May 2022

The Artist Magazine

The practical magazine for artists by artists since 1931

The Artist Magazine1 min read
The Artist
Publishing Editor: Sally Bulgin PhD Hon VPRBSA theartistletters@tapc.co.uk Contributing Editor: Jane Stroud Online Editor: Dawn Farley Digital Content Manager: Anna Lewin anna.lewin@warnersgroup.co.uk Design: Brenda Hedley Digital & E-commerce Market
The Artist Magazine1 min read
Next Month In The Artist
IN CONVERSATION Royal Academician Bill Jacklin discusses his large-scale oil paintings and inspiration from the streets of New York Paul Weaver demonstrates how to capture rivers, lakes and waterfalls in watercolour Follow Becky Thorley- Fox as she e
The Artist Magazine2 min read
Editor’s Guest Welcome from Mike Barr
When we first take up painting, it’s a bit like learning to drive. The attention to all the things we have to think about consumes our attention and there is no chance of enjoying the experience of driving. Repetition of the process on a regular basi
The Artist Magazine1 min read
Editorial Consultants
Ken Howard OBE, RA studied at Hornsey School of Art and the Royal College of Art. He is a member of the NEAC, ROI, RWS, RWA and RBA. He exhibits extensively and has won numerous awards. David Curtis ROI, VPRSMA has won many awards for his en plein ai
The Artist Magazine1 min read
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 Please note we may have to edit letters for reasons of space Having received my copy of TA (Apr
The Artist Magazine1 min read
Star Letter
I just had to email to say how much I enjoyed Mike Barr’s article in the March edition, My kid could paint that... I have felt the same about seeing some pieces of art that, for the life of me, I can see nothing of any talent in at all! From amateurs
The Artist Magazine5 min read
Music And Dance
As I write this I am listening to some Shostakovich on Classic FM Prague. Classical music has inspired, stimulated, and excited me for many years, but what is it that music inspires, and how should you use it? All types of music, whatever your prefer
The Artist Magazine6 min read
A Taste Of Summer
We all relish that first day of the year in England when the sun is finally out and the sky is so rich a blue that it reminds us of never-ending childhood summers. It’s impossible for me not to want to paint and savour that moment as light is capture
The Artist Magazine3 min read
The Art World
RP Royal Society of Portrait Painters Mall Galleries The Mall, London SW1Y 5BD ☎ 020 7930 6844 www.mallgalleries.org.uk Over 200 portraits will go on show at the annual exhibition of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters at the Mall Galleries, Londo
The Artist Magazine5 min read
A Carpet Of Blue
People often ask what blue I use for painting bluebells. The answer is always that it depends on the lighting. If you want your paintings to be all about the light, don’t assign colours before you’ve observed your subject. I usually use ultramarine a
The Artist Magazine1 min read
Jewels In The Crown
Morrab Road, Penzance Cornwall TR18 4HE ☎ 01736 363625 www.penleehouse.org.uk until May 14 To celebrate 25 years since its major refurbishment, the Penlee House Gallery has taken a fresh look at its collection, which has expanded significantly over t
The Artist Magazine4 min readVisual Arts
Face To Face
I have always been drawn to sketching and painting faces. As a child, it was what ignited my love of art, drawing football players and music stars to sell to friends in the playground. As my career developed, I experimented with still life and landsc
The Artist Magazine4 min read
Sketching Outdoors With Speed
Over the years I have filled countless sketchbooks with all manner of sketches, both at home and abroad, using a range of media and techniques – from water-soluble pencils to line and wash. On a painting holiday in Spain a few years ago, one of my st
The Artist Magazine5 min read
Water And Reflections In Gouache
Coastal waters are one of the most difficult, but exciting subjects for any artist. Capturing the subtle movement and reflections in a tranquil harbour scene, or the violent nature of a rough sea, remains a challenge to even the most accomplished pai
The Artist Magazine6 min read
The Expanded Palette
The split-primary palette can give an artist a great advantage in mixing a wide range of colours and provides a base to mix almost any colour you want. When you are outside painting, however, it can be useful to have a couple of additional colours to
The Artist Magazine4 min read
Garden Birds In Watercolour
Loose warm-up sketches on wallpaper lining paper. The first image (right) demonstrates working direct with the brush then drawing over it with more suggestive detail whilst it’s still wet. The second (above) shows using pencil first then adding a wat
The Artist Magazine8 min read
The First Signs Of Spring
In the early months of the year I feel as though I am holding my breath, desperately hoping for something to grow in the garden so that I can paint it. Painting hellebores had kept me going but by mid-April I was seeking fresh colours and forms to wo
The Artist Magazine5 min read
Oils In The Elements
There are so many challenges involved when working with oils outside that we would probably not even try were it not for the enormous artistic benefits it brings. Experiencing the scene first hand allows a perception of colour and tone that not even
The Artist Magazine6 min read
Celebrating Earth Colours
Colour is important to all artists and for me earth colours are amongst the most important in my creative vocabulary. Earth colours provide the perfect foundation to a painting. Think of that yellow ochre or burnt sienna underpainting that artists ha
The Artist Magazine7 min read
The Art Of Woodcut
I am a complete novice in the art of woodcut and found the whole process at once challenging and very satisfying. Being a beginner meant that I had to think carefully about the process and inevitably made a few mistakes, The most difficult part was t
The Artist Magazine2 min read
Unwanted Texture And How To Avoid It
Cauliflower blooms can be useful as part of a watercolour painting but will spoil a flat wash. They are caused by runbacks of wetter paint into drier areas of paint. If it’s important to make a flat and even wash, then take care to work over the area
The Artist Magazine5 min read
Life As A Professional Artist
I always appreciate commissions. I’m honoured that a client would ask me to create a painting that captures their memories or feelings about a particular place. Over the years I have been surprised by the number of requests I’ve received despite my n
The Artist Magazine3 min read
Texture In Watercolour
Texture in watercolour painting is a complex subject as it depends on many things. The properties of certain pigments, the surface of the paper, specific watercolour techniques, and the use of other materials, for example, can all affect texture. Yet
The Artist Magazine4 min read
OPPORTUNITIES & COMPETITIONS
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 cel
The Artist Magazine1 min read
Art Societies
Spring exhibition at The Podhills Community Centre, Pond Hills Lane, Coppice Road, Arnold, Nottingham NG5 8DR, on April 16 and 17, 10am to 5pm daily. Exhibition at Bedale Hall, Bedale, North Yorkshire on May 27 and 28, 9am to 5pm. Exhibition at Conon
The Artist Magazine4 min read
Digital Art
Sarah Edmonds is the Marketing Manager for Pegasus Art and a freelancer supporting creatives and fine artists. Sarah studied a short course at the Slade School of Fine Art and has a degree from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. www.sarahedmonds-m
The Artist Magazine4 min read
Exhibitions
Bankside Gallery 48 Hopton Street SE1. ☎ 020 7928 7521 www.banksidegallery.com RWS Spring Exhibition; March 25 to April 24. RE Original Prints 2022; May 13 to June 11. Barbican Art Gallery Barbican Art Centre, Silk Street EC2. www.barbican.org.uk Pos
The Artist Magazine4 min read
Art Books
Bob Brandt If you want an explanation of what painting is, explained eloquently and authoritatively, you’ll find it here. You might, of course, argue that you don’t need this and that you know very well that painting is about representing a scene acc

The Artist Magazine

More Issues From The Artist Magazine