Innholdsfortegnelse for October - November 2017/ No.117 i International Artist

As the magazine most read by artists around the world, International Artist has always aspired to be the best and most up-to-date resource for everything one needs to work as an artist, from techniques to art materials, art demonstrations in a variety of media, art contests, art instruction, art trends and, of course, art workshops. Our new Art Workshop Guide is set up for you to easily navigate and find workshops that cater perfectly to your needs. We have scoured the country for the best workshops being offered in the coming months, so we can make these available to you. Our handy Art Workshop Guide can be found in every single issue of the magazine. It is organized by country, state or city, first and foremost, and then breaks down each workshop…

Maryland, USA, Concerto of Peonies, oil, 24 x 20" (61 x 51 cm) My Inspiration I wanted to make this piece a homage rather than an inspiration. One of my most valued teachers, Ann Schuler, often painted florals coming out of things such as seashells and fancy Venetian glass vases. I wanted to do my own interpretation using a Venetian seahorse vase I photographed in Italy years ago. I have been overwhelmed over the years by many simpler floral setups by living artists and Old Masters that capture the eye with their striking radiance of simplicity while still carrying an array of intrigue with an astonishing amount of detail. Most of all, when attacking florals with such contrasting backgrounds, which adds to the degree of richness, I tend to turn to…

Thurgau, Switzerland, Gunnera tinctoria, oil, 47 x 31" (119 x 79 cm) My Inspiration I don’t know where my inspiration comes from, and I am constantly afraid that the ideas will be gone one day. I drive and walk around a lot looking out for this very special feeling when I know immediately that there is something to paint. It is a strength that has its own life; I cannot influence it. Right now, my inspiration makes me look at plants very closely and all the time…always in search of this heart beating knowledge that I want to paint something. I am extremely picky and therefore even more scared, that one day I will not find any subjects anymore. As I have been strongly influenced by the great American photographer Bruce…

South Yorkshire, UK, Iris Botanical, dry media, 22 x 15" (56 x 38 cm) My Inspiration This picture came out of a desire to create a classical botanical. A classical botanical should be on a white background and only feature the botanical specimen. It should also include different stages in the plant’s life and were originally created to explore the plant. I produce artworks in a super-realistic style and this botanical was a big challenge to achieve this. I wanted to bring the plant onto the paper so the final work would be to a standard for a botanical art exhibition. I work a lot in coloured pencil so decided to use this medium to create this picture and show the capabilities of them. I planted this iris specifically for the…

FULL COLOR DIGITAL PRINT-OUTS Use the Official Entry Form over the page ONLINE Visit our website to upload digital files of the images you want to enter and pay for them using our secure server. www.internationalartist.com To upload your entries you need to prepare your image files to be at least 400 pixels at the shortest edge. Once you are in the Official Online Entry page simply select which challenge you wish to enter then follow the prompts and finally pay the entry fee via our secure server. There you can also see other entries received along with past winners of our competitions. HINTS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR ARTWORK • Set your camera to the highest quality available. • Shoot your paintings dead square on and fill the frame as much as…

“Something I have always sought out and have found in this series is to paint with more empathy, to really care for the subject that I portray. It has been such a privilege to be invited into their lives.” —David Kassan You could feel the level of excitement and anticipation at the 19th annual The Art of the Portrait awards ceremony as David Kassan’s name was announced as the winner of the Draper Grand Prize. David was welcomed to the stage with a standing ovation. Selected from over 2,100 entries, David’s painting titled Love and Resilience is a portrait of Louise and Lazar Farkas and inspired by their story of love and survival. It is the latest in a series of paintings of Shoah Survivors that has changed the course of how David thinks…

I attribute my love for water to the summers I spent at my grandparents’ cottage in Wisconsin. The cottage was designed and built by my grandfather to bring our extended family together as often as possible. It forged endless memories for my mom and her siblings and then for their families through almost 90 years of boating, waterskiing and fishing with aunts, uncles, cousins and neighbors. When I retired from tax accounting a few years ago and began painting, water was a natural subject, but it wasn’t until I entered a contest that required scenes painted in Confluence Park in downtown Denver that I zeroed in on reflections, transparency and movement as the main focus of my paintings. I have done a series of paintings of a little falls in…

I paint because of the incredible joy I feel when I open myself to the beauty that surrounds us all. From the start my desire has been to capture a bit of that feeling, that experience and share it with others. I didn’t always see it, in fact I’m seeing it more clearly every day. That’s part of why being an artist is so exciting to me—it’s more than simply making pictures, it’s a journey of learning to see, and appreciate beauty. I’ll be forever grateful to an professor of mine, Leon Parson, who was instrumental in starting me on this journey. In February of 2014, a month into my first oil painting class, Leon took us on a field trip to the art galleries in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA.…

Arrange the objects and select the material My still lifes usually start from the discovery of the beauty of common things in daily life. If I were interested in some object, I would manage to get it. I usually gather a large number of them, because firstly, a large amount of the object can form an imposing manner in the size and quantity, and secondly, I’ll have more space for selection and combination. This is a process of racking my brains for the composition. When arranging the objects, besides considering the quantity, the space, the color and modeling of the foil, I pay most attention to the design of light. I consider the light and shadow as the binder of the composition for a painting. The rhythm, harmony and unity…

My paintings are mostly about things around me and the impressions I have gotten from my travelling. I focus on the composition of the painting, life and the mood of moments. All of this is what I see and feel while painting. I usually do a rough sketch in my sketchbook first to set the composition of the painting. I use a pencil to estimate the weight of each color by looking at the details, and I choose only the important parts as it allows greater awareness. It allows me to convey my true feelings expressed through the artistic process. Then, I draw on my watercolor paper and paint as planned. Wet-into-wet is my first step, but sometimes I may start with wet-on-dry. Then, I will go with dry-on-wet and…

Waves have long been a favorite subject of mine, and far from exhausting the subject I find that the more I paint the sea, the deeper I want to go. There’s something especially compelling about creating the illusion of moving water, especially with the “dry” medium of soft pastel. The key to the process I’ve developed lies in the underpainting. It is the most important part of the painting, and I find if I get it right, the rest of the painting will follow. In pastel painting, an “underpainting” is an initial layer of dry pastel laid down on sanded paper, and then washed over and dissolved using a medium (alcohol, turpenoid or water) and a brush, to create a solid, toned surface on which to layer subsequent layers of…

Recently, I talked about painting a plein air cloudscape. This month I want to expand on that topic, because painting clouds is one of my favorite things. I have been fascinated by them since I was a young child, and am always on the lookout for beautiful cloudscapes. Clouds can add drama to a scene, balance a composition by filling an empty space, and their shadows can create dazzling passages of light and shade across the landscape. I love to paint cloudscapes rather than just landscapes with clouds in them, making the painting more about the clouds than the other elements. One of the errors I see people make when they first attempt to paint clouds is they tend to use too much white. White makes for lifeless blobs lacking…

We have a beautiful evening here at the end of summer. I’m going to show you how I approach this, one of my favourite scenes. I’ll be teaching you about designing with large organic shapes; how to use premixed greys to paint faster; using colour variety within those big masses; how I use warm and cool colour contrasts and how to make the colour more vibrant than nature; how to use a variety of brushwork to create really rich textural paintings, which includes using a palette knife; and also under-mixing your paint as opposed to overtaxing it. I’ll also teach you about creating dynamism in your painting using soft edges versus hard edges, and we’ll learn about atmospheric perspective, big light effects and lots more. First of all, let’s look…

When I was a young artist and somewhat confused as to where I was going, I had basics that kept me anchored and steered in the right direction. I was going to live it as an artist. Whether part time or full time, it would be my spirit and joy. I was hearing standard art talk: “no one makes a living in art” and “don’t sell your soul” and “why are you doing just realism?” Because of my inexperience in life, I couldn’t relate to such opinions. Sometimes innocence is a plus. No matter where you are in art, remember you’re a distinct individual so don’t try to be original; it will naturally happen. As you have a unique way of thinking and doing, so will your art be different.…

STEP 1 Visit our website www.internationalartist.com STEP 2 Click on the Art Materials & Instruction Locator area. This will take you to a new page. STEP 3 Then as you click on each of the advertiser’s images shown, it will link you directly to each advertiser’s website. In this way you’ll be able to see the full range of products and services they each offer. We provide this page to help you contact the advertisers in this issue. Just follow the steps shown and you’ll be linked directly to each of their websites. With each new issue this list will grow longer and longer and will give you access to the market leaders in art materials and art instruction worldwide.…

Joke Frima Chaumard, France, Big Plums on the Tree, oil, 70 x 50 cm (28 x 20") Grand Prize is a four-page editorial feature in American Art Collector magazine True to Life As a child, Joke Frima had a knack for drawing and found herself interpreting the world around her—trees, her dolls, people and many other things. After attending art school, and leaving because she was disappointed in the instruction, Frima went to Italy and met Nerina Simi. “At Studio Simi, every day except Sunday, there was a nude model in the morning and a clothed model in the afternoon. All we had to do was draw. Simi gave us simple instruction and opened our eyes,” says Frima. “We learned to observe and we trained our hand. We learned to see…

Paris, France, Fair Ladies, pastel, 76 x 48 cm (30 x 19") My Inspiration Flowers are everywhere and bring us— especially for those who are living in modern cities—amazing color, variety and the link with the nature we all need. You can find a painting subject within all the different steps of the flower’s life: birth, youth (buds), maturity, old age (faded flowers) and death (petals on the ground). Sometimes with a “different” look at one or many flowers, you can be surprised by unexpected textures, shapes, lines, colors and contrasts. Consider, for instance, peonies stems in a glass vase. This is an endless subject. My Design Strategy Everywhere I go, I take photographs of flowers. I have thousands of these stored in my computer. I spend hours to review, crop…

Anna Rose Bain A Fleeting Moment, oil on linen, 8 x 6" (20 x 15 cm) INSPIRATION The subject of this portrait is my 2-year-old daughter, Cecelia. She was dressed up for a special occasion but instead of mingling with the crowd, she wanted to be outside, exploring the surrounding neighborhood. I watched as she flitted like a butterfly from door to door, but for a split second, she stopped and stared off contemplatively. We are all told that these early years pass by in an instant. It was this concept, wrapped up in the immediacy of a single moment that I hoped to capture in the painting. ARTISTIC PATH I always knew that I was meant to become an artist. My childhood friends knew this too, and would often…

I have been painting continuously now for around 15 years and feel my taste in art is fairly well established. I like and appreciate much realistic representational work and also pure abstract work. Personally, though, I feel that neither is quite enough on its own and in my own painting I tread a path between the two. Sometimes the reality is little more than a suggestion, although it may be very strong, for example an easily recognised flower petal or leaf. It is a trigger for the mind to start thinking in a certain way. The bulk of the painting may be purely abstract in nature. To me such work usually creates stronger feelings than a purely realistic painting. In general I want to create art that is strong and…

I’m an impressionist which, to put it simply, is painting simply! It is capturing the essential qualities and characteristics of the scene or subject and transferring them to the viewer with the least amount of superfluous embellishment. Instead, emphasizing emotional content and mood, light and shadow, while detail is merely suggested in a manner, which makes it convincing to the eye. Impressionism’s goal is to translate the complex into simple language that will be eagerly and easily read and understood, not by the mind, but by the heart. It is best to use only larger brushes, for me, never smaller than a ¼-inch filbert, bright, That or round. I do this for even the smallest hints of detail. This assures that edges dissolve and melt into adjacent forms. Impressionism is…

Part 6-Tonalists vs. Colourists “The holy grail is to spend less time making the picture than it takes people to look at it.” — Banksy This article is intended to head you in the right direction regarding your own art. In my classes where I teach tonalism there are invariably students who have a natural preference to be colourists. These are the colourists! In this article I am still referring to a specific genre: traditional, realist impressionism. This is not modern or abstract art. The article will make you decide whether you are a tonalist (I am naturally inclined this way) or a colourist (I can be if required but it is not my natural preference). I have shown two subjects, Mevagissey Boats and Montsalvat, painted both ways. You will…

Texas, USA, Taste of Luxury, oil, 40 x 30" (102 x 76 cm) My Inspiration Living in a subtropical climate is not conducive to painting outdoors. Heat, humidity, mosquitoes and other hazards limit the experience; therefore, I look for creativity within my studio walls. Still life is a perfect subject. After attending a show where flowers were prevalent, I wanted to transfer their beauty onto the canvas. Not just a flower or two, my vision was a giant bouquet that would depict their magnificent glory. I looked for potential candidates in every place I went until a bouquet caught my eyes. I used its structure as a skeleton for my composition but I deleted some of the flowers and added others to match the vision in my mind. In essence, I…

New Mexico, USA, Marilyn Rose, watercolor, 15 x 11" (38 x 28 cm) My Inspiration Peachy, fleshy, Marilyn…the initial inspiration was from the rose itself. The voluptuous rose named Marilyn. I find flowers—nature generally—full of character and beauty. Flowers have attitude, gesture and character much like people. This particular rose caught my fancy one spring visit at Huntington Botanical Gardens in Los Angeles—curvy and a bit pouty. I was surrounded by hundreds of flowers but this one caught my attention. So I took time to take several photographs while there knowing it would become a painting subject. Off and on over my varied career, I’ve worked at plant nurseries and developed a passion and an eye for plants and flowers. They’re as fascinating to me as people and can be “serious”…

Have you noticed that there are very few sales at an exhibition after the opening? » Whilst the occasional exhibition sells then, most do not. » Those that do are usually low-cost exhibitions, or by previously unknown artists. » Even then, not many works are sold, just more than beforehand. » The person most likely to buy at that time is often artistically unsophisticated too. At my gallery (when I had one) for some years I kept records of when sales took place. » Most happened before the opening (not even at the opening) during the Preview Period, or the selling phase. The main focus of this sales phase is to generate multiple sales for an artist. » Incentive pricing is a strategy designed to reward early buyers. » The…

» Choose Your Tutor » Choose Your Medium » Choose Your Dates USA / TENNESSEE / CHARLOTTE Putnam Fine Art Studio Lori Putnam offers both studio and plein air workshops across the United States and abroad. Her workshops fill quickly, which is a testament to her approachable, giving nature, energetic demonstrations and hands-on teaching style. Putnam’s paintings are a personal and genuine response to her subject, and she encourages and teaches her students how to do the same. She believes each artist sees differently and finds his or her own distinctive mark. Yet, letting go of formulas and finding the confidence to express ourselves honestly seems difficult, sometimes even fearful. Students will leave her workshops excited; ready to experiment more on their own; and, above all, pointed toward meaningful, personal,…

Studio Incamminati Portrait Academy October 6-7, 2017, featuring Quang Ho, Adrienne Stein, Alexandra Tyng and Lea Wight Townsend Atelier Portrait Academy October 27-28, 2017, featuring Michelle Dunaway, Marc Chatov, Seth Haverkamp and Dawn Whitelaw Members Only Competition - Entry Deadline November 2, 2017 Recognizing Portrait Society members’ artwork in five categories: Commissioned Portrait, Non-Commissioned Portrait, Outside the Box, Still-life and Self-Portrait International Portrait Competition - Entry Deadline February 22, 2018 Showcasing the very best in fine art portraiture and figurative work 20th Anniversary The Art of the Portrait A portrait and figurative artists’ conference two decades in the making April 19-22, 2018, Washington, DC…

Gregory Mortenson received his art training through the rigors of the classical atelier tradition. An award-winning artist, he is known for his ability to capture the individuality of his subjects. Shortly after completing his academic training, Mortenson and his wife found themselves traveling to Haiti to contribute to the rebuilding of an orphanage after the widespread devastation caused by the 2010 earthquake. Moved by what he calls “the beauty and triumph of the human spirit,” he began sketching the children as they waited for their new homes and school, soon creating completed portraits that express their hope despite their suffering. While at the orphanage, Gregory met a young boy named Orveda and shares his painting process throughout the steps below. Gregory says, “I worked with him and his orphanage in…

Step number one is to do a sketch. The approach to the sketch depends on the purpose of the painting. In my case, there are three distinct reasons to produce a painting. (1) The final painting is for commercial purposes, advertising, book covers, etc. (2) The painting is for a private collector. (3) The painting is for myself (it actually happens sometimes!). The first two cases are easier on the brain since the client usually has a very specific idea of what they want. When the painting is for myself, I have no rules and the process and the results are unpredictable. My sketches are normally in pencil. After many years of doing the sketches in color, at this point, I normally usually work them in black and white. When…

To me, the most important thing about a painting is why. Why do I want to paint this subject? Is it because the lighting on the subject is wonderful? Is it because I just love the subject? Is it because the colors excite me? Is it because the galleries and public want more of a specific type of painting from me? These are all legitimate questions that need to be considered. I have found my best paintings come from an inner excitement about the subject—a sincere interest in the colors, lighting and composition. If I’m genuinely moved by it, the process of producing the painting is pure joy. Living things are what inspire me the most—animals in particular. When you look at my painting, I want you to feel something…

I was born in a small village of Hunan Province. I have loved painting since I was young. I was so obsessed with painting during my middle school years that I painted whenever I had spare time. I even drew on my textbook during class, let alone during the holidays. Since I was rolling in drawing, I didn’t do my part of housework and got myself in trouble. Still, I was crazy about drawing. Besides the joy I got from the process of painting, and the satisfaction from appreciating my own creation, I could also get some tangible benefits from time to time. For example, getting 2 yuan for facsimileing portrayals. Once a female tailor bought two of my paintings with 0.3 yuan. It is something that can’t be measured…

Among my acquaintances, I’ve become known as the “bird nest guy.” With my cabinet of curiosities, filled with a collection of natural wonders curated by friends and family, my love of the outdoors is obvious to all. I prefer to think of myself as an admirer of “avian architecture.” While others see a pile of twisted twigs and leaves, I see a monumental feat of engineering and a testament to the wonder of the natural world. The fact that something so tiny can weave together nature’s creations and humans’ castoffs into a formidable structure is awe-inspiring. When I paint a nest, I approach it both scientifically and aesthetically. I start by sketching a series of thumbnails and taking photographs to set the composition, which I consider the most important element…

It doesn’t sound very exciting, but the subtlety and power of grey is often overlooked when we think of all the vibrant hues of watercolor paint available. Vibrant colors sure do grab attention, but when a number of intense colors appear together, their impact can be lost and things become busy and confused. This is where a myriad of subtle greys can make all the difference. By providing a region of color relief, areas of grey can be used to isolate and intensify colors, increasing their impact and clarity. There are many options when it comes to mixing greys. I find the most interesting greys come from using two complementaries. Greys can be mixed on the palette then applied to the paper. They can also be created on the paper…

STAGE 1 THUMBNAIL SKETCH: FINDING BIG SHAPES AND VALUES White and black charcoal on toned paper help me simplify shapes and values. White layered over dark charcoal easily captures the shadow tones. Words jotted to the side set my intention and often inspire my title. STAGE 2 DRAWING AND BLOCK IN The painting begins with a simple line drawing in blue. I begin blocking in local colors in correct values. At this stage I imagine the water without foam, and lay in the colors accordingly. STAGE 3 THE FULL BLOCK IN This first layer establishes the painting’s underlying value structure. It’s important to look through the foam and paint only what’s underneath in my underpainting. The foam will appear in later layers. STAGE 4 THE WET UNDERPAINTING Dipping my brush…

A mass notan painting is a very rough plan of the distribution of light and dark shapes in a painting. It is basically a small monochrome painting that consists of simple shapes in a limited number of flat values, usually two or three, and sometimes four. The exact contour of the shape is not important, only the approximate size and placement in the picture. I prefer to refer to them as notan “paintings” rather than drawings or sketches for two reasons: 1. I think of them as quickly executed miniatures, painted using very limited color (in fact, only black, white and gray). 2. I use brush pens to create them, and these tools are more like brushes than drawing tools. Create a mass notan for every painting or large drawing…

Harley and I decided on a similar theme this issue. You can see how our works both relate and are individual. This is Tricia, sister to last issue’s portrayal. I went wild with those background lines; they contrast with her dreamlike expression. A mix of opposites; free spirited lush strokes, calming on Tricia’s features. I love to have different emotions going through a work. It always happens no matter the subject. Giving here and taking there; cover ups and reveals. In other words when the canvas is on the easel, I come ready to perform with myself observing. The first part of my life was a multitude of figure work, this second part is non-objective. Here I brought the two together. Next issue you’ll see yet another Balinofski.…