H E L P I N G YO U B E CO M E A B E T T E R A R T I S T

THE PRAC TICAL MAGAZINE FOR ARTISTS BY ARTISTS – SINCE 1931

Explore the joys of

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Strategies for changing your Advice on materials & techniques Delve into the power of
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incorporating ART & ARTISTS
artist
First established 1931
ISSN 0004-3877

WELCOME
Vol.138 No.8
ISSUE 1122
Next issue on sale July 18 (digital)
& July 21 (print) 2023
The Artist magazine is published 12 times a year. from the editor
Editor: Sally Bulgin PhD Hon VPRBSA
theartistletters@tapc.co.uk Want to comment on something you’ve read, or seen?
Contributing Editor: Jane Stroud
Online Editor: Dawn Farley
Email me at theartistletters@tapc.co.uk or visit our website at
Design: Brenda Hedley www.painters-online.co.uk/forum
Digital & E-commerce Marketing Executive: Sally Bulgin Editor
Emily Warner

A
Digital Marketing Executive: Rowina Caesar
rowina.caesar@warnersgroup.co.uk t the time of writing the weather in the UK has been encouraging us to think that
Advertising Sales Manager: Jayne Notley summer is on its way by tempting us with the occasional beautiful sunny day. So
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jayne.n@warnersgroup.co.uk hopefully by the time you read this, the warmer, brighter days of summer will be
Advertisement Copy: Natalie Reynolds well and truly here and the focus by this month’s artist-contributors on getting
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production@warnersgroup.co.uk out and about to paint en plein air will inspire you to try a new challenge if you
Accounts haven’t painted in the great outdoors before, or help to develop your skills and techniques in
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different media both outside and back in the studio.
Publisher: Lucie Dawson
In our In Conversation feature Patricia Haskey shares her creative approach to capturing
FOR ALL SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES the spirit of the Lake District in water-soluble oils and mixed media, while in the first of our
+44 (0)1778 395174 practical features, cover artist Grahame Booth suggests how to tackle the challenge of myriad
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greens in summer landscapes in his en plein air watercolour demonstration. Later on, Jenny
Aitken reveals how to capture sparkly bright light effects in acrylic landscapes; Paul Talbot-
DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION Greaves demonstrates techniques for painting a summer landscape alla prima, with a reader
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Nikki Munton +44 (0)1778 391171 exercise to try; Catherine Beale focuses on how to recreate the subtle light effects of sun-filled
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for artists worldwide. If you haven’t tried using pastels before, or haven’t had the confidence to
include them in your outdoor painting kit, Kevin Scully also offers some helpful tips.
Elsewhere, our artist-contributors turn their attention to the exciting possibilities inherent
in painting industrial shipping in an impressionistic manner in watercolour (Peter Cronin);
The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily
those of the editor or publisher. While every care is taken to strategies for changing your mindset for better outcomes in your painting (Steve Griggs);
ensure that the content of the magazine is accurate, neither
the editor nor publisher assumes responsibility for any how to move away from a purely realist approach and explore the power of suggestion
omissions or errors. The editor reserves the right to edit copy.
Sharing may be encouraged in many aspects of life, but (Marie Antoniou); and to help develop your drawing skills you are encouraged to adopt
when it comes to original material, you have to be wary
of copyright. By all means, copy the project, artwork or an exploratory approach to sketching with a pen (Clare Lord). To round up the issue, Sarah
demonstration for your OWN PLEASURE, but no part of this
magazine may be published, reproduced, copied, or stored Edmonds shares some thoughts on taking your creativity to the next level, while Mike Barr
in a retrieval system without the prior permission in writing
of the publisher. Even where permission is gained, it’s still discusses the complex issue of pricing your work.
courteous to credit the original source and the designer. Any
activity used to benefit commercially from the magazine is Behind the scenes, we are busy progressing our plans for our involvement as media partners
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By respecting copyright, you ensure that we, as for, and attendance at this summer’s Patchings ArtFest (July 13-15), plus selected artists will be
publishers, can continue to provide you with the content you
want. To read more about how you can navigate this tricky delivering their work to Patchings for hanging in The Artist category exhibition, which opens in
area, visit our website:
www.painters-online.co.uk/information/copyright the Barn Gallery on the first day of the festival on July 13 (on show until August 13). The judges
For any further queries relating to copyright, contact
CraftPortfolio@warnersgroup.co.uk and state your query is enjoyed a fabulously uplifting, although occasionally difficult day agreeing on the selection
related to The Artist.
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advertisements, the publisher cannot accept responsibility
for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions. No warranty exhibition promises to be a superb display of the breadth of subject matter, media, skills and
is implied in respect of any product mentioned herewith.
The Advertising Standards Authority exists to regulate the quality of artwork created by our amazing artist-readers.
content of advertisements. Tel: 020 7429 2222.
Prizes, gifts or give-aways offered in competitions might
be substituted with ones of similar value. Unless otherwise
stated, all competitions, free samplings, discounts and offers
Best wishes
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Contents
FEATURES
14 An expression of imagination
IN CONVERSATION Caroline Saunders talks
to Patricia Haskey about capturing the spirit
of the Lake District
 The next level
Sarah Edmonds gives advice on taking your
creative practice to the next stage
 Rosa Gallery watercolour
Tim Fisher puts an exciting new range of
watercolour through its paces
 Putting a price on your
paintings
Mike Barr tackles the difficult subject of
pricing your artwork
PRACTICALS
 As good as it gets
Grahame Booth demonstrates how to
deal with the strong greens of summer as
he moves outside to paint a landscape in
watercolour
5

14
2 Summer landscapes  No looking back
in pastels Clare Lord helps us to find the courage to
Follow Kevin Scully as he shows how to explore the qualities of drawing with pens
paint a summer scene in pastels
 Clean colours of summer
 Industrial shipping Paul Talbot-Greaves shows how to make
Peter Cronin demonstrates a seascape in your oil paintings sing with colour as he
watercolour, advising you to have something paints a summer landscape alla prima
to say before you start to paint
5 Woodland light beams
3 The world of white Catherine Beale demonstrates a woodland
In the first of her new five-part series on scene and uses watercolour techniques to
capturing special effects in your paintings, create subtle light effects
Jenny Aitken explores how to paint the
brightest lights  One drawing at a time
Paul Riley introduces us to the work and
 Maintaining focus practice of urban sketchers working around
In the first of his new five-part watercolour the world
series Steve Griggs shows how changing
your mindset will result in better paintings
4 The power of suggestion
Simplify your subject and say more by
suggesting rather than defining it in detail,
advises Marie Antoniou

 WE’RE MORE
THAN A
MAGAZINE...
PATCHINGS
ART
 FESTIVAL
P
Visit our
marquee at this
year’s festival for
demonstrations
by Tim Fisher
and more!

artist
H E L P I N G YO U B E CO M E A B E T T E R A R T I S T
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COMMUNTIY Explore the joys of

summer painting
P
Explore three Enjoy practising
your pen drawing
Recreate the
effects of
skills sun-filled
great ways to join
4
woodlands in
watercolour

our community and Discover the

How to price
your work
enjoy even more of benefits of
urban sketching
and much more!
what you love!
PLUS THIS MONTH

!

 
WATERCOLOUR PASTELS ACRYLICS
Strategies for changing your Advice on materials & techniques Delve into the power of
mindset for better outcomes for working en plein air suggestion in your paintings

8 Your views  Opportunities


9 The Art World  Exhibitions
 Summer painting competition
LIVE
 Book reviews
PAINTING
 PaintersOnline Editor’s Choice WEBINARS
 Coming Next Month: highlights P8 Discover our
from The Artist’s September issue brand-new series
of webinars

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS
THIS MONTH’S COVER
Grahame Booth A Summer Walk,
watercolour, 9½x13½in (24x34cm).
See pages  to 2
David Curtis
ROI, RSMA
has won many awards for
P DISCOVER OUR TOP BOOK
his en plein air and figurative
paintings in both oils and
PICKS THIS MONTH AND ENJOY 20%
watercolours. He has had
several books published
OFF WITH FREE UK DELIVERY
on his work as well as DVD
films, and exhibits his work
extensively.
SIGN UP TO OUR SCAN ME
Haidee-Jo Summers
ROI, RSMA
has won many awards for
EMAILS & DOWNLOAD
her plein-air and alla-prima
oil paintings. She is an
A FREE ART GUIDE
elected member of the
ROI, the author of Plein
Air Painting with Oils and
Vibrant Oils and also has a
BIT.LY/ARTISIGNUP
DVD with the same title.
Join us as we celebrate 30 years in bringing together well-known artists,
artisans and art materials from across the country and farther afield.
Regulars will notice new and exciting additions, and can look forward to
live demonstrations, art materials from top brands and much more.
We look forward to welcoming you to Patchings this summer.

LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS Painters Online, Leisure Painter

St Cuthberts Mill Marquee and The Artist Marquee
Watercolour & Mixed Media
Three great brands coming together, discover the
Thursday 13 July 10:45 David Bellamy world of Painters Online, Leisure Painter and The
12:45 Peter Cronin Artist, and how we can help you to develop your
14:45 Soraya French skills with our magazines, Studio
membership, live painting
Friday 14 July 10:45 David Bellamy
webinars and more! You’ll also
12:45 Soraya French
be able to learn more about this
14:45 Peter Cronin
year’s The Artist and Leisure
Saturday 15 July 10:45 David Bellamy
Painter competition winners
12:45 Billy Showell and enjoy daily demonstrations
14:45 Peter Cronin and advice from professional
artist Tim Fisher.

NEW! Art Profile Festival Marquee

Oil & Acrylic
Thursday 13 July 11:15 Sue Gray
13:15 Peter Keegan
15:00 Robin Perko

Friday 14 July 11:15 Hazel Money

13:15 Peter Keegan
15:00 David Wilcox

Saturday 15 July 11:15 Anne Blankson-Hemans

13:15 Peter Keegan
15:00 Richard Kitson

Tickets £5 each. Available to purchase with advanced entrance

ƟĐŬĞƚƐĂŶĚŽŶƚŚĞĚĂLJ͘ĞŵŽŶƐƚƌĂƟŽŶƟŵĞĂƉƉƌŽdžŝŵĂƚĞůLJϭŚŽƵƌ͘

Open: 13-15 July 2023 GROUP

10am-5pm TICKETS
AVAILABLE
BOOK STANDARD ADVANCE TICKETS FOR
JUST £13 OR CONCESSIONS FOR £12* *Group tickets and multi-day
passes also available
 In partnership with

30 A
DON’T MISS

YE
th R!
THE DAILY
DRAW TO
ART MATERIAL
PRIZES!
NEW! The Royal Societies Marquee John Walsom is drawn to scenes which
normally go unnoticed, and aims to question
We are pleased to announce – new for our 30th year – a whether they can be worthy subjects for an
marquee dedicated to artists from the Royal Societies. oil painting. He works towards an honest
Renowned artists have been invited to join us in an statement
informal setting to show their work and meet visitors. about what
The ten selected artists will be working on current he sees, and searches
paintings and importantly be part of the festival for the for ways to express the
three days. Each artist will have their own exhibition fascination which first
and demonstration space, with original work for sale. drew him to a subject.
The line-up of artists for this part of the festival provides John Walsom
something very special indeed.

• Andrew Farmer ROI

• Chris Slater
Ruth has been fascinated by portraiture
• David Curtis VPRSMA ROI
since her mid-teens. Ruth’s work is almost
• David Howell PPRSMA
always figurative; it
• Graham Webber ROI IEA is humanity, facial
• Haidee-Jo Summers VPROI RSMA expression, and body
• Jenny Aitken ARSMA language which spark
• John Walsom ROI RSMA her imagination. Ruth always strives
• Roger Dellar ROI PS RI for a strong narrative element in her
• Ruth Fitton AROI paintings. Ruth Fitton

Book online: SCAN

TO BOOK
www.patchingsartcentre.co.uk
Call: 0115 965 3479
Patchings Art Centre, Oxton Rd, Calverton, Nottinghamshire NG14 6NU
YOUR VIEWS
LETTERS, EMAILS AND COMMENTS
STAR LETTER
In praise of watercolour
Thanks so much to Paul Talbot-Greaves
Why Watercolour? and Barry Herniman
Beauty of the Night in The Artist March
2023 for their generous explanations.
I particularly appreciated Paul’s
comments about the simplicity of
watercolour for travel and not being
too restricted by rules (other than light
to dark). I commenced a sketch-a-day
practice about a year ago following
a friend's suggestion, and then
occasionally met up with other urban
sketchers picking up tips and ideas
Collectors?
When I took over my gallery in 2012, I was
determined to keep things light and airy. I'd
been in to too many galleries where I'd felt
uncomfortable because (like many of my
customers) I didn't know anything about art
and most of the galleries I'd visited up until
then had an air of stuffiness about them.
So, my approach both on social media
and in-house has been one of a welcoming
nature. I would tell people who admitted
to their lack of knowledge that I too knew
nothing about art but I do know what I like.
For me, that is the one and only reason for
buying art; because it makes one feel good.
It is my belief (12 years on and with five
galleries to my name and an Amazon best-
selling book) that very few people who buy
from me are collectors and yet I see this
word bandied around throughout the art
world, and it concerns me.
Subscribe at www.painters-online.co.uk or telephone 01778 395174
Become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/paintersonline. Follow us on Twitter@artpublishing
Email theartistletters@tapc.co.uk or write to The Editor, The Artist, Warners
Group Publications, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH
Please note we may have to edit letters for reasons of space
This month’s star letter writer
will receive a Sennelier portable
watercolour palette, worth £29.95 (rrp)
for using watercolour. Time permitting, I’ll
do a course. Capturing vignettes of life by
sketching in watercolour is peaceful and
rewarding.
Presently, I am bikepacking with my
husband around the UK, Ireland and
Scotland. A small lightweight watercolour
palette and sketchbook is perfect for
collecting memories of our trip, particularly
as we carry everything on the bike.
I’ve included a picture of my husband and I
(including bikes) and one small memory of a
Art should be enjoyed by everyone and the
more we welcome people into our world,
the more we all benefit. The word 'collectors'
sounds rather pompous. Of course, because
we own more than one piece of art, ipso
facto we do have a 'collection' but only as
much as I'm a collector of plates because
I have more than one in my home. It's my
belief that 99-per-cent of people who buy
art are doing so to enjoy that artwork time
and time again every time they pass it,
not because they are putting together a
collection that at some later date will be
shown or used as an investment. They simply
want something of beauty on their walls.
Pedantics, you may say, but for me,
anything that makes people feel inadequate
or becomes a barrier to them taking their
first step into a gallery, is a barrier to all our
businesses. The pomp in art needs to be
addressed. Yes, we love what we do, but to
view taken while enjoying a picnic lunch
stop in Wales.
With much appreciation and gratitude
for all the talent and expertise graciously
shared in The Artist magazine.
Gretta Lee, by email
consider ourselves above another business
just because we're dealing in art is grandiose
at best. We absolutely should love what we
do, but that doesn't make us better than
others, just lucky. So, I feel using words like
'collector' or 'collections', only serves to
make us feel out of touch and, moreover,
would make those who haven't started
their 'collection' inadequate. And that's
not a great place to promote our fabulous
industry from.
I long to see the day where people wander
into a gallery like they would a clothes shop.
To browse the displays without feeling
they have to buy something, or inadequate
because they don't know anything about
how clothes are made or the history of
textiles. We're lucky to be doing what we
do, but that doesn't make us special, just
exceptionally privileged.
Mark David Hatwood, by email
THE ART WORLD
NEWS, INFORMATION AND ONLINE EVENTS IN THE ART WORLD
compiled by Jane Stroud

A Letter In
MIND
National Brain Appeal
Gallery Different
14 Percy Street
London W1T 1DR
 0207637 3775
www.gallerydifferent.co.uk
October 24 to 28

This year will mark ten years of the National

Brain Appeal’s art fundraiser, A Letter in
Mind, which invites artists to get creative
on an envelope. Since it launched in 2014,
A Letter in Mind has attracted work by many
high profile artists and celebrities, including
Jo Brand, Tracey Emin, Mark Entwisle,
Andrew Marr, Ishbel Myerscough, Sir Grayson
Perry and Zandra Rhodes amongst many
others. The theme of this year’s exhibition is
‘Changing Perspectives’, and artworks will
be exhibited at Gallery Different in London,
from October 24 to 28.
The works will be sold via the charity’s
online gallery from October 25, displayed
anonymously and priced identically at £85.
The secret nature of the exhibition means
that buyers may buy a painting by a well-
known artist or celebrity for just £85. The
artist will only be revealed after their work has
been sold. The money raised will go towards
helping people with neurological conditions.
To date A Letter in Mind has raised more
than £250,000 for those with neurological
conditions.
To take part in this year’s A Letter in Mind
exhibition, go to www.aletterinmind.org
The deadline for entries is September 22.

W Artwork by Mark Entwisle

for A Letter in Mind 2022
 S Felicity House Rainy Day, Gooseland, pastel, 18½⫻24¾in (47⫻63cm)

EVERYDAY
Southern Contemporaries
Everyday is the theme of an exhibition by the Dorset-based art group Southern
Contemporaries, at the Shaftesbury Arts Centre this summer. New work in a wide
range of media will celebrate the commonplace in often extraordinary ways. Everyday
can be seen at the Shaftesbury Arts Centre, 13 Bell Street, Shaftesbury SP7 8AR, from
July 27 to August 8. The centre is open daily, from 10am until 4pm, and until 2pm
on the final day. Admission is free. For more information about the group visit
www.bournemouthartsclub.co.uk For details of the exhibition venue, visit
www.shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk

ART Pro Loco

People of all ages are invited to draw or paint at Art Pro Loco – a community
event run by PEDAS (Poole and East Dorset Art Society). Participants can arrive
any day from Friday July 28 to Sunday July 30 to work in the grounds of Poole
Park in Dorset BH15 1TU. Finished works should then be taken to the Art &
Makers Studio in the park, where it will be displayed in an exhibition on Monday
July 31. Visitors will be invited to vote for their favourite work and winners and
prizes will be awarded at 3pm. The event is open to all, including children. For
full details go to www.pedas.org.uk

X Pam taking part in last year’s Art

Pro Loco event at Poole Park in Dorset
PATCHINGS
Festival 2023
Artists, artisans and art materials will be brought
together for this year’s Patchings Festival in
partnership with Painters Online, The Artist and
Leisure Painter magazines, from July 13 to 15.
This year the popular St Cuthberts Mill festival
marquee, hosting watercolour and mixed-media
demonstrations by artists such as David Bellamy,
Soraya French, Peter Cronin and Billy Showell,
will be joined by a new festival marquee which
will feature a programme of demonstrations in
oils and acrylics. The Royal Society’s marquee
is another new addition, featuring work by ten
artists from the Royal Societies, including David
Curtis, Haidee-Jo Summers, Jenny Aitken, Graham
Webber and Roger Dellar, who will be meeting
visitors and demonstrating techniques. Materials will
be available for you to try and test as usual in the Art
Materials marquee and there will also be an opportunity to
buy products from the Artisan’s marquee featuring products
specially selected from around the UK. Selected and winning works
from the TALPOpen exhibition are on show in the Barn Gallery, which opens on
July 13 and continues until August 13. Festival tickets are available on the door (£15) or S Getting hands on with materials at the
in advance(£13). Find out more at www.patchingsartcentre.co.uk St Cuthbert’s Mill stand at last year’s event

Guildford
ARTS
Works of art by 23 local and national artists go on show
at the annual Guildford Arts Summer Exhibition held
at the Mill Studio at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in the
city centre. The exhibition includes paintings, drawings,
prints, photography, glass, ceramics and sculpture, with
many of the artists this year being inspired by the natural
world. Chair of the exhibition’s curatorial team, Philippa
Sampson-Bancroft writes: ‘Guildford Arts has supported and
promoted professional artists with this annual exhibition
for over 25 years. The non-traditional art setting of the Mill
Studio Theatre encourages people passing by to pop into a
welcoming and friendly space. There is nothing like seeing art
in person, looking closely at the detail and delighting in the
skill and creativity before you.’
The exhibition opens at The Mill Studio, Yvonne Arnaud
Threatre in Guildford, from July 5 to 20. The gallery is open
from Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 5.30pm, with some
late-night openings. There will be an opportunity to talk
to the artists on two Meet the Artist Saturdays. For more
information visit www.guildfordarts.com

W Sarah Cox Red Cliffs, acrylic on mountboard, 17¼⫻15in

(43.5⫻38cm) on show at this year’s Guildford Arts Summer Exhibition
SFrank Cadogan Cowper
Saint Francis of Assisi and
the Heavenly Melody,1904,
oil oncanvas, 36½⫻29½in
(93⫻75cm)
XEl Greco Saint Francis
Receiving the Stigmata,
1590-95, oil on canvas,
45⫻41in (114⫻104cm)
Saint Francis of Assisi
NATIONAL GALLERY
Trafalgar Square
London WC2N 5DN
 020 7747 2885
www.nationalgallery.org.uk
until July 30

Saint Francis of Assisi at the National Gallery, London brings together

art and imagery of Saint Francis from the 13th century to the present
day. The exhibition explores the significance of the saint in the art world
(where he is the most represented saint in the history of art), focusing
on his spiritual radicalism, commitment to the poor, love of God and
nature, as well as his appeal for peace and openness to dialogue with
other religions. Paintings from the National Gallery collection include
works by Sassetta, Botticelli and Zurbarán, which will be displayed
alongside international loans of work by such artists as Caravaggio,
Stanley Spencer and Antony Gormley. In total, over 40 works of art from
European and American public and private collections can be seen
spanning more than seven centuries.
The works range from some of the earliest medieval panels, relics and
manuscripts right up to modern day films and even a Marvel comic, as
well as a brand new commission from Richard Long. The exhibition will
be accompanied by a fully illustrated publication and by a programme
of lectures, events, activities and digital content.

S Vecchietta and his workshop Allegory of

Francis and Lady Poverty, c. 1460, tempera on
poplar, 11½⫻7in (29.5⫻18cm)

W Stanley Spencer St Francis and the Birds,

1935, oil on canvas, 28⫻24in (71.5⫻61cm)

W FAR LEFT Luc Olivier Merson The Wolf of Gubbio,

1877, oil on canvas, 34¾⫻52¼in (88⫻133cm)
 IN CONVERSATION

An expression of
imagination
Caroline Saunders talks to Patricia Haskey about capturing
the spirit of the Lake District

F
ascinated by the ever-changing
characteristics of light,
Patricia Haskey enjoys how
the light dissolves or sharpens
detail and alters any colour it
touches, evoking mood and atmosphere.
Based in the north west of England,
Patricia looks out upon the mountains
of the Lake District National Park and
takes every opportunity to explore the
area, walking through the countryside
and hiking up the hills. She loves to sit
and sketch, absorbing the experience,
witnessing first-hand the fast-moving
weather fronts that sweep over the coast
and countryside.
‘My fascination is with the distinctive
shapes of the mountains, dramatic skies,
meandering lanes and clusters of tiny
buildings punctuating the shapes of
fields and trees, dwarfed by the expanse
of the surrounding hills. The desire to
express the diversity of the landscape and
my wonderment of nature is easy, living
where I do, by the shores of Morecambe
Bay, surrounded by the beautiful
landscapes of the Lake District, the Forest
W Ascent – Scafell, watercolour, gouache and
pastel, 23½x 23½in (60x60cm).
‘The distinctive, dramatic, brooding, craggy
profiles of Scafell and Scafell Pike appealed to
me in this scene, with the chaotic shapes of the
rocks forming the path and the diagonal sweep
of the grass. The underpainting was applied with
large brushes in watercolour roughly following
the colours that I wanted to remain – two shades
of golden green and lemon yellow. The various
shades of purple of the mountains were mixed
with ultramarine and potter’s pink, indigo and
Indian red. I deliberately extended the purple
shades further than the mountains in order to
define them with white gouache mixed in thin
or thick consistencies to potentially allow the
underpainting to show through. The profile was
drawn very accurately with pastel pencil. Touches
of pale caput mortuum pink soft pastel were
added in expressive strokes to give movement
to the composition. The treatment of the rocky
path was a combination of drawing, gouache
layers and pastel. The marks and brushstrokes
follow the planes of the boulders. I had fun with
the larger shapes at the sides, adding layers
of different media with spontaneous marks of
pastel pencil and soft pastel.’

of Bowland and the Yorkshire Dales.’

Patricia agrees with Henry Moore’s
quotation: ‘Art is the expression of
imagination and not the imitation of
life.’ Back in her studio , she expresses, not
the outer reality but an inner response
to the landscape and the process of
painting itself. Exploring colour she
takes great pleasure in mixing paint
into endless hues. ‘My practice follows a
pattern: I wander and sketch, and then
a series of paintings starts to form in my
mind. I tend to st art all these paintings
together, working quite quickly. If using
watercolour, gouache and pastel, I lay
in watercolour washes with large flat
brushes, heightening the actual c olours.
I add texture by scumbling with rags and
spattering with an old toothbrush. I leave
these to dry to see what magic the paint
works by itself; the intention being to
leave some of the under painting to show
through.’

Observation and drawing
Observation and draughtsmanship
are paramount in the foundations of
Patricia’s work. ‘My lifelong love of
drawing was consolidated at college,
where draughtsmanship was considered a
highly valued skill. It forms the backbone
of my practice.’ Patricia draws in the basic
composition with pastel pencil. Outlines
of the mountains are drawn in accurately.
Using the opaque, velvety media of
gouache and pastel she builds up the
S Purple Heather – Blencathra, watercolour, gouache and pastel on watercolour paper, 16x8in (40.5x20cm).
‘A heather-laden Blencathra in August is a sight to behold – a colour-lover’s idea of heaven. I chose
the narrow portrait format to take a slice from the view, the purple mountain-top, the gleaming white
farmhouses nestled into the hillside and the diagonal direction of the fence leading the eye into the
picture. I began with loose watercolour washes, keeping the purple (a specific colour called moonglow
which granulates spectacularly) to one transparent layer while flooding most of the other areas
with thin cadmium red. I created texture by splattering tones of red with a toothbrush. I drew in the
structure of the farmhouse and the trunks of trees with sepia and red pastel pencil. Using flat brushes,
I defined the mountain profile with white gouache and white soft pastel, adding touches of pale pink
pastel. Layers were built up with more watercolour and gouache in greens and blues, following the
direction of the slope of the mountain. I also added blocks of pastel in shades of purple and blues to
unify the composition and add expression. The greens in the foreground were mixed with yellow ochre,
ultramarine and white with a tiny touch of red to take down the tone, leaving the textured areas of the
red underpainting for interest.’
IN CONVERSATION

layers of the painting, using colour in a
spontaneous way, sometimes brushing
over watercolour washes which gives
unexpected results. This stage then directs
the progression of the painting – leaving
or adding to these more abstract areas
whilst keeping key figurative details. If
working in oils, she works the paintings
up in a similar way, experimenting with
different drawing techniques and ways of
applying the paint.
‘The most significant influence on
‘The most significant influence on my work
is the definition of form’
my work is the definition of form –
sometimes by using shapes of white or
lighter paint and sometimes by actually
drawing on the painting, which are
methods that I intuitively use in my
paintings.’ The watercolour paintings of
Paul Cézanne have been most influential
in the formation of Patricia’s style.
‘The overlaying of various lozenges
of colour, the concentration of small
areas of detail, leaving others almost
blank and the use of flat brushes, are all
characteristics that continue to inspire
my way of working.’ Another artist who
has had a great influence on Patricia’s
work is Keith Vaughan, whose work she
discovered at art college. ‘At this time,
I was painting people by the seaside,
so it had a particular relevance then,
but his grouping of the subjects into
unusual semi-abstract compositions, the
positive and negative spaces having equal
importance are elements that I continue
to experiment with, whatever the subject.
I can gaze at Mary Cassatt’s oil painting
Mother and Child for hours. The sensitivity
of the paintwork is simply beautiful.
Again, there are areas of exquisite detail
whilst others are left as the initial under
painting.’

Surface and materials

Throughout all of Patricia’s paintings,
the materials themselves and the surface
of the painting are of equal importance
to the imagery. ‘Experimenting with
materials; oils, watercolours and pastel,
pen and wash, collage, and handmade
printing, can cause a problem as the
painting progresses. It becomes a
challenge to pull the painting together by
balancing the recognisable detail with the
more abstract ambiguous elements of the
painting, without spoiling the sensitivity
and energy of mark-making and textures
and the happy accidents. I often flatten
the perspective of the foreground and
background to present a jigsaw of shapes
and a dance of colour. The cohesive
element is the quality of light.’
Patricia finds Saunders Waterford paper
perfect for her water-based paintings. She
buys it in varying weights and stretches
the lighter ones. ‘I start with watercolour
layers and find the absorbency just right –
wet-in-wet washes merge beautifully and
textures stay true. As I build up layers of
paint with gouache and add soft pastel,
the paper stays receptive and is very
robust when soaking or scrubbing areas
out or scratching textures in.’
Recently Patricia has started to use
Indian Khadi handmade papers. ‘I love
all the various formats and deckled
S Sun Glint on Buttercup Fields, water-soluble oil on linen, 27½x 27½in (70x 70cm).
‘The inspiration for many of my paintings comes from meandering around the countryside. This edges, using the paper for my more
beautiful meadow of bright yellow buttercups glinting in the sunlight caught my attention. The experimental mixed-media monochrome
shapes of the cottages and silhouettes of the trees became my area of focus, leaving the foreground pieces using water-soluble graphite,
of buttercups quite free and abstract – expressing my sheer joy of yellow. My first layers were applied inks, liquid and powdered charcoal.
quite freely with large flat brushes in diluted Indian yellow, cadmium yellow deep, cadmium red and
The amount of gelatine size is just right
mixes of both to give orange. I limited my palette, mixing all the greens with deeper yellows to keep the
tones softer. The shadows of the tree trunks were produced with flat brushes, mixing dark green with for me. The lighter papers do buckle
yellows, indigo and ivory black. The detail of the branches emerged by painting the shapes in between when very wet, but I do not stretch it
using both zinc and titanium white to vary the tones.’ because I like to keep the deckled edges.
X Mountain Grandeur – Coniston Old Man, water-
soluble oil on linen, 39½x 39½in (100x100cm).
‘This awe-inspiring mountain demanded a large
painting. I wanted to include the summit with
its distinctive cairn. Rocks lead up to the summit
and the Coniston Water is visible through the
mist below. The figures admiring the view add
a human element, but also give the scale of
the mountain. I wanted the colours to reflect
the atmosphere of the scene, using a mixture
of actual colours, and those heightened more
personal instinctive mixes of purple and orange.
I began by sweeping highly diluted oils in tones
of pale indigo and crimson in large brushstrokes,
allowing it to run down the canvas. I like to block
in the composition indicating the planes of the
rocks. Shades of magenta and scarlet are overlaid
with green, leaving areas showing through to
create a shimmer. Thicker paint using square
brushes was built up to create areas of texture. I
outlined the rocky structures with diluted Payne’s
grey with a feather, which gave me unexpected,
quirky marks.’

Fortunately, it straightens out as it dries .

‘Recently I bought some Indian
handmade paper, a beautiful Chinese
brush and bamboo pens. Vintage
watercolours, and liquid charcoal also
came onto my radar. Experiments with
these materials have produced a new
body of work which I am thoroughly
enjoying.’ Drawing with a feather Patricia
achieves quirky marks. She also likes to
dabble with collage using old paintings or
textured sheets made from watercolour
washes. These are added to the paintings
with acrylic medium because it does not
yellow with the passage of time. Often
adding the collage yields spontaneous and
unexpected results.
Schmincke is Patricia’s absolute
favourite brand of soft pastels for their
sumptuous, velvety feel and finish. Water-
soluble graphite by Derwent, in all the
various grades, is her preferred medium
for en-plein-air work, coupled with
watercolour brushes. ‘I use various brands
of water-based oils. Jackson’s own brand
and Cobra are delightful to use, with their
soft buttery consistency.’ Although mostly
using Winsor & Newton for gouache and
watercolours, Patricia chooses particular
brands to achieve certain colours.
‘Holbein’s Chinese red gouache is a rich
brick red and mixes with various blues
into unusual rich dark purples and with
yellow to make earthy oranges. Daniel
Smith’s moonglow is simply divine. It is
a broody dark purple which granulates
spectacularly into pinks and blues. It is
still a thrill to buy a new colour. I can
spend hours with a new colour to see
where it can lead. I have recently tried
Wallace Seymour vintage watercolours.
Venetian rose is a subtle soft red and the
traditional Woad indigo has a grey-green
tinge which I love.’
Patricia’s love affair with colour began as
a student, when she discovered Johannes
Itten’s book, The Elements of Color, in
the university library. The theory and
use of complementary colours, with the
addition of tints and shades, continues
to be a passion. ‘It is fascinating mixing
these colours and juxtaposing saturated
and de-saturated colours. The possibilities
are endless. Watching me paint, someone
once said that it must be wonderful
seeing the world through my eyes. It
was a lovely compliment and true – it is
wonderful!’
Having taught foundation-level students
and therefore the elements of art and
design, line, form, colour, shape, and
texture (initiated by the Bauhaus) formed
the basis of the instruction, source of
experimentation, and expression. These
elements she still endeavours to master
and explore in her own art practice.
Patricia Haskey
studied fine art at Doncaster College of
Art and graduated from the University
of Central Lancashire in 1980. In 1984,
she gained a certificate in education and
taught fine art, textiles and art history for
over 20 years at Lancaster & Morecambe
College, the Adult College, Lancaster and
Alston Hall, Longridge. Patricia’s work is
held in private, national and international
collections worldwide. She is represented
by galleries in the north west and has taken
part in exhibitions in the Colours and Leith
Gallery, Edinburgh and the Mall Galleries,
London. In 2004, she represented artists
from the north west of England in a summer
exhibition in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. Her
commissions include: EDF, in celebration of
the 25th and 30th anniversaries of Heysham
power stations (2013) and Winter Gardens
Theatre in Morecambe, to celebrate the
125th anniversary (2022). Her paintings are
available as limited edition giclée prints and
greeting cards.
TA
DIGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

Patricia Haskey IN CONVERSATION

with Caroline Saunders

SPatricia Haskey Catbells from Friar’s Crag, mixed media,

including vintage watercolour, Indian ink and liquid charcoal on
handmade paper, 11¾⫻11¾in (30⫻30cm).
‘In this painting I wanted to simplify all the elements to those
that had originally caught my attention – the distinctive profile of
Catbells and the Japanese feel of the pine trees in the foreground.
Using a deckle-edge handmade paper, I sketched in the outline
of the mountain lightly with a pencil and brushed in two shades
of indigo. I dampened some areas of the paper, adding lozenges
of liquid charcoal. The spindly branches were then drawn in
loosely (using the outline of my sketch) with non-waterproof
Indian ink and bamboo pens. Where the paper was still damp,
the ink diffused, which gave the effect of the clusters of the pine
branches. I dampened some areas again to maximise this effect.’

WPatricia Haskey Helvellyn from Thirlmere, watercolour, gouache

and pastel on watercolour paper, 16⫻8in (40.5⫻20cm).
‘I chose this narrow portrait format of snow-capped Helvellyn,
glimpsed through the pines across the lake as it suited the tall
pines and I was able to concentrate on the beautiful shape of the
mountain summit. I wanted to convey the cold colours of winter, so
I kept the palette in muted harmonious combinations rather than
complementary. The paint was applied with flat brushes, building
up layers of watercolour and gouache, adding shapes and touches
of soft pastel in purples, oranges and paler green. The trees were
drawn with pastel pencil. The initial watercolour wash of purple
and green, to represent the reflections in the lake, faded perfectly
(and unexpectedly) and all that I had to do was touch in the
speckles of the pale blue of the water with soft pastel.’
 SPatricia Haskey To the Summit – Catbells, watercolour, gouache, pastel and collage on watercolour paper,
10¼⫻10¼in (26⫻26cm).
‘Zooming into the path, snaking its way from the foreground to the summit, I drew in the Catbells with a crimson
pastel pencil. The sky was laid in with washes of watercolour, stroking in white gouache to give expression and
direction to the cloud formations and definition to the mountain profile. On looking through my collage boxes I found
torn pieces from earlier paintings and texture sheets that matched the colours that I wanted to use, heightening the
actual shades of green, yellow and apricot. The collage gave extra and unexpected areas of colour and texture.’

XPatricia Haskey Helvellyn from Raven Crag,

mixed media including vintage watercolour,
Indian ink, liquid charcoal, graphite, soft
pastel and pastel pencil on handmade paper,
11¾⫻27½in (30⫻70cm).
‘This painting was very much dictated by the
enthusiasm of trying out new materials. The
handmade paper is a lovely surface to work
on, receiving the paint nicely and giving an
interesting texture. I brushed in the sky quite
loosely with large flat brushes in indigo and
a touch of cobalt where the snow-filled sky
parted a little. Vintage watercolour woad
indigo has a grey/greenish tinge, perfect for
winter skies. The mountains were drawn with
a large Chinese brush with diluted liquid charcoal and Indian ink, leaving areas of paper blank.
White pastel was added for the drifts of snow on the summit. I interpreted the dead bracken
with Venetian red watercolour and added darker tones and the spindly branches of the winter
trees in Indian ink using bamboo pens.’
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 PRACTICAL

As good as it gets
Grahame Booth luxuriates in the warmth of painting outdoors as he
demonstrates a landscape in watercolour and how to deal
with the strong greens of summer

S Gulab Bagh Library, Udaipur, India, watercolour on 200lb
(425gsm) Bockingford NOT paper, 20x15in (51x 38cm).
The strong greens of tropical vegetation can easily
overpower so I have tried to use everything from pure
ultramarine to yellow tints in order to provide variety. The
red cupolas on the library roof give an obvious contrast
to the green and I have echoed that red in some of the
vegetation
S The Red Rope, watercolour on 200lb (425gsm) Bockingford NOT paper, 15x 20in
(38x 51cm).
When green is the dominant colour I think first about warmth and coolness, changing the
ratio and the variety of my blue and yellow hues in order to achieve this. While cool for the
distance and warm for the foreground is not a hard-and-fast rule, it’s a good place to start.
I also include colours that are not actually green but will work when interspersed with
the true greens – blues and yellows as well as earth colours and neutrals. I have used this
approach for the trees behind the building

A
s spring turns to summer,
plein-air painting finally
achieves the comfort level
of a five-star hotel. Keeping
warm is no longer a
problem but care must be taken not to get
too much exposure to direct sun. I always
wear sunscreen even on cloudy days and
a baseball cap or Tilley type hat gives
both protection against the sun’s rays and
helps to shade the glare that summer sun
brings. With that in mind I will choose
a painting location where I can paint in
the shade or at least where the sunlight
is not shining directly on my paper. Tonal
values are almost impossible to judge in
direct sun and this, combined with higher
temperatures, can result in watercolour
washes drying exceptionally quickly. If
you haven’t tried plein-air painting, the
pleasant temperatures here in the UK and
the (hopefully) dry and sunny weather
really make the physical outdoor painting
experience as good as it gets.
Summer specifics
My favourite painting subjects generally
involve rural areas where trees will almost
always be present but unfortunately the
subjects that are near-perfect in winter
and spring now have a problem: green! I
am often asked by inexperienced students
how to mix a specific green that they see
in a subject. My answer is always to take
great care with duplicating any colours in
nature. Even if we could mix the precise
colour, I would suggest that it wouldn’t
be a very good idea. Instead, mix colours
that suggest the colours in the subject
but which balance on our paper. What is
true colour in any case? In five minutes
the sun will have moved and the colour
will change, or a different colour will be
reflected from something nearby. If it is a
photograph of the subject then the colour
is already altered, first by the camera
sensor, then by the computer monitor
and finally by the printer. Maybe it’s just
me, but the greens of summer can be so
overwhelming that I don’t think I have
ever painted a summer landscape without
including something else that isn’t green,
just to give some balance and to reduce
the green dominance. Z
WATERCOLOUR

DEMONSTRATION
A Summer Walk

W REFERENCE PHOTO
To be entirely honest, the subject I have chosen for this
demonstration is not one I would normally choose, simply because
it is so green but it will give me a chance to show some ways of
dealing with these summer greens. Photographs of such subjects
are almost always disappointing (as you can see) simply because
any sense of depth is almost entirely lost. In reality I could clearly
see the trees receding with distance, but in the photograph,
everything tends to become a single green jumble. Aerial
perspective is very obvious when we look at a distant mountain
vista but virtually absent when we are looking at a few hundred
metres or less. Nevertheless, we must take some of the lessons of
aerial perspective, such as a cooler, simpler, less detailed distance to
help create an illusion of depth

MATERIALS
O Winsor & Newton Artists’ watercolours:
burnt sienna; cobalt blue; Winsor
(phthalo) blue GS; French ultramarine;
Indian yellow; Winsor (azo) yellow; and
Winsor (pyrrole) red.
O Rosemary & Co brushes: Series 402
size 14, 7 and 4 rounds; Series 770 ¼in
swordliner.
O Any large soft brush such as a mop or
Hake.
O Lifting out brush such as an old worn
sable brush around size 8.

S STAGE ONE
I began by mentally dividing the subject into foreground, middle ground, and background
with the intention of painting these three areas in different ways. The background, which
was the area beyond the trees behind the walkers, would be a simple soft wash so that a
suitable colour would show through any gaps in my middle ground. Rather than risk leaving
any hard edges, I continued the wash into what would become the foreground. I used mixes
of several colours but aimed to keep the background area cooler

S X STAGE TWO
The middle ground trees were painted to suggest the
structure of the trees but without any actual detail. The
side of the brush was useful to suggest the broken edges
simply. Notice there were no greens in my paintbox.
Mixing greens from my blues and yellows created much
more colour variety
 PRACTICAL

SX STAGE THREE
In the foreground area my washes had much more colour and
tonal variety. It was important to make the edges of the leaf
masses varied and convoluted and I would also soften some
of these edges to allow the different leaf masses to connect
together. Even though I hadn’t really left any light space for the
birch trees I could reveal them by painting dark washes behind
them

S STAGE FOUR S STAGE FIVE

While the background wash was damp, I used the edge of a palette knife to The more distant foreground trees were completed next, which revealed
scrape out light branches. This was quicker and more effective than trying to the light trunks of the close birches. The darkest greens were a mix of
paint around them. If the wash is too wet, the paint will tend to flow back in Winsor blue GS and burnt sienna
and create a darker branch

WS STAGE SIX
I used a simple way of suggesting the roundness of
the trunk by placing a dark edge on the trunk and
immediately wetting the area beside it
WATERCOLOUR

X T STAGE SEVEN
Stronger washes with even greater tonal
variety helped to pull the foreground trees
forwards

S X STAGE EIGHT
With so many trees, the simple figures added
some much needed contrast

S STAGE NINE
For the foreground vegetation I needed to
suggest the busyness in this area without
attracting too much attention. As the
painting developed I left more hard and less
soft edges to my strokes
PRACTICAL
Grahame Booth
is one of Ireland’s best known watercolour
tutors. He has taught watercolour for
over 25 years at workshops all over the
world and his paintings have won many
national and international awards. An
elected member of the Ulster Watercolour
Society and the Watercolour Society
of Ireland, Grahame has written three
books on watercolour techniques and has
contributed to many others. He has a strong
online presence with online courses as well
as over 38000 subscribers to his YouTube
painting channel. For more information
T FINISHED PAINTING about Grahame see
A Summer Walk, watercolour on 140lb (300gsm) www.grahamebooth.com
Millford paper, 9½x13½in (24x 34cm)
DIGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

SUMMER WATERCOLOURS
Grahame BOOTH

SGrahame Booth Trevone Beach, Cornwall, watercolour,

15⫻20in (38⫻51cm).
‘There was a tall beach wall behind me that sheltered me from
the glare of the sunshine and here the small area of green gives
a welcome change from the blues and greys.’

XGrahame Booth Groomsport, Co. Down, watercolour on

140lb (300gsm) Millford Not paper, 11⫻15in (28⫻38cm).
‘Tonal values are important. I will often use a strong dark in my
greens, seen here in the foreground, mixed from ultramarine
and burnt sienna. This, of course, is not a green at all but, mixed
in with the greens, our eyes are fooled into believing that they
are indeed dark greens. Remember that the darkest tone of any
colour is essentially black.’
SGrahame Booth Manarola, watercolour on 200lb (425gsm)
Saunders Not paper, 20⫻15in (51⫻38cm).
‘Summer abroad can be very hot. This is one of the Cinque
Terre villages in Italy and this viewpoint was really determined
by the only tree on the hillside where I could at least get some
shade from the hot sun. I always carry some water in a flask for a
second painting but I ended up drinking it on this occasion!’

Summer
landscapes
in pastels
Kevin Scully shows how to paint a summer scene in
pastels, capturing the mood rather than every detail
S This pastel storage box from Jackson’s Art
Supplies comes with two melamine covers, which
hold the pastels in place when the hinged box is
closed
W
hen painting en plein
air, I find myself
unconsciously
matching colours
exactly as I see them,
especially when the light is changing fast,
and you must make rapid decisions. There
is nothing wrong with this of course
and I’ve produced several paintings that
represent the scene in front of me in a
relatively realistic way, but sometimes you
want a less than realistic interpretation.
It is possible to paint outside in pastels
providing you have everything set up in
a way that makes life easy for yourself.
Although pastels can be a speedy medium
when it comes to laying down colour,
there is nothing more frustrating than
scrambling around looking for just the
right colour. So, if you’re working en plein
air you need to be organised, and this
means having your pastels arranged in
a manner that allows you to know just
where that next colour is.
I use a Mabef French easel, which acts
W Patchwork Fields, pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes
Pearl pastel paper, 14x18in (36x46cm).
An unseen cloud cast a dark shadow over a
patchwork of mid-summer fields. The directional
pastel marks used to describe the shadow, as well
as those in the sky suggest a windy day with fast-
moving clouds. Any minute now, the scene will
be illuminated by bright sunshine once more
T This Mabef French easel has a sliding drawer
that is ideal for holding boxes of pastels in place
whilst you are working
as a very sturdy support for a drawing
board and a large selection of pastels.
It has a slide-out drawer into which I
can fit my pastels arranged in a way
where colours are grouped together in a
reasonably logical way. The greens will be
in one box, the blues in another, and so
on. There are some colours, of course, that
make it difficult for me to determine into
which box they should go so they are in a
box of their own. All my other materials
are stowed in the compartment at the
back of the drawer.
Composition
If I want to produce a painting that
adopts a slightly more creative approach,
particularly by suggesting a certain kind
of mood, or utilising an alternative colour
scheme, I find it easier to do back in the
studio. For reference I could use a colour
sketch painted on the spot, a finished
painting, a photograph, or it might be a
combination of all these.
Strong contrasts of light and shade

can give a painting a sense of mood,
atmosphere, and even drama, and this
is particularly true when choosing a
composition where the light source is
either directly in front of you, or from
one side or another. When the light
source is behind you everything appears
neutralised and the scene takes on a
rather flattened and bland appearance.
The colour of shadows
The camera is an indiscriminate tool and
just records what it sees and sometimes
this means that it fails to see the colours
within shadows. These can often appear
very dark grey or black, whereas viewed
first-hand there are colours within these
shadows, reflected from the sky, the trees
or nearby objects. It’s sometimes difficult
to determine where these colours come
from, but if I detect them, I like to include
them. If you stare into a shadow for long
enough, you will eventually see other
colours. I try to add touches of other
colours that I’ve used elsewhere in the
painting.
When working en plein air it makes
sense to restrict the number of colours in
your palette, especially when time is one
of the main considerations. Back in the
studio and painting at a more leisurely
pace it’s always tempting to introduce a
few more, so I tr y to establish the range of
colours that I intend to use early on. I do
this by simply selecting a few colours and
apply them side by side on a piece of the
pastel paper that I will be using (right).
The colours that don’t look quite right I
abandon and try a few more alternatives.
When I’m happy with these, I begin the
painting. I don’t stick to these few pastels
rigidly because there may be some more
subtle colours that are needed to tie
everything together.
Techniques
I choose a mid-tone, fairly neutral pastel
paper or card as this allows me to judge
the lights and darks in my painting more
easily. As with most artists who work in
pastel, and indeed oils and acr ylics, white
is not a good base from which to start a
painting. There is rarely any white to be
seen in the landscape with the exception
of snow and a few flowers, and these
can always be added at the finishing
stage. Even when painting a snow scene,
I wouldn’t begin painting on a white
background.
Unless your painting includes buildings,
the initial drawing out can usually be
PRACTICAL
KEVIN’S TOP TIPS
O The initial drawing can be made using a harder pastel. The edge of the square ones can
be used to create a fairly detailed drawing if necessary.
OBegin by lightly blocking in the main areas of the image to establish the general colour
scheme and tonal variation. Stronger applications of pastel can be added later.
O Don’t try to finish any one area too early during the painting process.
OThe slightly abrasive surface of the pastel card holds the pigment in place, so it isn’t
necessary to use fixative once the painting has been finished.
O If using thin pastel paper, make sure the surface of your drawing board is perfectly
smooth. Any imperfections will appear as marks on your paper once you start to apply
the pastel. If in doubt, cover your board with a few layers of lining paper.
O You can create a reasonably sharp edge to an area with a chunky pastel by running it
along the edge of a piece of paper placed over your painting.
O To prevent any smudging when you’re working, cover your work with a sheet of
protective paper so that you can rest your hand and arm on it.
O Don’t blow loose pastel dust off your work, as excessive inhalation of the particles can
cause respiratory problems. You can remove it by gently tapping the back of the paper
and depositing it in a bin.
O Pastels are best used with your drawing in a fairly upright position so that any loose
pastel dust falls away. This can be collected by taping a piece of folded paper onto the
bottom of your drawing board.
O When working outside, the boxes in which most of the handmade brands are sold,
fit nicely into the compartments of the pull-out drawer of a French easel. This helps to
prevent any breakages.
W A range of pastels
being tested on a cut-off
piece of the pastel card
can decipher for
themselves. A variety
of marks laid down
at different angles
produces a lively
image at the initial
executed quite swiftly. I use the corner of laying-in of colour, and I try to retain
a square hard pastel for this and rarely this throughout the painting process.
use an eraser to make corrections. Any Sometimes it’s tempting to start adding
redrawing can be done with a different the finishing touches to a painting too
colour if necessary. After this has been soon, but I think it’s important to get the
completed to my satisfaction I begin less interesting process completed first.
by blocking-in the main areas of colour Once I’m happy with the progress so
with light, broad strokes using the pastel far, the tonal arrangement has been
on its side. I overlap the marks in these established, and the general colour
main blocks of colour so that there are no distribution well balanced, I begin
hard edges at this stage. I try not to fill in the process of adding the final marks.
too much of the surface grain or texture In the demonstration over the page
of the paper and don’t blend any of the the positioning of the building in the
different colours together at this stage by middle distance could be described as
rubbing them with my finger. the focal point, but I have given a little
My aim is to create a painting that more attention to the sky, which in this
contains as little detail as possible whilst contre-jour image creates the atmosphere
at the same time implying that there are that I was looking for when I began the
certain things going on that the viewer painting. Z
PASTELS
MATERIALS
O Canson Mi-Teintes Touch
pastel paper in Chinese grey.
O A selection of pastels, mainly
Unison, Sennelier, Jackson’s,
Schmincke and a few from
Inscribe
O CretaColor hard pastels.
O Jackson’s pastel storage box.
S STAGE 2
I blocked in the large areas of the image using the pastels on their side.
At this early stage I tried not to fill in too much of the surface of the
pastel card with pigment
O Sandpaper block.
O Swann-Morton scalpel
with a 10A blade.
O Baby wipes.
O Kitchen towel.
O Masking tape.
O A2 drawing board.
DEMONSTRATION Low Tide at Gweek
REFERENCE PHOTO
The old port of Gweek at the head of the Helford River, Cornwall is a characterful
and atmospheric location, which affords a readymade composition for a painting
from a variety of viewpoints. The photograph was taken facing the direction of
the sun, providing a perfect contre-jour image, although devoid of any colour.
Sometimes it can be useful, if perhaps unintentional, to work from a poor image.
The photograph of Gweek is a good starting point because its absence of colour
means that the tonal variations are more pronounced, which is sometimes
difficult to assess from a very good colour photograph. This also makes it far
easier to pick out the abstract pattern lying beneath the surface. Given more
time for consideration, I might have decided to crop the image, perhaps arriving
at a different format altogether. But in the case of this image, I was reasonably
satisfied with the composition of the photograph.
By choosing a standing position whilst painting I was able to include a lot of
information between the foreground and the building in the middle distance,
including the large area where the light was reflecting on the mud. By adopting
a lower viewpoint for painting, a greater sense of perspective would have been
expressed, but in this painting, I was more concerned with the effects of light and
dark rather than trying to employ aerial perspective.
W A small plein-air, contre-jour painting of the river at Gweek
S STAGE 1
I drew out the composition using the edge of a dark blue, hard pastel. It’s not
necessary to try to remove any areas of the drawing where corrections have been
made, as these will eventually be covered in pastel
S STAGE 3
I established the general arrangement of tonal variation and there was an
approximate distribution of the colours in the scheme that I’d chosen. Some
areas already had some stronger applications of colour, and I continued to add
colours one on top of the other, and side-by-side
 PRACTICAL

W STAGE 4
I began to test some additional colours in various parts of the
painting. Some of these colours worked well, whilst others didn’t.
I simply covered over those that looked out of place with others
that were a better fit for the overall colour scheme

S STAGE 5
At this point I started to make some more vigorous marks
without blending the colours together too much. My intention
was to keep the painting loose and lively

Kevin Scully
trained at Wimbledon School of Art
and spent many years as an illustrator
in advertising and publishing. He has
written several books on painting and runs
workshops and painting holidays in the UK
and abroad. See more of his work on www.kevinscully.co.uk
On Instagram @kevinscullyart On Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/kevinscullyartist/

S STAGE 6
The painting was beginning to take
shape now, with smaller touches of
colour added throughout the image –
blue on green, violet on blue, and so
on. I began to suggest an element of
detail without actually painting any

XFINISHED
PAINTING
Low Tide at Gweek, pastel, 13x17in
(33x43cm).
The sailing boats were added with
the edge of a hard pastel, and
some grasses were indicated in the
foreground with the same hard pastel
I used for drawing out the image.
A few touches of red and pale orange
seen elsewhere in the painting
suggested some flowerheads
WATERCOLOUR
Industrial shipping
Make sure you have something to say before you start to paint,
advises Peter Cronin as he demonstrates a seascape in watercolour
A
s a young man working in
the once mighty steelworks
at Port Talbot in south
Wales, I would take my
breaks sitting right at the
end of the unloading jetty and watch the
five tugs acting like sheepdogs, cajoling,
pushing and heaving the 300,000 tonne
iron ore carriers into dock. These huge
vessels often had rust streaming through
the paintwork and the tugs were under
such strain that they would stream black
diesel exhaust into the wind. It always
Peter Cronin
works from his studio in south Wales. He
is a member of the Royal Society of Marine
Artists and was one of the art experts for
the Watercolour Challenge programme in
2022. He has produced two books with
Search Press: Pure Watercolour Painting
and Sketching for the Absolute Beginner and
is a regular visitor to art societies, giving
demonstrations of his watercolour and
sketching techniques.
See more on Instagram and at
www.petercronin.org
was an impressive, possibly ugly sight, but
to me, a sublimely paintable spectacle.
I felt the same about fishing trawlers.
I resented the damage the trawl beams
inflicted on the seabed, but the raised
trawl arms always looked like joisting
knights riding into harbour.
Industrial shipping can conjure
up images of the highly accurate,
commissioned ship paintings, as seen
on company walls, but they can also
be painted expressively and in a more
impressionistic manner. For me this
approach makes the subject a joy to
handle. It’s not as straightforward as a
standard landscape subject, in that you
cannot just stroll out of your front door
and paint (unless you live by a major
shipping channel of course), but the time
spent tracking down the source material
is well worth the effort.
Reference material
As an island nation shipping is always
coming and going from Britain’s shores.
Unfortunately access to industrial
harbours is not the same as it once
was, but there are a number of ways
to get reference material and subject
matter. The coastal approaches to most
commercial ports will provide good views
S Calm Morning Sharpness, watercolour,
12¼x16¼in (31x41cm).
of ships arriving and leaving port. If the
ship is close enough and slow moving, I
make rapid sketches as it approaches but
I also have a telescopic clip-on lens that
fits my phone camera and I can get quite
good reference photos from a beach or
jetty if the ship is a distance away.
There are also various shipping apps,
that will tell you when ships are expected
to leave or arrive at a port, so you can
plan for a profitable visit in advance.
Many valuable ship-collecting moments
can be had whilst on a ferry as it leaves
and arrives, or even on the open sea.
There are, of course, many photographs
of ships and shipping to be found online.
If you use these purely for yourself as
practice, and they will never see the light
of day in a gallery, for example, then go
ahead. If you intend to use an image for
commercial gain or publicity however,
then I would thoroughly check any
copyright issues. There are some websites
that allow you to purchase images, or
you may be able to get in touch with the
photographer to ask permission.
 PRACTICAL
The painting process The ability to draw is a major asset, and how best to say this.
both on site and in the studio. Tracing For either approach, I always cover the
No subject is just about ‘the subject’ but
will only produce a tight, expressionless paper in one big wash, before adding
much more about what you want to
painting. If you must trace, then render larger shapes and working into as little
say about the subject. When it comes to
the big shapes only and leave room to detail as possible. Once the painting
industrial shipping, what excites me is the
simplify those elements not essential and the shapes within it ‘read’ and I
sheer bulk of some of these machines, the
to the story of the painting. Drawing have achieved the message that I wish
elements of decay and the way that light
skills also help us to alter compositions to portray, I stop. As with every subject,
and weather add drama. Where possible
and even introduce elements. For a the real world or the photograph are
I love to sketch and paint on site and the
studio painting I spend a lot of time just starting points. What I produce from
energy of this somehow finds its way into
establishing what it is that I want to say these is a personal statement.
the studio work.

DEMONSTRATION Leaving
MATERIALS
T REFERENCE SKETCH O 2B pencil.
For this studio painting I wanted to represent a ship being escorted out to sea O Masking fluid.
by a tug. It was an imaginary scene painted from this sketch, so I had to make O Canson Moulin du Roy, 140lb (300gsm) rough paper.
sure that I was very familiar with the component parts, including the weather, O Princeton synthetic mop and sable brushes.
which I wanted to be rainy but bright and windy. I have many sketchbook O A mixture of Daler-Rowney, Winsor & Newton and
studies like this, and I intended to use the top ship and tug for my painting Maimeri Blu watercolours.

S STAGE ONE
As the painting was to be a ‘weather’ painting, and in keeping with my style,
I didn’t slavishly copy the sketch when I drew it on my paper but wanted to
make sure that the big shapes looked right. There was no need to sketch the
details as the amount of detail required would be determined by how well
the big shapes worked. I placed some masking fluid over the right-hand
sides of both ship and tug where the light would catch the superstructure

X STAGE TWO
I always use the overall wash method with my watercolours, so there is no
gently creeping up on a subject; it’s more of an all-out assault. In this case, I
liberally wetted the whole sheet (in the confidence that it would not cockle
or buckle as it was stretched) and, using a large mop, went straight in with
the lower sky using cobalt violet. Above this went some stronger cobalt blue
and then at the very top of the sky a strong mix of ultramarine blue and burnt
sienna. The whole board was then tilted at a steep angle to induce the washes
to stream down the paper.
With the sky placed, I immediately laid in the sea with a large sable brush
and a very rich mix of ultramarine blue and Hooker’s green. I placed the very
strong mix in the foreground and travelled up and into the painting. This gave
the effect of recession as the brush lost paint but gained water as it progressed
towards the horizon. Once I was happy with this, I placed the boat, using quite
stiff cerulean blue and burnt sienna. It’s a knack to mix the right strength paint
so that it will stay within the boat shape, but it can be achieved with practice.
The foreground was now dry enough for me to add the swells (with thick
paint) and rough it up a bit. I stopped when the paper became too dry – and I
became queasy looking at my choppy sea!
WATERCOLOUR

S STAGE THREE S STAGE FOUR

Once the painting was completely dry I re-dampened above the
horizon using a soft mop brush and darkened this area, using my sea
mix, paying particular attention where I wanted the darker water to
meet the lighter hull at the front of the ship. I then added water to
the base of the wash and brought it deftly down to the bottom of
the paper. If my ‘choppy sea’ marks had lightened, I could take this
opportunity to re-state them before they dried
I made a rather complicated mix of raw sienna, ultramarine violet and a dab of
ultramarine blue to place the shadow areas of the superstructures. Some detail was
added, such as masts, and so on, but any details within the shape would have to
wait until this wash was dry. I painted around the shape of the lifeboat because I
wanted it to stand out

X STAGE FIVE
It was time to paint the shadow sides of the ship and for this I used
a mix of cerulean blue with burnt sienna and a touch of ultramarine
blue. I gently dampened the lit side of the ship so that the dark
underside moved softly into the original wash, forming a curve. I
also painted the ship’s deck details using French ultramarine and
burnt sienna. It was all very abstract and I tried to leave as much of
the first wash as possible

T STAGE SIX
The painting of the tug’s hull was a simple mix of ultramarine blue
and cadmium red, darkened with a stiffer mix for the stern (back).
I left little chinks of the first wash to suggest detail

S STAGE SIX DETAIL

 PRACTICAL

S STAGE SEVEN S STAGE EIGHT

Once the first wash on the ship superstructure had dried, and all the bigger shapes were I repeated the process on the tug, using the same
in, I added the cadmium orange lifeboat and decided on other bits of detail, such as masts, colours and a rigger brush
windows and the funnel, using ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. I added just enough detail
to make the shape ‘read’ and then stopped before it started to tighten up

S FINISHED PAINTING
Leaving, watercolour on stretched paper, 9x12½in (23x 32cm).
All that was left was for me to add the finishing touches, such as lifting out the tow rope with a damp
rigger brush, adding some birds, and lifting some foam out of the sea. The final act was to add the
wind, by way of dampening above the funnels and deftly dropping in the right strength of ultramarine
blue and burnt sienna (right)
DIGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

Peter Cronin
INDUSTRIAL SHIPPING
in watercolour

SPeter Cronin Rudder Repairs, watercolour, 9½⫻11¾in (24⫻30cm).

‘It’s great the way that the repair vessels show the huge scale of the rudder and
propeller of a 300,000 tonne iron-ore carrier. Choosing how much of the hull to
show, played a big part in the effectiveness of the composition.’
SPeter Cronin Port Talbot, Deep Water
Harbour, watercolour, 11¾⫻19in (30⫻48cm).
‘When these ships are fully laden, they lay
deep in the water and it takes a lot of tugs
to help manoeuvre such bulk in a confined
space. It is actually a very simple painting
with a few second washes placed over the
first overall wash. It’s always a thrill when a
watercolour comes off with such little fuss.’

WPeter Cronin Giant’s Grave, Neath,

watercolour, 9½⫻11¾in (24⫻30cm).
‘This was painted on site from across the
river using an overall wash and blocking in
enough second wash shapes to give form.
The cranes were left as the original wash,
whilst I placed in the trees and background
hill.’

WPeter Cronin Swansea Docks,

watercolour, 9½⫻11¾in (24⫻30cm).
‘I managed to get this composition through
the barbwire fencing and it made a lovely
painting with the horizontals of the sheds
contrasting with the verticals of the cranes
and trawl arms. It always gives me a feeling
of melancholy the way these places are a
shadow of their former glory .’
1ST OF 5

The world of white

In the first article in her new five-part series on capturing special effects in your paintings,
Jenny Aitken explores the power of self-restraint to give the brightest light

S
ometimes people ask me which
white I use, and whether it is
a brighter white than normal.
I wish I did have access to a
brighter white! But no, the
surprising thing about the blinding
whites of sparkly lighting is that they are
not usually pure white. Instead, there is
a lot of surrounding off white and warm
colour providing a sun-like corona for the
illusion of glow. Any strong light affects at
least the immediate vicinity, so bear this
in mind when you paint it.
Obviously everything we see is only
visible due to light. Just as the sun reveals
the world, it affects our perception of
colour, depending on the quality of light.
In contre-jour work, just as the light is
warm, objects between us and the sun
become pastel and warmer. In Playful
Evening (below) the colours of of the
central figure melt into desaturated,
lighter versions, giving the illusion that
the light is having a real effect on your
eye. Every aspect of a contre-jour painting
is affected by that light source, so every
colour and brushstroke must be a slave
to it.
Observation
Most of the battle is in seeing the subtle
differences between the lightest tones in
the first place. I’ve written many times
about the usefulness of turning your
photograph upside down; it really does
help you to switch on those observational
skills without the distraction of
interpretation or assumption. Outside,
try using a viewfinder (finger and thumb
together will do!) to isolate the colour
you are looking at. Try to switch off what
you think you know. For example, sand
is often a subject we think of as having a
set, orangey colour. In the same way we
are always tempted towards blue for sea,
no matter what the scene or photograph
shows us. For sparkle, clouds, sheep, and
crashing waves our minds tell us that
these are all white. To paint light, we need
to shed the preconceptions of colour.
An object can be absolutely any colour
depending on the quality of the light.
Mixing
Once you’ve got those odd, indeterminate
colours in your sights, it’s a case of
figuring out how to mix them. This takes

S Playful Evening, acrylic on canvas, 19¾x 30in (50x 76cm)

 PRACTICAL
X Close up showing the shift from strong colour
to a lighter grey version where the sun is most
intense

practice so don’t panic if it takes you a

good while; that just means you’re doing
it right. Desaturating a colour means to
mute it, or grey it. The way to do this is
to add a little of the opposite colour on
the colour wheel. In this close-up of the
central figure (right), you can see the
shift from strong colour to a lighter grey
version as the light intensifies. When
painting it, I started with the deeper reds
then mixed this colour towards the light:
the T-shirt first lightened and greyed (a
touch of green and white into the red
mix) then warmed into a peachy tone
as it hit the yellow whites of the direct
sun. Building a mix like this keeps a
harmonious, unified feel to the subject.
Treat the pure whites as the icing on the
cake: only apply them when everything
else is ready. Before white comes the
glowing, pastel tones that represent the
effect of the light. Look for tinted yellow
whites, pink whites, peach; those furthest
TIP
Only use pure
white on reflective
surfaces, as it
represents the sun.
Highlights on skin,
rocks, trees, and so
on, will always have
a colour to them.
from the sun are more colourful, the the water, can be a very light yellow or
nearest more bleached. Layer them up, orange. In acrylics, it is often worth doing
starting with thin pastels, through thicker, several layers to thicken the paint. Opaque
tinted whites and ending with thickest tinted whites will look brighter than those
white. Any shadow within the brightest that have been brushed in or sunk into
reflection of the direct sun itself, on the surface.

DEMONSTRATION Salcombe Cliffs

We’ll start this special-effects journey with a
tonal painting, to exercise observational skills
without the complication of colour. I’ve listed
the tones I used here from one to 11, but
please work out your own; it will be easier!

X REFERENCE PHOTO
Salcombe cliffs in Devon

MATERIALS
Acrylic paint: titanium white and
black.
Brushes: ½in synthetic flat brush; size
2 filbert; size 0 rigger.

T STAGE ONE
Before you begin your painting, make a tonal
chart, preferably on a stay-wet palette and with
plenty of paint. Start with pure black, then add a
little white until you are as close to pure white as
possible. I made 11, including the black and white
from the tube. Now have a look at the image and
try to spot where these tones can be used

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
ACRYLICS

W STAGE TWO
With the flat brush, I laid down the distant hill, from
the brightest area on the left – first in tone six, then
blending into seven, then eight. I kept the paint
workable but opaque, with no water in the mix, just a
damp brush

S STAGE THREE
I carried on down the tonal numbers – nine for the
midground, then ten through to 11 for the foreground
darks where the contrast was strongest. There were
also deep darks in the backgound, but these needed
to be lighter, relative to the sense of depth

S STAGE FOUR
I used tone five to place in most of the sea, with
vertical brushstrokes, blending into six, seven,
eight and nine in the dark corners on the left. This
base layer brushwork was great for giving the
impression of a reflective surface

X STAGE FIVE
I carried on with vertical brushwork through the
lighter tones up to tone two, cutting around the
headland, just layering it up. It’s good to work
quickly, with no water in the paint for this stage,
as it helps the blend. Keep the paint flowing, but
opaque. I used tone three for the sky, through to
four for the darker areas on the right. I switched
to the filbert brush and added some lights to
the landscape (tones six, five and four) and wave
brushwork to the sea

S FINISHED TONAL PAINTING
Salcombe Cliffs, acrylic on board, 9½x11¾in (24x 30cm).
It was time for the icing on the cake. I applied thick, pure white, tone one in
the splash of sun, placing the paint with the face of the brush rather than
the end. This made my headland look very dark. It needed to be lightened
to show the effects of the bright sun, so, using the filbert, I brushed in
a lighter tone, which then needed blending out to the right a little. The
headland immediately looked bathed in sun. I added more detail to the
PRACTICAL
W STAGE SIX
I applied a little more layering of light with the flat and filbert
brushes, using snaking brushstrokes and tones three and two in
the lightest area with the flat brush, and dashes and swishes for
foreground waves with the filbert
Jenny Aitken
has been painting professionally for over 20
years, and exhibits across the UK. She tutors
workshops and demonstrates to art societies
throughout the UK. Jenny can be contacted by
email: jen@jennyaitken.co.uk or through her
website www.jennyaitken.co.uk
foreground waves, with enough texture and interest to lift this area of the
painting.
Continuing with the filbert, I placed some highlights on the foreground
rocks in tones two and three. Finally, I added some pure blacks in the rocks
and grass using tone 11, thickening them up for greater contrast. With
a rigger, I dragged a couple of angled horizontal lines through the sea
and dotted some ‘noise’ about with tone two. I kept any details and hard
contrasts in the foreground, ensuring the sense of distance and hazy light
1ST OF 5
Maintaining
focus
Using watercolour as his medium, in the first of his new
five-part series, Steve Griggs shows how changing
your mindset will result in better paintings
A
s a visual artist, my self-
defined role is bringing
more beauty into the
world through my art. I do
this by trying to capture
the life and energy of an urban scene
in my cityscapes, or the tranquility of
nature in a landscape. At other times it is
by depicting the serenity of a sailboat at
anchor, as the boat is gently buffeted by
the waves. Sometimes, however, I find it
challenging to create beautiful art amid
Steve Griggs
is a Colorado artist best known for his loose
watercolor painting style. Steve has won an
abundance of awards for his paintings and
has been the invited juror for numerous
state and national exhibitions. He has
been commissioned to create paintings for
several client homes and offices as well as
a national restaurant chain. A series of his
instructional videos is available through
Epiphany Fine Art and Kara Bullock Art
School. He is a popular workshop teacher
and hosts his own online classes. Steve’s
paintings can be seen on his website, as
well as at Mirada Fine Art Gallery in Denver;
Twisted Fish Gallery in Elk Rapids, Michigan;
J Petter Gallery in Douglas, Michigan; and
Five 3 Gallery in Laguna Beach, California;
www.stevegriggswatercolor.com
the noise and confusion of geopolitics,
climate concerns, and occasionally, just
daily life.
And yet, despite those distractions,
my desire is to paint loose watercolours
with beautiful stories and emotion that
draw the viewers away from the chaos
and into peace. Sometimes, if I’m not
intentional about it, feelings of unrest,
sadness, or confusion can creep into
my paintings, obscuring the beauty and
telling a different story to the one I
intend. Strategies such as mindfulness,
meditation, and exercise are all well
documented and helpful techniques for
managing emotions. In addition, I have
developed several strategies of my own
to use when the noise of the world, or
personal feelings of inadequacy, threaten
to overwhelm my ability to create
beautiful paintings.
If you, like me, sometimes wrestle with
maintaining focus, perhaps some of these
suggestions will help draw it back in.
• Get out of your own head. This is easier
said than done, but I find that sometimes
I’m approaching my art from my head
rather than my heart. It often occurs
when I’ve spent too much time following
news and world events, and creating a
masterpiece to counter the darkness
becomes my objective. Occasionally,
this occurs when I’ve created a work of
art that I am truly proud of, and I start
thinking every piece must hit that same
standard. Regardless of the impetus, when
W Uncle Lloyds Visit, watercolour on paper,
14x10in (35.5x 25.5cm)
 PRACTICAL

I limit my materials to a small sketchbook, a fountain pen with water-soluble

ink so I can create a wash, a spray bottle, a water container, and a few travel
brushes. I put everything into a container that is easily portable. In this case
I’ve used a cigar box

‘I find it helpful to leave all

my artist materials behind and
simply go for a walk’

STEVE’S TOP TIPS FOR

I try to create art from my head, rather CHANGING MINDSET
than my heart, I deny myself the joy of OGet out of your own head.
the creative process.
OUnload materials.
To get out of this mindset, I find it
OConsider location.
helpful to leave all my artist materials
OSimplify your sketches.
behind and simply go for a walk. Rather
than walking with a ‘free-range’ mind, I OStudy other artists.
try to discipline my thoughts by observing
what is before me. I notice the way the
light filters through the trees or around W Plein-air set up
buildings. I see objects as shapes rather By staying away from the busiest areas of
than structures, foliage, or figures. In this town, I can focus on painting, yet engage a few
passersby if they stop. Keep things portable, so
way, I remove the clutter from my brain
you can easily change location if desired
and regain my artist footing by seeing
through a creative lens. Later, in my
studio, I can recall what I saw and record
it in my sketchbook, further reinforcing
my enjoyment of the process.
• Unload materials. Often, when
I’m feeling off balance, I find myself
preparing for a day of plein-air painting
by packing far too many materials. Do
I need every brush in my studio? Must
I take every tube of paint? The obvious
answer is no, but when I’m unsettled, I
find that I over-compensate for concern
that my art will miss the mark, by packing
too many materials in case that one item
might be just what I need. To counter this
behaviour, I have created small plein-air
kits that I can take with me. Minimising
materials allows me to control the process
rather than the process controlling me.
With minimal materials, I reconnect with
the joy of painting instead of focusing on
getting the perfect line or optimal wash. S Tonal value
The objective isn’t the masterpiece, the As loosely as you can, and without lifting your pen, draw continuously, developing the shapes as you
objective is having fun with my materials. go. Using clean water, add tone, value, and colour to the sketch to give it more life
WATERCOLOUR
SEVEN STROKES
Use only seven total brushstrokes and incorporate either large washes or small strokes. Change colour between
strokes and create an image by limiting the materials and execution. When you’ve finished one, move on to another!
• Consider location. I am, by nature,
an introvert. When I first started doing
public demonstrations or plein-air
painting, the idea of interacting with
people while painting was intimidating.
Over time I have learned that I’m able to
paint and talk, but it took time to develop
that skill. If the thought of painting in
public is daunting, consider where you
set up to paint. If you are painting in
an urban area, you don’t have to set
up right in the heart of activity. Find a
location that is tucked away, where you
will encounter fewer people. Unless you
are alone in the wilderness, people will
inevitably find you and become curious.
This is where your simplified materials
will come in handy. If you find yourself
in an area where there are more people
than you desire, it is easy to pick up and
move!
• Simplify your sketches. The easiest way
1 2
3 4
S Continuous line sketch
to reduce clutter and noise in your head
is to reduce clutter and noise in your
process. I have four exercises I do to break
free from a busy mind: a continuous line
sketch, a seven-stroke sketch, a ten-shape
sketch, and studying other artists’ work.
The objective is to get creative, see what
emerges from the exercises, and just have
fun! Next time you want to clear away the
noise, try one or more of these strategies.
Ultimately, the best way to change
your mindset is to employ the adage,
‘Less is more’. Reduce the noise in your
head by reducing materials, setting,
and techniques. We cannot avoid the
noise and confusion of life. External
and internal factors will knock all of us
off balance occasionally but, if we are
equipped with some simple strategies,
easy to incorporate and always at the
ready, we can change our mindset and
reignite the creative process. TA
 PRACTICAL

5 6

STEVE’S FOUR
EXERCISES TO TRY
Continuous line/tone sketch
Using only pen and water-soluble
ink, create an entire sketch using
one continuous line, never picking
the pen up from the paper (below
left). Once the sketch is completed,
you can enhance it by adding
colour or tone.
Seven stroke sketch
Using a couple of your favourite
paintbrushes, paint a sketch with
only seven total strokes. Every time
you put your brush to the paper
and then pick it up again counts as 7
one stroke. Free your mind of the
need for detail and have fun seeing
what you can create with just
seven strokes of your brush (above
far left and above right).
Ten shape sketch (image not
shown)
Choose a few of your favourite
brushes to articulate value and
tone only. Paint just ten shapes in
solitary form or by overlaying or
embedding. Use white gouache
to add flourishes for more interest
and detail.
Study other artists
Consider taking time to look
at paintings from a variety of
artists. Choose artists whose style,
medium, and genre are entirely
different from yours. Observe
their techniques, colours, and
composition and see if you find
inspiration to try new things. The
objective isn’t to copy their work
but to find interesting things to
incorporate into your own art.
S A Little Bit of Malta, watercolour on paper, 10x14in (25.5x 35.5cm)
 S Feeding Frenzy, acrylic on canvas, 24x 30in (61x 76cm).
Lots of movement was added to this scene of pigeons climbing over each other in a feeding frenzy.
A few heads appear on the outskirts of the painting to imply the subject. White pigeon markings
and a red foot in the centre sit alongside almost abstract marks to suggest the frenzy

The power of
Marie Antoniou
is an artist and art tutor living and working
in Essex. Her works explore a range of
themes either in acrylic or coloured pencil,
with a particular emphasis on wildlife. Marie
has exhibited extensively, in a variety of

suggestion
venues. Her work has also been published
in Artists’ Painting Techniques published
by Dorling Kindersley books and she is a
regular contributor to The Artist magazine.
Her work has been featured as set dressing
in TV and film including the new Magic
Mike’s Last Dance movie, which comes out in
2023. Marie has won numerous awards and
accolades and has been a finalist at the
prestigious David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of Marie Antoniou shows you how to simplify your
the Year exhibition from 2014 to 2021. See
more of her work at subject and say more by suggesting rather than
www.marieantoniou.com
defining it in detail

A
ll paintings should have
mystery, something
interpretive and something
engaging. This creates
a dialogue between the
viewer and artist, adding value to the
experience of creation. Put in a bit of
mystery by diverting expectations, change
colours, combine contrasting elements,
add something surreal or suggest rather
than define. The latter is what I’ll be
discussing in this feature. It’s how I paint
and approach all my subjects. There’s a
huge advantage to this concept as you’re
engaging the viewer’s perception to
complete or read the artwork. This way
you’re not lecturing them; neither are
they simply looking in admiration at
the level of detail or finish. It’s a feature
in contemporary art that things have
moved away from purely technical, realist
paintings.
It’s common for beginners to overwork
paintings, so leaving things underworked
can be tricky. The tendency is not to trust
your instincts and stick instead with the
perception that your reference photo has
all the answers. Everything is painted
or drawn until you develop enough
confidence to interpret.
 PRACTICAL

W Preening Ducks, acrylic on canvas, 16x16in

(40.5x40.5cm).
There were a lot of varying colours and marks
in this scene which potentially could make it
harder to read. However, it’s held together by
separating colours in the background against
the ducks to help form their shapes

PRACTICAL
SOLUTIONS TO TRY
O Start by using larger brushes; you’ll
begin making statements rather than
worrying too much about detail.
O Work to a deadline. This will promote
assertiveness and again less fuss.
O Paint with acrylics. I’m an acrylic artist
and their fast drying time is a distinct
advantage to avoid overworking.
O Avoid looking at your reference photo
too much. Begin with a quick scan of
the image, then cover the image and
rely on memory to establish the main
points of colour or tone.
Z

SIMPLE EXERCISE
Lost and found
An example of lost and found would
be the rigging on a boat, where the
line starts, then breaks and continues
further along. You could do this with
branches on a tree or when drawing
if you’re used to outlining everything.
Things can get interesting when
painting groups of figures in this way.
Rather than drawing each one, meld
them together in one large shape. This
avoids the rigidness of too much line
work and invites the viewer to work
out the shapes. You can also use this
idea for shadows by linking the outline
to the element that cast the shadow,
such as buildings or the vehicles next
to them.

X Geese on Still Water, acrylic on canvas, 16x16in

(40.5x40.5cm).
I used a limited palette with minimal
brushstrokes to suggest these geese on a lake.
The strong contrasts between the background
and the geese brought out their shapes, while a
splash of orange was implied for their beaks
ACRYLICS

DEMONSTRATION Crowded Beach MATERIALS

O Royal Talens Amsterdam Student acrylics: blue
violet; brilliant blue; burnt sienna; pyrrole red;
phthalo green; and yellow ochre.
O Royal Talens Artists’ acrylic: permanent lemon
yellow.
O Winsor & Newton Artists’ acrylic: titanium white.
O Gerstaecker 1½in flathead brush.
O Daler-Rowney System 3 1in short flat brush.
O A3 watercolour paper.
O Kitchen roll.
O Water pot for cleaning brushes.
O Palette or scrap paper for mixing paint.

S REFERENCE PHOTO
For this step by step I have chosen a busy coastal scene. My aim is to simplify
the scene through colour and marks without over stating details. I’ll begin
with an abstract approach, avoiding looking at the details and focusing
instead on shapes, tones and colours. I worked on white paper, which made
the colours stand out when applied

S STAGE ONE
I began by implying figures with abstract shapes using a 1½in brush
loaded with yellow ochre and pyrrole red. As I worked my way across the
paper I added blue violet, phthalo green, burnt sienna and brilliant blue to
create different values. There were a few colours on my brush that I didn’t
premix, which created a variety of tones as streaks of colour appeared
when applied to the surface of the paper.

S STAGE TWO
Next I blocked in the area for the sea with my 1½in brush,
using phthalo green and brilliant blue with a dab of white
added to create a light turquoise. I added more blue to my
brush and applied it to various places in the foreground to
suggest other elements while echoing the colour around
the scene. The sand was blocked in using yellow ochre and
a bit of white

TIP
If you have too much water on your brush or you
over mix/blend the colours they will go flat and
you won’t give interesting variations on your
paper/canvas. I see the people in the scene as S STAGE THREE
patches of colour and tones. Take off any excess I wanted to start turning the marks into something more coherent, so I re-introduced the sea
water before adding colour; the bristles in your colour (green and blue) and used it to carve out the figures breaking into the area of the sea.
brush should be just damp. It only needed a rough indication. I then used a clean 1in short flat brush with blue violet and
burnt sienna to indicate some of the figures through lines and smaller blocks
 PRACTICAL

S STAGE FOUR S STAGE FIVE

Having roughly indicated the figures, I mixed a skin tone using pyrrole red and
yellow ochre and began elaborating on the shapes. I also varied some of the skin
tones with small amounts of blue violet for subtle differences between figures. I
then reintroduced some of the sand colour to help re-shape a couple of the figures
I needed to introduce some purer colour to spark up the scene.
Using blues with various quantities of white or violet I created
different shades and applied the colour around the scene,
suggesting other elements around the figures. I did the same
thing with some reds, again varying the colour with white or
violet to create tints or darker tones

S FINISHED PAINTING
Crowded Beach, acrylics, 11¾x16½in (30x42cm).
I built up the clothing a little with some darks and light depending on the article of clothing, and edged the figures with a mixture of red, yellow and plenty
of white for a lighter skin tone to suggest the sunlight catching parts of their bodies. The level of finish is up to you. By this point I had implied everything
I needed to say without too much detail. The finishing touches were a few tweaks re-shaping some of the figures with some contrast or colour. I went back
into the sea area and flattened off the colour surrounding the figures and also strengthened up the sand by adding yellow ochre, lemon yellow and white to
brighten it up or tidy up some edges
4TH OF 5
No looking back
The permanence of drawing with pens encourages a bold approach.
Clare Lord helps us to find the courage to explore their qualities
W
hen drawing it is
crucial to appreciate
the process rather
than to focus on
the end product.
The business of looking and translating
what you see into a two-dimensional
image is absorbing and relaxing as well
as demanding. The fact that pens can’t be
rubbed out emphasises the value of a bold
and explorative approach.
There are many ways to use a pen and
many marks to be made. A good starting
point is to have a ‘play’ with a range
of pens. I tend to use the Uni-ball Pin
fine line and there is quite a difference
between, for example, 0.03 which is very
CLARE’S MATERIALS
O Uni-ball Pin Mitsubishi fine line pens.
O Uni-ball Eye Mitsubishi.
O Derwent Graphik.
O Paper Mate flexgrip ultra.
fine and 0.8 which makes a much darker,
thicker mark.
The quality of the mark is also affected
by how you move your hand, how quickly
you move it across the page and by how
hard you press. This abstract doodle
(below right) includes a range of marks
including hatching, cross-hatching, some
solid dark tone as well as some long
free flowing lines. Developing a linear
vocabulary in this imaginative way is
very helpful when it comes to using a
pen to represent what you see. A pen
is essentially a linear medium but that
doesn’t mean it should only be used to
describe outline. The lines you make can
follow the interior contours of the form,
S Three Apples, Uni-ball Pin 0.3
black, 8x9¾in (20x 25cm)
X Abstract doodle
as well as describe pattern, colour, tone
and the texture or feel of your subject.
This drawing of three apples (below left)
was done using a Uni-ball Pin 0.3 black
fine line pen.
The marks describe the impact of light
on the form with dark areas created
where there are shadows both below and
between the two apples at the back. In
addition, the pen was used to create a
sense of the circular form by following the
curve of the apple. The paler green area
by the stem of the fruit was described
using an outline. The pale shadows below
use much looser, lighter lines than those
used to describe the apples.
I enjoy using a pen when sketching
outside. On a practical level a pen
drawing doesn’t smudge once the
sketchbook goes back in the rucksack!
Also, there is something about the fluidity
of the movement of pen on paper that
encourages me to work quickly and with
confidence. Unlike pencil or charcoal the
S Derbyshire Dales, Uni-ball Pin 0.5, 6x8in
(15x 20cm)

TIP
Try taking a small sketchbook with you
next time you are out for a walk. Give
yourself a limited time window to make
a quick sketch of what you are drawn to.
Experiment with ways to create a sense of
distance in the background.

pen cannot be used to make marks of

different tones so one of the challenges
with a landscape sketch in pen is to create
a sense of distance which in pencil, for
example, would mean making fainter
marks.
When drawing with a pen I tend to
make fewer looser marks in the distance
to create the illusion of depth. These
contrast with the more strongly applied
S Made for Walking, Uni-ball Pin 0.5 sepia, 9¾x13¾in
vigorous marks used to describe the
(25x 35cm)
foreground. If possible I try to create the
feel of the place when drawing outside. consider both the form and the texture to show the fur lining at the top and the
Derbyshire Dales, above, was a windy of the object. This drawing of my boots smooth leather to the front of the boot.
bright day which I hope is conveyed by (above) relies heavily on both hatching I chose to use a sepia-coloured pen as I
the fluidity of the pen marks. and cross-hatching to create a tonal liked the soft feeling created by the use of
Ironically as well as presenting a drawing. Some of the darkest areas have a warmer tone.
challenge when making faint marks, it multiple layers of cross-hatching marks.
is quite tricky to create large areas of The laces were largely drawn by seeing Holding your pen
dark tone when using a pen. When using them as a negative light space within the How you hold a pen when drawing
hatching and cross-hatching I try to boot. Note the variety of mark making often depends on the subject matter.
S Waiting for a Game, Uni-ball Pin 0.5, 11¾x11¾in (30x 30cm)
The boots required a steady careful
hand, while other subjects demand a
different approach. The snooker table in
this local pub (above) was surrounded
by many geometrical forms – the mirror,
the television, radiator, fireplace and
table legs, all rendered by a series of
swift vertical and horizontal movements
of the pen. Dark tones were created
through hatching and some cross-
hatching and the lightest things were
left empty, such as the glasses on the
fireplace. It is a relatively large drawing
and the strength of the marks reflect the
scale. Compositionally, I find the view
intriguing, especially the way the eye
is drawn up to the corner of the room
and the tilted light and then back down
through the tv and mirror to the black
ball on the table.
The drawings so far have all shown
different ways of using a pen to create
images which record both the form and
S Life in Line, Uni-ball Pin brush, 9¾x8in
(25x 20cm)
the impact of light upon it. The pen is
used in part to describe the outline and in
part to follow the internal form as well as
describing tone.
At a recent life class I thought I would
try a very different approach. I used a
Uni-ball Pin brush to describe the model
using only outline (left). This relied
heavily on having spent a long time
looking at the model and gauging her
proportions and the angles involved. As
the drawing took about two minutes and
was done with largely continuous line I
had to know where I was going with the
brush!
One of the ways I help my eyes to see
the angle of things is to imagine the
hands of a clock. I look at the form and
ask myself, for example, ‘What is the angle
of the arm?’ Seeing it as the hands of a
clock, it is at 10 to the hour. Knowing that
helps me get the slant at the right angle
as I can easily visualise it. TA
 PRACTICAL

EXERCISE TO TRY
Try using the clock method to help you draw things that involve angles. Set up a simple still life with two or
three cups or mugs. Close one eye and line your finger up with the side of the mug in order to gauge the angle.
Focus on your finger and ask yourself what o’clock is it? Ten to? Five to? Make a quick sketch and look again at
the objects to check you’ve got it right. Noticing negative spaces also helps with this sort of exercise.

Another example of a line only

approach came when I was visiting
the beautiful town of Ludlow for
a drawing day with a friend. We
entered the market square and had
just ten minutes to capture some
of the feel of it. Again using a sepia
pen I decided to use just line to
map out the busy stalls and people
as well as, rather ambitiously, the
rooflines beyond. The result (right)
does, I hope, capture the liveliness
of the day.

X Ludlow Market, Uni-ball Pin

sepia, 8x11¾in (20x 30cm)

A pen can be used in many ways. I do enjoy using Uni-ball Pin pens but am happy
to use any kind, even if it’s the one I usually have in my handbag for doing the
crossword! Once you get rid of the idea that there are rights and wrongs to drawing,
the fact that it can’t be rubbed out makes it a very liberating medium. You have only
to look closely at drawings by the masters and you will see they draw on top of lines
that were originally in the ‘wrong’ place. Having a small sketchbook and a pen with
you all the time will mean you will always have something to do that doesn’t need a
mobile signal! I was waiting for my partner to turn up at our local tennis court when I
drew this (below) – no time to finish it!
Finally, how else can you capture a seagull on the beach? (right)

S Just Going, Biro, 4x4in (10x10cm)

Clare Lord
has been teaching drawing and painting to
groups of adults and children since retiring
as a primary school head. Clare was a finalist
in the 2021 Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the
Year. Clare’s work can be seen and purchased
through Instagram @clarelordartist
S View from Walton Tennis Club, Paper Mate 1.0m, 6x8in (15x 20cm)
Email clarelordart@gmail.com
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Clean colours of summer
Paul Talbot-Greaves shows how to make your oil paintings sing with
colour as he paints a summer landscape alla prima
W
orking with opaque
media means using
white to make lighter
values and tones and,
if used incorrectly,
it can lead to messy results and a chalky
finish to the painting. This is especially
so when using the alla prima technique,
which I am using here. I prefer to use
titanium white, which is incredibly strong,
and whilst it will create a lighter value
quicker and easier than using a zinc white
equivalent, it can also pollute colour
where I don’t want white. Because of this,
I leave it out of the painting for as long as
possible or until it is needed. A problem
can arise when even the smallest amount
of white is accidentally picked up, say
when a sky has been painted too soon
and a dark feature is then painted against
it. If left unattended that white will end
up in the darker palette mix and alter its
value properties. The answer is to manage
your colour properly, painting bigger light
areas last and to use rags or kitchen paper
to wipe the brush whenever an unwanted
colour has been picked up.
Wiping versus cleaning
What should you do with the brush
when changing colours? I get asked
this question a lot. If I am painting two
colours adjacent to each other and those
colours are similar in value, then to
switch between them I would wipe the
brush when changing from one to the
other. If the values are vastly different,
for example if I am switching from a
dark green to white, then that’s the time
to use a different brush or if one isn’t
available, I’ll give the brush a good clean,
first wiping the paint off, then using my
brush washer with odourless solvent.
Keeping good brush management in this
way, and similarly in the palette, will lead
to cleaner, more direct results with the
painting.
Dark to light
My process with oils is to work generally
from dark to light. I begin with thinned
colour, adding just a brush-tip of solvent
to the paint to make it workable and
to help it penetrate the surface and dry
quickly. I often use French ultramarine
and burnt sienna for the darkest values
and I roughly block them in first, then
in a similar way, I continue blocking
in the mid values using diluted colour
and, finally, the lightest colour if it is
independent, such as a sky or a reflection
in water. Only when the values are
PRACTICAL
S The Buttercup Fields, oil on board 7x9½in
(18x 24cm).
In summer this valley floor becomes a carpet
of bright buttercups. In the painting I caught
the contrast of the trees and used lots of tone
against the saturated yellow to create impact.
I mixed lots of dark green on the board using
ultramarine, burnt sienna and cadmium yellow
and applied thick brushstrokes to give movement
and shape
applied roughly in this way am I able
to see and visually balance the weight
of colour in the painting. In my next
layer, I go back to the starting darks and
boost any of those with neat paint if
necessary, taking care not to disturb any
of the light applications, and using brush
management to minimise polluting other
colours.
With darks and light in place, I assess
the mid values and build those gradually
using delicate applications with the brush,
using it in a descriptive way. In the mid
values I involve increasing amounts of
white, so any amount of overworking
from this point is likely to mix that light
into everything, leading to a chalky finish.
Only a small amount of titanium white
will alter a mix, so it’s a good idea to
test colours on a swatch of paper before
applying them to the painting, because
DEMONSTRATION Through the Trees
MATERIALS
O 3mm MDF panel.
O Zest-it.
O Oil paints: raw sienna; French
ultramarine; burnt sienna; cerulean
blue; cadmium red; cobalt blue;
titanium white; and cadmium yellow.
O Rosemary & Co Ivory flat brushes,
sizes 2, 5, 7, 10, and 12.
O 2in decorator’s brush for applying
gesso.
O Gesso.
O Rags.
S STAGE ONE S STAGE TWO
O Palette knife. I took a piece of MDF board and gave it two good Once the gesso was dry, I tinted the board with a
coats of gesso, allowing time to dry in between. I small amount of raw sienna, working it in to the
used a decorator’s brush for this and aimed to put surface thinly using a piece of old rag
a little texture into the covering

W STAGE THREE
Next, I marked in some
simple shapes of the
composition using a small
size 2 flat brush and some
of the raw sienna

X STAGE FOUR
Using a size 12 Ivory flat
brush I scrubbed in the
general shape and darks S STAGE FIVE
of the trees using a mix Continuing with the size 12 and a size 10 flat, I built up heavier layers
of French ultramarine of dark with the same colours, then progressed into the mid values
and burnt sienna. At this with a mix of cerulean blue, raw sienna and burnt sienna. In the
stage I was only focusing background I made the violet from cadmium red, cobalt blue and
on shape, so it was fine to the addition of some of the green mix to tone it. I added white to the
be loose and inaccurate colour and blocked in the space with a size 7 Ivory flat. I see this stage
in places as a blocking layer where I aim to create shape and form but without
any refinement

the mixture on the palette can often look
very different on the painting.
I use Rosemary & Co’s Ivory flats, which
apply the colour very well and are soft
enough to lay down layers one on top of
another. With a slight increase in brush
pressure, I can blend colours easily and
I use my brushes in directional ways to
suggest form and contour. At this point
I try to work alongside the darks I have
already put down instead of covering
them or adding any unnecessary layers.
Every brushstroke has a purpose and
if you find yourself wildly adding
brushmarks without knowing what you
want to achieve, it’s time to take a step
back and review your progress.
Making greens
If I am painting vibrant greens, I will
often use a tube green base such as
Winsor green and add yellows and
blues to vary it on the surface. I enjoy
mixing greens too and for calmer, toned
greens I prefer to mix colour to achieve
the subtlety in the look of the results.
By considering colour theory carefully,
I use complementary colours or near
complementary and this maintains a
gradual shift in hue. For example, raw
sienna with cerulean blue will make a
bright but toned green. To further tone
it and warm it, I add a touch of red or to
create a cooler tone, I switch the cerulean
for cobalt blue or French ultramarine
depending on how strong I wish to make
it. I also throw cadmium yellow into
the mix to add a touch of brightness if
needed. There are many ways of reaching
similar tones with different colours, so
have fun with however you make your
greens. TA
 PRACTICAL

S STAGE SIX
I finished blocking in the shapes, working
cerulean blue, cadmium red and titanium white
into the sky and placing a few sky holes in the
trees. Lower down, with a smaller size 5 flat, I
worked the lighter greens made from cerulean
blue and cadmium yellow, then the pinkish-
coloured field with cadmium red, cerulean blue
and raw sienna, with white added for the lighter
parts

X FINISHED PAINTING
Through the Trees, oil on board 8x8in (20x 20cm).
Once all the shapes and values were blocked in,
I was able to assess where I needed to refine or
add further value. I kept the trees largely as they
were, adding only a little lighter tone to define
highlights, plus a couple more sky holes to break
EXERCISE TO TRY
the shape further. I manipulated a few edges and
softened parts to help complement the harder
edges. To create further interest and attraction to
the focus, I scraped out the shape of a fence with
my palette knife

Paul Talbot-Greaves
teaches watercolour and acrylic painting
in workshops and demonstrations to art
societies throughout the UK. He has received
Use the same or similar colours with the same alla prima approach as the demonstration,
many accolades and awards including The
beginning with thinned colour and gradually building up fatter layers, using the brush
Artist Award in 2017 and 2021 at Patchings
Art Festival, and The Chaoshan Watercolour to sculpt and shape some thick paint. Remember to keep good brush and palette
Award at the 2021 RI watercolour exhibition. management so that you don’t pollute your mixes or generate any nasty surprises.
He can be contacted by email Email a copy of your finished painting to dawn@tapc.co.uk, no larger than 2MB, with
ptgart@outlook.com or through his website Working from Photographs in the subject line to see your work shared in an exclusive
www.talbot-greaves.com Painters Online gallery.
WATERCOLOUR

Woodland Catherine Beale

creates watercolour landscapes for

light beams
exhibition and commission from her hillside
studio in Bath. Her book, Capturing Light
is published by Search Press as part of
the Innovative Artist series. She explains
her watercolour techniques further in her
in-person Bath watercolour workshops and
Catherine Beale demonstrates a woodland visits art centres and art societies. Catherine
is a member of the Society of Women Artists
scene and shares her techniques for creating subtle and shows regularly at the Bath Society of
Artists’ Open Exhibition;
light effects in watercolour www.catherinebeale.com

M
any watercolour artists
are preoccupied with
the way light plays
across the landscape.
Light sources and lit
objects punctuate paintings, illuminating
subjects brightly and providing variety
and drama. Watercolours are particularly
good at painting softer lighting that
glimmers and glows through veils of thin
tone. These effects have inspired many of
my subjects over the decades.
To portray light effectively across my
paintings I deploy a range of paint shades
or tones. The strong tonal opposites of
black and white make a subject stand
out, heightening drama, especially when
they are placed in juxtaposition. Softer,
blurred light effects on the other hand are
intriguing and make a viewer lean in to
read them.
Subjects that contain areas of high
contrast can include the glitter of strong
sun on the highly reflective surface of
dark water for example, or trees boldly
silhouetted against a light horizon. I form
dark areas from dense paint and/or dark
colours. The former oil painter in me likes
to deploy juicy colour straight from the
tube for this purpose. I form white, lit gaps
in my painting by leaving my paper free
from paint, which requires a little planning.
Contrast is increased when hard-edged
dark shapes are used next to white areas.
Soft light effects, on the other hand,
glow and shimmer, adding subtle radiance
to a painting. They have a dreamy
atmosphere that is harder to discern and
therefore draws a viewer in. I employ a
range of painting techniques to create
subtle shading, which I will be exploring
in my demonstration. For example, in the
early stages, I tilt my painting and drop
wet paint into water to allow it to move
and mix naturally down the surface. I call
this mixing ‘gravity painting’ and it is a
great way to build up a variety of paint
tones within initial washes. This, and
lifting off techniques, create softly varying
tone to suggest diffuse light effects that
glow and glimmer.

DEMONSTRATION Through the Trees

W REFERENCE PHOTO
My source photo contains a small section of a woodland below my studio. Study it with
me now to identify all the examples of hard and soft lighting. The sun was my light
source for the painting. It was located beyond the top left-hand corner of the photo and
its light radiated diagonally outwards towards the bottom right corner of the woodland
floor, picking out the leaf litter on the ground in irregular, jagged shapes. The sun’s
location could be found by following the beams of light back upwards until they met.
I was most interested in where the lower branches interrupted the sunlight, splitting
it into soft rays. These continued to spread downwards through the air, glancing off
the dust motes and back to us. I wanted to make sure these were clearly visible as the
painting’s focal point.
The largest tree trunk and branches were backlit by the sun, forming a hard silhouette
against it. This was my area of maximum contrast so I needed to use heavy, dark
pigments for the trunks to show up the sun behind. Some of the trunk edges and parts
of the smaller tree were eclipsed by the sunlight, which bent around them from behind,
vapourising their form. The smaller tree softly disappeared, indicating that it was set
further back. Rays pierced through semi-transparent leaves making them glow. This
heightened their colour from green to lime green, yellow and gold. Reflected light also
gently illuminated shaded areas, showing up the waxy, curved surfaces of leaves there
 PRACTICAL
X STAGE ONE
MATERIALS I built a painting plan
in 2B pencil to mark in
O A3 Daler-Rowney Aquafine watercolour
areas of different tone to
artboard. communicate the pattern
O Tilted board and rest. of light to the viewer. I used
O Winsor & Newton tube watercolours: an A3 sheet of watercolour
ultramarine blue; phthalo turquoise; artboard and decided to
burnt umber; permanent sap green; turn it to the more dramatic
lemon yellow; raw sienna; and portrait format which gave
quinacridone violet. space to develop the sun’s
rays diagonally down across
O Brushes: 1in flat or large watercolour
my painting. Brilliantly
brush; smaller flat brush; a fine brush or saturated and muted colours
rigger. would also help this goal.
O Kitchen roll. I marked a sloped horizon
O Large water jar. across the middle of the
page. Everything above this
O Generous palette with deep wells.
horizon was mostly white
O 2B pencil. paper punctuated by dark
O Eraser. upper trunks, branches and
bushes. I then drew in the
path of white light across
the woodland floor from
the centre to the bottom
right-hand corner. Sometimes
I mark white areas with a ‘w’
to remember to leave them
dry! With my masking brush
I masked out tiny areas of
bright white at the edges of
the whitened leaf litter and
glowing bushes, as well as
where light leaves crossed
in front of the dark trunks.
This protected them, keeping
them free from paint when I pulled large washes across later.
I like to work from dark to light. This gave me the full range of tone from the start, from the
shadowed base of the foremost trunk, to the bright background whited out by strong sunlight.
I diluted my chosen tubed colours a little, keeping them in separate wells in my palette and then
wetted the darkest areas of the tree trunks and right-hand bush. I tilted my surface and dropped
deep, granular paints separately into the water. These were burnt umber and ultramarine blue,
which form an opaque natural dark colour. The main body of the bush is formed from more
densely applied sap green and phthalo turquoise

S STAGE TWO
The particles within the granulating burnt umber and ultramarine blue
pigments mixed together depending on the portions I used. They dropped into
the dips in the cold-pressed paper surface and automatically created texture
that resembled bark.
I lightened the tone in the upper parts of the tree trunks and at the upper
edges (towards the light source) by absorbing some of the paint back into a
dry ‘thirsty’ brush.
I then added warmer quinacridone violet to the top of the large trunk and
phthalo turquoise to its large upper branch and to the smaller trunk. This
saturated colour added pleasing variety but more importantly it was a method
of suggesting more light reaches these areas. It also reduced the relative
contrast of the trunks’ hard edges against the sky which ‘released’ the viewer’s
gaze towards the top of the painting, preventing their attention being drawn
away from the sun’s rays further down, the focus of my painting

X STAGE THREE
I placed small, irregular marks in green and turquoise to the drying edges of
the bush and onto the dry paper beyond. When the wet paint marks met the
dry paper hard edges were formed. Outer leaf shapes were suggested using
the corner of my flat brush. Varying the angle and pressure of the brush
created differing tapered leaf shapes and adding more water lightened
some. The leaves broke up the flat edge of the bush
WATERCOLOUR
X STAGE FIVE
I addressed the gap between the two painted trunks on the left side,
stroking the area with a damp brush to soften the hard paint edges and
suggest light bending gently between them. I added a light smear of
saturated phthalo turquoise that matched the more illuminated upper
trunks.
Turning my 1in flat brush, I applied thick paint to one of the corners. I
lifted it at a high angle and brushed on a fine jagged line of dark paint.
This cut across dry washes and shapes to add definition. Where I wanted
the branches to disappear, I rotated the brush to the opposite corner,
which was clean and damp (rather than wet with paint). This section of
the brush was ‘thirsty’ so removed paint from chosen areas
S STAGE SIX
I applied raw sienna and quinacridone violet in new washes of colour
over the detail in the woodland floor to knock back the colours and
cover contrasting gaps so that marks appeared less stark. I loaded my
flat brush with wet paint and pulled it feather-light across the area
directly beneath my sloping horizon. This glided the bristles across
the surface in single soft pulls and prevented paint shifting. (If you
are worried about digging the brush in and moving dry detail, try
lightly pulling clean water across the area first and drop the coloured
unifying wash into the puddle.)
W STAGE FOUR
The bush was backlit by the sun. To suggest this, I introduced saturated colours
to the outer leaves. The more saturated colours of lemon yellow and raw sienna
were used in semi-opaque blobs on top, straight from the tube, to maximise
the colour, and ape sunny highlights. I also created depth through gaps, which
suggested light shining through from beyond. A glowing halo of light built up
along the upper left edge of the bush that faced the sun. I lifted a little paint
from some of the leaves to reveal more of the white paper to similar effect
S STAGE SEVEN
I had reached a key point in the painting when I lifted paint off the focal point to
suggest sunbeams. I prefer to do this once with confidence and so I decided to take
a break from painting to refresh my eyes and brain. If the wrong items were lifted
or lifted too much back to the white paper, I would have to correct these mistakes
by putting paint back on again and having a second try. I prefer to avoid over-
working a painting as this maintains colour brightness and ensures fresh looking
washes. When paint is laid down once with water onto white paper it retains its
glow as the paper glows through cleanly.
After my break I refocused on the close work. I compared my painting with the
source photo. I cleaned my brush and squeezed it out between my finger and
thumb so that it was clean, damp and ‘sharpened’. I turned it so that its flat side
was over the rear trunk and gently removed a sliver of paint from the top. This
suggested a wide ray of sun passing in front, giving a change in tone but with a
softened edge to suggest dissipating light
 S STAGE NINE
Any details that lay in front of the rays (or that were mistakenly lost during the
lifting off process) were added in now with a fine rigger brush. This brush is perfect
for tree twigs and smaller branches as it bucks and shifts in an unpredictable
manner creating marks with sudden changes in direction that resemble the
‘elbows’ in tree limbs. The long bristles hold a surprising amount of paint that
S STAGE EIGHT feeds out like a fountain pen
I cleaned and squeezed my brush out again and
turn its sharpened hairs 90-degrees so that its
flat end was edge-on to the painting. This steeper
angle added the weight of the brush to the
lifting-off action and the damp, aligned bristles
behaved like a knife cutting through paint. If at
first the paint appeared not to budge, I repeated
the process again. I cleaned my brush, pinched
it between my finger and thumb and passed it
across the same line. The paint started to wash
off, so I stopped before it was all removed. As I
moved down the length of each ray, I swivelled
the brush to widen the line that it washed

S STAGE TEN
Once the painting was completely dry, I rubbed
the masking fluid off to reveal bright points
of light that resembled leaves on the bushes
and across the tree trunks, gaps in the canopy
above and the leaf litter below. I swiped a little
turquoise or lemon yellow across some of these
to calm them down using saturated colours to
make sure that they still appeared lit

X FINISHED PAINTING
Through the Trees, watercolour on artboard,
111 2x81 4in (29.5 x21cm).
DIGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

SBleached by High Summer Sun, watercolour, 10½⫻15in (26.5⫻39cm)

Bleached by
high summer sun
In this abridged extract from her recently published book by Search Press,
Catherine Beale demonstrates how to paint holiday heat in watercolours

I
focus on the quality of the light, which is my main subject. The summer
colours must appear washed out and conjure up the feeling of past
holidays and the ‘memory-illusion’ of perpetually sunny holiday trips to the
beach. I hold on to this idea throughout the painting and try hard to keep
my tones light, within a narrow range from mid tones in the foreground, to
whispery pale suggestions of shapes in the bleached-out distance. The horizon
will be barely visible and this ‘lift’ towards the top of the painting should help
with the painting’s soft, light feel.

WSource photograph
This photograph has been sitting in my studio for many years – apologies for its low resolution.
It was taken when my children were young when we regularly took them to our favourite
stretch of north Cornish coast, running from Boscastle in the east to Polzeath in the west. This
view is near Port Quin – a deserted harbour village with a sad history of many souls lost at sea.
Just off the shore lies the islet of The Mouls which adds romantic interest to the coast.
 Phthalo turquoise
MATERIALS
O Surface Daler-Rowney watercolour A3 artboard,
Cobalt blue
113/4⫻161/2in (30⫻42cm).
O Winsor & Newton watercolours Winsor lemon; raw
sienna; permanent sap green; quinacridone violet;
cobalt blue; cadmium yellow; and phthalo turqouise.
O Brushes 1in flat brush; 3/8in flat brush for lifting off;
size 2 rigger.
O Winsor & Newton Removable masking fluid.
O Table salt.
O Kitchen paper.

Permanent sap green

COLOUR CHOICES
To create aerial perspective, my palette will move from gold
Winsor lemon
to gold/green, then blue/green, ending towards the upper Cadmium yellow
areas with soft blues. I avoid moonglow and indigo, aiming
to use darker shades of other colours straight from the tube Quinacridone violet
instead. I pick Winsor lemon, raw sienna, permanent sap
green, quinacridone violet, cobalt blue, cadmium yellow
and phthalo turquoise. (Warning: phthalo turquoise is a
staining pigment and must be placed carefully.)
I load my palettes with colours and pre-wet them.

PLANNING
Paper orientation The calm, grounded, landscape shape
will add to the relaxed feel of the subject.
Horizons, zones and subdivisions There will be room to
develop the long diagonal division between land and sea
that stretches from top left to mid right of the composition. Raw sienna
The true horizon is indistinct, so this diagonal will form my
main ‘horizon’. The sea and sky make one zone across the
top, broken by the roof of the white cottage and the island.
The field boundaries create zones, edged by hard ‘Cornish
hedges’ of slate covered with vegetation. These will get
progressively darker towards the foreground. I have altered
O TIP
their intervals and the field shapes to create an interesting, Aerial perspective can make landscapes appear more blue in
varied geometric pattern. hue as they recede away from us. The result is that our eyes
perceive more blue in the distance and I will show this by
using more blue in my colour mix as I rise up the painting.

X STAGES ONE AND TWO

I masked the small, white wave features at the
base of the island and coastal promontory,
then propped up my support and gently tilted
it away from me. I wetted the whole land area
with clean water and included the shadowed
walls of the cottages (excluding those walls
marked with a ‘W’ for white). This would allow
the first washes to run into their shadows and
blend them into their immediate surroundings.
The white walls would remain dry
DIGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

SSTAGE THREE S STAGE FOUR

I mixed the paint freely using lots of water to develop
beautiful watermarks to add interest to the field areas.
I added additional texture to the closest wheat field by
adding fine table salt. (Rock salt marks are a little harsh for
this subtly-lit subject and I want the viewer to look over this
field and into the distance.)
Once I had all the main land area locked in, I
washed in the sea, again melding the three colours
– quinacridone violet, cobalt blue and phthalo
turquoise together in a graded wash. I waited for this
area to dry before painting in the island on top

X STAGE FIVE
I was careful that mid-tones
were the darkest darks in this
image to keep the bleaching
effect of high summer sun. To
help create a shimmering heat
haze, I kept forms indistinct. I
added the hedges and garden
bushes on top of the dry wash.
I dragged some of the colours
into dry sections of paper to pick
up its surface texture

S STAGE SIX
My painting was starting to dry now and I
began to place wet paint on dry to create
hard edges. I placed the island and distant
headland on top of the dry sea
S STAGE EIGHT
To add texture to the shadowed side of the
white cottage’s cob wall, I robbed some colour
from the neighbouring hedge with my 1in
(2.5cm) brush
S STAGE SEVEN
I turned my attention to the field boundaries and cottage detail. I placed definition into
parts of the ‘Cornish hedges’ and added some table salt into the foreground hedges. I
also created the foreground tree canopy over the sea, rolling the rigger on the dry paper
to create broken, irregular fan shapes that resembled a cluster of branches. I was careful
to replicate their uneven height and added ‘elbow-turns’ along their length to suggest
stunted growth from the severe onshore salt winds
S STAGE NINE S STAGE TEN
I used my rigger brush to accentuate I suggested a curve in the road as it went over
the pylons and to add extra details to the hill by knocking back the brightness of
the cottages the nearer portion with a little quinacridone
violet
DIGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

FOCAL POINT
I decided to remove the cottage you can just see in the
far-right of the source photograph to provide balance.
To enhance the painting’s light, airy feel, I had masked
the road to the right, as well as the cottage on the left
to make bright white focal points. The distant white
cottage is a classic white-washed Cornish cob cottage.
(The word ‘cob’ means ‘rounded lump’ which helps
describe the soft shape of the hand-moulded building
material.) The white cottage stands proud of the
landscape, unlike the cottage in the foreground right
which will merge with the foliage of its own garden so
that the viewers’ eyes will pass across it.

X STAGE ELEVEN
I began to ‘eat into’ parts of the hard field
boundaries within the painting. This suggested
a narrow slip of grass between two field
boundaries. I removed the excess paint with
kitchen paper.
I softened any architectural features that had
hard edges, and pulled a clean wash of water
across the cottage to further merge it into
its environment.
 SThe finished painting. Bleached by High Summer Sun, watercolour,
10½⫻15in (26.5⫻39cm)

W TROUBLESHOOTING AND REVIEW

I stand back and freshen my viewpoint to reassess shapes and
check that there is no discordant colour information and that tones are light.
I check if the white cottage and road stand out as focal points. If necessary, I add darker,
neat paint next to them to increase contrast and draw the viewer’s eye to the area. I look
at any shadows and make sure that they agree. I lift off any overly bright colours that
draw the eye away from the focal point.
I apply L-shaped mounts to the painting to see if it needs cropping at all. Only now can
I judge the final ‘shape’ of the painting and whether it is still an A3-shape or shorter in the
width or height. Cropping moves all features along and can help make a painting work.
For this project, I reduced the height of the sky by cutting a sliver off the top of the paper.

Capturing Light
Capturing Light by Catherine Beale
focuses on the subtle qualities of
light, with an emphasis on creating
dramatic, imaginative landscapes
in watercolour. Published by
Search Press, £17.99, the book is
available from bit.ly/ARTIBOOKS
URBAN SKETCHING

One drawing
at a time
Paul Riley introduces us to the work and practice of urban sketchers
working around the world

I
have spent many years drawing
and painting outside en plein air. It
is something I have always enjoyed
and I have introduced many
people to its obvious delights.
Some years ago I was in Prague at an
exhibition of a friend’s paintings. She
knew of my love of outdoor sketching
and introduced me to Rajesh Dhawan, a
founding member of the Urban Sketchers
Prague chapter.
The origins of the urban sketchers
stem from a Spanish journalist and
illustrator, Gabriel Campanario, who was
living in Seattle, USA, working for the
Seattle Times. It was there he promoted
journalistic drawing in a blog called
Urban Sketchers Correspondent in 2007,
which was broadcast as a blog on Flickr.
The idea was to combine drawings with
stories, which provided the background of
the real-life situations where the drawings
were done. In 2009, the organisation
decided to become a non-profit type
and a board of directors was elected
to promote the urban sketchers’ ideals
worldwide. The directors organised
discussion groups to think about and
gather information on materials,
supplies and techniques. Groups would
go sketching on streets, at events and in
cafés. Campanario published a book in
2011 called The Art of Urban Sketching,
which had the effect of spreading the
ideals of urban sketching worldwide.
Symposia were organized, festive
gatherings of artists literally from all
over the world. These three-day events
were held regularly until the pandemic.
Thankfully they have now reconvened
and the next one will take place this
year in Auckland, New Zealand.
Since encountering the Prague
chapter of urban sketchers, I have been
extremely delighted with my association.
Meeting the founders and gaining an
insight into the methods of putting
together an urban sketching chapter has
been very useful.
USK Prague
In order for the chapter to function, there
is an administrator who decides with a
small committee where to organise meets.
These meets are in locations throughout
the city or may be at an event, such as a
concert or even a street party. They are
publicised through the group’s Facebook
page, when the time and location are
given. Typically, meets last approximately
two hours and then all the members get
together and do a ‘show and tell’ of their
drawings and often as not, repair to the
nearest bar or restaurant for refreshment.
I am amazed by the variety of styles and
techniques that are on show. All kinds
of materials and methods are used. For
example, some people are very keen on

‘We see the world, one drawing at a time’

USK motto

URBAN SKETCHERS
MANIFESTO
S This sketch is by Gabriel 1 We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing
Campanario, founder of the USK what we see from direct observation.
worldwide. The organisation was 2 Our drawing tells the story of our surroundings, the
started in 2009 and has been thriving places we live and where we travel.
ever since. He still loves to sketch
in and around Seattle where the
3 Our drawings are a record of time and place.
inspiration for the movement was born 4 We are truthful to the scenes we witness.
5 We use any kind of media and cherish our
X Jiri Zraly is one of the first individual styles.
members of the Urban Sketchers 6 We support each other and draw together.
Prague chapter. His forte is in graphic
7 We share our drawings online.
design and he uses the opportunity
of sketching outside and in cafes to 8 We show the world, one drawing at a time.
enhance his drawing skills
 PRACTICAL

S Genine Carralheira has the busiest job possible. She is the president of
USK worldwide and is responsible for the organising of events, fundraising and
profile of the organisation. She started as a humble sketcher then rose through
the ranks including vice president. This drawing is from Maquepaque, Mexico

S Lenka Kyrova is group administrator for the Urban Sketchers Prague

S Mario Linhares is from Portugal and is one of the founding fathers of
USK back in 2009. He is a professor of drawing yet likes nothing better than
sitting or standing and just sketching the world around him. This image is
one done in Naples in 2021
chapter. She plans events and then adds them all to the Facebook page
with all relevant times and meeting points. We meet from all corners of
Prague, Europe and often further afield. The events are fascinating and
varied and include a meeting place afterwards for refreshments. Lenka
is extra special for the group. This is one of her spare but detailed pen
drawings from the library in Prague

using pen, often with watercolour or is no sense of competition. Everybody is of churches in all styles, ranging from
inks or magic markers – some vivid and extremely encouraging. The exchange of the Gothic to the Baroque and Rococo.
fluorescent. Others enjoy the pencil with information is huge. What is satisfying is Flowing through the middle of the city
all sorts of variety of tones, and several the breadth of subject matter available is the river Vltava made famous by the
enjoy watercolour. I’ve seen very small in a city like Prague. There is a plethora composer Smetana in Die Moldau. I love Z
sketchbooks with tiny little studies that
are absolute gems. Others turn up with
a massive amount of paraphernalia and
X Vera Tumova is
huge sketchbooks and produce positive a humble but madly
masterpieces within two hours. What enthusiastic sketcher
cannot be underestimated is the pleasure like so many that inhabit
that can be gained from working in the this community. Her
infectious industry is
fresh air and the psychological benefits of
shown on site by the fact
communicating with others and sharing that she probably has
thoughts, ideas and feelings. the biggest collection of
The kind of people who attend these pencils, crayons, felt pens,
events come from all over the city and watercolours, palettes,
you could possibly
possibly from all over the world. Some
imagine. Her enthusiasm
are studying in the city, some work and is phenomenal and acts
some are just visitors. They all have as a spur to all around her,
differing skills and abilities and yet there including me
URBAN SKETCHING
S X Two of my on-site sketches.
I generally draw in pencil on site.
This way I can draw in all weathers.
I occasionally paint in watercolour
when the sun is shining and it’s
warm enough to dry the paint.
I’m experimenting at the moment
with ‘pencil painting’ which I might
expand on in a future article. It
adopts the ‘less is more’ attitude,
which helps when drawing complex
architecture
to draw and paint the river in
all its moods and through the
seasons. When the weather
is bad, we can retire into any
of the amazing cafés, bars or
restaurants that exist in the
city.
During a recent talk, known
as a ‘sketchbook tour’ one
of our members showed a
selection of drawings he had
produced through the years. He explained
how he had developed, and the various
sources of inspiration he had drawn
from. He was particularly fascinated by
the various characters seen in the city
environment which he illustrated with a
particular relish. As we all know, drawing
moving figures in a city is possibly the
hardest thing to achieve. However,
drawing them in a café is somewhat
easier and so venues of this kind are very
popular.
There is an interesting rule regarding
drawing for USK which states that
drawing from photographs and
publishing them on Facebook is not
permitted. However, what is encouraged
is for members, especially beginners,
to study from photographs, especially
aspects like perspective and the interplay
of light and shadows.
I talked to Tom Zahradka the founder
of USK Prague about how he organised a
sketch chapter. Apparently when working
in London he joined various sketching
events, like Urban Sketchers London, Cafe
Sketchers or Park Sketchers. On returning
to Prague, which had nothing like these
events, he decided to start one. After
almost a year of regular sketch walks he
and a group of friends applied to become
an official USK regional chapter and a lot
of people from all over the world started
to join their events whilst travelling across
Europe. He felt that he would not have
been able to continue without all the help
and support from other members of the
group. There are currently several people
organising sketch walks and events doing
a great job of continuing what he started
several years ago. I asked him if he was
surprised at the success of what he had
started. His reply was: ‘The best part
for me is probably when I walk in the
city centre and randomly meet people
sketching outside.’
While researching this article, I
communicated with three of the
luminaries of USK. I spoke, first with the
founder, Gabriel Campanario, who gave
an insight as to how a movement of this
kind back in 2007, could develop before
social media and hashtags existed. He
said it was hard work, contacting other
artists and broadcasting the USK concept.
What he wanted was diversity, hence the
worldwide approach.
One of the first people who was infected
by this enthusiasm was Mario Linhares,
professor of drawing in Portugal. He
became one of the founding disciples
and is affected by the same magic that
Gabriel installed. I also got in touch with
the current president of USK, Genine
Carvalheira now living in Bogota, and
asked many questions regarding the
running of such a large worldwide
organisation, about its joys and the
benefits for the various communities
that house the sketching chapters.
Apparently, though the USK is a non-
profit organisation, through various
charity drives and sponsorships it raises
funds to help poorer communities. ‘The
joy of doing such a job,’ say Genine,
‘means I can get back more than given in
job satisfaction.’
USK is now in 71 countries involving 394
chapters with over 120,000 members and
counting. To be a member is a constant
pleasure ‘one drawing at a time’.
For more information visit
www.urbansketchers.org TA
Paul Riley
runs short residential courses from his home
and studios in south Devon. For details email
lara@coombefarmstudios.com Telephone
01803 722 352 or visit
www.coombefarmstudios.com
www.paulrileyart.com
 THE ARTIST’S LIFE: 8TH OF 12

Sarah Edmonds
is the marketing manager for Pegasus Art
and gallery manager at Art Cotswold. She
lives and breathes art by promoting artists,
writing about art, consulting, selling and
THE NEXT LEVEL
painting herself. Sarah studied a short course Sarah Edmonds gives advice on taking your creative
at the Slade School of Fine Art followed by a
degree in marketing and has worked in the practice to the next stage
industry ever since;
www.sarahedmonds-marketing.com

H
ow do you know if you’re
ready to take your hobby
to the next level? It’s a
question I’m asked a lot
and the answer is always
the same – now! If you’ve reached the
point where you think your work is of a
high enough standard to sell, it probably
is. There is no ‘right time’ and the decision
to ‘put yourself out there’ is never a wrong
one, because you will learn so much along
the way. My advice would always be to
pitch yourself wisely and make sure your
work is the right fit (positioning) for your
audience. Opportunities for dipping your
toe in the water could be your local Open
Studios or art fair. In both situations,
you’ll get some honest customer feedback
which will help to point you in the right
direction and build your confidence.
This month’s case study, Filippa

S Eclisse, acrylic on canvas, 23½x 23½in (60x60cm)

THE ARTIST’S LIFE: 8TH OF 12
Whitford, waited for nine years into
her career at Royal Worcester Porcelain
Works to start selling her own work.
Early toe-dipping experiments included
entering her work into the Royal
Society of Painters in Water Colours
and the Royal Society of Miniature
Painters’ open exhibitions followed
by the Broadway Arts Festival where
she was selected as a finalist for the
Small Works Show at Spring Gallery
in Cheltenham. She was picked up
by Art Cotswold gallery as her social
media visibility grew. With newfound
confidence Filippa recently applied to
have her works shown by Toast in their
Cheltenham store to great acclaim. Her
popularity is such that she has attracted
loyal collectors, and has developed a
S Laguna, acrylic on canvas, 19¾x15¾in (50x40cm)
signature style and a distinctive Italian
brand.
It’s evident that she has now found her
place after years painting ceramics and
honing her skills at the porcelain works.
Much of her work includes overlapping
ellipses and circular motifs (a direct result
of painting on plates and bowls!). She
is a prolific painter of bold and joyful
abstracts, playing with unusual colour
palettes and different-shaped boards
and canvas. The artist often rubs away
to reveal patterns beneath to expose
the board, in a play on texture and
transparency. This highly decorative work
is surprising, original and highly desirable.
Her Italian influences and inherent
painterly instinct are obvious. Paintings
are titled La Luna, Allegrante and La
Festa as a nod to her heritage. Finding
herself in the Cotswolds is a tale in itself;
she fled occupied Italy with her parents,
where they lived a life of poverty in the
caves of Piedmont. As a result of her poor
upbringing, her family discouraged her
from a life as a full-time artist, so she
began work as a ceramic painter. She
has found a new joy in her paintings
and a deeper connection to her native
culture by combining language and
two-dimensional vision. ‘I suddenly felt
tired of conventionality and high detail.
I needed to move forward with my work.
My paintings are now full of colour, form
and texture.’
Her advice for taking the leap? ‘Follow
your passion, don’t suppress it. I wish I’d
done it sooner!’
CASE STUDY:
FILIPPA WHITFORD
Q: What has your journey to becoming a
full-time artist looked like so far?
A: I am a creative person and painting has
always been a passion. At this point in my
career, I’m glad to have had some formal
training but I now have the freedom to
experiment.
My journey began as a ceramic artist at
the Royal Worcester Porcelain Company.
There are very special skills needed for
china painting and I was grateful for the
opportunity. I also taught myself watercolour
painting and after nine years I took the
leap and freelanced my own work where
greeting card publishers took an interest.
It is worth mentioning that at that time my
work was quite detailed; flower painting and
still life were my main interests. My style has
changed quite a bit since then.

Q: What has made the greatest difference
in professionalising your practice?
A: Instagram is a great platform for me and
has transformed the way I can represent
my work. I must admit I am not great with
social media. I would rather spend my time
painting, but I know how important it is in
getting your work seen. I would suggest
only using one social media platform and
mastering it properly. Don’t get distracted
from painting. Customer feedback is also
really important if you are looking to sell
your work, as I find working from home or
studio can be quite solitary. I’ve had some
great advice from other artists and mentors,
but I know it’s important to keep my own
style and integrity intact.
Q: Where do you find inspiration and how
do you keep your creative juices flowing?
A: I love looking at interiors and am
S Primavera, Uno, Due e Tre, acrylic on canvas, 9½x9½in (24x 24cm) each canvas
fascinated how colour plays such an
important role in almost every aspect of
building an ambience within a space. I am
concentrating on colour, form, and texture
with a much bolder approach. Architecture,
shapes, shadows and textiles and any
type of fashion are inspirational and I do
love looking at art, visiting galleries and
exhibitions as much as possible. All these
influences percolate in one’s mind over
the years and have definitely influenced
the way my work has evolved. Tired of
conventionality and high detail, I felt I
needed to move forward with my work.
Things always change and I wanted to push
myself towards a more contemporary style
of painting.
Q: Have you ever had painters-block and
how do you overcome it?
A: Of course, there are days when nothing
comes right, ideas stop flowing and your
thoughts run dry. This is the time to step
away and take a complete break. It is hard to
do, but well worth it in the long run. During
these times it is hard to see the way forward
but eventually the fog does lift. Give yourself
time and space for your ideas to formulate.
It’s so important.
Q: What do you have up your sleeve next
for Filippa Whitford Art?
A: I would like to continue pushing
boundaries, who knows where it might lead?
If a painting pleases me then it can only be a
bonus if someone else loves it too. TA
Find out more about Filippa’s art on
Instagram @filippawhitfordart or email her
at filippawhitford@hotmail.com
New product
Rosa Gallery Watercolours
Tim Fisher puts an exciting new range of watercolour through
its paces to produce vibrant paintings using an array of techniques
`I found the glazing
R
properties of the
Rosa watercolours to be
outstanding, allowing me
to build up strong, bright
transparent washes without
disturbing the underlying
paint and resulting in clean
colours within the
finished painting.´
The Watchtower, Lazaretto, Rosa Gallery Watercolours, 12x16in. (30.5x40.5cm)
osa Gallery watercolour is
designed and produced in
Ukraine. The paints have been
developed by collaborating with, and
listening to the needs of, professional
artists. If you are just beginning to
paint in watercolour or are looking
for an alternative with which to paint,
these are well worth trying!
The paints are made from organic
gum Arabic, which provides good
adhesion and colour flow, and
premium, finely ground natural
pigments. Originally available in a
range of 60 vibrant colours, this range
has recently been expanded to add ten
new colours. The majority of these
colours are single pigment, which is
a great aid to colour mixing.
I was given 14x10ml tubes contained
within an attractive wooden case to
try. I also received a set of 35 pans
within a metal painting box. The box
is solid and well made with a thumb
ring that provides the perfect portable
palette, ideal for working out-of-doors
and with generous mixing areas in the
two lids.
First impressions
Squeezing out the entire range of
tubes, my first impression was that
the fluidity was just right. The flow
of the paint would allow ease of
dilution and enable me to mix rich
and vibrant washes without the paint
drying and caking on the palette. I was
also pleased not to witness any binder
separation, which sometimes happens
with other products.
For the first painting, I decided to
use the set of 35 pans to paint a view
of the watchtower on the island of
Lazaretto (The Watchtower, Lazaretto,
left). When first opening the pans,
a protective paper covering must be
removed. This is best done by peeling
the paper from the long side of the
pan. The short sides of the wrapper
are perforated so it leaves a sticker
at each end of the pan that contains
details of the pigment and its ratings,
which could be easily lost.
I’m not normally a fan of pans, but
these feel slightly tacky and it is easy
to generate strong washes once they
are wetted. The pigments offer a good

High Street, Cley next the Sea, Rosa Gallery Watercolours, 10x14in. (25.5x35.5cm)
selection of colours, which should
allow any subject to be tackled. The
mixing wells of the painting box are
deep, which reduces the risk of cross
contamination when working.
Using a 100 per cent cotton rag
NOT surface, I drew the subject
using a fine waterproof pen. The sky
was mixed first using ultramarine
with a touch of carmine and painted
down to the buildings. As I painted
down, more water was added to
produce a gradated sky wash. After
letting this dry, I painted the main
structure of the tower with yellow
ochre into which a little burnt sienna
was added. The tree breaking in
from the left and the yukka growing
on the right were painted with green
into which I added a little indigo.
Towards the end of the painting,
I glazed a few shadows over the
buildings and into the lower
foreground. I found these colour
pans very easy to use, allowing
me to work quickly and fluidly.
The first step when trying any new
range is to make a colour chart. I did
this for all 14 tube colours from the
wooden case. From this I quickly saw
the pigment properties of each tube
and had an idea of colour flow.
New product
Confident layers
For the next painting, I moved away
from 100 per cent cotton and tried a
cellulose-based paper. These types of
surfaces don’t always stand up to a lot
of punishment from watercolour and
it can sometimes result in slightly dull
work. I decided to keep working with
the pans and drew a view along the
High Street of Cley, Norfolk (High
Street, Cley next the Sea, above) still
using a fine fibre-tipped pen. I also
used the pen to add some of the dark
window openings before painting.
I focused on the buildings and left
the sky as white paper, washing raw
sienna and Mars brown over the
buildings. A wash of cobalt turquoise
was placed on the roadway. Once the
painting was completely dry, I added
a series of shadow washes over all the
buildings with a mix of ultramarine
and carmine. Again, I found these
colours glazed well and I was left
with a bright and colourful painting.
I’m looking forward to trying some
of the newer colours that have just
been brought out. I’m particularly
intrigued by colours such as jade
green, cobalt grey and violet black.
I also hope you enjoy following the
demonstration over the page and
making your own experiments
with these watercolours. LP
New product

Demonstration
Afternoon Tea,
Lygon Arms
All the pigments I used for
this demonstration painting
were either transparent
or semi-transparent with
a high lightfastness rating.
This information can be
easily found on the side
of the tube or pan, as well
as the pigment numbers.

You will need

Surface
300gsm Rough
watercolour paper
10x14in. (35.5x35.5cm)
Rosa Gallery
Watercolours
Cobalt blue
Madder red
Step 1 Step 2
I selected a subject to 1 After wetting the paper with a soft brush, I added an overall
Yellow ochre
the rear of the Lygon wash, beginning with a mix of cobalt blue and madder red.
Cadmium orange
Arms, Broadway and 2 After painting down to the buildings, I switched to yellow
Green
took out my box of tubed ochre and cadmium orange, and washed these all the way
Indigo
paints. On a heavily to the base of the paper, remembering to leave a few lighter
Yellow ochre
textured 300gsm cotton areas where necessary.
Umber
watercolour paper, I drew 3 The board was tilted and I found the colour flow of the
Cadmium red
the subject using a fine initial wash was very satisfactory. This gave me a good
waterproof black pen. base on which to work and build up the painting.
Step 3
1 I discovered a rich sap green
colour, which is labelled simply
‘green’. By combining this with
indigo and yellow ochre for the
lighter areas, the overhanging
tree was added.
2 The hotel walls were built up
using additional washes of yellow
ochre and cadmium orange into
which cobalt blue was bled.
3 The furniture also received
a wash at this point after which
I went over the figures with
subtle washes.
4 Making a mix from ultramarine,
madder red and umber, I added
shadows onto the rooftops and
the courtyard.

Rosa Gallery Watercolours are available to buy

Step 4 in full pans, tubes and sets, some of which are
1 To complete the painting, the windows were The finished
painting Afternoon designed for particular topics, including classic,
added on the lower storey and the foreground
Tea, Lygon Arms, landscape, portrait, botanical, romantic, modern,
strengthened by adding a mix of cadmium
Rosa Gallery urban sketching and mono-pigmented. All the
red and umber onto the umbrellas.
Watercolours, ranges offer good value for money. To find out more,
2 I worked over the furniture and figures with
10x14in. visit www.jakar.co.uk or email info@jakar.co.uk
some darker washes to the shadow sides and
generally built up the shadows. (35.5x35.5cm)
 The Artist is the UK’s best practical art magazine for aspiring amateur
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 LIVE PAINTING
WEBINARS
ENGLISH BEACH SCENES WITH MARILYN ALLIS
All webinars begin at 11am (UK time) Tickets: £15

Shimmering water in Using strong lights against People really aren’t scary
watercolour strong darks for impact Wed 29 Nov
Wed 27 Sept Wed 25 Oct

WATERCOLOUR PORTRAITS WITH LIZ CHADERTON

All webinars begin at 11am (UK time) Tickets: £15

Tonal portrait Monochrome portrait Line-and-wash portrait

Wed 13 Sept Wed 11 Oct Wed 22 Nov
• Mixed-media portrait Wed 13 Dec • Layered portrait Wed 17 Jan

EXPLORING PASTELS WITH ROBERT DUTTON

All webinars begin at 2:30pm (UK time) Tickets £15
First impressions
Tues 17 Oct JOIN ROBERT FOR A PASTEL MASTERCLASS ON 21 SEPTEMBER!
The pastel masterclass is your chance to work on a much larger scale, with lots of layering
Autumn glow
and expressive mark making.
Tues 14 Nov
The emphasis of the workshop is expressive loose layering building depth in the painting
Winter fields with aerosol fixative (any brand) and lots of different pastel techniques in combination.
Tues 5 Dec
Season’s change
Tues 23 Jan 2024 ‘I’m really looking forward to creating another GREAT
Getting to grips with greens webinar and Masterclass series for artists of different
Tues 20 Feb 2024 skill sets in the autumn and beyond.’ Robert Dutton

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Opportunities & Competitions
Check out the latest competitions to enter and make a note of important deadlines
Sending-in days
A Letter in Mind
Details: This year marks ten years
of The National Brain Appeal’s
art fundraiser, A Letter in Mind,
where the charity invites artists to
get creative on an envelope. The
theme of this year’s exhibition is
‘Changing Perspectives’.
Exhibition: Artworks will be
exhibited at Gallery Different
in Fitzrovia, central London,
from October 24 to 28, and
sold via the charity’s online
gallery, from October 25. They
will be exhibited anonymously,
alongside invited professional
and celebrity entries, priced
identically at £85. The identity
of the artists is revealed at the
end of the exhibition, once the
artwork has sold. See page 9 for
more details.
When: Open for entries until
September 22.
Contact:
www.aletterinmind.org
Contemporary British
Painting Prize 2023
Details: The Contemporary
British Painting Prize aims to
explore and promote current
painting, giving a voice back to
the artist as the originator and
source of painting. The prize is
open to all painters working in
the UK.
Exhibition: An exhibition of
selected work will go on show in
Huddersfield, from September 16
to November 11 and in London,
from December 1 to 17.
When: The deadline is 11.59pm
on Friday June 30.
Contact:
contemporarybritishpainting.com
Great Sheffield Art Show
Details: Annual art exhibition
exhibiting and selling works by
amateur and professional artists.
Exhibition: Online exhibition
only, from September 29 to
December 31.
When: Open for submissions now;
closing on September 15.
Contact:
www.greatsheffieldartshow.co.uk
International Original
Print Exhibition 2023
Details: The International
Original Print Exhibition
established by the Royal Society
of Painter-Printmakers (RE) is an
international open submission
exhibition celebrating the best of
contemporary printmaking. As an
art organisation run by artists, the
RE is constantly working to create
long-term opportunities for
artists and promote printmaking
to a wider audience.
Exhibition: An exhibition of
selected work will go on show at
the Bankside Gallery, London SE1,
from September 21 to October 1.
When: Closing date for entries is
11.59pm on July 3.
Contact:
www.re-printmakers.com
The London Group Open
Details: The London Group is
now accepting entries for its
85th open exhibition, which
takes place in November at the
Copeland Gallery in London,
with £10,000 in prizes. UK-
based artists are invited to enter
works in any media including
painting, sculpture, drawing,
print, photography, mixed media,
installation, video, sound, digital
and performance.
Exhibition: An exhibition of
selected work will go on show at
the Copeland Gallery in London,
from November 9 to 26.
When: Open for entries until 5pm
on September 5.
Contact:
https://new.artopps.co.uk
RBSA Drawing Prize 2023
Details: The RBSA Drawing Prize
invites artists whose practice
is rooted in drawing to enter
work. Artists working in all styles
and media are invited, the only
restriction is that the technique
must be drawing. Selection is
by digital image of the original
artwork only.
Exhibition: An exhibition of
selected work goes on show at
the RBSA Gallery, Birmingham
from September 5 to October 14.
When: The closing date for entries
is Monday July 24, 4pm.
Contact:
www.rbsa.org.uk
Royal Institute of Oil
Painters
Details: Artists are invited to
submit work for exhibition
alongside members of the Royal
Institute of Oil Painters at the ROI
annual exhibition 2023. Any artist
over 18 may submit. Acceptable
media includes: oil, acrylic and
water-soluble oil paint if framed
as an oil. Glazed work is not
encouraged.
Exhibition: An exhibition of
selected work goes on show
at the Mall Galleries, London
SW1, from November 29 until
December 16.
When: Submissions open at
12 noon on Monday July 17
and close at 12 noon on Friday
October 6.
Contact:
www.mallgalleries.org.uk
Royal Society of Marine
Artists (RSMA)
Details: Artists are invited to
submit work for exhibition
alongside members of the
Royal Society of Marine Artists
at the RSMA annual exhibition.
Submissions of painting and
sculpture are invited relating in
some way to tidal waters of the
world. Topographical, historical,
still life, and figure painting are
all welcome; works relating to
non-tidal rivers, inland lakes
and waterways, etc. are not.
Acceptable media are oil, acrylic,
watercolour, original prints of any
media, mixed media, drawings,
pastels or sculpture. Any artist
over 18 may submit.
Exhibition: Selected work will
go on show at the Mall Galleries,
London, September 21 to 30.
When: Deadline: July 21, 12 noon.
Contact:
www.mallgalleries.org.uk
Sketch for Survival 2023
Details: Sketch for Survival is a
charitable initiative organised
by the charity Explorers
Against Extinction to help
raise awareness about species
extinction and habitat loss
while also raising vital funds for
nominated frontline conservation
projects through the sale of
artworks. The exhibition is free to
enter. One hundred artworks will
be selected in the wildlife and
wild space category for a touring
exhibition and auction. There
will also be a Sketch for Survival
Junior competition, open to
everyone aged 16 and under.
Exhibition: Exhibitions of
selected work will take place
in Norwich and Edinburgh and
at gallery@oxo, London, from
November 8 to 12.
When: The closing date for entries
is June 30.
Contact:
explorersagainstextinction.co.uk
Society of Wildlife Artists
Details: Artists are invited to
submit work for exhibition
alongside members of the
Society of Wildlife Artists at
the society’s 60th anniversary
exhibition, The Natural Eye 2023.
The society seeks submissions
of works that depict wildlife
subjects and evoke the spirit
of the natural world. Botanical
subjects, pets and domestic
animals will not be accepted.
The selection committee seeks
to encourage all forms of three
and two-dimensional artwork
that is based on representing the
world’s wildlife and is particularly
keen to encourage artists with
fresh vision to submit work
that shows imagination, artistic
ability, originality and genuine
creativity. Works are invited in all
media.
Exhibition: An exhibition of
selected work goes on show at
the Mall Galleries, London SW1,
from November 2 to 11.
When: Submissions open at 12
noon on Monday July 3 and
close at 12 noon on Friday
September 8.
Contact:
www.mallgalleries.org.uk
Trinity Buoy Wharf
Drawing Prize
Details: The Trinity Buoy
Wharf Drawing Prize has an
established reputation as the
UK’s most important annual
open exhibition for drawing.
The exhibition and awards
are open to application by
all emerging, mid-career
and established drawing
practitioners located anywhere
in the UK and internationally.
The total prize fund is £27,000.
The annual exhibition is known
for celebrating drawing practice
and for championing the role,
breadth, and value of drawing
in creative practice today. Up
to three drawings may be
separately entered by each
applicant for consideration by
the expert selection panel.
Exhibition: An exhibition of
selected work goes on show at
Trinity Buoy Wharf in London
from September 28 to October
15, followed by an exhibition
tour to venues in the UK, until
June 2024.
When: The closing date for entries
is Friday June 30, 5pm.
Contact:
tbwdrawingprize.artopps.co.uk
Exhibitions
GALLERY OPENING TIMES AND EXHIBITION DATES CAN VARY; IF IN DOUBT PHONE TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT
LONDON
Bankside Gallery
48 Hopton Street SE1.
 020 7928 7521
www.banksidegallery.com
Chelsea Physic Garden:
Celebrating 350 Years in
Paint and Print;
until June 25.
Royal Society of Miniature
Painters, Sculptors and
Gravers;
June 28 to July 8.
Quentin Blake and
Linda Kitson: Portraits,
Playhouses and People;
July 12 to 23.
Dulwich Picture
Gallery
Gallery Road SE21.
 020 8693 5254
dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
Berthe Morisot: Shaping
Impressionism;
until September 10.
The Gallery
340 Kings Road SW3.
 020 8693 5254
thewappinggroupofartists.org.uk
The Wapping Group of
Artists; annual exhibition,
July 9 to 21.
Long & Ryle
4 John Islip Street SW1.
 020 7834 1434
www.longandryle.com
Kate Montgomery:
Pattern Book;
June 30 to July 27.
Mall Galleries
The Mall, SW1.
 020 7930 6844
www.mallgalleries.org.uk
New English Art Club;
annual exhibition,
June 23 to July 1.
Korean Art London;
July 6 to 22.
National Gallery
Trafalgar Square WC2.
 020 7747 2885
www.nationalgallery.org.uk
After Impressionism:
Inventing Modern Art;
until August 13.
Saint Francis of Assisi;
until July 30.
Paula Rego: Crivelli’s
Garden; exploring the
relationship between
Rego’s painting and the
15th-century altarpiece that
inspired it,
July 20 to October 29.
Philip Mould &
Company
18-19 Pall Mall SW1.
 020 7499 6818
www.philipmould.com
The Bloomsbury Stud: The
Art of Stephen Tomlin;
until August 11.
Royal Academy of Arts
Piccadilly W1.
 020 7300 8000
www.royalacademy.org.uk
Royal Academy Summer
Exhibition 2023;
until August 20.
The Young Artists’ Summer
Show 2023; (Clore Learning
Centre), July 18 to August 13.
Saatchi Gallery
Duke of York’s HQ, King’s
Road, Chelsea SW3.
 020 7811 3070
www.saatchigallery.com
2023 RHS Botanical Art &
Photography Show;
June 16 to July 9.
Sims Reed Gallery
43a Duke Street SW1.
 020 7930 5111
www.gallery.simsreed.com
Aaron Kasmin: Strike a
Light; inspired by American
feature matchbooks,
until July 20.
Tate Britain
Millbank SW1.
 020 7887 8888
www.tate.org.uk
The Rossettis; the radical
Rossetti generation,
until September 24.
Tate Modern
Bankside SE1.
 020 7887 8888
www.tate.org.uk
Hilma af Klint & Piet
Mondrian;
until September 3.
Capturing the Moment; a
journey through painting
and photography,
until January 28, 2024.
The Wallace Collection
Hertford House, Manchester
Square W1.
 020 7563 9500
www.wallacecollection.org
Portraits of Dogs: From
Gainsborough to Hockney;
until October 15.
ART SOCIETIES St Mary’s Art Group
Summer exhibition at Holt Village Hall,
Canterbury Society of Art The Street, Holt, nr. Trowbridge BA14 6QH
Summer exhibition at Chartham Vineyard on July 1 and 2, 10.30am to 3.30pm.
CT4 7HU, from July 8 to 17, 10am to 4pm
Solent Art Society
daily; www.canterburysocietyofart.org.uk
Exhibition at the Royal British Legion
Centre, 155 High Street, Lee-on-Solent
East Devon Art Academy
Exhibition at the East Devon Art Academy, PO13 9BX, from August 19 to 28, 10am to
5pm daily; www.solentartsociety.co.uk
Sidmouth, Devon from June 17 to 25;
www.eastdevonart.co.uk
Stratford upon Avon Art Society
Epsom and Ewell Art Group The 63rd annual summer exhibition at
Summer exhibition at Denbies Vineyard, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chapel
Dorking, Surrey RH5 6AA, from July 3 Lane, Stratford upon Avon CV37 6BE,
to 16. Open daily from 9.30am to 5pm; from August 16 to 27, 10am to 5pm;
closing at 4pm on final day;
closing at 4pm on final day;
www.stratforduponavonartsociety.co.uk
www.epsomandewellartgroup.com
Guild of Wiltshire Artists Tuesday Painters Club of Rye
Summer exhibition at St Peter’s Church, Exhibition at St Mary’s Centre, Lion Street,
Marlborough, from 1.30pm on June 15, Rye TN31 7LB, from August 12 to 18,
then daily from June 16 to 18, 10am to 10.30am to 5pm daily.
4pm; www.guildofwiltshireartists.com
West Wycombe Art Group
Highcliffe Art Fellowship Summer exhibition at West Wycombe
Exhibition at the Methodist Church Hall, Village Hall, High Street, West Wycombe,
Lymington Road BH23 5EG, from August Buckinghamshire HP14 3AB, from August
5 to 12. Open 10am to 4pm Monday to 25 to 28. Open Friday and Monday, 10am
Saturday; 1 to 3pm on Sundays. to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am to
6pm; www.westwycombeartgroup.com
Reading Guild of Artists
The 92nd annual exhibition at The Old Windermere Art Exhibition
Fire Station Gallery, 52 Market Place, Exhibition at the Ladyholme Community
Henley-on-Thames RG9 2AF, from July 21 Centre, Windermere LA23 3LT, from July
to August 1, 10am to 4pm daily; 31 to August 12, 10.30am to 5.30pm daily.
www.rga-artists.org.uk
Wokingham Art Society
Royal Tunbridge Wells Art Society The 66th annual summer exhibition at
Summer exhibition at 61 Lower Pantiles, St Paul’s Parish Rooms, Reading Road,
Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5TE, from Wokingham RG41 1EH, from July 22 to
August 12 to 20; www.rtwas.org August 5, 10am to 5.30pm daily.
To submit details of an exhibition for possible listing here,
email Jane Stroud at jane@tapc.co.uk
REGIONS BERWICK-UPON-
TWEED
CALVERTON
Patchings Art Centre
BATH The Granary Gallery Oxton Road.
Dewar’s Lane.  0115 965 3479
Holburne Museum  01289 330999 www.patchingsartcentre.co.uk
Great Pulteney Street. www.maltingsberwick.co.uk TALPOpen 2023;
 01225 388569 Anne Redpath and her July 13 to August 13.
www.victoriagal.org.uk Circle; until October 8.
Bath Society of Artists;
118th exhibition, until June 24. CHICHESTER
BIRMINGHAM
Victoria Art Gallery Pallant House Gallery
Bridge Street. RBSA Gallery 9 North Pallant.
 01225 477244 4 Brook Street.  01243 774557
www.holburne.org  0121 236 4353 www.pallant.org.uk
Painted Love: Renaissance https://rbsa.org.uk Gwen John: Art and Life in
Marriage Portraits; RBSA Summer Show; London and Paris;
until October 1. July 15 to 22 until October 8.
 Mall
Galleries
London
S Howard Milton Innocents No 1 The Zoo, acrylic, oils and pastel, 39¼⫻39¼in (100⫻100cm) from the New English Art Club exhibition
at the Mall Galleries, London
COMPTON VERNEY
Compton Verney
Warwickshire.
 01926 645500
www.comptonverney.org.uk
Audubon’s Birds of
America; featuring 41 prints
from the metre-high book of
North American bird species
by John James Audubon
(1785-1851), touring from
the National Museums
Scotland,
July 1 to October 1.
EASTBOURNE
Towner Eastbourne
Devonshire Park, College
Road.
 01323 434670
townereastbourne.org.uk
Barbara Hepworth: Art
and Life;
until September 3.
FALMOUTH
Falmouth Art Gallery
Municipal Buildings,
The Moor.
 01326 313863
www.falmouthartgallery.com
The Legend of King
Arthur: A Pre-Raphaelite
Love Story; touring
from the William Morris
Gallery, London, June 17 to
September 30.
GUILDFORD
Watts Gallery
Down Lane, Compton.
 01483 810235
www.wattsgallery.org.uk
Reinvented: The Art of
Upcycling; celebrating work
that makes the best use of
things artists find,
June 22 to September 3.
Emily Powell: The
LYME REGIS Fundamental Importance
of Nature; solo exhibition
Malthouse Gallery featuring work inspired by
The Town Mill. nature and animal narratives,
 01297 444042 until July 1.
Hilary Buckley: Landmarks
– Colours and Patterns of
Dorset; July 15 to 26; PENZANCE
Penlee House Gallery
NEWCASTLE
UPON TYNE Morrab Road.
 01736 363625
www.penleehouse.org.uk
Laing Art Gallery
Lamorna Colony Pioneers;
New Bridge Street.
major exhibition,
 0191 278 1611
www.laingartgallery.org.uk until September 30.
Essence of Nature: Pre-
Raphaelites to British SHERBORNE
Impressionists; until October 14.
Jerram Gallery
OXFORD Half Moon Street.
 01935 815261
Sarah Wiseman Gallery www.jerramgallery.com
40-41 South Parade. Summer Selection;
 01865 515123 featuring work by gallery
www.wisegal.com artists, July 15 to August 31.
SCOTLAND
EDINBURGH
Scottish National
Gallery
The Mound.
 0131 624 6200
www.nationalgalleries.org
Grayson Perry: Smash Hits;
covering 40 years of his
career, the exhibition features
pots, prints, sculptures
and tapestries, July 22 to
November 12.
Scottish National
Gallery of Modern Art
75 Belford Road.
 0131 624 6200
www.nationalgalleries.org
Alberta Whittle: Create
Dangerously; (Modern One),
until January 7, 2024.
Decades: The Art of Change
1900-1980; (Modern Two),
until January 7, 2024.
 PAINTERS
artist  O N L I N E

Tim Fisher Evening Light,

V

Bamburgh, acrylic on board,

12xLQ xFP

Enter your own original summer landscape painting,

in any medium, for the chance to win
o celebrate the launch

T of Tim Fisher’s new book

from Search Press in July,
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Knife Painting in Acrylics to give     
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The winner will receive the original   
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SURMHFWLQKLVQHZERRN

Find out more by visiting www.painters-online.co.uk/competitions

or follow this link: https://bit.ly/3Om2sRd
 PUTTING A
PRICE ON YOUR
Mike Barr
is a Fellow of the Royal South Australian
Society of Arts. He has won over 80 awards,
PAINTINGS
including 17 first prizes. You can find
more of Mike’s work at Mike Barr tackles the difficult subject of pricing your
www.mikebarrfineart.com
artwork and discovers there are no real shortcuts

O
nce an artist goes
public with their work
by putting them up for
sale, it often presents a
problem that we all face.
How much is it worth? The question
really is, how much will people pay?
For those who don’t care much for
art, it’s worth nothing! Not everyone
will like what we do, no matter how
amazing it might be, how many
hundreds of hours it took to produce
or how expensive the materials were.
Of course, there is a group of people
who love and can afford original art
and these are the ones who are likely
to appreciate their worth.
With all this in mind we strive to
find a way to price our work and there
are some interesting viewpoints.
One that is popular is the ‘time and
materials’ method. This is where we
tally-up the cost of materials and work
out an hourly rate. This may be okay
right at the beginning of our painting
adventures and at the very least we
should cover our expenses. It also
puts us in the category of anyone who
has to charge for their time – from a
tradesperson to a lawyer. Art is worth
more than the time and materials
method. Also, there are artists who
can produce amazing work in a few hours following. Needless to say, it usually takes S Storm at the Stag, oil, 9¾x11¾in (25x 30cm).
and the hourly rate just doesn’t cut it! On the many years to accomplish. I know one artist This size painting sold in 2002 for $30 on eBay. It
other hand, some take hundreds of hours who did excellent abstract work and he was my first official sale. Twenty years later this
to finish something – charging by the hour approached a gallery and asked them to sell size work now sells for about $560 unframed.
could get outrageous. them for thousands, just like some of the It’s taken time, a little bit of local notoriety, over
80 awards, including 20 first prizes, inclusion in
The really interesting thing about painting other artists in their fold. Of course, they said
three books, and an invitation by the state gallery
prices though, is that they are almost always it was impossible, even though he couldn’t
to demonstrate during the showing of the works
connected to who the artist is. A scribble see why not. It’s not about the work, it’s of Clarice Beckett – it all takes time and effort!
done by Picasso would be worth a lot at a about the name.
Sotheby’s auction but a scribble done by an Start off by selling at low prices and
average artist alive today would find itself build up over the years if they are selling this way you can gauge your price rises
in the auctioneer’s rubbish bin – worthless! well. There are no real shortcuts unless correctly and there is never any guessing
This is an extreme example, but that is how you become notorious for other things – game when someone asks you the price.
it works in the art world. High prices have notoriety is a great seller. Calculating price Most artists have their own preferred
come from building a reputation and a on the size of a painting is a good method, method. Happy painting! TA

RRP
£14.99
£11.99
A complete guide to using acrylic paints
creatively, by Glyn Macey - an exciting and
talented author. Learn to use your acrylic paints
in unusual, creative and surprising ways to
create open, inviting landscapes, breathtaking
seascapes and urban scenes packed with life.
RRP
£18.99
£15.19
Award-winning botanical artist Isik Guner
shares her passion for drawing and painting
living plants from around the world. Her work is
both artistically accomplished and scientifically
accurate, and will inspire you to master the
skills you need to produce your own botanical
illustrations from life.
Shop now: bit.ly/ARTIBOOKS
*These books are subject to availability and priced correctly at the time of publication.
Geographic restrictions may apply.
RRP
£18.99
£15.19
Hugely popular watercolour artist Ann Blockley
reveals the secrets of her atmospheric,
inspirational landscape paintings, which really
push the boundaries of what can be achieved
with watercolour.
RRP
£16.99
£13.59
A researched study on two of art’s most
fundamental themes, Colour and Light
bridges the gap between abstract theory and
practical knowledge. Beginning with a survey
of underappreciated masters who perfected
the use of colour and light, the book examines
how light reveals form, the properties of
colour and pigments, and the wide variety of
atmospheric effects.
SAVE
20% O
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Artists wishing to capture the excitement and
power of the sea in their artwork will find this
book invaluable. Using a mix of traditional and
more experimental techniques, all of which
are explained in clear, step-by-step sequences,
Judith Yates explains and demonstrates how
to produce exciting, dynamic paintings full of
drama and light.
RRP
£17.99
£14.39
Capturing Light is a must for artists who wish to
investigate the subtle qualities of light with an
emphasis on creating dramatic, imaginative
landscapes. Loving the fluidity of watercolours,
Catherine Beale has developed a painting
technique by experimenting with, and exploring,
modern watercolour pigments and the boundaries
of the medium. Catherine’s method will free
up your painting style, embolden your colour
choices and show you how to create vibrant
pictures full of dramatic light.
SCAN
ME
ART BOOKS Reviewed by Henry Malt

The Legend of King Arthur: Pilgrimage,

Place and the Pre-Raphaelites
Alison Smith, Jo Banham, Sarah Crown, Jim Cheshire,
Jacky Nowakowski
The legend of King Arthur is the British national myth. From
its origins in early Welsh literature to the present time, it has
fascinated artists and writers as well as capturing the imagination

Buy it!
of the wider population. Every age has its own interpretation,
centring around heroic deeds by noble knights who serve a leader
who saves the nation in times of trouble.
This enthralling book looks at the Pre-Raphaelite view of the For a thorough but
Arthurian story, something they were inevitably and strongly Stained Glass comprehensible
drawn to. As well as many illustrations from Holman Hunt, Sophie D’Souza guide to an ancient
Burne-Jones, Rossetti and Morris, other names are featured, It would not be unfair to say that stained technique
including the likes of Doré and Turner who, although outside the glass is not a craft for the occasional
movement, were nevertheless drawn dabbler, and probably not one that can be learned from a book
to the subject. The accompanying either. For this reason, there has only been a trickle of books on its

Buy it!
text traces the literary development
of the Arthurian story from French
romances through Malory to
For an intriguing slant Tennyson, leading into the particular
on the Pre-Raphaelite vision presented by the Pre-
Brotherhood Raphaelites and the one we have
inherited today. The book coincides
with a touring exhibition, The Legend
of King Arthur: a Pre-Raphaelite Love
Story, on show at Falmouth Art
Gallery, from June 17 to September
30. A limited stock of the book is
available from the gallery. Visit
www.falmouthartgallery.com for
details.
Sansom & Co £20, 112 pages PB
ISBN 9781911408895
practical elements over the years. This is the first I have seen in a
considerable time and benefits from the inclusion of full colour.
If this is a subject that interests you, you will find just about
everything here that you could possibly want to know, from
design and construction to building a workspace, installation and
even pricing work should you decide to turn professional. Sophie
explains everything comprehensively but clearly and the book
should suit the connoisseur as much as the practitioner. If you
are serious about the subject, you’ll probably be working with a
teacher, but this would make an excellent supplement to in-person
guidance.
Crowood Press £30, 192 pages HB
ISBN 9780719841378

Buy it!
This is tomorrow
Michael Bird
Now that it is beginning to recede into history, a degree of
perspective is starting to emerge of the 20th century. The For a vivid and
progress of change and evolution and the development of enthralling history
groups and movement are becoming apparent. Much has
of art in the
20th century
been written and more will be in manuscript at this very
minute. For all that, this enthralling book’s bold claim to cover
the whole period in a single narrative is entirely believable.
Michael Bird covers sculpture and architecture as well as
painting and he sets everything in its social and historical
context. Within a few pages, you’ll find photographs of Henry
Moore in his studio, Eduardo Paolozzi and Peter and Alison
Smithson seated in the street, and the 1968 Aldermaston
anti-nuclear march.
Although the book is not sumptuously illustrated, the images
that appear are well chosen and reproduced, but you hardly
notice because Michael Bird’s writing is so lucid and engaging.
Thames & Hudson £30, 368 pages HB
ISBN 9780500024430

For a huge range of inspiring practical art books that can be purchased at discount prices by our UK readers
from our online bookshop visit www.painters-online.co.uk/store and click on the link for books
 Introduce your loved ones
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THE ARTIST’S DIRECTORY OF COURSES, MATERIALS & SERVICES
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the streets of Manchester, and then landscapes
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Get the Sixteen of his works were hung at the
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tips and ďŽƚŚƚŚĞLeisure Painter and dŚĞƌƟƐƚ
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Original watercolours, oils, etchings,
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PaintersOnlineeditor’s choice
Meet this month’s editor’s choice winner from our PaintersOnline gallery
A
ustralian artist, Eril Nisbett
moved to the seaside town
of Worthing in West Sussex
10 years ago. ‘I have always
been a maker, whether
with my hands, with tools or digitally
and have always come back to painting. I
started aged 15 with acrylics, moving on
to oils in my 20s, working sporadically,
usually as a request from family or friends
and the very occasional commission.
Moving to the UK in 2013, I rediscovered
my art and when a friend encouraged me
to join and exhibit at the Worthing Artists
Open House art trail, I quickly found my
feet. I haven’t looked back, with artwork
now hanging on walls around the UK, US
and Australia.
‘For Cornwall Colours I was liberal with
the composition. The scene was loosely
To upload your own images to our online gallery, with an opportunity of being selected as the editor’s choice, visit
S Eril Nisbett Cornwall Colours, oil on canvas, 11¾⫻11¾in (30⫻30cm)
based on many quick snaps taken on a
family holiday. The village was there, but
the beautiful mid-foreground cottages
weren’t. The path didn’t sweep up and the
foreground wildflowers are all made up.
The painting wasn’t meant to be a literal
recording of this place, but rather to take
a wonderful landscape and generate
a dreamlike feeling of happiness and
a desire to be drawn down that path,
to pause at the cottage or wander the
beautiful beach in the sunshine. It was
painted at the end of a wet winter here
in the UK and mentally I was just longing
for this sunshine!
‘My process usually involves a warm
WIN £50 TO SPEND AT JACKSON’S!
umber or ochre wash and underpainting,
building up from darks to light. However,
this piece called for something different.
In an attempt to really push the light
www.painters-online.co.uk
and brightness I kept the primed surface
white, and roughly underpainted blocks
of sap green, cobalt blue and yellow
ochre, consciously not using dark colours
at all at this stage. I covered the canvas
with large shapes to start, working out
the light and dark areas and gradually
working in details. I also used pigments
I rarely use, such as phthalo green and
blue, to help give that vibrant punch. I
resisted the urge to include a couple of
walkers as the painting didn’t need an
extra focal point in the foreground.’
This painting and recent work is
currently hanging in Montague Gallery,
Worthing, www.montaguegallery.co.uk
where Eril is also planning a solo
exhibition to be held in the upstairs
gallery in mid-September. See more of
Eril’s work at www.erilnisbett.com TA
 On sale from
July 18 (digital)
NEXT MONTH IN July 21(print)

WATERCOLOUR

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE

DRAWING
FEATURES
WIN CONVERSATION
with Lucy Clayton
about her blotted line
watercolour technique,
inspired by Andy Warhol

SMore ideas from

PRACTICALS Clare Lord on developing
your drawing language
ACRYLICS
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STen top tips and advice

XJo Quigley demonstrates on painting en plein air from
how to tackle the most difficult Amanda Hyatt
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OILS O Explore how to compose

a complex painting of

SHow to mix colourful greys and capture
light-filled landscapes by Jenny Aitken
PLUS
ONEW SERIES 1st of 4:
Loosen up in watercolour with
Tom Shepherd
O Advice from Kevin Scully on
keeping a sketchbook as an
aide memoire
O Neil Whitehead shares the
joys of fast and fluid line &
wash urban sketching
buildings from reality and your
imagination with James Willis
O THE ARTIST’S LIFE 9th of 12:
Sarah Edmonds discusses the
importance of e-newsletter
marketing for today’s artists
O Thoughts on the power of
impressionism from Mike Barr
O Opportunities, competitions,
exhibitions to visit, news from
the art world, and more

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AND MUCH MORE! available from July 18 (digital) and July 21 (print)
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