Artists Drawing and Inspiration Issue 19

We would like to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope you have plenty of time to spend during the summer months enjoying your drawing and artwork. In this issue we have six very inspiring artists and their demonstrations. Our first artist in this issue, Debra Land, has a passion for drawing pets. Her demonstration details a beautiful drawing of her pet cat, who often spends time lying on her desk as she works. Follow her step by step demonstration to improve your own success for drawing your favourite pet. There are five other artists profiled in this issue, each with either a pencil or pastel demonstration for you to enjoy. Our cover artist, Ellen Lee Osterfield, is a regular contributor to…

Good Morning My name is Debra Land. I have worked for over 30 years as an accountant, but I have always had a desire to become a professional illustrator. I have recently started a business of pencil sketches of pets from photographs, called “Pencil my Pet”. My ability to draw was dramatically changed when I first purchased Betty Edwards’ book, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” back in 1984. This book taught me so much about how to actually see what you draw. I recommend it highly to any aspiring artist. I love drawing people’s pets, as being a pet owner myself, I know that special bond you have with a pet and how much joy they bring to your life. It is so rewarding to produce a…

I haven’t exactly had a conventional background when it comes to art. I was born in Tweed Heads and have lived on the Gold Coast all my life. It is only recently that I have begun to really concentrate on my love of drawing animals. As a child I had a bit of an interest in art, often sending in drawings (and poems) to the Sunday papers, and winning small prizes. But for most of my adult life, I’ve not considered myself a particularly talented artist, and had very little confidence in my ability. Unable to study music due to teacher restrictions at my high school, I made a practical choice and became an accountant. At least I could be fairly sure of getting a job. . . so I…

MATERIALS • Canson A3 drawing paper – 220 GSM• No. 2 and No. 6 paper tortillons• Staedtler Mars Lumiograph Pencils – 2B, 4B and HB• 2B Mechanical Pencil• Soft white eraser• White eraser pencil• Tissues• Tracing paper (for resting the drawing hand on) STEP ONE I begin by printing the original photo on an A4 piece of paper in grayscale, and drawing a 1cm grid on the printout. I then draw a 1cm grid on the A3 drawing paper using a 2B mechanical pencil, using a light touch as these lines will be erased as I progress through the drawing. Using the same pencil, I lightly draw in the outlines of the body and dark areas from the grayscale picture onto the grid. STEP TWO I always begin any drawing by completing the eyes and nose. It is…

For Rosie Jones, memories of the first painting she ever did are very strong. “I was sitting on the balcony of a beautiful apartment on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, overlooking a lush rainforest and the vibrant greens of the fairways of a golf course. My father was bringing me glasses of fresh water and snacks whenever I requested, and I painted for three hours without pause,” she relates. “It sounds blissful and romantic – but the truth was far different.” “I was 37 years old; my fourth baby had been born four months previously; and I was in the depths of a raging, devastating psychosis. My mental state was severely altered and I was painting in an attempt to quell the torrent of bizarre thoughts that were occupying my mind.” Rosie…

MATERIALS • Dark Tones: Raw Umber Rembrandt 234.3; Art Spectrum P550, V550, X550; Rembrandt 234.3; Gold Ochre Rembrandt 231.5; Caput Mortum Rembrandt 343.8, Art Spectrum P554, T554; Caput Mortum Red Rembrandt 343.5 Dress: Flinders Blue Violet Art Spectrum D520, N520, P520, V520. Light Tones: Burnt Umber Rembrandt 409.8, 409.9; Caput Mortum Red Rembrandt 343.8. • Carbothello 1400: 640, 645, 706, 750, 760. • Paper: Colourfix Burgundy. • Kneadable eraser STEP ONE When setting up for the portrait, I choose a space that provides a pleasant ambience with good lighting; music (if preferred); and minimal interruptions or distractions. I meet the subject and get a feel for their character; and I ascertain what the person commissioning the painting is expecting from the portrait. I ask the subject to bring a few…