Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 37 i Artists Drawing and Inspiration

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 issue I am pleased to display the work of another five enthusiastic artists. CASSANDRA HODGINS  Nature has provided boundless subject matter for this Queenslander who revels in the intricacies of botanical art. Cassandra experiences great relaxation through working for hours on a single leaf or…

Retirement! It had arrived so quickly. It was 2005 and I was retired, not that I wasn’t looking forward to it, but what to do with all those hours you filled with work? I was looking for something to do to keep my mind, body and soul together and alert. Then I spotted an article about Frankston U3A (University of the Third Age) in our local paper. It talked about teaching and learning new skills in your later life, and I decided this might be the way to go. U3A is an organisation that is run by over fifty-fives, for the over fifty-fives. People from all walks of life join together, some teaching and some learning new skills; it can be anything from History to Art and from Art to…

By Cynthia Waygood MATERIALS • Canson Mi Teintes pastel paper 160gsm (Toba). • Soft pastels: Rembrandt; Faber Castell Studio range; Winsor & Newton. • Black and white charcoal pencils. • Pastel pencils (soft and hard): Faber Castell; Pitt Pastell; Bruynzeel. • Workable Matt Fixative. • Kneadable eraser. • Paper stumps: 2, 4 and 6. • Bristle brush – Size 0. • Maul stick. • Wet and dry cloths for cleaning fingers. • CD player and inspiring music … Classical, New World, Jazz. STEP ONE I like to take many photographs and observe the animal for myself. Otherwise, I ask for as many photographs as the owner can supply. I enlarge chosen photographs to A4 size on my computer, and I print them out in colour and black and white (this…

Cathy Carson lives on a sheep property in western Queensland and really enjoys painting scenes relating to the animals and people that form part of her rural life and work. Men mustering sheep or cattle; stockmen riding bikes with sheep dogs riding pillion; weathered stockmen’s faces; horses and cattle competing in campdrafts. All are subjects she has drawn and loved. She has been commissioned to paint quite a few ‘campdrafting’ or ‘dog’ pictures and thoroughly enjoys this style of work. Cathy’s property is her family’s home and life, as well as being their business. Unfortunately the seasons and the markets have not been particularly kind for the last few years, so she has used her art as a means of escape and enjoyment. She has found this to be more…

• Sketch often. Whether you sketch people on a bus, animals from a tv documentary or cars from photographs, keep improving your drawings skills and keep them fresh by sketching regularly. When creating a finished piece, I tend to use a grid on my subjects to get as accurate as possible, but my skills are always being improved by the sketching I do in-between pieces. • The truth about inspiration.I love this magazine because it provides inspiration for artists of all skill levels. Having said that, creating art creates inspiration. Some ‘artists’ only seem to draw, or want to draw, when they feel that inspiration to draw. A writer once said “I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately inspiration shows up at 9am sharp every Monday morning”! This is…

• Cartridge paper.• Masking tape.• Working paper or board (Wallis Board, Art Spectrum Pastel Board or Fabriano Acquarello Cold Pressed Watercolour Paper) 200gsm plus.• Long metal ruler.• Stanley knife with sharp blade.• Cutting board.• Graphite pencils: 2B to 6B.• Willow charcoal.• Hard pastels for drawing (square ‘Nupastels’ are ideal).• Small old hand towels.• Matisse Matt Medium.• Matisse Gesso.• Assortment of hard and soft pastels: Nupastel, Art Spectrum, Unison, Daler-Rowney, and Schmincke.• Assortment of brushes.…

I have always had a creative side that would make an appearance every now and then. When I was little I used to write stories and when I was in high school I experimented a little with art, but it was nothing more than a little fun. As I got older, my creative streak once more made an appearance. Graphite pencils were my choice of medium. It was just something to pass time at night, while my husband was at work. Soon I began to add colour and I was pleased with how quickly I was improving. Pencil portraiture was my specialty. I began to love my new hobby and realised that I had a passion for art, drawing an array of different subjects, including animals, fruit and flowers. I…

• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes when you are drawing your outline. They can easily be erased. • If you are drawing from a photo or picture, make sure you look at the proportions of the subject, the tonal value and colours. • Start from light to dark. It is easier to darken an area than it is to lighten it. • It is important to be well prepared. After I complete my outline, I like to go through my pencils and match the colours to the photo. I have an art journal that I scribble the colours in, to help find a match. This way, once you start colouring the picture, you won’t have to stop to find the appropriate colour.…

MATERIALS • Reference photographs • A3 sheet of Eraldo di Paolo cartridge paper • Faber-Castell pencils H, 2H and 2B • Derwent eraser and Faber-Castel putty eraser • Tortillions mixed sizes • Pencil sharpener • Ruler • Set square • Adjustable callipers • Powdered graphite • ½ in Mop watercolour brush • Backboard • Hand-rest cardboard sheet • Micador spray-on fixative The best thing about working with graphite pencils is that you can draw almost anywhere. I always pack some drawing materials into my hand luggage when we travel and have passed many hours in airport transit lounges drawing. There is nearly always something about you can use as a subject or just use your imagination. After deciding on a new project, my preparation depends on the subject and what…

• Never start something that you are not absolutely happy about. Down tools when frustration sets in; go outside, go for a walk. • Once you have signed your work, don’t be tempted to go back and retouch it. • Do something artistic every day, however small it may be. Take time out every day to observe what is around you. • Take lots of photographs of things you find interesting or unusual. • Always be open to learning as much as you can, from whatever sources you can find.…

MATERIALS • Toned Colourfix paper. • Conte pencils. • Stabilo and Derwent pastel pencils. • Artists’ pastels. • Paper stumps. • Kneadable eraser. I really enjoy painting faces of small children, adults or animals. Horses, dogs and sheep are particular favourites of mine. There is so much contained in them, the eyes particularly. I read once that ‘the eyes are the mirror of the soul’. I believe if I can capture the eyes properly, the rest of the portrait will fall into place. This aboriginal boy has a mischievous grin and the most wonderful expressive eyes, even though his eyes are obscured by his face paint. I can still see a wonderful blue light in them and laughter reflected in them. His large, crooked teeth just add to his appeal…

Jane Greenland lived in the Queensland country town of Boonah as a child. She recalls walking past the local kindergarten and gazing at the easels, the beautiful bright colours, and paintings that were hanging to dry. She spent hours as a youngster drawing in the dirt, making and decorating mud cakes, and collecting the craft section from the old-style Women’s Weekly magazine to make whatever she could. “I still remember the smell of the oily Craypas that we used in primary school, and the odd occasions when we played with Plasticine,” she relates. “Childhood memories still return whenever I smell Craypas!” Jane’s father, on his return from service in World War Two, spent some time dabbling in art. He has a pastel book with some of his works and some…

• Do what you enjoy; not what you think someone else wants. • Your inner soul as an artist will not be satisfied if you paint only to sell. • Never stop learning – be brave enough to grow as an artist and take chances. • Experiment with a variety of media and use them in your own personal style. • Read, learn and become an educated artist – fully understand the craft behind the art. • Don’t add to your struggle to improve by using poor quality materials. • Enjoy the process rather than the result. Each process is a learning experience.…

STEP ONE Before you begin, decide whether you want a border between the drawing and paper edge, or if you will be drawing right to the edge. Now look carefully at the photo and begin drawing an outline of it. It is alright to make multiple lines, as these will be erased when the proportions are figured out. Keep checking proportion and keep the lines basic. When you are satisfied that you have a great likeness, erase unneeded lines and go over some of the other lines a little darker. If there are any adjustments need to be made, now is the time to do so. It is easier to make basic adjustment now, rather than half way through the drawing. STEP TWO Use your kneadable eraser to lightly rub…

I was born in the north Queensland city of Townsville. That was also where I grew up. I believe my artistic career began when I was a very small child. My dad was a signwriter with a unique talent for design. He created intricate scrolling and gold leaf lettering using handmade brushes called ‘dagger liners’. I loved watching him work throughout my childhood, and when I started school I decided that art was my favourite subject. Being an only child for the first ten years of my life, I quite happily occupied my time with drawing and colouring. From time to time I entered competitions to win very desirable prizes like movie tickets, baskets of Easter eggs and art supplies. When I was 11 years old, I did a pencil…

Having been born and brought up in Africa, it was natural for me to be heavily influenced by wildlife. My family would be on safari most weekends, camping in the middle of nowhere, and this was back in the days when you didn’t need to go anywhere near a ‘game’ park to be surrounded by animals of all kinds. Nowadays of course, game parks are the place to be to get fabulous reference material for wildlife art. I was also influenced by art since my father, a mad keen animal lover, was also an artist and the first scratchboard I ever saw was a leopard of his done back in the late 1960s. We had the most amazing pets which fed my love of animals; a zorilla, a duiker, lots…