HELPING YOU BECOME A BET TER ARTIST

artist
THE PRAC TICAL MAGAZINE FOR ARTISTS BY ARTISTS – SINCE 1931

Capture the beauty

of winter trees

WATERCOLOUR LINE & WASH ACRYLICS

Try the two-layered Explore combining ink Easy ways to depict
technique & watercolour animals
incorporating ART & ARTISTS
artist
First established 1931
ISSN 0004-3877

WELCOME
Vol.138 No.1
ISSUE 1115

Next issue on sale December 16, 2022

The Artist magazine is published 12 times a year. from the editor
Publishing Editor: Sally Bulgin PhD Hon VPRBSA Want to comment on something you’ve read, or seen?
theartistletters@tapc.co.uk
Contributing Editor: Jane Stroud Email me at theartistletters@tapc.co.uk or visit our website at
Online Editor: Dawn Farley www.painters-online.co.uk/forum
Design: Brenda Hedley Sally Bulgin Publishing Editor
Digital & E-commerce Marketing Executive:
Emily Warner

H
Advertising Sales Manager: Jayne Notley aving returned from a week spent walking the South West Coastal Path around the
+44 (0)1778 391189
jayne.n@warnersgroup.co.uk
coast of Cornwall, and during the journey taking the opportunity to visit Kurt Jackson’s
Advertisement Copy: Natalie Reynolds amazing gallery in St Just, I was interested to learn how influential Kurt’s approach has
+44 (0)1778 391130 been on Emma Chambers’ paintings. I am a great fan of Kurt’s work and, like Emma,
production@warnersgroup.co.uk
Accounts
our winner of The Artist Award in the Royal Watercolour Society annual exhibition and
creditcontrol@warnersgroup.co.uk subject of our In Conversation feature this month, I love the range of marks and the space and light
he achieves in his compositions. Kurt’s large-scale, plein-air paintings capture the raw power and
FOR ALL SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES natural beauty of the landscape. A visit to his Jackson Foundation gallery in St Just, a large carbon-
+44 (0)1778 395174
positive, industrial building, repurposed into a magnificent gallery space, is well worth the trip*.
painters-online.co.uk/store
subscriptions@warnersgroup.co.uk It’s truly inspirational on every level, as is the insight into how Emma approaches her work to give us
a fresh and contemporary take on painting ordinary plants and botanical subjects.
DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION Also inspirational is the range of techniques and demonstrations showcased in this issue by this
Warners Group Publications plc
Nikki Munton +44 (0)1778 391171 month’s contributing artists. From Peter Cronin’s focus on using just two layers of watercolour
nikkim@warnersgroup.co.uk washes to paint successful paintings that retain their classic luminosity, Jo Quigley’s demonstration
Printed by Warners Midlands plc
highlighting the beauty and advantages of painting winter trees in acrylics, how to add drama to
a painting from a photograph by Paul Gadenne, and overcome their limitations by Paul Talbot-
Greaves, Alan Bickley’s advice on the rewards and possibilities of working in line and wash, to Marie
Antoniou’s suggestions about how to depict animals in acrylics by concentrating on simplifying
The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily their shapes, there’s plenty here to help develop your technical skills and knowledge, whatever your
those of the editor or publisher. While every care is taken to
ensure that the content of the magazine is accurate, neither preferred subject matter or media.
the editor nor publisher assumes responsibility for any
omissions or errors. The editor reserves the right to edit copy. Helen Tarr starts a new series, too, designed to help increase your confidence as an oil painter. I like
Sharing may be encouraged in many aspects of life, but
when it comes to original material, you have to be wary her encouragement to take what she calls a ‘magpie approach’ and learn from the techniques and
of copyright. By all means, copy the project, artwork or
demonstration for your OWN PLEASURE, but no part of this
qualities you admire in the paintings and the artists you love and combine this with all the other
magazine may be published, reproduced, copied, or stored
in a retrieval system without the prior permission in writing
influences that make your vision unique. On perhaps a more playful level, Karen Stamper suggests
of the publisher. Even where permission is gained, it’s still taking risks by working with collage and mixed media to help free up your working practices and
courteous to credit the original source and the designer. Any
activity used to benefit commercially from the magazine is keep your work fun and fresh. Karen’s is an experimental, intuitive, creative approach to materials
not permitted.
By respecting copyright, you ensure that we, as and methods, with no rules!
publishers, can continue to provide you with the content
you want. To read more about how you can navigate this I hope you will be inspired to try some of the ideas and techniques presented in this issue and, as
tricky area, visit our website: www.painters-online.co.uk/
information/copyright For any further queries relating to
always, please do send us your feedback, and let us know what else you would like to see in your
copyright, contact CraftPortfolio@warnersgroup.co.uk and
state your query is related to The Artist.
magazine.
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 herewith. Best wishes
The Advertising Standards Authority exists to regulate the
content of advertisements. Tel: 020 7429 2222.
Prizes, gifts or give-aways offered in competitions might
be substituted with ones of similar value. Unless otherwise Sally Bulgin Publishing Editor
stated, all competitions, free samplings, discounts and offers
are only available to readers in the United Kingdom. Full
terms and conditions are available on our website at www.
warnersgroup.co.uk/competition-terms/
Prices quoted at the time of going to press are subject
to change. Please check with the individual retailer for up
to date prices.

Branding and content © Warners Group *Kurt Jackson Helford River is on show until
Publications plc, 2021. The name The Artist®
is a registered trade mark of Warners Group February 13, 2023 in the Jackson Foundation
Publications plc. All rights reserved. gallery, North Row, St Just
Warners Group Publications plc, West Street,
Bourne, Lincolnshire. PE10 9PH
www.jacksonfoundationgallery.com
+44 (0)1778 391000 info@kurtjackson.com
© Warners Group Publications plc 2021

BROCHURE
facebook.com/paintersonline
&
NE PR
ZI

This publication is printed

IN
GA

TE
MA

by Warners Midlands PLC

WARNERS Telephone: 01778 391000
Midlands PLC
instagram.com/paintersonline twitter.com/artpublishing pinterest.co.uk/paintersonline

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 3

16 37
CONTENTS PLUS THIS MONTH
FEATURES at the tools available to the line & wash 6 Your views 9 The Art World
16 A new take on botanical painter and demonstrates how they can be 84 Exhibitions
painting used to best effect
IN CONVERSATION Caroline Saunders
talks to Emma Chambers about her
contemporary botanical paintings in
44 A universal medium
Liz Seward gets to grips with ellipses as she
NEWS & OFFERS
which ordinary plants are given a fresh,
bold new look
embarks on a still-life drawing using
coloured pencils 8 Showcase
your art
47 The Artist’s guide to open 51 What’s it worth?
competitions and exhibitions In the first of her new 12-part series on the
2023 life of a professional artist, Sarah Edmonds Join our friendly
83 Cropping
offers advice on how to price your artwork
online art community
Mike Barr urges us to be selective with the 54 Working from photographs today!
subject of our paintings. Cropping, whether Get the most out of your photographs. Paul
physically or mentally, will make your work Talbot-Greaves shares tips and techniques
stronger for the oil painter to help overcome their
limitations
PRACTICALS
22 Two-layered watercolours
58 Seeing the shapes
Practise depicting animals through simple
14–15
Peter Cronin shows us how to pare down shapes, says Marie Antoniou as she injects Enter our TALP Open
our subject to just two layers of watercolour
washes
personality and expression into her
distinctive animal portraits in acrylics
Competition 2023
for the chance to win
26 The beauty of trees in winter 62 Reaching your goals
Follow Jo Quigley’s step-by-step one of over 30 prizes,
In the first of three articles Helen Tarr sets
demonstration to paint winter trees in
goals to help build confidence with oil paint. worth more than
acrylics
67 Taking risks
£14,000, as well as
32 Visual narratives worldwide recognition
Liberate your working practices by working
Robert E Wells muses on the meaning of
a painting for a buyer and discovers that
with paper and collage. Karen Stamper and publicity for your
shows us how to keep our work fun
the viewer will always interpret the subject work!
matter via their own experiences
70 A voyage of discovery
37 Lights, camera, action! Milly England compares the qualities of
Paul Gadenne shows how to use colour,
focus and light to add drama to a painting
painting with gouache, acryla gouache and
acrylic 86–87
from a photograph
76 The green-eyed cat Join one of our exciting
40 All about line & wash Lisa Ann Watkins uses coloured pencils to live online webinars
In the first of two articles, Alan Bickley looks capture the drama of her green-eyed cat

4 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 Next month in
JOIN OUR EXCLUSIVE
artist
COMMUNITY OF MEMBERS...
FEATURES
t IN CONVERSATION
President of the Royal
Unlimited access to our digital magazine library
Society of British Artists,
Mick Davies, shares the
Watch new and exclusive art videos every month thoughts and techniques
behind his multi-layered,
decorative and often
Create custom online mood boards humorous narrative
compositions

Sell your art commission-free

Enjoy monthly emails with exclusive content

u SEASONAL
Grahame Booth
demonstrates why winter
BECOME A MEMBER FOR JUST can be the best time
JUST £29.99 A YEAR*
bit.ly/STUDIOQP
58P
A WEEK!
of year for watercolour
landscape painters

*Overseas rates also available

PRACTICALS

66
Become a member of our Studio
community and enjoy these
exclusive benefits
p Sophie Ploeg shares p Get to know your subject

87
Check out our latest
bookshop offers
EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS
David Curtis
ROI, RSMA
has won many awards for his en plein
air and figurative paintings in both
oils and watercolours. He has had
several books published on his work
as well as DVD films, and exhibits his
work extensively.
Haidee-Jo Summers
ROI, RSMA
has won many awards for her plein-
air and alla-prima oil paintings. She
is an elected member of the ROI, the
author of Plein Air Painting with Oils
and Vibrant Oils and also has a DVD
with the same title.
Jo Quigley Winter Trees, Southbank,
acrylic, 24324in (61361cm). See
pages 26 to 31
her lace-painting
techniques in oils
and paint portraits in
watercolour, with Catherine
MacDiarmid
PLUS
l NEW SERIES Emma Colbert demonstrates how to
capture animal portraits in pastel
l Follow Paul Talbot-Greaves and use acrylics to capture
THIS MONTH’S the beauty of winter snow scenes
COVER l More top tips from Alan Bickley on sketching in pen &
wash
l Try linoprinting to create a monochromatic still life, with
Gemma Curtis
l THE ARTIST’S LIFE 2nd of 12: Sarah Edmonds discusses
the value of a mentor when progressing from amateur to
professional artist
l Mike Barr encourages artists to paint with passion, title
work with care, and visually engage the viewer
And much more! Don’t miss out:
our February 2023 issue is available from December 16

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 5

YOUR VIEWS Email theartistletters@tapc.co.uk or write to The Editor, The Artist, Warners
Group Publications, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH
LETTERS, EMAILS AND COMMENTS Please note we may have to edit letters for reasons of space

our house to downsize and get rid of our

This month’s star letter writer burdensome mortgage. We bought a near

STAR LETTER will receive a Sennelier portable

watercolour palette, worth £29.95 (rrp)
derelict wooden house in a tiny Cheshire
village and spent the following five years
renovating it. Included in these renovations
was the addition of a pottery and art studio.
Perspective issues In 2021 it was decision time. I was 53 and
I have just received my December 2022 my wife pointed out that it could easily take
copy of The Artist. Although I have a backlog me ten years or more to become established
of issues to read, a quick glance through it as an artist. If I waited until I was 60 I may
revealed an article that I just had to read not have the motivation, time or energy.
immediately – I don't care about perspective! We agreed that I'd go for it. Twelve months
by Mike Barr. As an engineer I find the later I have secured representation in three
geometry of perspective very interesting galleries and have paintings hanging in
(someone has to). In some of my own homes around the world. I have a fortnightly
drawings I have thought that the perspective painting class and run online tutorials. It's
was strange. Careful examination revealed not been easy and I'm certainly not making
that the perspective was correct but indeed strange to look at. The reason for that the same amount of money as my previous
was the unnatural field of view that I had chosen. Our natural field of view covers salary, but I'm more fulfilled and excited
an included angle of around 45 to 50 degrees (22.5 to 25 degrees about the centre about what the future may hold. As you
line). My pictures were trying to cover more than that, therefore they included areas can imagine, the economic crisis has made
outside my normal vision. We are very used to seeing wide angle images on our me question my decision many times. It
compact cameras, iPhones, televisions, magazines, etc. Many published photographs would be very disappointing if I had to
include sections selected in part, or sometimes entirely, from the area outside abandon this dream as a result of this. So, I
normal vision. am reaching out to magazines such as yours
I'm not going to try to teach anyone who isn't technically minded the geometry of in the hope that your readers might find this
perspective; I will leave that to braver souls. To help anyone to draw more acceptable story inspiring. You can see examples of my
pictures, I suggest limiting your subject to cover only what you can see in one work at: www.davidbarber.co.uk
view. No tools or instruments are needed for this. Simply look straight at what you
David Barber, by email
consider to be the centre of your picture. Then, without turning your head, swivel
your eyes only as far as is comfortable, left, right, up and down. What you can see in Ken Howard
the centre of your view in each of those positions is the limit of your normal vision. Thanks so much for sending me the
The sides of your picture should be at, or within, those limits. If you choose to include December 2022 copy of The Artist magazine.
more than that in your picture, there must be unnatural perspective or the extra That was a wonderful tribute you did to
parts should be new pictures which are joined on to the main one. If the edges are our dear friend, Ken Howard. I have known
allowed to overlap, the different images can be judiciously blended together – OK, Ken and Dora for many years and they have
that's a euphemism for fudged! stayed with us here in Colaton Raleigh a
For a horizontal format we will often cut off much of the sky that we could see number of times. I involved Ken, and the
but it will look natural because we tend to look downwards. That is because we are artist John Miller, in a film I produced for the
concerned about what we might step on or in to trip over. In street scenes the desire BBC, some years ago, where we had a lot
to include the buildings above our normal sighting area is why we include parts of of fun and good fellowship. He also came
buildings that we normally ignore and they are therefore strange to look at. Such down to Devon to do a quite brilliant talk
things are another topic to consider another day. at Kennaway House in Sidmouth, where I
Alan Winter, by email am patron and we both supported each
other in various charity auctions. Ken was,
as you write, a generous, warm-hearted,
exceptional human being and a very gifted,
Earning a living from painting reputation as an artist and I'm slowly hard-working painter. I really loved him
Up until September 2021 I was working making progress. and like so many others will truly miss him.
as a deputy headteacher in a school in The decision to finish my job in education I had arranged with Dora to see him on the
Staffordshire. I handed my notice in and was not as rash as it may first appear. I Sunday, down in Mousehole, even though
since then have been earning a living from have always harboured a dream of one he was really ill. Sadly, he died a few days
my painting. As you can imagine, this was day earning a living from my artwork since previously. Thanks for all the tributes and
a huge risk for my family and me, and in completing a fine art degree back in the the terrific article by Haidee-Jo Summers. I
the current economic climate has been early '90s. However, a large mortgage and enjoyed them all, and particularly the one by
challenging to say the least! However, I am two children meant that this had to be Pete Brown who knew him so well.
still working hard to build my business and put on hold. In 2016 we decided to sell Alan Cotton, by email

Subscribe at www.painters-online.co.uk or telephone 01778 395174

Become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/paintersonline. Follow us on Twitter@artpublishing

6 January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 NEW!

PITT ARTIST PEN

• 30 bright colours
DUAL MARKERS • High quality India ink
The thick, stable brush nib, with excellent ink flow • Unique nib combination
and even application glides smoothly over paper. The • Available separately or
fineliner tip is perfect for precise lines and accents. in a variety of Gift Sets.

Since 1761, Faber- Castell has been known and trusted by artists around the
world for the excellence of their products; never compromising on quality
to ensure you always get the best results.
Showcase your art…
Join our friendly online art community! Share your work on our online
gallery, receive feedback from other artists, join forum discussions,
discover art clubs and tutors, plus much more!

Image: by Michele Ashby

Start sharing: bit.ly/POLGALLERY

THE ART WORLD
NEWS, INFORMATION AND ONLINE EVENTS IN THE ART WORLD
compiled by Jane Stroud

p Peter Brown The Queue with David

Beckham, oil, 12316in (30.5340.5cm)

Peter Brown
Bath, Bristol and Beyond
Over 100 new oil paintings by the Bath-based artist, Peter Brown, are currently on
show at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath, including atmospheric views of Bath and
VICTORIA ART
Bristol as well as further afield, many of them painted during the Covid-19 pandemic. GALLERY
Two new paintings were added to the exhibition at the last minute, painted in London
in the days following the Queen’s death. Peter explains, ‘I was walking the dog in Bath
Bridge Street
in the early morning of September 9, the day after the Queen died, and it suddenly Bath BA2 4AT
occurred to me, I should be painting Buckingham Palace, so I headed quickly home ☎ 01225 477233
and jumped into the van. I completed five paintings of the public’s reaction to the www.victoriagal.org.uk
proceedings over the following ten days up until the funeral – the crowds outside the
palace, along the procession routes and in the royal parks. And then there was David until January 15, 2023
Beckham in the legendary queue along the Thames.’ The exhibition continues at the
gallery until January 15. Read more on Peter’s blog at
https://www.peterbrownneac.com/ten-days-following-queens-death/

www.painters-online.co.uk January 2023 9

DIGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

PETER BROWN:
Bath, Bristol and Beyond

p Peter Brown Buckingham Palace: the Day after the Queen’s Death, oil,
8324in (20361cm).
‘I moved onto the pathway and set up. I painted. It was busy but weirdly
calm. I was there because I was simply curious to see what the public
reaction would be. I noticed a lot of dogs. I wondered if there was a
correlation between dog lovers and royal followers. As one of the crowd,
I was interviewed throughout the day. But I noticed as soon as I said I was
not a royalist and was merely curious, the interviewers would lose interest.
This was not part of the story. They wanted tears and disbelief that she had
gone. And of course, I spoke to loads of other people, or rather they spoke
to me. I worked on that 8324in oil all day, and as I packed up and headed
back to the van with the crowds up The Mall, I was a bit dazed. The penny
was beginning to drop that this was going to be a really big thing. ‘

p Peter Brown Kingsmead Square from

Westgate Street, 2021, oil on board, 12316in
(30.5340.6cm)

t Peter Brown The Abbey

Uncovered from Abbey Green, July
Morning, oil on canvas, 16320in
(40.6350.8cm)

10 January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 t Peter Brown Green Park: Back
in the Cafés 2021, oil on board,
12316in (30.5340.6cm)

p Peter Brown Paragon Steps, Rain, 2021, oil on board, 16312in p Peter Brown Morning, Ned Reading on our Bed, July 2021, oil

(40.6330.5cm) on canvas, 20316in (50.8340.6cm)

p Peter Brown Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, Lansdown Cricket Club, 2022, oil on board, 8324in (20.3361cm)

www.painters-online.co.uk January 2023 11

TALP OPEN q Charlie Wrigley #46, coloured
pencil, graphite and ink, 8¼311½in
TA PEOPLE'S CHOICE (21329cm)

Charlie Wrigley’s drawing, #46 (right), has been

chosen as the public’s favourite at this year’s
TALPOpen exhibition, winning The Artist’s
People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Faber-Castell,
and £250 worth of art materials from Faber-Castell.
Charlie explains that the drawing took her around
three weeks to complete, ‘...working through the
evenings after coming home from my full-time job
at a motorbike shop, ‘ she explains. ‘Some nights I
stayed up until 3am. The piece is part of a collection
I was working on, featuring portraits of my favourite
racers. When I had little to no money, I would buy
two Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils a week. I was
gifted a tin of Faber-Castell 9000 graphite pencils
that lasted me a very long time, but my entire
collection was put in the bin during a house move,
so to win the Polychromos set was a godsend! My
collection is finally complete again, and I’m ready to
start some more drawings.’
Entries for TALPOpen 23 are now invited. Full
details can be found on pages 12 and 13 or online at
www.painters-online.co.uk

ROI
TOUR
The annual Royal Institute of Oil
Painters’ exhibition goes on show at the
Mall Galleries, London from November
24 to December 10, showcasing many of
the most celebrated oil painters of our
generation, featuring both established
as well as emerging artists. Readers are
invited to join ROI member and The Artist
contributor, Peter Graham, for a guided
tour of the exhibition. ‘We go behind the
canvas and learn more about some of
the 300 works on show covering many
styles and influences,’ explains Peter. The
tour takes place at 1.30pm on Friday
November 25. Telephone the gallery on
020 97930 6844 or visit
www.mallgalleries.org.uk

t Peter Graham Saint-Tropez, oil on

canvas, 72372in (1833183cm), at the
annual ROI exhibition, Mall Galleries

12 January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

ARTpicks
l The art gallery at the Brynmore Jones Library,
University of Hull is showing a new exhibition of
work by Scottish artists, working at the end of the
19th century. The Glasgow Girls and Boys focuses
on a group of rebellious young Scottish artists who,
in the 1880s, broke away from the confines of their
Victorian elders to paint the unadorned realities
of contemporary rural life. Originally dubbed the
‘Glasgow Boys’, the group is distinguished by
female artists, such as Flora MacDonald Reid, Bessie
MacNicol and Katherine Cameron, and the exhibition
t Flora
acknowledges their impact, bringing together more
Macdonald Reid
than 30 paintings and watercolours from the period
Fieldworkers,
1880 to 1895 when the artists were at the height of
1883, oil on
their international acclaim.
canvas, 40324in
The Glasgow Girls and Boys can be seen at the art (101.5361cm)
gallery at the Brynmor Jones Library, University of at The Glasgow
Hull, until December 4. For more information visit Girls and Boys,
www.hull.ac.uk/gallery University of Hull

p Richard Carline Portrait of Gilbert p Sydney Carline The Shah’s Palace, Tehran,
Spencer, pencil, 15310in (38325.5cm) Persia, watercolour, 27323in (68.5358.5cm)

p Hilda Carline Portrait of Elsie, 1931, oil
on canvas, 68332in (173381cm)
l Burgh House in Hampstead village is bringing together the work of siblings Sydney,
Hilda and Richard Carline for Those Remarkable Carlines – the first public exhibition
in over 40 years to focus on the artists’ work. Paintings from both public and private
collections across the country will include landscapes, portraits and images of home.
Sydney and Richard both studied in Paris under the tutelage of Percyval Tudor-Hart,
joined later by Hilder in 1915 when his Académie de Peinture moved to Hampstead.
Following a period in which the brothers worked as official First World War artists, the
siblings spent the interwar years in Hampstead at the family home at 47 Downshire Hill,
which became the focus for a glamorous artistic social group of the time, including Paul
and John Nash, Stanley Spencer and Henry Lamb. Those Remarkable Carlines can be
seen at the Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Art Gallery at Burgh House until April 10,
2023. Find out more at www.burghhouse.org.uk

www.painters-online.co.uk January 2023 13

 ORGANISED BY

&

CALL FOR
We are looking for the best two-dimensional works in any media
including drawings, paintings, printmaking and digital artwork from amateur
painters in the Leisure Painter category, and from more experienced and
professional artists in The Artist category. Up to 140 selected works from
each category will be exhibited in two separate galleries at Patchings Art
Centre, opening on the first day of the 2023 Patchings Festival of Art,
Craft & Design on July 13 until August 13, 2023

THE AWARDS Over 30 individual prizes, worth over £14,000, will be awarded to selected
artists including:

artist Purchase
Prize Award
worth up to £3,000
One prize to purchase
a work up to the value
of £3,000
www.painters-online.co.uk
WIN!
artist Exhibition
Awards
Over 30 prizes
worth £1,700
Up to 10 selected artists
from the 2023 The Artist’s
to be won,
category will be awarded a
mixed exhibition at Patchings
Art Centre in 2024, worth
worth over
CARAN D’ACHE/JAKAR & THE ARTIST EXHIBITION AWARDS
£1,700
www.patchingsartcentre.co.uk

artist Highly
2022 Trudy Harman Stanley, pastel, 11¼x16½in (29x42cm)
£14,000
Commended Award worth £100
A subscription to The Artist worth £100
JUDGES
www.painters-online.co.uk David Curtis ROI, VPRSMA
Air Brush Company/ Adebanji Alade VPROI
Highly Commended Award
worth £200 Sally Bulgin, Clairefontaine Awards worth £500
(All art materials prizes are quoted at the rrp)

Air Brush Company kit, worth £200 editor The Artist Two prizes of £250 worth of premium art
www.airbrushes.com products from the Clairefontaine Graphic
Ingrid Lyon, & Fine Art range
Batsford Awards worth £600 editor Leisure Painter www.clairefontaine.com
Four prizes of Batsford art books to
the value of £150 each Liz Wood, Daler-Rowney Awards worth £500
www.pavilionbooks.com/batsford artist and co-owner of Three prizes of sets of materials to the total
Patchings Art Centre value of £500
BritishContemporary.art Award www.daler-rowney.com
worth £1,800
One year’s representation by Caran d’Ache/Jakar Awards Award worth £2,600
BritishContemporary.art, the online gallery worth £500 One prize of a showcase feature on a
featuring the best of British artists Two prizes of £250 worth of art materials selected artist in Leisure Painter magazine
www.britishcontemporary.art www.jakar.co.uk www.painters-online.co.uk

WITH THANKS
TO OUR AWARD
SPONSORS
in partnership with Patchings Art Centre
ENTRIES
BATSFORD & THE ARTIST EXHIBITION AWARDS 2022
Craig Lee Off to the Beach, oil, 11¾x15¾in (30x40cm)
CLAIREFONTAINE & THE ARTIST EXHIBITION AWARDS 2022 Kelvin Holtom Tanat Valley from Pengwern, watercolour,
22½x29½in (57x75cm)
Parker Harris Mentoring Award
worth £500
Two online mentoring sessions for one artist
to help with professional development and
marketing
www.parkerharris.co.uk
Patchings Award worth £350
A gift voucher worth £350 to be used at
Patchings Art Centre in Nottinghamshire
www.patchingsartcentre.co.uk
St Cuthberts Mill Awards worth £600
Three prizes of £200 worth of watercolour paper
www.stcuthbertsmill.com
ENTER
online at
https://bit.ly/TALPOPEN23
Closing date for entries
April 4, 2023
Search Press Awards worth £350
Two prizes of £175 worth of art books
www.searchpress.com
West Design/Speedball Award worth £540
A Faber-Castell Polychromos Wooden Gift Set of
120 pencils, worth £540
www.westdesignproducts.co.uk
Winston Oh Award worth £400
A painting course worth up to £400 of your
choice, provided by Winston Oh
www.winstonoh.com
Plus People’s Choice Awards
HOW TO ENTER
The competition is open to artists worldwide.
Two-dimensional artwork in any media,
including drawing, painting, printmaking and
creative digital artwork is welcome. Only original
work completed within the past two years will
be considered and paintings based on reference
photographs must have been taken by the artist
or used with the permission of the photographer.
Photography, except when incorporated into
collage, is not acceptable.
1 The entry fee of £25 covers up to THREE entries
of two-dimensional works in any media. To give
more amateur artists the chance to exhibit, just
ONE work of those submitted per entrant will
be selected for exhibition in the Leisure Painter
category. Please ensure you enter the correct
category. Artists can enter either The Artist category
OR the Leisure Painter category - NOT both. The
Leisure Painter category is for amateur painters and
The Artist category for more experienced amateur
and professional artists.
2 No entry should be larger than 100cm on any
side WHEN FRAMED (canvases do not need to
be framed).
3 TO ENTER upload digital files of your image(s)
and pay your entry fee using our secure server
via https://bit.ly/TALPOPEN23. Closing date
for entries is 12 noon on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.
4 Entries will be judged after April 4, 2023 and
selected works called for exhibition. These must
be framed (canvases excepted) ready for exhibition
from July 13 to August 13, 2023 at Patchings Art
Centre. ALL works entered MUST be available for
gallery exhibition and potential sale if selected.
5 Successful entrants will be notified in mid-
May about delivering their work between June
9 and June 25, 2023 to Patchings Art Centre,
Nottinghamshire.
6 All entries must be original. Submission of entry
in this competition automatically constitutes
acceptance of all the competition rules and
agreement to allow The Artist and/or Leisure Painter
to publish, republish and repurpose entries in
print and digital formats including but not limited
to magazines, promotion materials, websites,
databases and as part of downloadable digital
products.
7 As a joint venture with Patchings Art Centre if
your work is selected, we will need to share your
contact details with the Patchings team, so when
entering please ensure you provide your up-to-
date email address and telephone number for this
purpose
8 By entering the competition, entrants agree to
be bound by the conditions of entry.
ALL ENTRANTS
will receive a complimentary
one-day entry ticket to the
Patchings Festival of
Art, Craft & Design,
WORTH £14
IN CONVERSATION
A new take on
botanical painting
Caroline Saunders talks to Emma Chambers about her contemporary botanical
paintings in which ordinary plants are given a fresh, bold new look
Emma Chambers
recently exhibited at the Mall Galleries
with the Royal Institute of Painters in Water
Colours (RI) and she has just been selected
for associate membership to the Royal
Watercolour Society (RWS) and will be
exhibiting at Bankside Gallery, London. Her
work can currently be seen at The Bakery,
London, where she is a member of an artist-led
gallery and at the Wey Gallery in Godalming,
Surrey where she also exhibits her work.
16 artist January 2023
D
rawing our attention to
quiet observation, Emma
Chambers gives us a
snapshot of plants from
the pattern of nature.
With a trained eye she hones in on shapes
and objects, rather than the whole. Plants
are selected from their complex landscape
and presented in a painting, true to their
nature but without all the noise of other
distracting elements. Emma chooses to
focus on those everyday plants, those that
perhaps normally go unnoticed.
Spending time in the countryside as
a child developed her understanding
and connection with nature. Emma
can identify most plants that grow in
hedgerows and most trees but she has
certainly gained more knowledge since
turning her attention to painting plants
and flowers. ‘As my interest in wild plants
has increased I have created wild areas
in my garden. I’ve enjoyed painting
the weeds and not having to dig them
up! When I paint a new plant I become
fascinated by every aspect of it: how it
grows, how the leaves are shaped, what
happens when it starts to die. Only last
year when I painted nettles I discovered
these magnificent plants. The symmetry
www.painters-online.co.uk
t Autumn Acer, water-mixable oil on gesso she saw. Her work has had an enormous sits on the ground gaining a unique
panel, 193/43271/2in (50370cm). influence on my own.’ perspective. ‘I record in my sketchbook
My client had a magnificent acer that grows in
Emma’s first passion, watercolours, has with watercolours and write notes in
her garden. In October the leaves turn incredible
shades of red and orange so the painting was remained since receiving her first set pencil. If I am further intrigued by
commissioned to capture this. I began with aged seven. ‘Most flowers are transparent what I have sketched I will take a small
watercolour observations in my sketchbook. I was allowing light to illuminate, transform selection of plants back to the studio
able to sit on a flat roof to gain a unique, bird’s- and shine through them. The best where I re-construct what I have seen in
eye view of the tree. I made observations looking
medium to represent this transparency is nature. I consider where I place plants
through the branches and at the top of the tree.
I felt this gave the painting a special quality as watercolour as it allows layers of subtle and intuitively use the negative space,
we mostly look at trees from ground level. I also colour to build whilst retaining the light though this is not something I actively
liked the fact that some of the leaves had already from the background paper.’ think about.
fallen so bare branches were showing. I took a A painting begins with a search for ‘The simplest composition for plant
small collection of branches, twigs and fallen
a subject. It could be something that paintings is on a single plane. I do this
leaves home with me and worked quickly on the
painting before the leaves lost their colour and catches Emma’s eye when gardening, if I want the painting to be a botanical
fell from their branches. I used water-mixable or on a walk. Initially the aim is to study. I start with light pencil outlines.
oil on gesso board for two reasons; the painting discover, observe and explore. Emma Each plant has equal emphasis, much
hangs in a bathroom so paper would not be
suitable for a room with condensation, and the
vibrancy of the leaves could best be represented
using oil paints. The colours I used were cadmium
orange, cadmium yellow, cadmium red, alizarin
crimson, permanent rose, burnt sienna, raw
sienna and French ultramarine

and strong direction of their leaves are

exciting to paint and the greens change
throughout the summer from deepest
blue/green to pale soft celery and cream.’
Emma studied textile design at Brighton
Art School specialising in watercolour
floral patterns before embarking on a
career as a freelance designer. ‘Textile
design involves creating a pattern that
repeats and is never-ending. Elements
of my training, such as pattern and
layout inform my paintings. To create a
successful design every shape must share
the same importance, the colours need to
be harmonious and the spacing equal. I
learnt to match any colour and style, and
to understand balance in composition.’

Influences
Kurt Jackson and Dame Elizabeth
Blackadder have been key influences in
Emma’s artistic journey. ‘Kurt Jackson’s
range of marks and the space and light he
creates make his paintings come alive. His
honesty for painting nature, combining
boldness with delicate detail, has directly
influenced my approach. Dame Elizabeth
Blackadder modernised flower painting. p Canopy of Magnolia Leaves, watercolour on Saunders Waterford 200lb (425gsm) hot-pressed paper,
Plants and flowers that appeared from 93/4393/4in (25325cm).
This painting, started en plein air, won a prize at the Royal Watercolour Society (RWS). Sitting close to
the bottom edge or floating off to the
the trunk of the magnolia tree, the sun shone through the leaves and illuminated them in an irresistible
side gave botanical art a fresh look. Her way. My aim was to capture the sense of light perforating the leaves and to demonstrate how the leaves
choices of flowers were often bold or arrange themselves to absorb maximum sun. I chose a square format to give a sense that this was a
unusual and by varying the scale and with snapshot of the canopy; that the pattern of leaves continued in all directions without interruption. The
careful placement, her paintings at once medium of watercolour was best to convey the delicacy and translucent nature of the leaves. The thin
branches offered structure and a focal point where the branch divided. Painted in late September, the
become delicate and beautiful, but also
leaves were fading and changing. I used a combination of raw and burnt sienna for the autumnal leaves
daring and new. Like Kurt Jackson her and lemon yellow, cerulean blue, olive green and burnt sienna for the greens. The shadows were a
flowers are an honest depiction of what combination of French ultramarine and burnt sienna with a hint of violet

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 17

IN CONVERSATION
like a textile design. If I want the plants
to appear as if they are growing it’s
important to create distance and a focal
point. For this I use minimal pencil marks
and dive in with a brush. I begin with a
single flower that I want to give emphasis
to and make sure this has the greatest
depth of colour as well as detail. I then let
the surrounding plants find their space
around it. I literally let the painting grow.
Occasionally I will lay the plants directly
on the paper and see how they look, and
q Sitting Amongst Nettles, water-mixable oil on
gesso panel, 193/43271/2in (50370cm).
This painting began in my sketchbook sitting on
the banks of the River Coln. I was drawn to the
nettles and the various plants growing at the
time. I wanted to create a sense of being there in
the painting so I decided to paint the nettles and
foliage life size, and to have the plants continuing
off the page in both directions. I brought some
of the plants back to my studio to paint them
directly from observation, to ensure they were
accurately portrayed and to scale. I wanted to
celebrate the height of summer, being late June,
the greens were fresh and glowing. I chose to
use water-mixable oils on gesso board because
the paints have the effect of watercolours but
with a lustrous quality. The colours were limited
to lemon yellow, cadmium yellow, phthalo blue,
olive green, sap green, burnt sienna, raw sienna,
alizarin crimson and French ultramarine
18 artist January 2023
use this as a composition, though I rarely
stick to the original formation, making
changes after painting each plant.’ Emma
uses the golden ratio but is not bound
by this. Sometimes if the composition
is weak she will alter it by cropping. To
add interest Emma incorporates slender
grasses, falling petals, or an insect to vary
the scale.
A white background gives the painting
a light quality and allows each plant to
breathe. ‘I have experimented with other
grounds and with painting around the
flowers but the work loses its freshness
and spontaneity and can look laboured.
When I want to use shadows in my work,
usually for detailed pieces, I place plants
on a flat surface, as opposed to upright in
a glass. A shadow falls naturally beneath
the plant and when placed on paper it
enhances this three-dimensional effect. I
use an anglepoise light if painting in the
evening but otherwise I position myself
near a window for natural light.’
Key techniques
Two main techniques are employed
to give a painting variety; a wet-in-wet
approach for flowers such as an iris, for
example, where the colours are strong
and the petals large. ‘I saturate two
paintbrushes with colour and work fast
to add one colour to the next. The final
result will depend on how the paint
blends and dries.’ For detailed work a
controlled approach is needed so Emma
will start with a light tone and build up
layers. Masking fluid preserves the white,
especially for fine detail like the spikes on
the thistle leaves, or fine hairs on stems.
Emma uses Waterford Saunders hot-
pressed 200lb (425gsm) paper for her
watercolours, which does not instantly
absorb the paint. ‘Being beautifully
smooth it lets the paint do its own thing,
giving the work a free, spontaneous look.
Also, it doesn’t need stretching. Linen
canvas is a good choice if I want to do a
very large piece without having the cost
of framing under glass. It is also easier to
transport and store a roll of canvas than a
large piece of paper.’
Recently, Emma has been using water-
mixable oils on Jackson’s white gesso
panels or Ampersand’s gesso boards.
Working on these is challenging but gives
a different look to a botanical painting.
The paint dries in its own way and the
lustre from the oil gives an iridescent
quality that is hard to achieve with
www.painters-online.co.uk

p Thistles and Ragwort, watercolour on Saunders
Waterford hot-pressed 200lb (425gsm) paper,
22330in (56376cm).
This was painted in July. I started with the large
thistle, painting this first. Later I gathered the
smaller thistles, grasses and the ragwort. I
wanted to give the painting a sense of the time
in which it was produced, including the various
grasses and the ragwort at its various stages of
flowering. Each plant exists on a single plane so
in order to create a focal point I gave emphasis
to the purple flower of the bull thistle by making
it bright and deep in tone. I used masking fluid
for the spikes on the stems, the leaves and the
flower. The colours were magenta, lemon yellow,
cadmium yellow, burnt sienna, raw sienna, olive
green, cerulean, French ultramarine and alizarin
crimson
watercolours. Ampersand’s boards have
a slight grain to them, which allows for
more control so it’s good for detailed
work. The Jackson’s boards are extremely
smooth, paint has to be applied carefully
or it will bleed. There is very little room
for error.’
Advice from inspirational teachers has
stood her in good stead. ‘I am hugely
thankful to my print teacher at school
who suggested I take a foundation course
in art instead of going to university;
www.painters-online.co.uk
EMMA’S COLOUR
CHOICES
One or two types of flowers per painting
helps limit the colour range, creating a
more successful painting. For painting
greens Emma uses: lemon yellow,
cerulean blue, burnt sienna, sap green,
olive green and French ultramarine.
Her general palette is: alizarin crimson,
cadmium yellow, cadmium orange,
cadmium red, raw umber, raw sienna,
opera pink, permanent rose, magenta
and chinacridon purple. These mix to
create every colour needed
. honest dialogue with about your work.
EMMA’S BRUSHES
Emma uses Da Vinci Maestro Kolinsky
sable size 5 or 6 brushes. ‘I use size 8 for
big petals and 3 for smaller ones. For
branches and stems I will often use a
rigger brush size 2 or 3. For water-mixable
oil paints I use synthetic rigger brushes
size 1 to 4 as they hold the most paint
and are similar to sable to use.
A dip pen comes in handy for crisp
marks and I always have tissue paper
handy for accidents.’
PRACTICAL
also John Miles, head of fashion textiles
at Brighton, for his passion in getting
students into industry; watercolour tutor,
Frank Walters, who rekindled my love for
watercolours and Paul Regan RWS, who
suggested I pursue botanical work and
whose guidance and support has been
invaluable. One of the biggest challenges
I have faced was finding an identity. It
was only by paying close attention to
what I was really drawn to and with
guidance from Paul Regan that I found
that identity. My advice to others is to
take any opportunity that comes your
way. Find people who you can have an
Question what you are trying to achieve
and why. Apply for competitions. Think
of your endeavours as a learning journey
and be guided by your successes. Having
Thistles and Ragwort, accepted by the
Royal Institute of Painters in Water
Colours (RI) has validated the direction in
which I am going, away from traditional
flowers towards wild plant varieties.
Pleasingly the nettle series has had huge
appeal. Nettles and Ragwort 2 was selected
for 2022 RA Summer Exhibition and sold
immediately. TA
artist January 2023 19
DiGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

Emma
CHAMBERS

p Emma Chambers Azaleas, water-mixable oils on gesso

panel, 193/43231/2in (50360cm).
‘I wanted to give the viewer the sense of looking through
part of an azalea tree in full bloom. I started by laying a
branch directly on the gesso panel and lightly drew the
branch with pencil. Then I painted each branch with its
flowers one at a time, gradually building up three layers. To
create a sense of distance, the branches and flowers at the
back are soft in colour, those nearer the foreground, more
intense. A minimal colour palette helped to give impact.
Rose madder, alizarin crimson, French ultramarine and
cerulean blue were used for the flowers. Raw sienna, burnt
sienna and French ultramarine were used for the branches.’

u Emma Chambers Tulips,

watercolour on Saunders Waterford
hot-pressed 200lb (425gsm) paper,
15315in (38338cm)

20 January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

u Emma Chambers Wild Teasel,
water-mixable oils on gesso panel,
93/4393/4in (25325cm).
‘Wild teasel is a magnificent plant,
and can grow to exceptional heights.
I wanted to capture this sense of
height, so I painted it from the ground
looking up. The viewer gets a sense
they are looking at the very top of
the plant. This was my first painting
using water-mixable oils on gesso
board. I was pleased with the vibrant
effect created. Wild teasel is a cool,
silvery shade of green so the colours
I selected were cerulean blue, olive
green, lemon yellow and burnt sienna.
For the feathery highlights in the seed
heads, and the spikes on the stems I
used masking fluid at the beginning to
preserve the white.’

t Emma Chambers Bluebells,

Ground Level, water-mixable oils
on board, 113/43113/4in (30330cm).
‘I started this painting en plein
air, sitting amongst the bluebells
and painting them at eye level.
I became interested in the
other vegetation and twigs that
existed alongside the bluebells
and incorporated these into my
painting. I decided to depict the
bluebells within the context of
their landscape so there is a lot in
the foreground. I wanted to leave
the white to allow the viewer to
imagine the distance. I did not
want to make the painting overly
busy. I used French ultramarine
and dioxazine purple for the
bluebells, and lemon yellow, sap
green, phthalo blue, olive green,
burnt and raw sienna for the stems
and vegetation.’

www.painters-online.co.uk January 2023 21

WATERCOLOUR

Two-layered
watercolours
Peter Cronin shows us how to pare down our subject to
just two layers of watercolour washes

T
here comes a time when
the student watercolour
painter begins to realise
that painting a successful
watercolour that ‘sings’ with
that classic luminosity involves more
than simply applying the correct colour,
shapes, and tones to the paper. To achieve
luminosity in watercolour there is a way
to apply the paint, and a way to actually
paint a watercolour. I understood quite
early on in my endeavours that one had
to apply watercolour in a wash, that
flowed over the paper rather than be
actively brushed on. I call this taking a
puddle for a walk. These washes could be
applied in two basic ways, either block
on block by painting each shape with
a separate wash, akin to a jigsaw, or by
using an overall wash that covered the
entire paper and then building up the
painting with further washes once dry. I
also realised that too many washes (layers
of new paint) on top of dried paint,
actually lifted the previous layer and
produced muddy results.
My consequent study of watercolourists
whose work I admired, revealed that
although their styles were very different,
they all had the same cunning plan, in
that the bulk of their paintings were
produced with only two layers (washes)
of paint and that the largest areas of
the paper were only intended to receive
one wash (layer). So, here we are going
to explore how to turn the real world
into washes. How do we look at a scene
and reduce it to mostly one layer of
watercolour with only a few areas of
second wash?
Layers, not objects
Looking at a scene and breaking it up
into objects or even shapes is of no use
here. What is required is an identification
of layers, and we do this by comparing
lights and darks. Lights equal one layer
of watercolour and darks equal a second
layer. The real world, however, looks very
complicated to the lay person, so how can
we train ourselves to see a scene in terms
of simple masses of tone. I found the
secret to be a sketch!
As my watercolour started to influence
my sketching technique, I began shading
over large areas of a sketch with a light
hatch and then, to re-hatch areas with
darker shading, thus cutting out lighter
areas. In effect these sketches were maps
for planning a two-layered watercolour.
The white paper and lightest hatching
represented the first overall wash and the
darker hatching represented the second
washes (with maybe little bits of a third
layer for windows and branches, and so
on). So, what we are saying here is that
the lighter areas of a scene will be given
one layer of paint, and the darker areas
will be given a second layer. This layer is

Pencil sketch and watercolour on paper, 7383/4in (18322cm).

If you sit back from these two images and squint your eyes slightly, you will see that the tonal map for the sketch is echoed in the tones of the painting.
The sky, meadow and lightest elements of the water were all left as the first wash, whilst the trees, bank and water reflections received a second wash.
I managed to achieve enough tone in the distant hills to leave them as the first wash, which was a bonus

22 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 PRACTICAL
t Notice that the lightest areas are the sky and fields, whilst the
hedgerows, trees and cows are a good degree darker. What this
tells us is that the sky will be all first wash, applied with a lot of
water. The fields will also be first wash, but applied with a richer,
stronger wash than the sky. At this first wash stage, the trees and
hedgerows, etc. need not be ignored, but can be hinted at with the
strongest first wash that we can manage. Once this first stage has
dried, the trees, hedgerows and cows can be restated with your
second wash

q Heol y Mynydd, watercolour, 83/4313in (22333cm).

I was quite pleased with this on-site painting, which took around
one-and-a-bit hours to complete. I even managed to achieve the
distant hedgerows in the first wash by using thicker, stiffer paint,
and the right timing to introduce them. The shapes in the second
wash flowed into each other and chinks of the first wash show
through, thus stopping it being too solid

not only used to darken a shape, but also

to cut out lighter shapes and to form hard
edges.

Identifying first and second

washes
When the experienced watercolour
landscape painter looks at a scene, there
will be areas within that scene with ‘I’m a
first wash’ written all over them, and areas
with ‘I’m a second wash’ written all over
them. When a novice looks at a scene, all
too often written all over it is, ‘Aw, that’s
too complex; let’s go and have another
cup of coffee’.
Remember, we must simplify (hence the
sketch) and look for dark areas that cut
out lighter areas. In a landscape this will
very often be the shapes on the land such
as trees, houses and cliffs.
Now that you are tuned into this first/ ‘Seconds next to firsts’
second wash way of thinking, take a look This little phrase refers to the fact that we need to avoid putting too many second
at Heol y Mynydd (above right) and Angle washes next to each other, where the tone may then become similar. Putting seconds
(below right), which show how effective next to firsts achieves maximum tonal contrast and freshness.
this process can be.

In conclusion
The method outlined in this article will
take time to assimilate. You will need to
hone your skills to identify areas of first
and second wash, and also your skills
of execution to enable you to put this
into practice. Remember, you will need
to see the scene before you in terms of
broad areas of tone (light, mid tones and
darks). You must then translate these
observations into first and second washes
(occasionally thirds). You’ll need a level
of technique that enables you to cut to
the chase quickly, without too much
messing about on unnecessary areas of
the paper. The resulting watercolours
p Angle, watercolour, 83/4313in (22333cm).
will be simpler, fresher, more transparent
This painting has a more subtle use of first and second washes, with almost every shape consisting
and easier to produce than those made of part first and part second wash. Some of the second washes, such as the trees behind the church,
by trying to copy the photograph. Good had their top edges re-dampened to avoid hard edges, which would have conflicted with the first soft
luck! overall wash w

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 23

?????????

DEMONSTRATION House Gable End

SIMPLE SHAPES FIRST
If you are going to attempt to refocus your watercolour approach to this two-
wash method, then it makes sense to start with just a few simple shapes, and
then add shapes to your compositions as you gain experience. Forego the big
open landscape for the moment and disregard subtle things like waterfalls or
anything with a tangle of detail such as townscapes. Search instead for a simple
building below trees, a boat against a harbour wall or a small corner of a field.
This demonstration of the house gable end and some trees shows this in action. p STAGE ONE
I drew a few simple shapes. I already knew that the tree and part
of the house against the sky were going to be second washes as I
needed these darker to show edges

p STAGE TWO
I placed a first wash from top to bottom, adding
more strength to the colours (thicker, richer
colour) as I got nearer the foreground. I now
had a soft impression of the scene
uFINISHED
PAINTING
House Gable End, watercolour,
61/4361/4in (16316cm).
I decided which shapes to re-paint,
to show up which edges. The
right-hand trees were added with
a dampened top edge to keep
the original softness, and I added
another tree to the left. Once these
washes were dry, I painted from the
chimney down through the house.
I left chinks of the first wash and
rapidly added more water to lighten
the wash as I got nearer to the
darker trees. A foreground shadow,
windows and posts completed the
scene

DEMONSTRATION The Quiet Lane

t SKETCH
MATERIALS Preparatory sketch for The Quiet Lane, pencil,
l Paper: Arches 140lb (300gsm) 61/4361/4in (16316cm).
stretched on a board to avoid Here is a little sketch of some winter trees on a
cockling. quiet lane. It took probably about 20 minutes,
l Brushes: Princeton synthetic but it has all the tonal/wash/layer information
squirrel and sable. that I need. I have painted scenes like this often
enough to be able to memorise the colours, but
l Colours: ultramarine blue, cobalt
these are nowhere near as important as the tones
blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna,
and edges. It already tells me that all the white
ultramarine violet, cobalt violet,
paper will be left as one layer (first wash) and
Hooker’s green, lemon yellow.
almost all the pencil shading will be added as a
second layer (second wash)

p STAGE ONE
The drawing was minimal. It was there simply to
indicate where the main shapes should go
u STAGE TWO
I thoroughly wetted the paper, which was
important as it was a hot day. Working
from top to bottom I placed the sky with
some cerulean and ultramarine blue. Into
this I placed the trees, using raw sienna,
burnt sienna, and ultramarine blue with
some thicker Hooker’s green and burnt
sienna for the ivy-clad trunks.
All the ground shapes were then placed
using thicker paint to make them stand
forward, with the addition of lemon
yellow for the verges. Finally, a watery
mix of palette muck (muck from around
the palette) was placed into the base of
the road

24 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 PRACTICAL

t STAGE THREE
Once the first layer of paint on the paper was dry it was time to think about
adding a minimal number of second layers. I started on the left-hand side
by re-dampening the tops of the bushes to keep the soft edge and worked
left to right, into the distance, chopping and changing the wash as it
travelled. My aim was to get bluer with distance and to leave little chinks of
the first wash where possible. Very minimal marks were then added to the
wall and verge

p STAGE FOUR
I moved across to the left-hand side and placed the tree and bush with a
dark wash consisting of French ultramarine, burnt sienna and Hooker’s
green. I tried to ensure that the edges were varied by softening areas with
a damp brush here and there, creating a lost-and-found effect. As the right-
hand wash was now dry I repeated the process on the second tree

p STAGE FIVE
It was time to have a go at the big shadow areas
and, with the room warming up by the minute,
I was not looking forward to it. Strong washes
dry much more quickly than thinner, lighter
ones. I made darker versions of each colour by
adding ultramarine violet to them and set off
from the top of the walls, once again chopping
and changing the wash as I went. Once finished it
was still damp enough to place some soft details
using a stiff mix of French ultramarine and burnt
sienna

Peter Cronin
works from his studio in South Wales. He
is a member of the Royal Society of Marine
Artists and was one of the art experts for the
Watercolour Challenge programme produced
in 2022. He has produced two books with
Search Press – Pure Watercolour Painting
and Sketching for the Absolute Beginner
– available to purchase online from our
p FINISHED PAINTING
The Quiet Lane, watercolour, 939in (23323cm).
online bookshop at bit.ly/ARTIBOOKS. Peter
is a regular visitor to art societies, giving
All that remained was to use a big mop brush to strike in the tree canopies, place the roof with a
demonstrations of his watercolour and counter-changed wash from light to dark and add additional foreground detail to add depth. I also
sketching techniques. drew in some light branches using white gouache and raw sienna to break up the trunks.
See more on Instagram and on his website Notice how reliant the painting is on the success of the first overall wash. It is this that enables it to
www.petercronin.org stand its ground and convince when I placed the second washes. Notice too, how I have consciously
placed second washes next to first washes

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 25

?????????
The beauty of trees
in winter
Follow Jo Quigley’s step-by-step demonstration to paint winter trees in acrylics
I
f you have ever been inspired to
paint the landscape, as so many
of us have, it is likely that you
will have painted a fair number
of trees. As a key feature in the
landscape, trees are often one of the first
things we learn to paint, alongside sky
and water. From the first pale blossoms
of spring to the spectacular array of
warm autumn colours and the multitude
of summer greens in between, it is no
wonder many of us are inspired to try
to capture their beauty on canvas. With
the changing foliage, familiar views
are transformed with each season,
providing artists with renewed inspiration
throughout the year. It is, perhaps, the
winter tree that inspires me most to
pick up my paintbrush, not evergreen or
snow-covered trees, (although I confess, I
am out with my camera at the first sign
of the white stuff!) but rather the bare
tree itself. It’s in this dormant phase that
you can truly understand the skeletal
structure of the trees and the remarkable
effects winter light has on them.
During the first lockdown when outdoor
26 artist January 2023
activities were limited, I, like many, took
regular walks around my local area.
After exhausting all the routes I knew,
I eventually settled on a preferred walk
that included some heathland, woods
and a section of canal. With little choice
but to do the same route repeatedly over
the weeks I slowly began to take more
notice of my surroundings; what I could
see, hear and even smell. I noticed some
amazing flora: a grand oak tree, the
twisted branches of a willow tree and
the shiny white trunk of a silver birch,
as well as creeping vines, orange lichen
and the vibrant green moss that grows on
the shady side of trees in the dark winter
months. Without the distraction of leaves,
the tree’s shapes, colours and textures
become more apparent.
The effects of winter light
Whilst weather conditions may be less
than favourable and daylight is in short
supply, the effects of light in the winter
months has some key advantages when
it comes to painting trees. When the sun
does make an appearance, it is much
p Winter Afternoon, Westminster, acrylic,
24348in (613122cm)
lower in the sky than in the summer
months, creating interesting and dramatic
effects. When the light comes from an
angle it can enhance colours, textures
and tones adding to a three-dimensional
effect, whereas when it is behind the
subject (contre-jour) it produces strong
silhouettes. It’s no coincidence that in
summer most photographers favour the
‘golden hour’ of sunrise and sunset when
the sun is lowest. You could be forgiven
for thinking that because it is cold outside
the light produced is similarly cold, but
in fact because the sun is lower in the
sky, light must travel through a dustier
more polluted atmosphere, which creates
a warmer light. Even on grey or overcast
days winter trees create drama. With
muted colours, tones are emphasised
creating a harmonising, almost
monochromatic effect.
One of my favourite things about a
winter sun is the shadows it creates.
www.painters-online.co.uk
 PRACTICAL

p Strong silhouettes are produced when the sun p Interesting shadows can enhance a p Twisted branches
is behind the subject composition

In some instances, I find the shadow is if they were fingers on a hand, resulting chosen a city scene for the following
more striking than the actual tree itself. in a flat two-dimensional shape. When demonstration in acrylic but one of my
When the sun is at its highest point, the observing a tree, we need to consider favourite winter trees is the London
shadow can be a flattened replica of the all aspects of it, how is it rooted to the plane tree. Found all over our capital,
tree shape, whereas at the lowest point ground, the colour and texture of the their subtle camouflage colours of grey,
the shadows can be so long only the bark, the way twigs attach to branches olive green and cream are stunning in the
shadow of the trunks are visible. In both and in turn how branches connect to winter light. As the subject of this article
cases shadows can be used to enhance a the main trunk. All species of tree are is winter trees, I have predominantly
composition creating interesting abstract different, each defined by their individual focused my description on how to paint
patterns. characteristics. them as opposed to the other elements in
It might seem strange that I have the scene. 
Winter trees in composition
There are several ways in which winter
trees can be of benefit when it comes to
creating exciting compositions. A single
tree with great character can be the sole
subject of a painting, a portrait so to
speak. I am strangely drawn to the stark
loneliness of a single tree in a landscape.
Tall trees also provide vertical lines that
can be an effective tool to divide the
canvas into areas, in the same way that
the horizon divides a canvas horizontally.
Use trees to draw the eye skywards and
provide a sense of scale and perspective
or include repeated shapes of multiple
trees and their shadows to create rhythm,
allowing for some pleasing patterns that
underpin a composition.

Painting winter trees in

acrylics
When it comes to painting trees in
winter, observation is key – as with all
subjects. With trees being one of the most
familiar subjects it is easy to assume we
know what they look like and before we
realise, we are painting the trees of our
imagination, rather than what is actually
in front of us. If you ask a child to draw
a winter tree they will most likely start
with the trunk and then add branches as p Southbank Stroll II, acrylic, 24324in (61361cm)

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 27

ACRYLICS

DEMONSTRATION Winter Trees, Southbank

t STAGE ONE
Starting with the background sky I mixed two separate quantities of cerulean blue
and titanium white, one darker and one lighter. I applied the more saturated colour to
the area of sky at the top of the canvas, blending to a less saturated colour nearer the
horizon to create a level of atmospheric
perspective. Working quickly with a
large brush, I usually apply two or three
coats of paint, allowing each layer to
dry completely before applying the
next to achieve a good blend and an
even coverage. I used the same method
to paint the ground, with a mix of
parchment and white. Using a 4B pencil
I sketched out the main body of the tree,
paying attention to ensure the width-to-
height ratio was correct, and observing
the negative shapes between branches to
achieve a level of accuracy

u STAGE THREE p STAGE TWO

The darkest tones were filled Having drawn the tree, I filled in the shape in a single
in using a mix of burnt sienna mid tone, using a mix of neutral grey and white. Once
and cobalt blue. I am not again, I applied a couple of coats to ensure a good
concerned about blending solid coverage. At this stage the tree appeared as a
these areas together, as this will flat shape with no details
be achieved later. It became
apparent which branches were
in front and which were behind,
creating a level of depth

p STAGE FOUR
Using a mix of parchment and white, the lightest areas of tone were applied
in the same way. My concern at this stage was to focus on communicating
the three-dimensional shape of the tree, so I was careful not to get distracted
with unnecessary details and textures
p STAGE FIVE
Having completed the basic tonal painting of the tree I could now add a
few more colours to my palette. I added a cerulean blue, Naples yellow and
cadmium yellow to create some muted grey/green colours. Using subtle
variations of colour applied with individual brushmarks, I broke up areas
of dark and mid-tone giving the illusion of blending, whilst simultaneously
creating the texture of bark. To create a sense of harmony I used the same
palette to block in other elements in the scene

28 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 PRACTICAL

p STAGE SIX
A tree is a heavy object, and it is important to
pay attention to how it is rooted to the ground;
neglecting this can result a tree appearing too
light to hold its own weight, unsettling the
viewer. Here the gentle shaping of individual
roots and dark shadows between them anchor
the tree to the ground. At this point, I added
some background trees

u STAGE SEVEN (ABOVE RIGHT)

Using a mix of cobalt blue, neutral grey and
titanium white I added the shadows, which
further connected the tree to its surroundings
and added a sense of perspective. It is by no
means necessary to paint every branch but
paying attention to the shape, direction and
how they are attached can make the tree more
believable

‘If you have considered trees in winter

somewhat uninspiring then I would
encourage you to look again. Seeing
them in their naked form without their
canopy helps to better understand their
structure and appreciate their individual
characteristics. So put on your warm coat
and boots and get outdoors. I promise it is
well worth the effort!’

Jo Quigley
studied Fine Art at Winchester School of
Art and Kingston University. She taught and
demonstrated painting for many years but
now paints full time. Jo exhibits and sells her
work in galleries throughout the UK
and abroad.
www.quigleyarts.co.uk
p FINISHED PAINTING
Winter Trees, Southbank, acrylic, 24324in (61361cm).
In this final stage I returned to the main tree, further strengthening the dark and light areas, as well
as adding some accents of colour. I always double-check that I haven’t crossed over any branches by
accident, making something appear impossible. I added more shadows where one branch overlaps
another ensuring the shadow followed the shape of the tree. Finally, I added a few people to the scene
to bring it to life

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 29

DiGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

p Jo Quigley January Afternoon, Southbank, acrylics,

30330in (76376cm)

30 January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

p Jo Quigley Last Glow, Southbank II, acrylics,
30335¾in (76391cm)

www.painters-online.co.uk January 2023 31

OILS
Visual narratives
Robert E. Wells muses on the meaning of a painting for a buyer and discovers that
the viewer will always interpret the subject matter via their own experiences
I
left art college in the mid- ‘70s to
become a designer working for an
architectural practice, and later a
freelance perspective artist. Before
the widespread use of computers,
this form of drawing and painting was
a very important and persuasive tool to
convey design proposals, often being the
first three-dimensional incarnation of a
project, and capable of generating huge
sums of money.
The step from visualiser to artist was
quite daunting, and one which I took
in the summer of 2002. I had become
increasingly restricted by the scope of
design briefs, which effectively dictated
all aspects of my work. But, suddenly
finding the freedom to paint with no
restrictions, required a completely new
mindset. My approach was to give myself
the same advice you would give to an
aspiring writer: ‘write about what you
know, therefore paint about what you
know’. This meant concentrating mainly
32 artist January 2023
on architectural themes, and living in
London would supply the initial subject
matter.
In 2002, there were relatively few
artists working on the streets of London,
and unlike today, this gave me the
opportunity to produce paintings with
very little competition in this field. My
early works were very well received, and
sold in considerable numbers. I was quite
intrigued as to what was driving sales,
as my interpretations of London were
not necessarily the most commercial,
with unusual views and tight-cropped
compositions being a regular motif.
Through a process of conversations
between galleries and clients, a pattern
started to unfold, and I was able to break
sales down into three possible categories.
The first was perhaps the most flattering
(but also the least likely) scenario that
clients would be so mesmerised by the
beauty of the painting in its own right,
that they would simply have to buy
it. The second reason was also quite
flattering, but equally unlikely, that it
would be purchased purely as a potential
investment, and would be seen as nothing
but an asset that would increase in value.
The most practical conclusion, however,
had potential crossover characteristics
with the other categories, but was driven
by memory. The most repeated reason for
purchase was a connection made between
the owner and the vantage point. It may
have been an area that they were familiar
with due to work, or perhaps it was where
they walked their dog, or even had a love
interest attached. It really didn’t matter
what it reminded them of, just as long as
it evoked positive memories. This made
perfect sense, and required little thought
by me, as London was such a vast area,
and that whatever view I picked, it would
most likely have an appeal to somebody
somewhere.
Moving away from
architecture
My work eventually started to move
away from architecture, to incorporate
a stronger element of figurative
components. Using the same advice
about writing, I started using my wife
and children as the most obvious models.
Initially I received a negative response
from some galleries, as conventional
wisdom had always warned against
selling pictures of your own children and
families, as they were seen as having no
wider commercial value to art collectors.
I did not take the advice given about
my selection of subject matter, but I was
t Luca and Chiara at Camber Sands, oil on
panel, 10312in (25.5330.5cm).
This painting relied mainly on the application of
paint to drive its interest, and to tell a possible
story about the day. The use of impasto helped
to create a very atmospheric backdrop to the
children, both subject matter and technique
working in unison to create their own sense of
narrative
www.painters-online.co.uk
 t Chiara Sleeping, oil on canvas, 36348in
(91.53122cm).
This view shows my daughter in a pose uniquely
particular to herself, and instantly recognised
by all members of her family. The pose indicates
Chiara clutching a very distinctive ‘bello
pillow’ (beautiful pillow in Italian) and is very
representative of how she sleeps. Despite this, it
will not be a deterrent for a future purchaser, who
will no doubt interpret it in their own way

their response by marking them between

one and four depending on their appeal.
Their electrical responses were monitored
during the exercise. It may have been
possible to predict that the brighter,
more accessible paintings were viewed
more favourably. However, it was the
challenging, thought-provoking images
that caused the most positive reaction.
This was matched with the hippocampus
very mindful about the need to look at increasingly successful, but it was not area of the brain lighting up, showing
how the paintings were expressed from a clear what the connection was between conclusively that the key element behind
technical point of view. I tried to divide the subject matter and purchaser. the reactions was the stimulation of
the painting into two basic elements Sufficient interest was generated even memory. It seemed the viewer was
– the choice of subject matter, and the from the most mundane of settings, with creating their own visual narratives in the
application of paint. These two elements the children posed in a neutral way. paintings based on their own personal
are intrinsically linked, and can feed off Edward A. Vessel, a leading psychologist, experience, and that further studies by
one another in many different ways. An had created an experiment in visual Eric Kandel suggested that there was a
example would be to look at Vincent understanding by asking volunteers to ‘default mode network’ at play, whereby
van Gogh’s painting of sunflowers. The respond to a mix of paintings, and record the viewer was also capable of filling in
composition and subject matter are of
little importance, but the painting is
expressed in such a powerful way that it
gives us the opportunity to look inside
the mind of a very unwell individual.
It was as if his entire life was being
expressed in paint before our eyes.
Combining these two elements may
sound obvious, but it’s surprising how
many times a strong subject matter
is rendered by an artist in a dull and
boring way, as if the subject matter had
been more important than its execution.
To avoid making this mistake, I give
the subject matter and the technical
application equal status. This allows
the painting to project atmosphere and
mood, and add layers of interest to a work
that might at first glance seem to have
little narrative content.
The figurative works became

u Chiara in a Red Blanket, oil on panel, 16316in

(40.5340.5cm).
This, one of my first oil studies of Chiara,
was a very popular image despite my initial
reservations. I have since produced a number
of similar studies on our visits to the area. The
general feedback suggests the image reminds
the client of their own family experiences

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 33

?????????
any narrative gaps in the work, if not
all visual markers were apparent. This
has been established as a unique state of
mind only applicable to human beings. It
is this ability to use inner contemplation
as a means to understand visual
representation.
The reason for sales of my own work
was now beginning to make more
sense, and understanding the processes
described made it possible to override the
outdated suggestion that the works would
have no commercial viability.
Figurative work
One of the first figurative works I sold
was Chiara in a Red Blanket (page 27).
This was a very personal response to a
happy day spent on the South Downs
with my daughter. We often spend several
hours at a time sitting on the downs. I
consider that we are very lucky to be
able to enjoy one another’s company,
without necessarily having to do
anything. Occasionally we do nothing but
simply sit there, and on other occasions
I have recorded our visits with small
oil sketches, just as a means of noting
a pleasant moment in time. When the
painting was first shown, I have to confess
that I thought it looked a little sinister,
although I could not understand why
this would be the case. When I spoke
to the gallery owner, she expressed a
similar doubt, and we had no way of
assuming how it would be received. I
realised later that my reservations were
34 artist January 2023
because I had associated the use of a
blanket with tabloid images of criminals
being led away from court into prison
vans, with their bodies partly covered
in blankets to protect their identity. In
conversation, the gallery owner agreed
that in her own mind she had questioned
the ‘perfectly serene’ image of a young
child wrapped up warm against the
elements. Our doubts over the painting
have since proved to be unfounded, and
this painting, along with other views, has
been sold without any such connections
being made.
Over the years I have painted similar
subject matter. Irrespective of their
content, the paintings evoke memories
consistent with the personal experience of
the purchaser. No matter how personal to
myself the paintings are, it would appear
that the children are replaced as the focus
of the subject matter when perceived
by potential buyers. I don’t consider this
to be a problem in any way. Similarly, I
have particularly enjoyed music which
may present political opinions against my
own beliefs, but I override the intended
message with my own dialogue in such a
way that my paintings may be perceived
in any manner that the viewer deems
appropriate.
My next question would be to see how
the transfer of narrative drive would
apply when the images became more
challenging or conflicting. This is far
more difficult to predict, as personal
experience and memory are the main
t The Beer Garden, oil on panel, 16316in
(40.5340.5cm).
This subject matter has created conflicting
narratives. Two versions have been produced,
each evoking very different memories. I have
been very careful not to impart my own
personal view, but to leave the painting open to
interpretation
driving force, and therefore unique to
each individual. A typical example of a
clear division in response occurred when I
produced two studies of a painting called
The Beer Garden (left). The studies were
initially intended for a larger studio work,
and whilst they varied in composition
and texture, they had very similar
atmospheric content. They are based in
part from memory, and also a couple of
old photographs of my father and sister.
The image is deliberately vague to allow
for different interpretations. Put simply,
the painting depicts a man keeping his
daughter still for a photograph. I don’t
have any explanations for such works,
as I find my own descriptions only serve
to confuse the opinions made by others.
This was true with both studies sold. One
client saw the painting as a delightful
family outing, and even has it in pride
of place on their bedroom wall. For the
other buyer, it represented a darker
experience, and the painting has helped
to overcome and replace a negative
experience by reclaiming the past
through strength.
In summary, I would conclude that
whatever the subject is, it would be
possible that the viewer will impart their
own narrative through experience, and
that no matter how much consideration
is taken on the motif, it may have little
consequence with the viewer. But it is
important to remember that the painting
is also driven by your personal experience,
and the application for paint should have
its own individual personality. TA
Robert E. Wells
is a multiple award-winning artist born in
Yorkshire. He is known for his cityscape
paintings as well as rural landscapes and
figurative works. A member of the New
English Art Club and the Royal Society of
British Artists, he regularly exhibits his work
in solo shows, mainly in the UK. His book,
Robert E. Wells In Perspective was published
in 2018. Contact Robert at
https://www.robertewells.com
www.painters-online.co.uk
DiGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

Robert
E WELLS

p Robert E Wells Walking to the Shops, oil on panel, 10310in

(25.5325.5cm).
‘This rendering of my wife and children was originally criticised as being
too personal and having limited appeal. However, the subject matter
set on a winter’s day proved to be very popular, and could have been
sold multiple times. It is most likely that the image evoked a memory
response.’

35 January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

p Robert E Wells St Martin in the Field, oil on canvas,
36336in (91.5391.5cm).
‘This painting received considerable criticism due to its
severe cropping. But it was deemed commercial enough by
the church to be used for their 2001 Christmas card range.’

www.painters-online.co.uk January 2023 36


Paul Gadenne
is a Canterbury-based artists who is
equally at home working in watercolour,
acrylic and oil. He is a chartered designer
with a background in commercial interior
architecture and exhibition design. Paul has
been a design lecturer at Hastings College
of Art and taught graphics and design at
St. Edmund’s School in Canterbury for over
20 years. Paul’s paintings are in public and
private collections in the UK and abroad. He
currently teaches art classes for adults of all
abilities in Dunkirk and Sandwich, Kent. He
is the founder member of Urban Sketchers
Canterbury and has appeared on Sky Arts
Landscape Artist of the Year in 2015 and 2021.
www.gadenne.co.uk
U
nless we have the time,
weather and patience to
study a city location over a
period of time, the chances
of finding the perfect
combination of circumstances to get
those ideal photographs are virtually nil,
and there’s even less chance with plein-air
painting. While there is great merit in
painting what was there on the day, the
odds are that it had flat lighting in the
middle of the day, it was overcast or even
DEMONSTRATION St James’s Street, West End, London
www.painters-online.co.uk
Lights, camera,
ACTION!
Paul Gadenne shows how to use colour, focus and
light to add drama to a painting from a photograph
raining! We don’t all live in the locations
that we want to paint so have to rely
on photographs taken during a fleeting
visit, taking a chance that the lighting
and weather gods are in our favour.
They rarely are! But we are painters not
photographers, we can alter lighting
angles, weather conditions, traffic,
people, in fact anything that will help our
composition and add drama.
Lighting
The biggest change you can make is to
alter the lighting. The passage of the
sun in an urban environment will create
dramatic scenes many times throughout
the day. As it passes overhead, some
PRACTICAL
streets will be in full shade and others in
full sun. In between, some will have just
enough light to make them interesting
at the beginning and end of the day
when the low sun casts long dramatic
shadows. One of the most popular choices
is to paint against the light contre-jour.
This generates highly contrasted light
and shade with shadows of people or
buildings being cast in dramatic fashion
straight at the viewer.
In most cases it’s not too difficult to
guess where the sun will be at different
times of the day, however, a couple of
simple sketches will enable you to test the
angles and see what sort of shadows you
might get.
 I have chosen to use a photo taken on my
phone of the buildings flanking St James’s Street
in London’s west end. The original view was a
bit bland so I added a red London bus and a few
pedestrians and, pushing reality a bit further, I
added a pedestrian crossing in the foreground.
Adding people to a view can be really useful.
They create a focal point, help the composition,
add scale and provide narrative. Unless you are
a whizz at photo manipulation, a couple of basic
rules apply when adding to original photos.
First ensure that any objects such as buses, cars,
lampposts, and so on, are following the same
perspective lines as the original picture. To find
the vanishing points simply draw ruled pencil
lines along any straight features such as the
edges of rooftops, window lines, and kerbs. They
should all meet at the same vanishing point on
the horizon. This is the vanishing point that your
additions should also use. Secondly, now that
you have your vanishing point, you can add a
few people. The trick here is to ensure all their
eye-levels are on the horizon line. Their feet will
automatically be in the right place regardless of
the height or distance of the figure 
artist January 2023 37
WATERCOLOUR

MATERIALS
l Paper: 140lb (300gsm)
medium rough watercolour
paper secured with 50mm
gummed paper tape. This
painting could have a lot of
water on it at the same time
and would probably buckle
if it wasn’t strong enough,
allowing puddles of paint
to form rather than a flat
even wash. Uneven drying
generates tidemarks of
pigment called cauliflowers.
Sometimes this can be
used to good effect, but
not today! So, I am using a
lightweight 140lb (300gsm)
medium rough paper, which I
stretched first on my drawing
board to keep it flat.
l Brushes: Natural sable
watercolour brushes
including a No. 10 round, No.
6 round and a rigger.
l Paint: This type of painting
needs a good quality paint
to ensure you get deep
saturated pigment. I used
Sennelier L’Aquarelle but any
good quality watercolour will
work in the following colours:
French ultramarine blue;
burnt sienna; burnt umber;
yellow ochre; Sennelier red;
alizarin crimson; viridian
green; Payne’s grey; and
titanium white.
Lighting sketches and pencil sketch
Draw the scene in soft pencil, take a photo and make a couple of prints. Have a look at my two prints and you will
see that I have added shadows with both the morning and afternoon sun angles. You will always have to accept
that one side of the building will be in shade, if not direct shade, then probably that cast from adjacent buildings.
It’s what you do with the sunlit side that can add the drama. Sketch in the shadows as the sunlight skims over
the side of the building so that it
casts shade from any projecting
architectural features. Make sure that
the cast shadows are parallel unless
you are in a viewing position where
perspective angles will apply.
I have chosen the view based on
shadows being cast to the left on
the front elevation to the street.
The building has interesting
projecting balconies and numerous
architectural mouldings and
projections. This allows me plenty
of scope to make a real feature of
the light and shade. The angle of
the shadows, their length or if, in
reality, they even exist at all, is not
particularly relevant as it is the
dramatic effect that we are after. In
other words, if it looks right then it
is right!

p STAGE ONE
In the first view I simply added some background colours to add volume to
the line drawing and provide a sense of 3D to help with understanding the
volume of the buildings. This is just a simple light wash with plenty of water
put down quickly with a large brush. I used a large wash brush to avoid any
brushmarks showing. Always use the brush that suits the size of the marks
you need to make. Small brushes make small marks, they dry quickly, and
are unsuitable for large washes
p STAGE TWO
I now needed to get some of the foreground detail painted in to help
identify any significant features, such as the awnings and the bus, which
must remain untouched by any accidental brushmarks. You can use masking
fluid for this but I often feel that the delay while the masking fluid dries
takes some of the spontaneity away from the work

38 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 PRACTICAL

p STAGE THREE
This is the moment that the big shadows are added. I know it’s only a
painting, but this stage seems to require enormous courage! It is important
to refer to your shadow sketch and not go off happily adding shadows to
every blank area of the facade. It is very easy to overdo this part. The paint
mix that I use for shade always veers toward the violet. I used ultramarine
blue, alizarin crimson and Payne’s grey, which gives a grey shadow with a
good bit of mauve/blue. Make sure you mix more paint than you think you
need and use a large brush to get the big flat areas in first. Work quickly
before these areas dry using a smaller brush to drag the shadows across the
front of the facade. This is a good time to work your way down the picture
adding some of the basic foreground masses, such as the cars
p STAGE FOUR
Finally, using a darker shadow mix, I added the windows throughout along
with any of the harsher shadows cast in deeper areas. I completed the
foreground adding detail and shadows to the people and vehicles with richer,
more saturated colours. One of the best ways to add depth to any landscape
is to use colour recession. You need to ensure that distant objects are lighter
and slightly blueish and foreground objects are brighter, warmer and more
detailed.
Using paint straight from the tube I added bright details, such as signs and
flashes of bright reflection to sharpen the painting up a little

TIP
Stretching paper is always a good idea
if you are using medium to lightweight
papers. All watercolour painters
will have their own system for this.
I thoroughly wet mine in the bath,
remove the excess surface water and
position it on my drawing board. I then
wet lengths of gummed paper that have
been pre-cut to length and, using an
overlap of about 20mm, I secure all four
edges of the paper to the board. Don’t
start painting until it is thoroughly dry.
Some artists like to use an entire sheet
of paper including the manufacturer’s
deckle edge. If you want to do this then
you will need to use heavier paper
of about 300lb (640gsm), which is
thick enough not to buckle with large
amounts of water on the surface.

‘Looking back through the countless

images that we now seem to generate
with mobile phones, I can quite often find
photos that have been overlooked and
forgotten because they were too flat and
p FINISHED PAINTING
St James’s Street, West End, London, watercolour, 111/2315in (29338cm).
lifeless or taken in bad weather. With a little
I turned my paper upside down to paint the sky wash. Working in this way prevents paint runs from ruining
imagination, instead of clicking delete, you your finished painting. Finally, I had a good look at the overall balance of the painting to make sure I was
may get lucky and find a few gems that comfortable with the masses and the tonal values. I felt my sky was a little too bland and that I needed a
are just waiting for an injection of a bit of darker mass on the left, so I added a darker version of the sky colour, fading the edges with clean water and
drama!’ dabbing with tissue to get a soft transition into the existing lighter cloud mass

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 39

1ST OF 2
All about line
& wash
In the first of two articles, Alan Bickley looks at the tools available
to the line & wash painter and demonstrates how they
can be used to best effect
L
ine and wash can be such
a rewarding medium and
the creative possibilities
are endless. To some it may
appear a safer alternative
to watercolour, but it will undoubtedly
challenge your drawing skills, because
that’s basically what line and wash is
about – drawing! It’s considered to be a
good starting point for aspiring artists,
because you will have an ink framework
already in place prior to adding colour or
tone.
You can use a combination of crisp,
definitive lines or add soft or vibrant
watercolour washes over your drawing,
which opens up a whole new perspective.
I love blocking in areas of watercolour
over my drawing, but only if the subject
40 artist January 2023
calls for it. A strong black line drawing
alone or with a diluted black ink wash
can often have equal impact. Keeping
your colours in check to a large degree
can be important so limit the range of
colours you use.
There isn’t any one style that
encompasses line and wash. I adopt many
styles as you will see from my examples
here. To a large extent, style can often be
governed by both time restraints and the
drawing implements used. Drawing is the
fundamental backbone in progressing
your art. It’s probably the most important
discipline you can learn – from a simple
line drawing to a full-blown painting.
Good drawing will always be the key to
success but is all too often overlooked!
I’m never looking to achieve crisp,
straight lines. That’s the stuff of
architects. I want a line that portrays
some character, so to achieve this I find it
advantageous to work fairly quickly and
use positive, intentional and confident
strokes with a brush, pen, quill or
whatever mark-making implement I’m
using. Spontaneity can often be the key to
a successful drawing.
I don’t mind if my architecture looks a
bit ‘off kilter’. In fact that’s often what I’m
trying to achieve, something that displays
character. We can all draw static, boringly
accurate lines with the help of a straight
edge. I much prefer to plunge straight
in without any preliminary drawing, but
it’s perfectly understandable that some
artists may find that they need the help
of some preparatory framework before
committing to ink, particularly for a
complex architectural subject.
I recommend light pencil work using a
2B pencil, but don’t go into great detail
here. Keep it to the main framework
only, otherwise you could find yourself
laboriously tracing over your initial pencil
lines and the result would be a disaster.
It’s fine to leave your pencil lines visible,
they’re all part of the sketch.
Try varying the strength and thicknesses
of your lines as this all helps to add
interest. In theory, lines should be thinner
the further away they are; a sort of aerial
perspective. I’m comfortable using most
pens, but I tend to avoid using those
metal-nib technical pens. I find that they
restrict the speed at which I can work.
Edding, Staedtler and Rotring are three
excellent brands if you do want to give
them a go.
t A selection of useful equipment for line and
wash drawings
www.painters-online.co.uk
 PRACTICAL

MATERIALS AND
EQUIPMENT
I’ve mentioned earlier that you don’t need
lots of expensive materials to get you up
and running. Here’s a few suggestions
based on my own experience.
l Papers Quite frankly you can use literally
anything, but the most commonly used
support is cartridge paper. It’s cheap and
comes in various weights (thicknesses). A
90lb (190gsm) weight is ideal for most ink
sketches, but will cockle when a wash is
added.
Watercolour paper is available in a variety
of weights but aim for at least 140lb
(300gsm), which will take a reasonably wet
wash. Watercolour paper comes in three
surface finishes – hot-pressed (HP), Not and
rough, each of which will give you a different
finish. It’s worth experimenting with each
grade. The weight of watercolour paper
starts at 90lb (190gsm) and goes up to 400lb
A selection of some common mark-making tools – from left to right:
(850gsm). Dip pen with steel nib, reed pen, quill, Edding marker pen, Tombow brush pen (fine), Faber-Castell Pitt
brush pen, fountain pen, Faber-Castell Artist pen (profipen), Dalon rigger brush. All pens will make their
Bristol board has a very fine surface, which
own individual and distinctive marks. Some are better for loose sketches, others for more accurate or
is slightly shiny and would be my choice if I
detailed work
were using a technical pen.
I love to draw on tinted paper. Experiment
using all the different pastel papers that are flexible than bamboo pens and are my handy sketching tools, preferably those
available or try Strathmore toned papers preferred option. with a thin nib. They’re convenient and you
in grey and beige. They will take a wash can get a varied line by applying different
l Dip pens With interchangeable steel
of watercolour or ink and, being tinted, amounts of pressure to the nib.
nibs, dip pens are great for sketching and
will enable you to pick out those exciting so cheap to buy. The steel nibs can last for l Rotring Art Pen Similar in many ways
highlights with either white chalk or years. They are excellent for achieving a to a fountain pen, the Rotring Art pens use
gouache. I often make my own tinted papers variety of line thicknesses but, as with reed permanent ink. They have an ergonomically-
by introducing a wash of watercolour, (more and bamboo pens, be prepared for a few designed handle and are quite a lot longer
on this in part two, next month). splatters and blobs. than a fountain pen.
l Brushes I use synthetic nylon brushes in l Quill pens These can be made at home l Rigger brush and brush pens I love the
the main. A decent No. 6 round is ideal for and are an alternative to the dip pen, often variation of line that can be achieved with
laying in areas of wash, plus a rigger brush giving a more varied and unpredictable line, a good quality rigger brush, but they aren’t
will be adequate to start with. depending on how they are cut. You can particularly easy to master at first.
l Reed and bamboo pens You can buy make your own quill with just a craft knife l Fineliner disposable profipens Pitt,
reed pens but I much prefer to make my and (ideally) a wing feather from a goose. Edding, Staedtler, Rotring, the list is endless.
own. It’s so simple! Reed pens are far more l Fountain pens These are excellent and The branded ones generally contain
permanent ink and come in a variety of line
widths, ranging in general from the thinnest,
t Chinese brushes will 0.1 to the thickest, 0.7. There’s no variation of
give you interesting and line to be achieved with these pens, so keep
positive mark-making a selection of nib sizes to hand.

u Rotring Art Pen (fine nib). This is a quick sketchbook scribble

on watercolour paper. Not everything you draw has to be a
finished masterpiece; fill your sketchbooks with quick scribbles w

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 41

?????????

t Barges at
Faversham Creek, line
& wash, 11315in
(28338cm).
Here I used walnut
ink and neutral tint
watercolour with a
dip pen and rigger
brush on Fabriano
300lb (640gsm)
HP self-tinted
paper. Note how
I’ve dropped in the
buildings using a
simple wash without
ink lines to create
distance

ADDING A COLOUR WASH

l Many line drawings stand perfectly
well without colour but, of course, colour
can, and often does, add interest to a
drawing. If you don’t want to add colour,
try using diluted Indian ink in varying
strengths or neutral-tint watercolour to
create your tonal values.
l Use watercolour, acrylic, acrylic ink or
the traditional soluble dye inks from
Winsor & Newton. A word of caution
here: don’t use too many different
colours. It just doesn’t work. I’d say
four at most, and only add to this if
absolutely necessary.
l Washes are best applied quickly and
with confidence in one brushstroke
where possible so that they stay fresh
and transparent. Don’t worry about
being too neat. We aren’t simply
filling in pre-determined areas, we’re
trying to create interest. Paint that
exceeds your boundary lines should
be considered par-for-the-course and
even encouraged!

p The Punta della Dogano, line & wash, 9312in (23330.5cm).

For this small sketch I used a combination of home-made reed and bamboo pens, on
Strathmore toned gray mixed-media 184lb (300gsm) paper pad (American hence the
spelling gray). The beauty of line and wash is that it requires so little equipment to
get started, unlink most other media

42 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 PRACTICAL

p Durham Cathedral – An Impression, line & wash, 11315in (28338cm).

This is a more finished piece, drawn on self-tinted Arches 300lb (640gsm) HP watercolour paper. I used both a rigger brush and
Staedtler profipen, with varying strengths of watercolour washes, plus white gouache to pick out those all-important highlights

t Palma de Mallorca, Staedtler fineliner pen

0.1mm on Strathmore gray paper with a splash of
watercolour, 7312in (18330.5cm)

Alan Bickley
studied fine art and graphic design at Stafford
College of Art and spent many years as a
designer and editorial artist in the newspaper
industry. He has won many awards in The Artist
Open painting competitions and is a regular
contributor to the PaintersOnline e-newsletter.
Alan’s more recent work can be seen here:
www.painters-online.co.uk/artists/
alanbickley

‘In part two I’ll be taking a closer look

at the different tinted drawing papers
available, including how to tint your
own paper, plus where to source quality
handmade tinted papers. I’ll also be
demonstrating a still life in ink and wash
but adding pastel as a third dimension!’

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 43

COLOURED PENCILS
A universal medium
Liz Seward gets to grips with ellipses as she embarks on a still-life
drawing using coloured pencils
Liz Seward
taught and demonstrated for 36 years and is a
member of the Society of Women Artists and
the Society of Floral Painters. She has exhibited
widely and won many awards for her work. An
active and committed member of many local
art societies, she has recently been elected
president of the Arun Art Society.
www.sewardart.co.uk
p Marble Collection, Caran d’Ache Luminance 6901 and Derwent Lightfast pencils on Bristol Board
paper, 13½311in (34.5328cm).
Over the years I have drawn and painted these marbles many times. The fact that they are an easy
shape, with beautiful colouring makes them an attractive subject though difficult to arrange as they
do have a mind of their own!
44 artist January 2023
I
discovered the potential of
coloured pencils as an adult about
30 years ago while working in my
local art shop. One day, into my
hands came a tin of Derwent Artist
Studio pencils (I did pay for them!). Up
until that point I had always worked
with wet media and pastels, considering
them to be the tools of a real artist. I’ve
always been passionate about drawing
for its own sake, as the many shelves of
sketchbooks in my studio will testify, but
this new tin of pencils was a complete
revelation. Not only could they be used
as a dry sketching medium with colour,
but finished work destined for exhibitions
was possible. Over the years I have
returned to the quiet relaxation of using
coloured pencils many times after the
hurly burly of watercolour, acrylics et al
have exhausted me.
Throughout this time, I have used
several different brands of coloured
pencils including Derwent Studio,
Coloursoft and Inktense, and Faber-
Castell Polychromos – all of them
wonderful. In recent years, however, I
have used only two brands, Caran d’Ache
Luminance 6901 and Derwent Lightfast,
which are both lovely to use and
guaranteed lightfast – important if your
work is to be publicly exhibited and not
just confined to a sketchbook. I combine
the pencils with other media such as
watercolour and acrylics, so I need the
pencils to be a match with them in terms
of durability and colour. Luminance 6901
has a superb colour range that is second
to none, and Derwent Lightfast has a
beautiful wax-like quality that makes
blending a total pleasure.
LIZ’S TOP TIPS
l Keep a sketchbook, use it regularly
and don’t be afraid to record everyday
boring subjects. It doesn’t have to be
exciting landscapes or exotic flowers,
just what’s in front of you. Even a
couple of potatoes can present a
challenge!
l Use good-quality lightfast pencils.
l Use smooth-surface paper.
l Keep the pencils sharp.
l Learn to vary the pressure on the tip,
from very light to very heavy.
www.painters-online.co.uk
 PRACTICAL

 Lockdown – Gin, Wine and Coffee,

Caran d’Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
in a Daler-Rowney A3 sketchbook,
13¾315¾in (35340cm).
For about seven months in the
first Coronavirus lockdown I kept
a diary recording aspects of this
extraordinary time. I used coloured
pencils exclusively as they were
perfect for the task. I consider the
pencils played a very large part in
getting me through it relatively
unscathed. Whoever thought
draining boards could be so
interesting, even humble dishcloths
were a challenge

DEMONSTRATION Sweetness and Light

p STAGE ONE
Getting the drawing right is an absolute must.
The opportunities for making major corrections
to the drawing once I started working with the
pencils were limited so I spent time at this stage
making sure that everything was in its right place
and nothing drew attention to itself because it
didn’t ‘look right’. This subject was full of ellipses,
which can be a problem. I have spent years telling
students not to put corners on them and to make
them more curved as they go up or down the
page from eye level but I had to keep reminding
myself of all this as I drew. Using some artistic
licence I made the glass with the honey in slightly
bigger than it was in reality because I wanted to
make it more important

MATERIALS USED
l 2B graphite pencil for the drawing.
l Caran d’Ache Luminance 6901:
Herculaneum red, apricot, sanguine,
scarlet, alizarin crimson, sepia, and
Prussian blue.
l Derwent Lightfast: amber gold, flame,
sienna, scarlet, strawberry, magenta,
sapphire, deep blue and midnight
black.
l Caran d’Ache blender stick.
p STAGE TWO
I have often compared working with coloured pencils to working with watercolour, only much slower.
I began by putting a light layer of colour over all the objects using orange, flame, apricot, amber
gold, Herculaneum red, sapphire blue and midnight black. I made a choice of 17 pencils for this piece,
although with the choice available it was tempting to use more. These are the colours I needed, with the
variety of tones from light to dark being made by varying the pressure on the pencil. I tried to keep the
direction of the strokes consistently vertical, (although my natural inclination is to use diagonal strokes,
being left-handed, but this can create distracting movement). Later, as the layers increased, and a pencil
blender was applied, all strokes became less obvious. The white highlights on the fruit and glass were
the original white paper

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 45

?????????

p STAGE THREE
Using darker colours, sepia, sienna, strawberry and magenta, and increasing the
pressure on the lead, I started to shade and model the glass objects. As well as doing
it myself I encourage all my drawing students to practise this by taking a simple
oblong shape and shading at one end with very little pressure. Then move across and
gradually increase the pressure on the lead until you get to the edge of the shape and
the tone of the shading is the darkest it can be. If this can be done in one movement without taking p STAGE FOUR
the pencil point off the page, the smoother the finished look will be. Now for the tangerines and the mug. I have a
Midnight black was used heavily on the spoon and more lightly on the cap of the marmalade pot. I confession, I’m not a fan of putting patterned
then overlaid the bowl of the spoon and the honey it sat in with sepia, picking up the light beside the china into paintings, but I decided to put this
spoon with amber gold. The outside of the lid of the jam pot lying on the table in the foreground and mug in because of the contrast that the blue
therefore needing greater contrast, was worked entirely in midnight black. I was fascinated by the decoration on it made to the warm reds, yellows,
shadows thrown on the wall behind the objects so, using deep blue, I shaded them as a flat shape, and oranges in the rest of the objects. The
using a light overlay of magenta in places for some reflected colour that I saw. Rather than keeping shadows, both on the mug and the tea inside it,
the rest of the background white, I began to put a light layer of sienna on the rest of it and on the were put in first using deep blue for the china and
inside of the jampot lid. Then texture was made using alizarin crimson in the strawberry jam pot, sepia for the tea. Using a 2B pencil (which I could
cutting out fruit shapes with darker tones and sanguine in the marmalade, putting in darker shapes rub out) and taking a deep breath, I drew the
to define orange peel little flowers on the mug, then once I’d decided
they were in the right place, I went over them
with deep blue, keeping them lighter on the right
and making them darker on the shadow side. The
shadows on the tangerines were made by putting
greater pressure with the original colour (orange)
then making that darker with sepia. I hinted at
some texture where I left the paper bare for the
highlights, but I didn’t want to over fuss it so
resisted going any further

t FINISHED WORK
Sweetness and Light, Caran d’Ache Luminance
6901 and Derwent Lightfast on Bristol Board
paper, 14315in (35.5338cm).
I wanted this finished piece to have the same
contrast I put into all my work in the ‘wet’
media. So, using a lot of pressure, I darkened the
shadows under all the objects and on the wall
behind. I also darkened the corners, something
I often do as it creates a spotlight effect,
concentrating attention on the centre of the
piece. With midnight black I also corrected some
drawing errors on the jam jars, turning the whole
thing upside down to make sure they were equal.
Then, with all the original colour, I darkened the
shadows on the objects, greatly increasing the
pressure.
After this, it was time to get the blender out. I
used a Caran d’Ache blender stick which is oil/
wax based, rubbing it lightly over the areas
that needed calming down but still had a rough
texture on them. Some of the areas that have
many layers of pencil on them didn’t need this
treatment at all as the silkiness of both of these
ranges of pencils ensured a smoother look

46 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk


OPEN Competitions, Exhibitions
& Opportunities
These listings are in chronological order
according to the month in which the deadline
falls. Submissions and handing-in dates are
highlighted in red
DECEMBER 22 JANUARY 23
The Royal Society of British
Artists (RBA)
Details: The Royal Society of
British Artists invites painters,
sculptors and printmakers
over the age of 18 to submit
work for its annual exhibition
in 2023. As well as skill and
draughtsmanship, selectors
will be looking for originality
and creativity. The exhibition
offers several prizes and awards
worth over £5,000, presenting
the opportunity to exhibit
your work at a prestigious
London gallery alongside well-
established artists and have
your work seen by thousands
of visitors, including buyers
and collectors.
Exhibition: Mall Galleries,
London, March 2 to 11.
Submissions deadline: Friday
December 2, 12 noon.
Contact: https://mallgalleries.
org.uk/call-for-entries
Society of Painters in Water-
Mixable Oils
Details: The Society of Painters
in Water-Mixable Oils is inviting
entries to its third annual
open painting competition. All
entries must have been created
using water-mixable oil paint
and created no earlier than
January 1, 2019. Two entries
per artist in each category are
allowed. The categories for
this year’s exhibition include:
Landscape; Seascape; Portrait/
Figurative; Still Life, Wildlife/
Animal; and, new for this year,
Floral.
Exhibition: Selected winning
finalists’ work will be exhibited
on the society’s website and in
the SPWMO newsletter.
Submissions deadline:
December 31, 2022.
Contact: www.spwmo.org.uk
painters-online.co.uk
artist
DSWF’s Wildlife Artist
of the Year 2023
Details: Founded by the David
Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
in 2008, DSWF’s Wildlife Artist
of the Year is an internationally
renowned wildlife art
competition open to amateur
and professional artists. The
competition uses the power
of the arts to celebrate wildlife
and raise vital funds for
endangered species.
Submissions deadline: Submissions
open early January; dates tbc.
Contact:
www.davidshepherd.org
Holly Bush Emerging Woman
Painter Prize
Details: The Holly Bush
Emerging Woman Painter
Prize is now the largest prize
dedicated to women only
entries in the UK and offers
a prize pot of over £8,000.
Founded in 2017, this prize,
sponsored by Dame Emma
Thompson, art supply
company Cass Art, Susan
Angoy, the Mall Galleries and
administered by Women in Art
CIC, is part of a wider project to
assist and celebrate emerging
women artists and is becoming
one of the annual highlights for
women painters trying to gain
recognition for their work.
Submissions deadline: Dates for
the prize will be announced in
the new year.
Contact:
www.hollybushpaintingprize.com
The John Byrne Award
Details: The John Byrne Award
is an inclusive online creative
competition, named after one
of Scotland’s most prolific
artists and playwrights, who
was also one of the founding
2023
p The 2022 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize private view. Photographer Ben Jones
trustees. The purpose of
the award is to celebrate,
encourage and support
creativity whilst creating
a platform to engage in
important conversations about
the many values, beliefs and
ideals which shape our lives
and our communities. The
award embraces diversity and
encourages entrants who
represent Scotland’s many and
varied communities. Entries
are free and accepted at any
time, submitted through the
website. Monthly and annual
award winners are announced
on the website, on social
media and in the John Byrne
newsletter.
Submissions deadline: Accepted at
any time throughout the year.
Contact: https://
johnbyrneaward.org.uk/
Society of Graphic Fine Art
Details: Established in 1919,
the Society of Graphic Fine Art
exists to promote and exhibit
works of high quality in colour
or black and white with the
emphasis on good drawing
and draughtsmanship, in
pencil, pen, brush, charcoal,
Conté or any of the forms of
original printmaking, as well as
any original artwork including
paintings, which demonstrate
evidence of drawing by hand
Entries are invited to the
annual Society of Graphic Fine
Art open exhibition.
Exhibition: Mall Galleries,
London, from March 13 to 17.
Entry deadline: January 6.
Contact: More information at
www.sgfa.org.uk and also at
https://oess.org.uk
Royal Institute of Painters in
Water Colours (RI)
Details: The RI welcomes
watercolour or water-soluble
media to its 211th exhibition,
including watercolour, acrylic,
ink or gouache (excluding
water-soluble oils) painted
on paper or paper-based
supports. The exhibition offers
the opportunity to win awards,
worth over £8,000, and have
your work seen by thousands
of visitors including buyers and
collectors. Any artist over 18
PU A
GU LL-O
IDE UT
may submit.
Exhibition: Mall Galleries, London
SW1, March 30 to April 8.
Submissions deadline: Friday
January 6, 12 noon.
Contact: Enter online at
https://mallgalleries.org.uk/
call-for-entries
RWS Open
Details: Formerly known as the
Contemporary Watercolour
Competition, the RWS Open is
the largest open-submission
water-media exhibition in the
world, attracting thousands
of submissions nationally
and internationally each year.
Successful applicants in the
early stages of their art career
often consider exhibiting as a
springboard to other successes
such as forming relationships
with collectors, gallerists and
curators. Many exhibitors also
go on to become successfully
elected RWS members. The
society celebrates water media
in all its forms including ink,
acrylic, gouache, tempera, and
so on. The RWS invites artists of
all backgrounds, at any stage
January 2023 47
of their career, to submit works
on paper in any (and all) water-
based media. Many awards and
prizes to be won.
Exhibition: Bankside Gallery,
London SE1 in the spring.
Submissions deadline: Monday
January 9, 2023, 11.59pm.
Contact: Enter online at
https://www.
royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk/
competition
FEBRUARY
Royal Academy Summer
Exhibition 2023
Details: The Royal Academy
of Art’s Summer Exhibition is
the world’s longest running
and largest open-submission
show. The exhibition brings
together art in all media, from
prints, paintings, film and
photography to sculpture,
architectural work and more.
Keep checking the Summer
Exhibition page on the Royal
Academy of Art’s website for
updates and brief overview of
the theme.
Exhibition: Royal Academy of
Arts, Piccadilly, London W1,
June 13 to August 20.
Submissions deadline: Opens
on January 10 and closes on
February 14.
Contact: Look out for
up-to-date information at
https://summer.royalacademy.
org.uk/
Sky Arts Portrait Artist of
the Year Series 10
Details: Open to amateur and
professional artists, Sky Arts
Portrait Artist of the Year is a
televised art competition,
which celebrates artistic talent.
Artists are selected on the basis
of a self-portrait submission
artwork. Contestants take
part in one of eight heats,
where they have four hours
to complete a portrait of a
mystery celebrity sitter. Prizes
include a £10,000 commission.
Filming is planned to take
place at Battersea Arts Centre
in April.
Submissions deadline: February 24,
12 noon.
Contact: To apply visit https://
www.skyartsartistoftheyear.tv/
portrait/
Jackson’s Painting Prize 2023
Details: Two-dimensional fine
art entries are invited in any
painting and drawing medium
by artists of all abilities and ages.
Submissions deadline: Check
website for updates.
Contact: www.jacksonsart.com
for up-to-date information.
MARCH
The Pastel Society 2022 (PS)
Details: The Pastel Society seeks
the best in contemporary dry
48 January 2023
p Tom Coates The Demonstrators, Michael Reynolds and Tony Morris, oil on board,
12¼39¾in (31325cm), winner of the ING Discerning Eye Founder’s Prize in 2021
media for its 124th annual
exhibition, combining traditional
skills with creative originality.
Any artist over 18 may submit.
Exhibition: Mall Galleries, London,
from May 25 to June 3 (tbc).
Submissions deadline:
Open for entries from January
9 to Friday March 24, 12 noon.
Contact: Enter online at
https://mallgalleries.org.uk/
call-for-entries
Royal Society of Portrait
Painters (RP)
Details: The society invites
artists over 18 from all over the
world to submit portraits for its
annual exhibition. Acceptable
media include paintings,
drawings and original prints
including digital/iPad prints.
Exhibition: Mall Galleries, London
SW1 from May 4 to 13 (tbc).
Submissions deadline: Open from
December 5 until Friday March
3, 12 noon.
Contact:
https://mallgalleries.org.uk/
call-for-entries
Society of Women Artists
(SWA)
Details: This year will be
the society’s 162nd Open
Exhibition. Entries are invited
by non-members. Up to four
works may be submitted in any
medium, both wall-hung and
three-dimensional.
Exhibition: Mall Galleries,
London, dates tbc.
Submissions deadline: Online
submissions open on
December 20 and close on
March 14.
Contact: https://
societyofwomenartists.oess1.uk
Chelsea Art Society
Details: Artists of all levels and
any age are eligible to submit
work to the annual exhibition,
including painting, sculpture,
drawing and prints.
Exhibition: Chelsea Old Town
Hall, London SW3, Jun, tbc.
Submissions deadline: Details
available from March/April, tbc.
Contact:
www.chelseaartsociety.org.uk
Bath Society of Artists
Details: Annual open exhibition
of works in all media, except
photography.
Exhibition: Victoria Art Gallery,
Bath, dates, tbc.
Submissions deadline: Dates tbc.
Contact: www.bsaorg.uk
United Kingdom Coloured
Pencil Society (UKCPS)
Details: Annual international
exhibition open to all artists.
Each work must comprise at
least 50-per-cent dry coloured
pencil.
Exhibition: Online gallery from
August 1.
Online entry dates: March to mid-
June, tbc.
Contact: https://ukcps.org.uk/
index.php
APRIL
Aviation Paintings of the
Year 2022
Details: The Guild of Aviation
Artists invites entries, from
both members and non
members, to its annual
exhibition, featuring the best in
aviation artworks. Exact details
are still to be decided so please
visit the website for up-to-date
information.
Exhibition: Imperial War
Museum, Duxford, Cambridge
CB22 4QR, from June 22 to 25.
Handing-in days: tbc; keep
checking the website for
updated information.
Contact: www.gava.org.uk
Hertford Art Society Open
Details: The annual open
exhibition is a celebrated part
of the Hertfordshire art scene,
with a national reputation for
showing exciting, collectable
artwork.
Exhibition: Cowbridge Halls,
Hertford SG14 1PG, April 29
to May 6.
Handing-in days: Handing in
for submission of up to six
artworks is between 8.30am
and 10am on Saturday April 22.
Contact:
Submission forms will be
available online a few weeks
before April 22 from
www.hertfordartsociety.co.uk
New English Art Club (NEAC)
Details: The NEAC seeks
work that demonstrates
excellence in both concept
and draughtsmanship. Artists
over the age of 18 may submit
paintings, drawings, pastels
and original framed prints, not
photography or sculpture.
Exhibition: Mall Galleries,
London, June 22 to July 1 (tbc).
Submissions deadline: Submissions
open on January 23 and close
on Friday April 21, 12 noon.
Contact: All work to be
submitted online at
https://mallgalleries.org.uk/
call-for-entries
Also, keep checking the New
English Art Club website at
www.newenglishartclub.co.uk
New Light Prize
Details: The New Light Prize
is open to all artists over the
age of 18 who were born, or
currently live, or who have
been educated at degree level
(in an arts-based subject) in
the north of England to include
Cheshire, Cumbria, Durham,
Lancashire, Northumberland
and Yorkshire. There are ten
main prizes including the New
Light Valeria Sykes Prize, worth
£10,000.
Exhibition: An exhibition of
selected works will tour four
northern galleries plus London.
Submissions deadline: Open for
submissions from February 1
to April 30.
Contact:
https://newlight-art.org.uk
RBSA Summer Show
Details: The Royal Birmingham
Society of Artists invites entries
to its Summer Show. Contact
the RBSA for more information.
Exhibition: RBSA Galleries, 4
Brook Street, St Paul’s Square,
Birmingham B3 1SA, from June
15 to July 22.
Submissions deadline: Closes
towards the end of April (tbc).
Contact: www.rbsa.org.uk
Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait
Prize 2023
Details: The Self-Portrait Prize
is a biennial art prize that
promotes and celebrates the
painters-online.co.uk
practice of self-portraiture. It
is the only national art prize
to focus exclusively on the
genre. Artists of all ages and
abilities are invited to enter.
Submissions can be in any size
or medium.
Exhibition: The Atkinson,
Southport PR8 1DB, September
2023 (tbc).
Submissions: Open January 2023
until April 10 (tbc).
Contact:
www.ruthborchard.org.uk or
Instagram @selfportraitprize
Scottish Portrait Awards
Details: This annual competition
is open to anyone over the age
of 16, born, living or studying
in Scotland. The Sutherland
Independent Scottish Portrait
Award in Fine Art invites entries
in any 2D or 3D medium, with
a first prize of £5,000. There will
be a touring exhibition for the
top 30 works plus an online
exhibition for all longlisted
works. The MPB Scottish
Portrait Award in Photography
is open for works produced
through any photographic
process. A touring exhibition
for the top 50 works plus
an online exhibition for all
longlisted works will take place.
Exhibition: Touring exhibition
from Edinburgh, September;
Kirkcudbright, October to
February 2024; and Glasgow,
March 2024.
Submissions deadline: Opens for
entries on January 1 and closes
on April 30.
Contact: https://www.
scottishartstrust.org
Buxton Spa Art Prize
Details: The Buxton Spa Art
Prize is a semi en-plein-air
art competition celebrating
Buxton’s culture, natural beauty
and heritage. Artists must
register their interest via the
website in April/May, tbc.
Exhibition: The Green Man
Gallery, Buxton, June, tbc.
Submissions deadline: April to
June, tbc.
Contact: Check website for up-
to-date information at https://
www.buxtonspaprize.co.uk
TALPOpen2023
Details: Organised by The
Artist and Leisure Painter in
partnership with Patchings Art
Centre, the TALPOpen is looking
for the best two-dimensional
works in any media including
drawing, painting, printmaking
and digital artwork – from
amateur painters in the
Leisure Painter category and
from more experienced and
professional artists in The Artist
category. Up to 140 selected
works – 70 from each category,
will be exhibited at Patchings
Art Centre in two separate
galleries. Prize awards worth
painters-online.co.uk
over £14,000, include The Artist
Purchase Prize of up to £3,000.
Exhibition: Patchings Art Centre,
Calverton, Nottinghamshire,
July 13 to August 13.
Submissions deadline: April 4.
Contact: Full details on how to
enter appear on pages 12 and
13 of this issue. Enter online at
https://bit.ly/TALPOPEN23
Sky Arts Landscape Artist of
the Year Series 9
Details: Open to amateur and
professional artists, Sky Arts
Landscape Artist of the Year is
a televised art competition
from Sky Arts, which celebrates
artistic talent. Contestants
take part in one of six heats at
various locations across the UK,
where they have four hours to
complete their artwork. Prizes
include a £10,000 commission.
Submissions deadline:
April 28, 12 noon.
Contact: For more details
visit https://www.
skyartsartistoftheyear.tv/
landscape/
Wells Art Contemporary
Details: Wells Art Contemporary
(WAC) is an international
competition giving artists the
opportunity to exhibit their
work in Wells Cathedral, win
a wide range of prizes and
be selected by distinguished
judges. The competitions is
open to all artists over the
age of 18, working around the
world in all media and styles.
WAC provides two ways for
artists to exhibit their work:
artworks in the cathedral
cloisters; and installations
within the cathedral and its
grounds. A highlight of the
city’s cultural life, the exhibition
attracts thousands of visitors
each year. All shortlisted artists
will have an opportunity to win
generous awards, including
cash prizes, residencies, gallery
feature opportunities, one-on-
one mentoring, and more.
Exhibition: Wells Cathedral, July
and August.
Submissions deadline: End of April/
early May tbc.
Contact: https://wac.artopps.co.uk/
Young Botanical Artist
Competition 2022/3
Details: This new competition
is open to artists aged 16 to
25, the Young Botanical Artist
Competition invites budding
botanical artists to submit 2D
botanical artworks depicting
trees, leaves and anything
that exists in between in any
medium that can be framed
and hung on a gallery wall
(including digital artworks but
not photography).
Handing-in days: The closing date
has been extended to April 30.
Contact:
https://shirleysherwood.com/
YoungBotanicalArtist
p Anita Mangan’s envelope
entry to A Letter in Mind 2021
MAY
London Art Biennale 2023
Details: The London Art Biennale
is a museum-quality award
exhibition curated by Gagliardi
Gallery in conjunction with the
International Confederation of
Art Critics and the Chianciano
Art Museum. The exhibition is
not theme based thus allows
for all artistic movements to
be presented. The focus is
on painting, works on paper,
sculpture, applied arts and
digital art, professionally
curated to give the viewers
and collectors a stimulating yet
coherent experience.
Exhibition: Chelsea Old Town
Hall, Kensington, London SW3
5EE, July 23 to 31.
Submissions deadline: May 31.
Contact:
https://www.londonbiennale.
co.uk/apply-for-the biennale-2023/
Royal Society of Miniature
Painters, Sculptors and
Gravers (RMS)
Details: Entries are invited to the
annual RMS open exhibition of
miniature art. Up to five works
may be submitted.
Exhibition dates: Bankside Gallery,
London SE1, from June 28 to
July 8.
Registration open: from January
17 to midnight on May 2.
Contact: https://www.royal-
miniature-society.org.uk/.
Scottish Landscape Awards
Details: The Scottish
Landscape Awards is a
biennial competition open
to anyone over the age of
16 both living or studying in
Scotland. Works in any media
are invited including paintings,
drawing, prints, photography,
digital media, animation, film,
installation and sculpture in
any material. A first prize of
£10,000 is offered plus the
Edinburgh Landscape Award
worth £5,000.
Exhibition: City Art Centre,
Edinburgh, from November 4,
2023 to March 3, 2024.
Submissions deadline: Opens for
entries on March 1 and closes
on May 31.
Contact: https://www.
scottishartstrust.org
JUNE
Sketch for Survival 2023
Details: Sketch for Survival is a
charitable initiative organised
by the charity Explorers
Against Extinction to help
raise awareness about species
extinction and habitat loss
while also raising vital funds
for nominated frontline
conservation projects through
the sale of artworks. The
exhibition is free to enter.
100 artworks will be selected
in the wildlife and wild
space category for a touring
exhibition and auction.
Exhibition: Exhibitions have
been confirmed for Norwich,
Edinburgh and gallery@oxo,
London, from November 8
to 12.
Submissions deadline: June 30.
Contact: Enter online at
www.explorersagainstextinction.
co.uk
Trinity Buoy Wharf
Drawing Prize
Details: The Trinity Buoy
Wharf Drawing Prize has an
established reputation as the
UK’s most important annual
open exhibition for drawing.
It was founded in 1994 by
professor Anita Taylor, now
dean of Duncan of Jordanstone
College of Art and Design,
University of Dundee. The
exhibition and awards are open
to applications by all emerging,
mid-career and established
drawing practitioners located
anywhere in the UK and
internationally. The total
prize fund is £27,000. The
annual exhibition is known
for celebrating excellence in
contemporary drawing practice
and for championing the role,
breadth, and value of drawing
in creative practice today. Up
to three drawings may be
separately entered by each
applicant for consideration by
the expert selection panel.
Submissions deadline: June, 2022,
tbc.
Contact: https://
tbwdrawingprize.artopps.co.uk
Trinity Buoy Wharf Working
Drawing Award
Details: The Trinity Buoy Wharf
Working Drawing Award was
introduced in 2018 and has a
specific remit to celebrate and
promote the role of drawing
within architecture, design and
making processes, and has a
separate submission process
and selection panel. Up to
three drawings may be entered
by each applicant as one
submission for consideration
by the expert selection panel in
this category. It is anticipated
that architects, designers,
planners, scientists, and
engineers will submit drawings.
Submissions deadline: June, tbc.
Contact: https://
tbwdpworkingdrawings
artopps.co.uk/
JULY
International Original Print
Exhibition
Details: The International
Original Print Exhibition,
established by the Royal
Society of Painter-Printmakers
(RE) is an international
open submission exhibition
celebrating the best of
contemporary printmaking.
As an art organisation run by
artists, the RE is constantly
working to create long-term
opportunities for artists and
promote printmaking to a
January 2023 49
wider audience.
Exhibition: Bankside Gallery,
London SE1 in September
(dates tbc).
Submissions deadline: Opening for
online entry in March with a
deadline in July (dates tbc).
Contact: www.re-printmakers.
com/competitions
RBSA Drawing Prize
Details: The Royal Birmingham
Society of Artists invites entries
to its Drawing Prize. Contact
the RBSA for more information.
Exhibition: RBSA Galleries, 4
Brook Street, St Paul’s Square,
Birmingham B3 1SA, from
September 5 to October 14.
Submissions deadline: Closes
towards the end of July (tbc).
Contact: www.rbsa.org.uk
Royal Society of Marine
Artists (RSMA)
Details: Submissions of
painting and sculpture are
invited relating in some way
to tidal waters of the world.
Topographical, historical, still
life, and figure painting are
all welcome; works relating
to non-tidal rivers – inland
lakes and waterways, etc. are
not. Acceptable media are oil,
acrylic, watercolour, original
prints of any media, mixed
media, drawings, pastels or
sculpture. Any artist over 18
may submit.
Exhibition: Mall Galleries,
London, September 21 to 30
(tbc).
Registration open: April 23 until
July 21, 12 noon.
Contact:
https://mallgalleries.org.uk/
call-for-entries
AUGUST
Aesthetica Art Prize 2023
Details: Since its establishment
over ten years’ ago, the
Aesthetica Art Prize has
provided a platform for artists
across the globe to showcase
their work through publication,
exhibition, prize money and
wider exposure. The judges
are looking for artists who
redefine the parameters of
contemporary art.
Submissions deadline: August 31.
Contact:
For information: https://
aestheticamagazine.com/
artprize/submit/
Great Sheffield Art Show
Details: Annual art exhibition
exhibiting and selling works by
amateur and professional artists.
Exhibition: Online exhibition only,
from September 1 to January
31, 2024.
Handing-in day: Early August
(tbc). Email info@enormousart.
co.uk for more information or
visit the website.
Contact: www.
greatsheffieldartshow.co.uk
50 January 2023
p Jessica Allen Books of Light, study 3, oil on canvas, 14½318½in (37347cm), winner
of the Parker Harris Mentoring Prize at the 2021 ING Discerning Eye
ING Discerning Eye
Details: The ING Discerning Eye
open exhibition gives artists
the opportunity to show their
work in central London and
win generous prizes, including
the ING Purchase Prize worth
£5,000, and totalling £12,500.
The awards celebrate a wide
range of art media (including
print, sculpture, landscape and
portrait) from all regions of the
UK. The ING Discerning Eye
exhibition is an annual show
of small-scale works renowned
for both its commitment to
championing emerging artists
and its unique curatorial
approach. A panel of six
prominent art world figures –
two artists, two collectors and
two critics – select works of art
for the yearly exhibition.
Handing-in day: End of August/
early September, tbc.
Contact: https://
thediscerningeye.artopps.co.uk/
Royal West of England
Academy Annual Open
Exhibition (RWA)
Details: Annual open exhibition
of works by emerging and
established artists. Includes
painting, printmaking, drawing,
sculpture, architecture and
photography.
Exhibition: Royal West of England
Academy, Bristol, dates, tbc.
Handing-in day: Subscribe to
the gallery’s newsletter to be
notified when submissions open.
Contact: www.rwa.org.uk
Society of Wildlife Artists
(SWLA)
Details: The Society of Wildlife
Artists invites submissions
of wildlife art for its annual
The Natural Eye exhibition.
Any work depicting wildlife
subjects is admissible, but
not botanical and domestic
animals. Artists over 18 may
submit works in any medium.
Exhibition: Mall Galleries,
London, Oct, tbc.
Registration open:
June to August, tbc.
Contact:
https://mallgalleries.org.uk/
call-for-entries
SEPTEMBER
A Letter in Mind
Details: 2023 marks ten years
of The National Brain Appeal’s
art fundraiser A Letter in Mind,
where artists are asked to get
creative on an envelope. Each
year a theme is chosen for
artists to respond to. Artworks
will be exhibited at a central
London gallery and online at
www.aletterinmind.org
All artworks are exhibited
anonymously, priced identically
at £85. The identity of the artist
is revealed at the end of the
exhibition, once the artwork
has sold. All proceeds from the
exhibition will fund projects
at The National Hospital for
Neurology and Neurosurgery
and UCL Institute of Neurology
in London’s Queen Square.
A Letter Mind has attracted
several high-profile artists and
celebrities since it launched
including Grayson Perry, Tracey
Emin, Jo Brand, Andrew Marr
and many more.
Exhibition: Dates are undecided,
but are usually early November.
Submissions deadline:
Usually towards the end of
September but keep an eye on
the website for updates.
Contact: www.aletterinmind.org
Grosvenor Museum Open Art
Details: The Grosvenor Museum
Open Art exhibition invites
artists aged 16 and over from
the North West and North
Wales to submit works on any
theme. Prizes are available
for first, second and third
place. The organisers can’t
accept online submissions;
works must be brought to the
Grosvenor Museum in Chester
on the designated handing-in
days (dates tbc).
Exhibition: Grosvenor Museum;
dates tbc.
Registration open:
Details of how to submit will
be available from September
2023.
Contact: https://
grosvenormuseum.
westcheshiremuseums.co.uk
Rugby Open 2023
Details: The Rugby Open
exhibition of contemporary
art is open to residents
of Warwickshire and its
surrounding counties. Prizes
include a cash prize and
exhibition for the overall
winner. The selection panel
includes established artists
and curators from respected
institutions. There is also a
youth category for artists aged
14 to 19 years.
Exhibition: Rugby Art Gallery
and Museum during December
and January.
Submissions deadline: Applications
are invited from September.
Contact the gallery for more
information.
Contact: www.ragm.co.uk
Royal Institute of Oil
Painters (ROI)
Details: Artists aged over 18
may submit up to six works in
oils, acrylic and water-soluble
oil paint if it is framed as an oil.
Glazing or wide mounts are not
acceptable.
Exhibition: Mall Galleries,
London, November/Dec, tbc.
Registration open: June to
September, tbc.
Contact:
https://mallgalleries.org.uk/
call-for-entries
OCTOBER
Discerning Eye Drawing
Bursary
Details: Since 2002, The
Discerning Eye has offered
artists a unique drawing
bursary and exhibiting
opportunity as part of the ING
Discerning Eye exhibition at the
Mall Galleries, London. Five
artists will be shortlisted for
the bursary and an exhibition
of their selected work will
be shown as part of the ING
Discerning Eye exhibition
in November, alongside a
virtual gallery showcasing all
the artists’ shortlisted works.
£1,500 will be awarded to the
winner of the bursary and £150
will be awarded to each of the
runners-up. This opportunity
is open to any artist resident
in the UK.
Exhibition: Mall Galleries,
London, November; tbc.
Submissions deadline: October,
dates tbc.
Contact: https://
dedrawingbursary.artopps.co.uk/
South West Academy of Fine
and Applied Arts
Details: The South West
Academy (SWAc) invites all
local, national and international
fine and applied artists to enter
the 2023 Open Exhibition to
be held at Kennaway House,
Coburg Road, Sidmouth,
Devon. EX10 8NG. This is the
24th consecutive call to artists
for this exhibition which
has been held ever since
the turn of The Millennium.
Work in three as well as two
dimensions, applied arts and
the fine arts are welcomed.
Submissions are welcomed in
a range of artforms including
painting, drawing, print,
sculpture, photography,
textiles, multi-media, jewellery,
glass and ceramics.
Exhibition: Kennaway House,
Sidmouth from October 31 to
November 11.
Registration open:
The deadline for entries is
Monday October 2.
Contact: www.
southwestacademy.oess1.uk
Derwent Art Prize
Details: The Derwent Art Prize
was conceived in 2012 and
aims to reward excellence
by showcasing the very best
artworks created in pencil
or coloured pencil as well as
water-soluble, pastel, graphite
and charcoal by British and
international artists. A first
prize of £4,000 is offered plus
a year’s supply of Derwent
products.
Submissions deadline: January
2024, dates tbc.
Contact:
https://thederwentartprize.
artopps.co.uk
If you would like to include
your open competitions in
our monthly listings email
jane@tapc.co.uk
painters-online.co.uk
 THE ARTIST’S LIFE 1ST OF 12

WHAT’S IT WORTH?
In the first of her new 12-part series on the life of a professional artist,
Sarah Edmonds offers advice on how to price your artwork

Sarah Edmonds
is an arts marketing consultant
working for Art Cotswold Gallery and
Pegasus Art. Sarah studied a short
course at the Slade School of Fine Art
and has a degree from the Chartered
Institute of Marketing;
www.sarahedmonds-marketing.com

P
utting a price on your work can
present a real challenge. There are
so many factors to consider: your
time, cost of materials, market
forces, gallery commissions, framing
and much more – all of which we will explore
in this article. The aim should be to build
a solid and sustainable pricing strategy
that instils confidence in yourself and your
buyers. By removing some of the emotional
connection to the work and developing a
more commercial mindset, you’ll be on track
to make clear decisions.
Pricing your artwork fairly and
consistently will make you more credible
as a professional artist. If you’re in it for the
long game, it’s important to be strategic
and give this aspect of your business your
full consideration. Pricing your artwork too
highly may not be sustainable in the long
term, too low and you’ll be missing out on
hundreds of pounds worth of sales.
Many artists are conflicted by producing
the kind of art that fulfils them creatively
with the kind that will be commercially
viable, as illustrated by artist Rod Nelson:
‘I expect the situation I find myself in is
shared by many artists, who have more
ideas in the pipeline than time to realise
p Rod Nelson Ribbon Falls, woodblock print, 38326½in (96.5367.5cm)
them. The realities of life dictate that I give
priority attention to those ideas that might
generate some income and, of course, there commercial and creative that makes a member by the Royal Society of Painter-
is guesswork involved in this. I also want to the business of working as an artist so Printmakers, his time has come! This
work at those aspects that interest me most. challenging. ‘You need the skin of a rhino year he was awarded the great honour
The ideal situation for me is when these two and the sensitivity of a butterfly, Rod of becoming an associate member, an
coincide, which they often do.’ continues. He has something to celebrate accolade equivalent to a Masters. With a
It’s this very delicate balance between – after seven attempts to be accepted as lifetime honing his craft, his work is finally

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 51

?????????

ROD NELSON’S VENN DIAGRAM

Rod sent me an image of a Venn diagram that illustrates the qualities
required by an artist to exist. He went on to explain it in more detail: ‘If
any of the qualities in the diagram are missing from the make-up and
work of an artist, their work is diminished. The ‘money’ sector does not
represent Damien Hirst with millions of pounds and the Cote d’Azur
lifestyle. It represents energy. For most artists the energy/money needs
to come in to support the creativity, not just for living but for materials,
gathering information and inspiration, for self-worth, for social status.
If the money does not come in, either the work dries up, becomes a
hobby or the artist starves. In the diagram, ‘money’ is balanced with
other equal qualities. It’s all a question of balance.’
It takes time to build a brand and inevitably there will be hiccups
along the way. Give yourself the best chance of success by seeking
advice, outsourcing in areas of your business where you need support,
building in marketing strategies and a basic business plan. Plot out your
calendar for the year ahead, analyse your successes and failures and
keep pushing forward. We are here to support you too!

acknowledged, something which may be
reflected in his pricing.
Market forces
As a practising artist you will no doubt
be well informed about the art industry
in general. Make it your business to visit
the galleries in your region, talk to other
artists, framers, read specialist magazines
and articles about how the art world is
developing. There are big movements and
minor trends that might influence your
work or create smaller markets for potential
buyers. Art and interiors are closely linked,
the property market and new developments
in your area, attracting new home owners.
Keep an eye on what’s going on and be agile
enough to respond to it. Knowing how the
art market and associated industries are
reacting will help you price your artwork
accordingly and with confidence.
Forget formulas
If you hear of artists determining their work
through formulas – step away! Your hourly
rate plus materials plus size of canvas or
any other variation on this theme is a risky
calculation with so many other factors to
consider. Simply put, the art market doesn’t
exist in a logical framework and neither
can you. It might be tempting to create a
formula that you can lean on every time you
price a painting, but each piece should be
priced on a case-by-case basis depending on
a multitude of subjective factors. Of course,
the practical elements should be priced in
(particularly any commission) but there is no
hard-and-fast formula for this. As a fine artist,
each work is a unique creation warranting
a unique price. We will explore the world
of printing and limited editions in a future
article.
Be transparent in your pricing so that you
can offer real clarity across your website,
with galleries and even at an Open Studios
event. Wherever you are selling your work,
you should be able to justify your pricing
confidently.
Be commercially minded
Having a positive mindset and ambition for
your own work is key. If you don’t believe
in it, why should anyone else? Painting,
drawing, printmaking – whatever your craft
– is a real skill, learnt over many years. You
have a unique style and offering, which can
often be undervalued.
Money isn’t a dirty word and having a
commercial strategy will help you think
clearly. Understand what your time, skill and
effort is worth. Keep notes on how long you
work on a particular piece, even if only for
comparisons sake, so that you are aware of
the time implications. How many paintings
do you need to sell in order to reach your
desired income? After all your costs, what
will the profit be? What are your short- and
long-term goals? Lay the foundations for a
brand that will stand the test of time.
Building a brand
Reputation is everything as an artist. Calling
yourself a ‘brand’ is a great way to view your
business objectively. Getting a handle on
your overall vision and purpose is a key
starting point for any successful business.
I would also recommend spending as
much time as you can afford in the early
stages of any brand discussing core values,
particularly terminology, colour palette,
writing content and artist statements – it can
be a document or vision board that you can
return to for clarity.
Your work should always be of the highest
quality, and you should be discerning in your
associations, gallery choices and exhibition
venues. If you are entering competitions,
garnering awards or furthering your
associations with institutions, tell everyone
about it. As your reputation grows, so can
your prices. Don’t be afraid to increase your
prices accordingly, with weight behind your
judgement.
Have total confidence and conviction in
your price structure. Don’t apologise for
your prices and give yourself a little wriggle
room for negotiation if you need to. Your
buyers will unconsciously feed off your
intentions and feel confident buying from
you. Perceived value is entirely relevant and
pricing can be a marketing tool in itself.
Research your competitors
This is one of the key areas of research
that will help you to make decisions about
your own work. Take time to understand
your counterparts and whether they really
are your competitors. Make a judgement
based on standard of work, where they are
located, which medium they are working in,
reputation, experience, popularity, framing
choices and comparative worth.
Just don’t forget to aim high. It’s always
good to have an idea of where you would
like to get to, artists you admire and working
towards greater success.
Working with galleries or online
platforms
Whether you are working with a gallery,
selling on an online platform or popping
up at an event, it’s essential to know the
difference with regards to pricing. Do
your research, ask the event organisers or
gallerists for their advice – they are there to
support you.

52 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk


p Rod Nelson Havn 3, woodblock print, 33341½in (843103cm)
Galleries generally charge a 50-per-cent
commission on any artwork sold and you’ll
need to factor this into your pricing. They
will most likely increase your prices and set
your ‘market price’ – this may be surprising
compared to how you price your artwork
yourself, but galleries need to factor in their
rent, administration, marketing and contact
database into the mix.
Online marketplaces also charge 40 to
50-per-cent commission too, whereas a
Christmas fair charge something entirely
different. If you’re exhibiting at a handful of
galleries, don’t forget that your prices will
need to be in line with each other.
Commissions
Commissions can be considered a separate
‘arm’ to your business in which the pricing is
entirely bespoke. In general the discussion,
planning and time spent working on a
commission is considerably longer and
should be priced accordingly. There are
often alterations to be made and much more
client contact including consultation and
www.painters-online.co.uk
delivery. The process is, more often than not,
a direct exchange between artist and client,
with no third party which will change your
pricing. TA
Rod Nelson
Is a woodblock printmaker with a unique
approach to using tools and techniques. He
has exhibited widely, was a founder member
of the printmaking cooperative Pine Feroda,
and currently teaches woodcut technique at
West Dean in Sussex. He is co-author (with
Merlyn Chesterman) of the book Making
Woodblock Prints, published by The Crowood
Press; www.rodnelson.studio
Both of Rod Nelson’s prints are on sale at Art
Cotswold www.artcotswold.com
PRACTICAL
ELEMENTS TO
CONSIDER WHEN
PRICING ARTWORK
l Market forces – local and national
l Competitors
l Where you are selling your work
l Size, materials, time, framing,
delivery – but don’t use a formula
l Commissions – these will require a
bespoke price structure
l Gallery commission
l Reputation, awards and
associations which may elevate
your status and increase demand
l Marketing and promotional
costs such as events, advertising,
administration time
artist January 2023 53
OILS
Working from
photographs
Get the most out of your photographs.
Paul Talbot-Greaves shares tips and techniques
for the oil painter to help overcome their limitations
F
or those who do not, or cannot
paint plein air, painting from
photos has a number of
benefits. You should always
take photos specifically for
making paintings and not just select
something from a pile of holiday snaps
or pulled out from a magazine. There is a
big difference between a nice photograph
of a pretty scene and an image that will
make a great painting. Seek out and find
the right composition then collect liberal
amounts of that subject matter, perhaps
composing the scene in the viewfinder
before taking wider shots and angles, as
well as capturing individual features and
details. Look for contrasting values, varied
shapes and angles and some sort of focus
to the picture.
Working from photographs means
you have all the comforts of the studio
environment to work with and you can
leave your things right there if you want
to take a break. When I’m working with
photography for later studio use, I try
to take images from places where you
wouldn’t be able to set up an easel. That
way, it makes the image more unique
and justifies its use. Often with plein-air
work you are restricted to working in a
shaded spot, so having the freedom to
collect subjects from any viewpoint is
quite liberating. I have collected some
great compositions from the top of walls,
the middle of a river, the middle of a road,
and even from the saddle of a moving
bicycle!
I usually begin by exploring the
subject in the viewfinder – another
great photographic benefit, as it
frames the image like you would when
painting. Whether you work plein air
or in the studio from photos, framing
54 artist January 2023
your composition in a viewfinder is
paramount. The use of the camera
for this has a few benefits. First, make
sure you have grid selected, which is
usually found in settings. Most modern
cameras and phones have this option
that places a compositional grid overlay
on the viewing screen. This is incredibly
useful for offsetting the balance of an
arrangement, such as setting proportions
to two thirds versus one third or for
placing features and focus areas into the
golden section (the place where the eye
is supposed to rest). At its very basic it
helps you check that you aren’t cutting
a picture directly into two halves, for
example with a pole or a tree. Another
benefit is being able to zoom in from
your viewpoint. This brings a slightly
different dynamic to that of moving
closer to the subject. Sometimes it is
better to take a wide shot of the scene
and crop it later, using the computer.
One thing I enjoy about my pocket
camera is that the image is reduced to
a tiny screen, and therefore all I see are
shapes and values. Essentially these are
the main building blocks of a painting, so
it’s helpful to see these patterns instead
of focusing on detail and refined content.
If the values, shapes, and shadows make
an exciting pattern in the camera screen,
I know I have found an image that will
make a strong composition.
Getting the most from your
photos
I’m not a technical photographer and I
use the simple point-and-shoot method
to gather subjects for later paintings.
If you use the same approach, this can
bring about its own set of problems if
you’re not careful, as the camera will
Paul Talbot-Greaves
teaches watercolour and acrylic painting
in workshops and demonstrations to art
societies throughout the UK. He has received
many accolades and awards including The
Artist Award in 2017 and 2021 at Patchings
Art Festival, and The Chaoshan Watercolour
Award at the 2021 RI watercolour exhibition.
He can be contacted by email ptgart@
outlook.com or through his website
www.talbot-greaves.com
read whatever you are pointing at, and it
will automatically calibrate its settings for
that. This can often lead to disappointing
over- or under-exposure results, which
then become difficult to work a painting
from. If you are slightly technical you can
adjust the white balance to compensate
for too much or too little light, otherwise
a simple fix is to focus the camera on an
area containing both dark and light to
achieve a good value balance. Hold the
focus by keeping the button half pressed,
then move the camera to compose your
subject and take the shot. With many
phone cameras you can do a similar
thing by touching the screen where you
wish the camera to fix its settings. If you
experiment with this, you’ll notice the
depth of the image change as you touch
different areas.
You can really get some good depth into
a photograph, which can help increase
the level of values you use in your
painting. Often though, the darks in a
photo end up blackened with some loss
of definition. If you imitate this, there’s
a good chance you will kill the painting,
as we don’t naturally see the same level
of dark. I find a little compensating is
required when working from photos,
especially in those darker sections. Raise
the value and increase the colour slightly
and make sure you stay away from
painting flat black or straight grey areas.
Photos capture everything in pin-sharp
detail and if you are not aware, you will
copy it all, putting no ambiguity into the
painting. Decide where you want your
focus to be and use contrasting elements
to draw attention to it, such as placing the
strongest value contrast there, and using
hard edges against softness to anchor the
eye.
www.painters-online.co.uk
 PRACTICAL

DEMONSTRATION
Ravenstones Brow The subject of this
demonstration was
photographed from
MATERIALS USED quite a precarious
� Gessoed board 838in (20320cm). position down a
� Rosemary & Co. Ivory flat brushes, sizes 1, 3, 4, precipitous slope.
and 6. I was attracted to
the large shape and
� Oil paints: French ultramarine, burnt sienna,
angles of the scene,
cerulean blue, Winsor red, yellow ochre, sap
but I wouldn’t be too
green, Winsor violet, cadmium lemon and
happy setting up an
titanium white.
easel here without
� Zest-it (non-toxic oil paint dilutent). ropes and lots of sun
cream.

t STAGE ONE
I greyed out the white of
a piece of gessoed board
using cerulean blue,
Winsor red, and yellow
ochre, all diluted with
Zest-it. I then wiped off
the excess with a rag to
leave behind a slightly
toned but damp base
on which to work. With
the same colour mix, I
sketched in the main
shapes of the composition

 STAGE TWO
I mixed French ultramarine and burnt sienna
to create a cool dark for my darkest darks. It’s
easy to assume that all the shadows are of this
dark value, especially in a printed photograph
where subtle changes can often amalgamate
into a single black. So, for the shadows on the
rocks, I added cerulean blue to the dark mix and
a tiny amount of titanium white. I thinned this
first application of colour with a small amount of
Zest-it

t STAGE THREE
I continued roughly blocking in the main colours,
shapes, and values. In these early stages it’s
all about creating the coverage of colour, not
necessarily aiming for a perfect, finished painting.
I used a mix of cerulean blue, Winsor red, and
titanium white for the lighter side of the rocks.
On the background slopes I mixed colours on the
board using sap green and Winsor violet with a
little titanium white. The brighter greens were
made from cerulean blue and cadmium lemon

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 55

?????????

t STAGE FOUR
Once the colours were roughed in, I began refining the
painting, manipulating the shapes, and adding further
colour and value to define the forms. Once I was happy
with the overall balance, I started to add some of the
finer detail lines

q FINISHED STAGE
Ravenstones Brow, oil on board, 838in (20320cm).
After a short break and spending a little time standing
back to look at the painting, I decided to modify some
of the greens, making the patch to the left a little
cooler to help it recede. I added a few more highlights
of cerulean blue, Winsor red, and titanium white and
placed a few touches of green within the crag to help
move the eye around

56 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 PRACTICAL

 Receding Frost in the Morning Light, oil on board, 838in (20320cm).

I worked this from a photograph that I took on an intensely cold
morning. Instead of painting solid black shadow shapes, I used a
mixture of French ultramarine and burnt sienna with the addition of
cerulean blue and titanium white in places to inject a little interest

EXERCISE TO TRY
REFERENCE PHOTO
Use the image of the rocks that I photographed (left)
against the light. Notice how the shapes appear black?
You can use the same or similar colours to my
demonstration piece to add interest and better definition to
the shadows.

Email a copy of your finished painting to

dawn@tapc.co.uk, no larger than 2MB, with
Working from Photographs in the subject
line to see your work shared in an exclusive
PaintersOnline gallery.

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 57

ACRYLICS
Seeing the shapes
Practise depicting animals through simple shapes, says Marie Antoniou,
as she shows how she injects personality and expression into her distinctive
animal portraits in acrylics
I
n this article, through the subject
of animals, we are going to look
at how simple and basic shapes
can create identifiable forms while
incorporating and utilising other
aspects present to create interesting
artworks. Begin with a mark, join lines
together, block in to create edges and
you have formed your shapes. The most
common term used when depicting
subjects through art, is ‘geometric’, which
describes precise and regular shapes like
squares, circles and triangles. Man-made
objects, buildings and machinery are
everyday examples. ‘Biomorphic’ is a term
associated with nature, meaning life-form,
and describes natural and organic shapes,
things that grow, flow and move.
Animal shapes are so distinctive
58 artist January 2023
that most could be identified by their
silhouette. However, animals aren’t
always seen from a sideways angle. They
have many poses that can be a challenge
to depict. One of the ways I combat this
is through a series of fun exercises. Using
photos I have taken, I will either gather a
selection of different animals or focus on
one animal and sketch a variety of poses
using simplified geometric shapes. It’s
a great way to familiarise yourself with
your subject and the variety of nuances
you might encounter.
Using shapes to help with
proportion
When you start practising depicting
animals through simple shapes, don’t
be disheartened if some of your animal
shapes are slightly out of proportion; this
is absolutely normal. There are additional
ways to combat these problems. Look
at your main subject as the positive
and all the spaces around it and in the
background as the negative shapes. The
positive and negative combined will help
get a more accurate depiction. Remember
nothing has to be 100-per-cent accurate,
just as close as possible.
Gathering reference
All my artworks are done using my own
reference material that I have been
gathering over a number of years from
wildlife parks and animal sanctuaries.
I have photos that I like to re-visit
occasionally as I have some fresh ideas on
colour or approaches that I might want
to try out.
My focus on using shapes in my work
doesn’t stop in my sketchbook. For me,
animals are the epitome of fascinating
shapes and focusing on that aspect plays
a large part in my final artworks. I always
start with the largest most dominant
shapes and work my way down from
there. I focus only on shapes throughout,
even details are seen as a series of shapes
that might create patterns but they are
still all shapes of different sizes.
If I want some of the earlier marks to be
present towards the end of the painting,
I need to be generous at the start. This
could include being decisive about the
colours I use or being generous with the
quantity of paint, enhancing these bold
statements with smaller shapes to portray
details. Animals have so many unique
t Gulls, acrylic, 20320in (51351cm).
Birds have very distinctive shapes, so they don’t
require a lot of detail. Each bird in this scene has
a different pose. The two gulls in the foreground
are more distinctive because their shapes are
clearer. Replicating the same colours in the other
birds surrounding them, helps the viewer to
identify the other birds in the scene
www.painters-online.co.uk
 PRACTICAL

EXERCISE
Create a study sheet of a subject. Look at
different angles, remembering to look at the
negative spaces around and within as that
will help with measuring and proportions.
Each sketch shouldn’t take long, just a
few minutes. You are not looking at details,
just focusing on simplifying your subject
through basic shapes. If you don’t have any
animal reference photos, don’t worry, you
can do this exercise with any subject. Still-life
objects could be fun, looking at different
angles. Or, if you have a pet, practise
sketching their unique poses either from life
or gather a series of photos on your phone,
which you can use to create a series of small
studies or develop into a more finished
piece of art.
Note: the quick little studies can be done
on the back of an envelope with a biro if it’s
more convenient.

Coloured pencil
sketches on A3 paper
These sketches use scribbles and line to
create form and overall shape through
various poses

and defining features including aspects

of behaviour that are reflected in their
poses – something I am really keen to
include and develop in my artworks.

Incorporating other shapes

Progressing forward you may want to
develop your ideas for a more finished
painting, including other elements
within a scene while still using the
idea of shapes. For example, if you are
working from a photo, the background
might not be very interesting, but
there might be something you can
utilise. Rather than include a detailed
depiction of background items, look at
the space they inhabit and if they are
made up of interesting colours, use this
colour aspect to create dynamic shapes.
Similarly, strong sunlight and shadows
all make for interesting shapes to be
incorporated. The following step by step
will incorporate some of these ideas. p Napo, acrylic on canvas 19¾327½in (50370cm) 

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 59

ACRYLICS

DEMONSTRATION Western Lowland Gorilla

tPHOTO MATERIALS
REFERENCE l Canvas 8310in (20325.5cm).
In this step-by-step
demonstration shapes appear l Daler-Rowney System 3 acrylics:
through the use of varied lemon yellow; cadmium yellow
brushstrokes and bold colour hue; deep violet; white; and
while utilising negative cerulean blue.
shapes around the gorilla to l Brushes: Gerstaecker 1in and 1½in;
help with proportions. I have Liquitex ¼in.
chosen a pale purple as a base l Mixing tray.
colour to complement the
yellows that will be used a lot l Water pot.
within the painting l Kitchen roll.

Note
I have stuck to a limited palette, the purple for the darks,
the yellow for the lights and mixed together to create soft
tints in between.

p STAGE ONE
I began by laying two shades of yellow side by side (lemon yellow and cadmium
yellow hue). Each yellow is distinctly different to stand out against the other.
I used strong shapes that took up half the canvas, exposing half of the purple base
colour to show through and carefully considering where the lightest areas were
situated on the ape. I used a Gerstaecker one-and-a-half-inch brush for this

p STAGE TWO Tip

Once the yellows were dry, I used a quarter-inch Liquitex brush to Think about having a separate brush for your lights and another for
sketch out the gorilla. I used lemon yellow and a small amount of your darks on standby so you can work between the two without
purple creating a soft brown shade. The purple was very strong so you having to keep cleaning your brushes between applications.
only need a tiny amount, with much more yellow than purple for this
mix. With the line-work I established the gorilla on the canvas, before
continuing with a clean one-inch Gerstaecker brush and the purple
and yellow mix to block in areas. Deliberately focusing on parts of the
body that appear darkest in the photo, I began to suggest the shadow
at this stage, working everything together. There may be some tonal
variations between brushstrokes that happen when re-loading the
colour on your brush. Embrace these happy accidents

u STAGE THREE
I continued to bulk-out the figure adding darker tones (lemon yellow
and purple with a bigger bias towards the purple) and blocked in the
darkest areas of the ape. I then moved along the body to create some
softer, greyish tints, adding a tiny bit of blue to the same brush and
a touch of white in areas like the forearm and shoulder. With a clean
brush loaded with cadmium red and plenty of yellow I blocked in the
red area on the head. Moving to the background, I re-introduced some
of the yellow I used in stage one to re-shape the back of the body. All
of this consisted of using the brush to create lines and blocks, a variety
of marks that allow some of the previous colours and marks to show
through

60 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 PRACTICAL

p FINISHED STAGE
Western Lowland Gorilla, acrylic, 8310in (20325.5cm).
This is a good example of blocky marks varying in size and colour, that create strong shapes, which
together create patterns. This demonstrates that you can still depict a likeness by being creative with
the materials while also wanting to showcase animals and their unique behaviours.
In the final stages I intensified the highlights on the gorilla’s back using white and lemon yellow. I
also used this colour in other areas around the head and face. With a clean brush I added a neat mix
of purple and yellow (with a bias leaning towards the purple) to intensify the dark areas. Turning Marie Antoniou
my attention to the background, I decided to block in the areas between the gorilla’s legs and arms is an artist and art tutor living and
considering the negative shapes to aid me with proportions. I used a mix of lemon yellow and white working in Essex. Her works explore
making a clear distinction between the yellows in the top half of the painting. a range of themes either in acrylic
The gorilla’s face is very vague in the photo, so I just made a subtle suggestion using some soft tints or coloured pencil, with a particular
with a quarter-inch brush. It’s not only a face that shows expression, but body language is also a very emphasis on wildlife. Marie has
strong indicator of how an animal expresses itself. Here I have demonstrated through shapes, bold exhibited extensively, in a variety
of venues. Her work has also been
colour and mark-making how we can portray this beautiful gorilla
published in Artists’ Painting Techniques
published by Dorling Kindersley books
and she is a regular contributor to The
Artist magazine. Her work has been
Tips to make your yellows appear more opaque featured as set dressing in TV and Film
including the new Magic Mikes Last
l Layer yellows to build up colour strength.
Dance movie, which comes out in 2023.
l Don’t use a lot of water. Your brush should be just damp. Remember, after cleaning Marie has won numerous awards and
your brush, make sure you take out all the excess water so it doesn’t dilute colour. accolades and has been a finalist at the
prestigious David Shepherd Wildlife
l Use paint as neat as possible. Artist of the Year exhibition from
l Add white to your yellow to help make it opaque but, be careful, too much white will 2014 to 2021.
take away colour.
l Invest in an Artists’ quality yellow paint. Artists’ quality paints contain more pigment so
are naturally more opaque.

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 61

1ST OF 3
Reaching your goals
In this first of three articles Helen Tarr sets goals to help
build confidence with oil paint, starting with a challenge to
draw from life every day
I
t takes a lot of courage to make a
painting or drawing. All your skills,
or lack thereof, are plain to see
and open to praise or criticism. It’s
hard and takes stubborn fortitude
to keep going when things are not going
your way. In this series of three articles
I will suggest how to increase your
confidence as a painter by developing
your technical skills and learning from
the artists you admire. I will then explore
how to develop a reflective practice to
enable you to set and reach your personal
goals and finally how to maintain your
confidence when things aren’t going well.
62 artist January 2023
Everyone knows that it is a good thing
to practise drawing and painting every
day, but how many of us actually do
it? Daily drawing can easily become
repetitive and onerous if it is simply
crammed into a busy life without
any reflection or sense of purpose.
If you can practise frequently with
an air of research, relaxation, playful
experimentation and small achievable
goals you will find it more rewarding
and enjoyable. Personally, I value
observational drawing for its quality of
mindfulness. In the right circumstances
(peaceful, undisturbed and with an
inspiring subject) it is quite easy to slip
into a creative flow, where all one’s
attention is focused on the project and
time melts away for a while. On a good
day it can feel as though the drawing has
created itself when I emerge from this
state of absorption.
You will soon find that in addition
to improving your drawing skills you
will quickly amass a collection of ideas
for your paintings too. Likewise, if you
produce frequent small-scale paintings
you will learn much faster and become
more adept at finding a composition and
focal point. Painting small works alla
prima (at the first attempt) makes it easier
to achieve and maintain that magical
state of flow right through to completion.
You’ll also get more experienced at
starting and finishing paintings, and
overcoming mistakes. Imagine how much
more you can learn from ten paintings
than one. Of course, when you are
producing so much work, the odd failure
doesn’t matter nearly as much either.
Alongside developing your technical
skills I would encourage you to study as
much art as you can, so that you get a
good sense of what you like and, equally
useful, what you don’t. Learn as much
as you can about the paintings and
artists that inspire you. With the advent
of YouTube and Instagram it has never
been easier to find artists talking about
the techniques of historical painters
or demonstrating their own painting
process. Experiment with the techniques
you discover and see if they work for
you. This will also enable you to measure
your work within certain criteria; for
example, if you aspire to paint sunflowers
like Van Gogh, you will need to learn
how to apply saturated colours in thick,
impasto strokes of paint, but if you prefer
the softer, blended qualities of Georgia
O’Keefe’s flower paintings, you will
t Abundance, oil on board, 12312in
(30.5330.5cm)
www.painters-online.co.uk

benefit from studying her technique of
layering glazes over dry paint. I’m not
advocating that you create a pastiche of
another artist’s work, more that you take
a magpie approach to the techniques and
qualities you admire in the paintings you
love and combine them with all the other
influences that make your vision unique
to you. It is likely that the paintings which
inspire you will have qualities that you
feel are lacking from your own and, as
you learn, you will naturally seek out new
artists and artworks to lead you forwards.
This journey is never-ending and a
DEMONSTRATION
Floral Still Life in Pinks and Purples
PREPARATION
I started out with a quick oil
pastel drawing to test the idea.
Oil pastels are a bold medium
and lend themselves well to
the loose mark making I was
after. I liked the way the white
cloth wrapped around the jar of
water and how the background
was dark near the top of the
paper, pushing the flowers
forwards and giving depth.
Before starting to paint, I
mixed about a teaspoonful of
each of the main colours in the
flowers, stalks and background,
holding the loaded palette
knife up to the subject to check
the accuracy of my mixes.
This would save me time later
and also give me enough of
each colour to apply the paint
liberally. These would be the
foundation colours that I would
adapt as required as I painted. I would be working on a canvas board that I had prepared with pale
umber acrylic paint to tone down the white primer.
www.painters-online.co.uk
large part of what makes it all so richly
interesting.
Whether you are drawing or painting
it’s a good idea to start by defining a clear
achievable goal. This helps in several
ways: firstly you’ll know better when the
work is finished, secondly it helps you
retain a clarity of purpose and thirdly,
you can judge its success against your
original aim. Of course, wonderful and
unexpected things will occur as you paint,
but these can throw you off course too, so
do keep your focus as you go.
tREFERENCE
PHOTOGRAPH
This still life was set up with
the work of the mid-century
Scottish artist Anne Redpath in
mind. Her floral paintings often
juxtapose colourful flowers with
monochrome backgrounds, and
I wanted to see if I could describe
the rich colours of these flowers
with the generously applied
paint and lively brushwork that is
typical of her work.
PRACTICAL
HELEN’S TEN TOP
TIPS FOR DAILY
DRAWING AND
PAINTING
1 Set an achievable goal to provide a
focus for each activity.
2 Draw from direct observation; it is
difficult and therefore good for you.
3 Keep your materials within easy reach
to save time unpacking your kit.
4 Draw and paint on scrap card and
paper. It’s less daunting than white paper,
better for the environment and costs
nothing. The back of greetings cards,
cardboard packaging and offcuts of
mount board all make good surfaces for
drawing and painting (prepare card with
primer for oils or acrylics).
5 Set a time limit, such as 20 minutes for a
drawing, two hours for a painting.
6 Practise playful exercises such as
drawing with your non-dominant hand,
speed drawing against the clock and
continuous line drawing.
7 Experiment with different drawing
media – felt-tipped pens, ballpoint
pens and sticks and ink will all give you
exciting results.
8 Experiment with coloured drawing
media or combining colour and black and
white drawing.
9 Work on smaller paintings that can be
completed alla prima.
10 Put the date on your drawings
and paintings so you can track your
developing skills over time.
MATERIALS USED
l Oil pastels: Filia oil pastel set.
l Oil paints: Michael Harding titanium
white 2, unbleached titanium and
burnt sienna; Winsor & Newton cobalt
blue, ultramarine blue and magenta;
Jackson’s Professional Oil Colour
bright yellow lake.
l Mediums: Winsor & Newton Sansodor
low odour thinners; Michael Harding
PM1 oil paint medium.
l Brushes: Rosemary & Co No. 4 Ivory
curved long flat, No. 6 Ivory long
filbert, No. 6 Ivory curved long
filbert and No. 14 Chungking round;
Jackson’s No. 0 Akoya Egbert and
No. 2 Akoya Egbert; Pro-Arte No. 5
Series A hog; Winsor & Newton No. 4
Winton hog round and No. 6 Winton
hog round.
l Canvas board: Cass Art 12310in
(30.5325.5cm) canvas board
underpainted with Winsor & Newton
Galeria pale umber acrylic paint.
w
artist January 2023 63
OILS

STAGE ONE q
Taking a size four round hog bristle brush, and picking up only a little paint,
I used the tip and the side of the brush to sketch in the composition using
lively sweeping, and scrubbing marks. I mixed ultramarine blue and burnt
sienna to create this
neutral grey/brown and
diluted it with Sansodor
thinners. This gave
me a good sense of
the basic composition
and could be easily
changed at this point
if necessary. This ‘lean’
paint lends itself well
to being over-painted
with subsequent layers
of oily or ‘fat’ paint. I
don’t use Sansodor for
thinning the paint after
this initial sketch but I
might loosen the paint
a little with oil medium
if necessary. Applying
oily or neat paint over
thinned paint is the ‘fat
over lean’ principle that ensures the paint surface won’t crack as it dries and
has the best, enduring finish and richest colours

STAGE THREE q
I lightened the original ultramarine and burnt sienna mix with unbleached
titanium for the mid-tones in the background and shadows in the folds of
p STAGE TWO
To make the darkest shade for the two pink hydrangeas I mixed magenta
the tablecloth. Using a size 14 Chungking bristle brush I loosely blocked in
with a little bright yellow lake and titanium white. For the deep violet-
the background.
blues of the other hydrangea I used a mix of cobalt blue and magenta and
I wasn’t worried
lightened this a little with titanium white for the mid-tones and a few of the
about keeping
agapanthus flowers.
the flowers’
I blocked in the darkest areas of tone, to begin with. This gave me the deep
edges neat as it
shadow at the top and the darkest values in the flowers and on the white
is these looser
tablecloth. It’s best to keep your use of white to a minimum at this stage as it
borders that
is much easier to paint light over dark later than dark over light
bring vitality
to the painting.
These soft edges
also help to
describe the
dome shape of
the flower heads
and give a sense
of them curving
away from us
in space. The
painting is really
starting to come
to life

u STAGE FOUR
I had pre-mixed the mid-tone pink of the hydrangeas using magenta, bright
yellow lake and titanium white. To this I added a little more titanium white and
bright yellow lake to make a warm, pale pink. Using a curved long flat brush I
dabbed this pale pink on in short strokes so that the corner of the brush could
describe the light falling on the squarish petals.
It really does help if you can hold your nerve at this point, the desire to move
in with a fine brush and start fiddling around is strong and needs watching for.
Keep well back from the work, ideally standing up or with your chair pushed
back so you have room to hold the brush handle nearer the end with either a
spoon or handle-bar type grip. Focus on maintaining interesting brushwork,
thinking about the effect of your touch and the angle and pressure of the
brush head. Squint at the subject and keep stepping or leaning back to take in
the whole composition and don’t get too absorbed in one area

64 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 PRACTICAL

u FINISHED PAINTING
Floral Still Life in Pinks and Purples, oil on
canvas board, 12310in (30.5325.5cm).
I used a size two Akoya Egbert brush to
stroke in the agapanthus stalks with a
mix of cobalt blue, bright yellow lake
and unbleached titanium, adding more
bright yellow lake and a little titanium
white for the lighter greens. The violet-
blues of the agapanthus flowers were
mixed using ultramarine blue, magenta
and unbleached titanium, and flicked
in with the tip of a size six Ivory long
filbert. I added bright yellow lake to
this violet-blue for the grey green in the
water, blocking it in as economically as
possible, as I wanted to keep the focus on
the flowers.
Using a size zero Egbert brush I defined
the stalks in the jar and touches of light
on the glass, and the pale dots in the
centres of some of the flowers. After
stepping back from the work to check it
over, I decided to add a little more depth
to the flower heads, and then I stopped
My aim at the outset was to create
a dynamic and lively still life with the
colours in the subject enhanced by a
neutral background. I was quite happy
with what I had achieved but I felt I
could do more with this subject. I now
needed to take all these ingredients
and put them into something that was
a little more ‘me’. See how I get on in my
next instalment where I discuss how to
develop a reflective practice to help you
to achieve your personal goals

Helen Tarr
has BA and MA degrees in Fine
Art and is a qualified art tutor with
over 20 years’ teaching experience.
Alongside her regular classes at
Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham
AN EXERCISE TO TRY
Helen also teaches classes and
Find a collection of small but varied objects. Draw one or a small group of them every day or
workshops from her studio at as frequently as possible until you have drawn the entire collection. Be imaginative with how
her home in East Staffordshire. you set them out; try raising them up to your eye line or putting them in an open-fronted
She has exhibited widely and her cardboard box to limit the light falling on them. The idea is to record what you see and be
work is in private collections in
inventive, don’t worry about making anything ‘finished’. Allow no more than 20 minutes per
Britain and abroad. Helen has a
YouTube channel where she shares drawing; that way you won’t find the task too onerous. Your collection might be from your
painting demonstrations and has kitchen ‘bits and pieces’ drawer, sewing box, garden tool bag, the fridge, your art materials, a
produced exclusive videos for toy box or a keepsake box.
PaintersOnline Studio members.
Her work is available from www.
BritishContemporary.Art and
www.helentarr.co.uk Next month Helen explores inspiration, experimentation and reflection and shows how they can
help you create oil paintings you will love.

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 65

JOIN TODAY AND CREATE YOUR
GO-TO PLACE FOR INSPIRATION...

Create custom online mood boards

Save your favourite content from Painters Online

Choose any theme, subject or media

BECOME A MEMBER FOR JUST

JUST £3.50 A MONTH! 81P

A WEEK!
bit.ly/STUDIOWH

Taking risks
Liberate your working practices by working with paper and collage.
Karen Stamper shows us how to keep our work fun and fresh
I
t all started with my grandma who
was a traveller and a collector. I
would spend many hours of my
childhood looking through her tins
of trinkets, postcards with exotic
stamps, tapestries and dolls from foreign
lands. I was always more fascinated by
the yellowing newspaper wrapping a
doll, than by the doll itself. This was the
beginning of my fascination with papers.
At art college I was immediately drawn
to the dense flat colours of silkscreen
printing and I found my place in the
printmaking department. It was in
Paris, on a travel scholarship, that I saw
Matisse’s cut-outs for the first time. It
wasn’t just the scale of his work but the
intensity, the pin holes, crease lines and
torn edges that fired my imagination.
After leaving college I travelled for
many years, always with a sketchbook,
constantly sketching and collecting a
rich resource of tickets, labels, packaging,
stamps, paper bags and scraps of lettering;
each one telling its own story. When I
eventually settled, these papers became
my raw materials in the form of collaged
Mediterranean houses and street scenes,
aged and worn with snippets of lettering
and pattern.
I worked in purely collage for a few
years, but then I started working with
the artist and tutor Emily Ball and she
opened my eyes to the joy of paint. I
decided that I wanted to work bigger and
include acrylic paint in my collages. To
upscale the collage element I decided to
paint my own tissue papers, using acrylics
and occasionally inks.
As often as I can, I visit my favourite
harbours in the UK: St Abbs in Scotland,
Newlyn in Cornwall, and I also take
the foot ferry around Felixstowe and
Harwich. I work in A5 and A4 concertina
sketchbooks (right). I use Seawhite of
Brighton’s sketchbooks, and I have been
working in these for many years now. I
love the way the whole book becomes
one image or story. I teach this in my
concertina sketchbook online courses. In
www.painters-online.co.uk
these courses I encourage participants to
work in a very expressive and liberating
way, with many different materials,
techniques and outcomes, all of which
help artists find their own voice.
Working en plein air, often in the
winter months, makes me draw quickly.
More and more I find myself responding
to the scene with colours and marks
rather than drawing in fineliner pen in
a representational way, which I used to
do a lot. Instead, I now make my marks
with inks, collage, Posca pens, paint, gesso,
crayons and pencils. I often collect little
pieces of plastic, paint and wood from the
ground around the boats, where repairs
have taken place and then, back in my
studio, I mix colours to match. Last year
in Greece I found a wonderful boatyard.
I became obsessed with the paint sticks
that were used to stir the paint and then
discarded. These little details influence
bigger paintings further down the line.
Back in my studio I will create a series
of collages, without final compositions
in mind. I work from memory, sketches
and my response to the paper shapes,
combining found papers with layers of
painted tissue and acrylic paint to create
a vibrant integrated surface. My approach
is definitely not technical or rigid, but
there is structure and discipline. The
p Working in a A5 concertina sketchbook in St
Abbs, Scotland. I prepare my book before I go
with collage and an ink wash. On location I draw
with Caran d’Ache crayons, Posca pens, Biro,
pencil and more collage papers
PRACTICAL
more I work freely in my sketchbooks,
the more I strive to recreate this in my
collage paintings and gradually, over
the years, my approach to my paintings
has become more physical, with more
scratching and sanding. I have moved on
from framed and glazed delicate paper
collages to working on wooden panels
with many layers of paper and paint.
More recently I have started to break out
of the conventional square or rectangle
shape which I am finding really exciting.
I work in my studio, at the end of
the garden. It isn’t so big, just 8316ft
(2.434.8m), but I do love my space. It is
light and warm; I have music and it’s a
short walk back to the house for a cup of
tea. I have three tables and wall space and
many boxes of different collage papers.
Ideally these are kept in order. I file
coloured papers in numbers one to ten
from light to dark tones, and then there
are boxes for different countries. When I
begin a piece of work, the papers are tidy,
but soon they take on a life of their own
and start to spread across the table, onto
the floor and often through the garden!
What I love about working in mixed
media is that there are no rules and you
can add any materials you wish and see
how they interact. I use an acrylic gloss
medium (Liquitex gloss medium) as a
glue, but PVA is fine in a sketchbook. For
heavier pasting I use a gel medium, such
as Golden heavy gel gloss. I prefer to work
on wooden panels rather than canvas
as they can take a lot of punishment.
Sometimes I glue a piece of 140lb
(300gm) or more paper onto the panel as
I prefer the surface for working on. When
I feel that a piece is complete, I finish it
with Golden polymer satin varnish and a
floater frame.
As I have said, my compositions are not
planned; there is no underlying sketch.
Working with collage papers allows me to
work in a way that is often unpredictable.
There is always a risk element, but that’s
what makes it fun and keeps it fresh, not
precious, especially in the beginning. w
artist January 2023 67
MIXED MEDIA

DEMONSTRATION Anchors Aweigh

p STAGE TWO
If I’m working on a boat or harbour theme, I will often collage nautical
papers, maps and charts into the first layers, that may, or may not, be
revealed at a later stage. Here I added some patterned wallpaper and the
painted edge of a notebook. I wanted some depth and feeling of distance
in this piece so included simple beach huts with painted white paper

MATERIALS KAREN’S
l Sketchbooks. I use Seawhite
p STAGE ONE of Brighton; TOP TIPS
I began by sticking a sheet of 140lb (300gsm) paper to a panel with gel
https://www.artesaver.co.uk l Make marks freely
medium. Once dry I added some gesso and then textured collage papers,
more gesso and some drawn lines either with paint and crayons. I then l Wooden panels to start with
started to block in some of the shapes that have appeared. I added the white l Posca pens; https://www. l Enjoy the process,
dashes to break up the large area on the left posca.com/en-uk/ observe how
l Golden heavy gel materials interact
l Liquitex gloss medium l There are no rules,
l Caran d’Ache crayons play and see what
l Carnival wet strength tissue
happens!

p STAGE THREE
I wanted to avoid an obvious wheelhouse and hull shape, so I painted some
dark lines back in, following shapes and lines that were already there. The big
pale shape in the centre needed breaking up so I painted the big blue shape
and then lifted it off with a sheet of paper, leaving a thin even coating of paint
p STAGE FOUR
The shape of the hull didn’t feel right but I wanted to keep the focus
around the action on the deck, so I reshaped it but stayed away from
details. I also knocked back some of the dark lines by sanding them back. I
like attaching to the edges so my rigging and fishing equipment is hooked
to the top of the page

68 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk


p STAGE FIVE
For the final touches I added a bit of warmth with
the fishing buoys, dabs of rust to the wheelhouse
and detail on the beach huts
www.painters-online.co.uk
PRACTICAL
Karen Stamper
Originally from Yorkshire, Karen now lives
in Cambridge and travels to St Abbs, Newlyn
and Felixstowe for her boatyard inspiration.
She uses collage as other artists might
use brushes: moving and shaping layers of
papers and tissues, as well as other found
papers, to create confident urban shoreline
compositions of distressed surfaces, dynamic
shapes and textures. Contact her at
https://karenstampercollage.com/
Instagram @Karen_Stamper_Collage
q FINISHED PAINTING Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/
Anchors Aweigh, mixed media, karenstamperartist
Online sketchbook courses
193/43193/4in (50350cm)
https://karen-044e.mykajabi.com/
artist January 2023 69
GOUACHE

A voyage of discovery
Milly England compares the qualities of painting with gouache,
acryla gouache and acrylic with advice on how to use each of them

W
hen I first started to favourite medium and in turn I also
use acrylics at school, discovered Acryla gouache – Holbein’s
I remember being so answer to gouache and acrylics, meeting
excited; the opacity, in the middle. In this article I plan to
the thickness and the discuss the different qualities of gouache,
vibrancy were wonderful, plus the ability Acryla gouache and acrylics, comparing
to be almost sculptural with the thick them and showing the different ways that
paint felt too good to be true. However, I use them.
when I began working as an illustrator, I For the purpose of this article I’m
did a lot of research into different media using the brands which I always use in
and felt that acrylics weren’t necessarily my practice: Holbein gouache; Holbein
the paint most suited to the work that I Acryla gouache; and Daler-Rowney
wanted to produce, and so I experimented System 3 acrylic. Holbein is unusual
with gouache and haven’t looked back in that it only has one level or quality
since! Gouache swiftly became my of product, whereas many companies
COMPARISON EXERCISES
To create an initial overview of the three media I created a
colour wheel in each
Results
Acrylics (Daler-Rowney Comparing the colour wheels I
System 3 acrylics) discovered
• Cadmium red (hue) 503 l The acrylic paint is the least opaque
• Process magenta 412 and the opacity is inconsistent
• Process yellow 675
across the range – this is down to the
• Cadmium yellow (hue) 620
• Process cyan 120 variation in pigment.
• Ultramarine 123 l TheAcryla gouache is the most
opaque and also the thickest to work
with
l The acrylics and the Acryla gouache
Acryla gouache (Holbein are both quite textured, whereas the
Acryla gouache) gouache is very smooth. The lack
• Pure red D009 of texture and therefore light and
• Pink D005 shadow on the surface of the gouache
• Mustard D044
gives a flatter, more solid impression.
• Lemon yellow D034
• Smalt blue D103 l Each paint was used with a tiny bit
• Ultramarine D092 of water and I found that the gouache
was by far the easiest and creamiest to
apply. The acrylics and Acryla gouache
are much ‘stickier’.
l The Acryla gouache colours are the
Gouache (Holbein most vibrant whilst maintaining a
Artists gouache)
chalky finish.
• Carmine GG502
l Theacrylics were also very vibrant
• Pink G589
• Primary yellow G652 but with a plastic-looking finish.
• Cadmium yellow G524 l The gouache colours are slightly
• Smalt blue G573
softer whilst still vibrant, in keeping
• Primary cyan G654
with the smooth consistency.
produce both student and professional
qualities. This means the Holbein paints
can seem a little more expensive, but
the quality and pigment is second to
none. They are long lasting, smooth
and vibrant pigments that are a joy to
work with. I’d love to try the Holbein
acrylics but they’re tricky to get hold of
in this country – that will be my next
investment! At the moment I use Daler-
Rowney System 3 acrylics which are a
fairly standard-quality paint. They are not
Artists’ quality but they work well for me
and the frequency that I use them.
It’s important to note the differences
in the paints’ technical make up. Acrylic
paint uses a smooth acrylic resin binder
whilst gouache uses gum Arabic, and
Acryla gouache is made with pure water-
soluble acrylic resin. The differences
between acrylics, Acryla gouache and
gouache are due to the binders or
mediums that they are made with, but
they are all water-based paints.
ACRYLICS
Traditional acrylic paints are quick-drying,
water based and available in different
thicknesses. I buy the System 3 paint in
tubes which is a medium body viscosity
due to its smooth acrylic resin binder. I
rarely use acrylics with great thickness, but
when I have, I have used either the Daler-
Rowney Cryla Artists’ range of acrylics or
the Golden heavy body range as I find they
hold the best shape.
Although I enjoy the thickness of acrylics,
I find that some pigments are more
opaque than others. This inconsistency
is something I have to keep in mind as I
paint – thick doesn’t always mean opaque.
I personally find this tricky to work with
and prefer to know that the opacity is
consistent throughout.
PROS
l Acrylics dry with a shiny satin finish and
the surface of a dry acrylic painting can be

70 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 PRACTICAL

OPACITY
Results
lAcrylics are the least opaque, whist Acryla
gouache is the most opaque.
l The blue layer of Acryla gouache doesn’t show
any red at all although the texture of the red line
does show through, creating a shadow in the blue.
This is down to the thickness of the paint.
l The gouache is the most consistent although not
Acrylics (Daler-Rowney Acryla gouache (Holbein Gouache (Holbein Artists’ entirely opaque. It also has a very smooth finish.
System 3 acrylics) Acryla gouache) gouache) l For each test I waited until the red line was dry
• Cadmium red (hue) • Pure red D009 • Carmine GG502
before applying the other colours – this was vital
• Process yellow 675 • Lemon yellow D034 • Primary yellow G652
• Process magenta 412 • Pink D005 • Pink G589 particularly for the gouache to prevent it being
• Ultramarine 123 • Smalt blue D103 • Smalt blue G573 reactivated by the water.

DRY BRUSHING Results WASH t Acrylics (Daler-Rowney

l The acrylics create the
most texture with the dry
Acrylics (Daler-
Rowney System 3 brushing although not the
acrylics) most consistent.
• Ultramarine l The Acryla Gouache is
the most consistent whilst
still maintaining plenty of
Acryla gouache texture.
(Holbein Acryla l The
gouache is
gouache)
consistent although the
• Smalt blue D103
creamy consistency means
that it’s more difficult to
create significant texture.
Gouache (Holbein It creates a very subtle dry
Artists’ gouache) brushed surface, although
• Smalt blue G573 I used the same brush
throughout.
System 3 acrylics)
l It is possible to water the
• Cadmium red (hue)
acrylics down into a wash
although they don’t go very far
– a large amount of paint would
be needed. The acrylics also u Acryla gouache
became streaky very quickly. (Holbein Acryla
l The Acryla gouache and the gouache)
gouache water down very well • Pure red D009
into a wash – the gouache would
have watered down even further
even with very little paint to
work with. The gouache creates
the smoothest, least streaky
wash.
l The Acryla gouache maintains t Gouache (Holbein
its vibrancy the best even when Artists’ gouache)
thinned out into a wash. • Carmine GG502

gently cleaned or dusted with water and even a
little soap.
l There are different thicknesses available,
allowing for a more sculptural, impasto technique
with medium or heavy-bodied options. It can
retain brushstrokes or hold peaks from a palette
knife allowing you to be very painterly and
expressive.
l Suitablefor multiple surfaces, indoors and
outdoors, with great adhesion.
l Theydry quickly – so the thick consistency of a
heavy-bodied acrylic can be compared to oils, but
without the disadvantage of a long drying time.
l The paint layers well allowing for amendments
and reworking.
CONS
l Acrylics don’t combine well with graphite pencils
or pencil crayons.
lAcrylics can be thinned down into a wash like
watercolours or gouache, however I find a wash
can very easily become streaky and with too
much water the paint can break down, leaving
little flecks of colour in the paint.
l The paint can dry quickly on the palette
although a stay wet palette can slow this down.
l The colours generally darken when they dry.
u Teddy Bear, acrylic on coloured cartridge paper,
333231/2in (59.5384cm).
This is an example of using acrylic paint on a khaki-
coloured cartridge paper using mainly a palette knife
to apply the paint apart from the find detail on the
bear’s face and paws. The texture was created first
with the palette knife, all colours scraped randomly
across the blank page. After marking in the outline
of the bear, I then filled in the white surface and
black wall, again with the palette knife, allowing for
some texture still to show through. The bear was
created mostly from the initial background marks
with a simple outline and facial features giving him
his shape. I used Daler-Rowney System 3 acrylics in
yellow ochre 663, process black 040, titanium white
009, buff titanium 024, and warm grey 078

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 71

?????????
ACRYLA GOUACHE
Acryla gouache is Holbein’s brand name for
acrylic gouache, a combination of acrylic
paint and gouache mixed together. This
paint is fast drying, water soluble when
wet and the pigment is the most incredibly
vibrant and consistently bright that I have
ever worked with. Unlike with most paints,
the colour on the tube is what you get
inside and they are just as bright when
they dry too.
The paints dry matt, with a flat and almost
chalky quality compared to the plastic
consistency of acrylics. When painting
straight from the tube the paint has a
more dry and sticky quality than regular
gouache. In most write-ups, the consensus
seems to be that gouache has a chalkier
finish when dry than Acryla gouache,
however I tend to disagree. I find the
finished surface of Acryla gouache to be
extremely chalky and somehow artificial.
Similar to gouache, the paint layers up very
well but without the risk of reactivating
the previous layer of colour – although I do
find that as long as gouache is completely
dry and I don’t load it with water, it doesn’t
tend to smudge.
PROS
l Excellent for dry-brushing technique – just
the right viscosity, straight from the tube.
l Colour vibrancy is incredible and colours
available in the range is vast. There are
so many colours available that I certainly
wouldn’t be able to mix myself.
l Mixes well with water without losing
vibrancy, even when worked down into a
wash, the vibrancy remains high.
lOpaque, velvety matt finish –
many people see this as a pro.
l The acrylic resin binder means that
it is waterproof when dry.
l Layers well in terms of coverage.
Light colours can paint over dark
colours with no opacity issues.
lColour on the tube is what you get
when the paint dries.
l Even if there are lots of layers to
your painting, the paint won’t crack
when dry.
CONS
l Cannot be reactivated in your
palette – if I try to do this, I create a
very watery paint with lumps of the
old paint which can be a nightmare!
l It dries extremely quickly in my
palette (although this can be aided
by an acrylic stay wet palette) so
best to only add a tiny amount to
the palette at a time.
72 artist January 2023
GOUACHE
lDoes not combine well with colouring
Gouache is water based and is a thicker,
pencils or graphite pencils.
more pigmented version of watercolour.
l The paint is so thick that although it layers I love it as it gives me the best of both
well colour wise, the brushstrokes do show worlds between watercolour and
through making the final painting very acrylic. It has the opaque thickness and
textural – great if that’s what you’re after but vibrancy of acrylic whilst maintaining
not if you’re looking for a smooth finish. the ability to be reactivated once it
has dried on your palette and it can
lIt waters down well into a wash but
be washed down to the viscosity of
becomes very streaky.
a watercolour wash. Before gouache
l Doesn’t blend as well on paper as gouache
does and the colours can take a while to was sold as a paint product, it was a
technique in which white pigment was
properly mix.
added to water-based paint to create
l The rate at which the paint dries means
an opaque consistency. The popularity
that I can’t be as painterly – I really feel that
of the gouache technique led to the
I have to plan out the image, build it up in
production of gouache paint. Some
the layers and get it right first time. Although
manufacturers such as Caran d’Ache
the ability to layer the paint does allow for
sell gouache in solid pans created with
error, unless I’m using the pigment straight
a natural vegetable binder with an
from the tube, it’s unlikely that I can go back
accompanying white gouache tube but
later and make the exact colour up again
I prefer to buy my gouache in tube form,
rather than with a gouache paint I can easily
ready mixed.
reactivate the palette with a little water.
Below is an example of an Acryla gouache PROS
painting. I used ash rose as my background
l Matt finish which works well with
colour and painted this onto the paper first.
graphite pencil or colouring pencil layered
I then sketched out my outline and added
on top.
the lighter colours of light magenta and
pale lime to start building up colour. I then l Smooth and creamy to work with –
worked in the other shades, some lighter, never has lumps or flecks.
some darker, in layers. Colours used: Holbein l Easyto go back to an old palette and
Acryla gouache in D155 ash rose, D116 light continue with the same colours which
magenta, D009 pure red, D064 viridian, D075 works well for a series of works.
pale lime D157 ash green, D062 light green, l Watersdown very well into a
D034 lemon yellow and D036 orange yellow watercolour wash, no streaks and not
muddy – the colours stay bright and clear.
l Opaque, rich and vibrant colours.
q Geranium Robertianum, Acryla gouache,
l They layer beautifully with watercolours
8¼35¾in (21315cm)
and I’ve also layered them with Acryla
gouache.
l They can be reactivated so paint can be
lifted with a damp brush if necessary.
To sum up
I can easily find pros and cons with
all three of these paints, however my
favourite to work with is traditional
gouache. I love the smooth and creamy
consistency, its opacity, matt finish and
its ability to be reactivated in the palette.
It seems to combine the best qualities
of acrylics, Acryla gouache and indeed
watercolour in one medium and is very
versatile.
My least favourite of the three paints is
the Acryla gouache, although the colours
really are incredible. I find I can’t be
as painterly with this medium as I can
with gouache or acrylics; it just dries so
quickly both on the surface of the paper
www.painters-online.co.uk
 PRACTICAL
l Acrylic mediums or texture gels can be
added for texture or an acrylic medium
can be added to make it waterproof, but
this loses the matt finish – not something I
would choose to do but the option is there!
l Can paint new layers on top of old layers
but the underlayer must be completely dry.
l Dries quickly but not too quickly!

CONS
l Can crack if the paint is too thick – I’ve
never encountered this, but I do like the final
painting to be fairly smooth, so I always use
a little water.
l Although it is possible to get some texture,
it is not as sculptural as acrylics or Acryla
gouache.
l Some of the lighter colours like white or
pale yellow might need a second layer to
increase opacity.
l The shades are slightly different than the
paint on the palette. I always do a test first
to see how a colour will dry on my paper,
however I generally find that dark shades
dry a little lighter than they look, and light
shades dry a little darker than they look –
but there are exceptions!

u Shells of the World, gouache, 161/23113/4in

(42330cm).
This painting shows the qualities of gouache
really well; the vibrancy of the colours, the matt
finish allowing pencil crayon detail to be added
and the different uses of the paint including dry
brushing, blending the paints with washes like
watercolour, thick opaque colour straight from
the tube as well as subtle highlights washed
down with water. Colours used: Holbein gouache u DETAIL
in permanent white G630, burnt sienna GG603, The close-up in particular shows the
raw umber GG602, brilliant orange GG508, flexibility of the paint, holding qualities
cadmium red GG504, yellow ochre GG527, grey that both acrylics and Acryla gouache hold,
No.2 GG621, burnt umber GG604, ivory black whilst maintaining the subtle qualities of
GG606 and brilliant pink G510 watercolour

and also in my palette, plus its inability
to reactivate means that I have to be very
structured and planned in my approach,
which takes some of the pleasure away
from painting.
Although acrylics were my first love and
I love their layering quality, I prefer the
matt finish of gouache and I like to have
the option of adding final details or a
Whenever I work with acrylics,
gouache or Acryla gouache, I always
add the finishing touches with this
paint. It maintains its opacity better
than any other white I have tried,
whilst watering down to a lovely
creamy consistency allowing for
super fine detail work. This really is
the magic ingredient! TA

little texture with a colouring pencil.

All three media have their purpose and
I frequently use all of them depending on
what I’m painting, the style required and
the tone or mood of the piece.
Before I finish, I must tell you about
my secret weapon: Winsor & Newton
permanent white designers’ gouache.
Milly England
is an artist and illustrator. She studied at Wimbledon School of Art before
working for Dame Julia Peyton-Jones at the Serpentine Gallery in London
and then spent ten years with Damien Hirst. Milly accepts private and
commercial commissions and plans to hold painting workshops.
For more information see www.millyengland.co.uk

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 73

 & artist
Best of British
WINNERS Earlier in the year, we

Best of British of the

PA I N T I NG COMPET IT ION
�

�
invited you to enter artwork
to celebrate the Platinum
Jubilee and everything
British. Here are the winners
�

Queen’s coronation

THE WINNERS
Queen’s coronation
something positive about HM The Queen’s
Sarah Bottjer and Tim O’Brien
both won a variety of papers from
Clairefontaine, a Frazer-Price Brass
something positive about HM The Queen’s

Watercolour Box and a Perfect Paper

Stretcher from Ken Bromley

WINNER Sarah Bottjer

Sarah Bottjer Jubilations, oil on board, 10x8in. (25.5x20cm)
‘I wanted to convey the excitement and happiness of the
Platinum Jubilee and how the celebrations were brought
into the everyday lives of the British public. There’s nothing
quite like bunting dancing in the breeze and the enticing
comfort of your favourite chair at the end of the afternoon
after being held hostage by the family pet.’

THE RUNNERS-UP

Kerry Garrard Union Jack with Corgi, Philip Westcott Street Val Kenyon Queen Elizabeth
▼

▲ ▲
digital drawing using Procreate Party, Seedley, oil on canvas, Rose, watercolour on paper,
24x36in. (61x91cm) 11x7½in. (28x19cm)
 WINNER
Tim O’Brien
Tim O’Brien The Platinum
Party at the Palace, oil
on canvas, 24x36in.
(61x91.5cm)
‘I painted this in response
to having been invited
to the Platinum Party
at the Palace in London
on Saturday 4 June and
wanted to capture the
memory of this once-in-a-
lifetime event. My daughter
Niamh O’Brien (14), who
loves art and textiles at
school, is a cadet first
aider St John Ambulance
in her spare time and
was awarded a ticket in
return for her hard work,
providing first aid cover at
local sporting events and
teaching the younger cadets first aid. She invited me to be her plus-one at the concert and I took the opportunity to produce some pen sketches in
a small book to record the evening as security was restrictive with the size of our hand luggage. We were both absolutely thrilled to be part of this
amazing event and from an artistic perspective there were many topics I could have painted; but it was the phenomenal light-show finale and the
graphic light projections on a familiar landmark that I wanted to paint back home in the studio using a photo and sketches as reference.’

Ronald Haber Thames

▲

Diamond Jubilee Pageant,

acrylic, 14x18in (36x46cm)

▲ Nadine Carruthers Scotland, Uke, acrylic,

8x6in. (21x15cm)

Jan Rossington ▲ Hilary Davies Martin Hill Corgi, coloured pencils,

▲

▲
A Perfect Afternoon, oil, Royal Bloom, mixed media, 11¾x8¼in. (30x21cm)
12x10in. (30.5x25.5cm) 15¾x15¾in. (40x40cm)
DIGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

The green-eyed cat

In this abridged extract from Drawing Animal Portraits in Coloured Pencil Lisa Ann Watkins
demonstrates how to paint a portrait of a cat using coloured pencils

W
hen starting out, it can seem overwhelming
to jump straight into a full portrait, so I have Drawing Animal Portraits
designed this demonstration as a gentle way in Coloured Pencil
to practise some fundamental techniques.
Once you have finished these studies, you Drawing Animal Portraits in
will have gained even more confidence ahead of embracing Coloured Pencil by Lisa Ann
some full portraits. Of course, there is nothing to stop you going Watkin was reviewed in
straight for a full portrait if you feel ready. Nonetheless, I highly the December 2022 issue
recommend that you work through the studies first or come back of The Artist. Published by
to them for reference as you work on the bigger project. Search Press, £15.99, it is
Each study has been designed to encompass the different available from our online
supports, pencil strokes and subtraction techniques mentioned bookstore at
earlier in the book. If you don’t have the exact same pencils or bit.ly/ARBOOKS
colours, that’s fine. You can refer back to the basic techniques
and materials chapters to help you work through them with the
materials you have to hand.

Transferring line art to your Tip Don’t worry about the indented outline
surface remaining visible in the finished piece. As you
Time now to transfer the line art to work, it will naturally fill in a little. If you do
your chosen support. Here are some want to fill in an area at any stage, you can
of my preferred methods. It may hold a very sharp pencil of the appropriate
be that you want to work smaller or colour upright and colour in the indented line.
larger than the original reference This will then gradually blend in as you build
size, in which case you can scan or up the rest of the picture.
photograph your line art and reprint it
at the size that you need.
The most important thing with all
of these methods is to ensure that
you have the line art securely affixed
to your support across the top edge
only. This will keep the line art in
place as you work and also allow you
p STAGE ONE
Secure your drawing to your surface and,
to flip it up to check progress.
pressing as hard as you can with the tip of
the stylus, draw over the lines to indent the
Tip Make sure you’ve got your reference surface
photographs close by when you’re
transferring the image – they can help make
sense of a confusing area, which allows you to
make a decision on whether to transfer a line
or shape. p STAGE TWO
Lift the drawing away to check all the lines have
transferred an indent
Indenting method
This is my preferred way of transferring
the image, as it preserves the outline
for longer than the other methods. u STAGE THREE
Rather than being lost under the first Glaze the surface with a colour appropriate to
layer or two of pencil, the indented your picture – you’ll see the image appear, with
outline remains visible as you work. the indented lines left clean

76 January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

DEMONSTRATION The Green-Eyed Cat
In this study the focus will be on how to create the glossy effect
of a green cat eye on Pastelmat, a surface which many struggle
with. This study will help you to overcome any fears that textured
papers will not take more layers and will give you confidence that
you can work light over dark with your pencils. A frame of fur has
been added to the finished study but the main focus of this study
remains the eye itself.
Transfer your line art to your surface. Add in as many or as few
lines as you prefer, using the in indenting method. Even though
the study is worked on white paper, add in white pigment to
the highlight areas first. Use a scumbling stroke with a standard
pressure. Keep repeating to build up the pigment.
You will need
l Clairefontaine Pastelmat paper – white colour, 51/2351/2in
(14312.5cm).
l Caran d’Ache Pablo pencils: 0001 white; 491 cream.
l Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils: 199 black, 169 caput
mortuum, 157 dark indigo, 186 terracotta, 278 chrome
oxide green, 174 chromium green opaque, 173 olive
green yellowish, 268 green gold, 178 nougat, 172 earth
green, 168 earth green yellowish, 270 warm grey I, 271
warm grey II, 103 ivory, 102 cream, 175 dark sepia, 189
cinnamon.
l Other materials including graphite transfer paper and
stylus or sharp pencil to transfer the line drawing,
pencil sharpener, glassine paper, soft dusting brush,
small paintbrush or cotton bud and kitchen paper.

t REFERENCE PHOTO

u STAGE ONE
Transfer the image using the indenting method. Use black
to outline the eye itself and also the slit of the pupil. Glaze
over the top of the outside area in towards the iris using
caput mortuum, dark sepia and dark indigo, and with a
back-and-forth stroke. Lightly map in all of the dark reddish
markings on the iris using caput mortuum. This is our ‘darks’
stage

t STAGE TWO
Start to build up the green of the iris using
a mix of scumbling and small back-and-
forth strokes, always working in towards
the centre of the eye, never in circles
around the pupil. Chrome oxide green
and chromium green opaque form the
darker undertones of the main iris. Add in
touches of terracotta around the outside
areas of the caput mortuum markings

www.painters-online.co.uk January 2023 77

DIGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

t STAGE THREE
Add touches of green gold around the outer edges
of the iris. Continue to scumble or use the back-
and-forth motion as you lay down the pigment.
Glaze over the whole eye using a mix of nougat in
the browner- or greyer-looking areas, and earth
green over the rest of the iris. This is our mid-tone
stage

u STAGE FOUR
On to our lights now. Continue to glaze using
Polychromos cream and warm grey II in the slightly
more yellow areas such as the outer edges of the
iris. For the centre of the iris, use warm grey I and
ivory. Look closely at the markings but don’t worry
if you do not match the reference photograph
exactly

t STAGE FIVE
Repeat stages two to four again. Keep repeating
and refining with each layer until you have built
up the pigment enough that it starts to feel
buttery on the surface and you can no longer
see the grain of the tooth. You will be placing
the tip of your pencil and simply ‘wiggling’ it in
places to add in touches of highlights

Tip Trust the properties

of the Pastelmat that it will
allow you to keep building up
layers.

78 January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

u STAGE SIX
Keeping your pencils super sharp, use caput
mortuum and dark sepia to form a hint of the
eyelash reflection in the main highlight. Next, use
dark indigo and caput mortuum to add in a hint
of the outer rim of the eyelid. Glaze over the top
using the warm greys and white to create a slight
highlight there. Use black to add in some of the
dark shapes of the fur – we’ll take this further in the
next step

t STAGE SEVEN
Build a rough hint of fur texture to frame the
main subject using the following pencils: dark
sepia, caput mortuum, terracotta, dark indigo,
cinnamon, ivory; and Pablo cream. Use black
with a back-and-forth motion to re-establish
the shapes and to strengthen the depth of tone
in the fur – in particular, the skin surrounding
the eye

u STAGE EIGHT
Start to break up the larger shapes with strokes of black, using
striking or tapering marks that follow the direction of the hair
growth

www.painters-online.co.uk January 2023 79

DIGITAL ISSUE EXTRA CONTENT

u STAGE NINE
Add caput mortuum to the fur with striking or
tapering marks

t STAGE TEN
Use cinnamon to continue developing and
refining the fur with striking or tapering marks

u STAGE ELEVEN
Use a small brush to blend the fur layers with
solvent and then work again with the pencils
from stage seven when dry

80 January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 t STAGE TWELVE
If you need to re-balance the eye itself, do so at
the end. Do not worry if your details or colours
do not match the reference photograph exactly.
This is about learning how to create an effect
and using a technique that you may not have
tried before

p FINISHED PAINTING
Lisa Ann Watkins Amber Glow, watercolour pencils, used wet and dry on Pastelmat, 5½35½in
(14312.5cm).
Cats are nighttime predators, so the slit of their eyes expands and contracts to allow in more or
less light. It can, however, also show fear, so do consider how you want to portray the eye. This is
another good reason to have lots of supporting reference images

www.painters-online.co.uk January 2023 81

 ov
sh £50
FR
er
i p to
pi
ng UK
EE
“Your First & Best Choice for a Painting Holiday”

on m
or ain
de la
rs nd
*
Somerset, Exmoor National Park (inc North Devon Coast),
ARTSUPPLIES.CO.UK Dartmoor National Park, South Cornwall (Lizard), Wye
GREAT DISCOUNTS UNBEATABLE SERVICE Valley, Usk Valley, Brecon Beacons, South Cotswolds,
Jersey (CI), Provence - France, Cordoba - Spain &
Western Algarve - Portugal
Lynda Appleby, Shelagh Ashley,
David Bellamy, Grahame Booth, Peter Cronin, Joe Francis-Dowden,
Rob & Sian Dudley, Jeremy Ford, Chris Forsey, Paul Talbot-Greaves,
Steve Hall, Keith Hornblower, Andrew Hucklesby, Murray Ince,
Michal Jasiewicz, Carol Kibble, Carole Massey, Ian McManus,
Jantien Powell, Mike Skidmore, Andy Walker, Paul Weaver,
Dave White, Jake Winkle, Melissa Wishart & Peter Woolley

ovely ainting oliday dventure

READER £5
O F F E R OFF †
your first order
when you quote: TAM110
‡



Organisers always on location with the group
All Abilities & Non Painters Welcome
Studio & Location based courses in all media
 All rooms en-suite & some Ground Floor rooms
TEL: 01204 690 114 EMAIL: sales@artsupplies.co.uk All Holidays covered with Financial Protection
KenBromleyArt KenBromleyArt KenBromleyArt kenbromleyart 01934 733877
* See shipping policy for full details † No minimum spend, one use for new customers only ‡ Expires 31/12/22

ARTISTS’
Tired of having stacks of magazines
with nowhere to store them?

VALUE Keep your printed copies of The Artist neat

and tidy with these branded binders…

BRUSHES
Available through a select group of stockists
www.artistsbrushes.co.uk Save all of your favourite tutorials
for full information on ranges, sets, prices. all in one place - it’s easily accessible
Great value! Big savings! and ready for future use! Each
binder is super robust and with no
loose clips or rods, you can quickly
insert or extract your issue.

Order online at
www.painters-online.co.uk/store
82 artist January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk
 CROPPING
Mike Barr urges us to be selective with the subject
Mike Barr
is a Fellow of the Royal South Australian
of our paintings. Cropping, whether physically or
Society of Arts. He has won over 80 awards,
including 17 first prizes. You can find
mentally, will make your work stronger
more of Mike’s work at
www.mikebarrfineart.com

T
here are some simple things
artists can do that will help their
work and some are so obvious
that we can easily do them.
Cropping is one such thing. For
artists, cropping comes in three forms:  One of my
favourite plein-air
cropping a photo reference; mentally
spots at Goolwa
cropping a scene while plein-air painting;
and cropping a completed painting.  Autumn Shadows,
Goolwa, oil on
Cropping the photo reference board, 9¾13¾in
Consider a photo of something we really (2535cm) with
want to paint. There’s a lot to be seen in inset photograph
photographs, probably too much, but we (left) of the scene
and cropping area
set about painting the whole thing anyway.
There is a better way though.
First, have a good look at the photograph
and think for a moment if there is some
portion of it that will make a better painting
than doing the whole lot. Often, it can be
found, and it can be exciting when we find
it. This smaller portion of the photo can still
represent the subject at hand, but it can
certainly have a more interesting aspect.
More than likely, it will simplify the subject at
the same time and that is always good.

Mentally cropping while

painting plein air
This is not so easy as cropping a physical
photo reference, but it is much the same. An
outdoor scene can easily be overwhelming,
and cropping can make us feel we are in
control. Mentally cropping also requires us
to magnify that smaller portion of what we
see to get it on our canvas. This is particularly
good because when we pick a small distant
cropped subject, we can’t see all the detail
we would like. This means we paint broadly,
because detail can’t be seen at a distance.
This is great for plein-air work.

Cropping a completed painting
Truly, this is the hardest crop to do because
we are cutting up our own work, but it can
be very rewarding if we dare do it. A number
of years ago, I went through a lot of old work
and did the cropping thing and sold quite a
few of them. I think we can all think of works
where there is just some aspect of it that we
particularly like – these are ripe for cropping!
Even if it means cutting up a stretched
canvas because the useful bit can always be
reframed under glass.
Cropping, like other things in painting,
is part of a mental process that can be
developed and become part of how we do
things. It expands the possibilities of subject
matter and makes our artistic life even more
interesting. Happy cropping! TA

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 83

Exhibitions
GALLERY OPENING TIMES AND EXHIBITION DATES CAN VARY; IF IN DOUBT PHONE TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT
LONDON
Bankside Gallery
48 Hopton Street SE1.
☎ 020 7928 7521
www.banksidegallery.com
The London Group at
Bankside; November 24 to
December 4.
Mini Picture Show 2022;
affordable work on a small
scale by members of the
Royal Watercolour Society
and the Royal Society of
Painter Printmakers,
December 9 to January 29.
Burgh House
New End Square NW3.
☎ 020 7431 0144;
www.burghhouse.org.uk
Those Remarkable Carlines;
work by siblings Sydney,
Hilda and Richard Carline,
until April 10 (see page 11).
Mall Galleries
The Mall, SW1.
☎ 020 7930 6844;
www.mallgalleries.org.uk
Royal Institute of Oil
Painters; annual exhibition,
November 24 to December
10 (see page 10).
National Gallery
Trafalgar Square WC2.
☎ 020 7747 2885
www.nationalgallery.org.uk
Winslow Homer:
Force of Nature;
until January 8.
The Credit Suisse
Exhibition – Lucian Freud:
New Perspectives;
until January 22.
Discover Manet & Eva
Gonzalès; looking at
paintings from fresh
perspectives, until January 15.
Turner on Tour;
until February 19.
Royal Academy of Arts
Piccadilly W1.
☎ 020 7300 8000
www.royalacademy.org.uk
William Kentridge;
until December 11.
Making Modernism: Paula
Modersohn-Becker, Käthe
Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter
and Marianne Werefkin;
until February 12.
Spain and the Hispanic
World: Treasures from the
Hispanic Society Museum
& Library; January 21 to
April 10.
84 January 2023
Victoria Art Gallery
The
Higgins
Bridge Street.
☎ 01225 477244
Bedford www.victoriagal.org.uk
Peter Brown: Bath,
Bristol & Beyond;
until January 15
(see page 9).
BEDFORD
The Higgins Bedford
Castle Lane.
☎ 01234 718618; www.
thehigginsbedford.org.uk
Changing Times: A Century
of Modern British Art;
from Eric Ravilious, Edward
Bawden and Paul Nash
to Elisabeth Frink, David
Hockney and Lucian Freud,
until April 16.
BRISTOL
The Royal West of
England Academy
Queen’s Road.
☎ 0117 973 5129;
www.rwa.org.uk
169th RWA Annual Open
Exhibition; work by
unknown, emerging and
established artists,
until January 8.
RWA Photo Open
Exhibition;
January 28 to May 1.
CHICHESTER
Pallant House Gallery
9 North Pallant.
☎ 01243 774557
https://pallant.org.uk
Kaleidoscope; fractured,
abstract landscapes by Anne
Desmet, until February 5.
Sussex Landscape: Chalk,
p Mark Gertler The Doll, 1914 (Ingram Collection), oil on canvas, 30320in (76351cm) Wood and Water; works by
from Changing Times: A Century of Modern British Art at The Higgins, Bedford artists inspired by the Sussex
landscape, including Eric
Ravilious, William Nicholson,
Tate Britain William Morris Gallery
Millbank SW1.
☎ 020 7887 8888
Lloyd Park, Forest Road,
Walthamstow E17.
REGIONS Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell
and Lee Miller, until April 23.
www.tate.org.uk ☎ 020 8496 4390
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: www.wmgallery.org.uk BATH COMPTON VERNEY
Fly in League with the The Legend of King Arthur:
Night; November 24 to A Pre-Raphaelite Love The Holburne Museum Compton Verney
February 26. Story; exploring the legend Great Pulteney Street. Warwickshire.
Tate Modern of King Arthur through the ☎ 01225 388569 ☎ 01926 645500
Bankside SE1. eyes of Pre-Raphaelite artists, www.holburne.org www.comptonverney.org.uk
☎ 020 7887 8888 until January 22. Rodin & Degas: Impressionist Portrait Miniatures:
www.tate.org.uk Joy and Solace: Frank Sculpture; until January 2. Highlights from the
The EY Exhibition: Brangwyn and Music; Elisabeth Frink: Strength & Grantchester Collection;
Cézanne; until March 12. until April 2. Sensuality; until January 8. until December 31.
www.painters-online.co.uk
Dutch Flowers; paintings
from the 17th and 18th
centuries,
until January 15.
COUNTY DURHAM
The Bowes Museum
Barnard Castle.
☎ 01833 690606; www.
thebowesmuseum.org.uk
Raymond Briggs:
A Retrospective;
until February 26.
EASTBOURNE
Towner Art Gallery
Devonshire Park.
☎ 01323 434670; www.
townereastbourne.org.uk
Brewers Towner
International;
biennial exhibition
featuring local, national
and international artists
who submitted work on the
theme of ‘Sanctuary’,
until January 22.
GUILDFORD
Watts Gallery
Down Lane, Compton.
☎ 01483 810235;
www.wattsgallery.org.uk
In Print: Kaleidoscope;
annual printmaking
exhibition,
until January 15.
A Sense of Place; work by
two young artists Grace Ellen
and Tom Voyce, winner of
Sky Arts Landscape Artist
of the Year 2017,
January 19 to March 26.
Dreams and Stories:
Modern Pre-Raphaelite
Visionaries;
until February 26.
Faces of Fame: G F Watts X
Simon Frederick;
bringing together selected
work from portrait series of
influential Britons, featuring
paintings of eminent
Victorians from G F Watt’s
Hall of Fame series alongside
photographic portraits by
Simon Frederick from the
artist’s Black is the New Black
series, until March 26.
HULL
Brynmor Jones Library
University of Hull.
☎ 01482 466581;
www.hull.ac.uk/gallery
The Glasgow Girls and
Boys; new exhibition in
collaboration with the
Fleming Collection, exploring
a group of Scottish artists
establishing their position in
the story of Scottish art, until
December 4 (see page 11).
www.painters-online.co.uk
KINGSBRIDGE
Harbour House
The Promenade.
☎ 01548 854708;
www.harbourhouse.org.uk
In the Medio Space: Lizzy
Mooney; mixed-media
works,
October 25 to November 5.
p Rob Pointon Stepping Up From the Tube, Lower Regent Street, oil on board,
19¾315¾in (50340cm) from the annual ROI exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London
MANCHESTER
Manchester Art
Gallery
Mosley Street.
☎ 0161 235 8888;
www.manchesterartgallery.org
Climate Justice; exploring
how art can help people
learn from history and
encourage caring, collective
action, until February 5.
NEWCASTLE
UPON TYNE
The Biscuit Factory
16 Stoddart Street, Shieldfield.
☎ 0191 2611103;
www.thebiscuitfactory.com
Ade Adesina:
Contemporary Printmaker;
November 25 to January 30.
NORTHAMPTON
Charles Rennie
Mackintosh House &
Galleries
78 Derngate.
☎ 01604 603407;
www.78derngate.org.uk
Network Arts at 78;
until December 18.
NOTTINGHAM
Patchings Art Centre
Oxton Road, Calverton.
☎ 0115 965 3479; www.
patchingsartcentre.co.uk
A5 Exhibition; annual
selling exhibition of A5
artwork open to all artists
with no selection process
and no commission charged,
November 25 to December
24.
OXFORD
Ashmolean Museum
Beaumont Street.
☎ 01865 278000
www.ashmolean.org
Pre-Raphaelites: Drawings
& Watercolours;
until November 27.
PENZANCE
Penlee House Gallery
Morrab Road.
☎ 01736 363625
www.penleehouse.org.uk
Fred Yates; until January 7.
Penlee Inspired 2023;
exhibition of selected work,
January 18 to April 22.
Mall
Galleries
London
SHERBORNE
Jerram Gallery
Half Moon Street.
☎ 01935 815261;
www.jerramgallery.com
Dorset, Dream Country;
recent work by Nicholas
Hely Hutchinson drawing
inspiration from the Dorset
landscape, until November 30.
WOKING
The Lightbox
Chobham Road.
☎ 01483 737800
www.thelightbox.org.uk
Lucian Freud and The
Soul As Sphere – featuring
new work by Somaya
Critchlow;
November 26 to March 19.
YORK
York Art Gallery
Exhibition Square.
☎ 01904 810235
www.yorkartgallery.org.uk
Sin; an exhibition in
partnership with the
National Gallery, exploring
the concept of sin in art,
until January 22.
IRELAND
DUBLIN
National Gallery
of Ireland
Merrion Square.
☎ +353 1 661 5133
www.nationalgallery.ie
JMW Turner: The Sun is
God; until February 6.
Zurich Portrait Prize 2022;
November 26 to April 2. Also,
Zurich Young Portrait
Prize 2022;
November 26 to April 2.
SCOTLAND
EDINBURGH
Scottish National
Gallery
The Mound.
☎ 0131 624 6200;
www.nationalgalleries.org
In the Frame: Conserving
Scotland’s Art;
displaying some of
Scotland’s finest works and
revealing the fascinating
stories behind the gallery’s
ambitious conservation
programme, November 19 to
April 16.
Scottish National
Gallery of Modern Art
75 Belford Road.
☎ 0131 624 6200;
www.nationalgalleries.org
New Arrivals: From
Salvador Dali to Jenny
Saville; showcasing the most
recent acquisitions at the
Scottish National Gallery of
Modern Art,
until February 12.
WALES
CARDIFF
National Museum
Cathays Park.
☎ 0300 111 2333
www.museum.wales
The Rules of Art?; 500 years
of art, until June 4.
BBC 100 in Wales; exhibition
marking the centenary of BBC
broadcasting in Wales,
December 10 to April 16.
January 2023 85
PAINT-ALONG WITH THE
PROFESSIONALS FROM THE
COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME

All starting at 11am (UK time)

In this series of webinars, Liz will demonstrate a range of

exciting watercolour techniques, whilst exploring textures
and detail on some of our favourite feathered friends!

PLAYING WITH
TEXTURES
Wed 7 Dec

INK AND WASH:

BIRD OF PREY
Wed 18 Jan 2023

All starting at 11am (UK time)

Learn how to judge the correct perspective for your subject,

before exploring how to create a snow scene by adding light and
shadows to create impact, in this live webinar with Tim Fisher.

SNOWY ST. OSYTH

Tues 22 Nov
 All starting at 2:30pm (UK time)

In this series of webinars, Robert will be demonstrating how

you can make creative landscapes with soft pastels. You will
learn mark-making techniques, explore a variety of materials
and discover how to get creative with pastels.

PASTELS LIKE PAINT

Tues 13 Dec

MASKING AND BLENDING MOOD AND DRAMA IN

TECHNIQUES THE LANDSCAPE
Tues 24 Jan Tues 14 Feb

WEBINAR INFORMATION
Tickets are just £15 per webinar.
All ticket-holders will receive the suggested materials list and reference photograph via email before the session.
Choose to paint-along or paint the scene afterwards using the webinar recording.
The webinars will be recorded and made available to watch again for ticket-holders, the day after the live session.

To view all of our upcoming webinars and to book your place visit:
painters-online.co.uk/webinars
Share the joy of painting
Aimed at beginners and amateur
painters, Leisure Painter magazine
is brimming with tutorials,
demonstrations and practical advice.

CREATIVE IDEAS BACK TO BASICS

Paint your own greetings cards Traditional oil techniques

MIX AUTUMN COLOURS A WORLD IN MINIATURE

with water-soluble media Paint parrots in watercolour

STEP-BY-STEP DEMOS COLOURED PENCILS

Acrylics, watercolour and more How to work on tinted papers

Subscribe today for as little as £3.99* an issue

Buy a gift for a painting friend or refresh your own techniques with our excellent back-to-basics projects.

Use your unique promotion code LPAI/CROSSPROMO22

Go to painters-online.co.uk/store
Or call 01778 395174
*£3.99 is only available as a monthly UK Direct Debit. For continuous card options please go online. All options can be cancelled anytime.
 SAVE
20%
ALL B ON
O
WITH OKS
FR
UK P+ EE
P!

RRP
£19.99
£15.99
RRP
£15.99
RRP £12.79
£19.99
£15.99

In this beautiful book, Billy Showell provides
a fascinating and invaluable insight into the
materials, methods and techniques she uses
to produce stunning botanical paintings in
watercolour.
An indispensable guide for botanical artists wanting to
discover the methods and techniques Billy uses to attain
her stunningly beautiful portraits.
Create art that has a radiancy and luminosity
that cannot be achieved in any other way with
this inspirational guide by Peter Cronin.
An essential book for artists wanting to produce
watercolour paintings filled with light and radiance.
Starting with spring, this stunning book follows
the rhythm of nature through the year. Each of
the four main chapters will focus on a particular
season and will contain an overview of plant
characteristics for that season, followed
by some techniques for portraying those
characteristics, and relevant examples of the
author’s work.
This book is perfect for artists looking to focus on plants
they know and love, or dip in and out of.

RRP
PRE- £19.99
ORDER RRP £15.99
£14.99
£11.99

In this new edition of her best-selling
book Dynamic Watercolours, Jane Betteridge
demonstrates effective and vibrant use of a
huge range of exciting ways of working using
crackle paste, modelling pastes, metallic leaf,
gilding flakes, print and much more.
This book will excite and inspire watercolour artists of
all abilities to experiment and approach their painting in
a whole new light.
The reader will not only discover how
professional artists use imaginative and
dynamic styles to interpret a wide range of
subjects, but they will also be inspired by the
150-plus full-colour illustrations to create
brilliant artworks of their own.
An indispensable guide for anyone keen to learn
coloured pencil techniques, or for the experienced
artist who would like to build on their existing skills.
This book showcases Angela Gaughan’s
exquisite works of art, and provides an insight
into her distinctive techniques she uses
to achieve her amazingly detailed, life-like
paintings of animals, people and more.
An inspirational guide to painting in acrylics; both for
experienced artists who are interested in Angela’s
methods, and those wishing to improve their skills.

Shop now: bit.ly/ARTIBOOKS SCAN

*These books are subject to availability and priced correctly at the time of publication. Geographic restrictions may apply. ME
A world of creativity
is waiting for you…
Make sure you sign up to the Painters Online email newsletter, packed with
inspirational content, expert product recommendations and handy guides straight
to your inbox! And even better, you’ll get a 26 page download completely FREE
when you sign up! It’s the perfect tool to develop your artistic skills whether you’re
an enthusiastic beginner or dedicated professional.

IN YOUR NEXT MONTH’S

E-NEWSLETTERS:
✔ Inspirational tutorials for you to
enhance your skills
✔ The latest webinars coming up...
PLUS, much more!

Sign up today:
Bit.ly/ARTISIGNUP

SCAN ME

FREE DOWNLOAD
THE ARTIST’S DIRECTORY OF COURSES, MATERIALS & SERVICES
To advertise contact Jayne Notley Telephone 01778

ART COURSES & HOLIDAYS

391189 Email: jaynen@warnersgroup.co.uk
ARTNET ART MATERIALS

Watershed
big sky art Studio
Celebrating our 21st year
2023 Programme now on Website
• Busy and varied programme of art and
craft workshops
Luxury residential art breaks in North Norfolk • Enjoy our spacious rural studio in its own
with superb tutors grounds with separate dining areas and
plenty of parking
• Fabulous tutors, exciting courses,
great food!
based at The White House near Burnham Market • Painting and creating is your escape
01255 820466
situated in beautiful countryside Email: allison@watershedstudio.co.uk
www.watershedstudio.co.uk
fabulous food St Clere’s Hall Lane, St Osyth,
Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO16 8RX
inspirational coastal locations

airy onsite studio

painters-online.co.uk
non-painting partners welcome

paint in france
2023 brochure now available online or by request WITH RENEE WALDEN

Nine magical days in Dordogne.

Painting excursions, studio time,
bigskyartcourses.com instruction and demos. Fully
+44 (0) 7785 439727 hosted. Small group. May 2023.
Details & bookings www.walden.co.nz

ART SHOPS
REACH OUR AUDIENCE OF OVER PEGASUS ART
360,000 ART ENTHUSIASTS pegasusart.co.uk
Finest Art Materials
since 2005

For more information on

bespoke advertising
opportunities contact Jayne Notley
on 01778 391189 or email
Shop online
jaynen@warnersgroup.co.uk
Art materials - Workshops - Canvas Making
Free shipping over £50
01453 886560

Get the latest tips and

advice from Jackson’s
Art Supplies

Visit
painters-online.co.uk/ask-jacksons

www.painters-online.co.uk artist January 2023 91

PaintersOnline editor’s choice
Meet this month’s editor’s choice winner from our PaintersOnline gallery

p John O’Neill Westhill from the Crush Site, oil on canvas, 15¾347¼in (403120cm)

D
escribing himself as a ‘lifelong, u John O’Neill braving the wind
obsessed painter’, John
q Westhill, Aberdeenshire,
O’Neill turned professional in
the subject of John’s painting
2018, following a career in the
navy and later in teaching. ‘It was while
I was living in Norway, accompanied
by my labradoodle, that I took plein-air
painting to a more extreme version
dealing with severe weather, frozen
paint, paper and brushes while working
at temperatures as low as minus 20
degrees,’ he writes. ‘My base now is
a studio in Aberdeen and I work en
plein air as much as possible. I’m a
regular painter in the coastal town of
Stonehaven and Joan Eardley’s beloved
Catterline as well as getting out into the
beautiful landscapes of Aberdeenshire.
‘I know how tough the Scottish
Highland weather can be, especially
in exposed places and I always intend TA
to make a day of it whatever Mother after that; the freshness and the as a wildcard in Sky Arts Landscape
Nature throws my way. So I travel connection fade. I’m currently working Artist of the Year, winning his heat in
prepared. In addition to my plein-air on a series of 403100cm canvases for 2019 when the weather was terrible.
painting gear I put up a fishing shelter a winter show with Gallery Heinzel, my He also took part as a main competitor
and a chair, wear warm layers and I representatives in Aberdeen, and I’m earlier this year in the series due to air
usually cook there. My easel has to be excited to have a solo show there in in January 2023. John exhibited with the
pegged to the ground, trees or rocks the spring. With the permission of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 2021
depending on where I’m painting, or it local estate owner, I was able to go off and hopes to repeat the experience in
will fly off in to the Cairngorms. road and set up shop in this beautiful 2022. He has also run several workshops
‘The day I painted Westhill from the WIN £50 TO SPEND AT JACKSON’S!
location, from where I will develop a in both oil and watercolour for Highland
Crush Site was beautiful and sunny but collection of these panoramic views in art groups and societies;
extremely windy. The light changed so both oil and watercolour, while trying to https://johnoneilloriginalartwork.co.uk TA
much as I was covering a large canvas, avoid catching hypothermia!’ To upload your own images to our online
so some work had to be done in the John has exhibited in Norway and the gallery, with an opportunity of being selected
comfort of my studio. This is often UK and sold work throughout the UK, as the editor’s choice, visit
the case. I rarely go back to a painting USA and Europe. He was selected twice www.painters-online.co.uk

92 January 2023 www.painters-online.co.uk

 CREATE WITH E ASE

“Adi Yogi”, 34 inches x 39 inches, Nitram Fine Art Charcoal on 300gsm paper

WITH NEW NITRAM BÂTON 2.0

“I prefer Nitram Charcoal for its fine grain, purity and variation in tonal qualities.
Nitram is a premium Fine Art Charcoal that allows me to create with ease.”
~ Arindam Gupta
Nitram Bâton 2.0 is designed to hold Nitram Mignonette & the new 4 mm graphite sticks.

To watch Arindam Gupta create this powerful

drawing, visit www.youtube.com/NitramCharcoal
or scan the QR code

Actual Size

Arindam Gupta is a contemporary realistic artist delving into the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta. Born in Khanyan, West Bengal. His artistic excellence was nurtured
by his family, the major influence being his father, mother, paternal uncle and Boro Maa & legendary photographer Vivek Das. His artistic expression is influenced
heavily by research into the philosophy of 'Advaita Vedanta' and the concept of Lord 'Shiva' in Sanatan Dharma. He is an ardent worshipper of Goddess 'Tara', the
resident Goddess of knowledge 'Vidya'. He refers to himself as 'Abodha' which translates to 'Beyond intelligence'. Arindam realises that the whole of our natural
existence, both physical and biological is a manifestation of God and Consciousness pervades every living entity in this universe. The subject of his paintings revolves
around 'Yoga' and the romanticism of 'Mohini Vidya'. His preferred medium is Nitram Fine Art Charcoal which he uses to give life to his art on paper and canvas.
Instagram: @arindamsart

NITRAM
TM
MC

www.nitramcharcoal.com FINE ART CHARCOAL

 ®
L U M I N A N C E 6 9 0 1

Specifically desi ed with colour image amateurs and professionals in mind, the Luminance 6901® pencils reaffirm Caran d’Ache’s
quali standards. Their smooth tex€re and excep‚onal covering power make them the ideal means of achieving colour overlays
and ada‚ons. With Luminance 6901®, Caran d’Ache has produced the most ligh‡ast colour pencil ever desi ed.
They are available in collec‚ons of 12, 20, 40, 76, 100 and 20 PorŽait colours.
Luminance colour pencils are also available individually.
Caran d’Ache Swiss Made Excellence since 1915

carandache.com

For addi‚onal informa‚on and stockists please contact: JAKAR INTERNATIONAL LTD 410 Centennial Avenue, Centennial Park, ElsŽee WD6 3TJ Tel: 020 8381 7000 Email: info@jakar.co.uk