Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 17 i Artists Drawing and Inspiration

MATERIALS • Canson board (Canson paper mounted on acid free board)• Art Spectrum Colourfix Primer• Art Spectrum Gouache• Art Spectrum Soft Pastels (occasionally some Windsor Newton, Rembrandt)• Art Spectrum Extra Soft Pastels for highlights• Conté sticks and Faber Castell/Conté/Derwent pastel pencils for fine detail STEP ONE The first stage is to plan the format and composition of my artwork. In this case I have chosen a square format - a square is a solid shape with a natural sense of balance and it seems appropriate for this particular subject. I have placed the tree slightly higher on the page because it will be counterbalanced by the strong reflection in the water and would otherwise appear too ‘bottom-heavy’. I have also ensured that the horizon line is positioned a bit off centre as this would appear to…

I live on a semi-rural property on the beautiful Atherton Tableland west of Cairns in north Queensland. My husband and I have two cows, some chooks and a cockatiel. I wish I could say that I paint all day while the wallabies graze around me and the wind whistles through the pine trees … unfortunately that is only a dream. I do contract and relief teaching; I am involved in regular musical activities; I am an SES member; and I take part in other community events as well as keeping up with friends and family both near and far. Last year, I was awarded ‘Citizen of the Year’ for our Shire. However, doing art work of various types heads my list of favourite activities. I have loved to draw since…

My interest in art has been with me since my school days – however I never actually participated in any formal education along those lines. My business career working full-time and being a mum was taking all my time for many years. I believe fate stepped in and took a hand with a serious illness, which more or less made me slow down and take time to ‘smell the roses’. That was when my art life received a long-awaited boost. At around that time, I was paying a visit to the library when I happened upon a chance viewing of a demonstration by a very talented pastellist (Bernard Devaux) who was enrolling students for his upcoming classes. The rest is history, as they say! I became totally captivated by the…

Fredrix Oil Primed Linen Canvas Oil Primed linen was one of the first surfaces developed for ‘modern’ day painting. For hundreds of years, oil painters have recognised that traditionally prepared oil-primed Belgian linen is the ultimate support for their artwork. With the advent of Acrylic and Watercolour paint along with the development of faster production methods for less expensive cotton fabric canvas, the use and popularity of traditional Oil Primed Linen steadily declined over the past 50 years. Now, with the introduction of cheap, poorly constructed, non-archival canvases, many oil painters are now turning back to the original (and best) painting surface for oil painting. The Phoenicians introduced flax to Europe and the quality varies according to soil and weather conditions. Ireland, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Russia produce linen of…

BOBBIE SCRIVNER  Roughly three years ago, this Brisbane man began to learn to use pastels. He really loves the medium … and the results of his enthusiasm are quite inspiring. In due course Bobbie would like to experiment with other forms of painting. DEBBIE BENSON  As a child, Debbie Benson loved to draw. Recently she discovered pastels and she really enjoys experimenting and exploring the medium because it is very forgiving and yields instant results. She works from photographs and paints many subjects, including animals. She aspires to become even more creative and expressive. DON RAWDING  At the age of 70 and at the end of an engineering draughting career (working with pencil and ink), this man enjoys producing detailed graphite drawings. He has also done a few works in…

Having loved the stories my Grandmother told me about the “olden days” and life on the farm I just had to draw this picture. Trips into town were long and often started at daybreak and didn’t end until evening. Hence the long shadows across the road and the excitement at the gate, as little Kenny see’s his father coming down the road. The greeting committee on either side of the wagon and the thoughts of sitting down to dinner with the family combine to give this picture its essence. STEP 1 Starting at the background and using an HB grey lead pencil I sketch in the key elements in this picture then using a 3B Graphite pencil set about adding the details. I had originally planned to put only Gum…

MATERIALS • Dark brown pastel paper 75 x 55 cm.• A selection of artists’ quality pastels (Winsor & Newton, Schmincke, Rembrandt, Art Spectrum).• Faber-Castell soft square pastels.• Stabilo pastel pencils.• Easel and backing board.• Reference photographs.• Micador fixative.• Rags for wiping hands.• Fresh bread. I often work to a theme with two or three companion paintings. This painting is a companion piece to a painting of an old Indian woman with ancient, gnarled trees. That painting is called ‘Older than the Trees’ and depicts the accumulated wisdom of age. This painting ‘Life from the River’ shows the life force of youth and beauty like the river, ever moving on. The Ganges River is held in great reverence in India. The Peepal tree in the background (right) is sacred to many people – it is one of the longest living…

MATERIALS • Full sheet of Mi-Teintes ‘Tex’ in a light brown (or cinnamon) shade.• White pastel pencil for the initial drawing.• Pastels for the cliffs: Winsor & Newton Raw Umber Tint 4, Burnt Umber Tint 3, Yellow Ochre Tint 1, Yellow Ochre Tint 4; no specific brand deep purple, light mauve, light grey and dark grey.• Pastels for the ocean: Art Spectrum Phthalo Blue, Dark Phthalo Blue; Winsor & Newton Green Earth; Green Blue Shade Tint 1; Rembrandt Phthalo Blue; no specific brand light mauve (as for the cliffs).• Pastels for the scrub: Gallery Dark Red Brown; no specific brand burnt orange, and various shades of green.• Schminke white pastel for highlights on the cliffs and ocean. STEP ONE I chose a fairly simple landscape for beginner pastelists, using a sheet of Mi-Teintes ‘Tex’ textured paper…

Like so many, my journey as an artist started at a very young age. I can see now as my youngest child is in his second year of school just how early it must have been within me. There are so many similarities, he is always so meticulous about his work and incorporating some kind of drawing. I remember doing this as a child, spending hours on a drawing for no other reason than being immersed in the art. As a child, I remember being drawn by the smell and feel of a fresh packet of pencils and had a longing for those special “Derwent Artist” pencils that the others had in my class (many people I meet today tell me this is their experience also). My creative nature stayed…

MATERIALS • Canson “C” 220gsm paper• Staedtler 4x 2B pencils• 1 45x20x10 mm white rubber• Masonite board• 400 grit sandpaper• Clean sharp knife PREPARATION Using painters’ masking tape I fixed the drawing paper to the Masonite board – stretching it as tight as possible. Once happy with this I drew a straight line on all four sides of the copy then repeated this on the drawing paper. I then used these lines as my profiles (building terms). The rubber I cut into three lengths wise and wrap them individually in clean butchers’ paper. These are protected with only 4mm protruding at one end. The important thing is to keep the rubber clean at all times, cutting the end off after each use. I sharpen the four 2B pencils each at least 40mm then gentle rub and…

MATERIALS • Paper: 175gsm Skytone Text Pewter (finished size 26 x 17 cm).• Propelling Pencils: Staedtler 2H and HB, 0.5 leads. The hydrangea in this demonstration drawing by Helene Wild was slowly wilting while she worked. Because she has found that flowers (in most cases) are the first parts of a plant to ‘flop’, she usually completes them before moving on to the leaves. STEP ONE Because it provides an interesting background, I selected a sheet of softly marbled pewter coloured paper for my drawing of a Mophead Hydrangea. Carefully examining the specimen from all angles, I determined its shape would best suit a landscape format. I began by very lightly marking (so lightly that the lines were hardly visible) where the main elements would be positioned – the large flower head,…