Innholdsfortegnelse for February-March 2023/ No. 149 i International Artist

Welcome to our February/March issue and another year around the sun! One of the occupational benefits of publishing an artist magazine for 25 years is its natural ability to create a huge art passion in us. The artists’ nature is in all of us in one way or another. I was at a retreat a few years ago with Michael Shanks, Professor of Classics and senior founding faculty of the Stanford Archaeology Center at Stanford University, as well as publisher of The Archaeological Imagination. We discussed in length on how, through time, humans have two distinct selves. In a nutshell, the theory is that there are two selves in the human condition—you have your working self, which accomplishes daily tasks, self-care, focus, family and growth. The “who you are part…

HOW TO ENTER OUR ART COMPETITIONS 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…

I have been studying painting for more than 35 years. In that time, I have spoken again and again about how passionate I am in capturing two likenesses of my subjects: the outer likeness and the inner likeness or character. Looking at The Portrait Society, I see the same is true. How do we measure its outer likeness? Since 1998, we have grown from an idea to a thriving educational non-profit arts organization with a mission to teach, inspire and connect figurative artists from around the world. With the dedication of our founders, board of directors and our thousands of members, we have, for more than two decades, made a lasting impact on artists—from those just beginning their work to seasoned professionals. Through annual membership dues, conferences, webinars, regional seminars,…

As a plein air painter, my work is primarily concerned with capturing a sense of time and place. Each individual location has its own characteristic light and color palette, and the best way to evoke a sense of the place is to match that light and how it affects the environment at different times of day. Accurately depicting light is crucial in telling the story of a particular place, and color is a powerful visual tool for any artist who wants to achieve this. In learning to paint I find it helpful to understand how the human eye and mind perceive color and light. For example, we can tell the difference between a blue mug in white light and a white mug placed in blue light. We achieve this by…

STAGE 1 TONING THE CANVAS I start with toning the canvas with a yellow ochre and cadmium orange diluted with a little Gamsol. I begin the placement of my subject, a few lines to guide me, then I start to feel my way in, starting with the head. And a little alizarin and a touch of ultramarine blue to scrub in the shadow of the face. STAGE 2 USING STUDY PAINTING AS GUIDE Using my reference painting as a guide, I play around with some arm positions, blocking in more color thinly with ochre and orange. I want to see how this works with this dark ultramarine, cadmium yellow and alizarin crimson mixture. I am looking at value and color harmony. STAGE 3 BLOCKING IN BLUES With a large size…

Through my paintings I aim to highlight the beauty I see in the world around me. I am particularly drawn to the interplay of light and shadow. Light for me transforms a scene from something that is ordinary, to something truly extraordinary. The pursuit of capturing the perfect light keeps me endlessly engaged in my work and practice. While I don’t favor a particular color palette, color is extremely important to me, as is the design and composition of a piece. When these elements work in perfect harmony, a piece really sings. Painting for me is a largely intuitive process. Not having any formal art education, my process has come about through a trial-and-error approach. I’ve been working as a full-time, practicing artist for a little over two years now.…

My painting practice stemmed from being uprooted after I emigrated to Canada in 1994 at age 28. Upon arriving in Vancouver I grappled with issues of belonging, wondering how to find an emotional connection with my new country. Art made this happen for me. The beautiful paintings by the historical Canadian artists from the Group of Seven triggered a desire to see this magnificent scenery with my own eyes and document the experience. The act of painting became a conversation with the landscape, which gave me a sense of belonging. I traveled in Canada for 20 years and created an extensive, well-received body of landscape paintings. My visual language utilizes expressive marks, rich textures and bright colors with acrylic paint on a small and large scale. This reflects my awe…

While “professional artist” and “instructor” are my job titles, watercolors, reflections and birds are my passions. The challenges of using watercolor to create a vibrant, realistic piece of glass or metal, a bird floating on a reflective lake or a hummingbird caught in midair over a spray of water energize me and keep me coming back for more. I have always drawn. Even as a little girl, I was interested in drawing horses and wildlife. Drawing is still a big part of my artwork today. I use very detailed drawings as the starting point for all my paintings. I draw the scene on a separate sheet of paper and include marks for the shadows and highlights. I use a dashed line in the drawing to note where an edge might…

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) 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 – no questions asked. 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. For FASTER SERVICE subscribe online at www.internationalartist.com OR use the Order Form below. Simply check the box for the version/region you want. SNAIL MAIL ORDER FORM FOR ALL COUNTRIES YOUR…

Oh that glowing light! It’s a favorite of every painter and non-painting civilian alike, the majestic sunset. We each only get handed so many of them, and they don’t hang around so it sure is nice to capture one in a painting and make it last a little longer. Painting the effect of a glowing light source is in essence the same as painting the recession caused by the atmosphere, called atmospheric perspective. In atmospheric perspective, everything gets more like the color of the atmosphere as it recedes from us. If it’s a clear blue sky everything gets bluer as it recedes. If it’s a gray sky everything gets grayer as it recedes. The difference between that and a glowing light or sunset effect is that everything gets warmer as…

This is a portrait of Harley that I did well over half a century ago. He was 25 years old. My purpose was to “immortalize” him at that very moment of his life. Harley had eccentricities beyond description; in those days, we couldn’t keep up with where his mind was going. Here we see Harley with a certain determination. Much different than later at an art party. We see my brush wildly throwing on oil colors, yet with close accuracy and very few corrections. I was after that intense look while it lasted. Most importantly, I wanted the shapes and strokes in background to work with those shapes and shadows portraying Harley, all combining as a total “real life” abstract painting. I look back at that afternoon and remember the…

As soon as you’re finished reading this page, flip to the last page (well, almost the last—page 126). There, you’ll find a brand new section we’ve just launched called “Creative Spark.” I’m really excited about this one, because it provides you, our readers, another way to directly interact with the magazine. Essentially, this section includes a photo prompt for you to take as inspiration for your next work of art. Then, post that art on Instagram, and it might get featured in the next issue! All the details can be found on page 126. Since its inception, one of the cornerstones of International Artist has always been connecting with our readers and subscribers. There’s a truly wonderful community of creativity and support around this magazine. A community of people striving…

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. SUBMIT YOUR DIGITAL ENTRIES ONLINE; IT’S SO EASY!…

SCOTTSDALE ARTISTS’ SCHOOL: Is it true that your passion for painting landscapes runs in the family? MARK BOEDGES: Yes! The artistic inspiration came from my grandfather (on my dad’s side) and has been passed down. Some of earliest memories are of the times my dad and I would watch Bob Ross together. SAS: What inspired you to be a landscape artist? MB: Landscapes have always been my passion. I grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri, where I was known as the kid who could draw and paint. I stumbled into what most people would call a “real job” in IT web application during the Y2K era. I relocated to Dallas, Texas, for work, and in my free time I would go outside and paint my surroundings. Two years later, I…

This year, the Portrait Society is thrilled to Tcelebrate a quarter century of passion for portraiture during our 25th annual The Art of the Portrait conference to be held in Washington, D.C., from May 11 to 14. To celebrate this remarkable occasion, we will be introducing a program format with new speakers, sharing their wisdom on a variety of topics relevant to today’s figurative artists. Over the weekend, the top 20 finalists of The International, the world’s premier portrait competition, will exhibit their works in hopes of winning the Draper Grand Prize and a cash award of $50,000. In preparation for our grand event, I had a chance to sit down and talk with a few of our new and returning faculty artists to discuss a range of subjects from…

I began painting in 2003 under the instruction of European-trained art restorer and artist Vitek Kruta from whom I learned many of the glazing techniques I use today. I paint in a realistic style, and oil paint is my primary medium. Glazing is the process of applying a thin layer of translucent oil paint on top of another layer to change the color or value of the underpainting. Paint and glaze both contain paint pigment, but the difference is that paint is generally opaque, whereas glaze is always translucent. Glazes are created by diluting paint with a medium (a binder) until it becomes semi-transparent or by using an oil paint that is transparent. Light travels through the newly applied layer and reflects off the base layers below, so that the…

For this painting I am working from two main reference images. I loved the light in one of these images, but preferred the color in the fabric and the angle of the main platter in the second image. There were additional images from this sequence I consulted when working through some of the details for the flowers and the vase. STAGE 1 TONE THE CANVAS The ground color changes for each work. For this painting I chose Australian sienna to bring out the warm tones. I mix one part paint to one part fast-drying medium, giving the canvas a uniform coat. STAGE 2 CHARCOAL DRAWING Mapping out the large shapes first, I complete a rough underdrawing using willow charcoal. The ground color and the messy charcoal sketch help take away…

This painting was inspired by a visit to the Marine Science Centre in Bamfield, British Columbia. I was mesmerized by the patterns of water and land in the glistening light of the rising sun. STAGE 1 GESTURAL DRAWING I sketched the composition by looking at my reference photograph and thinking about the beautiful, abstract shapes of interlocking water and rocks. I used a black china marker which is a waxy, water-resistant crayon. STAGE 2 SOFT, MULTI-COLOR UNDERPAINTING I diluted the acrylic paint with medium and quickly rubbed it onto the canvas with a rag. I used transparent red oxide, dioxazine purple and phthalo green (blue shade). STAGE 3 DARK VALUES AND EXPRESSIVE PATTERNS I suggested the pattern of rocks by adding expressive dark marks with dioxazine purple as my darkest…

It was love at first touch when I was given a box of Faber-Castell Polychromos pastels as a child, and since then pastels have been a part of my life for almost 40 years. I started off with hard pastels, but today I use a mixture of hard and soft pastels as well as pastel pencils in my work. With all my paintings I try to capture an animal or person at a specific moment and express it in a new but truthful way that will hopefully intrigue the viewer regardless of the subject matter. Building my paintings up in layers, I see them as journeys with several stops along the way. Good reference material is essential, especially for wildlife paintings. To that end I developed my photographic skills and…

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) 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 – no questions asked. 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. For FASTER SERVICE subscribe online at www.internationalartist.com OR use the Order Form below. Simply check the box for the version/region you want. SNAIL MAIL ORDER FORM FOR ALL COUNTRIES Insert…

I will continue to mention that I’ve learned to not overly correct my personal approach. I think in the arts, whether writing, acting or painting, each of us must reveal our subjects as interpreted by our uniqueness—freely flowing personal boldness and intricacies. It’s what we’ve personally brought to its moment of completion. The lights the shadows, the cool and warm hues, the overall design. Careful foundation, getting those early basic strokes right from the start. And what also counts are those “finishing touches” where there’s very little “correcting.” Like singing a well-known song with a distinct interpretation carrying it through. Listen to Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying in The Rain.” The melody is there and, oh yes, Willie is there. Classic. While we’re talking music, I’ll mention a major inspiration:…

For artists, inspiration can strike anywhere at any time. In this section, we’ll present a new photo prompt in each issue for artists to use as inspiration for their next piece. Rather than a reference, this photo is meant to be interpretive. It’s a jumping off point—a means to spark creativity and get the imagination going. Capture the image exactly as you see it, or take elements of it to create something entirely original. Submissions can be fully completed artwork or rough sketches. Every approach is the right approach. In the following issue of International Artist, we’ll highlight several of our favorite works (including your social media information), along with the next photo prompt. Happy painting/drawing/sketching! ● For this inaugural edition of Creative Spark, all submissions will receive a free…

Ginny Page Copenhagen, Denmark, Broken Tulips, oil, 11 x 14" (28 x 36 cm) Grand Prize is a four-page editorial feature in American Art Collector magazine Fleeting Moments “I have an ongoing obsession to record precious moments in paint while they still exist in the now. Soon it will be gone. Life is short and fragile,” says artist Ginny Page. “Be kind and pay attention. Slow down, look around and be grateful for [the] small things that matter.” Like most artists, Page finds inspiration everywhere, from the moment she wakes up. “The play of the first morning light shining through my water glass, the way our unfinished plastered wall resembles a silhouette of Queen Victoria, my upside down reflection in a spoon, frost patterns on the greenhouse windows, autumn leaves,…

THREE INTERNATIONAL ENTRY POINTS For your convenience there are three International Entry Points. You can pay your Entry Fee by Visa or MasterCard. 1 USA / CANADA Send your entry and payment of US $9 per entry/picture to: International Artist magazine Challenge No. 135: Cityscapes 3260 N. Hayden Rd. Suites 201-203 Scottsdale, AZ 85251, USA Enter your Credit Card details on the Entry Form below or include a Check/Money Order made payable to International Artist. (Checks must be in US Dollars and drawn on a US bank) 2 UNITED KINGDOM / EUROPE 2AFRICA Send your entry and payment of £5 (or €8) per entry/picture to: International Artist magazine Challenge No. 135: Cityscapes 3260 N. Hayden Rd. Suites 201-203 Scottsdale, AZ 85251, USA Enter your Credit Card details on the Entry…

Although I must have painted hundreds of portraits and figures, I realize that it is the light that falls on the subjects, and not the subjects themselves, that inspires me. I have come to embrace landscape painting, and I equally love the experience of plein air painting, but the process is more enjoyable than the result. I am always humbled by it, as one should be. So, with this in mind, my subject is light. I realize through taking workshops and demonstrating I have cultivated, sometimes unconsciously, an understanding of how light works. This is fundamental to painting well. There is no light without shadow, the two combine to create our visual world. To start to paint the appearance of light, one must start with values, and they must be…

In this demonstration, will take you through the glazing and layering techniques used to create three-dimensional depth both above and below the water surface, in the rocks of the dam wall and in the tree foliage. While some paint can be applied wet-on-wet, most glazing layers can only be built up when the previous layer is dry. To accelerate the drying process, I use Winsor & Newton Liquin Original as a medium to thin the paint and to ensure that it is dry by the next day. Transparent water is best achieved through the application of multiple layers. The first layer of paint usually has too much contrast and needs subsequent layers of glazing to tone it down and to add more texture and detail. In this painting, the rocks…

Establish your big picture items quickly before getting bogged down in detail. Detail work can commence once you’re satisfied the overall composition and layout are working and shouldn’t require any major edits. Don’t be afraid to change things that aren’t working. Compositional issues will remain and overshadow the work, no matter how much they are dressed up. Work your colors up in layers. Even the best quality acrylic paints are thin and will require multiple applications to get a good consistency and depth of color. Accuracy isn’t essential at the beginning, as each area will likely need multiple coats for realistic work. Our perception of color is very much affected by what is around it, so getting a quick base layer down on everything will help you make more informed…

I use an intuitive approach to art making and rely on my instincts to create ambiguous narratives that explore the female experience. I examine a collection of both contemporary and historical images as resource material and let a story unfold from there. Although the women I render do not represent any one person in particular, there is always a part of me described in each character I create. I invent women that I hope will teach me about what it means to be a woman. I intuitively tell the stories that are not just my own, but that of my mother, my grandmother and the women that have permeated my life. These women are my friends and family members, but they are also women I identify with from both history…

A roll of masking tape is not the most exciting piece of painting equipment. In fact, it is probably down towards the bottom of the list compared to the myriad of colored tubes and pans, exotic brushes, fancy palettes and easels. In this article, we will explore just what can be done with a simple roll of masking tape. Creating Hard-edged Whites One of the handiest assets of masking tape is that it allows you to regain crisp, hard-edged areas of lost white. In this example, I am using a piece of “Paint Erase” rejuvenating sponge, but as you will see later, gesso can also be used to reinstate lost whites. I wanted more contrast in the focal area of this painting so decided the dinghy on the cabin of…