Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 39 i Artists Drawing and Inspiration

MATERIALS • Medium grey sanded pastel paper.• Rembrandt pastels (medium).• Schmincke pastels (soft).• Pastel pencils.• Charcoal.• Kneadable eraser.• Dust mask.• Disposable latex glove.• Paper torchon.• Stanley knife.• Clear plastic ruler.• Calculator.• Draughtsman’s table.• Gas-lift draughtsman’s chair. I work on a draughtsman’s board at a nearly vertical angle. I have made a tray out of thick paper and taped it to the bottom of the board to catch pastel dust. I periodically vacuum this out. My father-in-law made a small table on castors which I keep on my left. This holds the pastels I am currently working with; and my calculator, ruler and colour charts. The table on my right holds all of my pastels (which are kept in drawers in colour-coded order), and my pastel pencils. STEP ONE I firstly…

MATERIALS • Canson mi tientes paper• Charcoal white• Black biro• Black Chinagraph• White oil pastel (brand Van Gogh) STEP ONE I saw all these amazing coloured pastel papers in one of the art shops I frequent, and the blue colours really caught my eye. I bought a bunch of different hues of blue and couldn’t wait to get started. For this piece I chose one of the darker colours, something a bit out of my comfort zone. I use several images as reference, usually from my own photographs and the `punter` section in the newspapers is also a great resource for me. I begin the drawing by mapping out the proportions. I keep it very light and loose, and work fairly quickly, as I’m looking at the big picture, not…

Twenty-five years ago Gillian Grove walked past a noticeboard advertising art classes. If you ask her about it she might tell you that she wanted a break from her hectic work schedule or that something inside her wanted to become more creative. Like most artists, Gillian had enjoyed art at school but put away her yearning to give way to a more practical life that earned her money in what was called the ‘real world’. Little did she know that her decision to go to that art class would in years to come become one of the most important decisions she had ever made. That she would share her passion for art and her strong belief that anyone can learn to draw and paint with hundreds of adults and children…

Born in Burnie, Tasmania, Lynette McLeod resurrected her artistic talent some 12 years ago at the age of 55. At that time in her life she was a keen gardener. She also loved to read and would maybe sketch the odd drawing every now and then – in ink or pencil. Lynnette was artistically talented from a young age and had the opportunity to take an art scholarship thanks to the local newspaper. However, life has a way of taking us in other directions. It took a serious industrial accident to her husband Guy, many years later, to reignite the most wonderous talent that Lynette has been gifted with. Joining the local Burnie Coastal Art Group in February 1997 was the first step in developing ‘the artist from within’. Lynette…

Another rainy day, another chance to stay indoors and draw and paint! Any excuse would do for an 8-year-old whose only desire was to be “an artist when I grow up”! Well almost 48 years later I still have the same passion to paint and draw as I believe I was born with! My father was a house painter and good at sketching and colour mixing. I accredit him with my colour mixing ability. I became very excited every time he was going into the shed to mix paint. He had a container filled with bottles of stainers (concentrated colour) and time after time I watched as he painstakingly mixed and matched colours, adding a little bit of blue here and a tiny speck of red there. He could match…

MATERIALS • Matisse Derivan Structure acrylic paints.• Various brushes; fingers (my own); well used daggy brushes; plastic palette knifes.• Various pastel pencils.• Various soft pastels.• Dulux acrylic sample pots – various colours.• Standard large canvas, about 120 x 120 cm.• Black gloss acrylic paint.• Matisse Polymer Gloss Varnish Medium 7. STEP ONE What came first: The title or the painting? For me, it can be either. There is nothing worse than staring at a blank canvas. Normally I will rough out a couple of layouts (on A4 or A3 layout paper) of the subject I am going to paint. I’d visualised my subject characters and what they might look like. I sketched the characters roughly … this is where things end up in the file (bin). I like my paintings…

Pencils MATERIALS • HB, 2B, 6B Pencils – I have a preference for Faber Castle Pencils, but this technique can be used with any graphite pencil range. • Acid Free Paper – Most papers are acid free now. You can get archival papers if you need them. Most of my drawings are done in my Canson drawing book. • Blending Stick or Burnisher – This is made from compressed cardboard and looks like a cardboard pencil. It is used to blend the pencil for a smooth finish. Be careful not to use it too early in your drawing as it can place a ‘seal’ over the page stopping you from adjusting tones later on. • Plastic Eraser and Kneadable Eraser – It’s good to have a plastic eraser with very…

MATERIALS • 90 per cent of the paper I use is black paper. The other 10 per cent varies depending on the background colour I feel will suit my subject. • Primarily, I will use any brand of soft pastels. I prefer Schmincke pastels for the final touch up. • Reference photography. • Sponge for gentle wash off, if the project needs to be re-worked. • Working in pastels has given to me a freedom to live my life with peace, tranquility and worth. It has enabled me to give a part of myself to everyone who chooses to take a piece of my artwork into their lives. My art is who I truly am, and it has given me a freedom to become ‘just me’. STEP ONE After choosing…

STEP ONE Using an H pencil and a good quality sketchpad (110g or over) plus any reference photographs I need, I begin to draw. The preliminary drawing is always exciting as finally all of the elements come together. I usually do a “rough idea” on my sketchpad to ensure I am happy with the composition. I then proceed to trace over my design before starting to sketch on my final 640g H/P watercolour paper. This makes it easier to move things around to get the best perspective, without having to draw then re-draw your sketch. STEP TWO Once the drawing is finished and I’m happy with placement etcetera I begin working on the birds using watercolours. For the colourful Galahs I am using Permanent Rose together with Opera and a…

Born in England, I migrated to Australia in 1968 at the age of ten. I work full-time as a clerk with the State Government and I live at Lake Macquarie in New South Wales. I completed an informal art course at Dobell House, Wangi, when my youngest child was 18 months old … because I needed some ‘me’ time. My daughter is now nearly 18 years old. I have an affinity with the ocean and I love painting the movement of waves; and trying to achieve the translucency of water. I have an older brother who has been an artist most of his life. As a child, I always compared my artwork with his. As a result, I didn’t consider myself very good at drawing or art – and left…

CHRISTMAS BUYERS GUIDE FROM S&S S&S is offering a wide range of exciting new products as well as traditional favourites for Christmas this year. From colouring, drawing, watercolour and sketching pencils to easels, pastels, watercolours, acrylic and oil paints you’ll find something special for the artist in the family. A large selection of the Derwent pencil range is on offer for this Christmas. S&S is offering Derwent Coloursoft, Studio, Artist, Inktense, Watercolour, Pastel, and Sketching pencils in a variety of wooden presentation boxes of 24, 48, 72 (plus DVD) and 120 pencils along with Derwent gift sets that contain a tin of 24 Derwent pencils plus an instructional DVD helping you begin your artistic year with a flourish. Of particular interest, especially for the younger artists, will be the Derwent…