Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i Artists & Illustrators

…and we’re all adjusting to the new year, it’s the perfect time to get your art materials out and get creating. To spur you on, there’s plenty of inspiration and encouragement in your latest issue of Artists & Illustrators. Aine Divine shows you how she overpainted an old floral still life she was never quite happy with and achieved new and vibrant results. Have you got a painting gathering dust in the back of a cupboard? If so, try these tricks for satisfying results. How about re-imagining a scene from an old painting but in the style of the scene as it is today? That was what Matthew Jeanes was asked to do and the results were a beautiful tribute to the original artist as well as a fascinating, creative…

31 JANUARY Submit your architecture or environment-themed drawings to The Drawing of the Year 2023 competition. It’s free to enter and prize funds total £30,000. archisource.org 5 FEBRUARY The NAE Open 2023 want your 2D artworks. UK-based artists from the Global Ethnic Majority and all artists from Nottinghamshire can participate. Free to enter. nae.org.uk 13 FEBRUARY There’s a great opportunity to exhibit in Berlin with the BBA Artist Prize. There are four prizes up for grabs which total €2,700. It costs €39 to enter. bba-prizes.com 14 FEBRUARY Submit your illustrations for the World Illustration Awards 2023. All illustrators based anywhere in the world can enter. Prize funds total £3,000. theaoi.com…

TUDOR MYSTERY: A MASTER PAINTER REVEALED 4 February to 7 May 2023 Tudor Mystery: A Master Painter Revealed is the world’s first exhibition devoted to an important, talented and almost completely forgotten painter at the Queen’s court. This exciting show will offer fresh insights into the production of art in Tudor Britain. Taking the visitor on an art historical detective journey, Tudor Mystery: A Master Painter Revealed explores the migration of artists across Europe, the links between the Low Countries and Britain, along with the connections between miniatures and large-scale portraiture during the 16th century. Compton Verney, Warwickshire CV35 9HZ comptonverney.org.uk HANNAH QUINLAN AND ROSIE HASTINGS: PORTRAITS 4 February to 4 June 2023 Portraits is an exhibition of drawings, etchings and films grounded in research into how various communities have…

1 Colour mixing is very important. Even in a digital world, it helps to explore colour mixing and tones to bring depth and life to your work. 2 Carry a sketchbook and a small pencil case with you when you travel, even if you’re only going on a beach holiday. You never know what might inspire you. 3 Keep it simple. In the beginning, don’t worry about the details. Use rough sketching lines to get an idea of scale and proportion. See Pierce’s work: piercebraysher.com Like Pierce, all of Cass Art’s staff are artists and happy to share their expert advice and top tips in-store. Find your local Cass Art store at cassart.co.uk/stores…

MATTHEW HAYDEN JEANES After the banking crash of 2008, Matt decided to become a jobbing artist. He now spends his days working as a travelling art teacher in schools, colleges and museums. Matthew is currently preparing to have his own art exhibition later this year. AINE DIVINE RSW A portrait painter, tutor and elected member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour, Aine is an award-winning artist who has featured on BBC’s Star Portraits and was a finalist on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2014. She paints flowers and landscapes as well as portraits. MITCHELL ALBALA Mitchell is a painter based in the US, known for his atmospheric and semiabstract landscapes. He is the author of two bestselling books: Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts & Techniques for…

THE ART OF THE ILLUSTRATED BOOK by Julius Bryant Throughout history, images have been used to enhance our understanding of texts. With the invention of mechanized printing in the 15th century, illustrated books were no longer the preserve of the elite and became a source of knowledge for a wider audience. Explore the story of the illustrated book from the earliest printed books to the present day, told through the V&A’s National Art Library collections. Thames & Hudson, £45.00…

Things we love… The interwar period in Britain saw a flowering of artists who retreated to planting and painting in their gardens; ultimately their own private havens. A new exhibition will bring together intimate depictions of gardens, greenhouses and favoured specimens by various artists. This period also saw several artists engaging with public spaces amidst a growing interest in recreation. From fireworks and fairgrounds to picnics and parties, these images captured a new, modern experience. Private and Public: Finding the Modern British Garden is on from 22 March to 25 June 2023. gardenmuseum.org.uk Don’t miss… The Mini Picture Show by Bankside Gallery: a feast of over 300 original paintings and prints by artists of the Royal Watercolour Society and Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers. Affordable small-scale artworks to suit different tastes,…

Non-fungible tokens, largely known as NFTs, have gained a lot of momentum in recent years. But there still seems to be little understanding around this form of digital art within the traditional art world. Fraser Scott, the director of A Gallery, tells us everything you need to know about NFTs and how you can help raise funds for war-torn Ukraine. HOW DO NFTS WORK? FS: NFTs are digital items, often images, that cannot be exactly copied because they have very complicated codes attached to them. The simplest way to understand them is that they are a solution that can be used by artists. They allow artists to sell works digitally which people can display on screens in their homes. WHY ARE THEY TRENDING? FS: A small group of people interested…

1 Give yourself time Art takes time; it’s a process that cannot be rushed. It’s also never too late to start and don’t compare your journey to others. 2 Practise daily If your aim is to become a full-time artist, start devoting time daily. Consistency is key. Show up, even if you don’t feel like it. 3 Learn to wear multiple hats Once you start producing art, the next step is to market it. Photograph your art well, learn to use social media, write engaging content, make process videos, create your website and send your portfolio to galleries. Actively market your art wherever possible.…

NEW YORK, WHERE PAINTER ALICE NEEL lived for most of her life, was more than her home. It was her career, her passion, her commitment and her most returned to subject. She was obsessed with the city – and not for the glamour of Park Lane or bright lights of Broadway – but for the everyday realities of marginalised residents in poor neighbourhoods. Throughout her career, which spanned some 60 years and much of the twentieth century, Neel championed the underdog, often committing to canvas those rarely, if ever, portrayed in art, saying “I love to paint people who have been torn to shreds by the rat race in New York.” Her paintings gave overlooked people dignity and humanity – and the chance to be seen. Now, a new exhibition…

THE INSPIRATION FOR MY ARTWORK comes from the natural world, encapsulating my love of animals, plants and the environment. Combining both traditional and digital techniques in my illustrations allow me to capture the fine detail of my subject. From the textures of a Shimeji mushroom to the snarl of a tiger, I enjoy the challenge of appealing to people’s senses and making them want to reach out and touch my work. My artwork begins life as hand-drawn illustrations, where I build up layers and textures and then scan them onto my iPad to make them come to life with colour. I use a variety of fine liners and my pencil case essentials include the Sakura Pigma Micron pens and the Pentel Brush Pen. The different nib sizes and brush tips…

THIS PAINTING BEGAN LIFE as a demonstration piece at one of my flower painting workshops. I had been looking at it for a while thinking it needed something more. When demonstrating, I tend to work large, standing at arm’s length from the easel. Every mark is laid down in good faith and then instantly forgotten in a kind of joyful abandon. The resulting work feels wild, free and edgy. On revisiting this painting the first decision I made was to get rid of the red vase. I also wanted to add a few new sunflowers to create a more dynamic composition. I had a blue jug in my mind’s eye and came across the perfect one in a shop window display so I took a photo. For the added sunflowers…

IN THE 1920’s, a family member of a close friend painted a view of their hometown of Monforte in Italy. This slightly abstract picture was hung in the matriarch’s home and was looked on with love by everyone within the family. In 2019, that lady was relocated to a nursing home, but the painting still had a loving place beside her and in the hearts of the current generation. After a pilgrimage to Monforte for the brothers and sisters, I was asked to paint the same view of the same street, but as it is now. This was an important challenge for the family and for myself, and one I was honoured to take on. matthewjeanes.co.uk MATTHEW'S MATERIALS Paints Winsor and Newton Pans: Burnt Umber, Naples Yellow, Naples Yellow Deep,…

MESSAGE OF THE MONTH Chloe Alexia I am a 24-year-old portrait artist in the seaside town of Scarborough. Art has always been my passion throughout my whole life. Artists & Illustrators have given me the inspiration to challenge myself further, whether that be in techniques or even just sheer size. I used to try and attempt portraits in A4, but now I draw realism in A2, climbing up to A1 and challenging my eye, focus, detail and strategies. Seeing other artists from Artists & Illustrators pursuing their dreams and sharing what they do and how they do it, truly amazes me. Now in my art journey, thanks to this, I am a three-time internationally published artist with an upcoming exhibition in London. Lisa Ha Like many people during the pandemic…