Australian How To Paint magazine chooses a topic or style of art each issue and gives you a comprehensive guide for you to develop your skills. Over the series we will cover all major painting techniques plus popular paint ideas.
For as long as I can remember, I have drawn and painted and have always had an interest and awareness of the environment. When I was 15, my father’s job took him to Fiji so instead of pursuing a career in commercial art after I left school, I found myself living in Nadi for two years. I revelled in the uniqueness of the people, flora, fauna and the uniqueness of the landscape and I painted constantly. This culminated in my first solo exhibition. Various jobs over the next 20 years, including secretary, bookkeeper and sales manager, still allowed me time to indulge in my passion for art. During this time I gained a TAFE qualification in Fine Arts. Having a young family prevented me from relinquishing my full-time employment to…
MATERIALS • Paper: Arches 300gsm hot pressed smooth watercolour paper• Pencil: I used a 0.5mm HB clutch (propelling) pencil• Grey kneadable eraser: for removing pencil lines• Round Sables Brushes: Raphael and Winsor and Newton sizes 1,3,5• Palette: I prefer a ceramic palette with 10 or 12 individual sections to keep colours separated. It is also easier to clean.• Colours: Winsor & Newton Artists’ quality 5ml tubes. I always work with a very limited palette and try to keep my washes to a 2-colour mix, which ensures the colours remain clean and bright. Overglazing at the final stages gives areas of the painting a glow and enhance the underneath colour.• Colours used: Cadmium Lemon, French Ultramarine, Burnt Umber, Quinacridone Gold for overglazing, Raw Sienna. THE PLANT SPECIMEN It is necessary to…
Patricia Williams readily admits that she has had no formal background in art, although she loved to draw as a child many years ago. She did not study art at school – she has simply developed her creative skills by learning from books and observing the work of other people. After leaving school at the age of 15, this lady trained in the Public Service and became a secretary. She married young and raised a large family; simultaneously completing nursing and midwifery training in her late twenties. Circumstances led to her remarrying before she was blessed with another daughter (together with several stepchildren). During all those busy years she was primarily occupied with work and had no time for hobbies apart from reading. “When I retired in my fifties, I…
MATERIALS • Art Spectrum Colourfix sanded paper – Storm Blue; finished size 40 x 50 cm.• Conte Hard Pastels (initially, for outlining and first underpainting).• Art Spectrum Pastels.• Schminke Soft Pastels (for highlights and finishing) – many colours.• Mahl stick.• Torchons and rubber shaper.• Two small paint brushes for erasing. STEP ONE The paper is taped to a board with masking tape. I make a tray with newspaper, and tape it to the board – this gets thrown out when I am finished. I use my fingers to blend colours and soften edges … a lot! I need to wash my hands frequently. I use a cloth to clean the pastels if they get other colours on them. STEP TWO Repositioned leaf, working from top down. STEP THREE Highlights and…
ITALIAN ARUM FRUITS AND SNAILS Down in the far corner of our back garden, next to the compost bins, there is a clump of Italian Arum (Arum italicum). Early one morning, after heavy overnight rain, I spied the dramatic orange fruits and the snails that had emerged from hiding to feast on their bounty. While I love using colour, I must confess that drawing is an absolute passion. It is immensely satisfying to create a work of art using simple materials that every Australian school age child takes for granted – a sheet of paper and a pencil. For this particular tonal drawing, I selected a softly marbled sheet of pale pewter-coloured paper. Because my style is precise and detailed, I prefer to use propelling pencils and 0.5 leads. Beginning…
I live on a beautiful property just outside Cowra, NSW, and I travel into town, where I have my studio, six days per week. It has been very important to me over the years to have this separation of home and painting, especially when my children (now in their early 20s) were younger. When I think about what I do as an artist it seems to me I spend my days painting irrelevant details, well, what others may consider irrelevant, but to me these subtle colour changes and details are what make a painting really work. Our eyes look for these details as they scan a painting, even if we are not aware of it. The hard part is the balancing act of using these details without letting them take…
