile coast. the plastic come; the prison hulks and more examples of his work, view:
The Environment Agency also the disease go. But the sunsets never www.glynmaceystudio.com
estimates that the sea level will rise change. TA

COMPOSITION
How to decide when

and what to leave out
The success of your painting can be determined as much
by what you leave out as by what you choose to include.
Judi Whitton suggests some workable solutions
W
hen you sit in the using burnt umber and perylene green. appeal to you most. Begin your drawing
landscape the vista you At the drawing stage I decided not to with these areas and then weave in any
see has to be condensed include detail on the distant houses, secondary areas you want to include
onto a piece of paper, so did not delineate the windows in to support the main features – see
which invariably means that not pencil and simplified what I could see my article ‘Creepy-Crawly Drawing’,
everything you see can be described. with a tonal wash. Towards the end of December 2017 issue.
The viewer is drawn to a picture which the painting I chose to completely omit
conveys a feeling. A painting swamped the area under the bridge. This example Incomplete shapes
with information does not necessarily shows the distinct difference between It is so tempting during the painting
have the same appeal. simplifying and leaving things out of process to fill in all the drawn shapes.
So, how do you decide what to leave your picture. In the still life (top right) neither
out and how do you put this into A loose painting may be described as the green jug nor the eggs were
practice in your painting? There is no one where much of the observed scene completely covered with paint. I also
set of rules to help for every situation is included but simplified. A painting used a minimal amount of pigment
but the following examples describe the where some of the observed vista is to describe the cloth. Leaving some
decisions I made for different scenarios. omitted and the remaining areas linked of the shapes partly painted adds a
into a composition could be described liveliness and spontaneity to the work.
Simplify or omit? as a vignette style. Throughout the Take care that the unpainted areas are
Photo A (below) shows a rather entire process ask yourself whether the designed so that they form part of the
unprepossessing corner in Venice. part you are planning to do next will finished composition. I did not decide
However, there were some appealing enhance the outcome or not. In this beforehand which fragments to leave
splayed steps inviting you towards the case I felt that adding the water was not as unsullied paper. Whilst painting an
lovely bridge. The watercolour (below) necessary. You may feel differently. egg, for example, I constantly adjust
was completed in front of the subject In general it is important to decide colour and tone, and paint in patches
which parts of your subject matter that run together. There comes a stage
when adding more paint may or may
not improve the painting; if I am not
sure, I simply stop there. Every egg was
painted individually and I urge you to
paint slowly and with careful thought
throughout.
How to amalgamate painted

and unpainted areas
It was clear from the beginning that
the car park in the foreground of the
vista shown in Photo C (right) would
not form part of the composition but
Photo A what to do with the space left? I solved
the problem by extending the foliage-
covered hillside, with the shapes of
 Campo S. the trees and bushes creeping into the
Cassian, Venice, empty space (right). Calligraphic marks
watercolour were useful here and a lot of care was
and ink on taken to ensure the demarcation was
Langton tinted irregular, otherwise there would have
HP paper,140lb been an eye-catching ‘diagonal’ line
(300gsm), along the border of the painted and
12¼11¾in unpainted parts, which would have
(3130cm) drawn the eye away from the main

PRACTICAL
Photo B
 Still Life with Primroses and Eggs,

watercolour on Saunders Waterford tinted
HP paper, 140lb (300gsm), 8½11¼in
(21.528.5cm)
features.
Another useful way to marry the
painted and unpainted areas is to
splash some paint into the spaces so
the boundary is not so abrupt.
Painting part of a building

A large building with multiple windows
or endless chimneys can benefit from
simplification by omitting part of the
building. Right from the beginning many windows do you really need to Photo C
you have to make decisions, but that define to represent the building? Begin
is tiring and it is easy to find yourself the part of the building that you feel is
coasting along with repetitive shapes! most important to define in your picture
Try to recognise that you have fallen and then work along the windows until
into a pattern of technique being you decide you have done sufficient
uppermost in your mind rather than
creativity (see my article ‘Technique is a
Comfort Zone’, January 2014 issue). It is  Frigiliana from the Molasses Factory,
only natural to do this. Try to stop, take Andalucia, Spain, watercolour on Fabriano HP,
a break and reassess the situation. How 140lb (300gsm), 810¼in (20.526cm)
Points to consider when

leaving things out
� Your picture can be more poignant if
you leave some things out.
� You do not need to describe
everything you can see.
� You can make decisions about what
to include at the beginning, during the
designing stage with the drawing, or as
the picture develops.
� Remember you do not have to paint
everything you have drawn.
� Link painted and unpainted areas
with calligraphy or splashed paint.
� Be aware when you are just using
technique, rather than thinking
creatively.
� Try not to fill in all the drawn shapes
with paint.
� Take advantage of the opportunity
provided by tinting the paper
beforehand.
� Have the rules of composition in your
mind at all times but do not be a slave
to them.

COMPOSITION
Photo D
 Dursley Town Hall, watercolour sketch on

Bockingford HP 140lb (300gsm), 5½7½in
(1419cm)
for the message you want to portray, Every part of the opulent façade whilst omitting some areas and work
and then put the effort into how you are of the stunning Venetian Palace towards the edges until the balance of
going to ‘finish’ it off. Ca’d’Oro – see Photo E (below right) the picture looks right.
I began painting Dursley town hall is an artist’s delight. I have painted
(above right) at the end nearest the it many times but on this occasion Tinted paper
church and allowed the rendition of the (below) concentrated on the upper Photo F (above right) shows the
pillars and windows to fade out towards central section and proceeded to pull lovely Venetian church Santa Maria
the right-hand side of the building. I did the elements into a composition. It is dei Miracoli, which is crowded by the
not simplify the features but left them difficult to give rules but by selecting surrounding buildings; the question
out altogether. A little splashed paint a generously sized piece of paper, you is how to give prominence to the
linked the painted and unpainted parts. can creep your drawing in any direction church without the colourful buildings
overshadowing it.
Before a painting expedition I prepare
several sheets of watercolour paper with
variegated washes. On this occasion I
selected one with a strong blue, green,
grey and pale ochre pattern. Using a
portrait format I drew and painted the
church within the lighter ochre area and
allowed the darker grey areas either
side to support the painted part. In
this way my intention was to give the
sense of the church ‘peeping through’
without feeling the need to represent
the neighbouring buildings.
Photo E
 Ca’d’Oro, Venice, watercolour on Fabriano

HP 140lb (300gsm), 10½9¼in (2723.5cm)

PRACTICAL
Weaving elements of your

subject together
A typical Venetian vista, full of
irregularity in the roofs, windows,
balconies and so on is shown in Photo
Gi (below left); Photo Gii (centre) is
the lower part of the scene, showing
two people sitting on the side of the
canal. I decided to feature these figures
and, using pencil, briefly mapped
in the overall design to determine
their placement. I moved them closer
together and quickly concentrated on
drawing and painting them before they
moved away (below). I then added the
buildings cautiously, as they would
crowd the two figures if they came down
too far. Fearing that the bridge could
easily dominate the picture, I denoted
Photo F part of it in pencil. I could not decide
how much to include of underneath the
bridge and decided to paint the water
around the figures, adding a few pencil
 Church of Santa marks to denote the pavement. In an
Maria dei Miracoli, ideal world I would have signed the
Venice, watercolour painting in the large unpainted area
on Fabriano on the left-hand side. Remember your
Artistico HP, 140lb signature forms part of your design.
(300gsm), 10¼8in Your viewer will like or dislike your
(2620.5cm) painting in a glance. Just a glance.
When you make the choice of which
inessentials to discard and the way you
put this into practice you are putting
your own personal stamp on your
work. Your paintings will have a new
originality, freshness and direction. TA
Photo Gi Photo Gii
Judi Whitton
is a well-established watercolour artist
and an enthusiastic plein-air painter.
She has had many successful solo
exhibitions and is a popular tutor.
Judi’s book Painting Venice can be
purchased for £24 plus p&p by emailing
judi@watercolour.co.uk
www.watercolour.co.uk
 Ponte San Stin, Venice, watercolour on Fabriano Artistico HP,
140lb (300gsm), 9¾9¾in (2525cm)

????????????
Gouache en plein air

In the second of two articles, Paul O’Kane advises on how to select the ideal
subject and time saving techniques for painting en plein air with gouache
M
y gouache style begins Even if a subject is staring me in the p Bangor Marina, gouache on textured
with an ink sketch, which face, I turn away and make a small paper, 8310in (20.5325.5cm).
remains partially visible pencil sketch of something else, My goal was to place the main boat in a
when heavier opaque shaded and titled. Why? A pencil or context without creating too much clutter.
gouache is applied in subsequent charcoal sketch sets my mind thinking I simplified my colours by dominating with
layers. This layering technique is much about composition, shading makes me four different blues and complementing
quicker than a painted patchwork think tonally and the title reminds me with a minimal pale warm foreground. The
method or painting by numbers. of my feelings towards the subject and gouache allowed me to make constant
Gouache dries quickly out of doors, what drew me to it. After ten minutes corrections, lightening up as needs be or
so there is little time for blending. A of sketching my eyes open to a range placing richer darks where needed. As usual I
dominant gouache effect is the easy of subjects that I had not noticed covered much of the surface with a blue-grey
overlapping of opaque light or dark previously. Don’t believe me? Try it. mid-tone, which allowed minimal colourful
layers, whether as washes, daubs or lights and darks to define the main shapes
calligraphy. To use these features to Composition without having to be too particular with
best advantage I look to tonal subjects, I use my phone/camera to compose detail
where light is the key. Perhaps a a scene – I zoom in on an area of
contre-jour cityscape where buildings interest and use the camera image to look for subtleties within plain sight. My
are mainly monochrome. Or a grey day, set up a composition. I also snap a few goal is to simplify drastically, to abstract
where colours are sparse. Indeed any passers-by to use later. When choosing the essence.
subject where colour is not the main a subject it’s easy to be drawn to an To do this, I apply the 80/20 rule: the
element, or where a fleeting light makes iconic building or panorama. I tend to aim is to select a small focal point, say
an everyday subject interesting. go for what initially looks too simple – I 20 per cent of my canvas, and spend 80
TA04p52_55_O'Kane.indd 52 05/02/2020 14:16

PRACTICAL
per cent of my time and creativity there. retain larger particles. The colours to the focal point area. Presenting too
Avoid painting detail in all corners of are more opaque, stronger and richer. much information wastes precious time
the canvas. Use a big brush to block Watercolour’s transparency comes from and allows no room for the viewer’s
in. Fill the sheet. Then concentrate light being reflected back off the white imagination.
on the focal area and avoid being too paper surface. Gouache’s superior
meticulous with the larger 80 per-cent colour intensity comes from its particle Plein-air session one-hour
zone. density. limit
I can do this easily with gouache on, I look initially for the biggest shapes, Time-wise, setting up, composing and
say, Saunders Waterford 425gsm paper. then the mid-sized and so on, all the sketching don’t count. Once paint hits
Leave large calm areas, which redirect while simplifying. I stop before getting canvas, my goal is to finish with as few
the viewer to the 20 per-cent zone, to the tiny ones. My painting usually strokes as possible whilst recording as
taking care to place this using the rule begins to look a mess, then I refine it. much or as little information as it takes
of thirds. Having used the 80/20 rule Then I refine some more. Then I stop to remind me of my adventure. It’s not
to limit my composition, I then use the before I refine it to death. about the finished painting, it’s about
same rule to limit my tones and colour being there, enjoying the thrill. The
palette. Brushwork finished painting is a time machine that
I use a large brush for most of my transports my senses back to the site.
Paper size painting. The fewer the brushstrokes I love the adrenalin rush on site.
You would expect that a small painting the better. I like to contrast a flat or Passers-by watching and chatting,
would complete quicker than a large graded wash with finer dry brush changes in light, wind and rain are
one. That’s not my experience. I suggest calligraphic strokes. My goal in all the very challenges that press me to
using the 80/20 rule to limit detail to a media is to use a variety of brushmarks paint with gusto. Painting at speed
small area and paint the remainder as to give a painterly rendition, a semi- out-doors I have learned to accept my
big as you like. For me this is usually abstraction, as opposed to depicting a imperfections and work with them – as
limited to my suitcase size. A 12316in photographic likeness. Try delicate light an opportunity to tread a new path?
Winsor & Newton watercolour block dry brushmarks over darks or vice versa. Painting in gouache is so different to
is perfect if you like to begin with big other media that it forces me to be
washes. I prefer Daler-Rowney’s A3 Lost and found edges flexible and so to change.
System 3 Acrylic Paper; its absorbent With initial gouache brushwork being
linen texture gives me more of an oil wet, broad and loose, soft edges occur Be yourself
painting sensation. naturally. But when the initial layers dry I find that changing my medium
it takes discipline to leave them soft/ regularly helps me to return to a
Tones lost and to restrict sharp/found edges medium with new insights. My foray
I decide at the outset if the painting
is to be high or low key, ie 80 per cent
light or 80 per cent dark (not too dark,
everything in painting is relative). I then
apply my darks, well watered down,
with a 3/4in soft flat brush, keeping my
colours semi-transparent. My darks
are mainly a combination of French
ultramarine blue and cadmium red, or
sometimes alizarin crimson.
Next comes the mid-tone stage. For
local colour I simplify what I see into an
array of interesting greys, remembering
to spend 80 per cent of my time in the
20 per-cent focal point zone. Then the
lights. I get great delight in mixing thick
and juicy light colours with generous
squirts of liquid acrylic white. Beware:
dark gouache dries light, light gouache
dries darker.
Colours
Imagine a colour wheel; now imagine
cutting away 80 per cent of it. The
remaining 20 per cent is plenty to
construct most of my painting. My
gouache palette contains about 12
colours although I seldom use more
than six in a painting, preferring to save
time by simplifying the spectrum in p Dunfanaghy, gouache on textured paper, 8310in (20.5325.5cm).
front of me. Here I had a few minutes to paint between showers. The rule of thirds placed the wall and pole;
Gouache is manufactured using the the rest is a blur in my mind as I raced to play catch-up with the constantly changing light. When
same pigments as watercolour but I see green I always begin with cadmium yellow as it’s easy to morph into adjacent colours on
with more pigment and ground to the colour wheel, whereas green contaminates other colours

GOUACHE
DEMONSTRATION: Barnstorming
p u STAGE ONE
The tractor was central to the barn, which convinced me to
centre the barn in the painting. I began with a pencil sketch
and then ixed it with a permanent ink marker, a 0.7mm
Rotring Tikky. The barn was a kaleidoscope of red and orange
with green stains, so I began with a red and orange wet wash,
using broad random strokes with a 2in lat brush. Painting
within guidelines takes time, whereas overlapping boundaries
speeds up the process
MY PLEIN-AIR EQUIPMENT
l Manfrotto tripod with a universal ball head to attach
paintings. Homemade 4in plywood tray.
p STAGE TWO
l Long lat synthetic brushes; Lascaux acrylic white I blocked in all remaining areas, mainly cadmium yellow for sunlit ields, blue
transferred to a small squeeze bottle; Sea to Summit green for trees, French ultramarine and cadmium red for the dark shadows. The
collapsible water cup. same mix, with a little white, was used for the foreground.
l Caran D’Ache gouache pans transferred to a smaller, I introduced new colours with caution. With gouache I do ind I need to correct/
lighter PVC palette; ShinHan Pass gouache tube paint. lighten colour, so the fewer colours on my palette, the easier it is to make
corrections
into gouache has taught me to treat

my watercolours with a new respect for
opaque passages. PAUL’S TIPS:
If you are to develop your own style Don’t look on YouTube for advice on how to use gouache; videos tend to treat gouache
you must be authentic. Avoid trying to in a ‘paint by numbers’ studio style. Get outside, use lots of paint and make your own
be different. Start by leaving behind mistakes. You will learn much faster by doing than by watching.
some learnt baggage. My advice is to I ind studio painting sessions to be so unrestricted that I dither over small decisions and
simplify everything. Paint to please so over-think a painting. In the studio I paint with the head. On site, the right-hand side
yourself rather than other people’s of my brain has priority: I paint by instinct, which only happens with plenty of plein-air
expectations. For me gouache has a practice.
child-like simplicity that enables me to
In a warm climate you have no option but to be quick as gouache dries quickly on the
travel light, and paint rapidly with no
palette. To overcome this use a combination of pan colours and liquid acrylic white.
sequence in mind. I can ditch the rule
The large Caran D’Ache pans reactivate easily and constant small squirts of liquid white
book. Yippeee!
ensure it remains moist.
‘The most seductive thing about art
is the personality of the artist himself’. Practice and limiting my session time teach me not to iddle.
(Paul Cézanne) TA

PRACTICAL
Paul O’Kane
tutors painting holidays for Arte Umbria and
Art in the Algarve, among others. For details
see his website, where you can also ind his
Blog: https://paulokane.co.uk
p STAGE THREE
Alizarin crimson was used to give shadow deinition to the barn, and I added tiny amounts of
white to my palette to give the mid-tone colours for the barn base and trees. If a base colour is
too dark I brush over it with clean water. At this stage the semi-transparent layers were complete
p FINISHED PAINTING
Barnstorming, gouache on textured paper, 8310in (20.5325.5cm).
It was time for thick, opaque lights. I like this stage, where I lighten or darken at will, best. I squeezed large dollops of white onto my palette to
prepare generous pale pinks, greys or sky blue. I applied them thickly textured, as I would do with oil paint, making the semi-transparent areas
look that much more vivid. Finally, I added a few touches of pure colour

WATERCOLOUR
For further examples of Paul’s work

and details of his painting courses
and holidays, please visit
www.paulweaverart.co.uk
t Low Winter Sun, watercolour on Saunders

Waterford High White Rough 140lb (300gsm),
7310in (18325.5cm).
Looking into the sun, I liked the dramatic
contrast of the dark trees against the hazy
warm light and the broken cool shadows on
the frosty ground
The magic of white paper, as well as the edges of

shapes throughout the subject. Distant
trees may be soft and blurred due to
snow and frost

the mist in the air, while foreground
foliage will be rough and broken in
definition and buildings sharp and
more defined. These edges dictate
what will be painted on a wet or dry
surface.
Paul Weaver demonstrates how to capture To create a soft hazy sky for example,
I will wet the paper liberally to ensure
sparkling light and shadows on snow, focusing on dry smooth transitions from one colour to
brush techniques and negative and positive shapes another and allow colours to mix on the
paper. If distant hills and trees are soft
edged, I will apply them immediately
T
he winter landscape beneath rely on small watercolour sketches and before the sky wash can dry. This
a heavy frost or blanket of tonal studies in 4B pencil to record the negates having to re-wet the horizon
snow becomes an irresistible key points en plein air, especially the later, which runs the risk of disturbing
subject, full of atmosphere tonal contrast as my eye sees it. The and muddying the paint below. The
and transforming familiar scenes into camera is useful for the details I don’t key here is to use thicker paint, so
something unique. For the watercolour have time to draw, but I don’t trust it to the shapes don’t spread too far, using
painter, it becomes more important record accurate tone. the sky wash to create the soft edges
than ever to plan ahead carefully, Artists often joke about suffering for required. I have found the more I can
reserve and exploit the white paper their art and painting outdoors in the capture within a single wash, the fresher
to capture these transient and magical cold, which I have done many times, and more vibrant the final result.
effects. but I wouldn’t recommend enduring Dry brush and spattering are useful
potential frostbite to capture the techniques to suggest foreground
A touch of frost moment! Back in the warmth of the skeletal winter trees and the textures of
A cold frosty morning creates a studio, the on-site sketches form a the frost-covered ground. For this the
wonderful range of subtle, muted colour vital link to the emotional experience paper should be completely dry and
and heightened aerial perspective. of being there, providing essential a rough textured surface is important
The layer of frozen moisture pushes reference for larger, more considered to create these effects. Saunders
the tonal values into a higher key work. Waterford High White Rough is a firm
as it filters the colours beneath and favourite of mine for frost and snow
also reflects light from the sky. Grassy Working process scenes, its bright white surface literally
fields appear a cool aqua grey and the Composition and tonal range always glows through the paint. Watercolour
distance is softened by haze and mist come first, explored with quick pencil techniques are very simple in principle,
as the ground warms up. or charcoal sketches in a cartridge it’s judging the wetness of the surface
Such effects are very transient and sketch pad. I carefully note any negative and consistency of the paint that’s
disappear rapidly as the sun rises, so I shapes that need to be reserved as always a challenge!

PRACTICAL
u Frosty Morning, Winterbourne,
watercolour on Bockingford Rough 140lb
(300gsm), 9313in (23333cm).
This was painted completely on-site: a
beautiful, crisp morning with the fields a pale
turquoise under the layer of frost
I find a limited palette of raw sienna,

ultramarine blue and light red to be
an excellent basis for most subjects,
to which I might add up to three other
colours as required. Burnt sienna makes
a good strong dark when mixed with
the blue and viridian mixed with a little
alizarin crimson creates the subtle aqua
grey tones of frost-covered fields and
rooftops. Cerulean blue is also useful
for cold winter skies and creating the
greenish hue of frost-covered grass and
foliage.
Let it snow!
Snow takes the landscape to a whole
new level, changing the terrain into q Winter Shadows, Frenchay Village, watercolour on Saunders Waterford High White Rough
something almost otherworldly. The 140lb (300gsm), 10314in (25.5335.5cm).
landscape seems to widen and open up I was attracted by the way the shadows followed the contours of the road and snow-covered
as boundaries of roads, walls and fields ground, along with the tonal variations within the shadows
TA04p56_59_Paul Weaver.indd 57 05/02/2020 14:16

WATERCOLOUR
DEMONSTRATION
Toboggan Tracks, Frenchay Village
This was a natural composition, with the sunlit snow gleaming
against the dark trees and buildings. I also liked the way the
deep ruts of the sledge tracks lead the eye into the picture and
the shadows deine the contours of the ground.
p STAGE ONE
Combining my sketches and photo reference,
I lightly sketched the inal composition
onto the paper with a 4B pencil. I decided to
protect the sunlit edges of the tracks in the
snow with masking luid, applying it with a
broken stick to keep the marks ragged. Once
dry, I applied a irst wash, working wet-
into-wet, top to bottom and background to
foreground using raw sienna, alizarin crimson
and a little cerulean blue. I added some burnt
sienna to darken the buildings, leaving the
rooftops the white of the paper
t STAGE TWO
Once dry, I removed the masking luid and
blocked in the background trees, using dry
brushwork to suggest the winter foliage.
Note how this dark mass reveals the shapes
of the buildings, creating the efect of bright
sunlight on the snow. Colours were kept
warmer on the right and cooler on the left to
suggest the direction of the sunlight
are covered and merge into one, unified A snow scene on a bright sunny is a good way to take the edge off the
surface. While our initial perception is day can crackle with sparkling light, white and create sparkle. Shadows
that snow is white, it very seldom is as it enhanced by the darker tones of falling across the pale surfaces are
reflects the colour of the sky and other shadows, trees and buildings. Shadows often a cool, purply grey. Ultramarine
surrounding surfaces. are particularly important in conveying or cerulean blue with a touch of alizarin
This said, when working in watercolour the effects of light and also the shape of crimson or light red provide a good
it is important to reserve any areas of the terrain beneath the snow. starting point.
snow in the painting as white paper A mass of sunlit snow can appear to A heavy grey sky with low cloud
to start with, as these will always be be quite flat until a shadow runs across and no direct sunlight creates a very
pale in tone whatever the colour. it, so I’m always looking for dynamic different mood. Tones become a lot
Large masses can be avoided when shadow patterns to help describe darker throughout the scene and the
blocking in the first washes, while the contours of the ground. They also snow itself can appear to be very
fine details such as the snow-capped define the shape and depth of tracks grey, lending a quiet dignity to the
edges of fencing, trees or chimneys created by sledges, cars and footprints. subject that can make a striking and
can be protected with masking fluid if A dilute wash of raw sienna lightly atmospheric alternative to the sunlit
necessary. dragged across a rough-textured paper scene. TA

u STAGE THREE
I completed the buildings
on the left, darkening the
shadows with cobalt blue
and light red, and the sunlit
walls and chimneys with raw
sienna and burnt sienna.
Burnt sienna was also
dragged across the rooftop
to suggest exposed tiles, and
the deep shadow beneath
the eves accentuated the
bright snow further. All
snow-capped walls were left
as untouched paper. Fine
details such as windows were
added with burnt sienna and
ultramarine blue
p FINISHED PAINTING
Toboggan Tracks, Frenchay Village, watercolour on Saunders Waterford High White Rough 140lb (300gsm), 10314in (25.5335.5cm).
I inally developed the foreground building, wall and the all-important shadows across the snow. I used burnt sienna and ultramarine blue for
the darker elements of the building, then a wash of ultramarine, alizarin and a touch of light red for the shadows. These shadows made a huge
diference to the inal painting, framing the distance and making the light areas look brighter

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PRACTICAL
Abstracting
Andrew Newton
has a BA in Fine Art. He has exhibited
with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters,
South West Academy of Fine Arts and
the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, where
reality
Andrew Newton explains how he abstracted an
he has won several awards. He tutors
privately around Surrey and Hampshire,
whilst also instructing art classes at
interior scene that retains just enough information
Arthouse Unlimited. Andrew’s work will for the viewer to be able to recognise the original
be on show at The Ferens Gallery until
April 26. www.andrewnewtonart.com subject matter
I
love painting interior spaces, features before committing to the will balance with the surrounding visual
particularly public transport final composition. I make preliminary information. Bold marks are great but
interiors. As a regular passenger on studies, slowly taking out areas with too too many can overcrowd the image at
trains and buses I find inspiration in much detail that would detract from the the expense of subtler areas. When
the geometric forms but I genuinely find overall boldness of the abstract layout. you are happy with your layout it’s
the public transport theme intriguing I find the composition has to be time to start applying colour. Usually
as it signifies people and movement. immersive and interesting and I think I apply an acrylic ground all over the
However, I strive to achieve something it’s important to have combinations of canvas, in a colour that complements
quite different, something present shapes that relate and contrast. It’s also the theme of the piece as it will direct
and raw, something that relates to the crucial not to make the painting feel the image tonally from the start. This is
existential. I want the impression to contrived; it can be tempting to add often the most dominant colour in the
be realistic enough for an audience to too much or repeat shape formations, composition.
recognise yet be elusive. which could hinder the overall intrigue. Incorporating different media will add
I always base my images around a loose texture and unpredictability, keeping
Abstracting reality focal point but unlike most traditional things fresh. Instead of painting every
When you abstract you can simplify painting, my focal points are usually geometric shape with simple colour
but you can also change or manipulate bold and brash, with less detail but with combinations, I sometimes use an oil
the imagery, including patterns or more intensity. bar or Conté crayon to outline shapes
forms, which could be exaggerated or When painting I feel that the most and intensify colour. This technique
replicated in a more vivid formation in confident and brashest of marks are does wonders for some pieces, as it
your painting, whether it is a pattern usually the least worked and hold can push you into another abstract that
on a seat or a window reflection. It’s the most importance in the image – a which will spark other ideas later on.
also important to be unpredictable as carefully thought-out mark usually I think it’s as important to be
repeating a desired effect can come lacks confidence and finesse. Why spontaneous with an image as it is to
across as stagnant in the long run. not practise this beforehand on spare have a planned goal in mind. Even if
Overly worked areas next to brash canvas or paper when experimenting the spontaneous marks don’t always
underworked swatches are a great with shapes or lines you want to be work, you can work over them, which
technique for fresh and compelling more gestural? It will improve your will add layers of interesting texture.
imagery. confidence at quick, brash marks before Please remember that mistakes are
In Interior 12 for example (page 63), I you commit to the final piece. a good thing, as they create edgy
took inspiration from the stripe and grid Bolder marks are made with a nuanced textures!
effects on the blue chair in the bottom palette knife or an oil bar, while more There are many techniques for
left of the picture and re-used the translucent areas are created with building up texture; I use a palette
effect to tie in with the rest of the stripy sponge rollers or washes. Stronger, knife, sponge roller, washes and oil bar
image. With the light blue diagonal brighter colours can be achieved with methods. Scraping away paint is also
lines and brown areas, I’ve again acrylic and more raw, gritty tones with important as it reveals previous colours,
used the thin stripe effect to depict oil paint or oil pastel. So be prepared creating intrigue. These techniques
the texture of the floor and the glass to combine effects to create a varied can create a raw and distressed look
reflections; this exaggerates the effect. response to a composition. A useful way although the key point is to remain
of checking your abstract arrangement versatile and experimental.
Composition is key is to view its reflection in a mirror, which The colours in my work are usually
When travelling I take plenty of can aid colour and shape balancing. contrasting and distorted yet still
photographs which, back in the studio, commit loosely to the original hues of
are subjected to careful analysis and Colour and texture the photograph. The reason for this
editing. When selecting an image to Always decide where the more opaque is relatability to the subject matter
work from I usually simplify the key areas will be situated and whether they and tones that can be associated with

ABSTRAC TING REALITY
DEMONSTRATION Interior 12
 The colours and hues in this image

intrigued me, although the tones are quite
muted and dull. The focal point and verticals
in the composition allowed me to play with its
perspective
u STAGE ONE
I covered the canvas in a mix of acrylic
cerulean blue, cyan and white with a large
ilbert brush to create a smooth ground. I
felt this colour would balance well with the
creamy yellow and dark blues I would add
later on. After this I drew on the basic shapes
of the interior with blue and black Conté
crayons, and used a pen to deine the more
prominent shapes
 STAGE TWO
MATERIALS After deciding which
complementary colours I
� Pintura Professional Quality Canvas
would use with the original
roll
blue ground, I started to
� System 3 Acrylic: cerulean blue, paint sections in acrylic with
cyan blue, Prussian blue, ivory black,
alternating Naples yellow,
burnt umber, buff titanium, titanium
faded pastel green and dull
white, cadmium yellow, Hooker’s
green, magenta, cadmium red. charcoal black with a hint of
Prussian blue. I was looking
� Winsor & Newton Oilbar French
for balance and expression
ultramarine; Sennelier Extra Fine
early on. Brushstrokes were
Artist Quality oil sticks ivory black,
antique white . conident and brash, creating
energy while highlighting key
� Oil paint: Winsor & Newton Artist
shapes
Quality French ultramarine, cobalt
blue, Naples yellow, cerulean blue,
alizarin crimson, phthalo blue, ivory
black, cadmium orange, titanium
white; Daler-Rowney Georgian
Oil Colour cadmium yellow, burnt
sienna, burnt umber, vermilion red; u STAGE THREE
Pebeo XL Studio Fine Oils yellow
Texture and subtle obscure shapes
grey, blu luce, rose lumière.
were incorporated using oil paint and
� Brushes: Mastertouch Oil and Acrylic brushes, a palette knife and scraping
lat, ilbert, round sizes 0,2,4,8,10,14.
techniques. I kept the vivid outlines of
� Palette knifes, rubber wipe-out tools. deining shapes while incorporating
more subtle, realistic colour tones that
contrast with the bright underpainted
sections. Opaque areas were painted
realism. However by using layering with the palette knife, speciically areas
techniques and limiting my palette I’m I wanted to pop out to the viewer,
able to use complementary colours. while more ambiguous sections were
This is a good method to use if you painted quite thinly, with a scumbling
plan on combining realism and abstract technique. The crayon and pen were
sensibility, as you can take realistic also used for spontaneous deinition
colours and saturate them in close and to separate different sections
proximity to create interesting abstract
juxtapositions.
that, why not do yet another simpliied again, thus completely eliminating
Experiment drawing? any remaining realism and becoming
It’s good practice to start small. Some shapes and forms in your drawing solely reliant on my own abstracted
Try making a simple sketch of your might take on a life of their own and forms. This last drawing will again be
surroundings; then put the initial your third drawing might end up looking simpliied as my inal composition.
drawing down and do another but with quite different from the original subject. When taking the inalised, abstracted
less detail and try not to be ixated on Sometimes I take the last of my drawing to canvas, remember to refer
getting everything exactly right. After preliminary studies and draw it to your photos of the original subject,

PRACTICAL
p STAGE FOUR p STAGE FIVE

The saturated ultramarine/cobalt blue areas were applied with Maroon tones added harmony between the pale yellows and dull blue/
precision, pushing back the subtle tones added in the last stage. charcoal colours. I invested more in the yellow and blue dialogue as
Some areas were reworked and painted over with more blue, to they were complementing each other well and related more to the
create a more abstract and geometric presence. I was careful not to original source material. I also started to incorporate the reflections of
overcrowd the image by keeping the cerulean blue still relevant in the the seat, which harmonise with the rest of the stripe-inspired image.
painting’s structure Bold marks made with the oil bar and palette knife were added to
direct the gaze to the focal point
u FINISHED PAINTING
Interior 12, oil bar, oil paint, acrylic, crayon and
pen on canvas, 391/23391/2in (1003100cm).
Basic outlines were defined with more
precise brushstrokes using thin round and
flat brushes. Subtle hues of maroon and
creamy pink were heightened in certain
places and even mixed with grey areas to
create a stronger colour balance to eliminate
stray colour tones that no longer related.
Brighter tones were also added to the bottom
of the composition for tonal stability and to
highlight some darker areas. Abstract marks
and lines were again highlighted so they can
be easily read from a distance. Lastly cerulean
blue washes were applied over light sections
to limit the colour palette and to bring a
stronger connection to the original cerulean
ground hues
as the colours and textures shown can

be re-applied to your new abstract
composition. By limiting your colours
to the five or six most prominent tones
you will be able to eradicate the subtle,
insignificant colours and decide on your
colour placement with more confidence
and ease. TA
TA04p61_63_Andrew 2.indd 37 06/02/2020 14:16

INK
Develop your Kim Whitby continues her
mark-making three-part series by advising on

the best brushes to use with ink
and how to develop your brush
skills with ink skills and, by default, your

watercolour skills
M
any of my students tell require speed, and having efficient Riggers – I sometimes use a rigger
me their greatest difficulty brush strategies helps me to work more instead of a hard pencil to create thin
with watercolour is rapidly. lines; it’s a better solution for longer
controlling the wetness of I always use as large a brush as straight or curved lines because it holds
this medium. Some can find that the possible. It is important for me to keep a lot of liquid and can make a very long
technical demands of colour mixing my work wet and to avoid hard edges uninterrupted line.
totally distracts them from getting to where I don’t want them. I want to be Other tools to consider are dipping
grips with any of the other aspects of in control of the speed and time of the pens, house decorating brushes for
work on paper. So, if you recognise this drying stage. It is virtually impossible large areas and large-scale work,
dilemma, why not try using some ink by to master water-based work on paper Chinese brushes, sword sign-writing
way of a bridge into full-on watercolour? if your brush is tiny and big areas are brushes, fingers, sponges, sticks.
Fortunately, wet work can be mastered drying out before you have finished The most accessible additional
in monotone. I use ink. It is possible working on or into them. implement I use is a very hard pencil.
to learn and practise most watercolour The harder pencils, for example 4H,
strategies and techniques with simple Brushes to use which languish unused in your art
monotone ink and water. This breaks I suggest trying the following: equipment so never need sharpening,
the learning process into smaller, easier Flats – these are great for sharp shapes: are perfect additions to your mark-
stages. buildings, straight edges, windows, making repertoire in both ink and
When teaching I like to demonstrate to rectangular and square edges. watercolour. Experiment with placing a
my students how helpful the different Filberts – these are extremely versatile wet area on the page and push and pull
brush types are with their varying sizes and, for me, the most expressive the wetness with the pencil. All sorts of
and the marks they make. I like to brushes for drawing when wet. I love shapes and lines are possible.
encourage students to draw less with a them for washes over complex areas,
pencil and more with their brushes. By foliage shapes, varying quality of line. Blotting
selectively exploiting the mark-making Rounds – these are work-horse brushes I like to use blotting paper with my ink.
qualities of brushes I add interest but look carefully at the character of the Another strategy to cope with excessive
to my work and it makes me more mark they make; use these brushes to wetness is to soak up excessive
efficient with my marks. Wet work on best advantage for organic shapes and moisture using a watercolour brush. A
paper, in watercolour or ink, can also longer lines, as well as washing-in areas. damp brush works best and all that is
p Sunny Day, The Hard, Portsmouth, ink on paper, 21½359in (553150cm). This was completed en plein air

PRACTICAL
DEMONSTRATION Leaves and Shadows, the Circus, Bath
This is an exercise to control ink and to

develop mark making. I reworked a small
section of a larger work, The Circus in Bath
(left). Please use this idea as inspiration
and head outside to ind your own similar
spot to paint. The original was completed
during the winter months and there
was lots of opportunity to use a pencil
to push and drag the ink to create the
branches on the tree. Tree trunks are a
great chance to press into a wet surface
YOU WILL NEED
to create additional pattern to suggest � A selection of brushes or implements to
texture. My new reworking includes suit your plan

summer foliage and scope to use a ilbert � Ink
brush, whilst lat brushes were ideal � Appropriate thickness paper, taped
when tackling the buildings irmly to a drawing board

� Water
� Pots and mixing areas
� Blotting paper
 I worked from a plein-air piece
� Tissue or cloth
created on site. Find somewhere that has
� Pencil and sketchbook
a building or two beyond a tree
needed is to briefly squeeze the brush  STAGE ONE

in a cloth to remove most of the wet Draw, and think about
and then place the brush filaments in where the white/light
the wet area. The brush will suck up the areas are; remember these
excessive puddle like a mini vacuum must be identiied and
cleaner. Re-squeeze and repeat for preserved from the outset
large wet areas. Tissue paper or kitchen when working in ink or
paper can do the same job as a brush. watercolour. Also sketch
I use an old piece of towel to dry my in the darkest areas and
brush which has the advantage of being establish your composition.
washable, reusable and better for the Use a few simple pencil lines
planet. to plot out the position and
I have known a few students who like scale of the key parts of
to dab at their watercolour or ink works your piece; remembering to
with cloths whilst working. There is no locate the bits that need to
right or wrong approach but do take stay white!
care if using branded tissue rolls or your
work will easily be emblazoned with the
transfer-printed branding embossed
into the paper roll. TA
 STAGE TWO
I began with a very light tonal area
of distant trees in the centre of the
composition using a small round brush,
using watered-down very light ink
and draged it downwards to suggest
tree branches before blotting. The sky
remains white. It is the lightest part of my
composition
u STAGE THREE
Next I used a medium lat and a fairly
strong mid-tone to block in the building.
It was easy to be decisive here as I could
match the tone of the original  

????????????
 STAGE FOUR
I used a small lat and
pencil to create the
chimneys on the far edge,
and a dipped pencil to
make window slits, before
blotting away the excess
u STAGE FIVE
A base tone for the tree
trunk was laid in with a
ilbert and its sharp point
used to ‘draw’ the base of
the trunk
q STAGE SIX
Whilst the irst trunk dried I added shadows to the ground, drawing them freehand
with my larger ilbert – smaller shadows at the furthest point and larger shade
shadows closer to the
foreground. Whilst they
were wet I worked into
and across them with a
pencil, suggesting both
the fall of the ground
and a few blades of the
grass. Smaller window
detailing was begun
with a small lat and
ink-dipped pencil and
then the second tree
trunk started. Whilst the
tree trunk was very wet I
pressed a pencil into the
ink to suggest tree bark.
These gestural lines were
created without being
able to see them until
after the ink was blotted
p STAGE SEVEN
Using two sizes of round brush I added some of the
camoulage-like patterning of a London plane tree trunk,
replicating the shapes and curvature as much as possible.
While wet I drew into this at the bottom of the tree trunk
with suggestive bark markings
 STAGE EIGHT
I used my dipping pen and rigger to add small details to
the building, and then moved to place the branches over
the building, sky and tree trunk

PRACTICAL
u FINISHED PAINTING
Leaves and Shadows, the Circus, Bath, ink on
paper, 11½38in (29320cm).
People frequently comment on the size of
brush I use in relation to the work and here
I added the leaves with my large rigger.
Additional leaves were built up in several
stages and tones. Finally, very lightly, over the
whole composition I added some additional
shadowing to pull the whole composition
together and deepen some of the whiter
areas I felt were too bright. It is always
possible to reduce white areas at the end of a
piece but impossible to reinstate them in ink.
I feel it is better to have too much lightness on
any ink or watercolour work and balance the
whole piece with additional tones at the end
Kim Whitby
will be at Bath Art Fair on February 29
and March 1. She was a inalist in Sky Arts
Landscape Artist of the Year as a wildcard
entrant, whilst using ink, and has won
Pintar Rapido. Kim is tutoring workshops
at Art Academy London and St Barbe
Museum and Art Gallery, Lymington.
Follow her on Instagram @kimwhitbyart
and see kimwhitby.com
q Lower Quay, Fareham; Underpass and

Viaduct, Winsor & Newton Ink on Saunders
Waterford paper, 21½359in (553150cm).
This was painted en plein air

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EXHIBITIONS
GALLERY OPENING TIMES AND EXHIBITION DATES CAN VARY; IF IN DOUBT PHONE TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT
Dulwich Picture Gallery from Yr Oriel Newport,

LONDON Gallery Road SE21.
☎ 020 8693 5254; www.
March 3 to 8.
Bryan Senior: People,
REGIONS EASTBOURNE
Bankside Gallery dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk Places & Things; Towner Art Gallery
48 Hopton Street SE1.
British Surrealism; March 3 to 22. BARTON-UPON- Devonshire Park,
☎ 020 7928 7521 February 26 to May 17. The Wapping Group: HUMBER College Road.
www.banksidegallery.com London and its River; ☎ 01323 434670; www.
RWS Contemporary Estorick Collection of March 10 to 15. The Ropewalk townereastbourne.org.uk
Watercolour Competition; Modern Italian Art Earthworks; paintings by Alan Davie and David
Maltkiln Road.
March 6 to 18. 39A Canonbury Square N1. Lydia Bauman; photographs ☎ 01652 660380 Hockney: Early Works;
2020 Visions; new work ☎ 020 7704 9522 by Carl Dudman, www.the-ropewalk.co.uk until May 31.
by members of the Royal www.estorickcollection.com March 24 to 29. The Bare Level Plain – The
Watercolour Society, Tullio Crali: A Futurist Life; Royal Institute of Painters Landscapes of South
March 27 to April 25. until April 11. in Water Colours; 208th Riding; work by members GUILDFORD
annual exhibition, of the East Riding Artists
British Museum Mall Galleries April 2 to 17. Watts Gallery
focusing on the 1937 novel,
Great Russell Street WC1. The Mall SW1. Down Lane, Compton.
South Riding, by Winifred
☎ 020 7323 8299; ☎ 020 7930 6844 National Gallery Holtby, until March 22. ☎ 01483 810235
www.britishmuseum.org www.mallgalleries.org.uk Trafalgar Square WC2. www.wattsgallery.org.uk
Living with Art: Picasso Royal Society of British ☎ 020 7747 2885 Unto This Last: Two
to Celmins; highlighting Artists; 303rd annual www.nationalgallery.org.uk BATH Hundred Years of John
work from the wide-ranging exhibition, Young Bomberg and the Ruskin; featuring work by
collection of Alexander until February 29. Old Masters; Turner, Millais, Burne-Jones
Walker, from 1908 to 2002, Welsh Art Week: London until March 1. Victoria Art Gallery
and other leading artists of
until March 5. 2020; showcase of work Nicolaes Maes: Dutch Bridge Street.
the 19th century,
Master of the Golden Age; ☎ 01225 477244 March 10 to May 31.
February 22 to May 31. www.victoriagal.org.uk
Anita Klein: Catching
ART SOCIETIES Titian: Love, Desire, Death;
March 16 to June 14.
Toulouse-Lautrec and the
Masters of Montmartre;
Miracles;
April 24 to June 7.
Artemisia; until May 26.
Cheltenham Art Club Molesey Art Society
Exhibition at the Gardens Exhibition at St.Albans April 4 to July 26.
Gallery, Montpellier Primary School, Beauchamp National Portrait HASTINGS
Gardens, Cheltenham, Road, East Molesey KT8 BRISTOL
Gallery
from April 1 to 7. Open 2PG, from April 8 to 12.
St. Martin’s Place WC2.
Hastings
daily, 10am to 5pm; www. Open Wednesday to Royal West of England Contemporary
cheltenhamartclub.co.uk Saturday, 11am to 5pm;
☎ 020 7306 0055 Academy Rock-a-Nore Road,
www.npg.org.uk Queen’s Road.
Sunday: 11am to 4.30pm; Hastings Old Town.
Claverton Art Group David Hockney: Drawing ☎ 0117 973 5129
www.moleseyartsociety.
from Life;
☎ 01424 728377; www.
Annual one-day exhibition co.uk www.rwa.org.uk hastingscontemporary.org
at Claverton Down February 27 to June 28. Refuge and Renewal: Anne Ryan: Earthly Delites;
Community Hall, Claverton Rayleigh Art Group Migration and British Art;
Royal Academy of Arts until March 22.
Down Road, Bath BA2 6DT, Exhibition at the WI until March 1.
on Sunday April 5, from Hall, Bellingham Lane, Piccadilly W1.
10am to 5pm. Rayleigh, Essex SS6 7ED ☎ 020 7300 8000
on April 18 and 19, 10am www.royalacademy.org.uk ILMINSTER
Cranleigh Art & to 4.40pm. New members Picasso and Paper; CANTERBURY
Crafts Society welcome. Telephone Valery until April 13. Ilminster Arts Centre
Spring exhibition at Belverstone: 01268 751087. Léon Spilliaert; The Beaney House of The Meeting House,
Cranleigh Village Hall, February 23 to May 25. Art & Knowledge East Street.
Sherif Hutton 18 High Street. ☎ 01460 55783; www.
36 High Street, Cranleigh, Gauguin and the
Art Group ☎ 01227 862162; www. themeetinghouse.org.uk
Surrey GU6 8AT, from Impressionists;
Easter exhibition at Sherif canterburymuseums.co.uk By Invitation: A Silver
March 12 to 14, 10am March 29 to June 14.
Hutton Village Hall, York The Printed Line; Arts Celebration; to mark the
to 5pm. Enquiries to Pat
Road, Sherif Hutton, York Council Collection touring centre’s 25th anniversary, the
Coxon 01483 278698.
YO60 6RA on April 12 and 13
Tate Britain
Millbank SW1. exhibition, exhibition brings together
Denbighshire 10.30am to 4.30pm; www. March 7 to April 26.
sherrifhuttonvillagehall. ☎ 020 7887 8888 work by artists who have
Art Society www.tate.org.uk shown there over the years,
Spring exhibition at the co.uk March 2 to 21.
British Baroque:
Porth Eirias Exhibition Wye Valley Art Society Power and Illusion; CHICHESTER
Centre, The Promenade, Spring exhibition at The until 19 April.
Colwyn Bay LL28 4TG, Shire Hall, Monmouth, from Aubrey Beardsley; Pallant House Gallery MANCHESTER
from April 10 to 13. Open April 6 to 11 (excluding March 4 to May 25. 8-9 North Pallant.
10am to 5pm daily; Good Friday); www. ☎ 01243 774557; The Whitworth
www.dasoc.info wyevalleyartsociety.co.uk Tate Modern www.pallant.org.uk University of Manchester,
Bankside SE1. A Life in Art: The Muriel Oxford Road.
To submit details of an exhibition for ☎ 020 7887 8888 Wilson Collection; ☎ 0161 275 7450; www.
www.tate.org.uk until June 7. whitworth.manchester.ac.uk
possible listing here, email Dora Maar; An Outbreak of Talent: Cézanne at the Whitworth;
Jane Stroud at jane@tapc.co.uk until March 15. Bawden, Marx, Ravilious drawings and prints gifted by
Andy Warhol; and their Contemporaries; Karsten Schubert,
March 12 to September 6. March 14 to June 14. until March 1.

Scottish National
NEWCASTLE TENTERDEN Gallery of Modern Art Tate
UPON TYNE 75 Belford Road. Britain
Smallhythe Studio ☎ 0131 624 6200
Smallhythe Road. www.nationalgalleries.org
Laing Art Gallery ☎ 07905 948525; Paula Rego: Obedience
New Bridge Street. www.smallhythestudio.com and Defiance;
☎ 0191 278 1611 Perspectives; solo exhibition until April 19.
www.laingartgallery.org.uk of oil and mixed-media
William and Evelyn De paintings by Nick Hebditch,
Morgan; March 17 to 28. See page 10. Scottish National
featuring over 120 works Portrait Gallery
by the couple, 1 Queen Street.
March 14 to June 20. WOKING ☎ 0131 624 6200
www.nationalgalleries.org
The Lightbox BP Portrait Award 2019;
NORTHAMPTON Chobham Road. portrait painting competition
☎ 01483 737800 touring from the National
Charles Rennie www.thelightbox.org.uk Portrait Gallery, London,
Mackintosh Galleries Coming to Light; until March 22.
78 Derngate. paintings, drawings and
☎ 01604 603407 prints by Roy Ralph,
www.networkarts.co.uk
Network Arts; work by
until March 15.
David Hockney: Ways of
WALES
emerging and established Working;
artists in the region, until April 19. ABERYSTWYTH
until April 19.
Aberystwyth Arts
YORK Centre
OXFORD Aberystwyth University,
York Art Gallery Penglais Campus.
Ashmolean Museum Exhibition Square. ☎ 01970 623232; www.
Beaumont Street. ☎ 01904 687687; aberystwythartscentre.co.uk
☎ 01865 278000 www.yorkartgallery.org.uk Gerald Scarfe: Stage and
www.ashmolean.org Harland Miller: York, So Screen;
Young Rembrandt; Good They Named it Once; until March 9.
February 27 to June 7. solo exhibition, Anna Falcini: In Between
until May 31. the Folds are Particles;
Sarah Wiseman Gallery new work sharing an
40-41 South Parade. ongoing conversation
☎ 01865 515123
www.wisegal.com IRELAND between contemporary
artist, Anna Falcini and the
Ade Adesina; exhibition of late Welsh artist, Gwen John,
large-scale prints, March 16 to May 11.
March 7 to 28. DUBLIN
National Gallery of CARDIFF
POOLE Ireland
Merrion Square.
National Museum
The Gallery Upstairs ☎ +353 1 661 5133; Cathays Park.
www.nationalgallery.ie
Upton Country Park.
Drawing from Nature: Irish
☎ 0300 111 2333
☎ 01202 775304 www.museum.wales
www.thegalleryupstairs. Botanical Art; featuring
Imagine a Castle: Paintings
org.uk prints, drawings and
from the National Gallery,
Optic Nerve; paintings by illustrated books, spanning
London;
Pam Marshall, Jane Collins almost 300 years,
until May 10.
and Sally Holland, March 7 to June 21.
March 13 to 23.
LLANDUDNO
SHEFFIELD
SCOTLAND Mostyn
12 Vaughan Street.
Millennium Gallery EDINBURGH ☎ 01492 879201
Arundel Gate. www.mostyn.org
☎ 0114 278 2600; www. City Art Centre Anj Smith;
museums-sheffield.org.uk 2 Market Street.
until March 1.
Lines of Beauty: Master ☎ 0131 529 3993; www.
Drawings from Chatsworth; edinburghmuseums.org.uk
bringing together works Mary Cameron: Life in Paint;
spanning 300 years, celebrating the life and SWANSEA
until May 25. career of the pioneering
Edinburgh-born artist, Glynn Vivian
Mary Cameron, Alexandra Road.
ST IVES until March 15. ☎ 01792 516900
The Italian Connection; www.glynn.vivian.gallery@
Tate St Ives exploring the bond between swansea.gov.uk
Porthmeor Beach. artists in Scotland and Italy, Journeys Between Art & p Aubrey Beardsley Self-Portrait, 1892, ink on paper,
☎ 01736 796226 including work by F.C.B. Life: Richard Glynn Vivian; 1033¾in (25.239.5cm) from an exhibition of drawings
www.tate.org.uk Cadell, Joan Eardley, featuring the collection of
the museum’s founder,
by Aubrey Beardsley at Tate Britain, London, from
Naum Gabo; and Elizabeth Blackadder,
until May 3. until May 24. until October 15, 2021. March 4 to May 25

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OPPORTUNITIES & COMPETITIONS
Check out the latest competitions to enter and make a note of important deadlines
Sending-in days Hertford SG14 1PG, from May

3 to 16. All media is accepted,
inish at gallery@oxo on London’s
South Bank and an online auction
When: Submissions deadline:
April 9.
excluding photographs. of works in the exhibition will Contact: See pages 14 and 15
Bath Open Art Prize 2020 take place on November 15.
When: Handing-in day: April 25. for full details.
Details: Artists working in all When: Submissions deadline for ☎ 01580 763673/763315
media are invited to enter the Contact: Download entry form:
www.hertfordartsociety.co.uk Sketch for Survival Invitational:
Bath Open Art Prize, now in its June 30. Submissions deadline United Kingdom Coloured
9th year. The prize welcomes
more idiosyncratic and whimsical John Moores
for Sketch for Survival Pencil Society (UKCPS)
Introducing: May 30.
works relecting its open Painting Prize Details: The 19th annual
approach. An exhibition of Contact: Go to https://explorers international exhibition, Drawn
Details: First held in 1957, the againstextinction.co.uk/ to Nature, is open to all artists.
selected work will go on show at
prize is named after the sponsor, initiatives/sfs-introducing/ Work must be original in concept
44AD Artspace in Bath, from May
Sir John Moores, (1896-1993). design and execution and on the
22 to June 7 as part of Fringe Arts
The competition culminates in an St Barbe Museum & Art theme of nature. Each work must
Bath Festival.
exhibition held at the Walker Art Gallery Open 2020 comprise at least 50 per cent dry
When: Submissions deadline: Gallery, Liverpool every two years
Details: Now in its 20th year, coloured pencil. An exhibition of
April 24. (this year from September 11,
anyone can enter up to two selected work will go on show
Contact: 2020 to February 14, 2021). at Nature in Art, Twigworth
works of art, including sculpture
www.fringeartsbath.co.uk When: Submissions deadline: and textiles on any theme. An Gloucestershire GL2 9PA, from
March 24. exhibition of selected work will September 3 to 20.
Broadway Arts Festival Contact: https://www.liverpool- go on show at St Barbe Museum When: Online entry open from
Open Art Competition museums.org.uk/walker/john- & Art Gallery, New Street, March 19 to June 19.
Details: Open to all artists in all moores/ Lymington, Hampshire SO41 Handing-in day: September 2.
media, including photography, 9BH, from May 1 to 31.
sculpture, ilm, ceramics and National Galleries of Contact: www.ukcps.org.uk
When: Submissions deadline:
designer-makers. The theme for Scotland Art Competition March 29; handing-in days:
the competition is ‘Hinterland’. for Schools 2020 April 21 and 22.
Wales Contemporary
Prizes to the value of £4,000 Details: Run by the National Details: Wales Contemporary/
are ofered including gallery Contact: Enter online at Cymru Gyfoes is an international
Galleries of Scotland, the www.stbarbe-museum.org.uk
representation for the main prize competition aims to encourage open competition for 2D and
winner. An exhibition of selected nursery and school children to 3D artwork in any medium
work will go on show at the Sky Arts Landscape Artist excluding photography and
interact with, and be inspired of the Year 2021
Little Buckland Gallery, by, artwork in the national art ilm, which seeks to celebrate
Little Buckland, Broadway, collection. Details: Open to both amateur all aspects of the country. An
Worcestershire WR12 7JH, and professional artists, exhibition of selected work will
from May 29 to June 14. When: Submissions deadline: Landscape Artist of the Year is a go on show at The Waterfront
April 24. televised art competition, which Gallery, Milford Haven, Wales
When: Registration open from
April 26 to May 3. Handing-in Contact: celebrates artistic talent. Artists from June 13 to July 18 and at the
days: May 15 to 17. www.nationalgalleries.org are selected on the basis of a Senedd and Pierhead Building,
☎ 0131 624 6200 landscape submission artwork. Cardif, Wales, from August 5 to
Contact: Download entry form Contestants take part in one of September 10. Enter online at
from www.broadwayartsfestival. Sketch for Survival six heats, where they have four walescontemporary.artopps.
com hours to complete an artwork co.uk
Details: Organised by the charity
of one of Britain’s most breath- When: Entry deadline: April 14.
The Harley Open 2020 Explorers Against Extinction,
taking vistas. Prizes include a
Sketch for Survival aims to Contact: info@parkerharris.co.uk
Details: Amateur and £10,000 commission. The event
raise awareness of the threats ☎ 0203 653 0896
professional artists are invited to takes place across six initial heats
facing wildlife and wild spaces.
enter work for The Harley Open in June 2020.
The competition has two
2020. The competition celebrates distinct sections – Sketch for When: Deadline for entries: Wells Art Contemporary
work made by artists within a Survival Introducing and Sketch April 17. Details: Artists over the age of 18
100-mile radius of the Harley for Survival Invitational. The based in the UK or internationally
Gallery in Nottinghamshire. Contact: For more information
Invitational section will include and to apply visit www. are invited to enter up to four
Works, both traditional and more 100 plus artworks donated by works in any medium, including
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invited professional artists and painting, sculpture, drawing,
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ofered. An exhibition of selected artists are invited to submit TALPOpen2020 installation or video, to the Wells
work will go on show at artwork, which will be added to Art Contemporary 2020. The
Details: Organised by The Artist
The Harley Gallery, Welbeck the waiting list of artists wishing entry fee is £15 per work (£12
and Leisure Painter in partnership
Estate, Welbeck, Worksop, to take part. The deadline for for students). Many awards and
with Patchings Art Centre, the
from May 2 to July 5. entry is June 30. prizes are on ofer. An exhibition
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submissions open to all. The artwork from amateur painters full details go to https://www.
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competition is free to enter and in the Leisure Painter category wellsartcontemporary.co.uk/
there are two categories: Wildlife and from more experienced home
Hertford Art Society and Wild Spaces. Awards on ofer and professional artists in The
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AVAILABLE FROM
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ART BOOKS Reviewed by Henry Malt
Drawing Hands and Feet –

A Practical Guide
Eddie Armer
Getting the hands and feet right can make
the difference between successful and
unsuccessful figure drawing. The torso can be
in proportion, the face a recognisable likeness,
but clumsy digitation will be the first thing a
viewer notices.
This is a very straightforward book that uses
an approach more often found in manuals
for the beginner. There are simple exercises,
diagrams and demonstrations that guide you
through all the techniques you’ll need. Eddie
Armer makes light of what is always a tricky
Turner’s Apprentice: A
subject, even for the most experienced artist.
Watercolour Masterclass
Degas at the Opéra Perspective and proportion are the main
Tony Smibert
Henri Loyrette Before art teaching became institutional and
keys and Eddie includes examples and lessons
This exhaustive study of a less well-known formalised, students learned by what was
that show hands and feet at rest, in action and
aspect of Edgar Degas’ work will probably known as the atelier method. This involved
from virtually every angle. Simple drawings
tell you more than you would ever feel working in the studio of a master, initially
that use just shading to depict form keep the
you need to know. Degas is best known mixing colours, then perhaps being allowed
work simple and avoid complication. This is a
for his studies of dancers, but he also had to prepare canvases and maybe even work
really thorough guide that cuts through the
an extensive and enduring fascination on backgrounds. If the commission was less
mystique and is a genuine aid to success.
with the Opéra de Paris, which this is the prestigious, more advanced assistants might
Search Press £12.99, 96 pages (P/B)
first book to study. complete most (or even all) of the work;
ISBN 9781782214274
If that sounds like a warning against unsigned attributed paintings are often a clue
the book, it could not be further from to this.
the truth. Although the text, which can This book operates on a similar principle,
only be described as thorough, may go analysing Turner’s materials and working
into more detail than a general reader methods in order to understand his creative
will require, the extent and quality of the process. It is not entirely about imitation and
illustrations make it perhaps essential concludes with examples inspired by the
reading for anyone involved in figurative master’s methods and approaches.
art. As well as paintings of the stage, there If you admire Turner, this offers a fascinating
are studies of the audience, incidental insight into his work as well as the opportunity
characters, theatre features and fittings. to try some of his methods in practice. The
Sketches and preliminary drawings show author is a Visiting Artist Researcher at Tate
how Degas prepared for larger works. Britain and therefore well placed to write
There’s only one word for this: joyous. about his subject.
Thames & Hudson £45, 320 pages (H/B) Thames & Hudson £16.95, 144 pages (P/B)
ISBN 9780500023396 ISBN 9780500294499
Also noted – a good read

If you’re looking for a good read about art, Thames & Hudson’s spring list offers a wealth of delights.
Nineteenth Century Art – A Critical Women Artists – the Linda Nochlin

History (fifth edition) Reader
This is a substantial and thoroughly Linda Nochlin, who died in 2017, was both
illustrated survey of the period worldwide. a doyenne of art appreciation and a great
Covering painting, photography and champion of women in art – her ground-
sculpture, the approach is largely thematic breaking article from 1971 was Why Have
and the new edition includes breakout There Been No Great Women Artists? Women
features that add depth as well as Artists - the Linda Nochlin Reader is now out in
accessibility, a valuable aid in a book as paperback and includes 30 essential essays
wide-ranging as this. Art history combines with a strong feminist approach. Linda was
with social history and philosophy to paint a a pioneer in this field and her writing is vivid
vivid picture of the period. and persuasive.
£40.00, 528 pages (P/B) £28.00, 472 pages (P/B)
ISBN 9780500294895 ISBN 9780500239292
Some of the books reviewed here can be purchased by our UK readers at

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Water-mixable oils Water-mixable oils A painting holiday, worth
Demonstration continued Step 9 TIP

£1,250
(page 71)
Finally, it’s time to work on Are you wondering what is the perfect
the light areas of the skin. My colour to paint the skin? This is
favourite part of the process impossible to answer as you see how
Step 6 is looking for reflected light many colours I used just for a small
1 Working now on on the skin, in this instance part of the arm! It depends on so many
the grey and blue from the pink flowers and factors, including natural skin tone,
mid-tones of the from the blue shorts. Again, effect from light source and reflected
5
painting – the dark for full impact, refrain from light. Forget about the perfect colour
issues
part of her shirt,
her shorts and the
blending the shapes together.
You will achieve better results
and simply paint what you see.
Be inspired
curtain. Again,
work across the
and stronger contrasts if you
have been brave enough
by your garden
whole painting and with the darks in the earlier
consider it like a stages. If the lights don’t look
mosaic that you are bright enough, the answer
building shape by could well be that you need
to darken the darks. For the
for only
shape.
2 The blues here are light areas of the skin, I used a
ultramarine blue mix of titanium white, Naples
and cerulean blue. To create greys, I tend to mix a little yellow, cadmium red and
of all the colours I’ve used on my palette so far, with a yellow ochre. For the flower
little white. If you want to achieve a lovely grey from highlights I used titanium
How to paint
scratch, use ultramarine blue, raw sienna, titanium white, Naples yellow and
white and a touch of permanent rose. cadmium red.
3 I also painted the dark parts of the flowers with a mix
of permanent rose and burnt sienna. After this step,
£5!
you have now painted everything that is in the shade.
Everything untouched should represent areas in the
light. This is what we will tackle now.
figures in light
Step 10
1 Time for the final tweaks. I refined
the features of the face, darkened
some darks and added more reflected
light on the t-shirt and skin. TIPS & TECHNIQUES
2 You might notice I have changed
a few things from the original for mixing greens
photograph. I amended the position
of the head slightly, I made the hair
lighter, I took some liberty with the
HOW DO I PAINT...?
04>
colours and the facial features and

didn’t include the necklace.
3 Each artist makes his own choice
to achieve the best painting possible.
A white flower
When is it time to stop? Everybody has in watercolour
770024 071195
their own preference when it comes

to considering a painting finished.
Personally, I’m less interested in detail
than depicting the feeling of light
correctly. If all the darks and lights
are correct, if their contrast is striking
EXPLORE
enough, and if I painted all the
reflected lights I could see, then I’m
gouache, acrylics,
happy to call it done! oils & watercolour
9
The finished painting Girl by

the Window, water-mixable oil on
canvas board, 10x8in. (25.5x20cm)
Valerie Pirlot
Valérie is a Bath-based
artist and member of the
This is a Direct Debit promotion only. After the first 5 issues
Bath Society of Artists. She
Step 7
The fun part begins! Time now to depict all the light areas in the painting;
think thick, juicy brushstrokes. Focus on tones and colours as you work
Step 8
Time to paint the actual source of light: the window. This is your
chance to be free and bold with your brushwork. Remember that
is available for tutorials,
demos and commissions,
and her studio is open to
the subscription continues quarterly at £9.99, saving over
visitors by appointment. For
1/3rd on the shop price. You are free to cancel at any time.
across the whole painting and refrain from blending it all. Keep your everything outside is out of focus, because the focal point is the
darks and lights separate and distinct to achieve a great sense of contrast. girl, so refrain from adding details and keep it blurry. I used a mix information about her work,
Here I started with the white t-shirt (titanium white and Naples yellow) of titanium white, Naples yellow, cadmium yellow, yellow ochre visit www.valeriepirlot.com
and the light blue highlights (titanium white and cerulean blue). and cerulean blue.
32 APRIL 2020 www.painters-online.co.uk www.painters-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 33
ONLINE AT www.painters-online.co.uk/store enter code LPAI/TALP2004 or call 01580 763315 and quote code LPAI/TALP2004

PaintersOnline editor’s choice
Meet this month’s editor’s choice winner
from our PaintersOnline gallery, who
receives a £50 Jackson’s Art Supplies gift voucher
Mark Buck St. Martin de Ré at Dawn, watercolour, 11½321¾in (29355cm)
M
ark Buck visited Ille de Ré Having a bicycle meant I could zip around turquoise. I do add a little Chinese white
(Island of the Sun) – a small as the sun rose, taking photos and videos, to my mixes sometimes to get that washed
island off the coast of France, looking for that haze and golden burn out. I out delicacy of colour on the buildings. I
near Rochelle – a few years took a couple of minutes of video, which is work fast and try not to fiddle, letting the
ago and loved it so much he decided to what this painting is based on. At that time watercolour resolve and dry. I like to use
return. ‘It was September,’ he writes, ‘and of morning the port was deserted, with just the depth of field, with focus areas painted
the weather was fantastic, sunny and about the smell of baking from the boulangerie to look sharp, while areas outside the
25 degrees with a sea breeze. St. Martin wafting across the water. depth of field are less detailed. TA
was still buzzing with plenty to sketch ‘I painted most of this with a No. 20
and observe. We hired bicycles and mine Jackson’s Perla brush, with details flicked Mark is represented by www.seaviewart.co.uk
had a rack for my painting board, tripod in with a rigger. My palette
TA is fairly limited: To see more work and current exhibitions visit
and bag of kit. I’d cut up a few sheets yellow ochre, alizarin crimson, cerulean www.markbuck.co.uk or follow his twitter feed
of my favourite Millford paper to fit my blue, cobalt blue, ultramarine and cobalt @markbuck
board, together with a couple of moleskin
sketchbooks, plenty of sun cream and a hat.
‘The Ille de Ré is very bright and there is
a wonderful morning haze. My favourite WIN £50 TO SPEND AT JACKSON’S!
times of the day to paint are before 10am Upload images of your own work, receive valuable feedback
and after 4pm, which leaves the rest of the and the chance to see your work published in The Artist and
day to explore and sketch. I usually set my win a voucher to spend on art materials with Jackson’s by
tripod up where the light looks promising, visiting our website at www.painters-online.co.uk/gallery
fix my board and start a pencil sketch,
adding watercolour after half an hour.

I want to....
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� Discover my own style
then you need....
Helping you become a better artist with:

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SI14p34_37_Dutton_Layout 1 09/06/2014 15:11 Page 36 SI14p34_37_Dutton_Layout 1 09/06/2014 15:11 Page 37
PRACTICAL
DEMONSTRATION: Reflections of Light
This photograph (left) was
just a starting block. Lots of
colours, shapes and Join Robert at three venues in
elements were changed, left North Yorkshire this summer to
out and added as part of
paint with him outdoors:
the painting process.
Sketches and colour studies, Ripley Castle Gardens, near Harrogate,
particularly of the fish, were North Yorkshire, on June 30; Newby Hall
Gardens, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, on
also used to make the final
All from as little

July 11; Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire Dales, on
composition work as a
July 14
square format
For further details of Robert’s summer
courses visit http://rdcreative.co.uk
/art_workshops
t STAGE ONE
I applied two coats of gesso
to completely cover a 3mm
MDF board. The painting
WATERLILIES
began with several glazes
WORKSHOP
of thin acrylic, one over the Join Robert for a The Artist workshop
other, blocking in the main on November 6 at Art Materials Live,
elements during the NEC, Birmingham and paint a
as £3.50 per month

process with a build up of colourful pond and pool painting
more and more opaque p STAGE TWO using Daler-Rowney and System 3
paint as I worked. Leaving I continued to define shapes and intensify the p STAGE THREE acrylics worth over £30. Robert will
the white gesso showing colours in layers. Quite often I change and Using different sizes and widths of Winsor & Newton Galeria and Pro Arte Acrylix Series 204 One provide easy-to-follow reference to
through helped to keep the adapt a planned design as I work as a Stroke brushes, I continued to define shapes and intensify the colours in layers, particularly in work from and you will benefit from
glazes wonderfully painting develops – such is the freedom of the middle section of the painting, using the warmer colours of burnt sienna and naphthol his expert guidance throughout. See
transparent acrylics. Some left-hand side lilies were crimson mixed with other colours from my chosen palette. I added the white lilies and page 62 for details.
reduced whilst those on the right were made introduced more fish – their orange colours working to complement the intense blues
slightly larger and reduced in number to
balance the painting
IMPORTANT
Choose your key colours at
the planning stages and stick
DESIGN, CONCEPT AND COMPOSITION
OR try it FREE for

with them. Do not be
Looking for a balanced composition within my series of lily paintings (ie The composition is divided into quarters (white lines)
and equal thirds (red lines) tempted to add other colours
symmetrical groups of objects) I searched carefully until I found what I was as you go along – they will
looking for. You can use the proportions and divisions within your chosen The opposite groups of lily The reeds were placed top right
‘islands’ curve around the so as not to make the whole stick out like a sore thumb
arrangement to create really interesting groupings of objects and a strong central oval, which rests on composition look too symmetrical and the painting will
design, which in turn gives your painting strength. Eye level and perspective the bottom third of the frame and have a much more natural feel lack harmony
play a vital part in any painting along with depth of field. The diagram (right)
next to the pastel painting, below, Towards the Light, shows how this
painting was designed and constructed to create a strong composition.
u FINISHED PAINTING
Reflections of Light, acrylic on MDF
board, 2525in (63.463.5cm).
30 days
I removed the half-submerged lily
pad from the centre, as they were
too dominant and drew the eye. I
only noticed this when viewing
the reverse image of the painting
in a mirror; this is a great device
for checking whether a
composition is working as you see
it with fresh eyes. The
introduction of more koi carp in
the centre added vital interest
and the eye now moves around
the painting. The square format is
well balanced, with a central
The fish were placed almost equally in the composition – passage of light and darker
if too equal the painting would have looked forced reflected trees either side, and the
p Towards the Light, pastel on Clairefontaine Pastelmat, 1622in (40.556cm) right amount of lilies floating on
the water
36 Summer issue 2014 www.painters-online.co.uk www.painters-online.co.uk
Find out all about it ....

www.painters-online.co.uk/membership
Your First Step Towards Success
Fina Mooney, Orchid Study, Nitram Charcoal on Paper
NITRAM STARTER KIT

“The Nitram Starter Kit is a great way to begin drawing with professional quality
charcoal. For someone who is new to charcoal, the kit provides you with all the tools
you need; hard, medium, soft and extra soft sticks of charcoal as well as a sharpening
bloc to get those really fine points.” ~ Fina Mooney
To help you get started, Fina Mooney and Nitram have teamed up to help you create
your own Orchid drawing, like the one pictured above. To view the video demonstration,
use the QR code or go to https://nitramcharcoal.com/portfolio/fina-mooney/
The Nitram Starter Kit contains:

1 x 5mm H, 1 x 5mm HB, 1 x 5mm B and 1 x 6mm B+ charcoal, and 1 Slim Sharpening Bloc with 1 set of replacment pads
Watch Fina Mooney as she demonstrates techniques on how to draw using Nitram’s
Charcoal Starter Kit. Go to: https://nitramcharcoal.com/portfolio/fina-mooney/
or scan the QR code to watch the video now!
Fina is a 15-year old aspiring artist. After starting classes at The Art Academy in St. Paul, MN at age 5, she honed her skills in mixing values through watercolor and using ink to copy great
educational works. At age 9 she entered the world of oils and has since progressed to more advanced work. In addition, she has expanded her experience through workshops and study at the
Florence Academy of Art in Italy, and the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art, in Duluth, MN. She has had the privilege of studying with influential artists such as Jeff Larson, Michael Klein, Jura
Bedic, Michael Mentler, Jeremy Caniglia, and Jack Dant. Her dedication and hard work has been recognized locally and internationally. She was most recently recognized in the 13th Annual
ARC Salon and has a piece in the current salon exhibition. Her involvement and speech as a scholarship winner to the Figurative Arts Convention and Expo in Miami has been featured in
publications such as Fine Arts Connoisseur and The Epoch Times. www.art-fina.com
NITRAM
TM
MC
www.nitramcharcoal.com FINE ART CHARCOAL

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