Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 10 Volume 4 i Artists Back to Basics

All of these people have been touched by cancer in some way, but on Fridays they can put their problems aside for a while and become absorbed in the joy of creating paintings in a supportive environment. Some of the group have painted before; others have not picked up a paint brush since schooldays. To quote some of them… “An introduction to the art group has led to the most enjoyable and rewarding world of acrylic painting. It’s opened up a whole new perspective on life.” “There’s a sense of freedom here, playing with paint and creating a style you didn’t know you had in this peaceful atmosphere.” “I can lose myself in painting, and just stay in the moment. Nothing else matters when I’m painting.” “The company and surroundings…

We’re going to look at your brushes in a way which on the surface may appear obvious, BUT - I’m betting that it’s not something you hold in the forefront of your mind when you’re painting. The truth is, there are a lot of obvious things about painting that we forget in the heat of combat. (Particularly when the painting is kicking our butt). So, let’s break it down. From my painting point of view, the bristles of your brush have 3 fundamental areas. Sounds stupid - but stay with me, it will help your painting. These areas are: • The bristles closer to the ferrule. At this point they are quite stiff, and using this part is fantastic for pushing large amounts of paint around vigorously, and roughing and…

When travelling with my wife through the Northern Territory we were lucky enough to visit Katherine Gorge. I took a photo of this scene of kayaks and canoes moored in the gorge, showing the contrast of nature and man-made, thinking one day it may make a great painting. After becoming more confident with oils I decided to take up the challenge and give it a go. Every time I look at this scene it reminds me of the peace and tranquillity of paddling through this wonderful landscape knowing that our presence would have minimal impact on this natural environment. STEP ONE I prepared a canvas with six coats of Gesso, making sure each coat was dry before applying the next coat. I then sanded the final coat so it was…

Glazing is a method of painting diluted transparent layers of watercolour on top of each other. Each consecutive transparent glaze alters or intensifies the colour of the layers beneath it. Glazing can allow for subtle changes in value, hue and saturation. Where possible use transparent colours for overglazing. However, Cadmium colours also work very well when be used diluted. There are some vibrant colours that are found in nature that paint pigments cannot replicate. These can be vivid oranges or clear vibrant hot pinks. Even putting a light yellow or lemon glaze on some areas of green leaves will enhance the green and bring the leaves to life. Glazing essentially mixes colour in the viewer’s eye rather than on the palette. When multiple glazes are applied, the colour of all…

Robyn Gibson always loved drawing and painting as a child. She knew that one day she would paint, when she found the time. Early in her busy life, the priorities were sport, work and socialising. Then her family came along. When her two daughters started pre-school, she began to attend two hour painting lessons each week. She did this for a couple of years, but never found sufficient time to practise. Two more years went by before she decided to make a real effort. “I needed a place to paint – where everything was set up and ready to go; otherwise it would all become too difficult,” she relates. “I converted the back of our garage to make my own studio – complete with carpet, a cupboard, a bench and…

Barry Green was born in New Zealand in 1938. He has long since left the land of the long white cloud behind and settled here in Australia. He is a member of the Watercolour Society of Queensland, with an impressive list of artistic achievements accrued during recent years. “All my paintings are watercolours, by the way,” Barry explains. “This is because my goal is to become an excellent watercolourist; not just ‘pretty good’ in two or three mediums.” According to Barry, a background in architectural drafting and building provided a natural foundation for his fascination with watercolours … however his passion to excel is tested continuously by the challenges and intricacies of this difficult medium. After retiring to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in 2000, he took up watercolour painting with real…

Ok I’ll l admit it I’m a doodler, beer mats, tissue paper, nothings safe If I have a pen or pencil at hand, and many artists do the same, often carrying small Sketchbooks and quietly draw while sitting in a café or bar etc, using every opportunity With little thought about the composition, just drawing what’s in front of them, and enjoying the moment. Most would never see the light of day, discarded or retained in private sketchbook never to be seen again, those drawn by famous artists have become very collectable, there is a pub in Stratford on Avon in England adjacent to the Royal Shakespeare theatre, that’s often used by actors, play-wrights’, and visiting artists, where they have collected and framed many doodles left behind by noted people,…

STEP ONE The canvas was primed with gesso but not textured. Usually I like to work on a textured canvas which can give nice shapes and lines to work with. I texture thick acrylic with cards, sometimes using the movement I feel in the subject. I used a small squeegee to mark in the basic lines and movements of the composition. I used a combination of Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna and Alizarin Crimson. STEP TWO I began to work from the sky down. This was unusual for me, as I usually work the painting up as a whole. This painting seemed to flow, doing it this way. I used plastic wrap to apply the paint. The sky was done with Ultramarine Blue and Titanium White; the distant grasses were Burnt…

STEP ONE After wetting the back of the watercolour paper sheet (to slow the drying down), I painted the sky and then dropped the initial light colours into the trees. STEP TWO While the beginning stage was still wet, I decided to work on the roadway – with the colour being built up in Yellow, Red, and then Cobalt Blue. STEP THREE At this stage I returned to the the background and painted the distant hill. I also introduced the deeper colours of the distant and left mid-distant trees. STEP FOUR Next I began to work on the buildings, working forward; dropping in some local colour. STEP FIVE As the paint on the roadway area had dryed off sufficiently, I could safely attend to painting the vehicles. STEP SIX The…