Innholdsfortegnelse for August-September 2022/ No. 146 i International Artist

Welcome to the August/September issue of International Artist magazine. As we continue to motivate and connect with you, we have added a new level of engagement in our demonstrations. You will see materials mentioned by name and brand now within our demonstrations. We believe when you are looking for just the right color, brush, canvas, medium or any other art-related purchase, it is good to know the specifics all the way to the brand. Alyssa Tidwell, editor of International Artist, discusses the turning points of inspiration for an artist on page 3. Of course, we believe that International Artist is full of inspiration in every issue! We have seven fantastic demos, featuring as always, a variety of mediums. However, this issue we are spotlighting oil—there are three demonstrations and one…

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 possible. We…

William F. Draper Grand Prize Winner and People’s Choice Winner Sponsored by: American Art Collector, Golden Artist Colors’ Williamsburg Handmade Oils, Portrait Society of America and Silver Brush Limited. Luis Alvarez-Roure Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, USA Masquerade, oil on linen, 46 x 40" (116 x 101 cm) First Place Painting Sponsored by: American Art Collector, APF Munn Master Frame Makers, Artwork Archive, Golden Artist Colors’ Williamsburg Handmade Oils and Portrait Society of America. Mark Pugh Eagle Mountain, UT, USA Girl in a Red Coat in Early Spring, oil, ink, graphite, 20 x 16" (50 x 40 cm) First Place Drawing Sponsored by: Airfloat Systems, APF Munn Master Frame Makers, Artefex, Artwork Archive, Golden Artist Colors’ Williamsburg Handmade Oils, Natural Pigments, PanPastel Colors, Portrait Society of America, Savoir-Faire and Silver Brush Limited.…

An exciting workshop took place this past A April and May in the South of France with five teachers and 24 students and patrons coming together to paint in the land of the Van Gogh landscapes. This fine art project, dubbed Americans in Paris, was created in 2016 by artist, curator and gallery owner Vanessa Rothe of Vanessa Rothe Fine Art Gallery. The project comprises a group of contemporary realist artists following in the footsteps of the historic masters who had traveled to Paris to be inspired by its culture, art and beauty. Americans in Paris aims to introduce some of today’s leading fine artists in realism to exciting new subjects, often only discovered by traveling abroad, as well as study group composition from the masters in some of the…

My paintings, no matter the subject Mmatter, are about color and the path of light. Most people know me for my backlit animal paintings. My grandfather was a cattle rancher, and I grew up in a small town surrounded by dairy farms. Both had a big influence on my life and my artwork. No matter the subject matter, I try to find the path of light, to lead the viewer into my paintings and into my world. I believe the artist’s job is to simplify the subject matter so the viewer can see what we are experiencing and perhaps bring their own experience into the painting. The play of warm and cool colors on the form excites me. I want the viewer to be dazzled by this. Not only seeing…

I’m a professional wildlife artist Ibased in Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom. I bring my love for animals and art together by creating the highest quality realistic colored pencil drawings of wildlife, capturing the character and beauty of each animal. In my original wildlife portraiture, I like to work from carefully selected photographs, which often capture a close-up, intimate moment of the subject in a strong light. This enables me to achieve an exceptional amount of detail in each of my pieces, which often portray an emotional encounter. I choose to create my authentic portraits in colored pencils, as they allow for accuracy and depth through an incredible control of detail. I enjoy the timely process of building up layers to recreate fur textures through every delicately placed pencil stroke. I…

Painting a realistic seascape isn’t easy. PThere are many aspects to think of before it will turn into a spectacular and fresh painting. Of course, I’ve observed many waves and have spent a lot of time on my favorite beaches in Denmark or in the United States to get a feeling for the right look. Mostly, I paint seascapes by reference photo because the circumstances like the current, the wind direction or the light change every second during a live painting, so that I would never get it right on paper. The photo will remind me exactly of that specific, fascinating moment with gray sky and rough sea, or a bright hot day on the beach. I’ve searched through the photo folders on my computer looking for a special wave…

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I know what it’s like to flick through I your photos looking for inspiration but never finding something that sparks you. It’s a frustrating waste of time! You can spend hours online looking for the perfect shot too, but the reality is, with a little knowledge of light and form, you can actually turn a pretty average photo into a great painting. All it takes is a little extra thinking and planning. The main ingredient is the light. I’ve begun to use an iPad to digitally design my paintings in a painting app called Procreate. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a hugely efficient way to create the plan for a studio painting, getting most of the problems solved before you uncap your paints. STUDENT CRITIQUES 1 Elena…

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what inspires artists to create. Golden hour casting the perfect light across the walls of a crimson canyon, the first snow of winter on a quiet morning, a model who captures just the right expression. Throughout history, many of the greats had their muses, from Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel to Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O’Keeffe. Or maybe it’s something not so specific. Maybe it’s simply a feeling that comes over you, an amalgamation of thoughts and experiences that pulls you, like a gravitational force, toward that need to make art. Whatever it is that inspires you, I encourage you to pause and ponder it, even for just a moment. Often, that simple question of why can lead us toward thrilling ideas and revelations. It…

ENTER OUR NEW ART COMPETITION CHALLENGE No. 132 Landscapes 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…

SCOTTSDALE ARTISTS’ SCHOOL: How did you become a painter? DAVID MICHAEL SLONIM: It was the ’90s, I was in my mid 20s, visiting The Met. I turn a corner, and I’m suddenly dumbstruck by Velázquez’s portrait of Juan de Pareja—the lights dimmed on everything else but that painting. At that time, I was an illustrator, creating whimsical images for corporate clients. Being a “real” painter seemed like a dream. Looking back, I realize that experience was essential. Before becoming a painter, I first needed to be transported by the paintings of others. I will always be grateful for what Velázquez did for me. SAS: When did abstract art become your vision? DMS: I painted plein air for about 20 years, always trying to understand what made an image move a viewer.…

Monthly Wednesday Webinars Online monthly educational content offered live with question-and-answer session with faculty at the end of the evening. Members Only Competition - Entry Deadline November 3, 2022 Recognizing Portrait Society members’ artwork in five categories: Commissioned Portrait, Non-Commissioned Portrait, Outside the Box, Still-life and Animals as the Subject. Signature Status – Entry Deadline September 1, 2022 Signature Status recognizes those practicing and accomplished artists who are dedicated to the educational mission and high aesthetic standards of the Portrait Society of America. International Portrait Competition - Entry Deadline February 20, 2023 Showcasing the very best in fine art portraiture and figurative work. 25th annual The Art of the Portrait Conference The annual portrait and figurative artists’ celebration in Washington, DC from May 11-14, 2023. For more information, please visit…

Recently, I’ve enjoyed creating a series of paintings Rusing black-and-white vintage photos as reference and inventing the color from imagination. I was going through a chapter of feeling stuck and “blocked” as an artist. Working with these images freed me up, giving me a more carefree attitude without a personal attachment to the subject like I do when painting someone close to me like a family member, friend or portrait client. These former eras of film, ballet and theater have a classic aesthetic that I love. I use the initial emotional impact I get from the photo, and I use that to guide the palette. I love working from vintage photographs for that reason-it exercises the interpretive muscle! REFERENCE PHOTO My reference here was a black-and-white photo of the dancer…

My aim in painting is to take Mthings that we casually pass by every day, draw attention to them, and see that their beauty is recognized. Upgrading ordinary objects by using contrasting darks and lights to create shine is my way of emphasizing common, everyday items so they stand out. I almost always work with still life as my subject matter. I spend a lot of time setting up and lighting a still life. The light falling on a still life or object helps me to see the shapes and the color values (dark and light) that are most important to express the objects in my painting. The values in a painting are extremely important to make the object stand out. I like to exaggerate that a bit. Especially with…

It was back in 2017, while I was Iexperiencing a long artist block that had been going on for about two years, that I had gone to a local classic car show. It was there that the lights finally came on for me. I loved the subject matter of these stylish machines, and more importantly, I allowed myself to go with my natural desire to do more detailed work. Up until then I was trying to be more of an impressionist painter but wasn’t feeling satisfied by the process. I was resisting my desire to get into more detail. After I completed my first car painting 49 Road master, I knew I was onto something. A short time later, I came across the term “photorealism,” and I said, “yes, that’s…

Painting for me is meditation, and Ppainting with watercolors is one of my greatest delights. It has now become an addiction too. I would describe myself as more of an impressionist artist. I love to paint busy scenes like streets, markets and figures in my paintings. Earlier I used to paint train engines, and my engine paintings received many awards. But slowly when I started traveling all around the world, busy streets and cityscapes attracted me a great deal, and I started painting cityscapes and more boats. In 2015, I painted a top view of the beautiful city of Kolkata, India, and the Howrah Bridge, which earned me a Silver Star Award from the National Watercolor Society. This gave me new perspective and energy in my painting, and then I…

In the beginning, my love of black Iand white photography motivated my use of graphite pencils. I’ve always wanted to introduce color to my work but never encountered the catalyst that would propel me to learn a new medium. That all changed when I hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Some aspects of the trail are difficult to convey, such as the early morning rays of sunlight streaming through the trees, without the vivid colors of nature’s canvas. It was time to make a change as I picked up my first soft pastel. I quickly fell in love with the looseness and spontaneity of this new medium. My pencil work is very rigid and exacting, almost photorealistic. Pastels were freeing and allowed me to bring movement, life and…

With each of us, it’s not that we Wwant to be an artist, it’s that we need to be an artist. Putting it this way, we don’t want to breathe—we need to breathe. In the same way, “hope” is not a strategy, “getting into a studio and making art happen” is a strategy. I look back and know it wasn’t that I made the “right” choice; it was the only choice. I’ve been very much me, Harley Brown, all my life. At first, I was somewhat insecure because I was entering a very complex world. But with the help of wonderful family and friends, mentors and a number of fortunate happenings, I got what my heart and soul were after. Even near broke, I was giddy with joy that each…

This drawing is very personal, every stroke guided by my subconscious mind. If it wanted me to take a sharp pencil turn in an area, I immediately responded. Every bit of it is from deep within, with moments that both amaze me and cause total wonderment. As if I’m looking at a “hidden me.” And that’s how I wanted it; the faces and features happening intuitively. I do have my inner mind help me through artistic moments, but here, the whole work is entirely subliminal. The subconscious is purely delivered onto paper. I realize each of you will have different, very interesting responses. Some will analyze it and others will pass it by. Incidentally, that enigmatic profile in the lower right dazed me and has stayed in my mind…alive. Now,…

Grand Prize Tanja Gant Texas, USA, Jade, colored pencil, 28 x 16" (71 x 40 cm) Grand Prize is a four-page editorial feature in American Art Collector magazine Personal Connection People provide the main inspiration for Texas-based artist Tanja Gant, although the artist says she finds little gems and potential subjects in everything she sees. “I take photographs of everything and anything, keeping in mind that those little gems might make it into a drawing eventually. Sometimes it’s a word or a lyric or a sentence from a book that helps me get an idea and solidify a composition. Other times it’s my personal experiences or experiences of my models, who are mostly my family and friends. Even though I’ve drawn some models multiple times, the underlying theme of my work…

A rose is a rose is a rose. Or maybe A not if you’re a frustrated painter trying to paint one. Flowers are fascinating, and I use them often in oil compositions. Their delicacy, intricacy and subtle colors are irresistible, but these qualities make them challenging to paint. So, how do you approach such a rewarding yet tricky subject? I bring formal figure drawing experience to my flower paintings. The same concepts used in portraiture can be applied to flowers: squint to see major shapes, edit excess information, focus on creating and organizing simple value masses. Whether your ambition is to paint a single rose or an elaborate floral arrangement, mastering these three concepts can get you there. Novice painters get unnerved by the intricacy of flowers. They see a…

I am fascinated by landscape, but I more specifically, the character of trees within the landscape. Sometimes it can be the interaction between a group of trees or it can be a single tree, but it is about capturing something of the beauty and energy in nature that I discover on walks in the countryside. I call these works “treescapes.” I am primarily a studio painter and love experimenting and exploring new ways to make marks and to apply paint to a surface. Working intuitively and moving from painting to painting is when I am happiest, playing one picture against another and resting a picture when I’m not sure of the next step. It is not in my character to work on one picture from beginning to end. I get…

A change of painting support can often inspire fresh new ways A of painting in watercolor (or other mediums). I decided to use a rigid plywood panel, rather than paper or glass, for a large mixed media work. A rigid panel means there is no size restriction, glass is not required, and the work can be left unframed or framed with a simple box molding. This article outlines the process of constructing such a panel. STEP 1 The first step is to purchase materials. I chose a thin plywood sheet with a smooth hoop pine surface on one side. I had the timber merchant cut the large sheet into two smaller sheets. I also purchased enough 18-by-40 mm dressed and primed pine to go around the panels. Other materials required:…

WHERE DO YOU LIVE? WHICH READER ARE YOU? PRINT AND DIGITAL OR DIGITAL ONLY FOR OUR BEST DEAL ON 6 ISSUES SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AND SAVE (ALL PRICES ARE IN US DOLLARS) 1. Register your subscription. Click on the subscription area and enter your details 2. Your account. Once you have subscribed you’ll be able to revisit our site and look up the status of your subscription. You can get 6 issues a year of the Digital Magazine with all the same amazing content as the printed version delivered to your inbox wherever you live in the world. MONEY BACK GUARANTEE If during the period of your subscription you change you mind about subscribing for any reason whatsoever, simply notify us and we’ll give you an instant refund on all unmailed copies –…