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FEBRUARY 2024

Welcome
Vol. 58: No. 2: Issue 646
painters-online.co.uk
leisurepainterletters@tapc.co.uk

Editor Ingrid Lyon

I
t is with great pleasure that we begin
Contributing Editors Jane Stroud,
Sally Bulgin PhD Hon VPRBSA
Editorial Consultants Diana Armfield RA, NEAC (Hon), RWS, our features this month by publishing
David Bellamy, Tim Fisher
Design Alison Renno, Sarah Poole an interview with Romila Datta, the
Online Editor Dawn Farley
Digital & E-commerce Marketing Executive Emily Warner Leisure Painter Award winner of TALP
Advertising Sales Manager Jayne Notley Open 2023. Her painting, Early Morning
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Light on the Island, wowed the judges and
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visitors alike for its portrayal of light and
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Publisher Lucie Dawson the top prize by the judges. Romila talks about her painting
practices, inspiration and techniques, and shares some of her
The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or
other paintings with us on pages 12-15.
publisher. While every care is taken to ensure that the content of the magazine
is accurate, neither the editor nor publisher assumes responsibility for any Just as Romila begins this month’s features’ section, our
omissions or errors. The editor reserves the right to edit copy.
Sharing may be encouraged in many aspects of life, but when it comes to Summer Landscape painting competition winners complete
original material, you have to be wary of copyright. By all means, copy the
project, artwork or demonstration for your own pleasure, but no part of this it (pages 70-71). Huge thanks to our editorial consultant,
magazine may be published, reproduced, copied, or stored in a retrieval system
without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. Even where permission Tim Fisher for guest judging this very popular competition
is gained, it’s still courteous to credit the original source and the designer. Any
activity used to benefit commercially from the magazine is not permitted. and offering an original painting as the top prize, and to
By respecting copyright, you ensure that we, as publishers, can continue
to provide you with the content you want. To read more about how you Search Press for sending the winner and four runners-up
can navigate this tricky area, visit our website: www.painters-online.co.uk/
information/copyright. For further queries relating to copyright, contact Tim’s latest book, Palette Knife Painting in Acrylics, which was
CraftPortfolio@warnersgroup.co.uk and state your query is related
to Leisure Painter. published by Search Press earlier this year. You’ll find more
While reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements, the
publisher cannot accept responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory
transactions. No warranty is implied in respect of any product mentioned
painting competitions to enter throughout the coming months,
herewith. The Advertising Standards Authority exists to regulate the content
of advertisements. Tel: 020 7429 2222.
and of course turn to pages 16 and 17 to find our call for entry
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the practical section of this month’s Leisure Painter. Follow
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 EXHIBITIONS, NEWS AND EVENTS FROM THE ART WORLD
V Tom Benjamin Riverside Early Spring,
oil on linen, 30x48in (76x114.5cm)
NEAC
members’
exhibition
The Christmas exhibition at the
Jerram Gallery in Dorset brings
together recent work by popular
gallery artists, all of whom are
members of the New English
Art Club. The work on show
includes landscapes, still lifes
and sculpture in a broad selection
of subjects and styles. For more
information and to view the exhibition
online visit www.jerramgallery.com
EXHIBITIONS
LONDON
Q Bankside Gallery
48 Hopton Street SE1. 020 7928 7521
www.banksidegallery.com
‘Mini Picture Show 2023’: affordable works
on a small scale by artists from the Royal
Watercolour Society and the Royal Society
of Painter Printmakers, until 1 February.
Q Dulwich Picture Gallery
Gallery Road SE21. 020 8693 5254
www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
‘Rubens and Women’, until 28 January.
Q Mall Galleries
The Mall SW1. 020 7930 6844
www.mallgalleries.org.uk
‘Pastel Society: annual exhibition,
24 January to 10 February.
Q National Gallery
Trafalgar Square WC2. 020 7747 2885
www.nationalgallery.org.uk
‘The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Frans Hals’,
until 21 January. ‘Discover Liotard and the
Lavergne Family Breakfast’, until
3 March. ‘Pasellino: A Renaissance
Master Revealed’, until 10 March.
Q National Portrait Gallery
St Martin’s Place WC2. 020 7306 0055
www.npg.org.uk
‘David Hockney: Drawing from Life’,
exploring the artist’s work over the last six
decades, until 21 January 2024.
Q Osborne Studio Gallery
2 Motcomb Street SW1. 020 7235 9667
www.osg.uk.com
‘Garry Pereira 2023’, until 22 December.
Q Royal Academy of Arts
Piccadilly W1. 020 7300 8000
www.royalacademy.org.uk
‘Image of the Artist’: self-portraits by
current and recent Royal Academicians,
until 31 December. ‘Impressionists on
Paper: Degas to Toulouse-Lautrec’, until
10 March. ‘Entangled Pasts, 1768–Now’,
3 February to 28 April.
OPPORTUNITIES
Derwent Art Prize
The Derwent Art Prize 2024 invites
artists from around the world to enter
two-dimensional and three-dimensional
work created in any pencil, including
colour, water-soluble, pastel, graphite and
charcoal pencils. The deadline for entries
is 4 January, 5pm. For information and to enter
visit www.derwent-artprize.com

The Portrait Award

The National Portrait Gallery is inviting
entries to its 42nd Portrait Award.
Selected work will go on show at the
gallery from 11 July to 27 October. The
closing date for entries is 16 January.
Full details can be found online at
www.competitions.npg.org.uk

Royal Institute
of Painters
in Water Colours
Entries in all water-media are invited for
the Royal Institute of Painters in Water
Colours’ 212th exhibition. The closing date
for entries is Friday 2 February at 12 noon.
For more information and to enter visit
www.mallgalleries.org.uk

Royal Society of
Portrait Painters
Artists from the UK and internationally
are invited to submit paintings, drawings
and original prints for the Royal Society
of Portrait Painters’ annual exhibition at
the Mall Galleries in London in 2024. The
closing date for submissions is Friday
26 January at 12 noon. For more information
visit www.mallgalleries.org.uk
Royal Watercolour
Society Open 2024
Entries are now invited to the RWS Open,
celebrating water media in all its forms,
including ink, acrylic, gouache, tempera
and more. The deadline for entries is
Monday 8 January at 11.59pm.
For more information visit
www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
Ladybird book artists
The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists at
the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath from 19 January until 14
April, explores the stories of the talented artists who
illustrated Ladybird books for more than 30 years, and
is sure to stir memories from all who visit the colourful
exhibition. Featuring a huge collection of books,
original artwork and artefacts, the exhibition traces
the interconnected work of these artists and the books
that encapsulated so much of the history of Britain in
the 20th century, and answers questions such as who
were the models for the pictures and what were the real
locations?
If you have little ones with you, Toddler Thursdays
coincide with the exhibition on 25 January; 1, 8, 22 and
29 February; and 7, 14 and 21 March, from 10.30am to
11am, when storytellers will bring the magic of these
stories to life. There’s no need to book for these events,
just drop in. For more information, visit www.victoriagal.org.uk
 David Hockney:
Drawing from Life
David Hockney: Drawing from Life at the National
Portrait Gallery, London, brings together six decades of
the artist’s portraits, featuring self-portraits, as well as
portraits of his mother, close friends and visitors to his
Normandy studio. The exhibition reveals how drawing is
fundamental to Hockney’s way of portraying the world
around him, as well as how he uses it as a testing ground
for ideas later expressed in his paintings. ‘Hockney is
one of the most internationally respected and renowned
artists today,’ writes Dr Nicholas Cullinan, director
of the National Portrait Gallery, ‘and to see his new
portraits made over the last couple of years and which
demonstrate his constant and continuing ingenuity and
creative force, is life affirming.’
David Hockney: Drawing from Life continues at the
National Portrait Gallery until 21 January.
For more information visit www.npg.org.uk
EVENTS
David Hockney:
Drawing from Life
Look out for a range of events organised at the National Portrait
Gallery, London to coincide with its major exhibition of David
Hockney’s portrait drawings, until 21 January. Events include
an evening life-drawing session inspired by the exhibition, on
1 December, 6 to 8pm, led by Sophie de Stempel. Tickets are
£20/£16 members and concessions. On 18 January, between 1
and 2pm, Isabel Seligman will examine the impact that historic
V David Hockney Mother, Bradford. 19 February
1979, sepia ink on paper, 14x11in. (35.5x28cm)
EXHIBITIONS continued
Q Tate Britain
Millbank SW1. 020 7887 8888
www.tate.org.uk
‘Sargent and Fashion’, 22 February to 7 July.
Q Tate Modern
Bankside SE1. 020 7887 8888
www.tate.org.uk
‘Capturing the Moment’: a journey through
painting and photography, until 28 April.
Q Wallace Collection
Hertford House, Manchester Square W1. 020
7563 9500
www.wallacecollection.org
‘Turner and Bonington: Watercolours from the
Wallace Collection, until 21 April.
David Hockney painting singer,
V
Harry Styles in the artist’s Normandy
studio on 1 June 2022
artists have had on Hockney’s graphic portraits, particularly
the work of Rembrandt, Ingres and Picasso, in Conversations
with the Past: Hockney and the Old Masters. Tickets are £10/£8
members and concessions. A two-day self-portrait workshop,
The Geography of the Face, will be held in the Art Studio on 20
and 21 January, from 11am to 5pm. The workshop invites you to
develop your self-portrait skills with prize-winning artist, Charlie
Schaffer, inspired by works in the exhibitions. The cost of the
workshop is £250/£200 members and concessions. For more
information on these and all forthcoming events at the gallery visit
www.npg.org.uk
REGIONAL
Q Fosse Gallery
The Manor House, The Square, Stow-on-
the-Wold, Gloucestershire. 01451 831319
www.fossegallery.com
‘Christmas Exhibition’: featuring work by
gallery artists and introducing the work
of Jenny Holm, until 2 January 2024.
‘Jenny Wheatley: A Sense of Place’, 5 to
24 February.
Q The Holburne Museum
Great Pulteney Street, Bath.
01225 388569
www.holburne.org
‘Gwen John: Art and Life in London and
Paris’, until 14 April.
Q Jerram Gallery
Half Moon Street, Sherborne, Dorset.
01935 815261; www.jerramgallery.com
‘NEAC December Exhibition’, featuring
work by gallery artists who are members
of the New English Art Club, until
20 December.
Q Penlee House Gallery
Morrab Road, Penzance. 01736 363625
www.penleehouse.org.uk
‘A Journey Through West Cornwall’, V Sir John Lavery Loch Katrine, 1913, oil on canvas, 25x30in. (63.5x76xm)
featuring urban, rural and coastal
landscapes and lesser-known topographical
works from the Penlee House collection,
27 January to 20 April.
Lavery on Location
Organised by the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, in collaboration
SCOTLAND with National Museum Northern Ireland and National Galleries of
Q Scottish National Gallery Scotland, Lavery on Location explores Sir John Lavery’s impressions
The Mound, Edinburgh. 0131 624 6200 of the people and locations he encountered during his lifetime,
www.nationalgalleries.org featuring landscapes from Scotland to Palm Springs, France,
‘The Printmaker’s Art: Rembrandt to Switzerland, Spain, Ireland and Italy as well as London, Venice,
Rego’, 2 December to 25 February. Cannes and New York. A companion book, Lavery on Location,
written by the exhibition’s curators Kenneth McConkey and Brendan
Rooney, is published to accompany the exhibition. Lavery on
All information given here is Location continues at the National Gallery, Ireland, until
correct at the time of going to 14 January. Booking is essential. For more information and tickets,
press, but you are advised to check visit www.nationalgallery.ie
details and opening times with the
galleries prior to your visit in case
of unavoidable alterations to their
exhibition schedules.

Impressionists on Paper
Impressionists on Paper: Degas to Toulouse-Lautrec at the Royal
Academy of Art, until 10 March, explores works on paper by the
Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, including Degas, Cézanne, Van
Gogh and Berthe Morisot. The works will include drawings, pastels,
watercolours, temperas, and gouaches, bringing together a total of 77
works on paper.
To coincide with the exhibition the gallery has put together a number
of related events, including a panel discussion, Impressionism, Colour
and Contemporary Painting on Thursday 1 February, 6.30 to 7.45pm in
the Benjamin West Lecture Theatre. Chaired by James Fox, a panel of V Edgar Degas Dancers on a Bench c. 1898, pastel on tracing
contemporary artists will respond to the Impressionist movement in paper, 21¼x29¾in. (53.5x75.5cm)
relation to painting now and explore how contemporary painters work
with colour. To book, visit www.royalacademy.org.uk
 Contents FEBRUARY 2024
60

56

IN EVERY ISSUE
4 Diary
Things to do and see this
month
69 Coming next month
A look at some of the
highlights from next
month’s issue
72 Online gallery
Jane Stroud chooses a recent
painting from PaintersOnline
11
BACK TO BASICS
18 Painting project
Part 1 Colin Steed prepares to paint
this month’s project from a photograph
by practising the techniques needed to
depict skies and landscapes
75 Books
Reviews of the latest art 26 Painting project
books on the market Part 2 Follow Tony Underhill as he
completes last month’s project in line
69 Art clubs and wash
News, listings and artwork
from around the country 31 Why acrylics?
Back to basics with Mike Rollins
PLUS! as he discusses the techniques
70 View the winning artwork and colours he uses to paint in this
from our summer painting popular medium
competition

FEATURES 40 Looking to the stars

On the cover
Tony Underhill The Eltermere
Inn, line and wash, 8½ x11½in.
(21x30cm) on pages 26-29
11 Painting snow red
David Bellamy offers top tips on bringing
life and interest to your snow scenes in
watercolour
12 Romila Datta
Leisure Painter talks to the winner of this
year’s Leisure Painter Award about her
painting life
36 Ignite your creativity
Ten top tips to take your artwork to the next
level, by Elena Parashko
Paint fast and loose to produce successful
portraits in watercolour step by step, with
Liz Chaderton
42 Try something different
Part 1 Practise essential techniques and
understand the basic tools to work on popular
scratchboard, by wildlife artist, Conor Smith
46 Have sketchbook, will travel
Part 1 Join Tony Hogan as he demonstrates
how to work with unusual sketching media –
calligraphy pens and water-soluble ink – while
painting en plein air
 WE’RE MORE
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52 Drama and light
Focus on painting a dramatic scene of a popular spot in the
Lake District using a variety of techniques with soft pastels,
by Greg Howard
ENTER OUR TALP OPEN
P16 Discover how you could
56 Just add snow win prizes and recognition for
How to create a snow scene from a summer photograph using
water-mixable oils, a step-by-step demonstration by the late your artwork
Murray Ince

60 Waiting around
Fill your sketchbook with scenes of cafés, waiting rooms and ENJOY EVEN MORE SCAN ME
markets. Find sketching techniques and creative ideas, by
Brian Smith FROM US BY SIGNING
65 Down by the canal
UP TO OUR EMAILS
Traditional oil painter, Richard Holland demonstrates the
process of painting from a plein-air sketch back in the studio
bit.ly/LPAISIGNUP
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 Painting the snow red
Dispel the gloom as you follow David Bellamy’s hints and tips
on introducing warm colours to your snow scenes

D espite their general

attraction, snowy
landscapes can often
appear cold, with grey
skies adding to the gloomy
effect, but there is no
reason why we should
slavishly paint exactly what
we see before us. One of
the most obvious areas
where we can introduce
colour is in the sky,
and this has the added
advantage of allowing us to
add correspondingly warm
reflections in pools, and
even of the snow and ice
if the colour is sufficiently
strong. Snow itself can
take on many colours in
this way, depending on the
light, and by exaggerating
the strength of the colour
we can improve the appeal
of the overall composition.
My point here, in this
short piece, however, is
to illustrate how introducing warm with some under the left-hand mature David Bellamy The Roaches in Winter,
colours into the snow areas regardless trees as well. Not entirely pleased watercolour on Saunders Waterford Rough
paper, 8x12in. (20.5x30.5cm)
of the sky effects, can increase with the result I then added some
interest in the scene. Sometimes I Indian red to the yellow ochre beneath
slightly tint passages of snow with the pines, softening the edges and carried out on location many years
weak colour, such as permanent allowing small patches of the yellow ago in intense cold, so I did not wish to
alizarin crimson, yellow ochre or ochre to remain untouched. The warm over-elaborate at the time. There are
Naples yellow, as I have used directly colour is meant to represent reddish actually signs of iced-up reticulations
below the snow-laden crags and just reeds breaking through the snow. in the sky, caused by the freezing as it
above the more distant dry-stone This certainly draws the eye in to the was a little below zero. The Roaches
wall in The Roaches in Winter (above centre of interest, and the watercolour in Winter was painted on a Saunders
right). This suggests the colour of loses its monochrome feeling. This Waterford block of 140lb Rough paper.
grasses breaking through the snow in was an original watercolour sketch
the distance, and it also accentuates Final thoughts
the stark whiteness of the two fields The red areas in this sketch are not
in the middle distance. At times I also particularly subtle, and in the studio
use other colours such as weak light I would have laid some of the yellow
red or burnt sienna, either on their ochre and Indian red on with the dry-
own or dropping them into the Naples brush technique so that the breaking
yellow or yellow ochre to create colour through of the reeds and grasses
variation. looked more natural, and also left
occasional small patches of white paper
Working en plein air showing. This is a great way, however,
The line of pine trees forms the centre Find out more about David, to enhance your middle-distance focal
of attention, and I wanted to give extra his travels and work by visiting points in a winter scene, and at the
support to this by including patches www.davidbellamy.co.uk same time dispel any overall gloomy
of yellow ochre underneath the trees, atmosphere in the work. LP
Inspiration

Lauterbrunnen Valley, oil on board, 12x16in. (30.5x40.5cm). ‘I wanted to capture the sense of space in this painting.’

Romila Datta
This year’s Leisure Painter Award winner, Romila Datta, answers
questions about her painting life, inspiration and plans for the future

How have you learned to paint?

R
omila began her passion for
sketching, oil painting and pastel
as a child. She had to stop to
pursue a long career in medicine but,
on early retirement as an emergency
physician in 2022, she couldn’t resist
the pull of creating art again.
‘In the past few years, before saying
a final goodbye to medicine, I found
myself joining local art classes in
watercolour and oil painting to help
with the stress of being a doctor.
Gradually the attraction of painting
became too much and I left medicine
all together. I have never looked back,’
she says.
‘Now, I have all the time in the
world to explore my passion and do
what I love and enjoy.’
‘I have never had official training,
but everyone and everything have been
teachers in the process, starting with
my local watercolour and oil-painting
lessons, YouTube videos and random
online short courses on various topics,
as well as books and other artists.
‘Last year I joined an online course,
Mastering Composition, led by the
artist, Ian Roberts, and it changed
my whole perspective on composition
and oil painting.’
How would you describe your style?
‘I am yet to find my style and I noticed
that it is constantly evolving. Currently
it feels like somewhere midway between
realism and impressionism.
‘I am learning to simplify my
paintings, loosening my brushstrokes
and trying to avoid unnecessary
details in the painting.’
What are your favourite subjects?
‘I am most attracted to light, shadows,
colours and all the drama of it whether
it is landscape, still life or figures.
I want my paintings to have a story or
a narrative behind them. I also enjoy
pen sketches and watercolour washes
of buildings and landscapes. I like the
viewer to connect to idea, concept,
message, expression and the soul
behind the painting.’
Who are your favourite artists?
‘I admire Johannes Vermeer,
 Inspiration

Determination, oil on board, 18x14in. (46x35cm). Another Red Awning, pen and watercolour,
‘Again, I love the sense of space in this painting 12¼x8¼in. (31x21cm). ‘This is a sketch of a building
and the climber’s determination.’ in Paris. I really enjoy doing fine pen work.’

John Singer Sargent, Alex Hillkurtz

and Ian Roberts, to name a few.
Definitely their techniques affect
my work greatly and their work is
a constant source of inspiration.’

What is your favoured medium?

‘My favourite medium is oil. I realise
that the more I paint, the better I learn
about the medium. I find it easier
to work with oil than watercolour.
I prefer to use Michael Harding or
Winsor & Newton Artist quality paint.
‘I usually paint by blocking alla prima
but have tried chiaroscuro, impasto,
glazing and underpainting in the
past, depending on the subject
I was painting.’

What advice can you give readers?

‘In my view, a successful painting
is where illusion on the canvas is
maintained and the artist is able to
get the message across and connect
to the viewer.
‘I am not an expert but there are
lessons I have learned in my journey
and would like to share a few.
Listen to your heart and do what Gold Fish, oil on board, 8x10in. (20.5x25.5cm). ‘This was painted alla prima.
makes you happy. I wanted to capture the fluid movement of gold fish in the painting.’

www.painters-online.co.uk FEBRUARY 2024 13

 Be sensitive and perceptive to
things around you; anything
could be a subject.
Don’t be discouraged by others
and develop at your own pace.
Challenge yourself and you will
be surprised.
The more we do, the better
the growth.’

Finally, what comes next?

‘I am grateful to the judges and the
TALP Open team in choosing one
of my paintings as the winner of the
Leisure Painter Award 2023. It was
a pleasant surprise, as this was the first
time I entered TALP Open and I was
not expecting this result. It has been
a great source of encouragement,
assurance and faith in hard work.
‘I am still in the process of learning
and it’s early days in my painting career.
I aspire to have the confidence, and
courage to learn to paint with fewest
strokes as JS Sargent; and to make each
brushstroke perfect. My dream is to see a
few of my paintings in a gallery in future.
‘I would like to end with a quotation
from Kevin Macpherson: ‘All paintings
are lessons for the next. It is an ongoing
learning process, increasing skills for
future works.’ LP

Early Morning Light on the Island,

oil on board, 13¾x10in. (35x25.5cm)
– winner of the Leisure Painter
Award in TALP Open 2023

Foliage, oil on board, 16x12in. (40.5x30.5cm). ‘I wanted Breakfast at Mandali, oil on board, 10x8in. (25.5x20.5cm).
to paint this alla prima study using a muted palette. Again, ‘I liked the play of early morning light and long shadows through the
light and shadow attracted me to paint this still life.’ windows at the breakfast area, with a beautiful view of mountains.’
Winter Wonderland, pen and watercolour, 12¼x8¼in. (31x21cm)
WIN RECOGNITION AND
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THE ARTIST & LEISURE PAINTER
OPEN ART COMPETITION 2024
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Back to basics

Painting project
Part 1 Prepare to paint a winter landscape in watercolour as you
practise colour mixing and brushstroke techniques, with Colin Steed

I
am always excited when I look out
of the window and see those first
You will need snowflakes fluttering to the ground.
Surface Winsor & Newton The landscape turns from a dull, dismal
A Pink Pig Professional grey-brown into a bright, white carpet.
A4 140lb Water Colour Then the cloud passes, and the sun breaks
Bockingford (tubes) through to reveal a magical landscape.
watercolour Raw sienna My first instinct is to grab my camera and
sketchbook Burnt umber trudge off to find the perfect subject. In
Brushes Light red the past this excitement has led me to walk
Rosemary & Co. Alizarin crimson miles to find white snow-covered trees, or
sable blend, Cobalt blue a building that fits perfectly in its landscape
Series 401, No. 6 Prussian blue with the sun shining at precisely the right
Pro Arte Miscellaneous angle, but I recommend that you focus on
Series 100 Mixing tray a more narrative approach to your search.
Rounds Water A single tree and gateway, a small barn at
Nos. 8 & 12 container the edge of a field or a bridge over a river
Materials used to complete Pro Arte Series 2B pencil can all make the perfect subject to paint.
these exercises 10, 6½in. flat It was during one of those walks that
I came across a small pond in the middle of
a field with just three trees and distant land.

Photo 1 Photo 2
 Photo 3 Your reference photograph for
this painting project: a winter landscape

The nearer I came, the more interesting the

subject appeared. It wasn’t until I used the
camera lens to frame the composition that
I realised my search for a subject was over.

Finding the perfect composition

As you can see in Photo 1 (far left)thetw o
large trees dominate the scene, and my first
thought was to use a portrait format for the
painting. This photograph has the sun out
of picture (to the left),whichIlik ed, but
it doesn’t show the isolation I felt. I moved
to the right a few paces to capture the view
in Photo 2 (left).No w the sun was directly
behind the large tree with a tree stump in
the foreground, giving added interest. This
view, however, did not give me a feeling
of space and that was the first thing that The complete preliminary exercises for this month’s project
caught my eye when I saw the pond.
I turned the camera to the landscape
vformat (above) and realised that this subject EXERCISE 1 Colours
was not just about the two trees and pond,
1 In your sketchbook, draw
it needed to include the width of the field to
a pencil line 35mm parallel
make it work. In the top left- hand corner of
to the metal rings on the
the sky, there was a warm glow where the
right-hand side.
sun was just out of the picture. The distant
2 Mix a medium tone of each
land on the horizon had trees off centre and
colour using the No. 8 Round
running out of picture to the right. The
brush and paint a square of
clean, white snow in the middle distance each colour into the box in
gave a feeling of depth. At the back of the this order: raw sienna, burnt
pond there were three trees; an odd number umber, light red, alizarin
of elements in a scene always helps to balance crimson, cobalt blue and
the composition. I particularly liked the Prussian blue.
warm colour of the reeds and grasses that 3 We can now see what each
surrounded the pond. colour looks like when it’s
Before we begin to paint this scene (see diluted with a little water.
the step-by-step demonstration next month),
let’s complete four preparation exercises. LP
Back to basics

EXERCISE 2 The sky

The sky will be the first element we paint in
next month’s demonstration. The top left-hand
corner and the horizon are very light and of
a warm hue. The centre turns progressively
darker, becoming very dark on the right-hand
side. To achieve this effect, we use the
wet-in-wet method.

1 Turn the pad so that the metal rings

are at the top. Using the No. 8 Round and
starting at the top, dampen the complete
area with clean water.

2 Use a very weak mix of raw sienna 3 Add more alizarin as you go. 4 Apply a very weak mix of cobalt blue.
and alizarin crimson and apply to the Allow the paint to blend with the alizarin
top left-hand side and bottom. crimson.

5 Mix a medium tone of Prussian 6 Work your way down and across 7 Add a strong mix to create a dark
blue and apply to the top right- the paper until you meet the area at the top right-hand side and
hand corner. cobalt blue. gently blend.

8 Use a dampened brush to 9 Allow

lift the surplus colour from the to dry
outer edges. thoroughly.
 Back to basics

EXERCISE 3 The effect of distance

1 Turn the pad back to its original 2 Draw a pencil line 20mm 3 Above that line, draw an outline
position. Draw a pencil line across the above the centre line. of the tops of a hedge and two trees.
centre of the left-hand section.

4 Use the No. 8 Round and clean water 5 Use a strong mix of Prussian blue 6 The paint will hold in its position in
to dampen down to the tops of the hedge with a touch of light red and paint from the dry area but rise into the damp area.
and tree line. the dry area into the damp area until This produces a soft, blurred edge at the
the paint floods into the damp area. top and a dry, hard edge at the bottom.

7 Add more light red to the mix and

draw the brush across the lower damp
area, pushing up in places into the
damp blue section.

8 This will give the effect of a hedge

line standing in front of the far
distant trees.

9 Never be tempted to fiddle with these wet

washes. You can rarely improve their look until
they are completely dry.

10 Once dry it reveals

a distant land effect.

www.painters-online.co.uk FEBRUARY 2024 21

Back to basics

EXERCISE 4
A tree and grasses

1 Using the pencil, draw the

outline of the tree shape and
the long spiky grasses.

2 Using the point of the No. 8 Round leaving some unpainted patches on 3 Work your way up each of the
brush and a very strong mix of burnt the left. This will indicate where the large branches tapering their
umber, alizarin crimson and Prussian snow is clinging to the trunk. thickness as you go.
blue, paint the lower part of the trunk

4 Change to the No. 6 Round to paint the small branches.

 Back to basics

6 Changing to a dry ½in. flat brush,

pick up some of the surplus dark colour
you used for the tree with the end of
the brush. As the brush is dry, it will
only pick up a small amount of colour.

5 The trunk and branches 7 Start in the centre near

are now complete. the top of the branches and
apply downward strokes.

8 Reload the
brush where
necessary
until all the
twig areas are
complete.
Back to basics

9 Pick up burnt umber from the palette 10 Change to the No. 8 Round and
with the end of the dry flat brush and use clean water to dampen the lower
stipple an impression of grasses. part to create a soft look.

11 The completed effect

 Back to basics

Colin Steed
12 Using a No. 8 brush Colin is a professional artist working
and a mix of Prussian en plein air and from his garden
blue and a touch of studio in Essex. He is popular on
alizarin crimson paint Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and
the tree shadow running his YouTube art tutorial channel.
across the field. For more information visit his
website colinsteedart.com

13 Clean and re-dampen

the brush and soften the
lower part of the shadow.

14 Use the same mix and

technique to paint the spiky
grass shadow. Soft and hard
edges always give a better
impression of snow.

15 The completed effect

Back to basics

Painting project
Part 2 Using line and wash, turn a summer holiday photograph into
your own version of a classic Lake District inn, by Tony Underhill

TONY’S TOP TIP

Don’t be tempted to skip the thumbnail
sketch, tonal plan and colour test
stages. Together they are a road map
towards a successful end result.

L
ast month I suggested that rather
than replicate my Lake District
holiday photo (taken the day after
the King’s coronation) you enjoy the
freedom and creativity of adding, omitting
or changing whatever you wanted in order
to create your own version of the lovely
Eltermere Inn in Elterwater.
Before I made a start, I thought through
what changes I wanted to make and
why. My first decision was to change the
proportions of the building to suit the size
of my sketchbook then to omit the cars and
replace them with shrubs and the hidden
section of the twin-sided stone steps
leading up to the front entrance. I further
decided to use the central projecting bay,
the front entrance portico and the steps as Your reference photograph for last month’s project: The Eltermere Inn, Eltermere
key features to capture the inn’s character.
And finally, to give my sketch an even an opportunity to help lead the eye up day after the King’s coronation far more
warmer, sunnier feel, I planned to brighten to the front entrance. creatively and in my own style than if
the colours of the stonework, roof slates Despite (and because of) the changes, I’d set out to replicate the photo. Even
and windows, add window boxes, and use I was happy that my sketch captured the more importantly, I also enjoyed the
the coronation bunting on the railings as character of The Eltermere Inn on the process much more. LP

Demonstration The Eltermere Inn

You will need
Surface COLOURS USED
Mixed media or
Phthalo blue
watercolour paper
(green shade)
8½x11½in. (21x29cm)
Pens French
Faber-Castell Pitt ultramarine
Artist pens, fine
(0.5mm) and brush tip
Pyrrol scarlet
Marker pens,
mid-grey and black
Posca 0.7mm, light Quinacridone
green and white rose
Watercolour
See colours (right) New gamboge
Brushes
One stroke flat 6mm Quinacridone Step 1 Thumbnail Sketch
(¼in.) burnt orange Mirroring the proportions of my A4 sketchbook, I roughed
No. 6 Round out 4x6in. (10x15cm) rectangles on cheap copy paper
Miscellaneous Sap green and vmade quick and simple line drawings to find the best
Pencil layout of shapes for the main building, central bay and side
Eraser extension. I then experimented with different positions for
the steps and shrubs until I had a composition I liked (above).
Step 2 Tonal plan
1 I copied my final thumbnail layout into new rectangles and
used two marker pens (mid-grey and black) together with the
white of the paper to try out tonal plans.
2 I wanted a pattern that helped suggest a bright sunny day
and made my composition as easy-to-read as possible.

THE COLOUR KEY

PB = phthalo blue
(green shade)
PS = pyrrol scarlet
FU = French
ultramarine
QBO = quinacridone
burnt orange
NG = new gamboge
SG = sap green
QR = quinacridone
rose

Step 3 Colour tests

1 I tested colour mixes. As I wasn’t trying to replicate the
photo, I didn’t need to worry about precise colour matches so
I experimented with mixing brighter colours for the slate roofs
and stone walls, greens for the shrubs, an orange for the flower
pot, a shadow mix, the bunting, flowers and foreground.
2 Once I was happy with the colours, I checked I could adjust
them to suit my tonal plan by adding more or less water.
Step 4 Big shapes
1 Using a pencil and with my thumbnail sketch as a guide,
I sketched a ground line and the big shapes of the main building
and extension then the subdivisions for the roofs and central bay.
2 Still sketching lightly, I adjusted the shapes until I was happy
with my overall composition and the relative proportions of
each shape to the others.

Step 5 Smaller shapes and guidelines Step 6

1 Referring back to my thumbnail sketch
and occasionally to the reference photo,
I lightly pencilled in guidelines for the
windows and front door portico.
2 I then added the twin-sided steps and
railings, the shrubs and a plant pot, and
the two chimneys.
3 Rather than put in more detail at this
stage, I adjusted what I already had to
ensure it suited my eye.
Developing
the drawing – Stage 1
1 Treating the pencil framework as
a guide rather than following it exactly,
I developed the sketch using a fine pen,
drawing quickly and loosely to capture
the general feel and character of the
Inn and its old stonework, slates and
shrubs – so wobbly lines were fine!
2 Referring back to the photo for
reminders rather than precise details,
I started with the main shapes of the
roofs, walls and central bay, and some
broken lines for the shrubs.
3 I then added the steps, railings and
bunting, and finally, the windows and
wall plaque.
4 With the main shapes done, I erased
my pencil lines.
Back to basics

Demonstration continued

Step 7 Developing the drawing –

Stage 2
1 Still using the fine pen I suggested
slates on the roofs and stonework on
the walls – just a few, not every one
of them – and hinted at detail under
the eaves of the extension and leafy
texture in the shrubs.
2 Switching to the brush pen, I added
darks in the window panes leaving
a few untouched to suggest reflections
and for variety. I strengthened my line
work where I felt my drawing needed it,
especially under the eaves, window sills
and steps, and on the ground line.
3 It’s easy to be carried away at this
stage so knowing I could add more
linework later but I couldn’t take it
away, I stopped there.

Step 8 First washes

1 Using a flat brush and a watery mix of phthalo blue
and pyrrol scarlet for a warm slate colour, I painted
the roofs, working quickly and loosely as with the
drawing stages and using as few strokes as possible.
2 I did the same for the stonework, using a large
watery puddle of French ultramarine and quinacridone
burnt orange with a touch of new gamboge to warm
it up a little, and ‘cutting in’ around the railings.
3 And finally I made a single horizontal stroke with
a watery mix of French ultramarine and a touch of
quinacridone burnt orange for the foreground.

Step 9 Second washes

1 Switching to a No. 6 Round brush,
I mixed a puddle of sap green
and new gamboge for the shrubs,
varying the mix a little as I went.
Whilst the washes were still wet,
I touched in stronger sap green
on the shaded sides.
2 Next a mix of pyrrol scarlet and
new gamboge was used for the
flower pot, and pyrrol scarlet on its
own for the plant and red bunting.
3 Then phthalo blue was added
for the window reflections and blue
bunting, and a weak wash of sap
green for the window frames
and wall plaque.
Step 10 Shadow washes
1 Using a flat brush and a large watery
puddle of French ultramarine and
quinacridone rose, I added the shadows
under the roof eaves, on the shaded sides
of the central bay and flower pot, and in
between the railings. In each case, I tried
to touch the paper only once to avoid
lifting the underlying wash.
2 Switching to the Round brush, I used
the same mix to add shadows on and
from the shrubs and under the window
sills and steps.

Step 11 Finishing touches

1 Using a Round brush, I added red and
yellow flowers in the window boxes with
touches of neat pyrrol scarlet and new
gamboge and strengthened the shadows
on some of the shrubs.
2 I restated some of my line work with a SHOW YOUR WORK
fine pen where I felt my drawing needed it.
3 As last touches, I used a light green
How did you get on? Please send a
jpeg image of your finished painting
Tony Underhill
Posca pen to brighten the window frames If you have any questions
to dawn@tapc.co.uk along with a few
(a first for me) and a white one to add about this article, email Tony
lines on how you found this project,
highlights in a few of the windows. at tonyunderhill@me.com
for inclusion on the Painting Project
4 This is another stage where it’s easy to
area of our website, PaintersOnline.
become carried away so I stopped at ‘just
enough’ rather risk ‘one step too far’!

The finished painting The Eltermere Inn, line and wash, 8½x11½in. (21x30cm)
 17—21 JAN
2024
MODERN &
CONTEMPORARY ART

ISLINGTON
N1 0QH

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 Camden Lock, acrylic on canvas, 18x24in. (46x60cm). There is a lot of suggested detail in this painting, completed with blocks
and streaks of colour pulled together with graphic black linework

Why acrylics?
New to acrylics? Mike Rollins introduces his materials
and techniques for painting with this popular medium

M
ost of my articles for Leisure
Painter have involved the use of
acrylic paint to create an artwork.
Although I do use other media, I return
to this versatile paint time and again, as
I find that it suits my style of painting
– that is, expressive, layered landscapes,
usually on canvas. This hasn’t always been
the case, however.
Like most people, I started my art
journey at school with watercolour.
I produced large, melodramatic paintings
of fantasy scenes and pop stars, applying
the watercolour thickly and building up
the image in segments like a jigsaw. Fast
forward 30 years, and, having worked as
an attraction set designer, meeting tight
deadlines with quick ideas and artwork,
I find that my eyesight and patience have
reduced considerably. In those intervening
years, I discovered acrylic. I continued to
paint privately, showing my work in solo
exhibitions, and I wanted to paint larger
pieces on canvas – and acrylic was a natural
progression. I wanted a medium that was
water-based, quick drying, and needed little
in the way of additional materials, solvents
or equipment other than brushes and a
canvas. I also wanted to be challenged and
take my mark-making in new directions.
I haven’t abandoned watercolour, nor any
other media – but acrylics will always be
my favourite, and I hope that I can convince
you to give them a go (or a second chance).
Versatile properties
There seems to be a mixture of opinion
about acrylics. Critics say that it dries too
quickly, that once dry it is flat and dark,
that it’s not a serious, or skilled, medium
and therefore should not hold the same
worth for professional artists as, say, oils.
For all the supposed drawbacks, there are
additives that can rectify a problem – to
extend drying time, or increase viscosity
or transparency without losing strength
of colour. As to holding its own against
other media, acrylic is relatively new on the
art scene, arriving in the early twentieth
century, and really taking off with its
use by the Pop artists of the 1960s, such
as Hockney and Warhol. Comprising a
pigment suspended in a plastic polymer,
acrylic is waterproof when dry, and there is
every reason to believe that the paint can,
and will, outlast oil paint for longevity. Of
course, the skill employed in painting with
acrylic is largely subjective and there are
many artists whose acrylic work cannot be
distinguished from that of an oil painting.
To those who love acrylics, its drawbacks
are its advantages. It can be used in washes
like a watercolour, impasto like an oil, layers
like a gouache, and bold and saturated like
pastel. It can be whatever you want it to
be, as long as you know its limitations.
Paint choices
Unsurprisingly, there are many brands
and options when it comes to choosing the
right paint for you. To begin, I recommend
buying a starter set, containing small tubes
Back to basics
Via dei Servi, acrylic on canvas, 20x30in. (51x76cm).
This is an atmospheric side street in Florence.
The carefully drawn detail of the duomo contrasts
with the loose forms in the shadows
of common colours. This allows you
to play with the paint and get used to its
application. Then you could buy one-off
purchases of favourite colours to try out
other brands.
Through trial and error, Daler-Rowney
is currently my preferred brand. I don’t
like twist-top tubes as they can be a pain
to remove when paint has dried in the
nozzle, and so the flip-top tubes of
Daler-Rowney avoid that issue. As
I work quite thinly and in layers, I happily
use the Student quality paints, known
as Graduate, and when I need a boost
of colour or texture, I’ll reach for the
Artist quality version, System 3.
Rather than squeeze large amounts of
paint onto my palette, I tend to add it little
and often. In that way I can control my
mixes and waste less paint. My favourite
palette is the plastic lid of a Tupperware
box, about 25cm square. It is deep, holds
a lot of paint and has a large mixing area.
Being blue, it means I see colours against
a mid-tone background, much like they
would appear on the canvas. I tend to let
the old paint dry and build up into a thick
layer, before peeling it off and discarding
it in the bin, leaving a nice clean palette.
If you use large quantities of paint or
use the same colours over a long period,
Up to the Cross, acrylic on board, 16x20in. (41x51cm). I accentuated
the contrast of light and shadow (chiaroscuro) in this Yorkshire village
scene to lead the eye through the painting
you might want to use a palette with
large wells and spray them with water
occasionally, or try a stay-wet palette.
This comprises a plastic tray with an
absorbent paper base layer, kept moist,
and a layer of greaseproof type paper
on top, onto which you add your paints.
The moist atmosphere helps to keep
your paints workable for weeks
(although watch out for mould).
Colour choices
Depending on the mood I want to
create, my go-to colours are usually cool
and warm hues, such as cerulean blue,
ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow and
yellow ochre. Combinations of these
paints produce some lovely natural greens.
Earth colours, such as burnt umber and
burnt sienna, are crucial in a landscape
(and as I hardly use red, provide my
reddish hue). If I want a particularly
dramatic or stormy scene, I replace my
darker blues with Prussian blue, which
when mixed with burnt umber, creates
a wonderful cool black. It has intensity
without looking too flat and artificial.
Support
I mainly opt for primed cotton canvas
with a few extra layers of gesso roughly
painted on. I do like to have some texture
on my working surface, even if it doesn’t
always show through on the finished
piece. Though there are excellent papers
out there, such as Winsor & Newton
acrylic paper, I still add a layer of gesso
to give it some tooth.
Painting processes
I usually begin with a very loose sketch,
drawn using a Rigger brush and blue
paint, often without an underpainting.
I then block in darker areas and shadows
in the blue (often Prussian) as a tonal
painting. From then on, I build up the
painting in a series of secondary washes,
details, re-workings and marks on the
canvas. The looser and broader the stroke,
the more expressive and confident the
result. I want some areas to be ghost-like,
suggesting movement or the passing of
time; other areas are crisp and punchy.
I am not looking for my painting to
resemble a photograph, although it may
be painted from one. I want to see the
process, the application and journey of
a painting. These are my fingerprints,
sometimes quite literally!
To illustrate my usual process, here
is a short demonstration of a Yorkshire
landscape. LP
 Back to basics

Demonstration Houses on Pinner

Your reference photograph for this demonstration: houses on Pinner Lane (photograph, author’s own)

You will need

Surface Daler-Rowney
Winsor & Newton Graduate
Acrylic Paper, 12x16in. or System 3
(30.5cmx40.5cm) Ultramarine blue
Rosemary & Co Cerulean blue
brushes Burnt umber
Short flat brushes Cadmium
Nos. 8 & No 4 yellow hue
Pointed Round No. 4 Titanium white
Rigger

Step 1
Using a Rigger brush, sketch in the main elements
of the scene with thinned ultramarine blue.

Step 2
Using a damp No. 8 flat brush, block in the main
shapes of the building and the other areas of shadow
running across the field with the ultramarine blue.
To add interest to the bottom of the paper I added
a section of dry stone wall.
Back to basics

Demonstration continued

Step 3
Adding cerulean blue and titanium white to your palette, turn to the
sky area. Using the same brush, broadly sweep some of the cerulean
blue into the left-hand side of the sky and, almost immediately
after washing out your brush,
paint the white clouds on the
right with titanium white.
With twisting motion, take
some white into the blue area,
blending the two colours as
you go and creating expressive
marks. Cut around the outline
of the farmhouse roof, but
don’t worry if you lose the
crispness here and there.

Step 4
Now to add some sunshine!
Still with the No 8. flat,
liberally swish cadmium
yellow over the field, to
just above the wall top.

Step 5
1 You could use a shop-bought green,
but I prefer to mix mine, as using the same
colours throughout adds harmony. First
mix a little cerulean blue into cadmium
yellow to make a fresh, bright green. With
the smaller flat brush and a jagged sawing
action, suggest grass on the lumps and
bumps of the field. Leave areas of yellow
showing through where the sunlit grass
is brightest.
2 Then, using a separate mix of a little
ultramarine into the cadmium yellow to
make a darker green, paint the shadowed
and lower areas of the field. As the grass
was short cropped, I used the side of my
brush to dab in clumps and sods. Try also
dragging the heel of your brush into the
paint to scratch marks into it.
Step 6
The whole painting
is pulled together by
the dark shadows.
Mix almost equal
parts of ultramarine
and burnt umber to
make a ‘black’. Using
the Round or small
flat brush, paint into
the darkest areas
of shadow on the
buildings, field and
wall. Think of the
ultramarine base coat
as a mid-tone, leaving
some of it showing
alongside your black.

Step 7 Mike Rollins

Finally, a touch of white and the Rigger Mike is a professional artist, tutor and demonstrator based
brush is enough to draw out the white-framed in Hertfordshire. Links to Mike’s artwork, news and social
windows and any sparkles you want to add media sites can be found at www.linktr.ee/rollinsart
to the grasses or wall.

The finished painting Houses on Pinner, acrylic, 12x16in. (30.5cmx40.5cm)

Inspiration
Ignite your creativity
Develop your creative muscles by following Elena Parashko’s top ten tips
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Don’t drag your feet; just take
out your paints and begin
Keep your creativity in focus
by photographing and sketching
regularly
Experiment and learn continually;
Interesting patterns and arrangement of leaves
Reference photo of unusual rocks showing through sand
look at the work of artists
you admire
Enter painting competitions
and take commissions
Enjoy the creative process
rather than judging the results
T
here is great satisfaction in being
creative and making something
beautiful from nothing. It’s amazing
to think that as artists we can take simple
raw materials and, with the power of
our imaginations, apply them to a flat
surface and create the illusion of three-
dimensional objects or seeing for miles
into the distance. To stay active, this
creative force needs nourishment.
So, for times when you feel depleted and
no ideas are coming, here are my top ten
tips to reignite the spark of inspiration.
1 Just start
Don’t fall into the trap of waiting
for the perfect time or conditions to
paint; they may never come. Avoid
procrastination by recognising that you are
just making excuses. Once you start work
on something, you will quickly be swept
into the flow and lose all track of time.
Make beginning a project more enticing
by working on something that genuinely
interests or excites you. Something that
you want to do, rather than something
you think you should do. The hardest
part is to start, so just do it.
2 Take photos
Whenever you are out and about,
take photos of anything that catches
your attention, and not just the obvious
vistas or the perfect subject matter for
a painting. Look deeper at the small things
around you and notice colours, patterns,
textures, and shapes that are interesting.
This will train your eye to discern detail
and at the same time you will build
a collection of reference material for
artwork. Whenever you are staring at a
blank canvas and searching for inspiration,
just look through your photos and you
will never run out of ideas.
I remember walking along a beach and
seeing unusual patterns of rock showing
through the sand (left). I photographed it
and filed it away. Sometime later, I was
looking through my collection of photos,
and it captured my imagination. I decided
to use this photo as the basis for a painting
and superimpose sea snails on top of the
rocks and sand (above right). Instead of
a random placement of snails, I used them
to tell a story. I painted lots of the same
variety crawling around in circles or going
nowhere, and one different shell moving
along a straight and determined path.
I called the painting Dare to be Different
and entered it into an art competition.
To my surprise, it won first prize in
the landscape section.
3 Keep a creativity journal
Use a sketchbook to start a creativity
journal. Always keep it with you – on your
desk during the day, in your bag when you
are out, and by your bed at night. Use this
to jot down inspiration any time it comes.
You can make notes with the written
word, or visually with sketches, and even
tape in objects, like leaves. As well as
recording ideas for artwork, journal about
music, song lyrics, poetry, films, podcasts,
recipes, food, places, colours, animals,
plants and anything else that engages
your senses or imagination. All creative
pursuits are connected and can feed your
inspiration in unexpected ways.

4 Experiment with new products

New art and craft materials are
constantly flooding the market. Scan
supplier catalogues or the shelves of
your local art and craft store and try out
new products to see how they can be
incorporated into your artistic practice.
In this way, your creativity can evolve
in different and unexpected areas as
well as keep you excited about exploring
new things.
I like to play with craft materials and see
how they can add a new dimension to my
traditional painting technique. I recently
discovered Jo Sonja’s Opal Dust. This is
a clear gel containing tiny light-reflecting
holographic particles that produce an
interplay of colours similar to opal gems.
It added an interesting glittering scale
effect to an abstract painting of fish. The finished painting Dare to be Different, oil, 43¼x43¼in. (110x110cm)

5 Take an art class

Whether you are self-taught or have
had art training, over time you can become
tired in your attitude or reach a plateau in
your skill level. Attending a class can kick
start your motivation and take your art to
the next level. There are so many options
these days, from watching a short tutorial
on the internet and taking a one-off
workshop, to enrolling on a course or
mistakes in the work of others and how
to solve those issues.
even going on a painting retreat abroad.
If you already have an advanced level
of skill, teaching someone else how to
paint stretches you further, as you need
6 Look at what other
artists are doing
Being isolated in your own studio just
to verbalise your process and recognise doing what you have always done can lead

A pencil sketch with notes in my creativity journal

 Opal dust sample

to stale work and boredom. If you look

at what other artists are doing, either in
person, in galleries or virtually online,
you will discover current trends and
innovative ideas, which will increase
your enthusiasm. Without copying what
others do, this new awareness may give
you ideas to explore in your own way.

7 Enter art competitions

It takes courage to enter an art
competition as this may be the first time
you present your artwork to the world.
It is natural to feel some insecurity
about how our creations will be received
and judged, but if you can get over this
hesitation, art competitions are a valuable
way to gauge your current standard when
compared to the work of others. You may
be surprised to find that your artwork
is better than you thought, or you may
see where improvements can be made.
Either way, this information is useful
in your development as a prolific and
successful artist.
If you join your local art society,
you will be able to participate in their
regular exhibitions, and magazines
such as Leisure Painter run their own
competitions like TALP Open and also
feature listings of other competitions.

8 Accept commissions
Sooner or later, every artist is asked
to paint something for someone. Being
commissioned to paint a subject that you
would not normally choose is a useful
artistic exercise, as it can take you out of
your comfort zone and force you to try
a new approach. This builds confidence
in your ability to tackle different things.
A word of warning. Artists often
gift paintings to loved ones, which is
a generous gesture. However, if you
are constantly expected to give away
your artwork, you will eventually feel
resentful that your time and talent is
not valued. To avoid this situation, you
should ask for payment for commissions.
When starting out, basic payment to
cover the cost of materials may be all
you feel confident asking for, but
eventually you should be selling your
work at a price to make a profit.

9 Look after your body

Painting has the reputation of being
relaxing, but it is a physically demanding
activity, so it is important to maintain
your health. That means good food,
plenty of water, rest, and exercise. If you
spend many hours painting, there is the
risk of eye strain and muscle cramps.
To avoid this, always check your posture
and take regular breaks. Looking into the
distance can change the focal length of

Angel Fish Scales, acrylic with an overlay

of Opal Dust, 20½x13½in. (52x34cm)
 Students learn to paint on location
at Kingston on Norfolk Island

your eyes and going for a walk will loosen

up your muscles as well as clear your
head. For very tight muscles, a heat pack
or a massage is soothing. If you stand at
an easel for long periods, make sure to
wear shoes with good arch support.

10Stop self-criticism
For all creative people, it is very
easy to be overly critical of ourselves
and what we produce. Judging progress
is part of the artistic process but
condemning ourselves or our work is
paralysing. It can help to shift the focus
onto just enjoying the creative process
rather than fixating on what the finished
product will look like. Be kind to yourself
by accepting where you are and that
being an artist is a process of evolution
with lifelong learning. Be proud that you
are willing to grow and improve. LP

The Drawing Room, oil, 30¼x20in.

(77x51cm). This was a commission for
a client who wanted a painting to feature
a piano, the sheet music for the song
Vincent and Van Gogh’s painting, Starry
Night. I came up with this design with
the reflection of Starry Night in reverse
on the piano.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
uncovers problems and pressure
points that may restrict creative
flow and offers techniques to open
up opportunities for self-growth
and self-discovery.
Survival Guide for Artists: How to
Thrive in the Creative Arts by Elena
Parashko (paperback or eBook)
contains essential information,
such as managing saboteurs and
the myth of luck, to help creative
people live the life of their dreams.
At the end of each chapter, there
is an opportunity to develop your
own personal action plan.

Elena Parashko
Elena is a professional artist,
international art tutor and author
of the empowering book, Survival
Guide for Artists: How to Thrive
in the Creative Arts, available via
her website and Amazon. For more
information about her work and
online painting tutorials visit
www.elenaparashko.com or
email info@elenaparashko.com
Watercolour
Looking to the stars
Practise painting fast and loose to produce a
lively watercolour portrait, with Liz Chaderton
I
rather fell in love with this reference
photo (below) when I saw it and
wanted to capture the hope and
freshness of this youth. Posterising the
photo helps reveal interesting colours
and shapes. With time you will not need
to do this, but it is a great way of training
your eye and brain. Transfer the image
to your paper and consider outlining the
tonal shifts to guide you in your painting.
The process
Prepare your colours. As we are doing large
washes, prepare them in advance and mix
more than you anticipate needing, so you
do not have to stop in the middle of a wash.
In this portrait, I used sap green, perylene
maroon (mixed to produce a beautiful
tan), quinacridone gold, burnt umber,
quinacridone sienna and transparent grey.
Starting with the largest wash possible,
paint the entire face and continue over
the hood wet on dry, with a weak mix
Manipulating your reference can help train your eye
and spark creative thoughts
you can also touch in perylene maroon
COLOURS USED in areas of warmth, such as the lips,
Sap green Burnt umber cheeks and nose. Darken the hair, not
Perylene Quinacridone getting caught up in every strand but
maroon sienna suggesting the curls framing the face.
Quinacridone Transparent Brush in the hood using a flat brush
gold grey and transparent grey plus burnt umber
dropped into the wet wash. Make sure the
edges form an interesting shape and allow
dry brush marks to form. Run a damp
of sap green and perylene maroon, leaving brush along the edge of the hood to lift a
highlights untouched. Note that there is soft highlight while the paint is still damp.
a lot of yellow around the temples and the With it all dry and any pencil lines
jaw, so you can drop in quinacridone gold removed, assess the painting. I had painted
while the wash is wet. Also start to darken under artificial light and in the natural light
down the neck with a stronger mix of the of the next morning, the portrait looked far
same colours. too cool and harsh for the youthful face.
Having allowed the first layer to dry, apply I decided to warm things up gently by
a second wash of a similar colour, leaving using a dilute wash of quinacridone sienna
the lighter tones untouched and again with a tiny touch of perylene maroon.
dropping in deeper tones of burnt umber I made sure no hard edges formed and
into the wet wash around the nose and eyes. used a short flat brush to ‘tickle’ and soften
The next layer can be a little darker and some of the edges from the initial layers. LP
1 Highlights are retained but the first wash aims to link
areas and features
 Watercolour

2 The second wash

places mid-tones
but still links areas
into larger shapes

3 Once darks go in,

individual features
start to emerge

4 Leaving some
ambiguity in a
painting engages
the viewer

This feature was adapted from

Painting Portraits in Watercolour by
Liz Chaderton (Crowood, 2023). Find
out more by visiting www.crowood.com
5 A warm overall wash softened and enhanced the portrait
Scratchboard
Try something different
Part 1 Practise essential scratchboard techniques and find out about the minimal
equipment needed to produce successful artwork, with wildlife artist, Conor Smith
Remi, scratchboard, 9x12in. (23x30.5cm)
U
nlike drawing or painting,
scratchboard is a two-dimensional
subtractive art form. It typically
consists of a white kaolin clay-coated
hardboard covered with black Indian ink.
There are many tools that can be used to
create scratchboard art, because any tool
that is sharp can be used to scratch away
the ink on the board. I use a variety of
sharp tools to remove, or scratch, through
the black ink, revealing the white clay
FEATHERING
1 Feathering is very similar to
cross-hatching so it should feel
comfortable; the only difference is
the angle of your scratches. Instead
of overlapping at approximately
45 degrees, there are much more
subtle changes to the direction of
your scratches. Don’t worry about
your pressure, just concentrate
on your angles, and when you feel
more comfortable, you can try to
make the marks as lightly as you
can.
underneath. Most of the values within
my artwork are achieved by varying the
amount of ink removed, or grouping
or spacing scratched marks to give the
illusion of depth.
I use exclusively Ampersand
Scratchboards as my surface, which have
both incredible durability and smoothness.
The materials used to scratch away the ink
of a scratchboard, however, can be vast
and vary depending on the texture
I am trying to recreate. This is where
I have fun and experiment to see what
different textures I can achieve. My go-to
tools for every artwork are an X-Acto knife
(or craft knife) and various tattoo needles.
Although I use these tools for every piece
I create, any tool that can scratch the
surface of the board can be used. I can
also use a fibre-glass brush, an ink eraser
and even sandpaper to achieve a variety
of different textures. For the following
exercises I used solely a craft knife. I want
to show that you don’t need a vast array of
scratching tools to create a realistic-looking
wildlife piece.
Starting from scratch
Below are exercises for you to practise for
the next issue, when I will be taking you
through a step-by-step process to create a
realistic tiger. Each one of these exercises
has been picked to help you in completion
of the tiger project, whilst also building up
your confidence in the marks and textures
you can create with scratchboard.
There are a variety of different techniques
that can be used when working in
scratchboard. It not only depends on the
texture you are trying to emulate, but also
what technique works best for you and
is most comfortable. For example, if
I am trying to create the skin texture of
an elephant or primate, I would usually
use stippling if I were working on a smaller
board, or the image is zoomed out. This is
because I prefer that technique and it feels
comfortable for me. If I am doing a larger
piece or the image is zoomed in, however,
I will use a cross-hatching technique to save
time. The following exercises demonstrate
the techniques I use most often.
 CROSS-HATCHING

1 To begin you can practise these

techniques without having to worry
about pressure or how light or dark your
strokes are. Start by scratching a line at
approximately 45 degrees. Don’t worry
about the length of your line; I would
recommend approximately 1in. long.

2 Next, overlap the lines with another

line at 45 degrees in the opposite
direction.

3 Continue this process of overlapping

your lines, but slightly altering your
angle so some of the lines are slightly
more vertical and others are slightly
more horizontal.

4 I have continued this more on

the left-hand side of this illustration
to show how you can build up layers,
brightness and texture. Again, for
now don’t worry about your pressure;
the purpose of this is to get you used
to making the marks.

5 Next, practise the same cross-hatching I continued this below my original cross- an area’s appearance. The overlapping
marks but this time try to make as light a hatching so you can see the difference technique remains the same; the only
mark as you can. in appearance and how this may affect difference is your pressure.

2 I slowly built up feathering marks with

increasing pressure to show you how this
technique will look as a gradient.
Scratchboard
STIPPLING
Stippling is one of my favourite
techniques, but the downside is
that it can take a long time to build
up the textures. This technique
works great for animals’ eyes or
noses, and will be a key technique
when rendering the eye and nose
of the tiger next month.
1 Start by laying down a layer of
dots. Do this by tapping the end
of your X-Acto knife on the board.
Don’t press too hard; you want to
avoid gouging the board.
2 Next try to build up the layers by
filling in between the gaps that you
missed. For this exercise, fill up more
on the left-hand side than the right
so you can build up a gradient.
3 Finally, add those brightest
highlights by pressing down firmer, or
by pressing your knife into the board at
a slight angle. This will create brighter
marks on the farthest left-hand edge.
44 FEBRUARY 2024
Fur textures
The number of different fur textures
can be overwhelming at times so I
decided to concentrate the following two
exercises on the most common types of
fur I do: short fur and long fur. They
TOP TIP
Very rarely is fur perfectly straight
in wildlife. Try curving your marks
slightly to create a more realistic,
natural look.
SHORT FUR
The key to fur texture is layers. If you
want the fur to look realistic, you need
to create depth with layers.
1 Start by laying down light short fur
strokes in the direction you want your
fur to go. I find it is easier to pull the
X-Acto knife towards me instead of
pushing it away.
2 Next, layer more fur on top of
this layer, building up the depth. Try
pressing slightly harder with this layer
as fur will get brighter the closer to
the surface it becomes.
Pressure exercises
This final exercise is a good way to practise
pressure control, and in my opinion, is a
key skill to master with scratchboard. As
we are only using one tool, you will need
to learn to alter your pressure to create
the fainter fur, as well as the brightest
highlights. Try to create a line of lines at
45 degrees, slowly increasing your pressure
with each line. When you have created
will also be the type of fur we encounter
in the tiger next month. As you will see,
these techniques can be used for textures
outside of fur. For example, the short fur
(below) is a similar technique I would use
to create grasses in a field, and the long
fur (right) is the same as I would use to
create human hair. Feel free to experiment
with these techniques to create scenery
and portraiture.
3 Finally add those brightest
highlights. These can be done by
pressing even harder with your craft
knife, or by grouping your fur strokes
closer together.
your brightest mark, try to lighten your
pressure back and work your way back
to your lightest touch again. This is a
great way to build control. You can also
apply this pressure control technique
to the above exercises to help build up
your confidence. The key to fainter
marks is almost to let the weight of the
craft knife create the pressure needed
for the marks. LP
www.painters-online.co.uk
LONG FUR
Long fur is a bit more challenging than
short fur. The same technique applies when
it comes to layering, the only difference
really is the length of your stroke.

Red Eye Tree Frog, scratchboard, 8x10in. (20.5x25.5cm)

1 Start again with your lightest and

faintest pressure.
2 The technique is more freestyle when
I create long fur and I don’t pay too much
attention to getting every little fur stroke.
I include random flyaway strands to give
a more natural look. I tend to start adding
these in the second and third layers.
YOUR MATERIALS
X-Acto knife or craft knife
This is one of my go-to tools for all my
scratchboard pieces, and it is used in
every artwork I create. I use it with a
No. 11 blade to create fine lines in fur
textures and cross-hatching. I also use
the very tip of this tool for stippling, as
it can create small dots that can be built
up to make a smooth texture. You can
vary the pressure easily to create a very
faint mark or a very bright mark.
Essdee scraper tool
These tools for scratchboard art come
in a pack ready for you to create a
variety of textures. Having the ability
to replace or change the nibs quickly
for a new or different shape gives this
tool incredible versatility. The pointed
nib is great for stippling and faint lines,
whereas the curved nib allows for a
greater amount of ink to be scratched
off in one go, allowing for a broader and
brighter mark. I particularly use these
nibs when I want to create fainter fur
(blending into the background) or if
I need an area to be brighter than my
X-Acto tool will allow, for example, with
white fur or fur that’s catching the sun.
Tattoo needles
Tattoo needles are another go-to tool
of mine, but with the plethora of
different sizes and shapes, it takes a bit
of experimenting to find the shapes and
sizes that work best for your style of art.
The ones I use most are:
Round Liner (1RL) No. 1 is used for
Materials used (from left to right):
an assortment of tattoo needles; wire
brush; ink eraser pencil; small fibre-
glass brush; large fibre-glass brush;
Swann Morton scalpel; simple craft
knife; Slice craft knife (ceramic blade);
Essdee tool-blade; Faber-Castell Pitt
Artist pen; and wire wool
really thin strands of fur
Round Liner (7RL or 9RL) No. 7 or 9 is
used for thick soft fur or filling out larger
areas of cross-hatching or stippling
Weaved Magnum 5M1 is great for
creating base layers of fur quickly.
Fibreglass brush
This is another great tool for soft fur or
to fill out smooth areas of stippling quickly.
They come in two sizes that I have found,
and I use both types depending on the
size of the artwork being created.
Other tools that work well include: ink
erasers, fine grade sandpaper, steel wool,
microblading needles, sewing needles
and scalpels.
There are so many different tools
out there; give them a try and see what
you can create. Next month, I’ll take
you through the rendering of a tiger
on scratchboard.

3 Finally build up the depth and Conor Smith

brightness by adding more layers. The
lighter and fainter layers we added on
the first layer are still visible through the
thicker, brighter fur, and this helps to
give the impression of depth, and the fur
being farther away from the viewer’s
eye.
Conor is a wildlife artist who specialises in scratchboard. He is a member
with Signature Status of the International Society of Scratchboard Artists,
and was selected as one of the finalists for the prestigious David Shepherd
Wildlife Foundation’s Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023. Find him on Facebook
ConorsStudio, Instagram @conorsstudio, and at conorsstudio.com
Water-soluble ink

Have sketchbook, will travel

Part 1 How to choose the right media for your subject, by Tony Hogan.
This month, experiment with calligraphy pens and water-soluble ink

EXERCISE 1 Shipyard
W
hat motivates your selection of
media when there is such a vast The Camel Trail passes through my home town on Wadebridge. This is a nature trail used
range available to you today? and appreciated by walkers and cyclists throughout the year. Our morning dog walking
Is your decision determined by the route passes a storage and boat repair yard on the opposite side of the river. This was an
subject in front of you, or the effect you ideal candidate for pen work with its distinctive abundance of angles, shapes and forms.
are seeking? Perhaps you have a favourite
medium with which you are familiar, or
you enjoy experimenting with something
new to see what can be achieved.
In the following short series, I will be
looking at using a variety of sketching
tools that may be new to you, and how
and when they can be put to best effect.
This month, we will be experimenting
with flat-bladed calligraphy pens by Pilot
and water-soluble ink, which have proved
versatile, quick and easy to use when
I am out sketching, once I mastered basic
control and understanding of the pen.

MATERIALS
Calligraphy pens
There are four blade widths, from 1.5mm
to 6mm, which are conveniently colour
coded in the Pilot calligraphy pen range
I use. With practice, fine lines and a host
of alternative marks can be achieved with
them. The pens use cartridges bought
in packs of a single or mixed colours,
and the inks mix easily on the paper
for even more effects. I found that by
working with the 6mm pen I can achieve
an outstanding range of interesting and A photographic reference for the shipyard sketch
diverse marks.

Water-soluble ink
Working with water-soluble inks helps
you achieve different effects in terms
of flow and dilution, dependent on the
paper you choose. A hard surface paper
will restrict flow and dilution, whereas
a more absorbent paper will allow the
flow and dilution to create interesting
patterns. Experiment with what
works with you.

Paper
For the sketches shown in the following
exercises I used Hahnemühle Bamboo
paper in a block pad, approximately
12x16in. (30x40cm), which is easy to fit
in my art bag, although when indoors
I will often use Saunders Waterford. LP

Step 1
Using the Hahnemühle Bamboo pad on
a sketching easel and the 6mm Pilot pen
I quickly captured the dominant verticals
and shapes of the scene.
 Step 2
First drawn are the fine lines using the pen on its side then
further areas were developed using the water brush. The masts
were achieved with two vertical parallel lines touched with
a fine point water brush to give solidity.
Step 3
The stone effect of the retaining wall was created by lightly
dragging the pen’s blade vertically down on the textured paper
surface. I also established the river by touching with a water brush
the lower edge of the pen lines and flooding it into the paper.

Step 4
1 The shapes and masts of the various boats
are the dominant subject that captures the
eye, but the old, tumbling down shed is
important to hold the composition together.
2 Balancing the composition on the left are
two dark verticals that dominate the eye
line and the small dark shapes of the yacht’s
windows were drawn above.
Step 5
I developed the details that were
visually strongest and which added
to the overall work, but didn’t try to
incorporate every detail. The fence to
the left-hand side, with wild foliage in
front was added. It was tempting to
incorporate more detail to the mass
of trees behind the shipyard, however
I felt this would lead to a visual fight
between the enchanting mishmash of
shapes in the yard so I opted for simple
fine lines to represent the trees thus
allowing the more important features
to come forward.

Step 6
Returning to the warmth of my studio
where I reviewed the drawing, I noted
the foreground appeared too weak so
I added small representations of the
marshland grasses on the near side
of the river.

The finished sketch

Water-soluble ink

EXERCISE 2 Camel Trail

Further down the trail, winter trees clung to the sides of the
old railway cutting, while the remains of fallen autumn leaves The view
spread around their roots to create an artist’s visual delight. of the trail

Step 1
Making the first marks with a pen can be
daunting so I like to select a strong starting
point and go for it. Some days it works; other
days, it’s another piece of paper for the bin!

Step 2
Starting this work with the 3.8mm pen and black
ink I built up the dominant shapes created by the
twisting, gnarled old trees and the ivy climbing
their trunks. I worked my way through the scene,
adding the ground foliage, shaping its way as it
tumbled over the hill top. A shadowed area was
created with the use of the water brush.

Step 3
Switching to the 1.5mm pen and sepia-coloured ink, the
first representation of the fallen oak leaves was created.

Step 4
With the 6mm pen and black ink, the very dark areas of Cornish slate
showing through the leaves and foliage were drawn. Secondary tones
were developed by touching the ink lines with a water brush and
allowing the ink to flow. Additional tree shapes were added by drawing
with the 3.8mm pen, beginning at the trunks and twisting the pen as
the tree grew upwards to make the lighter marks for the upper twigs.

48 FEBRUARY 2024 www.painters-online.co.uk

Step 5
1 As I took in the background of
the view, a collection of evergreen
bushes and smaller trees were
visible clinging to the side of the
embankment. Then, in the far
distance at the end of the cutting,
far distant trees came into focus.
2 I added the small tree at the
far left-hand side of the picture
to hold the viewer’s eye. Then
tall grasses beneath this area
were drawn with the side (thin
edge) of the 6mm pen.
3 The brown autumn leaves at
the bottom of the embankment
were represented by wetting
sepia marks.
4 By using the water brush to
lift pigment from the tip of the
black ink pen, shadows were
added across the trail.

Step 6 Tony Hogan

Returning to the studio and reviewing the work I noted areas where
additional work needed to complete the stark early spring view
with dark bare winter trees. Although the cutting and embankment
had a lot more growth than I chose to depict, by only electing to
represent the strongest of these, I achieved the starkness and
early cool spring feeling I had experienced on the day.
Tony is an artist, tutor and demonstrator, who
also leads art holidays in Cornwall and Scarborough.
Find out more by visiting www.hoganart.co.uk email
admin@hoganart.co.uk or telephone 07888 852503

The finished sketch

 ENJOY LIVE
DEMONSTRATIONS
BY A RANGE OF
PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS
ALL FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME

DISTANT Tues 9 Jan 11am (UK time)

BOATS Learn how to paint natural,
WITH simple boats in the distance,
GRAHAME BOOTH in this live webinar with
Grahame Booth.
Tickets £15

LAYERED
PORTRAIT
WITH
LIZ CHADERTON

Tickets: £15

Wed 17 Jan 11am (UK time)

In this webinar with Liz Chaderton, explore
how to create a layered portrait by working
in layers on top of a cool underpainting.
 EXPLORING PASTELS
WITH ROBERT DUTTON

Tickets £15
This series of webinars is for artists of all abilities who want to explore
soft pastel techniques in very different ways. You will gain a real insight
into how to use the medium effectively to express your ideas, even if you
have never used the medium before.

Season’s change
Tues 23 Jan 2:30pm (UK time)

Getting to grips with greens

Tues 20 Feb 2:30pm (UK time)

BOOK TODAY
TO BOOK
SCAN ME

painters-online.co.uk/webinars
Soft pastels

Drama and light

Part 2 Having learned the basics from Greg Howard last month, join him
to put theory into practice and paint a dramatic scene of the Lake District

T
his demonstration shows you
how we as landscape painters
can sometimes become a bit too
preoccupied with the scene at the expense
of simply producing a fantastic painting.
It’s easy to focus on detail, especially when
we are painting an iconic scene, such as
the one we are tackling today. We do this
because we have been pre-conditioned
only to be happy with a perfect replica
of what we see in front of us and,
as a result, we completely forget that
painting landscapes is not supposed to
be about that at all. It’s about creating
something that tells a story and captures
the mood and atmosphere of a place. After
all, if you want to create perfect replicas,
why not just photograph the scene?
Your subject
Let’s have a go at painting one of the
English Lake District’s most iconic
scenes, but with one difference – I’m
not going to tell you where it is and
I’m not going to give you a reference
photo from which to work. Why am
I doing things this way? Well, if you
have no reference photograph to go
on and you don’t know where it is,
hopefully you will be encouraged to
concentrate more on the process of
producing a good painting than on
making it a recognisable place. LP

Demonstration Lake District

You will need

Surface
Canson Mi-Teintes
Touch, steel grey 431
11x15in. (28x38cm)
Unison pastels
White: G28
Pink: P5
Light: LT7
Reds: RE11, A14
Orange: O3
Dark: A49
Greys: G9, G4
Greens: GN35, GN13
Miscellaneous
Faber-Castell Pitt
black Artist pen
Faber-Castell black
pastel pencil
Razor blade

Step 1
First, here’s a very basic drawing as
a guide, which will give you enough
detail to place your subject correctly
on the paper, but hopefully not
enough to give away where the
scene is located.

Step 2
Let’s begin by adding colour to make
that empty sheet of paper a little
less daunting. Start by adding two
big lollipop shapes of white G28
surrounded by pink P5 then use LT7 to
soften the transition between them.
Step 3
Next, lay in brighter colours – A14, RE11
and O3 – applying these in a V-shape.
Basically, all you are looking to do here
is replicate the colours above and below.

TOP TIP
Depending on how your brain works
you may find this easier to do if
you work with the paper in portrait
format; in that way you can just put
in some big upwards pointing arrows.

Step 4
1 Start adding your dark tone, using
A49. Don’t press too hard when you are
adding this so that the grain of the
paper is still visible.
2 Try to use a lighter touch still when you
start applying the pastel to the left-hand
side of the picture so that you can see
the pink showing through.
3 Remember to take the dark colour
down into the red-orange area to help
blend the two areas together.
4 Finally, fill in the remaining V-shaped
area on the right using A49.

Step 5
1 Use a combination of blue and a grey here, ideally your grey will be as 2 Finally, very lightly lay in some
to fill in the top of the picture. If you close to the colour of the paper of the light pink you used in
have used the same colour of paper as you can make it. Step 2 over the top of that.
Soft pastels

Demonstration continued

Step 6 Step 7
Now it’s time 1 Next comes the blending. Blend the point of your V shapes and push
to apply
TIP top section a little and perhaps add from the left-hand side of the picture
complementary For this to work well a bit more of the light pink to indicate all the way across to the right-hand
colours and make sure you apply cloud formations. side. Repeat this a little farther down
more of the dark plenty of pastel, 2 Next, look at the bottom section of but this time start from the edge of
that we used especially on the the painting. For this to work correctly, the big lollipop shape. Then repeat at
previously, using bottom half of the there is a process to follow. Don’t worry; the bottom of the picture, going all
your greens and painting. it’s very simple. All you need to do is the way across the full length of the
the dark, A49. place two fingers just under the centre picture again.
Step 8
Next make a fist and rub firmly down
from the centre to the bottom of the
picture. Repeat this all the way across
from one side of the picture to the other
then lightly add a streak or two of white
G28 across the top of the blended area.

TOP TIP
If you find the pastel is not blending
smoothly, try again in the same
direction with a little more force.
If it still does not blend, you may
need to add more pastel.
Step 9
1 Finally, add a couple of small details:
a small black and white oblong then use
a black pastel pencil to add random wooden
sticks on the left-hand side of the painting.
Finally, add candy floss-like marks on the
end of those sticks.
2 To finish, use a razor blade to scratch a few
lines across the blended area at the bottom.

The finished painting Lake District, soft pastel on paper,

IN CONCLUSION
If you concentrate on the process of creating, rather than
becoming overwhelmed by trying to copy something exactly,
very often the result will look after itself. In this exercise, you
were encouraged to concentrate on laying in colours in a certain
pattern, it took away the pressure that comes with trying to
replicate iconic landscapes perfectly. And look what happened;
you still achieved a great result that captures that scene.
So, to produce fantastic, atmospheric landscape paintings,
very often all you need to do is to get your head out of the way
and just concentrate a little more on enjoying the process,
rather than creating a perfect copy of what’s in front of you,
whether that be out in the great outdoors itself or from
a photograph.
So here you have an iconic scene from the Lake District; in
this case, Lake Buttermere with Haystacks in the background.
11x15in. (28x38cm)
Greg Howard
Greg works in both watercolour and soft pastel and
in addition to hosting his own workshops in the Lake
District and online, he provides demonstrations and
workshops to art clubs and societies across the UK.
Greg offers online soft-pastel landscape workshops,
which cost £25 each. As a Leisure Painter reader use
the exclusive code – lp23-pastel-land-40 – to buy
lifetime access to a bundle of four for £60. Visit
https://greghoward.gallery/online-soft-pastel-workshops/
scroll to the bottom of the page for the bundle offer
and add the discount code.
Water-mixable oils

Just add snow

How to create a snow scene from a summer photograph and
make it into a successful greetings card, by the late Murray Ince

Your reference photograph for this project

W
hat makes a convincing snow
scene? Snow is every bit as
directional as light, the wind You will need
blows and pushes the snow before it, Surface Acrylic Rosemary & Co
drifting and building up against objects Stretched canvas or canvas White brushes
in its path. The front of a house with the board 12x16in. (30.5x40.5cm) Crimson Ivory filberts Nos. 8
breeze blowing in from one side or the Winsor & Newton Artisan Raw umber & 14
other will cause snow to build up more water-mixable oil Miscellaneous Ivory Rounds Nos. 8 & 2
on the side catching the wind while the Titanium white A flat palette Ivory flat No. 2
other side may not have any build up, Cobalt blue hue A kite shaped Ivory Rigger No. 0
whereas if there is no wind the snow falls Cadmium yellow pale painting knife Tree and Texture brush
straight down and may build up evenly, Permanent alizarin crimson (I mix my paint Series 32, 3/8in.
but once you start to show a directional Cadmium red hue with one of Old worn Round bristle
build up you must maintain it the same as Raw umber these) brush No. 2, 4 or 6
you would shadows falling across a scene. Payne’s grey A small old worn
From the photograph above we are flat brush
going to create a snow scene adding
just a touch of seasonal magic. LP
 Water-mixable oils

Demonstration Causeway Cottage

Step 1
1 Mix white, a little crimson and a
touch of raw umber acrylic to make a
dull pink and paint the canvas board
with it to kill the white of the canvas.
2 Using water-thinned cobalt blue
draw the main elements of the scene.
3 With varying shades of cobalt blue,
alizarin crimson and titanium white
roughly paint the sky using the
No. 14 filbert brush. Keep it darker in
the corners, and lighter and warmer
as you work your way down. By
scrubbing the paint roughly onto the
canvas, some of the underlying pink
primer will show through harmonising
the whole.
4 Paint the trees behind the cottage
using some of the darker sky mix
with the addition of extra blue and
crimson using the No. 8 filbert. Start
at the tops of the trees using the
tip of the filbert, pulling the paint
downwards. Use the Rigger and a
much darker and slightly wetted tree
colour mix to paint the suggestion
of trunks and main branches.

Step 2
1 Paint the tree behind the cottage with
the branches going upwards then curving
downwards like a weeping willow using a
lavender colour tending toward blue.
2 With the No. 8 Round, stipple the tree
in line with the road and its neighbour to
the right in a blue-grey made of cobalt
blue, alizarin and Payne’s grey, lightened
with a little white. With a darker tone
of the same colours stipple the darker
trees below.
3 Switch your attention to the branches
coming in from the right of the picture.
Using the Rigger and a slightly thinned dark
mix of Payne’s grey with a little raw umber
and blue, add the branches and twigs,
working carefully from thick to thin. The
paint should be just thinned enough to
flow off the brush without breaking up.
4 The suggestion of snow on the trees
behind the cottage and across to the right is
completed with pale pastel shades of blues
and lavenders. For the weeping birch,
use the Rigger and very pale blue, and follow
the form of the branches. For trees to the
right of this use the tip of the No. 8 Round
brush and slightly lightened blue-grey of
the original tree colour and touch in the
suggestion of snow on the foliage.
5 Add the tree to the right of the cottage
using the tree and texture brush and a
mid-tone of cobalt and white followed
by almost white pale blue.
6 Add the chimneys, using the
No. 2 flat. For the chimney stacks
mix raw umber with a little
cadmium red, making the small
façade on the right a little lighter
as the light is coming from the
right. If you intend to add smoke
coming from the chimneys,
remember not to put any snow
on the chimney brickwork.
Block in the brickwork first in
a mid-tone colour then add
darker touches of the brick colour
with the edge of the flat brush,
emulating courses of brickwork.
The chimney pots are raw sienna,
lightened with white with a little
cadmium red to make a pale
terracotta colour, slightly darker
on the left-hand side.
7 Block in the roofs and top of
the garden wall with very pale
lavender. On the main cottage
thatch, finish with long strokes
of the No. 8 Round at the same
angle as the left-hand edge of the
roof. Paint the snow on the small
extension roof and top of the
garden wall with the same basic
snow colour.
Water-mixable oils
Demonstration continued
Step 3
1 Using a slightly darker tone for the basic
lavender mix and the tip of the No 2 flat
brush paint the shadows of the decorative
elements of the thatch roof. Streak in
shading in lavender on the left of the
windows in the roof with softened edges,
and blend the two colours together where
they meet for a gradual transition from
shade into the lighter snow.
2 Add the cottage windows. For the upper
windows, mix Payne’s grey with a touch of
white. With the flat brush block in the dark
glass, being careful to go around the edge
of the snow. With a dark lavender mix, paint
the inside of the underside of thatch to the
left of the two upper windows. With a similar
shade of lavender using the Rigger and very
slightly wetted paint, add the wooden parts
of the windows. With a little lighter colour
add snow to the central glazing bars and
at the centre of the windowsills.
3 Mix cadmium yellow and white, paint
the three lower windows. Again, with
a mid-tone lavender, add the window
frames with the Rigger.
4 Paint the cottage walls with varying
tones of raw umber and white mixes using
the flat brush. Whilst these colours are
in use, continue to paint the garden
walls at left and right.
5 Paint the shrubs with a dark mix of
Step 4
1 Using a lightened tone of the lavender
grey and using the tree and texture brush
stipple on a mid-toned snow colour to all of
the shrubs. Where the little tree overlaps the
left-hand corner of the cottage leave
Payne’s grey, cobalt and a touch of
white using the No. 8 Round. Block in
the shrubs in front of the cottage;
continue this underneath the little wall
at the edge of the road.
6 With a light lavender blue continue to
block in the grassy triangle in front of
a darker area at the bottom so that when
we highlight the snow on the shrub in front
it creates another layer, light against dark.
2 With a mid-toned snow colour – again our
basic blue, crimson and white mix – stipple
the cottage. With the same colour mix,
paint the road. Allow some of the pink
underpainting to show through here
and there.
7 With a dark mix of Payne’s grey, a touch
of crimson and white, block in the triangle
in the bottom right of the scene.
on snow in shadow, try to leave gaps between
each layering to describe groups of snow-
coloured foliage in front of areas in shadow,
and finally with a little pure white stipple on
some highlights bearing in mind the direction
of light.
3 We will now paint
branches and twigs coming
in from the left, using the
same colours as we did for
the one on the right.
4 With a mix of raw umber,
white and the slightest
hint of crimson and the
small Round brush, very
gently add smoke coming
from the chimney pots.
The pillar box is painted
in mid-tone cadmium red
darkened with Payne’s
grey as it goes around
and away from the light.
Then add the letter slot,
an indication of the small
information plaque and
the cap of snow. Paint
the plinth in Payne’s grey,
adding a little snow to the
top edge of it.
5 Next add the rough area
of snow on the grass at
bottom left using a rough
old Round brush and
allowing the brushmarks
to break up in short
vertical strokes upwards
as grass would grow and
 Water-mixable oils

vary the tones of snow colours. With a little
yellow and white touch in yellow light on the
grass in front of the windows. While you have
these colours on the go and using one of the
darker shades, paint an indication of growth
in the bottom right-hand corner.
6 With a very pale blue add snow to the tops
of the branches of the two trees either side
of the painting. Then with pure un-thinned
titanium white apply highlights where we
think the light will catch and while we
are using pure white, we can put some
highlights on the tops of the wall, the post
box and anywhere else you believe might
catch the light fully.
7 Paler shades of lavender mixes need to be
added on the road to accentuate the tracks
left by passing vehicles, paying attention
once again to the linear perspective also
with the addition of some lighter snow.
Where the road goes around the corner,
we should also put some light across the
road against the dark shadow.
8 Finally, with the Rigger and mid-toned
lavender mix, paint the shadows of the tree
coming across from the right, falling across
the road and up the walls and roof of the
cottage bearing in mind how the shadow
might fall on these surfaces.

The finished painting Causeway Cottage, water-mixable oil on canvas board, 12x16in. (30.5x40.5cm)
Step 5
If you wish to paint scenes or designs to If you paint in a slightly different ratio, you scene, I had in mind to add the lettering so
produce your own greetings cards you have will lose a little of your original when it is deliberately left space in the sky, although
to think about the size of your original art cropped. Square paintings of course can be with hindsight, I would not have painted the
work. It needs to be in the same ratio as reduced to fit any size square card because branches of the tree at top right quite so
the rectangle that it will be printed on. You the ratio is maintained in reduction. For A5 far into the picture, however this is not too
can buy canvases and boards in A4 and A3 cards 12x16in. is close enough, and 10x14in. detrimental to the overall look. I photographed
sizes, which will of course reduce perfectly is very close indeed. my painting and using Publisher software on
for an A5 card as they are of the same ratio. When I worked out the layout of the above my computer I added a centred text box and
the lettering, choosing a seasonal red, which
picked up the red of the postbox, which
vagain added some warmth to the whole.
PRINTING YOUR CARDS
You can print your own cards using a computer and printer, however, the main
drawback with this is that very few home printers will take heavy enough paper
or card to enable the finished card to stand up without collapsing. Professional Murray Ince
printing services also use longer lasting quality inks. For many years now I have had This completes the publication of
mine printed by The Dandy Arthouse, a fantastic professional, friendly team, mail articles that the late Murray Ince
order print service. They can also print your designs on many other products as wrote for us before he died
well as A4 and A3 prints. https://www.thedandyarthouse.com/bespoke-printing/ at the beginning of the year.
The essential sketchbook

Waiting around
Brian Smith offers a host of hints and tips on how
to fill your sketchbook when you have time to spare

Figure 1 Wheel Change, 8¼x8¼in. (21x21cm) Figure 2 Animal Skulls, 8¼x8¼in. (21x21cm).
I used two fineliner pen sizes, the heavier
one to accent perimeters and to denote the
edges of overlapping planes, which, with
occasional hatching, helped clarify the
three-dimensional qualities of each subject

T
he common theme in my sketches
this month is that I had time to
kill, and I used it to capture
a record of my whereabouts. Some of
these sketches are pleasant reminders
of holidays; others are ostensibly
unmemorable occasions but compositions
that strike me as being worthy of record,
or at least, which have some entertainment
value in their execution. Unless I say
otherwise, the sketches were made in
a series of sketchbooks by Flying Tiger
(www.tstores.co), which measure 21x21cm.
Figure 1 (top left) shows Rob, the
mechanic I use, changing the discs on
my front wheels. I showed Rob in two
positions, and added a waiting car in the
foreground and the rammel associated with
his trade in the background, to complete

Figure 3 Lake Garda from Limone,

8¼x8¼in. (21x21cm). Reflections are made
less obvious by fast, light strokes, as is the
mooring post, which I understated so as
not to dominate the sketch
 The essential sketchbook

Figure 4 Sant Agnello, Sorrento,

8¼x8¼in. (21x21cm). I paid cursory
attention to the position of the vanishing
point, aggravated by a sudden kink to
the right in the railway track, immediately
beyond the point at which I stopped
drawing it. This threw the overhead
spower lines out of sync

the composition. A range of fineliner

pen lines add a visual hierarchy and isolate
individual elements, for greater clarity.
Figure 2 (left) was a sketch made in the
same visit to Rob. He has a fascinating
collection of animal skulls in a tree by his
garage, gathered over years of moorland
walks, which made a great subject and
passed the time.

Foreign visits
For the sketch in Figure 3 (below left)
I used a spirit-based sepia Zig pen,
which can be made to give a variable line,
depending on the speed of the stroke and
pressure. It shows a view across Lake
Garda from the jetty at Limone, where
we found ourselves at the head of the
queue for the next ferry. The hatching
alludes to the form of the buildings and
a few wavey lines describe the water.
Marks from a spirit-based pen can bleed
if you delay with any stroke, which
affects the image and ruins the reverse
side for future sketches, so be quick!
Standing on a platform in Sant very much a rush job, as the train was leaving nursery, the value is probably
Agnello, Sorrento, waiting for the train imminent. It’s well worthwhile taking more in what is learned during the
to Herculaneum, provided the subject on time-trial challenges like this; they execution of the task, than in the outcome.
for Figure 4 (above right). I used the focus the eye and the brain, encouraging
ubiquitous fineliner for setting out an analytical attitude to observation and Perspective
and a 6B Pilot Croquis clutch pencil recording, and often a no-frills outcome. The Poultry Cross, Salisbury in Figure 5
for all the pencil work, in this single- Like the work with which your child or (below) is a double-page spread which cost
point perspective view. The sketch was grandchild proudly presents you when me two cups of coffee, to justify occupying

Figure 5 The Poultry Cross, Salisbury, 8¼x16½in. (21x42cm). My low-level view and perhaps the general topography has made the
seated figures under the Cross taller than those standing beyond
 Figure 6 The Bibliotheque, Nicosia, 8¼x8¼in. (21x21cm). Take time to study how I have selectively used colour or tone (or neither –
just white paper) to describe content, according to which I felt was most appropriate to each task, rather than the wholesale use
of both, which can limit your ability to describe

Figure 8 Shopping Aisle, Meadowhall , 3¼x11in. (8x28cm). Here is another single point perspective. Having a form of notation
for figures helps to get the scene populated and looking like a shopping centre
 Figures 7a, b and c Interiors, Meadowhall
Shopping Centre , 3x8in. (7.5x20cm) each

an outdoor seat long enough to make

the line-and-wash sketch. The image
looms over me slightly because
I was seated and close to it, which adds
interest. The hexagonal Cross has several
vanishing points to contend with, and
I only approximated the pitch of different
planes, keeping aware of the need for a low
horizon, to help me. I let white paper and
a number of tones of earth colours help
me to describe the planes of the Cross.
The restaurant table in Figure 6 (left) is
a mixed-media study; an outdoor scene
completed mostly while we waited for
a meal and after we’d eaten. The drawing
was made with a black Zig pen, which
gives a pleasingly consistent line thickness,
overlaid with selected hatched tone from
my trusty 6B Croquis pencil, and finished
with watercolour notes from a Winsor
& Newton Sketchers’ box of 12 colours,
which are squeezed from tubes and vary
a little from the standard issue colours.
Very occasionally, but not here,
I supplement these colours with a tube
of titanium white gouache, which I find
is the most opaque white and therefore
gives me the widest options.

Other surfaces
In a positive nod to the impromptu , the
three fineliner sketches in Figures 7a, b
and c (right) were made on the back of
shopping receipts. Working at such a tiny
scale is an interesting challenge, given
the high content in each subject. I visited
different cafés on separate days to make
them, having hopefully pulled my weight
on the shopping and left my wife to
make some purchases for herself.
They are far from long exercises,
which was helpful. My architectural
background helps with setting out
basic shapes, making lines straight and
consistent, understanding the appropriate
perspective rules at work, developing
shorthand for certain pieces of information
(including figures), and spotting the main
constituents of three-dimensional form;
all of which can be learned and improved
with practice.
Figure 8 (left) was generated in similar
circumstances. I made sure a vantage point
of interest was available to me in a seating
area, before buying coffee. It’s important
to consider the practicalities – space,
a support, and a degree of privacy. The
verticals are a little out of kilter, but apart
from that the sketch is reasonable. I used
hatching selectively to add information
and explanation to the sketch, and figured
some typography here and there to reflect
the retail flavour of the scene.

Sitting around
Sitting in the opticians’ waiting room,
while my wife received attention, provided
the subject for Figure 9 (right). This sketch

Figure 9 Opticians, Asda , 8¼x8¼in.

(21x21cm)
 Figure 10 Waiting for the Ferry, Capri, 8¼x16½in. (21x42cm). I tend to include all the paraphernalia of life that I see before me,
which has perhaps taken a little of the romance out of this scene, but so be it

Figure 11 The Riverside at Henley, 8¼x16½in. (21x42cm)

was hurriedly slashed out, with half an
eye on the two vanishing points at work:
one just inside the right-hand edge, and
the other so far off to the left that its
influence on the ceilings and bulkhead
features is hardly noticeable. I am often
not strict about the influence of linear
perspective, but being aware of the factors
at play helps to inform my observation
and ensures there are usually no obvious
contradictions or other nonsenses in the
drawing, though this sketch has fared
worse than some.
I made the sketch in Figure 10 (above top)
while we waited three quarters of an hour
for a ferry to arrive, and as I recall, we
may have had to disembark at the eleventh
hour, earning us a crossing by hydrofoil
instead of the scheduled boat. I dealt with
much of the description of shadows and
planes in general, using hatching. Looking
through half-closed eyes tends to flag up
the true values of the most important
elements.
Finally, the line-and-wash riverside scene
in Figure 11 (above) is another rushed-off
impression, which hopefully shows the
atmosphere of the day. There is a simplistic
ink line drawing under this, and the
watercolour overlay hopefully describes
the key elements. The foreground tables
conform with the correct perspective
in a rudimentary way; the water looks
wet, thanks largely to the reflections; the
buildings in the distance are busy, with
their chief architectural forms and colour
schemes alluded to; the greenery is varied
and unspecific, but frames the water; and
the people are nondescript, with minimal
colour notes, so as not to dominate.
I hope you can spend time studying
these techniques and perhaps add some
to your own working practice. LP
Brian Smith
Brian is a professional artist and
demonstrator who runs watercolour
courses at his Sheffield base as well as
troubleshooting ‘surgeries’ in all media
for art societies. To find out more or
to buy Brian’s work, contact him by
email at brian66artist@hotmail.co.uk
or follow him on Facebook at
Brian Smith Artist Sheffield.

Down by the canal
Follow Richard Holland’s thought processes and practices as he turns
a potential plein-air sketch into a finished painting back in the studio
I
n this article we will be looking
at four plein-air oil sketches done
on location in Birmingham and
the Chester canal. We will be going
through the merits of each sketch and
why I chose the sketch I did to help me
produce a finished studio painting. We
will then look at the process of putting
this studio painting together.
Initial oil sketches
The four sketches I completed
were based round Gas Street Basin in
Birmingham and the city centre canal
scenes of the network around Chester.
All of these sketches look at reflections,
locks and associated industrial and
canal-based buildings. My usual source
of sketching inspiration tends to be
local landscapes so it was interesting
to paint the buildings and water
reflections you see in this article.
I like the feel of Gas Street Basin
(below) but most of the painting’s
information sits around the centre
third of the painting, although the eye
is naturally led in the direction of the
canal boats and the bridge arch. The
background seemed quite hazy on the
day and I captured this effect through
the glazes I used to push back the
building you see on the left. I wasn’t
sure that this sketch would lend itself
to a studio painting.
I like the reflections in Chester
Boat Yard (below right), which are
interesting and fill the bottom part
Gas Street Basin, oil on art board, 10x12in. (25.5x30.5cm)
Oil
RICHARD’S TOP TIP
FOR PERSPECTIVE
When looking at a view,
consider where the
horizon or eye level falls.
In this scene my eye level
sits towards the hills in
the distance, way above
the railway bridge and
the city beyond. This is
the key to achieving the
effect of looking down
over the canal.
Painting en plein air
in front of the scene
of the painting. There doesn’t seem to The second Chester Canal (over the
be a definite lead in and the focal point page) appeals to me most. This scene
– the small boat – is a little too far to the was viewed from a high point (see
right although you are drawn through photo above), looking down each of the
the yard itself to the light beyond. locks and beyond. It has an interesting
Again, I like Chester Canal and Tower foreground, mid-ground and distance,
(over the page), but I felt that the lock and the interpretation of Chester in the
gate and lock dominates the painting. distance and Welsh mountains appeals.
I like my lead in and vanishing point The lead in runs through the painting
on this one, but the lock gates stop and beyond the railway bridge that
the viewer’s eye dead. punctuates it a little.
Chester Boat Yard, oil on art board, 10x12in. (25.5x30.5cm)
Oil

The main reason for choosing the Chester Canal

fourth sketch for my studio painting is and Tower, oil on
that I love the viewpoint, looking down art board, 10x12in.
onto most of the subject matter in the (25.5x30.5cm)
scene. I also like the distance I achieved
in the painting through a limited
painterly mid-ground and the glazes
used for the Welsh mountains in the
distance. I also feel the stepping down
of each lock to the railway bridge with
all the perspective issues this brings
makes this sketch work for me. LP Chester Canal, oil on art board, 12x10in. (30.5x25.5cm)

Demonstration Chester Canal

The key difference between producing plein-air sketches
and more finished studio work is the drying time. I allow
each layer to dry as I build the painting up in the studio,
which allows me to be more precise with my mark making
and allows the marks placed on the mid-tones to come
through at the end of the painting. I still want to create
a loose painting, but it needs to look more considered and
precise. I begin by applying heavy modelling paste randomly
then, once dry, I buff in raw sienna as my underpainting.

You will need

Surface Wallace Seymour oil paints
Art board Raw sienna Indigo
20x16in. Alizarin Naples
(51x40.5cm) crimson yellow deep
Rosemary & Co Cadmium red Yellow ochre
brushes Venetian Cadmium
Short flats rose flesh yellow
Nos. 2, 4, 6, Ultramarine Lemon yellow
8 & 10 blue deep Burnt umber
Pointed Round Cobalt blue Burnt sienna
No. 0/2 King’s blue Salford grey
Buff titanium (Payne’s grey)
Miscellaneous
Wallace Seymour
Co-Co Bello thinner
Winsor & Newton
Modelling Paste

Step 1
1 I started the painting by sketching the scene using
a pointed Round brush. This was the only time I used
a Round in this painting. When drawing with a brush
you may find yourself less inclined to fiddle; it also
helps you to keep the painting loose.
 RICHARD’S TIP ON MARK-MAKING
Don’t use a pointed Round for fine details.
I always find the nice sharp edge of a newish
short flat helps me to apply all the detail
I need, sometimes working side on if necessary.

Step 2
I followed this almost immediately by blocking in
the mid-tones using cobalt blue, king’s blue and white
for the sky, and grey-greens for the distant hills. The
greens were made from French ultramarine and raw
sienna or Naples yellow to create aerial perspective.

TIP
Keep blocking in simply with a large brush,
as long as you can still differentiate between
each separate shape of the painting through
slight changes in colour. Remember, some
of this layer will be inherited in the finished
painting so make sure it’s dark enough.

Step 3
1 The mid-distance was a multitude of
relatively dark random blocks and shapes
that I built up layer by layer to create the
distant cityscape. The colours I used for this
were slightly deeper greens using cadmium
yellow, French ultramarine and a tiny bit
of alizarin crimson.
2 The building shapes were burnt sienna
and umber then the foreground was left dark
in feel with no details on the locks or the
railway bridge other than the basic shapes.
The trees and houses were blocked in, in a
similar set of colours, and the dark canal lock
interior was a French ultramarine and burnt
sienna mix to make a very dark grey-black.
3 The houses on the right were painted in
a mucky grey mainly by adding white to the
black mix made above. All was painted
using my largest flat brush, a No. 10.
4 The main difference between my quick
sketches and studio work is that I can let
all the mid-tones dry before I start to
work it up in the studio.
5 Starting with the sky and distance, I went
over lightly with a paler cobalt blue and white
mix and I added a tiny amount of rose flesh
to warm the sky a little.
6 The distant hill was glazed with a lighter
blue-grey mix to push the hills back whilst
still keeping the soft horizon line.
7 The mid-ground was painted with loose
brushmarks of the No. 8 flat, applied to give
the impression of trees and buildings in the
distance. For this I lightened up the burnt
sienna and white, and made the greens
from French ultramarine, yellow ochre and
a tiny bit of cadmium yellow and white.
 The finished painting Chester Canal, oil on art board, 20x16in. (51x40.5cm)
Step 4
1 As I started to look at the details in the
foreground I used the sides of my short
flats to achieve the details on the railway
bridge railings and tracks, and on the
fence and railing work on the locks.
2 Greens mixed from cadmium yellow
and lemon yellow to cobalt blue were
then added to the trees.
3 I added a mix of buff titanium and
Venetian rose flesh to create the feel
of sunlight hitting the paving. I made initial sketch that interested me
sure my brushmarks ran left to right was the graffiti on the bridge so
to keep the path flat. I added quick marks to achieve
4 The water in the lock was a very the same effect.
distinctive colour so I used raw
sienna, burnt sienna and white
here. I kept the mid-tones on Richard Holland
the lock gates and added a few
Find out more about Richard and his work by
splashes of grey for interest.
visiting www.richardhollandlandscapeartist.co.uk
5 One of the touches in the
COMING NEXT MONTH
From painting landscapes, flowers and more in oil, watercolour and acrylics, to filling
sketchbooks and producing images of wild animals on scratchboard, there’s something ON SALE
for everyone in next month’s issue. Follow Steve Strode’s 30-day challenge, begin a 16 January
colourful art journal or simply be inspired to complete beautiful paintings (digital)
19 January
(print)
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MARCH ISSUE
O Can you finish Steve Strode’s
30-day challenge?
O Scratchboard step by step
O Find colour and interest in
winter landscapes
O Easy-to-follow techniques for
bright and beautiful acrylics
O Creative ideas and top tips for
filling your sketchbook
O Winter landscapes and themes,
step by step from photographs
V Join Elena Parashko at her easel as she in oil, watercolour and acrylics
paints an orchid in all its beauty, step by step O How to use painting knives
with traditional oil paints
Colin Joyce Ardvreck Castle, oil on board,
10x12in. (25.5x30.5cm). Colin demonstrates O Be inspired by art journalling,
how to use painting knives and much more!

V Linda Birch
demonstrates
the painting of
local winter
scenes in a
variety of
media

Liz
Chaderton
begins a short
series on
developing
skills with an
illustrated
journal

V Steve Strode Out of the Blue, oil,

4x8in. (10x20cm)

Follow Sharon Tiernan as she

W

discusses and demonstrates how to

paint with bright and beautiful acrylics

Order your next copy from www.painters-online.co.uk/store or telephone 01778 395174

 SUMMER
T
his summer we invited
readers to enter our
celebration of landscape
painting and the launch of
Tim Fisher’s latest book,
Palette Knife Painting in Acrylics.
Judged by Tim Fisher, our lucky
winner received an original
painting by Tim and a copy of
his book, and four runners up
received a copy of his book

THE RUNNERS UP
Julie Powell The Gardener’s Shed, gouache and ink
on 270gsm Cold-pressed paper, 12 x9in. (30.5x23cm).
‘I am a life-long painter and sketcher. After retiring
from a long teaching career, I finally had time to
indulge in my passion. Most of my sketching and
painting happens during travels with my photographer

FIRST PRIZE
husband in the UK or Europe and I enjoy keeping
illustrated travel journals.
‘I especially enjoy recording interesting little
corners, such as seen in The Gardener’s Shed. This
painting was done on Lindisfarne during a lovely
warm and sunny week last September. It is the
Sheila Cunningham Corfu Trail, gouache, 11½x8¼in. gardener’s tiny little shed within the Gertrude Jekyll
(29x21cm). ‘I was inspired to paint this scene following my garden at Lindisfarne Castle. I was attracted to the
first visit to Corfu in May this year. I was amazed by the bronze fennel growing around the shed.’ Follow Julie
on Instagram on BluStorkStudio1 and see more of
variety and quantity of wildflowers growing on the coast her paintings on the
path, known as the Corfu Trail, along with the exotic looking Painters Online gallery.
cacti and the calm backdrop with Albania in the distance. Tim Fisher says:
‘The discovery of
‘I have been painting for many years and most recently this tranquil little
have been interested in landscapes inspired by travels corner on Lindisfarne
at home and abroad. I enjoy experimenting with oil and has led to a very
accomplished painting
watercolour but always seem to come back to gouache as of a subject that many
it suits my painting style and lends itself to kitchen-table would just pass by. I
particularly like the
painting with limited space and time.’ way the dappled light
Tim Fisher says: ‘This painting immediately stood out plays on the shed and
the objects in the
for me with its bright, clean colours that give the work a foreground and I felt
feeling of peace and tranquillity. I like the way Sheila has that the rendering of
the plants and foliage
handled the paint to create a very pleasing composition. have been carried out
Congratulations, Sheila.’ especially well.’
LANDSCAPE COMPETITION
THE PRIZES

Tim Fisher Evening Light, Bamburgh, acrylic on board,

PLUS
Four runners-up prizes
12 x16in. (30.5x40.5cm) and Tm Fisher’s latest book
Palette Knife Painting in Acrylics – won by Sheila Cunningham
of Tim’s new book

Loraine North, Beautiful Lake
District, 12 x12in. (30.5x30.5cm)
Tim Fisher says: ‘This work
has a pleasing slightly abstract
quality to it. The texture of the
paint and the colours chosen
have been exploited fully to give
a real feeling for the moody
atmosphere and rugged texture
of the mountainside.’
Stephen Kelly Steady Number, acrylic,
8x8¾in. (20.5x22cm). ‘I tend to paint in
watercolour but thought I’d give acrylic a
whirl for this competition. I enjoy painting
scenes of nostalgic times and this seemed
an ideal subject of a back-breaking task.’
Find more of Stephen’s paintings in his gallery
at Painters Online.
Tim Fisher says: ‘I think the artist has
handled this subject really well; a study of a
farmer scything in the immediate foreground.
The figure is well seen, with the correct
posture and a facial expression that denotes
one who is experienced in the task in hand.
It is a good composition with the person
offset from the centre of the painting, nicely
balanced by the farmhouse and swirling
smoke in the distance.’
Jean Briers, Memories, oil with palette knives,
11¾x15¾in. (30x40cm). ‘I’m a self-taught artist
mainly painting in watercolour but occasionally
I dabble in oils. This painting was inspired by
a wonderful holiday my husband and I spent
touring Southern Ireland in our camper van. I
took lots of photos of the spectacular scenery;
that’s my reason for calling it Memories.’
See more of Jean’s paintings in her gallery at
Painters Online and follow her on Facebook and
Instagram @briersart
Tim Fisher says: ‘The thing that first attracted
me to this work by Jean is the wonderful
colours that have been used, especially to
describe the distant mountains and their
reflections in the tarn. The clever use of
composition and the way the paint is applied
give a real sense of depth to this work.’
 Online gallery
Jane Stroud’s selection of works from our Painters Online gallery
WWW.PAINTERS-ONLINE.CO.UK
V David Frampton Lady, coloured pencil, 10x6½in. (25.5x16.5cm)
D avid Frampton tells us about his
enduring love of art, and of drawing
in particular. His coloured-pencil
drawing of his dog, Lady, was based
on a number of photographs taken to
best capture her curls and personality.
To see more of David’s work, post a
comment or upload your own image,
visit www.painters-online.co.uk
‘Art has always been part of my life.
I was born and raised in Guernsey
and even at a young age I was always
drawing. I was given a How-to-draw-
animals book by my parents in the late
‘50s which I was very excited about and
I spent many hours trying to draw them.
As time went on, I became interested in
architecture and hoped to become an
architect, but it didn’t work out. I later
gained a BA at art college before moving
on to the Royal College of Art, where I
majored in furniture design.
‘This was to be an amazing job for me
and one that has seen me through to
my retirement. During this time art took
a back seat due to work commitments,
but I still managed to do some sketching
while on holiday in Guernsey and around
the UK. Now into retirement, drawing
and painting is playing a major part in my
life again. Guernsey is an inspiring place
for artists and although I now live in a
beautiful part of East Yorkshire, I still
return when I can, and have had some
success selling some of my sea and boat
paintings in watercolour through Sula
Gallery on the island.
‘Leisure Painter came to my knowledge
at this time, so I signed up for a
subscription and am still enjoying it.
The magazine also introduced me to the
Patchings Festival and I have enjoyed
going there over the years and have
also had paintings selected for the
exhibition with some of them being
highly commended. Over the past few
years, I’ve challenged myself with trying
out new methods, such as batik and
scratchboard. Batik was very challenging
but fun to do, and I have really fallen
for scratchboard, but my go-to medium
is always pencil. There is just so much
you can do with them, from light to dark
graphite to endless coloured pencils.
‘A few years ago I bought a box of 120
Faber-Castell Polychromos coloured
pencils and have used them endlessly.
So, this brings me to my drawing of my
little dog, Lady. I had taken quite a few
photos and chose this view of her as it
shows her beautiful curls in her fur and
her long ears and her bright eyes. I chose
a coloured paper which had similar tones
to her fur and various coloured pencils
including white, schwarz black, brown
ochre, burnt ochre and cinnamon, plus
orange glaze. I used various greys to give
depth to the drawing. The eyes were very
important, so I started with them; get
them right and the drawing will come to
life. I used white gouache in places to
add highlights.’
To advertise your holiday, course or business call Jayne Notley now on 01778 391189

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situated in beautiful countryside
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 ENJOY EVEN MORE
OF WHAT YOU LOVE
WITH A STUDIO
MEMBERSHIP

• Watch over 100 video demonstrations by

professional artists, with two new videos monthly

• Read past digital issues of The Artist and Leisure

Painter magazines, plus enjoy early access to
every new issue

• Create online mood boards with all the content

from Painters Online that inspires you

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How to complete a mixed-media

painting of guinea fowl on Khadi paper
with Kerry Bennett - Studio video

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 Books
WHAT TO READ THIS MONTH
Visit www.painters-online.co.uk/store and click Watercolour,
on the link to books to buy the latest practical art inks and
mixed media
books available from LP’s online bookshop.

Wildflowers
Best known for her ground-
breaking 18-foot Herbarium
Specimen painting, displayed
at Kew Gardens, botanical
artist, Rachel Pedder-Smith
trained at the Royal College
of Art, London. Recognising Lively animal painting
the difficultly many artists Painting Artist and tutor, Jo Allsopp is passionate
face when drawing using about painting wildlife. In her loose and
flowers accurately and template contemporary style, she shows beginners
outliness
placing them within how to tackle the often difficult job of
a composition, she has capturing animals in paint using innovative
created the RHS Wildflowers and dynamic techniques. A section on
The Watercolour Art Pad, exploring inspiration and motivation is
which allows you to create followed by short, practical exercises to help
wildflower paintings using you loosen up. Close-ups of Jo’s painting
template outlines, each of techniques, with a specific emphasis on
them printed on art-quality drawing, will encourage you to have a go
watercolour paper. The book yourself. There are three pure watercolour
includes step-by-step tutorials on techniques and each outline includes projects and nine projects incorporating
a finished painting for you to copy plus a recommended colour palette mixed media – each of them provides well
from the artists. The book is the perfect way for beginners to get started illustrated step-by-step examples to help you
in this delicate and popular genre. develop your own style.
RHS Wildflowers The Watercolour Art Pad by Rachel Pedder-Smith. Mitchell Beazley, Loose and Lively Animals in Watercolour, Inks & Mixed
(p/b), £16.99. Media by Jo Allsopp. Search Press, (p/b), £15.99.
Published on 31 December but available to pre order.

Paint 50
Paint 50 Watercolour Animals by Marina Bakasova
is the first title in a new beginners’ series that
teaches you how to paint popular subjects by
simplifying them into shapes, lines and colours.
The book focuses on a range of animals – from
household pets to wild creatures, including
meercats and monkeys. There are 50 watercolour
projects included and each of them can be From shapes
completed in just seven steps. No prior knowledge to convincing
is needed, so these books are ideal for complete paintings
beginners and each of the projects come complete
with a line drawing provided at full size so it’s ready
to copy or trace.
Penny Brown’s Paint 50 Watercolour Flowers is
based on the same structure, with step-by-step
projects to complete a range of flowers, from roses
to orchids. As before, full-size line drawings are Paint 50: Watercolour Animals by Marina Bakasova. Search Press, (p/b), £12.99.
supplied so that you can get painting straight away. Paint 50: Watercolour Flowers by Penny Brown. Search Press, (p/b), £12.99.
 Art clubs
OVER TO YOU FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON
CLUB EXHIBITIONS AND ACTIVITIES
COMMENT
The artist’s perspective:
to show or not to show
By David E. Norris
It’s that time of year when many an art
club holds an exhibition of members’
recent work. Some are held in church
halls, some in village halls and some
in municipal art galleries, but for a
growing number of artists, the question
now is not what to show, but whether
to show at all. That is because there
is a growing feeling that the attitude
towards amateur painters is changing.
There really does seem to be an
intangible perception that those who
previously worked hand-in-glove with
art clubs now look upon them as a
source of revenue rather than a strand
of our cultural heritage as was evident
when regional arts councils handed out
grants to prominent art groups.
David Norris inspects the works on
V
show at his local art club exhibition
For many a club the annual exhibition
is the main focus of committee
meetings. Who will be responsible for
selecting the pictures to go on show?
Who can check that all submitted work
is correctly framed and labelled? Who
will organise the printing of a catalogue
and who can we ask to be the guest of
honour to open the exhibition?
It is quite a complex organisational
project, but it is also one which
strengthens the link between a club
and the local community, between the
art gallery which is publicly owned and
a future art appreciating audience.
But imagine what happens when, say,
your local municipal art gallery first
increases the rental charge for the
hire of the gallery, introduces parking
charges and increases its commission
to 340-per-cent for each picture sold.
At that point a whole host of puzzling
questions arise.
Not many amateur artists count
economics as part of their skills set
other than realising that when it comes
to putting a price on their work it should
be at the point where the price a client
is prepared to offer matches the cost
of producing that picture in the first
place. For many an amateur painter,
that’s a tricky question. Your local show
is not being held at Sotheby’s and you
are not L. S. Lowry. A quick look down
the catalogue of our last exhibition
showed that out of 71 paintings on view,
the least expensive was on sale at £35;
one third of them were on offer for
less than £100 and another third were
listed between £100 and £200. Only
six were on sale for more than £200.
When asked who they expected to visit
the show, the overwhelming response
was just one group – namely family
and friends and the disposable income
of an aunty Audrey and uncle Jim was
nowhere near that of any footballer’s
wives.
There was a time when the regional
newspaper reviewed the show. Not
anymore. There was a time when art
dealers were invited but they never
showed up and there was a time when
the gallery itself bought paintings to
include in the permanent collection
but now their brief is to earn money
rather than spend it. Interestingly,
13 of the paintings (almost 20-per-
cent) were labelled as not for sale.
Why? The answer was pride. Just as
some members declined to submit
anything because they thought that
they had not reached a standard that
they thought should grace their local
gallery, so others realised that the cost
of producing their work was way out of
kilter with what they could reasonably
expect to get from its sale. That to them
was not worth the candle!
Simon had enlisted on a two-day
seascape painting workshop. He had
thought about asking £80 for the
lighthouse painting that he did even
though the course alone had cost
far more than that. Roberta’s flower
painting was a blaze of colour. She
liked to apply thick layers of oil paint
all over the canvas, especially yellows
and oranges. Indeed, she had used two
tubes of cadmium yellow and they cost
£25 each. Was it worth £60 she mused,
and then thought against it. Mary’s
large oil landscape had taken five weeks
to paint. The stretched duck canvas was
of the highest quality and the picture
framer had charged her £50. Even if she
dared to ask £200 for it, she realised
that she would end up with substantially
less than half the cost price once
commission had been deducted. Nick’s
etching was even less cost effective. He
attended an etching class which cost
£40 for a day’s tuition. His zinc plate
had taken at least three sessions to
etch. He reckoned that a realistic asking
price for his selected print could be no
more than £50 even though the frame
itself cost £25.
Each one of these examples was
the work of a competent artist.
Unfortunately, they were not a well-
known ‘named’ artist and therefore they
realised that unless their work struck
a deeply significant or personal chord
with anyone, it was better kept as a
personal triumph and no more.
It didn’t seem to be a satisfactory
state of affairs, but then that is what
many an amateur artist does anyway.
We would be interested to hear what
our readers think about David’s views.
Email us at jane@tapc.co.uk with your
thoughts.
NEWS
Freestyle stitching
Art club member, Cherry
Ferris reports on a recent club
demonstration with a difference:
‘As the nights close in and Harriet Riddell

V
thoughts turn to staying indoors freestyle stitching
and keeping warm, the Sidmouth
Society of Artists and the Exmouth W Harriet’s freestyle
stitch portrait of club
Art Group’s Zoom team were member, Mel Bettridge
super excited to launch the start
of their joint winter programme
with something quite different
and inspirational! We hosted slums of Nairobi to the tea fields
the wonderfully talented textile of the Himalayas – and has
performance artist, Harriet Riddell, covered subjects such as
who has swapped paint brushes trains, launderettes and
for thread, and uses her sewing even bus stops. Her
machine to draw free-style in stitch. canvases are as radical
‘Originally from Oxfordshire, as her wonderfully
Harriet studied contemporary refreshing approach
applied arts at the University of to art, comprising
Hertfordshire before moving to her saris, NHS uniforms,
Clapham studio in London and she lost-and-found
can be found regularly at Greenwich materials, laundry
market stitching portraits of bags, and even face
the public. She treated us to a masks. It was one
wonderful afternoon of slideshows, interesting, inspirational
anecdotes and a freestyle life and motivational
portrait of one of our members, afternoon!’
Mel Bettridge (right), in just 25
minutes.
‘Harriet’s surprising ad hoc For more information about Harriet
workspaces have included and her work, visit
challenging locations – from the https://institchyou.com/
Don’t’ forget
to invite visitors to your
exhibitions to vote for their
favourite painting in the show.
Send us details and a high-
Demonstrations resolution image of the winning
Brighouse Art Circle painting and we will publish it in
Popular tutor and The Artist contributor, Paul Talbot- a future issue of Leisure Painter.
Greaves will give a demonstration to the Brighouse For more information email
Art Circle on 15 February at 7pm at Waring Green jane@tapc.co.uk
Community Centre, Brighouse HD6 2AX.
For more information contact Sue on 01422 206697
or 07789 103404, visit their Facebook page or email
brighouseartcircle@yahoo.co.uk
How you can join in
Sidmouth Society of Artists Leisure Painter welcomes art exhibition listings, profiles,
On Thursday 22 February, at 2pm artist and events, letters and news. Email jane@tapc.co.uk if
The Artist contributor, Ray Balkwill will give an art you would also like to participate in our best in show
appraisal of work by members of the Sidmouth feature and have your club’s winning work included in a
Society of Artists. The appraisal takes place at a forthcoming issue of Leisure Painter. Arrange for voting
new venue for the society at the Conservative Club, to take place at your next club exhibition then email
Radway Place, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 8TL. Entrance Jane a jpeg of the chosen painting. We can only accept
is free for members; £3 for visitors. Refreshments are sharp, high-resolution (300dpi) images for reproduction
available. For more information visit purposes. Attach details of the artist, title, medium and
www.sidmouthsocietyofartists.com dimensions, along with details of the club itself.

ART CLUB
CHALLENGE
February painting
challenge
If you would like a chance to
see your work published here,
take part in next month’s
challenge, which invites you to
paint a picture on the theme
of Winter Trees. These can
be sketched from life or from
the comfort of your home
looking out of a window, or
use photographs that you
have taken yourself while out
for a winter’s walk. Send your
image to jane@tapc.co.uk
by 10 January, titled Leisure
Painter Winter Tree Challenge
for your chance to feature in a
forthcoming issue.
Exhibitions
QCookham Arts Club
Spring exhibition at Pinder Hall, Cookham
Rise, SL6 9EH, from 1 to 3 March. Open
Friday, 2 to 6pm; Saturday, 10am to 6pm;
and Sunday, 10am to 4.45pm. Visit
www.cookhamartsclub.com
December
painting challenge
Autumn was the theme of the December
painting challenge, and we received
some super paintings full of the glorious
colours of the season. Here is a selection
from our readers.
Ann Stewart Autumn Leaves, watercolour
W
and Brusho on Bockingford 300gsm paper,
6x6in. (15x15cm). Ann is a member of the
Bothwell Art Club in Scotland
V Julie Wood
Fallen Leaves, watercolour,
9x11½in. (23.5x29.5cm).
‘I was inspired by fallen
leaves on our drive and
when out for a walk. The
colours were so bright. I
have since had the
painting made into a
jigsaw, which I enjoy
doing.’ Julie is a member
of the Chevin Watercolour
Group, and lives in
Guiseley, West Yorkshire
Michael Berry
V
Gold Dust, watercolour,
9½x13in. (24x33cm).
‘Beautiful though it is,’
writes Michael, ‘the annual
autumn fall brings with it
some very demanding jobs
for the gardeners amongst
us – not least the task of
sweeping up the leaves,
however, the rewards are
well worth it. This is where
the rake, broom and
humble wheelbarrow come
into their own. It was with
this in mind that I was
inspired to focus on these
aids and produce my latest
watercolour.’
W Cyril Mumby The Splendour of Autumn, V Jennifer Stapleton Squash Bonanza,
watercolour, 91⁄4x113⁄4in. (23.5x30cm) watercolour, 81⁄4x113⁄4in. (21x30cm)

V Gila Katz, Autumn in Japan, acrylics,

12 x9in. (30.5x23cm)