Innholdsfortegnelse for February - March 2021/ No. 137 i International Artist

New Year, new issue, new column, new book! International Artist magazine continues to amaze us in the way it speaks to the artists’ community and the strong following it has created over the past 22 years. With our continued focus on being written by artists for artists, we are proud to announce our newest column, “Beyond the Palette with Scottsdale Artists’ School,” which you will find on page 26. Scottsdale Artists’ School is a world-renowned art community educator since 1937, which includes virtual workshops and in-studio programs in Scottsdale, Arizona. In each issue, you will receive insights and techniques direct from a featured artist teacher. And if this is not enough, our Art Workshop Guide, on page 28, provides choices for virtual classes from Mexico to Australia. If we can’t…

Wisconsin, USA Chickadee & Lily, oil, 20 x 16” (51 x 41 cm) Third Prize is a one-page editorial feature in American Art Collector magazine My Inspiration The inspiration for this piece started with a set of antique dessert cups gifted to me by my father-in-law’s girlfriend. I have a strong affinity for colored glass and was immediately attracted to the shape. Earlier in the week, my husband surprised me with a gorgeous floral arrangement as well. I started thinking what delightful contrast I could achieve by pairing one of these delicate white lilies, which by then was slightly wrinkled and had several creased petals, with this sleek crimson glass. The chickadee perched on top adds yet another texture, but most importantly it has become my signature. Adding a bird to…

Värmland, Sweden When I Was Little, acrylic, 70 x 50 cm (27½ x 20") Finalist My Inspiration My inspiration for this painting is my passion for glass. I have been collecting beautiful glass bottles and jars for many years. In some of them I have pebbles and stones; in some there are pieces of broken glass found on the beach; in one I have small pine cones, and so on. The surroundings are full of beautiful things if you just give yourself time to notice them. In my studio I have them in the windows so the light can shine through them. This is very far from all the glass paintings I have done through the years—a never-ending source of inspiration. My Design Strategy At first I planned to paint the…

ENTER OUR NEW ART COMPETITION CHALLENGE No. 123 Wildlife See your work published in International Artist magazine and also receive a 4-page Editorial Feature in American Art Collector, the prestigious magazine read by collectors and galleries looking for new art work in the world’s biggest art market. Winners and Finalists in our competitions don’t just win awards to hang on their walls. The real value of entering and being one of the winners is that your work will not only be seen by hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide but also by leading galleries and collectors in America, the biggest art market of all. Our Grand Prize Winners receive a 2-page spread in International Artist magazine and a 4-page Editorial Feature in American Art Collector. Publicity at this level is priceless and…

Fengshi Jin Friend, oil, 14 x 11" (36 x 28 cm) INSPIRATION Whenever I see a great artwork, it often touches my passion and gives me inspiration. I recently saw Richard Schmid’s artwork again and I like his style. His skills are solid, and his work can stimulate people’s thinking about life, or they can experience a profound artistic concept from the infinite space in the artworks. It is very exciting, which gives me creative ideas and creative desires. I suddenly thought of my friend Tohn. He is tall, with curly, gray hair, and is a strong and cheerful person. He is a tennis player, and I would describe him as active, hardworking and he likes to help other people. He is most happy when other people are happy. I…

As an aspiring artist, the style of art that impressed me most was photographic realism. I was always enamored with someone’s ability that could create a realistic image utilizing an array of different methods. Even then, I realized that it took a lot more than just copying a picture. These artists all had different approaches to their paintings from style, color and perspective. As a photorealist/hyperrealist it takes time and true dedication to develop your style. This is only achieved with confidence as this allows you to express your artistic ability without barriers or hesitation. Technique is the method in which the artist captures his or her subject. In my artwork, method plays a major impact in the way I approach the piece. Technique is what allows me to create…

It has always amazed me how an inkjet printer can produce clean, strong cobalt and ultramarine blues from a greenish looking cyan and magenta. I always believed primary colors couldn’t be mixed, so I decided to try an experiment using three colors similar to printing process colors and an underpainting of black acrylic. Phthalo blue, quinacridone rose and aureolin were the three colors I chose. I picked a simple landscape subject with some interesting color gradations. STAGE 1 It’s s a weird way to start a painting—launching straight into a fresh sheet of paper with a ½-inch bristle brush full of thick black acrylic paint. Darks were applied, then the acrylic black was diluted to make the mid tone and paler washes. The result was a simple monochrome version of…

www.internationalartist.com Visit www.internationalartist.com and click on the Virtual Art Academy® button to access instant downloads needed to master the art of painting. The Virtual Art Academy® Apprentice Program A structured four-year program of 192 lessons that will help you systematically build up your foundational skills from the ground up to help you master painting. A key element of this program is series of 350+ assignments specially structured to help you build your skills, and an Online Campus where you can meet other students from all over the world to share your artistic journey, and support you along the way. Each lesson includes an overview of the principle or technique, one or more short videos to demonstrate the skill you are learning, many examples of how to do it, and one…

New York, USA, Bird on Vase, oil, 30 x 20" (76 x 51 cm) Grand Prize is a four-page editorial feature in American Art Collector magazine A Lifelong Journey Artist Jack Brown remembers his first time drawing a picture; it was of an airplane skywriting the letters “ABC” when he was 3 years old. His sketches continued for years after that. “Somehow I must have known from that day on that I was going to spend my life making pictures,” says Brown. “Years of learning how to draw, studying anatomy, experimenting with paints and learning composition continued, as did my passion for art.” Knowing he wanted to work in the art industry professionally, Brown became a graphic designer and then an art director. “Eventually I opened my own graphic design company.…

British Columbia, Canada Kids Carrots, oil, 11 x 8½" (28 x 22 cm) My Inspiration We are fortunate to live on Vancouver Island and enjoy beautiful, organic local produce most of the year. Our children and grandchildren often join us for Sunday dinner. To keep the grandchildren happy before dinner, I offer them carrots, celery and mini cucumbers in little square glass vases. One Sunday I put rainbow carrots out and the sun was shining on them. The carrots looked so vibrant in the water that I thought I might try to paint them. I took a photo to work on later in the studio. It was a challenge to achieve the colour and textures in the carrots as well as the glass vase, but it was fun. My Design Strategy…

Wildlife Medium Any painting or drawing media Entries Close Last mail received on March 10, 2021 Entry Fee US $9 / £5 / €8 / AUS $10 (See overleaf) Send Entries To See page 24 of Official Entry Form Winners Featured Issue No. 139 June/July 2021 The winners and a selection of highly commended works will be published in our International Artist magazine Art Prize report. NOTE: The winners and finalists in Challenge No. 122 – People & Figures will be featured in International Artist issue No. 138, which comes out in April/May 2021 Every winner and finalist will receive an Award Certificate authenticating their prize.…

There are basic steps to follow for every sale. This will allow you to build relationships with new clients and maintain relationships with your current buyers. Introductions are the first step. » Getting to know one another and setting the scene come first. Investigating is next and is the crucial aspect when making a sale. Youmust know why someone is going to buy before you can sell. Inthis phase it’s too easy to be the expert and tell people what they need. Butwhat’s needed is to ask questions, and avoid being the expert. Youmust find out the buyer’s needs or get a better understanding of wants. Question asking is a critical selling skill at this point. Questionsget the prospect talking and control attention (response required). Questionsalso persuade (people persuade themselves).…

Each year the Portrait Society hosts the International Portrait Competition, the premier competition for artists dedicated to portraying the human figure. The selected finalists bring their original artwork to the annual The Art of the Portrait conference for the final step in a two-part judging process. Over the past 10 years of the competition’s 22-year history, the age of the finalists has increasingly shifted younger and younger, which has led me to wonder where all these amazing young artists are getting their training? We know there are very few accredited universities and colleges that offer classical training in their art departments, requiring young artists to look elsewhere and become creative and diversified in their means of education. ATELIER TRAINING Atelier training over the past 20 years has grown exponentially. One…

Arcus is an oil portrait I began in the studios of the Grand Central Atelier where I teach. The portrait was painted from life over the course of seven four-hour sittings. Here is a summary of the stages of development. STAGE 1: Because likenesses can be so difficult to achieve, I find it helpful to work out the drawing in pencil before diving into oils. For the initial stages of the “block-in,” it is crucial to be patient. I used large straight lines to work out the basic proportions of the head and the position of the features. Taking comparative measurements is a great way to confirm the guesswork involved with drawing. STAGE 2: In this drawing, I used a piece of Fabriano Artistico paper toned with a sepia and…

These processes have been standard throughout my nearly 50 years as a graphic designer, illustrator and fine artist. No matter what facet of visual communication, they have helped me push past the obvious solutions to find more authentic and unique ones. The body of work presented here is called Intrusion. I have been painting outdoors since 1984, and while enjoyable and a great learning tool, I found it to be missing intent beyond the compositional motifs. It was time to look for something new. I wanted a narrative in my representational work that was personal and unique to me. One of the tenets that I live by is, whatever everyone else is doing, do something different. So, I started there. Nature is essential to me, the environment and how we…

My career as a fine artist began over 20 years ago, in the late 1990s, while living in Vancouver. I painted a lot of European street and marine scenes in the first 10 years, having traveled frequently to France and Italy, and being captivated by the light and architecture there. Local landscapes and seascapes made up the rest of my subject matter. A move back to Vancouver Island changed my focus to strictly landscapes and seascapes, and in a more realistic painting style. I attribute that to traveling less and spending more time outdoors walking my dog, hiking and camping. This led to more of an appreciation of the natural beauty that was so abundant, and so easily accessible. I was also growing tired of painting city scenes, particularly in…

Vivid color of nature, particularly of our gorgeous earth, has always fascinated me since my childhood. More recently, capturing the rapidly evolving effects of climate change has influenced my work—prompting my current series Ridges. My art resonates with a sense of mystery, poetry and the lyrical rhythm and movement of patterns in nature and our environment. I am intrigued by symbolic thoughts and impressions and I like to present them in a contemporary and abstract style with brilliant and vibrant colors. Each painting is a product of deep reflection, meditation and emotions that come from within. I have always been very captivated by our beautiful earth and the formation of its natural shapes and often contemplate painting these images on my canvases. During my many travels around the world for…

STAGE 1 THE UNDERPAINTING Starting with an underpainting of ochre I scrubbed the still wet paint just to see what would happen. Then washing olive green to give it a bottom. So far so good. STAGE 2 KEEP IT SIMPLE A potential river or lake scene began to take shape. With no sketch to guide me, I kept it simple with a little more washed in green and a spot of sunlight. At this point I’m unconcerned about individual strokes as they soon will be covered with opaque paint. STAGE 3 BROAD STROKES Working quickly with a big brush helps me to capture a mood better than anything else. The addition of broad, dark green semi-opaque strokes brings a reed bed into the foreground. STAGE 4 FINAL ELEMENTS Golden Pond…

Harley Brown’s fascinating things no one else will tell you When starting one of my works, I get connected to the paper by scribbling on it a medium neutral warm color. What happens next? I start to work on the area that first grabbed my interest. Yes, with a portrait, I am beginning with the eyes and nose. But also, when hands are prevalent, I work them at the same time as face. I did a fellow playing the saxophone and that instrument came first and soon attached his mouth and face to it. I don’t get into real details until coming to the finish. All else in my art-piece radiates from the center of interest. I surely put in general background areas near the beginning, connecting subject with background…

Australian Capital Territory, Australia, Colleen, still life no. 1, oil, 10½ x 16" (27 x 41 cm) Second Prize is a two-page editorial feature in American Art Collector magazine My Inspiration This floral painting is part of an ongoing series of portraits and still lifes inspired by the women around me. My sister Colleen is the inspiration for this particular piece and it is the first still life in her series. This is an ongoing collaborative project with friend and florist Amy Clement, who creates an individual and personalised floral feature for each sitter’s portrait, as well as a series of corresponding floral still life arrangements. The project explores individual identity and the connections between people, nature and objects. The still lifes offer an expansion to each portrait; a chance to…

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. CHALLENGE ENTRY FORM SCHEDULE AND CLOSING DATES HINTS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR ARTWORK Set your camera to the highest quality available. Shoot your paintings dead square on and…

Vincent Miller, founder of International Artist magazine, is our Chief Judge for our challenges. He has judged art for more than 40 years worldwide, including in the USA, Singapore, Australia, Canada and the U.K., to name just a few countries. In addition, he is an artist and sculptor himself. Mr. Miller works with many of the greatest living artists and art schools. He supports great art by judging our challenge program. If your art is selected you are among the elite in the world to be selected by Vincent Miller. We welcome you to submit your entries for the next challenge judging.…

Part 4 AVOID THE ANXIETY OF PAINTING ROSES WITH THIS EASY STAGE-BY-STAGE PROCESS Painting roses can be a trauma-inducing subject when you’re first starting out. Students tell me all the time about how scared they are of roses. Boy, can I sympathize! I remember being a few years into art school and refusing to even attempt a rose because they were so complex. I thought, “I can barely paint an orange or an apple! How can I dare to paint a rose?” I was doomed to fail with this attitude. Finally, I put on my big girl panties and braved the rose. After 10 years of practice, I now understand how to paint a rose. Yes, it’s a challenge and takes a lot of practice to get better, but it’s…

STAGE 1 ESTABLISHING THE BASE For this series I have used the layering and pouring techniques to get maximum color variations and thickness of the paint and texture. Here the first two layers are on the canvas. I normally begin a painting with just my color palette in mind, which consists of a few colors. For this particular painting, titled Ridges 6, I used titanium white, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue and brilliant blue. STAGE 2 A THIRD LAYER The third layer of paint is in place above the previous two layers. Sometimes I tone my canvas with a color then liquefy each of these paints with water in a cup and mix thoroughly into a runny consistency. It helps to vary the liquid thickness to get the desired textures. I…

STAGE 1 INTUITIVE APPROACH I began by pouring a mixture of Hansa yellow, raw sienna, and matte medium onto the center of my canvas. Pushing and prodding this puddle with a variety of tools—scrapers, rollers, big dime store brushes—I am waiting for inspiration. As I worked furrows in the watery mix suggested the title, and I followed the paint toward that end. I ended the day with a splash of dark blue for fun. STAGE 2 EXPLORING TENSION Intrigued by unintended organic shapes next to rigid rectangles I launched into an exploration of this tension. I wanted to violate the dictum to avoid putting the emphasis in the very center of the piece, so that’s where I focused my attention. I scrubbed darker sienna strokes and some green just to…