Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 136 i Artist's Palette

Welcome to our latest issue of Artist’s Palette. We hope you’ve been enjoying this winter, with plenty of excuses to stay inside and draw, paint and create. We’re honoured to bring you more profiles and project demonstrations from five inspiring artists, and we hope that their stories and tutorials will give you some handy ideas and tips for your future artistic endeavours. There are some marvellous exhibitions and competitions being held at the moment, and we’ve uncovered a fabulous selection of these in our Artbeat and What’s On pages. We love to showcase the artistic works of talented Australians, from enthusiastic beginners to accomplished artists, so if you’re keen to be published in the magazine, please send in your submissions to us. Readers’ letters are always welcome at Artist’s Palette…

ARTIST’S PALETTE magazine seeks to showcase the works of talented Australians producing art at a whole range of skill levels, whether they are accomplished creative people with a long history of achievements or beginners (of all ages) striving to build their identities and reach their particular artistic goals. This ‘Gallery’ segment provides a place to display pictures by people who may not have the means or the opportunity to be extensively featured in our magazine. Submissions are sought from such people for future Issues. This month we are pleased to display the work of another three enthusiastic artists. Each month we give an encouragement prize to one of our contributors in Woodland’s Gallery. Four issues of Artist’s Back to Basics is being given to the winner of this issue. I…

Draw, draw, draw! Draw everything! Fill your sketchbooks. You will improve if you do more. Observe the real world, think about your eye height (eye level) and how it controls your view of your subject. • The lights are so powerful. Plan their placement with care. Your photographic reference is often wrong … You don’t want your lightest light on the outside edges. You must change your photographs with the shadows also, they are often much too dark and lacking colour!• Paint the subjects that you enjoy. Don’t be influenced by the comments of others who try to persuade you to select other items. Be yourself, remember it is how you design and paint your favourite subject that will improve your artwork, not just changing your subject.• Art classes are a great way…

• Staedtler Mars-Lumograph HB pencils• 2H for transferring drawings to paper• Pebeo masking fluid• Pen nib (for masking)• Watercolour paints: I use a basic six colour palette of Winsor & Newton: French Ultramarine, Cerulean Blue, Permanent Rose, Scarlet Lake, Cadmium Lemon, Schminke Cadmium Yellow Medium Also: Winsor & Newton Burnt Sienna, Quinacridone Gold, Quinacridone Red, Vandyke Brown, Windsor Orange, Perylene Green, Sminke Ultramarine Violet• Brushes: Raphael 8404 #6, 4, 2, 1 and 00. Winsor & Newton Artisan short flat bright #4 for blending and lifting.• Paper: Arches Satine hot press 300 and 356gsm until now, but the current stock is different and not suitable so I must change, probably to Fabriano Artistico.…

With the photographer’s permission (thanks Mel!), I replicated this photo with acrylic paint on canvas. I took some detail out of the bicycle and the tree to simplify the picture a little. STEP ONE I roughly sketched the four main components – the sky, the water, the grass and the foreground. The sky was painted with a mix of Cerulean Blue and Titanium White using the wider flat brush. The sea was a mix of Viridian Titanium White for the lighter parts and Black, Pine Green and Titanium White for the darker parts. STEP TWO The grass was predominately a mix of Pine Green and Turners Yellow. The lighter section was done by lightly dabbing Titanium White, and Red Earth was used sparingly to bring a bit of a more…

Hi Simon, Thank you so much for the beautiful presentation of my artwork in Artist’s Palette magazine (issue AP132). I deeply appreciate your work and please keep up the fine effort... Cheers Dave Cassidy Ed: Thanks Dave – it’s our pleasure. Hi everyone I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading about Joe Cartwright (AP134, “Hooked by Watercolours”). It was really inspiring. I’ve always dabbled with oil paints as a hobby, taking the occasional class or two. I’ve been told I’m good, and have recently been lucky to win a few prizes, but always tend to self-doubt my abilities. I’ll be retiring next year, and have plans of trying to set up a small business where I can sell some of my art, and Joe’s story really struck…

Sixteen years ago I found a book: Contemporary Botanical Artists, the first beautiful catalogue of the Shirley Sherwood Collection. I was absolutely intrigued and inspired by the fresh new approach to botanical art on those pages; such a diversity of styles and subjects. It proved to be a turning point in my work, and in my life. I have always loved plants and gardens, drawing and painting. Until then my career as a graphic designer and illustrator was a practical solution to this leaning and has proved an asset to the botanical painting in several ways, such as in the design, or composition of the page as every plant provides a new challenge and sometimes many possibilities; in the attention to detail, observation skills and fine work. A knowledge of…

• Use an old or synthetic brush for mixing paint, and a clean soft cotton rag for wiping brushes and controlling the amounts of water and paint on the brush.• Masking fluid: Apply only to dry paper and only load a small amount on the nib at a time. It dries quickly and when it ‘pulls’ then wipe it off the nib and dip again. Don’t leave it on the paper for more than a couple of days. It is preferable to remove and re-mask than leave it on the paper.• I use a single light source on the subject, at 45 degrees from the left to create form.• Match and mix good amounts of all main colours to a creamy consistency before you begin to paint. They can then be ‘woken up’ with…

STEP ONE Put a background paint of gum green mixed with White onto the canvas. Then draw up the image with a soft pencil or coloured pastel pencil. STEP TWO Sky: use a large flat brush. Mix Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber and White together, making it dark first and then gradually adding more White. Let it dry. Work quickly, adding lighter tones as you go using the fan brush to soften edges. It’s a bit hard to get the technique, but it pays to layer. If it looks different to mine, just think about creating atmosphere. STEP THREE Hills and trees: no 10 brush. Mix mostly Yellow Ochre and Raw Umber with a touch of Hookers Green and fill in background hills. Allow to dry. Put the same colour on…

Christopher Vidal was born in Malta in 1972 and has been living in Sydney since 2009. Although not coming from a family of artists, Chris started showing his talent for drawing at around six years of age. At the age of 14, encouraged by his family and his art teacher, he attended drawing classes at the School of Arts, Palazzo de La Salle, Valletta, Malta. For two years he studied drawing, still life and sculpture in clay. In 1986, he participated in the 16th International Children’s Art Exhibition, organised by Nippon Television Network, Cultural Society, Japan, sending in two of his watercolour paintings. Unfortunately an career was on his mind at that time and hence he pursued a career in a completely different field, as a medical scientist. However, although…

• For all my paintings I use artist grade materials and paints since I want to ensure good quality and long lasting durability of my paintings. Most of the materials that I use are Australian made.• Canvas: For this painting I used a canvas board (45 x 34cm) prepared by me using 10oz double primed cotton duck canvas mounted to a board using acid-free PVA glue. I usually prepare canvas board at least a day before I need to paint on it. For bigger works I stretch the canvas on stretcher bars.• Paints: Underpainting using Atelier Interactive Acrylics: Yellow Ochre, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Burnt Umber• Art Spectrum Artists oil colours: Cerulean Blue, Raw Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Light, Titanium White, Zinc White, Permanent Crimson, Spectrum Vermilion, Spectrum Viridian, Sap…

ROBERT DICKERSON AT 90: A MILESTONE EXHIBITION - FIVE DECADES IN THE MAKING Philip Bacon Galleries in Brisbane is presenting a major new solo survey of works by iconic Australian artist Robert Dickerson. Running 8 July to 2 August 2014, this timely exhibition features a diverse and insightful selection of works spanning five decades. It also coincides with Dickerson’s 90th birthday to showcase the unique style that has made him a legendary artistic figure. The exhibition also reflects one of Australia’s longest running art industry partnerships. The 40th anniversary of the Philip Bacon gallery this year marks 40 years of representing the artist. The Philip Bacon gallery opened in 1974 with the encouragement of Dickerson, along with artists Margaret Olley and Charles Blackman. This exhibition celebrates a rare and productive…

This is a demonstration of a section of a larger painting of Barringtonia neocaledonica. The mid tone, or main colour of the fruit is mixed first. This was Cerulean Blue and Cadmium Yellow Medium. It should be a creamy, not watery consistency and a good amount should be mixed. It will dry but can be re-moistened. STEP ONE The drawing has been transferred with a 2H pencil with a light touch. Some of the edges of the fruits have been masked as they have a slight fuzz, and the calyxes and pistils have been masked where it is essential to retain a crisp highlight. Using a #3 brush, the area to be painted is ‘glazed’ well with clear water. STEP TWO A Cadmium Lemon wash of varying strength is painted…

My family emigrated from England to Perth, Western Australia when I was a toddler. I have two older siblings and we were raised by quite artistic parents. This had a profound impact on my approach to art as a child. There was always someone playing guitar, singing, painting or drawing in our home so I thought that was what everybody did! My earliest memory of painting was when I attended an art class with my parents. The class was predominately for adults but any child who came was set up with a massive piece of butcher’s paper on an easel and encouraged to just “go for it”. There was a buzz about that place that I remember, especially in the way the adults there would encourage and admire each other’s…

• Always use artist quality paint which contains more pigment and so do not fade when mixing.• Do not use black to tone down the value of your colour but use the complementary colour eg: green toned down with red. If you really need a dark colour then use Payne’s Grey.• Contrast is created by using complementary colours next to each other and by using bold sharp edges to define it.• The illusion of distance and perspective is achieved by using tinted (low key values) and cooler colours at the background (e.g. Cobalt Blue, Alizarin Crimson, Raw Sienna) together with less detail and proportional smaller objects. At the foreground, use warmer colours such as Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Orange, Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna. Brush strokes should be bolder with more definition and…