Paint.and.Draw.Collection.Volume.4 2nd.Revised.Edition

NEW! 132 pages of expert tips to take your art to the next level
COLLECTION
Volume 4
15
BRUSH
SKILLS
Depth & detail
in pastels
Achieve realism with
this delicate medium
Pro
secrets
Master new
skills
Step-by-step tutorials
VOLUME 4
SECOND
REVISED
EDITION
Digital
Edition
Essential guides from artists
to improve your work
Paint like the masters
Work with ink
Capture movement
Uncover the techniques of history’s
greatest painters
Find out how to add dimension to
your watercolours with ink
Top tips to create a sense of
motion in your scenes
Welcome to
COLLECTION
Creating a piece of art is a rewarding,
challenging and very personal endeavour
– the Paint & Draw Collection Volume 4 is
here to take you through that journey from
start to finish. Art is subjective, and many
artists tend to stick to one medium. Whether
you are interested in oil painting,
watercolours, pencil sketching or pastel
work, there’s something for you. From quick,
bitesized tips to in-depth tutorials that will
guide you from initial sketch to finished
piece, learn how to develop your skills and
produce your best work yet.
Over the following pages, find out how to
re-create the artistic style and approach of
Old Masters like Caravaggio and Turner, and
discover how to bring your wildlife paintings
to life. Elsewhere, read up on the techniques
you need todepict various weather in
pastels, and discover how to perfect your
life-drawing skills.
COLLECTION
Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA
Editorial
Editor Philippa Grafton
Designer Laurie Newman
Compiled by Charles Ginger & Madelene King
Senior Art Editor Andy Downes
Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker
Editorial Director Jon White
Advertising
Media packs are available on request
Commercial Director Clare Dove
International
Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw
[email protected]
www.futurecontenthub.com
Circulation
Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers
Production
Head of Production Mark Constance
Production Project Manager Matthew Eglinton
Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby
Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson
Production Managers Keely Miller, Nola Cokely,
Vivienne Calvert, Fran Twentyman
Printed in the UK
Distributed by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU
www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9001
Paint & Draw Collection Volume 4 Second Revised Edition (CTB4435)
© 2022 Future Publishing Limited
We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed,
certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this bookazine was sourced
and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and
socioeconomic standards. The paper holds full FSC or PEFC certification and accreditation.
All contents © 2022 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved.
No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without
the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number
2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury,
Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far
as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility
for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and
retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps
and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for
their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent
and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
Future plc is a public
company quoted on the
London Stock Exchange
(symbol: FUTR)
www.futureplc.com
Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne
Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford
Chief financial officer Penny Ladkin-Brand
Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244
Part of the
bookazine series
Contents
8
Bitesize tips
Improve your
skills with these
quick tips
Workshop s
08 Bitesize
Follow these quick, simple and fun tips and
start experimenting with your art today!
26 Capture movement in
watercolour
Alex Egan uses the lightest touch to give
depth to a scene featuring koi carp
32 Simple tips for a line and wash
Robert Newcombe demonstrates how to paint
a quintessential country scene in watercolour
32
Combine
38 Find beauty in a fading flower
Julia Trickey creates a translucent
watercolour featuring minute detail
watercolour
with ink
44 Paint a mischievous hare
44
Paint wildlife
50 Create a painted scene
in watercolour
Hannah Dale shares her process for
bringing a hare on the run to life
from sketches
Liam O’Farrell takes you through a pencil and
watercolour workshop based on sketches
54 The art of coloured pencils
Follow Steven Hughes as he shares his
process for creating texture in pencil
60 Build organic texture
Eugenia Hauss guides you through creating
natural texture using ink liner and a brush pen
66 Drawing and shading a figure
Chris Legaspi teaches the basic skills you need
to draw and shade a figure in 20 minutes
72 Depict the body
Learn to observe the figure in life-drawing
classes, says Lancelot Richardson
80 Use a limited palette to create
harmony
David Farren shares how to mix acrylics
to create a sense of continuity
6
84 Create layers in acrylic
Melanie Tong demonstrates how
to make depth in a seascape
88 Cover! Texture, character
94
Depict
weather
in pastel
and colour
Rebecca de Mendonça captures the energy
of a beautiful Arabian horse in pastels
94 Weather effects in pastel
Nel Whatmore invites you to explore
the beauty of weather with pastels
100
Use
coloured paper
100 Use colour paper for
landscapes
Rebecca de Mendonça advises on what
colour surface to use with your pastels
106 Colourful urban roofscapes
Richard Rees explains his approach to
capturing complex urban scenes in oil pastels
114 Paint like Caravaggio
Follow Rob Lunn as he guides you
through the painting process of the
rebellious 17th century master
120 15 brush skills to try today
Tom Brown reveals how you can
connect with your audience through
various brush techniques
126 Abstract, textured
backgrounds in oil
Experimental brackdrops can make your
subject come alive, explains Scott Burdick
132 Paint a seasonal still-life
in layers
Using a traditional technique, Rob Lunn adds
depth and drama to still-life composition
138 Paint like Turner
Want to achieve a Turner-esque
seascape full of movement and glow?
Sarah Jane Brown shows you how
138
Paint
like Turner
7
Bitesize
8
Quick tips
Bitesize
Whether you have half an hour or an afternoon to spare, follow these
quick, simple and fun tips and start experimenting with your art today!
Use paper collage for
fresh ideas as you work
1
1
On a 12x12in canvas I start the piece
without a clear idea of what it will be.
With PVA glue, I apply some torn papers
and add acrylic, letting the paint drip and
enjoying the process. I like the area of light
green in the centre of the canvas and decide
early on that it’s a window.
CREATING a painting without a plan can
be scary at first but it can completely
transform your art. Combining paper
collage with acrylic and working without
a plan is exciting, fun and very creative. I
have a vast collection of different papers,
whether it’s old magazines or beautiful
handmade Japanese papers, and the
papers often give me ideas as I work.
SYLVIA PAUL
Essex, UK
Sylvia’s work has featured in
many shows including at the
RA Summer Exhibition. She
has also exhibited in Japan.
www.sylviapaul.com
Make a personal
paper collection
When on holiday, collect tickets, maps,
newspapers and anything unusual. Charity
shops are great for old maps, books and
stamps. Ask family and friends to donate
any treasures that might be otherwise
thrown away.
Follow these steps...
2
2
The window starts to take shape and I
build up a landscape beyond. The
textured paper looks a bit like a tree
just outside, so I add some leaf shapes. I
found some decorative paper that’s perfect
for the interior walls and part of a doily in the
front to suggest a table. A small piece from a
magazine is torn in a jug shape.
3
3
I add a small plant on the
windowsill using a piece
of book cover and
combine decorative paper and
text from a magazine for the jug
of flowers. I continue to layer
with paint and paper, adjusting
tones to create depth. As I
search for the right pieces, I’m
open to ideas and can try things
out before sticking them down.
9
Bitesize
Make your own canvas
boards at home
and save money
MAKING your own canvas boards is fun,
quick and saves you money. It also gives
you a superior product and the flexibility
to create whatever size or shape you
need for any given project. You don’t
need any specialist skills or tools and you
can pick up everything you need on any
good high street.
ROB LUNN
Bath, UK
Rob is a self-taught painter,
and loves to paint in oils. His
influences are Vincent van
Gogh, Caravaggio and Ilya
Repin. He has taught art
workshops since 2012.
www.roblunn.co.uk
Follow these steps...
1
1
To start making your own canvas boards
you will need 3mm MDF, a metal ruler, a
pencil, some form of utility knife, canvas
material, sandpaper, primer, a priming brush
and a cutting mat. A good right angle is a
handy tool for checking your corners are 90
degrees, but it isn’t essential as long as you
take care with your measuring.
2
2
Check you’re working from a good
corner on your sheet of 3mm MDF and
measure up the desired dimensions of
your board. Once marked up you can cut the
board with the knife, using the metal ruler as
a guide. Start lightly and let your knife do the
work. It will take a few runs to cut through
the board. Take care, fingers don’t grow back!
3
4
3
4
Once you’ve sanded down the cut
edges (do this outside and wear a mask
if possible as MDF dust is nasty), you’re
ready to paint a coat of primer on the front of
your panel. Take your canvas and apply to the
wet primer and press firmly. Take care to line
up the weave of the material so it runs
perpendicular to the edges of the board.
Paint another coat of primer on the
canvas and allow it to dry thoroughly.
Repeat this process a few times to
create a really solid surface, depending on
how much of the weave you want to retain.
Once completely dry, flip the board over and
trim the excess canvas to finish your
hand-crafted canvas board.
Strip off and go naked!
Painting onto a smooth board can give great
results too, so you don’t even need to add
the canvas to the board. Follow steps 1 and
2 then just prime the board a few times,
giving it a light sanding between coats.
Enjoy your new canvas
board and think of all the
other great shapes and
sizes you can make quickly
and easily for any project
that springs to mind!
10
Quick tips
Improve your abstract
compositions by
making sketches
I USUALLY MAKE abstract paintings
without sketches. But sometimes it’s
good to make a sketch, to (hopefully) find
that winning composition.
My pencil sketches start with simple
circles and lines. These then transform
into more recognisable elements. For
example, here the sketch morphs into a
painting of dandelions. I’m working with
watercolour, paper and brushes.
OLGA STERNYK
Kyiv, Ukraine
Art graduate Olga has
illustrated several books and
has exhibited in Europe.
Having experimented with
many mediums, she now
works mainly in watercolour.
www.sternyk.com
Follow these steps...
1
I make a few initial pencil sketches. I
place various dark and light circles and
lines and try to find which looks the best.
The second one seems good.
One of the things I like about abstract art is that
an idea can come to you while sketching. You
need to trust your feelings and your hands,
because abstract portrays your inner world.
2
4
1
2
Once I’ve decided on a sketch, I’ll start
adding detail in a large format with a
pencil. Overall form can still be changed
here. I try to capture a dynamic feeling. It is
more of a subconscious drawing; I let my
hands do the drawing without overthinking
every detail. Kind of zen doodling!
3
I start covering large areas with
watercolour. Then I work on details,
mostly combining colours for a
dandelion flower, its leaves, and some grass.
3
4
Now it’s time for the main work. I apply deep dark
lines with sepia watercolour and a tiny brush. The
character of the dark lines helps me to generalise
the picture and to bring out the forms for this painting. As
always, it is important to look at the picture from a
distance to see if anything needs to change.
11
Bitesize
Once you bring all the
elements together, it is
easy to see how the
colours all look related
to each other.
Learn how to accurately
mix shadow colour
each and every time
1
SOME PEOPLE find mixing for shadows
tricky, often trying to mix a whole new
colour. Unfortunately the result can end
up murky and lifeless and not related to
the rest of the painting. But when
approached properly, shadows can be
packed full of colour and can sit in
harmony within their surroundings. It’s a
lot easier than you might think…
ROB LUNN
I start with my tube colour – in this instance Yellow Lake – and then look for its
complementary colour, Ultramarine Violet. All shadows have an element of blue, so I
choose Ultramarine Blue because it’s warm in tone and leans more towards the violets
and reds. We don’t want our yellow shadow to go too green.
1
12
Quick tips
2
2
Always refer to your colour
wheel when mixing
shadows. Shadows are
made up of local colour (the
colour of the object the shadow
falls upon (in this study a yellow
cube), the local colour’s
complementary colour and a
blue. If the object is orange, only
blue will be added. The object
and type of orange will
determine which blue to choose.
3
When mixing a shadow it
must always be mixed from
its local colour. Don’t mix it
as a separate colour as it will not
be in harmony with the local
colour and will stick out like a
sore thumb. Don’t just mix these
as two unconnected blobs of
colour, either. By mixing the local
and shadow colours, you’ll create
all the gradients inbetween.
3
4
Lighting can differ greatly
around an object, so there
will be instances where
you’ll need to tweak your shadow
colours. Here I had a slightly
warmer light hitting the top of
the cube so after referring back
to the colour wheel, I chose to
add a little magenta to create a
new branch of shadow colour
that was pushed further over to
the warmer side of the wheel.
4
13
Bitesize
Create texture in
animal horns
Here is the complete version of this
nature-inspired drawing; I’ve added
the ivy and made sure that the
artwork has an integral look. I hope
you’ve enjoyed our journey!
CREATING NATURE is a wonderful
source of inspiration for artists, but
drawing realistic animals and various
natural objects can be a great challenge.
In this short article, I invite you to a
drawing journey! On the example of this
beautiful deer, we’ll explore the process
of creating a texture of animal horns.
EUGENIA HAUSS
Belarus
I am a mostly self-taught artist
specialising in ink. Inspiring
and sharing my art knowledge
is my way of making the world
a better place.
eugeniahauss.com
It’s all about observation
Start with simple, uniform textures –
creating study samples will help you to
grow. Pay attention and draw from life as
much as possible. Practice makes perfect!
Follow these steps...
1
Having a part that is almost complete
can be useful as reference. I outline the
contours of the antlers, then add the
main lines of the texture in smooth lines.
2
4
1
2
With the 0.1 ink liner, I apply thinner
hatches – they add more features to the
texture. Don’t overdo the artwork at this
point; we’ll create more details in the next
steps. If drawing deer antlers is a new thing
for you, please be sure to use photos or even
real animal horns as a reference.
3
Dots make our texture look more
organic. With the 0.3 ink liner, I create a
pattern that emphasises the outline.
The closer the dots, the darker your texture.
14
3
4
With the 0.05 ink liner, I add the hatching,
darkening the sides of the antlers and giving them
more volume. I leave the fine lines of the reflected
light by the contour of the horns to add credibility to the
drawing. Don’t forget about the drop shadows from the
twigs – having them in place is important for realism.
Quick tips
How to texture
a tree in ink
A WOOD texture is fascinating, isn’t it?
Drawing a tree may seem difficult –
especially if you are using just one colour.
In this article, I’ll show you steps that will
help you to use the basic techniques for
creating credible ink drawings. You’ll
learn how to see the world in lines and
dots, and no texture will be too
overwhelming for you to handle!
EUGENIA HAUSS
Follow these steps...
1
1
With the 0.3 ink liner, I create the main
contours of the tree, based on the pencil
underdrawing. Having a detailed
pre-made sketch helps in the inking process
because you can apply your lines with
greater confidence. But you can start
drawing directly with ink – it’s up to you. I
also add the prominent features of the
texture and outline the mushrooms that are
growing on the tree.
2
3
4
2
3
4
The texture of the tree is non-uniform;
it has darker spots, hollows, and
prominences. I add more details to my
drawing, using the 0.1 liner. The lines are
smooth and wavy; keep in mind that any real
tree is a three-dimensional object, so the
texture must comply with the shape. The
upper part of the branch is spotlit so I keep it
a bit lighter than the lower one.
To add a beautiful velvety look to the
texture, I add little groups of dots,
using a 0.3 ink liner. I also employ this
technique for drawing the moss – it has a
pronounced grainy texture. Then I create a
soft blurry core shadow for the branch, and
work on the sides of the tree shape to make
them blend with the background in a more
naturalistic way.
I evaluate my artwork; the texture
looks right and the general feel of the
drawing is consistent. With the 0.05
ink liner, I make the tree more 3D, applying
hatching and cross-hatching to the sides of
the branch, especially at the lower part. The
squirrel casts a drop shadow, so I make sure
that it is in place. Congratulations – we’ve
done a great job!
15
Bitesize
Improve your
watercolour
brushwork
WE OFTEN want to produce a whole
picture when we paint. But to progress,
us painters – like musicians – should
‘practise our scales’. Many people want
to paint more expressively, or ‘loosen up’,
yet this involves some risk-taking. Fear
not though, for the excitement adds
appeal to the result– with practice! This
exercise also hones observation skills.
JEM BOWDEN
Bristol, UK
Jem is a watercolour landscape
artist and tutor. He provides
workshops, demonstrations,
1-2-1 tuition and teaches on
residential painting breaks.
jembowdenwatercolour.co.uk
Follow these steps...
1
1
Ideally do this exercise with each brush
in turn. Great mark-making requires
learning their full potential, and they can
surprise you! Find some photos of
characterful old trees, where their outline
shape is clearly visible. We’ll be trying to
identify the key attributes of shape, and then
spend each brushstroke wisely to describe it.
2
2
On rough surface paper, cover a whole
sheet in exploring marks. Try different
dilutions of paint, and vary between a
dry to a more loaded brush. Stroke up, down,
left, right, using the belly, the tip, quickly,
slowly, beginning off or on the paper… Only
once lifted from the paper is a brushstroke
over, so one mark can be quite extensive.
3
4
3
4
Here are just a few types of brushmark.
I’ve drawn a line/arrow underneath
each showing the direction that the
brush was moved in order to make the mark,
done usually at speed! Lifting the brush from
the paper tip-last will give the first, tapered
shape. With practice, similar shapes can
represent bulks of foliage in one go.
This tree consists of seven
brushstrokes, including the ground.
Would an eighth or ninth improve the
result? Appealing marks can outweigh the
importance of exact likeness to your
reference, so long as observed ‘character’
comes through. We need take only as much
from a subject as necessary.
Confidence can
add appeal
But the fact is you don’t need
confidence, all you need is bold
audacity! In other words paint AS IF
you have confidence in a good
outcome. Repetitive practise through
small exercises leads to progress, and
confidence then follows.
A tree in 10 brushstrokes.
Marks with commitment
and energy often have
something worth working
on, when still based on
careful observation.
16
Quick tips
Simplify water
and reflections
in watercolour
This painting used the
same technique of two
washes described in the
exercise. Tiny gaps were
left in the first wash
where light shimmers off
the surface.
WATER can be a complicated and
difficult subject, with many possible
approaches to painting it. Being, usually,
a moving thing, interpreting it into a
two-dimensional image is bound to be
challenging. Wet-in-wet and hard edges
are often used together, but here’s a
common method for painting water using
two separate washes, shown in basic
form with one colour.
JEM BOWDEN
Follow these steps...
1
Paint a simple windmill shape with
perhaps some trees. While this is drying
prepare a wash of the same colour, then
wet the paper with water on a clean brush.
2
4
1
2
Stroke your wash into the wet paper,
gradating from light to darker towards
the bottom. This will give the effect we
often observe when stood by water; it darkens
overall as it comes closer to us. This is
because our angle of vision is to look down
into its depths and less across the surface.
3
Continue quickly on from step two,
while the paint is still damp. Add into it
swift, linear strokes with a thick, fairly
‘dry’ (in other words undiluted) mix of the
paint. It’s best to use tube paint for this.
3
4
Let the paper thoroughly dry. Then prepare a wash
as dark in tone as your windmill. Ideally use a brush
that will hold enough to cover the area you are
about to paint in one go. Then swiftly paint your
reflection, from left to right and top down. Leave some
horizontal gaps and don’t worry too much – reflections
do the strangest things!
17
Bitesize
JILL TISBURY
Northampton, UK
Jill is an artist and tutor who
specialises in wildlife. She
loves to experiment, but her
two main passions are pastels
and airbrushing (acrylics).
jilltisbury.co.uk
Understand basic shapes
EVER WANTED to draw something, but
don’t know where or how to start? This
bitesize shows you how to break a
subject down into basic shapes and then
refine those shapes until you have a
life-like sketch. Its a quick and easy
method with the added bonus of
improving your drawing skills every time.
“Break a subject down into basic shapes
and then refine those shapes”
Here’s my final sketch. None of the
original lines were erased. They simply
melt into the piece as you add more.
1
This method will work for anything you wish to draw.
Choose a reference image and print a high-resolution
copy so that you can see the detail. Also print a
grayscale version on standard printer paper because you
will draw on this copy to identify your shapes. Printing in
grayscale simply removes the distraction of colour
information. Now study the image.
18
Quick tips
2
2
You are looking for the most basic shapes. I can
immediately seethe following large geometric
forms that will be structurally useful:
• An oblong for the muzzle
• Another oblong for the back of the head
• Large oval that makes up the skull.
Keep studying your reference to identify all of
the shapes.
3
Now I have identified all of the basic shapes.
This lynx is mainly oblongs, ovals and a few curved
triangles.Next we can recreate those shapes on the
drawing paper or canvas.Start by drawing the identified
shapes on your drawing surface. Don’t worry about the
lines as they will soon disappear when you start to refine
the shapes.
4
Use your high-resolution reference to see where to link up
your shapes and refine them. Look at the muzzle oblong. I
have rounded the bottom of this to create the front of the
jawline, and the top to create the nose. Add the line that links the
top of the muzzle oblong with the skull oval and you’re starting to
see a realistic outline.
3
3
Now I have identified all of the basic shapes.This Lynx is
mainly oblongs, ovals and a few curved triangles.Next we
can recreate those shapes on the drawing paper or
canvas. Start by drawing the identified shapes on
yourdon’t
drawing
If you
yet feel confident in getting
surface. Don’t worry about the lines as they will sizes
so disappear
correct, use a pencil and your
when you start to refine the shapes.
thumb to get a rough measure.
Rule of thumb
19
Bitesize
Learn to use proportional dividers
MANY PEOPLE shy away from
proportional dividers, but they are a
really versatile tool once you understand
a few basic rules when it comes to using
them. Over the next couple of pages, this
bitesize explains what they are and how
Follow these steps...
to use them. If you want a more detailed
tutorial on using proportional dividers,
there are plenty available online.
JILL TISBURY
There are several
ways to use
proportional dividers
1
Proportional dividers come in many of
sizes and are used to transfer a drawing
1:1 or to enlarge or reduce. There will
either be a sliding scale or a series of holes
with a screw or clip to join the two pieces
together to form a pivot point. Decide on the
scale you want and adjust accordingly. The
centre hole will usually be 1:1 scale.
Measurements on
the dividers help you
to work out scale
Use the points to
work out the
distance you’ll scale
2
Print a grey-scale reference to draw on
and draw a frame on your paper. I’m
transferring 1:1, therefore my frame is
the same size as the original. At each
prominent point on the reference you will
draw a dot to form a sort of dot-to-dot map.
Although I’ve drawn a few here, I generally
draw the dots as I work to avoid confusion.
20
Quick tips
3
Chose a starting point on the reference
and draw your first dot. Place one
divider point on the frame of the image
and the other on the point you drew to take
the measure. Move the dividers to the
drawing page and draw a vertical line. Repeat
from the top of the image, and where the
lines cross, mark your dot. Join up to create
the outline.
Divide and conquer
Using the dot-to-dot approach of
proportional dividers is much less
intrusive than scaling with a grid.
4
Continue working around your image
in this way until you have an outline of
dots. Add as many or as few dots as
necessary and join them up, paying
particular attention to your reference.
Soon you will have an outline sketch that
you can refine into a full drawing. As your
drawing confidence increases, you may
find you need fewer dots.
Bitesize
STEVEN HUGHES
Michigan, USA
Steven is associate professor
of illustration at Northern
Michigan University. His
paintings and illustrations
have been featured in many
exhibitions and publications
including the New York Times.
primaryhughes.com
1
Designing compositions with limited values
ONE OF the most difficult parts of
working in colour is controlling the value
contrast, because it’s so easy to be
seduced by the hue and saturation of the
subject or paint. That’s why studying the
pattern of light and dark in the early
stages of a new composition is essential
to a successful final piece. Simplifying
your subject matter into two, three, and
four values establishes a strong
understanding of the compositional
balance and heightens the awareness of
low contrast areas that may need to be
reconsidered. Personal preference
should dictate the choice of black and
Starting with a layout drawing, I loosely identify the big shapes using
straight lines. In the next step the subject will be reduced in value to
just black and just white. In order to plan for the difference between
dark and light, or as the Japanese refer to it, ‘notan’, I think of a greyscale
and split it in half. Everywhere in the subject that is a 50% grey or lighter
will be left white. Conversely, anything darker than 50% is represented as
black. So, in this step I’m beginning to identify that line of separation on
the forms or between elements.
white media that is used to develop these
value plans. The sketches can be highly
refined, or quick shorthand notations as
thumbnails. Grey and black markers, ink
wash, digital media and charcoal are all
excellent media to lay down values
quickly, but I prefer graphite for the more
developed work shown. The extra effort
needed to layer the pencils and create
the values allows more time to assess the
image and walk through the stages in a
way that is similar to how I would paint. It
comes down to a personal preference; if
you find an approach that feels right, then
it’s more likely to become routine.
2
1
2
Leaving the white untouched, it’s time to fill in the
black. I lay down the graphite in layers with 6B, 4B, and
2B rather than using heavy pressure with one pencil, so
that I can search out the right shapes and refine the edges. If
the balance of the composition suffers from a pure black and
white interpretation, I can make adjustments to it before
moving to the final.
22
3
Quick tips
3
As I start to make these studies more
complex, this three-value step is
especially helpful at establishing local
value contrast. The introduction of a midtone
allows me to divide the dark and light shapes
of the initial stage into smaller elements. I’ve
made sure that light objects are placed
against dark or midtone grounds, and that
darks are on lighter values to ensure clear
silhouettes and readability. This stage usually
reveals if there are any low contrast areas
that need more attention.
4
4
The final example illustrates a 4-value
approach. I have black, white, and now
two midtones to work with
compositionally. This gives me the ability to
create the illusion of a little more form and
sense of light, dedicating one midtone to be
part of the light half of the greyscale range,
and one part of the dark half. It also allows for
continued development of the local value
contrast as can be seen between the books
Most valued player
Tonal values are incredibly important. If
they’re not correct, the viewer will be
able to tell, even unconsciously.
23
Bitesize
Two approaches to Indian ink
WORKING with Indian ink has vast
possibilities for expression. One of my
favourite ways to work with ink brings the
two opposing sides of the medium, line
and smooth tonal gradients, together in
one picture. The specificity of a line
compared to a soft gradation can feel
different, with the line being more of a
confinement to the figure. By promoting
variation in the thickness of the line and
following the rhythm of your hatching
lines into the brushstroke application of
ink wash, you can create stronger unity.
Wash and wait
Be patient when applying ink washes!
Give them plenty of time to try before
progressing to detailed linework.
STEVEN HUGHES
1
1
Establish a rough sketch of your subject. For the fox, I am
being loose and using gestural lines with some
underlying geometric structure. I make sure to create
interesting negative space and avoid concealing any
important characteristics of the back leg with the overlaps.
2
“Bring the two opposing
sides of the medium,
line and smooth tonal
gradients, together in
one picture”
24
2
After lightly tracing my sketch onto the final
watercolour paper with a H or 2H pencil, I begin the
inking process. Using metal nibs and a bottle of
waterproof Indian ink, I lay down the outlines and some early
interior details. Variations in thick and thin can promote a
sense of light or strengthen the feeling of overlap. Let the ink
lines completely dry before beginning the next step, or they
may bleed unexpectedly with the application of ink wash.
Quick tips
3
This step establishes the local values of your figure. In
this instance, I am working with three values and simple
gradients. Tilt your drawing surface so that gravity will
pull the wash downward as you work. I leave the paper
untouched for highlights and the white fur on the fox. I tone
everything else with a light midtone to establish the body’s
colour. To achieve a soft edge, the area is brushed with clean
water and painted into with the ink wash. After the first wash
layer is dry, the legs and a few other spots on the head receive
the darkest value.
3
4
Once the local values are defined, I model the light and
shadow across the fox. Imagining a light source from
above, the form relies on seeing the geometric shapes
within the figure. Save the local colour from the previous step
as the brightest part of the leg and turn the form by making
the planes that face away from the light source a little darker.
The loosely washed-in background is used to create a
changing value contrast with the figure called
counterchange. The gradient allows the head and legs to be
darker than the background, while the tail and back are
brighter, giving 3D form and movement.
4
5
The final step helps to integrate the hatching ink lines
with the soft gradients of the ink wash. Using the brush
like a nib to create lines and shapes with grey tones I
add fur texture and smaller marks to develop more character
to the forms. Some areas are darkened with final
adjustments to the value contrast. Finally, I bring the pen nib
back to enhance a few spots and introduce some
spontaneous marks or lines as texture. These marks are like
personal handwriting, so add them to taste!
5
25
Workshop
Capture movement
with loose brushstrokes
Alex Egan uses her watercolours with the lightest of
touches, as she gives depth to a scene featuring koi carp
ALEX
Norwich, UK
Alex studied fine art at Bristol.
She loves to paint animals,
but she’s also inspired by
subjects of beauty in the
natural world – particularly
trees, which she considers to
be beings in their own right
www.alexegan.co.uk
W
Ma terials
I’m using a lightweight watercolour paper
that has a bit of texture, but isn’t too rough.
It’s an A1 size sheet cut in half, because the
final image is to be approximately 46x33cm.
I dampen the paper with a light spray of
water and then stick it into a board using
gum tape to stretch the paper. I always
stretch the paper when using watercolour
because it wrinkles when it gets wet, but if
it’s been stretched it’ll always dry flat. My
brushes vary from some large flat broad soft
watercolour brushes for the initial layering
on of colour, then to some fine sable round
ones. I like to use a rigger brush for detail.
26
atercolours are my
medium of choice when
I paint animals. The
fluidity of the paint helps
to give a real sense of
movement and vitality.
This particularly applies when painting koi
carp. I’ve illustrated these beautiful fish a
number of times and it’s crucial to get the
composition right. They need to flow down the
page and it’s very different from doing, say, a
landscape, which has clearer guidelines as to
where the horizon goes, for example.
I usually start by sketching a few
ideas, to see which looks most pleasing.
I’ll also tidy up my work surface, so that
I have clean palettes and plenty of water
to hand. Once I start painting I have to
work fairly quickly, otherwise the paint
can dry and leave a mark I’m not happy
with. However, there are times when you
want the paint to dry completely, such
as the background. This is when you can
plan the next step and what colours and
brushes to have ready.
Watercolour
27
Workshop
Fast & loose
I like to start with big broad
brushes, so that I don’t have
too much control. It’s easy to
overwork things, so I’ve learnt
to start a painting very loosely
to develop a nice feeling of
movement, particularly when
painting koi carp.
1
Prepare the paper
I cut four strips of gum tape (available in art
shops) to size so they’ll be ready to use. Then
I prepare the watercolour paper by spraying it
lightly on both sides (I use a house plant sprayer
but any well-washed out kitchen cleaner or similar
spray bottle will do). You need to have a wet sponge
or cloth ready to wet the gum tape and then apply
quickly to each edge of the paper, to stretch it on a
board. Avoid getting creases down the edges, and
note that it’ll look wrinkly while it’s still wet.
2
Start sketching
I usually make a few sketchy
drawings to work up the bigger
one from. Once the paper has dried
I lightly sketch out the final design
from my small drawings.
28
Watercolour
3
Paint the background
I prepare two colours – Prussian Blue and
Sepia – in small dishes, by adding water to
each colour to create a very diluted mix. I then start
painting with some big, broad brushes, using
kitchen paper to pat off any excess. I work quickly
at this stage and don’t worry too much about going
over the edges of the fish, which I’m leaving white
for now. While the background paint is still wet,
I use a combination of wet and dry brushes to
create ripples and watery reflections. I avoid
making the water too detailed because I don’t want
this to detract from the fish. I then let the paper dry
with a small pug to guard it.
4
Starting on the fish
I’m using a limited palette for the koi carp:
Winsor Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow,
Cadmium Orange, Vermillion and Payne’s Gray.
I block in fairly diluted colours on each of the
fish using a smaller flat brush and a smallish
round sable brush.
29
Workshop
5
Adding depth and shading
6
Putting back the pencil detail
I’m constantly applying more layers of paint
to build up the depth of colour. This gives
more luminosity to the final painting, but you’ll
need to let it dry between layers. I start adding light
shading to give the fish shape, using diluted
applications of Payne’s Gray.
I notice that I’ve lost quite a bit of the original
sketch from the wet paint, so I decide to add
more detail back using a soluble pencil to help
guide me and firm up some of the outlines.
7
Tricks of the trade
Sometimes when working quickly, I have a
clean brush standing by to take off excess
paint that I’ve put down with another brush.
Watercolour can be unpredictable to work with,
so I’ve taught myself a few ways to deal with this
unruly medium. Kitchen paper is useful for dabbing
off excess paint, but this need to be done with care
because it can leave unwanted marks.
30
Watercolour
8
Standing back
At points throughout the painting
it’s a good idea to pause and take a
step back. This is a little tricky to time
when using watercolour, but when I feel
that I’ve more or less finished, I stop and
take a good look at my work. I decide the
background needs to be darker to make
the fish stand out more.
10
9
Adding more depth
to the background
I mix up a darker solution of the paint
using the same colours originally used for the
background along with some Payne’s Gray. I use
big brushes to cover the area quickly, and then
smaller brushes for the fiddly bits around the edges
of the fish. Spraying areas of the wet paint with the
water bottle creates a pleasing droplet effect.
Insp irat ion
I recently came back from a
wonderful trip to Japan, and
I managed to see many other
incredible sights – including
quite a few koi carp in
ornamental gardens. I also
saw some traditional and
ancient Japanese paintings of
the fish in one of the museums
in Tokyo. I find them very
inspirational when I’m
lacking in ideas and feeling
despondent about my own
work. Seeing some original art
always lightens my mood, and
I come away freshly inspired
and keen to get going again.
Finishing touches
I mix some white gouache
paint to add highlights to the
fish and use a medium-size brush to
apply a few white spatter marks, which
creates movement in the painting. It’s
time to stop – I feel the painting would
become overworked if I do any more to
it. It’s not always easy to know when to
finish, but ‘less is more’, and experience
and practice enables me to know when
the time is right.
31
Workshop
Simple tips for an English
church in line and wash
Using his unique ‘5 C’s of painting’, Robert Newcombe demonstrates
how to paint a quintessential English country scene in his favourite media
32
Watercolour
ROBERT
Ravenstone, UK
Robert Newcombe has been
painting in watercolour for
over 30 years. In 2012, he was
selected by the BBC as one
of 20 artists to paint the
Diamond Jubilee Thames
Pageant from the Millennium
Bridge in London.
robertnewcombeartist.com
Ma terials
n Winsor & Newton Professional Water
Colour range: Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna,
Burnt Umber, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine
Blue, Brown Madder, light red.
n Bockingford Not 140lb (300gsm),
size 11x15in.
n Isabey Squirrel Mop Brush (size 10)
for the broad washes and Escoda Perla
(sizes 8 and 12) to use on the
architectural details.
n For a pen, try a sharpened matchstick
(Bryant & Mays Extra Long Matches)
dipped in a bottle of waterproof Indian
ink. The matchstick makes it easy to
achieve a line with character.
n B pencil
n Putty rubber
live in Ravenstone, one of the lovely
Cotswold stone villages of North
Buckinghamshire – it’s the Cotswolds
without the tourists! St Laurence’s
Church in Weston Underwood, the next
village from where I live, is a typical
medieval village church.
The photograph of the church shown
in step 1 was taken on a sunny but cool
day in April from the edge of a field at the
back of the church. I have put a 3x3 grid
on the photograph. Draw a 14x10in
border on your watercolour paper and
this will be exactly proportional to the
dimensions of the photograph. Once
done, draw a 3x3 grid lightly with a B
pencil on the watercolour paper, which
will proportionately match the grid on
the photograph and enable you to
transfer the image accurately.
With the basics done, read on as I
share my ‘5C’s of Painting’ and show
you how I develop a unique
interpretation of this subject.
I
1
Paint from the photo
The first C is Concept (what you
want to say in the painting). The
concept here is English country church
on the edge of a village. I decide to refine
the concept to create a warm autumn
painting in contrast to the cool spring
feel of the photograph; the concept now
is an English country church in autumn.
I also decide to have a strong sun from
the left to light up the left facade of the
church and create strong shadows for
tonal contrast at the centre of interest.
33
Workshop
2
Pencil outline drawing
Composition is the next C and refers to the
arrangement of the painting. A pencil outline
of the main elements is drawn by referring to the
3x3 grid on the photograph and putting dots on the
watercolour paper grid where the main elements
strike the grid lines. Then it’s a case of joining the
dots – no detail, just the outline of the objects. For
clarity, I’ve drawn the gridlines, dots and outline in
strong 4B pencil, but you should draw these lines
with a B pencil as lightly as you can.
3
Start the ink drawing
Line and wash is particularly
useful for details on the buildings
and drawing the trees. To produce a line
with character, I’m using a sharpened
matchstick dipped into waterproof black
Indian ink. It is particularly good fun
flicking in the trunks and branches of
the bare autumn trees. As the ink
drawing is completed first, it is critical
that the ink is waterproof and doesn’t
run when the watercolour washes are
applied. As I’m left-handed, I start
drawing on the right-hand side of the
paper to avoid smudging the ink; if you
are right-handed start on the left.
No need
to stretch
I never stretch paper; just buy
thicker paper to avoid
cockling – minimum 140lb
(300gsm) for quarter Imperial,
minimum 200lb (425gsm) for
half Imperial.
34
4
The completed ink drawing
You will note I have made some adjustments from the photograph: I
left out the rather ugly bush at the centre left of the photograph,
which I felt competed with the church. I’ve also indicated some plough
furrows in the foreground to create the autumn feeling but reversed the
direction of the furrows to give directional perspective lines leading the
eye to the centre of interest – the church. I also added a distant hill to
improve the composition and add depth.
Watercolour
5
Hatch in the shadows
The next C to explore is Contrast (tone
values). This refers to the darkness or
lightness of objects in the painting; I create the
tonal plan for the painting at the ink drawing stage
by hatching in the shadows using vertical lines. The
sun is coming from the left so there will be shadows
on the right-hand side of the tower,the buttress and
the gable end of the church, as well as an eaves
shadow caused by overhanging roof. If you want to
erase the grid lines, now is the time.
6
Paint the sky
Colour is the next C to consider, specifically whether it is warm or
cool. I’ve decided on a predominantly warm painting so the sky will
be warm light grey clouds with blue patches. I mix a warm light grey from
Cobalt Blue and light red and another pan of strong Cobalt Blue. Using my
mop brush, I apply clean water where I want the clouds and leave the
paper dry for the blue patches. To emphasise the centre of interest, I put
blue sky behind the church tower, leaving the domed cupola the white of
the paper. Then I quickly paint the light grey wash into the damp paper,
creating soft-edged clouds and drop in some more blue patches in a
single wet-into-wet wash.
7
Begin the
foreground
One of my concept
decisions was to change the
season to autumn and create a
freshly ploughed field in the
foreground in rich browns and
reds to give warmth to the
painting. The plough furrows
were drawn in ink so at this
point, a strong wash of Burnt
Umber and Burnt Sienna is
sloshed on with my mop brush.
The shadows created by the
furrows are dropped in while the
wash is still damp.
35
Workshop
Logical approach
I developed my 5C’s of Painting
(Concept, Composition, Contrast,
Colour, Completion) to provide a logical
sequence of steps in the painting
process (see my book, Robert
Newcombe’s 5C’s of Painting).
9
8
First wash on the buildings
I add a touch of Raw Sienna to my grey cloud wash to emulate the dull
yellow grey of the Cotswold stone. Using my number 12 round brush, I
paint the walls and tower of the church in addition to the gravestones.
Finalise the wash
The church, cottage roof and the domed
roof of the cupola are all painted with a
strong mix of Ultramarine Blue and light red
mixed on the paper to vary the wash. I then use
light grey again for the lead roof on the facing
extension and paint the cottage walls light red.
The large bush in front of the church uses
Ultramarine Blue and Raw Sienna, and the other
bush is Burnt Sienna. Both are put in while the
church wall wash is slightly damp to give a
soft-edge effect. The long dead grass at the edge
of the field is watery Burnt Umber.
36
10
The shadow wash
The hatched shadows are reinforced
with a strong shadow wash, which will
turn on the sunshine. Shadows aren’t grey; they
are a darker tone of the colour of the object plus
some purple from the sky and reflected light from
adjacent elements. For shadows I use a
transparent mix of Ultramarine Blue and Brown
Madder; the transparency of the shadow wash
allows the colour to show through, which I reinforce
with some strong colour dropped into the wet
shadow mix, for example, Raw Sienna into the
tower shadow.
Watercolour
11
Make the final
touches
Completion is the final
C. At this stage, I’m nearing the
finish of the painting and there is
a danger of adding too much.
The trees need some indication
of shape, so using quick
downward strokes I dry brush in
some light Burnt Umber. Then I
emphasise the furrows in the
foreground with some
corrugated cloud shadows using
the same shadow mix as before
and dropping in some neat Burnt
Sienna as the local colour.
Interpret
the scene
The major breakthrough in my
artistic approach came when I
realised that I didn’t have to paint
the scene or photograph in front of
me exactly; in this workshop aren’t
painting the photograph, we are
painting from the photograph,
giving the subject our own unique
interpretation. We have artistic
licence to omit, move or change
elements in the scene.
12
Enjoy your work
At this point I refer back to my concept; English country church in autumn.
Have I achieved my concept? I think I have, so the painting is finished.
37
Workshop
Find beauty in
a fading flower
Julia Trickey creates a translucent
watercolour featuring minute detail
38
Watercolour
JULIA
Bath, UK
Julia’s a botanical artist and
tutor who loves painting the
detail and beauty of nature.
She’s particularly drawn to
less-than-perfect subjects,
such as autumn leaves, seed
heads and fading flowers.
juliatrickey.co.uk
F
or this workshop I still adhere to the
basic principle of botanical art – to
represent my subject accurately and
in detail – but have chosen to capture
it at this fading stage for its aesthetic
appeal. I’ve also enlarged and cropped the
flower somewhat, to focus in on the detail and to
give the viewer a different perspective.
When starting any new painting I’ll
think through the stages and techniques
I need to accurately capture my subject’s
key natural characteristics. This may
include looking at more complicated
parts or textures of the plant, or having a
trial run.
Here, you’ll see how I work in layers
of watercolour to capture the light,
shadow and form of the petals, how
to use masking fluid to deal with the
arrangement of stamens in the centre of
the flower, and how to build up details
towards the end of the painting process.
Materials
n Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolours
n Fabriano Artistico HP 140lb extra white
watercolour paper (old stock) 21x21cm
n Jackson’s One Pound Sable paint brush,
size 4 (no longer available)
n Ruling pen
n Drawing nib
n SAA white masking fluid
1
Establish your
lighting scheme
By working from the real
plant material, as well as
carefully taken photographs,
you can keep checking
structure and detail as your
painting progresses. Set
your subject up, lighting it
from one side (traditionally
the left) to give yourself a
good range of lights and
shadows. A little extra,
optional back light will help to
emphasise the translucence
nature of the petals.
2
Observational
drawing
Start with a carefully
observed drawing, referring
to the photos that you’ve
taken and the real flower.
Draw this on tracing or
inexpensive paper. In this
way you don’t need to worry
about making mistakes and
spoiling the surface of the
watercolour paper. Scale up
your subject if you like.
3
Transferring
the drawing
To transfer the drawing
to the watercolour paper I use
graphite transfer paper. This
is sandwiched between the
drawing and the watercolour
paper, and works just like
carbon paper. However,
you may prefer to use a
traditional lightbox and trace
the image, or use a bright
window in the same way.
39
Workshop
Masking
Using a ruling pen or drawing
nib for applying masking fluid
gives you finer results than
using an old brush. Choose
the more liquid brands of
masking Fluid, such as Pebeo
Drawing Gum.
4
Masking fluid
Before starting to paint,
decide if any of your
image needs masking out.
This means you can protect
parts of your painting while
you work on background
colours or other areas of the
picture. Here, I’ve decided to
mask out the stamens in the
centre of the flower.
5
Wet-in-wet petals
6
Working in layers
Working on one petal at a time,
aim to create its form using wetin-wet watercolour techniques. Wet the
area until thoroughly and evenly wet.
Wait for a surface sheen (rather than
lots of surface water) before dabbing in
colour, adding stronger colours where
you see darks or shadows. Stop once
the paper starts to dry, even if you
haven’t quite finished.
If you don’t manage to capture all the colour or form of
a petal in one wet-in-wet layer, don’t worry. Botanical
watercolours are built up over several layers and so you can
revisit areas as many times as needed. However, the absolute
golden rules are never fiddle with drying paint, and allow each
layer to dry completely before working on the next.
7
Building up shape and form
Work on each petal, building up the form using wet-in-wet
techniques. On subsequent layers carefully retrace your
steps when applying the water to avoid developing a double
edge to the shape, which would need correcting later. Add new
colours and strengthen shadows as needed. Compare the
tonal value of each petal and then adjust them accordingly.
40
Watercolour
8
Dealing with hairs
The back of the anemone petals and stem have quite a
hairy texture. These hairs can be applied with a fine
drawing nib and masking fluid. This enables you to continue
with wet-in-wet techniques over these areas, while ignoring
the hairs for now. You’ll see that the paper remains white
where the hairs have been masked out.
9
Tackling the flower centre
Now that you’ve got some shape and form on each petal,
it’s a good time to look at the centre of the flower. Wash
greys and other neutral colours over the masked area – try to
create some form on the central ‘mound’ and background
colours behind the masked stamens and filaments. You can
also start defining some of the outer stamens.
10
More stamens
and filaments
Once this first layer has
dried you can use masking fluid
again to add more texture to the
central mound and to further define
stamens and filaments. In this way
you can create a realistic layered
look. Paint over the area again with
stronger greys. Remember to
constantly refer to your photos or the
real flower under a magnifying glass.
11
Adding detail
While the centre of the flower
is drying you can start adding
detail to the petals. This is done with
small amounts of stronger paint on the
brush. The veins are then drawn on,
following the undulations of the petals.
Don’t make these marks too strong
initially because they need to blend into
the background. You can strengthen
them later as you see fit.
41
Workshop
12
Back to the middle
Once you’re happy with the
depth of colour behind the
masked stamens and this area is
thoroughly dry, you can remove the
masking fluid. Rub it off carefully with a
clean finger. The white shapes left by the
masking fluid will seem quite stark and
will need refining. Start this by washing
greys and beiges over the white shapes.
A ttract ion
Before you even pick up a
pencil, take a good look at
your subject. What attracts
you to it – colour, texture,
detail? This is what you need
to get across to your viewer.
13
Refine the
centre
The centre of the
flower is where the eye is drawn
to, so take time studying the
detail before attempting to
recreate it on your painting.
Consider each shape and decide
if it’s darker or lighter than the
one next to it.If you find this too
complicated, focus on getting
the main stamens right,
then hint at the ones behind.
42
Watercolour
14
Balancing the
tones and detail
Continue to build up
the detail on each petal and the
flower’s centre. Look at your
picture at arm’s length every
now and again, or in a mirror, to
check the overall balance. It’s
fine to wash colour over the
detail if you need to either soften
the detail or to strengthen areas
of the painting.
15
Worth
the risk
The first time I exhibited a
set of larger-than-life, faded
flower paintings was a nailbiting experience. I wasn’t
sure how they would be
received. However the
judges loved them and they
were awarded a gold
medal. Sometimes it’s worth
taking a risk.
Finishing touches
Having removed the
masking fluid from the
petal backs and stem, you can soften
the hairs with thin washes of colour.
Paint in the leafy collar using the
same techniques used on the petals:
wet-in-wet, then dry brush detail.
Revisit the painting after a few days
to check whether you need to make
any final adjustments.
43
Workshop
Tips to paint a
mischievous hare!
Hannah Dale is known globally for her beautiful wildlife illustrations.
Here she shares her process for bringing a hare on the run to life
HANNAH
Brigg, UK
The creator of best-selling
giftware brand Wrendale
Designs, Hannah has
become known all over the
world for her characterful
and engaging watercolour
illustrations of wildlife.
wrendaledesigns.co.uk
Capturing the essence of a spritely
hare might seem a difficult task,
but follow Hannah’s approach and
you will be sure to create
something to be proud of.
44
I
’ve had to develop a different way of
working over the last few years. Gone
are the days when I could lock myself
away in a studio for hours and immerse
myself in a piece of work – I have three
young children and take a very active
role in our business so this has meant that
painting time only comes here and there,
often at the kitchen table where I can keep
an eye on everyone while I paint (we even
bought an extra long kitchen table so I can
leave my paints out rather than having to
pack them away each meal time!).
I found this pretty difficult at first but
I’ve slowly adapted to being able to work
in quite a fragmented way and it suits
my lifestyle perfectly. It also means that
if an idea pops into my head suddenly, I
can quickly get to work with a sketch and
put the ideas down on paper rather than
having to wait until I can get some
proper studio time.
Having studied zoology, animals and
wildlife have always been a great
passion for me and I never tire of
painting them. We’re lucky enough to
live in the Lincolnshire countryside and
have limitless inspiration right on the
doorstep. In this tutorial, I’m going to
give a step-by-step guide to painting a
running hare. I must have painted
hundreds of hares over the years and it’s
a real passion for me, but each painting
always unveils a new character, which
reveals itself as the painting progresses
– I always find it an exciting process.
Ma terials
Hannah uses Winsor & Newton
Professional Water Colour paints. She uses
the pans rather than tubes because they
offer more convenience.
The surface is Winsor & Newton Classic
Water Colour paper, 300gsm cold press.
The size is 16x20in, which she uses for a lot
of her work. This paper has a nice toothy
texture and handles the paints well.
The brushes Hannah uses are Winsor &
Newton Sceptre Gold synthetic brushes
and Series 16 sable brushes. The sizes
range from 00 for the very fine details to 16
for the loose washes. Hannah gets through
a lot of brushes, especially the finer grades,
so she views the synthetic sable brushes as
an excellent and less expensive alternative
to the standard sable ones.
Hannah’s initial sketch was created
using an HB pencil.
Watercolour
45
Workshop
1
Create the sketch
Starting with a blank sheet of paper can seem pretty daunting, and the
first marks can often feel the hardest. I want to paint a running hare
and getting a sense movement and energy into a piece of work is quite
challenging – I’ve started with some quick pastel sketches, which I find
useful for experimenting with different compositions and poses. As a
general rule, I want to avoid parallel lines and introduce as much contrast
as possible in the lighting and colour palette to stop the final piece feeling
too calm. It takes quite a while to complete this step – I keep changing
things, and then leaving it for a few hours before coming back to reassess.
For me, it’s really crucial to get the elements right at this stage to save a lot
of wasted time later on.
Use a mirror
as you work
I look at my work through a
mirror at regular intervals – it’s
like looking at it with fresh eyes
and you immediately spot
anything that’s not working or
that might be missing – it can
save a lot of head scratching
later on!
2
The first wash
3
Add a contrast colour
I’m giving the painting its first wash
using a mix consisting of Burnt
Sienna and Yellow Ochre, along with a
touch of red. I want the red to show
through subsequent layers of paint and
provide the painting with a warm base.
One of the key points of this stage is to
eliminate any white in the painting that
will not remain white in the finished
piece. In this case, the only white of the
paper will be the glint in the hare’s eye
and a little dab on the tail.
The next stage is to establish the
light source and work out where
the shadows will fall. This instantly starts
to give the hare some form and he begins
to look three dimensional. I’m using
violet, French Ultramarine and a tiny bit
of Burnt Umber. This mix contrasts well
with the warm wash and introduces a
cooler element.
46
Watercolour
4
Start work on the fur
Now I want to build up the areas of
shadow while introducing the
appearance of fur. With watercolour, I like
to give the impression of fur rather than
paint each individual hair, and it helps to
work with more of a dry brush for this
effect rather than the wet washes in the
previous stages. I’m still working fairly
quickly across the whole painting here,
to build it up with consistency rather
than focusing on a small area.
7
5
Now for the ears
For some reason, when painting hares and
rabbits, I always start with the ears when it
comes to focusing on the detail. I think it’s because
you get a good range of colour and light contrast
within the ears due to the way they fold, creating a
deep shadow in the centre. Hares have a good range
of colour variation in the ears with the black tips.
This then becomes a good benchmark for the rest
of the work and if you are constantly asking yourself
‘is the shadow on the foot as dark as the shadow on
the ear’ etc, it helps to make the final piece coherent.
6
Develop the fur
I’m now adding layer
upon layer of fur – there
is a huge variety of colour
within fur and building up the
layers help to make it look
more realistic. I’m sticking
with oranges, purples and
browns and always being
mindful of where the shadows
are and where the light would
be hitting the animal.
Time for reflection
The form is really starting to take
shape now and I’m happy with the way
the fur is looking. I like to take a bit of a break
at this point and come back to the painting
with fresh eyes – it’s a good time to view it
through a mirror, which reveals any areas
needing a bit more attention.
The ‘it’ factor
The most important ingredient in any
artwork is a passion for what you are
painting. I worry much less about the
materials and paints than really engaging
with the subject – for me it’s about
capturing a character and expressing that
in watercolour. Even if it’s not technically
perfect, this will give the painting a kind of
magic that is hard to define but is evident
at a glance.
“I like to take
a bit of a
break at this
point and come
back to the painting
with fresh eyes – it’s
a good time to view
it through a mirror”
47
Workshop
“I just need to make
the final tweaks to the
shading, add the
whiskers and some
splatters”
Have faith in yourself
I didn’t study art beyond school and for a long time I felt
I had to apologise for not being ‘professional’. I had sold
thousands of prints and still didn’t have the confidence
to call myself an artist or even to sell my original
paintings as I was too embarrassed to put a value on
them. I think as an artist you are your own worst critic
and I am definitely no exception – it’s so important to try
and get past this and tell yourself ‘I am an artist!’
9
The eyes
Often the most daunting
part, the eyes can make or
break a piece and really give the
subject its character and personality. This
painting is of a lively brown hare, full of
energy and mischief and the eyes must reflect this.
I spend quite a bit of time building up the shading
and the whole colour palette and tonal range is
used within this small space! I think this is
key to a successful eye – the very lightest
and very darkest part of the painting
exist right next to one another.
48
8
Check the shading
This is a good time to check that the balance of the piece is
working. I want to make sure that the darkest and lightest areas of
shading are in the right place. It’s really important to make the final piece
coherent and ensure the whole range of shading, from white to black, has
been used in all the right places. It’s also a good time to adjust the warm
and cool highlights to make sure there is good colour contrast as well.
Watercolour
10
Finishing touches
Nearly there now – I just need to make the final tweaks to the
shading, add the whiskers and some splatters, which also
help to add to the movement and energy of the piece. I’m focusing them
around the back feet as if he is kicking up mud as he goes along! It was
my original intention to paint more detail in the grass at the bottom but
upon reflection I don’t think it needs it. I like the way it sits there like a full
stop at the end of the outstretched foot, anchoring the painting nicely.
49
Workshop
Create a painted scene
from an outdoors sketch
Liam O’Farrell takes you through a pencil-and-watercolour workshop,
based on a quick watercolour sketch painted on a chilly Hampshire beach
uring February, I visited my old
home town of Portsmouth. While
walking along the beach I came
across Clarence Pier. It looked an
ideal painting subject to me,
because it’s in a state of disrepair – a bit of
dilapidated glory always stirs me! The pier
also holds some fine memories from when
I was a child. Added to that, along the beach
there were a few locals taking a walk with
their bouncing dogs.
D
50
People who walk on beaches in winter
tend not to be the same people who
sunbathe on them in summer. I was
enthused, and decided to paint the
scene. I would use it a basis for a studio
painting. I always travel very light. I pulled
out a small watercolour box, a
sketchbook, some pencils and brushes.
I sheltered from the wind behind a café,
got myself cosy, pulled my hat down and
wearing my fingerless gloves, I began…
LIAM
Pilton, UK
Liam is an artist who loves
the passing world – he's
fascinated by ordinary things,
as he believes they are the
most special. He uses
watercolour and oil paints,
although fundamentally it's
all about the drawing.
www.liamofarrell.com
Watercolour
Materials
I paint on Fabriano Hot Pressed, 300g paper, because it’s very smooth
and gives great blooming effects, helping me to deliver a loose feel.
As you can see in this photograph, I use a simple watercolour pallet with
sable brushes in Sizes 6 and 8, as well as no. 1 rigger for those finer
details. And I'm never without my trusty HB and 2B pencils, which are
perfect for quick sketching when I'm out and about.
1
Loosely colour
sketch the scene
First I get the loose idea of
the whole scene. It's cold so I'm
going to have to work fast. The
light doesn't hang about for long
either. After working for about
an hour and a half, I get all the
bares bones I need. I also note
the local people who are taking
a brisk winter's walk.
51
Workshop
2
Work up characters
In the cosiness of a warm studio
I begin by working up some
characters I noted on the beach. Here
I saw a family of three; the child was
playing on some exposed logs poking out
of the shingle. His chilly parents watched
on hoping he would get fed up soon.
I also enjoy drawing dogs and their
owners. While I was working a good few
dashed merrily into the freezing water.
Keep it close
I’ve spent years dropping
erasers and sharpeners,
watching them head towards
drains or be crushed under
cars. The problem is now
solved as I hang both around
my neck on some string.
3
Laying down
the pencil work
I’m now going to do the
pencil work for the final
painting. This is kept loose
and I almost never use a ruler.
It has to maintain the same
spontaneity as the initial
sketch. I work from left to
right so I don’t smudge what
I've already done.
4
Adding people
Using my drawings as
reference, I line in the
characters. My years spent
practising figure drawing has
been a long road, but it’s well
worth it. In my opinion, all
architectural art is enhanced
by figures to populate it.
I really enjoy doing this bit
– there are some real
characters in Portsmouth!
5
Adding tone to the architecture
I ink in the tonal values with Indian ink or dark
watercolours. This is a good way of avoiding a weak
and flat finish to the final piece. It breaks the picture down
into more stages, but it’s worth it in the end.
Less than perfect
My subjects are generally architecture that
has been amended, bodged and changed
over the years to suit the current times.
They’re often a bit dilapidated. I like my
human subjects a bit, too.
52
Watercolour
6
Adding tone to characters
7
Add colour to the pier
Putting tonal values on characters is slightly
different. I need to keep in mind that I'm
painting fabric and humans! I keep the brush
moving about in little flicks to give the feeling of
cloth, while all the time dabbing extra water and
ink here and there. The looser you are, the more
life they have in the end.
Using my rigger, I mix up the colours to
paint the pier, working over the top of the
tonal values that I've already established. This
is where all the preparation starts to pay off: you
can sweep the brush right over the top without
worrying about the tonal values. Simple!
8
Enjoy it
Paint the people
When painting the people, again
all our initial work is paying off.
I sweep on the green of the parka, then
just before it dries I add a very watery
Winsor Yellow on the side facing the
sun, and a bit of dark green or red on
the shady side. Occasionally, I’ll drop
bits of water here and there to get some
blooming going on.
I always wanted to be an
artist. And because I like to
do my best on everything, it’s
as hard now as it was when
I was ten. However, the
results are just a bit better…
So find your own way of
enjoying it. If you love it you
will carry on for life.
9
The sea
Finally I paint the sea.
I’m using two colours –
a blue and a green. I take up
one colour and move left to
right. When one colour has
run dry I pick up the next,
maintaining a wobble so the
white paper gives the effect
of waves. I continue like this.
Finally, I nip the shoreline in
with a wet brush.
53
Workshop
54
Colour pencils
The delicious art
of coloured pencils
Follow Steven Hughes as he shares his process for creating
a variety of surface textures in coloured pencil
STEVEN
Marquette, Michigan, USA
Steven is associate professor
of illustration at Northern
Michigan University. His
paintings and illustrations
have been featured in many
exhibitions and publications,
including The New York Times.
www.primaryhughes.com
C
reating interest in a still life is
about engaging the viewer with
a variety of flavours. Colourful
sprinkles will certainly catch the
eye, but what makes someone
stop and continue engaging with the piece?
If you’re working realistically as I am,
research and the process of acquiring the
objects is a vital first step.
In this case that meant a visit to the
best doughnut shop in the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan, Huron Bakery.
Looking at the contrasts between props
guides the still life set-up for me. If
something is dark, put it against
something light, and vice versa. Play
pattern against solid areas and look for
repetitions to move the eye across the
composition. Once the objects are
organised, I pick up a camera and look
at viewpoint and cropping. This is an
alternative to sketching thumbnails, and
does double duty of providing reference
from which to work. You never know
when a hungry kid will run into your
studio and grab that carefully positioned
doughnut! The still life remains in
position as I work, allowing me to go
between photo or life to observe and
develop accuracy of colour and depth.
Ma terials
1
Preliminary drawing
Steven uses Prismacolor
Premier (wax-based)
coloured pencils. He prefers a
paper surface such as Vellum
Bristol that is at least 100lb in
weight with a little tooth or
texture. An X-ACTO knife and
kneaded or white plastic
eraser can be used to gently
lighten small wax build-ups.
This coloured pencil drawing
is 7.25x10.75in on a Bristol
board measuring 10.25x14in.
The extra border around the
drawing allows for a place to
grip and move the piece
without accidentally denting a
corner or marring the surface.
With a coloured pencil that will blend into the
form, develop a contour drawing of the subject
on Vellum Bristol or similar heavyweight paper. I
avoid using graphite as it can show through the
transparency of the coloured pencils and overly
grey or darken tones. If you worry about mistakes,
or naturally use a sketchier line, consider working
out the drawing on separate paper and transferring
it to the final Bristol surface with a light box.
55
Workshop
Use layers
for colour
Developing more complex
colour through the layering of
multiple pencils is key to
unlocking the potential of this
medium. Just like nothing in
life is simply one thing or
another, no orange can be
fully realised with only the
orange coloured pencil. Light
and shadow will imbue your
subject with a multitude of
colours that need to be
observed and studied to
best capture them.
2
Patterns in the wood
4
Build dark tones
Colours will vary for other varieties
of wood, but here I start by
creating the darker pattern of the wood
grain with Burnt Ochre and Light Umber.
Look for differences in edge and tone.
The lower-right corner is darkened with a
layer of Tuscan Red to begin establishing
a reference point for the image.
3
Establish local colour
With normal pressure, apply beige and Yellow
Ochre pencils over the entire table surface to
create a gradient of light to midtone (left to right). I
also add Clay Rose to the shadows and some of the
stripes in the wood grain. To darken some of the
cast shadows, I repeat step 2, while adding dark
brown to the mixture. I layer dark green over the
corner to increase its value range.
A layer of Indigo Blue completes
the dark values of the lower
corner. Rather than using black, layers
of Tuscan Red, dark green and Indigo
Blue create a far more complex tone.
The wood grain becomes more visible
and the cast shadows darken through
the application of Yellow Ochre or Burnt
Ochre. A colourless blender helps
smooth the shadow tones. In the light
areas of the wood, I burnish with cream
and Yellow Ochre, solidifying the
gradation of light on the table.
5
White shadows
Putting a layer of Cloud Blue down before the other shadow colours
on the bag creates a barrier between the paper and the layers of
Jade Green, Clay Rose and Greyed Lavender that I mix into the bag
shadows. Reflected from the surrounding wood and orange juice tones,
light applications of peach, light peach and cream warm up the grey side
plane of the bag. Burnishing the bag with white helps smooth the tones. I
work with the cream and Greyed Lavender pencils to create depth inside
the bag and reveal a little translucency as it rests on the wooden table.
The doughnut shadows on the napkin reach a darker contrast through
layers of dark brown, Dahlia Purple, Clay Rose and Greyed Lavender.
56
Colour pencils
6
Add paper textures:
Using 30% Cool Grey, Jade Green,
Greyed Lavender, Cloud Blue and
touches of cream, I develop the high key
values and planar changes on top of the
bag. Cream neutralises the lavender
colour a little and warms up the
halftones. With the napkin, I first look at
the light affecting the whole surface. I
create a gradient across the napkin
(from top to bottom) with cream,
Greyed Lavender, Cloud Blue and 30%
Cool Grey. Using Greyed Lavender,
Cloud Blue and 10% and 30% Cool
Grey, I add dots to the napkin. View each
as an illuminated bowl, working with
dark on one side, drawing around the
outside with grey and lavender, leaving a
highlight opposite the dark.
7
“Cream neutralises
the lavender colour
a little and warms
up the halftones”
Shape the glass
Focusing on the darkest shapes in the base of the glass,
I draw with Dark Umber, 50% Warm Grey and a touch of
Blue Indigo. To save the white highlights, I outline their shapes
with 20% Warm Grey and add a layer of Goldenrod around
them, which becomes an undertone for the base. Mixtures of
Jade Green and 20% Warm Grey can dull the Goldenrod
slightly as needed. Increase the pressure and burnish with
white to finalise the smoothness of the tones. I place small
moments of higher saturation colours (Light Cerulean Blue,
orange and Light Aqua) along the edges of the bright highlights
to capture the prism effect of the glass.
Moving to the rim of the glass, I outline the contours with
dark green and Light Umber. Follow the inner edge to the outer
edge and watch your contours twist across the rim. The
highlights are covered in white to aid in removing any dark
tones that encroach on the shape too much. This is done with
an X-ACTO knife if necessary, by lightly scraping the wax from
the surface of the paper. The white pencil creates a barrier
between the paper and the dark colours. Be sensitive to the
quality of the edge. Sharp, firm, soft, or lost edges can all
happen along the rim. I do not want a uniform colouring book
outline and try to let the line stay responsive to the subject.
57
Workshop
The first
time coun ts
For a lot of people, that first
professional job as an artist –
or otherwise – sticks with
you. Mine came via a
recommendation to visit an art
director in Cleveland with my
portfolio. The optimism of a
good review and a growing
feeling that I was on the right
path lead to one of the best
45-minute car rides I could
imagine. It only got better
when I found a commission
job from the same art director
waiting in my inbox when I
returned home.
9
Plan for reflections
I draw the reflection of the
doughnut in the glass very lightly
with Goldenrod to ensure the contour
edges blend into the darker ground. I lay
down Goldenrod, Burnt Ochre and
Sunburst Yellow to begin the rendering,
10% Cool Grey and Sand are used on the
tall reflection to the left side of the glass.
58
8
The juice surface
The rim is darkened with more
pressure and the green neutralised
with Steel Grey, Jade Green and Light
Umber. Goldenrod and Sand is used to
develop the yellow tones seen in the rim.
With the orange juice, I note that the
surface layer has a ring of cooler
temperature surrounding a slightly more
saturated middle. To develop that subtle
contrast, I use light pressure with 10%
Cool Grey blending with Yellow Ochre
around a middle of Sunburst Yellow.
Canary Yellow is the base layer and
Burnt Ochre the darkening pencil as the
juice in the lower half of the glass
develops. Goldenrod, Yellow Ochre,
Sunburst Yellow are laid overtop to
create the gradation down the glass. I
burnish the juice with Yellowed Orange.
Note the higher saturation between the
liquid level and darker tones. Sand is
used to create the translucent brighter
tone at the liquid level.
10
Twisted doughnut
Filling in the reflection, I
introduce small colour
variation to the sprinkles. It is
important to keep them all within the
yellow-orange colour space of the
orange juice. Too much hue contrast
and the sprinkles will no longer read as
reflections on the glass surface.
11
Create the
doughnut undertone
Using Tuscan Red, I lay in an
undertone that begins to establish the
local colour and value contrast on the
doughnuts. While I can render a little
more form on the left doughnut, I opt
for a flat two-value contrast on the
more complex sprinkle doughnut.
Colour pencils
12
Put the icing on top
To achieve the subtle variations of colour in the icing, divide the highlights,
midtones and shadow areas. I use dark brown and Burnt Ochre pencils in
the midtones, and Terra Cotta and orange when more warmth and saturation is
needed for the form. Where it needs to go really dark, Indigo Blue and dark green fill
out the last step or two of value range. For the cooler temperature colours, I take a
30% Warm Grey to neutralise the saturation of the Tuscan Red. The warmer (more
orange) halftones around the middle also have white applied to smooth over the
texture. Greyed Lavender and Sienna Brown or Jade Green work well to dull the
saturation of the Tuscan Red in the highlight areas.
Use a colourless blender to smooth the chocolate, especially when beginning to
contrast with the cake texture. I also begin laying orange and Goldenrod over the
cake part to establish an undertone that mixes with subsequent shading.
14
Two is better
than one
Referencing the colours and
contrast on the completed doughnut, I
bring the sprinkle doughnut’s chocolate
icing to a conclusion with Tuscan Red,
Sienna Brown, dark brown, Indigo Blue,
Burnt Ochre, Clay Rose, Slate Grey and
20% Cool Grey.
15
13
Use strong
transitions for shine
Like darker skin tones, there
are fewer light halftones on the
chocolate surface. I focus on making
strong transitions from the midtones to
the highlights, and finalise the rendering
of the left doughnut. The second
doughnut is next in line to receive
additional form and shading with the
Tuscan Red pencil. For more contrast, I
also darken the corner behind the glass
with dark brown and Sienna Brown.
Sprinkles on top
I develop the cake part of the doughnuts with orange, Sienna Brown, Burnt
Ochre, Light Umber, Dark Umber and Goldenrod. To create the sprinkles, I
use: Tuscan Red, Poppy Red, magenta, Deco Yellow, Canary Yellow, Clay Rose, 30%
Warm Grey, True Green, Parrot Green, Indigo Blue, Hot Pink, Blush Pink, and Jade
Green. Using a highlight or shadow tone on each sprinkle provides a cylindrical form,
but can be mind-numbingly tedious. Be sure to take breaks and give each one some
attention. Scratching highlights out with an X-ACTO knife (sgraffito technique) is an
option, or you can draw around the highlights and save the white of the paper.
59
Workshop
Build organic texture
Eugenia Hauss guides you through her process of creating beautiful
and realistic natural textures using ink liners and a brush pen
EUGENIA
Belarus
I am a mostly self-taught
artist specialising in ink. The
main themes in my art are
animals, nature and everyday
things. Inspiring and sharing
knowledge is my way to make
the world a better place.
www. eugeniahauss.com
I
n this workshop, I’ll show you simple yet
effective ways for how you can create
beautiful, organic textures, using only one
colour. We will explore the possibilities of
the ink medium together!
The theme of our drawing is nature
– an incredible source of inspiration. I
encourage you to use real objects for
your artworks as often as you can. For
example, I collect various natural
objects; they make it possible for me
to take a closer look, to touch and feel
the surface.
If you don’t have a real object, it’s
great to use reference photos. My
advice is to gather as many visual
materials as you feel necessary – they
will nourish your artistic imagination
and give you useful information about
the texture and details.
Sometimes I create samples of
textures before proceeding to the clean
copy drawing. This is an excellent
exercise for developing your artistic
skills and power of observation.
I usually begin my ink artworks with
a pencil underdrawing. This method
gives me the possibility to build the
composition thoughtfully. I start
drawing with light pencil lines and
general shapes; then add the smaller
features. As soon as I feel confident
with my sketch and detailing, it’s
then time to start inking.
60
Ma terials
Ink liners are very convenient because they
are portable and clean, and are used in this
workshop. However if you would prefer,
you can also follow the steps using nibs and
liquid inks, because the principles are
similar for both materials.
n A4 coated paper similar to glossy
photo paper types
n SB brush pen for creating varied lines.
SB means ‘soft brush’ and provides a thin,
flexible brush-like tip.
n Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen, size F (F
equals 0.5 mm)
n Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen, size S
(S equals 0.3 mm)
n Faber-Castell Pitt Artist
Pen, size XS (XS equals 0.1 mm)
n Uni Pin Fine Line Pen, size 0.05
n Graphite pencil, B type
n An eraser, just in case if you have to
remove unnecessary pencil lines
Ink
1
Make an underdrawing
I create a pencil underdrawing. Firstly, I mark
the hill and add rough shapes for the snail’s
body and shell. Then I draw the leaf and the acorn.
The peculiarity of this composition is that the snail
is looking at the acorn, as if with curiosity. As a final
touch, I refine the snail, adding the spiral of the
shell and the horns.
2
Outline the contours
Using the brush pen, I outline the contours
with organic lines, varying the width from thin
to thick. Let your hand be relaxed and have fun!
There is no need to draw all the contours with this
tool, so I leave some pencil lines uncovered. We will
come back to them very soon.
61
Workshop
3
Work on the shell
I use the S ink liner to reveal the
relief of the snail’s shell. On the
image below, you can see two types of
ink strokes: long rounded lines accent
the prominent points of the shell, and
groups of short hatches unobtrusively
emphasise the three-dimensional
aspect of this object.
4
Draw the moss
I begin the work on the texture
of the moss. With the S ink liner,
I add groups of short hatches and
dots to the hill area. The layering of
hatches creates interesting effects
and increases the contrast in the
drawing. The closer I get to the
bottom part of the artwork, the fewer
hatches I apply. This trick helps to
create a beautiful fading effect.
5
Create the texture
on the snail
I add the texture of the snail’s
body, using the thinnest liner (number
0.05). This texture consists of small
oblong elements that are closely
adjacent to each other. I also add thin
hatches to the area of the snail’s body
under the shell. By carefully accenting
the shadows, the drawing starts to look
more realistic.
62
Ink
6
Add dots
Draw dots onto the shell, using the
F liner. The groups of big dots will
make the texture more interesting and
credible. I accent the sides of the shell
and the borders of the spiral, to give it
more contrast and make it varied in
terms of value (this means that you have
darker and lighter objects).
7
Finish the
shell marks
I add rounded hatches to
the sides of the shell and near
the spiral line, using the 0.05
ink liner. This type of hatching is
also known as contour
hatching, and it works perfectly
for accenting the threedimensional aspect of objects.
8
Refine the snail’s body
Using the 0.05 ink liner, I work on the snail’s
body. Thin hatches help me to reveal the
relief of the animal and emphasise its threedimensional qualities. The groups of parallel lines
can go in different directions to form layers of
hatching; this way of creating shadows is
particularly good for black-and-white ink graphics.
63
Workshop
“ It is important to leave
a thin white line on the
edge – it will separate
the acorn from other
objects in the drawing”
9
Draw the acorn
With the S liner, I add dots and rounded
hatches to the acorn, accenting the sides of
the object. It is important to leave a thin white line
on the edge – it will separate the acorn from other
objects in the drawing. Having this in place
guarantees that the artwork will look realistic and
three-dimensional.
10
Develop the acorn
I add thin hatches to the acorn, using the
0.05 liner. The goal is to give the acorn
some contrast but leave the highlights. Drawing
with ink is a process of gradually raising the value
and contrast, so it is better to apply fewer strokes
at a time than too many of them at once.
11
Create the leaf texture
I work on the leaf. With the S liner, I
add some dots to create an
organic, velvety texture. Dots always work
great when it comes to natural objects and
smooth surfaces; you can also use dots of
different sizes in your artwork to achieve
amazing graphic effects.
64
Ink
12
Accent the leaf
Using the 0.05 liner, I mark all
the dark places of the leaf. It
is important to separate the leaf from
the acorn with a distinct, contrast
shadow. Trust your eyes and hand; they
will suggest the direction of hatching
and the level of value in your drawing.
13
Refine the
mossy texture
I work on the relief of the mossy hill. I
apply hatching made with the 0.05 liner to create
darker spots. I especially accent the shadow
from the acorn and ensure that the borders
between the objects in my drawing are clearly
visible. Looks nice! The artwork is complete.
“Trust your eyes and
hand; they will suggest
the direction of hatching
and the level of value in
your drawing”
65
Workshop
Introduction to drawing
and shading a figure
Chris Legaspi teaches the basic skills you need to draw
and shade a figure in 20 minutes or less
S
hading and rendering is my
favourite part of a 10- or 20-minute
pose. Here, I’ll introduce some of
the basic principles, tools and
techniques that I use to shade or
render in a short amount of time.
Before I begin, I first analyse and limit
the values I use. For life drawing, I use a
three-value palette of light, dark and
midtone. This helps me control values as
I shade and render forms.
To define forms, I use a combination
of soft or hard edges. Soft edges do the
majority of the work and create the most
natural look. Hard edges are great for
accents or sculpting forms.
There are many shading and blending
techniques, but they can simplified into
either line or tonal drawing. Line is great
for details and texture. Tones are good
for coverage and creating soft edges.
More techniques will be explored in
upcoming issues.
For blending, my favourite tools are
kneaded erasers, blending stumps,
tissue paper and my fingers. Stumps are
good for detail, while tissue is great for
making really soft and lost edges. Finger
blending is useful, but do be aware that
the skin oils can make future edits
difficult. A kneaded eraser is a versatile
tool that I use for correcting shapes,
erasing out highlights and also for
drawing and sculpting form.
My drawing and shading process
varies depending on the pose, but I
generally start by shading and refining a
focal point area, like the head or torso.
Once that is working, I move on to other
areas of the figure, as time permits.
CHRIS
Pasadena, USA
Chris is a dedicated, life-long
artist with over 20 years
experience as a professional
artist, writer and educator.
www.drawwithchris.com
Full value spectrum
highlight
midtone
Three value
palette
highlight
midtone
light
Three value
ranges
light
1
mid
dark
How to use three values
Controlling value is the first step to shading. For life
drawing, I limit myself to three values: dark, midtone
(also known as half-tone) and light. This helps to control
values and with careful arrangement of lights, darks and
midtones, I can render form and even create depth.
66
shadow
shadow
core shadow
shadow/reflected
light
Figure drawing
midtone
core shadow
highlight
reflected light
light
cast shadow
occlusion shadow
2
Anatomy of light and shadow
A form in light has two distinct sides, a light side
and a shadow side. The shadow side consists of the
core shadow, reflected light, occlusion shadow and cast
shadow. The light side of the form is made up of midtones,
light itself and the highlight.
LOST
no form or
contrast
HARD
SOFT
3
good for hard
muscle and
bone
Edges and form
Edges describe form. The
three types of edges are
commonly known as lost, soft
and hard. For figure drawing, I
use mostly use soft edges
because they create a more
natural and realistic look. Hard
edges are great for sculpting
forms and details. Lost edges
create depth and atmosphere.
most realistic and
natural looking
sharp edges
for contrast
67
Workshop
4
Shading techniques
The two main ways I shade are with either line or
tone. For line, I use the tip of my pencil to create
hatching and cross-hatching marks. For tone, I use the
side of the pencil or a stick to create a variety of broad
strokes, tones and texture.
hatching
soft (more
control)
blending stump (paper)
cross hatching
finger
texture with line
tissue paper
softest (less
control)
along
form
68
around
form
short cross
strokes for
texture
5
Blending techniques
For blending, I like to use a paper stump, tissue paper
or my finger. The stump gives me a lot of control and
is great for detail, while the tissue is perfect for really soft or
lost edges and tones. I use my fingers sparingly because
the oils can make the drawing difficult to edit.
Figure drawing
6
lost edges recede
Eraser techniques
A kneaded eraser is an all-purpose tool I use for erasing,
blending and even drawing. I simply sculpt it into different
shapes to create a variety of marks. A flat shape is great for
broad strokes. A small point or tip is great for erasing out
highlights, details, and to draw and correct shapes.
flat shape for
broad strokes
hard edge
brings elbow
forward
soft edge
to round
form
sharpen
erasing tip for
details
hard edge
cast shadow
for contrast
hard edge
brings leg
forward
lost edges
to recede
back leg
use for
drawing and
correcting shapes
7
Edges for depth
Use edges to create depth. For
example, soften or lose an edge to
push a form backwards. Harder edges,
combined with soft core shadows, bring a
form forward. Sharp edges also bring a
form forward, by creating contrast.
69
Workshop
lost edges to
recede arms
and head
draw out
details with
eraser
3-MINUTE STAGE
5-MINUTE STAGE
add details
to focal
point area
hard edges
for contrast
soften edges
to form
9
soft edge to
recede foot
erase
highlight
refine
shapes and
details
20-minute drawing, part 1
Twenty minutes is enough time to draw a
figure and refine shading. I usually start
with a focal point and work my way towards the
other parts of the figure. For example, I darken
and soften the core shadow and then add
midtones, which help me to sculpt the form.
5-MINUTE STAGE
add
midto
ne
darken
shadow at
focal point
darken
shadow for
more contrast
70
8
Draw a figure in 10 minutes
Once I have my figure drawn and have
blocked in the shadow pattern, I continue
to refine the light and shadow. I begin with a focal
point area and refine the edges and values, which
involves making soft edges softer, darkening the
core shadow for contrast and depth, and
sharpening hard edges to create contrast.
hard edge
s
cast shado on
for contrasws
t
Figure drawing
soft edges to
recede face
10
Finish the
20-minute
drawing
eraser to
draw deta
il
highlights
Once I have the midtones, I
blend and sculpt tones to
bring the details and smaller
forms to life. With the focal
point working, I move on to
the next area, such as the
head or limbs, and refine as
much of the figure as
possible in the time left.
lost edges to
recede hand
hard edge
hand forw s bring
define smalard, and
ler
and detail forms
s
eraser to
detail highdraw
lights
soften edges
for form
71
Workshop
Depict the figure
Apply fundamental observational drawing methods to address common
challenges when drawing the complete figure, says Lancelot Richardson
LANCELOT
Brighton, UK
Lancelot is a painter and
freelance illustrator. He also
works at independent
drawing school Draw
Brighton as a life-drawing
tutor and imaginative
techniques instructor.
lancelotrichardson.com
D
rawing the full figure can be
tricky, not just because you
have to draw every complex
part of the body, but also
because you face different
challenges of gesture,
proportion and observation. One
common trouble spot is creating
stiff-looking figures. Even though
re-creating the fluidity of the human
body is a daunting task, we capture
this more closely by looking at the
body as a whole from the start, rather
than drawing it as if we were a printer!
Resist the urge to go around the edge
of the body too – I like to think of the
gesture as coming from inside, as that
is where all movement comes from.
As the drawing progresses, it is
important to keep track of our
proportions. Whilst being aware of
typical body proportions helps us
72
Ma terials
Seawhites Newsprint paper, Conté
Pierre Noir B pencil, Kneaded eraser
check our work, we won’t get far
without good observation, as different
poses will cause the body to bend or
become foreshortened. Being able to
compare vertical and horizontal
measurements, and keep track of
negative shapes, will go a long way in
keeping the body’s unique proportions
on track.
With the foundations of gesture
and proportion laid out for the whole
body, we can set our sights on building
up detail and tone. This is where we
start to involve anatomy and look at
the surface of the body. Try to work
from big, important ideas – large
shadow shapes, larger body parts like
the torso – down to the smaller, less
essential ones – such as small things
like fingernails. This will help prevent
you from getting tied up over-detailing
one area.
1
Gesture
The root of a body’s gesture is the
action line; a simple line that averages
out the entire pose. From this, we can
expand on the gestural underpinning of
the figure. Try to work across the figure –
going from one side to the other – rather
than just drawing the outline around the
edge. This will create a more flowing pose,
and helps control proportions too. Look for
asymmetry and varied lengths in the lines
you draw – for instance, in this pose, the
long curve of the front of the leg against
the two shorter curves for the back.
Figure drawing
73
Workshop
2
Identify proportions
Proportion is a common challenge when drawing the full figure. In a standing
pose, we are often shown standard proportions – this idea breaks when we
consider that people vary, and of course, the proportions will change as the figure
becomes foreshortened, or is seated. A first step is to create a bounding box for the
figure, to work out the space they take up vertically versus horizontally on the page.
It can also sometimes help to compare body parts, such as the length of the head to
the torso here. A little planning goes a long way!
3
Block in the body
When working on a longer, ‘more finished’ figure drawing, I tend to do a
quick pass to tighten the proportions up and check for mistakes. Often this
involves creating blocky shapes for the body and carving into them. There are a
few observational techniques for doing this, including negative shapes, where you
focus on the shape of things around the body, or ‘gaps’ created by the body.
Another is comparing verticals and horizontals – this means imagining a vertical
or horizontal line in front of our subject, and checking what lines up with it.
74
Figure drawing
4
Contour of the body
This is where we start to tighten up our
linework. The challenge of this stage is to
maintain the energy of our initial gesture whilst
building up detail – some of this will inevitably be
lost. Try to draw the body as a whole, rather than
focusing on one area at a time to work to a finish.
Don’t feel constrained by accuracy if you have
gestural lines you want to incorporate into your
final drawing – this is very much personal taste,
and what you choose to show of gesture will
balance accuracy in a way unique to you.
Follo w alon g
Try copying these demonstrations, or
drawing along with your own reference,
to get a feel for a working process. You
can then take that and adjust it for your
own needs in a life room setting.
5
Landmarks
As you go through the body, feel free to refer to
other articles for details. Typically, I would go
through the body from the head or torso, and work
through to the limbs, and finally the hands and feet.
This is following a hierarchy of size and importance to
the gesture. Here, I am using visible landmarks, using a
result of the skeleton, to transverse the body. On this
back pose, I have the seventh cervical vertebrae, at the
back of the neck, the shoulder blades, the spine, and
the sacrum, as well as the joints of the arms and legs.
75
Workshop
6
Lay in soft forms
The soft forms of the body lie between skeletal
landmarks and are vital for describing the three
dimensional shape of the body. Here, I am creating the edge of
the shadow side of the figure, and am being very mindful of
how soft or hard the edge of this boundary is. Rounded forms,
like the hips, have very soft, hazy shadow edges, whilst in other
areas, this edge is a little more crisp, such as the ribcage. The
shadow edge is at its most crisp around skeletal landmarks,
such as the shoulder blades.
Master copi es
Drawing from other artists’ drawings is a
great way to learn. Often master
drawings show anatomical indications
more clearly than a live figure, and teach
us different ways to interpret the body.
7
Tackle foreshortening
There are a few tactics we can use to deal
with challenging foreshortened poses.
Starting out, we can use negative shapes by
connecting the extremes of the pose – such as
extended limbs – with straight lines, and drawing
the shape they enclose with the body. Like earlier,
imagining a vertical or horizontal line running
across the figure will help with placing body parts
that are spread out. It also helps to be aware of
‘layers’ of the figure that recede into the page. Try
to start with the body part nearest you, and work
into the distance.
76
Figure drawing
8
Overlapping limbs
A common error I see in full figure
drawings that have any situation where
limbs cross over each other is that of
continuity – essentially, the limb being covered
doesn’t appear to continue behind the one in
front. This results in arms and legs that look
broken, or chopped off! The
solution to this is to draw the
hidden limb lightly, as if you
could see through the first
one. Here I am showing how
this is done to help line up
the arm and leg that are
being obscured.
9
Block in shadows
Here I have filled the shadow area with tone.
There are a few things we can do to improve the
shadows on our figures. First, try to be brave and draw
big shadows! Squint at the figure you are drawing and
decide what area is light, and what is dark – and for
now, ignore anything in between.
Where you can, join shadow
shapes together like water
droplets on a window, as
this helps them look less
fragmented. Finally, when
adding tone to lit areas,
try not overdo it; the
lightest shadow should
be darker than the
darkest light.
10
Core shadows
Core shadows are key to
rendering form. They are the dark
area of shadow near the edge of the shadow
area, created when light is reflected from the
surroundings into the back of a shadow. They
help describe three-dimensional
shape and often artists will
exaggerate the core shadow to
help push the idea of form in a
drawing. Here I am sketching
out the shape of the major
shadows on the figure using
the core shadow. If you are
having trouble seeing this,
try to squint your eyes.
77
Workshop
11
Render form in shadow
12
Incorporate a set
With all the major shadow shapes blocked
in, I can adjust the forms in the shadow.
Don’t worry if this takes time! One thing that helps
with this is to imagine what a cross section of the part
of the figure would look like, as you are often making
surface lines partly to describe this property. Try to
keep your shading neat and parallel, without
scribbling. Resist the urge to introduce too much
contrast, as with the exception of occlusion shadows
(tiny gaps light cannot reach, such as between the
fingers), the shadows are all quite similar in tone.
A set helps to ground our figures, and prevents
them from looking like they are floating. Try to
include a little bit of the set, even in standing poses – this
can be as minimal as some of the floor the model is
standing on. Many classes hang drapes that can provide
some setting for the figure. If the model is seated, draw
the chair as well – even a quick, simple silhouette of the
furniture helps add context. I often include some set, but
wait until later before adding detail, as it can often be
drawn it after a pose has finished.
78
Figure drawing
13
Tighten the outline
Line quality is the different properties of the
lines that go into our pictures. Are they thick,
thin, sharp, fuzzy? When drawing the figure, try to
incorporate a mixture of different lines, with thin, sharp
ones picking out those bright, high-contrast edges, and
softer ones working out the edges in low-contrast
shadow areas. Pace yourself when drawing lines and
try to visualise them before you draw. This will help you
avoid the habits of scribbling, or laying down lots of
short, feathery lines.
Mix it up
Mix up the pose lengths you draw
from. Gesture drawings under five
minutes are great for developing
dynamic drawing skills, all the way
up to occasional long, six-hour
drawings that will develop accuracy,
and teach you to render shadow.
14
Final details
Take this opportunity to look over your
work. This is a good time to fix small
mistakes, add detail to any area you might think
needs it, and to check the figure feels grounded. I
often check my shadows by squinting between my
figure and my drawing – this helps with spotting if
the shapes are correct. Here I am finishing off with
the small details, such as facial features and the
small shadows of the fingers and toes, at this final
stage. Being logical in the order we approach detail
will help us use our time more efficiently.
79
Workshop
Using a limited palette
to create harmony
David Farren shares how to mix acrylic paints
to create a sense of continuity in a scene
P
ainting a complex street scene
while trying to maintain a sense
of harmony across the whole
painting can seem daunting, but
one way to help is to use a limited
palette of colours.
In this painting of a Paris boulevard at
dawn I will show how, with simple colour
mixes, it is possible to create a sense of
atmosphere while maintaining balance
and harmony. A key element in this
painting is a simplified colour scheme of
shades of mauve and green combined
with bright passages of yellow and red,
their complementary colours. To
prevent this from becoming disjointed, I
used the same colour mixes in different
areas across the scene to help to pull the
painting together – for instance, the red
in the awning is repeated in the ‘no entry’
sign and the yellow in the cafe is
repeated in the kiosk and the headlights.
DAVID
Dordogne, France
David has worked as a
professional artist for 20 years,
exhibiting his work in leading
galleries across the UK. He
moved to the Dordogne region
of France five years ago, where
he has opened a gallery in the
beautiful village of Hautefort.
www.davidfarren.com
1
Sketch the scene
This pen and gouache sketch is the
inspiration for the painting along with
a series of photographs to use for
reference. I always love going out
sketching in the early morning and try to
quickly capture the colours of the city as
it comes to life.
80
Acrylic
2
Lay out the
palette
I start by laying out a
generous squeeze of eight
colours on my palette, from light
to dark. I’m using Liquitex Heavy
Body Acrylics, which have strong
pigmentation and a lovely,
buttery consistency. The colours
are: Titanium White; Cadmium
Yellow; Yellow Ochre; Cadmium
Red; Alizarin Crimson; Cerulean
Blue; Ultramarine; and Burnt
Umber. I’m using a disposable
palette, which works well in the
cool of the studio in winter as the
colours remain moist – in the
summer I use a water mister to
regularly spray the paints.
4
3
Draw the scene
Firstly, I lay a light wash made up of
Alizarin Crimson, Yellow Ochre with a
touch of Ultramarine to the canvas board.
This provides a warm base colour for the
painting, which will show through in small
areas in the finished work. Then, using a thin
mix of Ultramarine and Burnt Umber, I use
the edge of a half-inch flat brush to loosely
draw the scene, paying particular attention
to the perspective and the relative size of the
different elements. When I’m happy with the
drawing, I strengthen some of the darker
areas with the same colour mix and brush in
the pavement and the building with a mauve
colour made from Ultramarine, Crimson and
Titanium White.
Ma terials
n Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylics in
Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow
Medium, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin
Crimson, Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine
Blue (Red Shade), Burnt Umber
n Daler Rowney Cryla Acrylics in
Yellow Ochre
n Winsor and Newton Artists primed
canvas board, 20x16in
n Daler Rowney Flat Wash brushes:
1-inch and 1/2-inch
n Round hog hair brushes sizes 8 and 6
n 1 1/2-inch decorator’s brush for the
initial wash
“I’m using a
disposable
palette, which
works well in the
cool of the studio
in winter”
81
Workshop
4
Block in the greens
Next I mix Ultramarine, Yellow Ochre and Cerulean
Blue to create the green of the trees in the dawn light. I
change the proportions of this mix to create subtle
variations in colour across the painting for the other foliage
in the scene. I then mix Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre and
Cadmium Red and quickly paint in the warm lights of the
cafe. Adding Burnt Umber to the mix, I paint the underside
of the balcony which, although dark, is still a warm colour
from the reflected light from the cafe.
5
Mix the reds
Now that the underpainting is complete, I
want to add some thicker paint and stronger
colour to the scene. I start with the bright red of the
cafe awning. The red varies in tone and warmth as
you get nearer to the building, so I start with a
strong mix of Cadmium Red with a touch of Yellow
Ochre and Cadmium Yellow and then gradually add
more yellow to the mix as I paint. I then add some
Alizarin Crimson and a touch of Burnt Umber, and
restate the darker areas.
6
Light and shade
Returning to the trees and the
foliage, I mix several greens
using various mixes of Ultramarine,
Cerulean Blue, Cadmium Yellow and
Yellow Ochre. Dark, cooler mixes are
used for the shaded areas, and then I
mix more Cadimium Yellow and
Cerulean Blue to highlight the plants in
the foreground, which are bathed in the
warm glow from the cafe.
82
Acrylic
“I’m conscious of
not wanting to
overwork the
painting”
7
Add the highlights
Now I add the lightest tones to the
painting. The early morning sky is
brushed in with a mixture of Titanium White
with Cadmium Yellow and just a hint of Cerulean
Blue. I want the warm artificial lights of the cafe,
the car headlights and newspaper kiosk to really
shine, so these are painted with a round brush
loaded with undiluted thick Cadmium Yellow
and white paint with direct brush strokes.
8
Finishing touches
The reflections are strengthened
with darker and duller versions of
the original colours but still kept simple.
I add brushstrokes of pink (Cadmium
Red and Titanium White) for the cafe
table cloths and strengthen the far
awning with a brushstroke of Cadmium
Red. The underside of the balcony is
also lightened up with orange (Cadmium
Red, Cadmium Yellow and Burnt Umber)
to capture the reflected warm light from
the awning. I’m nearing the finishing line
now and I’m conscious of not wanting to
overwork the painting, so I just add a few
details like the writing on the sign and
the painting is complete!
83
Workshop
Creating layers
Melanie Tong demonstrates how to make
depth with acrylics with a stunning seascape
his is a painting of the Walpole Bay
tidal pool in Margate, Kent. It is an
area that is popular with many local
people who swim in the pool
throughout the year.
I love to paint the pool into
my seascapes as I really like the contrast
between the still water in the pool and the
moving, flowing water of the sea on the
T
MELANIE
other side of the wall. I represent walls with
minimum lines, concentrating on the
textures and forms that the sea creates.
Over the following pages, I will show you
how to create layers in your acrylic
paintings, using the Walpole Bay tidal pool
as an example. This technique will help
you to build evocative works of art, so give
it a practice when you can!
1
Margate, UK
Melanie loves to paint the
sea and the tidal patterns on
the beach. Her seascapes
are always using acrylics, as
she loves the opaque nature
of the bold pigment. She
mostly paints onto canvas.
www.melanietongpainting.
wordpress.com
Add a base layer
I begin my paintings by covering the canvas
(used for the surface texture), using Burnt
Umber, as orange is the complementary colour to
the blues that I mostly use later. This makes the
colours in the layers really vibrant. I also scrape
back to reveal this orange later on.
“I use the handle end of
my brush to scrape
back. To create a softer
texture, I also use a rag”
2
Initial layer
I paint in the very light areas with a
loose layer so that the orange
shows though in some places (with
Titanium White and Aquamarine) and the
very dark areas with thick, sticky paint to
cover the orange (using Burnt Umber
and Aquamarine).
84
Acrylic
3
Prepare to scrape
At this point I add the very dark
underlayers and scrape back to
reveal the highlights of the orange,
original layer. I paint a dark brown, ready
for the darker blue, which is looser on
top. I use the handle end of my brush to
scrape back. To create a softer texture, I
also use a rag.
4
Keep layering
I fill the lighter, larger areas using bold strokes
in different directions and letting the orange
show through. I often have to go over these layers,
however, as the blue tones tend to dry darker.
Because the wet paint reflects the light when you
are applying the paint, it can appear lighter than it
actually is.
Ma terials
I use acrylic paint on stretched canvas.
Here I have used mostly Titanium White,
Ultramarine and Burnt Umber. I always
paint with flat-headed brushes, from
¼-inch to large 1.5-inch for a large-scale
painting. I like to use Daler-Rowney
products where possible, as I find that
the colours are excellent and they
maintain their vibrancy while being
opaque when needed.
85
Workshop
5
Add mid-tones
This is the bulk of the painting. I build up many
layers, getting progressively lighter and creating
mid-tones. Most often, I use the paint thickly but apply
it very lightly, so that the colours underneath are never
lost completely underneath others.
6
Build texture
I utilise the grain of the canvas by painting
with strokes in different directions to create
soft areas that blend into each other. Sometimes I
mix very thin, transparent washes and spread the
paint more widely, then blend the edges of these
areas with thicker paint.
7
Embrace the dark
The last layers mean building up
the blue onto the very dark
areas. At this stage I must be careful
not to lose the dark tones which add
depth to the painting, or I could end up
with too many mid-tones. However, I
also want to break up the solid areas to
add some movement.
86
Acrylic
“At this stage I
must be careful
not to lose the
dark tones which
add depth to the
painting, or I could
end up with too
many mid-tones”
8
The breath of life
At the end of a painting, I add very
small, delicate highlights that make
the surface appear to come to life. I often
use oil pastels at this point for their pure,
opaque colour, or a square brush used
horizontally. These are the exciting marks!
9
Seal the scene
Now you should have your finished
painting! I always seal the surface
with an artists’ acrylic varnish. This
creates a lovely satin sheen, which
really encourages all of the layers to
show through.
“This creates a
lovely satin
sheen, which
really
encourages all
of the layers to
show through”
87
Workshop
88
Pastel
Texture, character
and colour
Rebecca de Mendonça captures the energy
of a beautiful Arabian horse in pastels
REBECCA
Exeter, UK
Rebecca specialises in
pastels, producing lively
and energetic work. She
teaches around the UK
and in Italy, and co-founded
The New Pastel School.
rebeccademendonca.co.uk
P
astels are the perfect medium
for drawing and painting
animals, with so many different
marks available, many of which
I looked at in last month’s
article. As a tactile medium that
we hold in our hand, it is easy to convey
what an animal would feel like to touch.
We can work quickly with pastels,
which is a great help when capturing
character and personality, and fantastic
for movement. A smudge here and a
swish of the hand there can bring a
painting to life.
However, knowing when to smudge
and when to leave a sharp mark
untouched can make a huge difference
to your work.
Don’t underestimate the importance
of some structural knowledge where
animals are concerned. It is a good idea
to do some homework, looking at bone
structure and muscles.
But remember when you are painting
an animal, it is not just about what it
looks like – there is personality and
energy to convey as well. Think about
what it feels like, use your other senses
as well as your eyes…
Ma terials
n Faber-Castell PITT Pastel
Pencils, including a light
and a dark brown, black,
white, dark blue and
yellow/orange
n Willow charcoal, a pencil
eraser and a sharp scalpel
for sharpening pencils
n Straight-edged plastic or a
blade to refresh surface
n Conté crayons, in black
and white
n Unison pastels; a white
and a cream, (Grey 27 and
28); a range of blues, such
as A 52, BG 2, BV 9, BV 18;
subtle greys and light
browns, such as BE 2,
Grey 6, Grey 16, A 31; rich
brown, such as NE 1;
pinks, such as Portrait 5,
RE 4; and yellows, such as
Y 2, Y 16
n Surface is Art Spectrum
Colourfix Pastel Primer
painted onto mount card
1
Create a B&W sketch
I call my initial sketch in black and
white my ‘scaffold’, because it is a
frame that everything else is built on.
With willow charcoal and white Conté
crayon, I am using both lines and areas
of light and dark to describe the
structure of the head, while looking for
lines of flow and a sense of form.
89
Workshop
2
Establish the eye
The eye is the focal point of this picture, so I get
started on it straight away, working over my
initial charcoal sketch with a rich soft Unison brown,
and a black Conté crayon for the large black pupil.
3
Create form with lights
4
Highlights and sparkle
With white and cream pastel pencils, I sketch
in the white of the eye and the lights on the
lower lid and eyelashes. I create the shine on the
eye itself with a pale blue soft pastel.
White pastel pencil is fine for gentle
highlights, but I need the richness of pigment
from a soft Unison white for the eyelashes and
sparkle. As I need detail, I cut off a sharp piece. For
that wet look, I put the sharp light mark over a
contrasting dark, and I don’t smudge the last mark.
Working from li fe
or photographs?
Do both; meet the animal, experience its size and
movement, feel its energy, stroke it, take your own photos.
Gather rich 3D memories to supplement 2D photographs.
90
Pastel
5
Deepen the darks
To develop the darks more than
the charcoal base I sketched in
earlier, I use black pastel pencil and a
sharp black Conté crayon. A horse’s eye
is round, and I use curves of light and
dark to describe the shape.
6
Find the form
It is now time to start filling out the
head, thinking of structure and
tone, and paying attention to the
direction of short strokes to give a sense
of the form. Using Unison soft pastels
(light creams, off-whites and subtle
greys), I soften them in with my fingers,
creating a layer that I can work over.
D o your
homework
A little bit of knowledge goes
a long way. Look at bone
structure, muscles, how the
animal moves. With horses,
understanding the shape of
the skull helps.
7
The flow of the mane
For the mane, I make linear marks, using the
edge of soft pastels and charcoal, following
lines of flow. The mane sits over the bony structure
of the head, so I can use it to show contours. I can
also use it to give the picture some extra life and
feeling of movement.
91
Workshop
8
Define with the background
To help achieve movement and tonal variety, I
introduce part of the background using some
light and dark blues, smudging them in with my
hands. This is a first layer and will be developed
further as the piece progresses.
10
Move to darker shading
To describe the gently changing contours of the
muzzle area and nostrils, I use a mixture of
charcoal, pastel pencil, soft pastels and Conté crayons in
greys, blacks, creams and whites, developing the subtle
changes of lights and dark shadows. It takes time, patience
and very careful observation.
92
9
Go soft with the muzzle
The muzzle is the softest area on the horse’s head. I
initially sketched the darks in with charcoal, and now I
blend in some pink underlayers on the lighter areas, softening,
blending, and smudging with a light touch. Unison pastels are
the ideal choice for this.
11
The head collar
The head collar needs darker darks and more
definition, which I do with a sharp black Conté crayon
and a white for the highlights. I create the rope effect with
curves of light and dark. The coins and decoration I draw
gently with charcoal, and some yellow/orange Conté and PITT
Pastel Pencils, building them up in layers.
Pastel
12
Metallic shine
13
Bring it together
15
Make the final touches
To give the impression of sparkle and shine on the
coins and chain, strong contrasts of dark and light
are needed, applied with sharp, confident marks, and left
unsmudged. This is a lovely opportunity to contrast these
hard, sharp marks with the softness of the horse’s coat, and to
really exploit the full potential of pastels.
It’s time to ensure the piece works as a whole, by
standing back and assessing what is needed. I use
pastel pencils to make fine and subtle changes to describe the
‘flea-bitten’ brown marks, subtle shadows, and texture of fine
hairs, using the dark colours of the background for shadows.
14
Boost bone
structure with tones
I develop lighter tones to
emphasise the bone structure, using
soft cream and white pastels, using
sharp shards to make light hair-like
marks, using very little pressure.
I decide that the piece would look more dramatic by
darkening the background. Such changes are easy
to make with pastels, meaning that the painting can evolve
constantly and quickly. At this stage in the work, I constantly
step back and review the piece after every few marks. Last of
all, I add wisps of fine hairs and whiskers.
93
Workshop
Weather effects
Nel Whatmore invites you to explore the joys of working in pastels to
discover the beauty of painting different types of weather
hen first learning about how
to paint different types of
weather, one of the most
important things to consider
is what time of day to paint,
as it is often key to ending up with a
successful painting.
This isn’t just because of the possible
need to dodge rain clouds, but because the
quality of the light, combined with how
intense the light is, both vary hugely
throughout the course of a single day.
These two factors affect the tonal range of
a painting and the atmosphere of it.
A very useful exercise is to choose a
simple view, such as a field with one tree in
it or the corner of your garden, and paint it
at different times of day. I have done this on
several occasions and I often chosen an
early morning, midday and a late afternoon
W
view. It is invaluable to understand how the
same view alters as the Sun changes
direction and weather fronts move through.
Monet was the master of this approach,
and he painted many series of paintings of
his iconic lily pond at Giverny, the River
Seine and Notre-Dame Cathedral.
In this article, I want to encourage you to
look more closely at the light and how
subtle variations and decisions we make
will help us improve our painting of all types
of weather. We will uncover how to build a
painting up, exploring at how choosing your
colours is key, as well as mark making and
how we hold and use pastels to help us
convey different weather effects.
Of course, it is impossible to cover all
weathers here, so I will be concentrating on
stormy landscapes, summer fields and
misty autumnal mornings.
NEL
Tadcaster, UK
Nel has worked in pastels for over
30 years, is a regular exhibitor at
Chelsea Flower Show and
co-founder of the New Pastel
School. She is an expressive
colourist and fascinated by the
evocative nature of colour.
www.nelwhatmore.com
Materials
n
n
n
n
n
Unison soft pastels
Sennelier Sand Card in various colours
Colourfix Primer Deep Ultra
Easel
Hardboard
Time of day
Understand how light
quality and colour intensity
changes during a single day
I would like to suggest that you paint the
same simple view at three different times of
day, for instance morning, midday and late
afternoon. In this example I had only a few
hours and not the luxury of a whole day, but
it was interesting to see that even if you
don’t have much time, there is still much to
learn. These three studies were painted at
4pm, 5pm and 6.30pm in late September.
Because I was working quickly, I was
looking at where the light was coming from
and changes in the range of colours.
Painting different types of weather is
always initially about understanding what
colour palette to use and looking at the
tonal range. Are there lots of subtle mid
tones, or more dramatic extremes of darks
and lights?
94
Pastel
4pm Sept
afternoon
Always see which way and how
strongly the wind is blowing. This
will affect the shape of the clouds
and also the pastel strokes you
make. I used the pastel on its side
in order to work very quickly
because of the time limit.
5pm Sept
afternoon
The clouds are getting heavier,
possibly in time for some early
evening rain. There is little wind
so the contrast between the blue
of the sky and the edges of the
clouds remains quite blurred and
indistinct by blending the colours
over each other.
6.30pm Sept
afternoon
Painting a good sky is all about
the edges of the clouds and how
blurred or crisp they are where
they meet the surrounding blue.
Look at the top edge of the cloud
where it meets the now much
richer blue and contrast this with
its darker underside that blends
into the next cloud below.
The first thing to note is where the
light is coming from – it was behind
me, but still shining down on the
land, so the field in the mid distance
is bright as the Sun hits it at an
angle, and the tones are mostly in
the mid range, with a few darks
under the trees. The surface is also a
mid tone Sennelier Pastel Card light
blue grey.
It was not windy so the edges
between the different areas are
quite soft and not very distinct as it
was late in the afternoon. Because
the marks are soft and not very
angular, it conveys a sense of late
afternoon calm. I changed to a
darker paper – dark blue grey – to
create a richer field.
The light is now lower in the sky. The
Sun shines on the base of the tree
and the tonal range of blues and
greens has intensified – there are
darker blues and greys, and the blue
at the horizon is brighter. The range
of greens makes it more dramatic.
The grass is a more yellow-green
and the light is shining on it so there
is more texture. Vertical short
strokes haved been used, in
contrast to the bottom left-hand
corner, which remains in shadow
and is now a darker blue-green.
The Sun is now very low and is just
catching the edges of the clouds.
Notice how the tonal range has
almost been compressed, making
the colours more intense with
brighter lights and darker darks.
The light is more dramatic and it
also became more breezy, so the
mark making changes. I used
pastels on their ends in order to
hatch colours over each other, but
still in the direction that the grass is
growing to lead your eye towards
the tree. I have also changed to a
darker paper, the Sennelier Pastel
Card dark blue grey, to create a
richer field.
95
Workshop
Misty days and creating atmosphere
Creating atmosphere is essential to conveying different types of weather and is achieved
by looking at colour and the balance between areas of calm and detail
1
Choose your colours
Misty days are nearly always still,
when the intensity of colours is
masked by cloud cover and the light is
reduced. Restrict your colour palette to a
more muted range of colours, avoiding
bright, saturated ones to create
atmosphere. Imagine your subject is
covered in layers of tissue paper, rather
like looking at colours through a misty
window. Ask yourself if your colour is too
bright, and make sure to test them on the
paper of your choice. For this example, I
chose a mid-brown Sennelier Soft Pastel
Card Van Dyke brown, as I wanted lots of
the paper to show through and work as a
colour in my painting.
4
2
Composition and
areas of colour
Work out your rough composition by
lightly applying the lighter and mid tones
of pastel. It is harder on soft pastel card to
go over darker colours, so start light and
get darker later. Make sure the edges
between the areas in your composition
are soft and not hard as it creates a
softness that is in keeping with it being a
misty early morning. Use the pastel on its
side so you can do broader stokes and
cover larger areas – don’t hold it like a
pencil. Take the paper label off so you have
the full length of the stick.
Introduce detail
Now building on the foundation of colours
already laid down, choose small areas of
your individual branches or bushes to focus on
and apply more detail to give greater depth. Detail
always translates into texture, which means that
your eye will be drawn to wherever there is lots of
it and it will become a focal point. Be selective
about where you apply detail – if a painting has
the same amount of detail and clarity all over, it
will flatten its appearance.
96
3
Soft edges
To create stillness, always have a
definite area of calm where there is
not much going on. Make sure your
horizon, if there is one, is not a continuous
hard line, but a soft interrupted one. I have
pressed harder with the light pastels in the
top-left corner and moved from soft pink
to a light white yellow to white to lead your
eye to the Sun. There are no hard lines,
just a soft transition. Darker tones come
into the foreground to give form very
gradually. Create finer detail by breaking
your pastel in two to get a sharper edge, or
use pastel pencils if you prefer.
5
Use darker colours
The strength of the colours in the foreground were increased using richer
or more saturated colours. To create the impression that the Sun was
trying to break through from the distance, warmer greens and hints of yellow
were also used to create this effect with shorter, more rapidly made marks being
utilised. At this stage it is about adding highlights and deeper shades in order to
give the painting more depth.
Pastel
Storm clouds
Stormy skies are all about drama, composition and trying to convey the
sense that the wind is blowing and the heavens are about to open
The painting I have chosen to illustrate this
point is a large one called Caution to the
Wind, and it concentrates very much on the
The blue of the sky goes from a
greyish lilac to a more intense
blue to meet the brighter white
at the top of the painting, so the
eye is drawn upwards by the
contrast in colours as well as
the composition. Increasing
the contrast of colours always
produces drama.
sky. Getting to know different cloud
formations is very useful, and when you get
very large ones and torrential downpours,
they can be very many hundreds of feet
high. The speed and direction of the wind
also affect the structure of a cloud.
The tonal variation goes from very
dark blue at the bottom of the painting
to very light at the top – it’s a whole
tonal range, but with the emphasis is
on the light areas of the cloud. Here
very broad strokes of pastel were
applied and then rubbed in with the
palm of the hand to create an even
wider expanse to echo that the cloud
was just getting bigger and bigger.
Always know which way the wind and light are coming
from. Clouds always have a sunnier side and a more
shady side where colours are cooler. A yellowy-white is
always better than just a white when painting clouds –
you can lay down white, but add a bit of yellow or just
use a nice whitey-yellow. It gives the impression of the
Sun shining and it has greater warmth and depth.
There is just a touch in the cloud at the top.
Where you put the horizon can be key to creating
drama. The fact that the horizon is really low and fourfifths of the painting is sky makes us feel that the sky is
already really dominant and bearing down on us. The
cloud formation is like a huge tilted cone bearing down
on the land in an unstable fashion. Diagonals in general
convey energy in a composition.
The horizon isn’t well defined, so
the tones of the sky and the land
where they meet are similar as our
interest is in what’s happening
above. There’s a hint that rain is
falling to the left as the difference
between the colours of the land
and sky become less defined.
97
Workshop
Summer days and fields
Sunshine, texture and vibrancy are all things to think about when conveying glorious
summer fields – building up layers using hatching helps us do this
1
Choose your colours and surface
For paintings that need to convey warmth and have a lot of
detail in them, such as a sunny cornfield, I often paint a
surface like hardboard with a layer of Colourfix Primer first, then
choose a range of colours from lights to darks. Using the pastels
on their sides, I roughly block the areas in. As this is a very
summery subject, I chose more colours with a yellow and yellowgreen bias. I used Colourfix Deep Ultra to underpaint the board –
you can apply this acrylic-based primer directly from the pot, but
it is quite thick and is often better watered down a bit and applied
with a two or three-inch brush. It has a fine pumice powder in it,
which then gives the surface a tooth, suitable for pastels.
2
Decide where your focal point is
The Sun was behind the trees and it was a very warm day.
To create that feeling, as if the air is almost vibrating,
‘hatching’ is very useful – don’t blend the colours with your finger,
but instead lay strokes of many colours on top of each other,
usually by holding the pastel more like a pencil. I have started with
the area on the top right. Degas was the master of this technique.
3
4
The direction of hatching
Use lots of colours
The beauty of hatching when done on a harder surface, like
hardboard, is that you can build up more layers. Notice
how there is a definite cooler area of the painting in front of the
trees where the greens have a blue bias, which acts as a nice
contrast to the sunnier side of the field. The vibration of all the
colours together gives a sense of energy, too, as the wind was
blowing across the field.
98
While you can hatch colours over each other in all
directions, in landscapes it is best to follow the contours of
the land or vegetation. Lines are a strong visual indicator that can
lead the viewer around your painting. See how the strokes in the
sky follow the curve around the Sun to continue the feeling of
movement and energy. It brings all the different areas of the
painting together to give the impression of a sunny day.
Pastel
The power of colour
Increasing your colour range is often the key to conveying the mood of a season or type
of weather. Make yourself familiar with different seasonal colour palettes. Being bold
and introducing unusual colours into landscapes often reaps rewards
1
4
2
3
1
The importance
of colour
Be brave and try using more
colours in your summer skies.
Stick to warmer tones and
remember that the colours of
the land reflect up into the sky,
as well as the sky reflecting
down onto water. Summer
skies have wonderful colours,
particularly towards the end of
the day.
2
Paper or board
dimensions
One of the first decisions to
make is what shape paper or
board you want to work on. So
often people just use the piece
of paper they buy without
considering its proportions.
Remember to think about how
the shape of your paper helps
you tell your story, and the
weather. I chose a very long
horizontal piece because I
wanted to echo the fact that it
was the longest day of the
year and that the painting was
all about the wonderful
expansive Norfolk summer
evening sky.
3
Warm surface
colour
Choose a nice warm mid-tone
colour of paper or surface, as
that warmth will show through
all over your painting if you
don’t blend your pastels and
let the paper work as a colour.
If you are not sure what colour
to choose, cut a thin strip off
one edge and test your pastel
colours on it to see which one
you prefer.
4
Let your layers
show through
Laying down a warm tinted
layer using a Colourfix primer,
or smudging in your first layer
then drifting another pastel
over the top but not blending,
gives your painting depth
while increasing energy and
warmth. Often when students
say their work gets muddy it’s
because they either blend the
layers of pastel together or
they apply too much, clogging
up the surface. If this happens
to you, use the edge of a piece
of acetate or even a credit card
to lift some of the pastel from
the surface.
99
Workshop
Start using colour
paper for pastels
Rebecca de Mendonça advises what colour surface to use
with your pastels. It all depends on the mood you’re after…
o you ever hesitate when
choosing which colour surface to
use? There isn’t a right or wrong
choice, it just depends on the
mood you wish to create. Do you
want your piece to be calm and peaceful,
bright and fresh, or dramatic and moody? The
colour that we work on becomes part of our
palette, showing through the pastel work and
harmonising the piece.
Should it be light or dark, warm or
cool? The same palette of pastels will
look quite different on each, with lighter
colours seeming even lighter when
applied to dark tones, but dying back
backgrounds of similar tones. An orange
on a blue will jump out at you, but an
orange on a brown will blend in.
For this article I’ll reveal how to create
a stormy beach scene, and then show
how on different papers the mood can
completely change.
D
100
REBECCA
Exeter, UK
Rebecca specialises in
pastels, producing lively
and energetic work. She
teaches around the UK
and in Italy, and co-founded
The New Pastel School.
rebeccademendonca.co.uk
Materials
Pastel papers come in a multitude of colours.
I used Winsor & Newton’s Universal paper
(Blue, Terracotta and Mottled grey) along with
a range of Unison pastels: Dark 18, Blue Violet
9, Dark 8, Blue Green 7, Blue Green 16, Grey 34,
Add 35, Add 33, Add 31, Brown Earth 4, Brown
Earth 13, Grey 27, Add 7. I also used two Conté
crayons: 2340/43 and 2340/18.
Pastel
1
Exploring the palette
on different papers
By trying out your palette of colours
on an edge of each paper you can see
how they look before you paint. Notice
how some pastel hues jump off one
colour, but almost disappear on another.
On the blue, the creams and yellows
come alive but the darks are absorbed.
I’m already establishing the mood.
Testing time!
It is a great idea to paint pastel swatches
on various papers. It’s amazing how
different a certain colour will look when the
colour that surrounds it changes.
101
Workshop
2
Sketch with dark colour
I always take the labels off my
pastels and break them in half,
using them on their side and end. With
dark blue broad strokes I sketch out
the clouds and trees, hinting at the
horizon. With a light I gently suggest
the edge of the sea and the beach, giving
a framework of light and dark.
3
“I gently
suggest
the edge of
the sea and
the beach…”
Smudging in more sky
I develop the sky by smudging in
Blue Violet 9. I smudge this and
the cooler purple colours into the sky,
grey hills and distant beach. This
combination of cool blues and softening
techniques creates a feeling of distance.
“I use horizontal
strokes to indicate
that the sea is flat
towards the horizon”
4
Dark blues on the sea
I apply a combination of the dark
blue and green and richer Blue
Geen 7 to the sea, using horizontal
strokes to indicate that the sea is flat
towards the horizon. I can get a feel of
the light on the water with Blue Green
16. The blue paper gives a deep, rich
base to these colours.
102
Pastel
5
Sandy Beach
6
Making waves
The warm beach colours contrast
beautifully with the paper tone.
I layer the lighter conte crayon in the
distance (above) then the richer conté to
create a warmer hue as the beach comes
towards us (inset) with Unison pastels
on their side to strengthen the body of
colour (right) also flicking these colours
onto the trees to indicate buildings.
To get the feeling of crashing
waves and surf, I first sketch in
more blues under the area where the
waves will be. Using good -quality
pastels means that I can then draw in
the waves using light creams with little
flicks and twisting marks. I still use
some horizontal marks to show that
the beach is quite flat underneath.
103
Workshop
Sharp tools
For small details I cut off
shards of pastel with a
scalpel. When you drop
a pastel on the floor and
it breaks, don’t throw
the pieces in the bin!
7
Figures in the distance
I just hint at the figures with the
dark green, using a shard of pastel
that I’ve cut off the bigger stick. If I draw
them too big I can come back round
them and redefine them with the
sandy colour of the beach. I also
make little flicks to suggest distant
buildings among the trees.
8
Some warm highlights
The dark blue paper is dominating
the mood. For more warmth I use
a pale yellow to highlight the light on the
beach in the distance (left) and to
emphasise light and warmth in the
foreground (above). To further create
balance and depth I smudge areas of the
beach and sea, add more purples and
touch detail to the figures.
104
Pastel
9
Seascape sketch
on neutral, pale grey
By doing a similar sketch on Mottled
Grey paper, using exactly the same selection of
colours, I have quite a different piece. The
lighter, neutral paper makes the beach seem
bigger and the sea flatter. The sky is still
stormy, but the whole mood feels calmer and
gentler…and in my opinion, a little boring!
10
. Seascape sketch on
warm terracotta
This warm orange colour is
one that can make blues really sing out,
but here it seems to dominate. To stop
the terracotta overpowering the piece I
would have to smudge the cooler pastels
into it even more. So the question is,
which colour paper do you feel works
best, or do they all work in different ways?
105
Workshop
Colourful urban roofscapes
Richard Rees explains his approach to capturing complex urban scenes
using oil pastels in a unique way to give sharp, colourful images
RICHARD
London, UK
An architect artist and
architectural illustrator,
Richard’s work combines his
love of both buildings and
painting. He is a member of
the Pastel Society and has
been working primarily in oil
pastel for the last five years
producing vibrant cityscapes.
www.artyrees.com
Materials
he oil pastel painting I am
demonstrating is of the coastal
village of Staithes in North
Yorkshire and is the result of a
sketching visit I made a few
years ago. The subject combines all the
qualities I look for. You will learn how I select
the image, how to prepare a colour rough and
how to apply oil pastel in a manner that gives
a clean, sharp picture.
In doing so you will appreciate the
different ways of applying oil pastels,
how to control the vibrant colours and
how to consider the composition of an
urban scene. There will also be
consideration of how you simplify a
picture and create particular shapes.
I have a small garden studio that is
ideal for this type of work, with plentiful
daylight and space to lay out my oil
pastels close to my drawing board work
surface. I find a tilting drawing board
essential for the work as it is easier to
work on than a flat surface.
T
Oil pastels differ from the more
commonly used chalk pastel in that they
are bound with linseed oil and do not
crumble on contact with the paper. They
have a consistency similar to lipstick,
which means they flow easily on to the
paper. The drawback with this is that
they blunt the moment they are used so
cannot be sharpened like a chalk pastel
pencil. This creates a problem with fine
detail, and many artists supplement oil
pastels with pencil, coloured pencil,
gouache and inks.
This work is a pure oil pastel with only
a thin coloured pencil under-drawing. I
love the purity of works in pure oil pastel,
and that is why I developed this
technique in the first place. If you find
the creation of this work too daunting as
a whole, then it might be an idea for you
take a smaller part of it to work on, such
as a quarter. This way you can more
quickly pick up the guidance
incorporated in the exercise.
n Oil Pastels – Sennelier and Caran
d’Ache Neopastel (standard size)
n Colours: Sennelier – 2, 6, 8, 14, 15, 17, 18,
25, 38, 46, 72, 85, 86, 92, 99, 207, 209, 211,
212, 226, 232, 238, 240, 241, 242, 243.
Caran d’Ache: Cream, Pale Yellow, Light
Beige, Olive Green, Olive Black, Indigo
Blue, Prussian Blue, Silver Grey, Steel
Grey, Dark Grey, Granite Pink, (no white)
n A compartmented tray to keep the
pastels in colour groups
n Coloured pencils
n Coloured paper approximately A2 size
n An erasing shield
n Thin acetate, a ruler and a scalpel
n An old-fashioned safety razor blade
n Tracing paper to protect the image
1
Subject selection and composition
I spend a long time selecting a subject and looking for unusual viewpoints. I look
for compressed perspectives, such as those seen from above, where the subject
becomes a tilted plane below you. In street scenes I use a telephoto lens to
condense the image into a series of overlapping shapes. This approach immediately
starts to abstract the image and select the important shapes you are going to draw.
In Staithes I took the view from on top of a high cliff looking down onto the town.
106
Oil pastel
2
A rough sketch
In addition to the photo reference,
I draw a rough sketch. This allows
you to get a feel for the shapes in your
finished picture. In an urban
composition I am looking for a series of
bold shapes that are not too detailed,
such as the walls and gables of the
housing and the areas of the breakwater
and foreshore. In addition, smaller
details, such as chimneys and windows,
add character and contrast.
Fixing the
coloured paper
As oil pastel has a lot of oil in its composition,
which can soak into the coloured paper over
time and will eventually rot it. To prevent this
it is a good idea to create a protective layer
between the paper and the pastels by using
a fixative on the paper before working up the
pastel. An ordinary spray fixative for
charcoal and pencil drawings will suffice.
107
Workshop
3
The colour rough
I always create an A4 rough
colour sketch of the proposed
larger pastel painting, which is usually
around A2 size. I cheat here as I am
not interested in creating a perfect
picture, so I print an A4 image of the
reference photo for the picture onto
ordinary copy paper (not gloss photo
paper) and work directly onto that.
This is a key part of the picture
process where the main colour
choices are made. Here it is about
earth colours, stronger orange-based
tiled roofs, cool blue shadows and
dark green in the foreshore. Orange
and blue are complementary colours,
so that will give vibrancy.
108
Oil pastel
4
Select the paper
I never work on white paper. The
reason is that I like to use the
paper colour as part of the composition
of the image. The way the oil pastel is
applied always leaves some of the paper
colour showing through. This has the
effect of pulling the whole picture
together and creating a harmonious set
of colour relationships, even between
very diverse colours. I have shown three
colours of light, mid and dark tones that
are being used in the pastel painting
overlaid on three colours: beige, greengrey and orange. I have chosen the greygreen paper as it will harmonise with the
blue shadows proposed and vibrate
against the orange roofs. I use a
smoother paper rather than a rougher
one as I do not like to introduce another
texture over that of the pastels.
5
Outline of
final drawing
Creating the final drawing on the
coloured paper can be done by squaring
up the sketch or colour rough. I prefer
the simpler method of projecting the
image onto the paper from an original
photograph. This is where a great deal of
simplification occurs as you outline the
main patches of colour. It is another
form of abstracting the shapes. You
should look to create the image with
fewer lines as every shape has to be
created separately. If the shapes are too
small they will be impossible to colour
in. I work on the final picture at around
A2 (59cm x 42cm) minimum. For the
drawing, choose a coloured pencil of the
same colour as the paper but either
lighter or darker so you can see it as you
draw. Don’t use graphite as it dirties the
final colours.
Colour groups
in oil pastel
Sennelier have the greatest range of oil
pastel colours and they are grouped very
attractively in key colour ways. For example,
the warm light red/browns form a group
from light to dark. These can be used for
indicating different roof tones – i.e. a roof in
shade and a roof in sunlight. The blues are
also very good in giving a range of colours in
one hue from light to dark for shadows.
109
Workshop
6
Fill in the shapes
Most of the work on this pastel
painting will be a matter of
colouring in shapes. This sounds simple,
and you have already done most of the
work of selecting the colour in the
rough. However, to achieve a sharp
outline and give the work its clarity in
this style you have to resort to using
stencils and an erasing shield. There are
two ways of using the shield. Its edges
can be used to form shapes and some of
its internal punched patterns can be
used as stencils. Of most use are the line
shapes, which are quite thin (2mm to
3mm usually).
110
Oil pastel
7
Keep the
work clean
Using the shield, you need to be
scrupulously clean after creating a line.
Clean the shield after every application
with a tissue, otherwise spots of the
sticky medium will start to appear
everywhere and that means you will
spend a long time cleaning up. I also
work from top to bottom in colouring
the drawing as this generally helps with
the cleanliness and you avoid smudging
the pastels with your hands. Another
good idea is to put in the lighter colours
first where they are next to very dark
ones. That way, if you get dark over the
earlier lighter colours it is easier to
scratch it off and repair with your razor
blade. Getting dark down first and trying
to cover it with a lighter colour can be
very difficult.
8
Special shapes
and stencils
By the nature of the subject
matter, some smaller elements, such as
windows and chimneys, need to be
coloured in. Sometimes a small
triangular or rectangular shape is
needed (like a window), and for this you
need an acetate stencil. Place the
acetate over the shape on the drawing,
and, using a very thin indelible felt pen,
trace the outline of the shape. Then cut
this out of the acetate with a fine
scalpel. Stencils should be treated with
the same scrupulous cleanliness as the
erasing shield.
Use of bright,
saturated colours
If you look at typical oil pastel paintings on
the internet, you will notice a lot of garish
and jarring colour schemes. If you wish to
avoid this, you can do so by simply using
bright, saturated colours only in small areas
– see the chimneys on Staithes (look at the
work of Gustav Klimt for another example).
The larger areas will then be medium
saturation or neutral colours (see the walls
and roofs on Staithes).
111
Workshop
9
Blend soft over hard
Oil pastels vary considerably in hardness, even within
the same make. This is due to the variations in the
pigment mixes. This is significant if you are blending colours. It
is important to lay the harder colour down first and then add
the softer. This is because the hard colour will have difficulty in
sticking to the lower soft colour the other way around.
Sometimes one has to adjust the colour balance and apply a
hard/soft/hard mix, going back with the under colour lightly
over the top. Care should be taken not to make the blend too
thick as this will obliterate the base paper colour and make the
pastel painting visually heavy. I do not generally use white in
colour admixtures as it tends to give a chalky feel to the
colours if over used. My lightest colour is cream, and I use this
and light greys if I want to adjust tones.
112
10
Sharpen organic forms
The lower half of the composition includes the
foreshore where there are few straight lines. In
order to ensure that the feel of the picture is the same as the
upper half with its geometric architecture, the soft forms need
to be defined more clearly after they are created in freehand.
This is done by taking the pencil used in the under-drawing
and going over the edges of the colour patches to ‘sharpen’
them up. Take care not to do this too heavily – it is about
definition, not hard outline, and the lines can be broken,
especially where light colours are together.
Oil pastel
Protecting the final image
Oil pastels never fully dry out and remain sticky and smudgeable. This
can be a problem in handling finished works. Sennelier supply a fixative
for oil pastels but I find it gives a rather plastic gloss to the surface. If you
do intend to try it, do a test first. I leave my pastels unfixed and protect
them temporarily by putting tracing paper over them that is taped at the
edges. When framing I specify either a deep card mount or a stepped
double-thin card so the glass never touches the surface.
11
Tricks for harmonising colour
Across this picture there are areas of different colour
groupings. For example, the foreshore contains a
range of darker colours including a number of greens not
necessarily found in the rest of the composition. By
deliberately adding small highlights of these colours around
the rest of the picture you visually link all the areas together.
Another way of creating harmonies is to use a colour – in this
case a yellow ochre – as a blending to a variety of other
colours, say orange roofs and purple walls. This has a similar
effect to the coloured paper base in further harmonising the
picture. The example shown is the lightest blue, used for
shadowed walls and windows.
12
The finished picture
The final image shows all the steps described
above. If it has worked for me, the image is lively,
sharp, easy-to-read and draws you in through the use of
strong colours and defined shapes. I was trying to convey the
picturesque quality of Staithes with this work, but not by
slavishly copying the colours of the town. The character of the
town is conveyed by the overlapping of the houses as they
cluster down to the edge of the sea. I will frame this picture
behind glass using a 7.5cm-wide cream mount, which will not
be as harsh as a white one and will tone in with the colours of
the work. A picture of this size usually takes me around 15
hours to complete.
113
Workshop
Paint like
Caravaggio
Follow Rob Lunn as he guides you through the
painting process of the rebellious 17th-century
master, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
About
ROB
Bath, UK
Rob is a self-taught
painter. The painters
that most influence his
work are Vincent van
Gogh, Caravaggio and
Ilya Repin.
www.roblunn.co.uk
Materials
n Acrylic-primed canvas board, 9”x12"
n Rosemary & Co. Ivory standardhandled Short Flats (sizes 0, 2, 4, 6, 8,
10 and a size 2 Rigger
n Michael Harding oil paints:
Ultramarine Blue, Green Lake, Bright
Yellow Lake, Yellow Lake, Yellow
Lake Deep, Scarlet Lake, Alizarin
Crimson, Magenta, Ultramarine
Violet, Titanium White, Burnt Umber
n Liquin Original (speeds up the drying
time of oil paint)
n Kitchen roll
n Old Master’s Brush Cleaner
& Preserver (+ TLC)
n Bartoline Brush Cleaner
114
M
ichelangelo Merisi da
Caravaggio, born 1571
in Lombardy, Italy, was
the world’s first
rockstar painter.
Spending a lot of his career on the run
with a price on his head, the rebellious
young painter turned the art world upside
down. He revolutionised the levels of
realism in art with his high-impact
chiaroscuro technique.
He also challenged patrons by
painting common people off the
street as the stars of his work. It’s
hard for audiences today to
appreciate just how shocking his
paintings were in their day, with that
shock and awe spilling out into his
private life, too. Caravaggio’s favourite
phrase was ‘nec spe, nec metu’, which
translates as ‘without hope, without
fear’. His groundbreaking work still
inspires artists today and is just as
likely to be recognised in a Martin
Scorsese movie as on the wall of
a gallery. Very little anecdotal
evidence survives about his painting
technique, although there are
accounts of him using mirrors and
lenses, presumably to project his
subjects onto his canvas.
I’m going to be painting in oils on a
canvas board. Oil paints offer more
working time than acrylics, allowing
you to more work back into certain
areas. There will be times when you
want the oil paint to dry faster, so
adding Liquin can come in very useful.
Take a little time to make sure you
have everything you’ll need – once
you get lost in a painting the hours
can fly by.
. Failing to prepare
is preparing to fail
1
Instead of simply painting myself in
heavy chiaroscuro, I wanted to add an
element of narrative. As I wanted the
main figure to be engaging the
audience, I decided upon Pontius Pilate
in Ecce Homo, the painter’s 1605
retelling of the tortured Jesus being
shown to the crowds before his
crucifixion. Caravaggio set his paintings
with a 17th-century eye so his subjects
would have looked contemporary. My
21st-century Pontius Pilate will be a
suited-and-booted politician.
Oil
115
Workshop
2
Perform a dress rehearsal
in charcoal
Caravaggio famously didn’t make any
preparatory drawings before committing paint to
canvas, but I like to take a more tentative approach to
my work. A quick and light charcoal drawing allows me
to test elements within the composition before adding
permanence with paint. This is called a ‘gesture
drawing’. I use a set of measuring callipers to doublecheck the proportions. The process is slightly more
straightforward when, as in this case, the reference
material is 0:0 scale, although it is possible to scale up
or down using callipers with adjustable ratios of scale.
3
Lock in the form
4
Ground your composition
Because I’m performing a gesture drawing
and want some of that information to carry
through into the next stages, I have to add
permanence to my drawing by locking it in using
paint. In this instance I’ve applied liquid acrylic paint
using a fine pen, but a brush and diluted acrylic paint
would work just as well. The main thing to remember
is not to add too much information at this stage –
you’re creating a road map of your form that will show
though the next stage when you apply your ground
and, because it’s acrylic, it will be dry in minutes.
A ground is a flat coat of paint applied
to a primed canvas that you use as an element
within your painting. This is the stage where Caravaggio
would start, although there are reports of him using
lenses and mirrors to project his subjects onto his preground canvas to use as a guide, like a 17th-century
projector. Our preparatory stages are our version of that.
I’m using Burnt Umber for this ground as it will act as a
mid-tone for most elements in my painting.
Shades of grey
The colours we want to paint are rarely as
saturated and vibrant as the colours straight out
of the tubes. To grey down a colour, add a little of
its complementary colour when mixing. This will
knock some of the punch out and look more realistic.
116
Oil
5
A foundation for lights
and darks
Whether using an early version of a projector or
just by locking in his eye, the first stage Caravaggio
would apply would be his whites and darks. For the dark
background, I mixed a little Ultramarine Blue with my
Burnt Umber and laid down a very thin layer, outlining
the form of the figure. I then used Titanium White to
pick out the areas of light. Titanium White takes ages to
dry, so to speed up this stage try adding some Liquin
with your paint and it will dry the next day.
117
Workshop
6
Se tt ing the
righ t tone
Thinking tonally is essential
when painting and is a
separate consideration to
saturation or vibrancy of
colour. A light tone can be
vibrant or grey, as can a dark
tone. Use a tonal scale tool
to make sure your eyes aren’t
playing tricks on you.
7
Block in your main shapes
It can seem like you’re obliterating all the hard work done so
far but take heart. All that prep work is the framework your
painting will be built upon. Squint to reduce the amount of
information and keep your brushwork loose. Begin by painting in
the large areas of information. Details like the glasses, highlights
etc will come at the end. Where possible, use a bigger brush than
feels comfortable to force yourself to be bold. Keep the dark areas
thin, but you can add thicker layers of paint in the lighter areas.
118
Premix colours
Premixing your colours will
save you time in the long
run. This stage allows you to just
focus on the colours in your piece,
without thinking about anything
else. Take the time to analyse the
colours in-depth and make a plan
about colour relationships
throughout the painting. You can
tweak certain colours to add
harmony and balance. The base of
my skin tone is an orange made
from Scarlet Lake and Bright
Yellow Lake, greyed down with a
little Green Lake and Titanium
White. I then push this base colour
out to many variations of dark and
light skin tones.
8
Take a holistic approach
Don’t get stuck on one part of the painting for too long.
You need to think about the painting as a whole, and work
on all areas of it, pushing it along as one. It’s all too easy to finish
one area, only to realise you’ve got the tone completely wrong
once you add its neighbouring section. Remember, you’re still
looking at those larger blocks of colour, so don’t get too bogged
down in detail. I’m starting to add smaller brush strokes now but
I’m stopping myself from painting in the eyes and highlights.
Oil
Rock steady
It’s good to keep things loose at the being of
a painting, but when you start to get into those
finer details consider using a Mahl stick (as pictured
in Step 10) to give you a greater degree of accuracy
without leaning on the canvas!
9
Finetune the detail
I’m now starting to add finer and
finer levels of details as I work
through the painting. I want my main focal
point to be the face so that’s where I’ll focus
most of my detail and leave the surrounding
areas reasonably loose. Notice I’m constantly
rechecking and remeasuring. Each stage
is a chance to refine and correct. I decide to
deepen the shadows to create more contrast,
which ups the feeling of drama. I’m also
starting to look for more subtle variations of
colour, not only within the light areas, but the
within the shadows, too.
10
Finally, add
the highlights
© Getty Images
It’s time to finally add those
fine details. At this stage a painting can
suddenly come to life, which is why it’s
so tempting to do this earlier on. I’m
standing back from the painting more
at this stage and looking for small
touches to transform certain areas. I up
the green skin tones as a nod to Young
Sick Bacchus, Caravaggio’s early selfportrait. One of the hardest things is
knowing when to stop, so it’s often good
to take a break at this stage and come
back with fresh eyes. I don’t want to
overwork it so I’ll stop here.
119
Workshop
15 brush skills
to try out today
Tom Brown reveals how you can connect with your
viewers by using a variety of unique brushwork techniques
E
motion is the key to my work.
I want my paintings to be a form
of visual poetry, rather than a
simple observation of the subject.
I want viewers to experience my
emotional response to the subject.
And I have a number of favorite brushwork
techniques that help me achieve those goals.
These are things I’ve been teaching in
my workshops for over a decade. And
these are things you can begin using
right away in your own paintings. For this
article I’m using oil paints, but these
techniques can be used with a variety of
other media as well.
A number of factors affect the
success of various stroke techniques
that I use, including paint viscosity (how
buttery or stiff the paint is), the volume
of paint on the brush, the angle at which
the brush is held, and the pressure used
when making a stroke. Let’s have a look
at those now…
TOM
Irvine, USA
Painting runs in Tom’s family
and his art is known
distinctive brushwork. He’s
hosted his own TV show and
has been teaching oil painting
workshops for 20 years.
tombrownart.weebly.com
120
Oil
1
Have some fun
“Painting by the pound” can add energy and
emotion to a painting. I use thick gobs of
pigment on my brush, then place them on the
canvas with a soft touch, keeping the brush nearly
parallel to the surface. I lightly drag it across the
painting, because too much pressure flattens the
stroke. I let the paint stand proud to create texture.
2
Prepare your paint
3
Use a knife
When painting by the pound, the
viscosity of the paint is crucial.
Paint that’s too stiff or too thin doesn’t work.
I like a consistency that’s similar to mayonnaise,
and I need an adequate quantity of paint on the
brush. I strive to place what I call pieces of paint on
the surface of the painting.
I also use the palette knife to achieve a similar
effect. Again, I use a thick load of buttery
pigment on the bottom of the knife and apply it
lightly to the surface of the painting. Don’t press or
scrape. Hold the blade flat to the canvas and let it
skip and jump as it skitters lightly across the surface.
P alet te design
The setup shown here has a disposable
paper palette for mixing my paints, and a
metal panel opposite, where a paper towel
is held in place with magnets. This enables
me to wipe brushes clean and keep my
hands clean without handling a messy
paint rag. The palette is hinged, and closes
to fit into my plein air kit safely when
working I’m outdoors.
Ma terials
I paint primarily on canvas and gessoed MDF panels
using brushes with artificial bristles. I prefer filberts,
brights and riggers in various sizes, as well as
palette knives. The paints I use are Winsor &
Newton Artisan brand Water-Mixable oil colours.
These paints handle beautifully to create the effects
I strive for in my work, and I like the ease of cleanup.
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Cadmium yellow Pale Hue
Yellow ochre
Cadmium red hue
Permanent alizarin crimson
French ultramarine
Phthalo green (blue shade)
Titanium white
“I lightly drag the
brush across the
painting, because
too much pressure
flattens the stroke”
121
Workshop
4
Be generous
Load paint on the knife using only
the bottom of the blade, not the
top. Be generous and use enough paint
to make a powerful mark. When you
place a stroke, be bold and make a
dramatic statement, then leave it alone.
Too much correcting leads to a muddy
effect instead of the lively look we’re after.
5
Create a mood
6
Try fingerpainting
Thinly painted areas with soft
edges create a gentle, restful
mood. For this I like to use large filberts
to cover big areas of a painting. I blend
one shape or colour into another and
work back and forth, wet-into-wet. I use
enough medium in the paint to keep it
soft and juicy when striving for this effect.
When I want to soften smaller
areas or edges in a painting I often
use my fingertip. It offers more control
than a brush, especially in small areas. If
you’re using toxic pigments, it’s a good
idea to wear a rubber glove for this!
122
Oil
“Thinly painted
areas with soft
edges create a
restful mood”
7
Try crisp edges
Strokes with crisp, well-defined
edges are another of my favourites
and they contrast nicely with softer
areas of a composition. I use brights for
these strokes (a short-bristled version
of a flat). I press firmly when making
the stroke, then leave it alone to avoid
blending and to maintain crisp edges.
8
A new twist
9
Be graceful
I use riggers to create two very
different effects. When painting
a tree limb I get a thick load of paint on
the brush and then drag it lightly over
the canvas. By slowly rotating the brush
in my fingers and simultaneously
jogging left and right, I’m able to create
an angular, textured stroke.
When using a rigger to create a
soft, graceful stroke I use thinneddown paint and thoroughly wet the
entire length of the bristles. Then I slowly
drag the brush over the surface, allowing
the bristles to trail along in a smooth
line. When the brush runs out of paint,
the stroke is finished.
123
Workshop
10
Add some sparkle
At the finish of a painting I like to add little
accents I call clicks and pops. I plan
ahead and deliberately maintain some areas of soft,
diffused strokes and subtle hues. Into these areas
I place a few tiny strokes of lively hues and brighter
values that add a subtle sparkle to the piece.
11
Fool the eye
Optical colour-mixing is another technique
that I use. This involves layering drybrushed strokes of colour lightly over an
underpainting that’s a different colour. It’s
important to let the brush skip and jump over the
underpainting so that both hues remain visible. The
eye reads them as a blended colour that isn’t
actually present on the canvas.
124
12
Underpainting technique
Begin by underpainting several areas of
thin paint and then wait while they
become either tacky or completely dry. Then mix
your colours that look interesting with those
underpainted hues and lightly drag a brushload
across the surface, allowing it to incompletely
cover the underpainting. This is another way
to add extra sparkle to your work.
Oil
13
Explore different strokes
This piece uses several of my favourite techniques.
Essentially, soft, blurry edges of gently blended
colours contrast with thickly textured paint placed with bold
strokes. There are little clicks and pops in areas that would
otherwise be uninteresting. And it also combines richly
saturated hues with relaxed areas of desaturated colour.
14
Combine techniques
In this example I’ve taken my
painting by the pound approach
as well as adding a variety of clicks and
pops. Notice that these small accents of
colour were placed in spots where they
stand out, and also notice that many of
the hues I used seem foreign to the colour
scheme used elsewhere. This works well
when used in small amounts.
15
Try it yourself
Optical colour mixing was
used in the background, while
the face uses a combination of softly
blended areas contrasted with crispedged strokes. If you look closely you’ll
see a few other techniques as well. Why
not give some of these brush stroke
techniques a try today?
We are the
en tertainers
I want to entertain my viewers. The best
way I can do that is to have fun with my
painting, and let that show in my work. The
more clearly I can state my feelings in a
painting, the more strongly I seem to
connect with my viewers.
125
Workshop
Have fun with abstract,
textured backgrounds in oils
Scott Burdick shows how a rich and experimental backdrop for
the main focus of your work can make your subject come alive
S
ymphonies would lose their
impact if they were all cymbals
or violins, and the same is true
with a painting. If every object
is detailed to an equal degree,
our eye doesn’t know where to look, and the
visual message is lost in the clutter. Often,
combining a realistic centre of interest with
a more abstract and textured background
can act as an interesting balance.
A realistically painted face will stand
out and appear even more engaging
against an abstract background, rather
than set against a backdrop with every
detail meticulously put in.
This workshop focuses on some
techniques you can use to create an
interesting abstract background. Once
you learn these basic procedures, you
can apply them in many interesting and
unique ways. You won’t need to use them
every time you paint, but you will have
more tools at your disposal for when you
do need to use them.
SCOTT
North Carolina, US
Award winner Scott says some
of his ideas for paintings are
“as simple as stopping at the
sight of something interesting,
while others may take more
time to research than to paint”.
www.scottburdick.com
Materials
n
n
n
n
n
126
A variety of oil colours
Stretched and primed canvas
Palette
Palette knife
Brush
Oil
1
Get mixing
I start by laying out plenty of paint on
my palette. The colours I’m laying out are
Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium
Lemon, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red,
Permanent Rose, Burnt Sienna, Viridian, Cobalt
Blue, Ultramarine Blue and Ivory Black. The
off-white mixes surrounding my white paint
are from scraping my palette after previous
painting sessions – it all comes in useful! Next,
I mix a simple purple on my palette.
White Feather
In this painting, from
a photo I took in Idaho,
I replaced the complex
background with a simple
abstract pattern I made
mostly with a palette knife.
The realistic portrayal of
the girl and horse supplies
the emotional connection
to the subject, and stands
out in contrast to the
decorative background.
2
Let streaks show
One fun technique I use is mixing the colours
up only slightly, and letting streaks of colour
show in long bands when I lay down the palette
knife strokes. I’m using a fairly large palette knife
here, but this can be done with all types and sizes.
Experiment on scrap pieces of canvas to get used
to the effects you can achieve.
Scraping
Whenever I scrape paint off the
canvas, I add it to the piles on my
palette rather than throwing it
away. Often, this will be useful
later and helps create a nice
colour harmony in your painting.
Notice how naturally aesthetically
pleasing these piles become.
Here, I’m taking canvas scrapings
from my palette and adding them
to the painting. To me, this subtle
interplay of colour and texture is
more beautiful than the pure
colours I started with. The
harmoniousness of nature is what
I’m aiming to echo, which is why
painting from life is so important.
127
Workshop
3
Use all the colours
Using either a brush or a palette
knife (as shown here), I load up
with a lot of paint, making sure not to
over-mix the colours on my palette.
In some respects, this colour-loading
and streaking technique is the oil
painting equivalent of what watercolour
painters achieve when they load their
brushes with several pure colours and
put down a single stroke with a lot of
water, letting the colours flow in swirling
patterns on the paper.
Paint
explosion
4
Lay it on thick
I scrape a large amount of paint
off my palette and lay it down
with a light touch, which creates a more
broken, impasto layer of paint. Notice
that the new stroke isn’t that different
in value to the colours already lying
underneath, which helps to prevent the
background from becoming overly
attention-grabbing. I could even use
the exact same colour again to subtly
transform a boring area with texture,
without changing the painting’s design.
5
Keep it simple
I can still make a clean stroke on
top of the thickest area, as long as
my brush has enough paint and I make
one confident stroke with a light touch.
If I keep playing with it, the colours below
will bleed into it. If that happens, I’ll have
to repaint the entire area and try again.
I’ve often painted a single area over and
over again to achieve the right balance
of simplicity. Painting something to look
simple can sometimes take a long time!
128
There are times when you
will want to work your
colours into the paint you
already have on the canvas to
create a more painterly feel.
I love plunging a loaded brush
into a riot of colours and
letting them fuse into
unexpected fractal explosions
like miniature universes
coming into existence before
my eyes. Too often we get
stuck in a conservative
mindset of serious painting
and paint more out of a fear of
messing things up. Instead,
try to remember the joy you
felt when finger painting for
the first time as a child.
Oils
Oil
Top tip
6
When trying out any new
medium or technique, paint
many small still-lifes with
simple objects so that you
can experiment. Once you
become familiar with the
approach, then you can
try it with more confidence
on a larger, more
complicated subject.
Reapply it all
Here, I scrape everything
from the canvas and reapply
it with a single palette knife stroke
to keep some of those colours
I applied with the brush showing
through in streaks. Even if you have
to settle things down later, have
fun and let loose when you’re
blocking in backgrounds.
7
Combine a variety
of techniques
In the painting I’m currently
working on, I’m combining a lot of
techniques throughout the painting,
without letting them overwhelm the
subject and steal the spotlight. This
painting is being created from two
references (one of the girl on the horse,
and one of the mountain scene). I did
a small charcoal sketch before to plan
out the position of the girl and horse.
129
Workshop
8
The centre of interest
I render the girl’s face with a brush
and pay careful attention to the
drawing here, since she’s the centre of
interest. Then I render the trees behind
her into a narrow range of darker tones
to bring the lights of her face forward. My
background should be interesting, yet
support the main focus at the same
time. It’s easy to get too carried away
with backgrounds like this, so that they
overpower everything else.
“My background should
be interesting, yet support
the main focus at the
same time”
9
Work in abstract
Other areas of the background
offer opportunities to experiment.
These shapes only become trees in the
context of the larger painting. The
challenge is to paint them in an
interesting manner, while still getting
them in the proper place, with the
correct values and colour, so that from
far away they create the right illusion.
The goal is to make an interesting
abstract up close, that’s convincingly real
from far away.
10
Create water
To paint the water I combine
a wide variety of techniques.
Notice the mixture of palette knife
strokes with brushstrokes – I’ve mixed
some paints directly on the canvas in
places, and in other cases I’ve laid clean
strokes on top and left them alone. It’s
fairly easy to separate making a photorealistic rendering with tiny brushes and
creating an interesting abstract without
any realistic context, but doing both at
the same time is a great challenge!
130
Oil
“Dry brushing over thick
paint is fine, but you have to
be careful not to put thin
washes over thick paint
that’s not dry enough”
12
11
Dry brush
For this dry brushing technique, I’m mixing a simple
greyish-blue on my palette that I intend to use as a
unifying element over an area that has become too disjointed.
Sometimes this is premeditated for the effect, but more often
for me, I use dry brushing when I realise that I’ve gone a bit too
far with the wild colours and need to tie things together again.
Repainting the area entirely is one option, but I would rather
dry brush to slightly modify it and take advantage of the
different textures that this technique will create.
Drag over the
dry paint
Because the area of water on
the lower right of the painting has now
been dry for a few weeks, I can use the
brush to lightly drag paint over the thick
textures to unify it without ruining what’s
underneath. This technique works best
over dried thick paint, but you can use it
on thin paint with a soft brush and use
the texture of the raised surface to catch
the paint. Dry brushing over thick paint is
fine, but you have to be careful not to put
thin washes over thick paint that’s not
dry enough, since it will eventually crack.
Watch this
If you want to see a real-time
demonstration of an entire
painting done using these
methods, I recently created
a two-and-a-half hour video
download called ‘Texture and
Technique’ that focuses on
this topic. You can find it
alongside other video lessons
on my website.
131
Workshop
132
Oil
Paint a seasonal
still-life in layers
Rob Lunn uses a traditional technique to
add depth and drama to still-life compositions
A
fter seeing the ‘Beyond
Caravaggio’ exhibition at The
National Gallery in London, I felt
inspired to try a slightly
different approach to this
seasonal still-life workshop. Caravaggio
revolutionised the world of painting with his
dramatic use of tenebrism (use of dark tone
with a contrast of dramatic light) and use of
realistic subjects. Working out from a dark
earth colour he built up layers of colour
imparting depth and realism not seen in
painting before. It is this technique that I have
been inspired by to create the still life. We’ll
also be using fast-drying oil paints called
alkyds to help speed up the painting process.
Paintings are like puzzles, with each
element waiting to be worked out. In
this tutorial, I take myself out of my
usual comfort zone and explain how I
experiment to create a seasonal still-life.
ROB
Bath, UK
Rob is a self-taught painter, and
loves to paint in oils. His
influences are Vincent van
Gogh, Caravaggio and Ilya
Repin. He has taught art
workshops since 2012.
www.roblunn.co.uk
133
Workshop
Materials
Rob has used the following colours
because they offer “a good representation
of the colour spectrum while retaining the
most saturation when mixing”.
n Michael Harding Oil Paints:
Ultramarine Blue, Blue Lake, Green
Lake, Bright Green Lake, Bright Yellow
Lake, Yellow Lake, Yellow Lake Deep,
Permanent Orange, Scarlet Lake,
Alizarin Crimson, Magenta, Ultramarine
Violet Titanium White
n Alkyds: Burnt Sienna, Blue Lake
(Griffin Phthalo Blue)
n MDF board (3mm), 8x10in
(primed with acrylic gesso)
n Rosemary & Co. Ivory short-handled
Flats and Filberts sizes: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
n Schmincke Aero Color acrylic marker,
0.8mm
n Old Master’s Brush Cleaner &
Preserver (+ TLC)
n Bartoline Brush Cleaner
1
Prep your board
Because I’m trying a new
technique I’m not going
to begin by applying a
coloured ground like I usually
would. Instead, I’ve primed
my 3mm thick MDF board
with three coats of acrylic
gesso, keeping the surface as
flat as possible. Don’t worry
too much if you get the odd
raised area or brush stroke
showing through.
2
Get your
drawing right
3
Add construction
lines to the sketch
I’ve swapped my usual
loose and expressive gesturedrawing stage for more finetuned detail with superaccurate draftsmanship. It’s
worth spending time getting
your drawing right at this
stage. Using a mahl stick (see
our tutorial in Issue 3, page
17) can save the side of your
hand smudging the pencil.
To fix the drawing in
place I’m experimenting with
a liquid acrylic marker. I’ve
chosen purple for my lines, but
red or blue would work equally
well. You need to make sure
the colour is dark enough to
show through the tonal stage
(see next step).
Ness stress
Each stage of a painting should
be complete in itself, so don’t
stress yourself out with the
thought of a ‘finished painting’
(much like the Loch Ness
Monster, this doesn’t exist…)
134
Oil
4
About tonal
paintings
As we’re following a
more old-school technique,
I thought it was worth
including a full tonal painting
stage. I wouldn’t normally
include this stage for a stilllife, but I always do one for a
portrait. The advantage of
completing a tonal painting
before adding colour is that
you’re just focusing on tone
and not complicating your
decisions with colour choices.
5
Creating the
tonal stage
I used a mix of Burnt Sienna and
Pthalo Blue Alkyds thinned out with a
little turps for this tonal stage. Build it up
in layers or put on a nice thick layer and
work back to the white of the panel using
kitchen roll or brushes dipped in fresh
turps. Either way, this tonal stage needs
to be dry before you can add colour.
Mix it up!
Experiment with the mixes you create for
your tonal stages. Warm and cool colours
will create opposing moods to your paintings,
so play around with what suits you best.
“Tonal paintings focus on
tone and do not complicate
your decisions with colour”
6
Colour grouping
Instead of leaping in and feeling
your way through a painting, it’s a
good idea to take a step back and look for
colour grouping. Try and work out how
the colours in your composition relate to
each other. It can be a huge help when
you get to the next stage.
135
Workshop
7
Pre-mix colours
From the different greens of the
pak choi (I had to improvise
without long stem rhubarb!) to the
reds of the apples and the rhubarb,
the colours share common
relationships. At least half the work
should be done at this stage.
8
Build darks and mids
I begin by adding thin layers of
paint. Allow the colours to flow
across the painting, try not to work on
random sections (or islands of colour) at
a time, as we need to see how the colours
relate to each other within the painting,
not just on our palettes. Tweak as needed.
Top turps!
When using turpentine with
your paints make sure you’re
using the best grade you can.
Buy it from a good supplier
and make sure it is labelled
‘Artists Quality’. Adding
inferior mediums to our oil
paint will reduce the quality of
their finish and possibly
reduce their stability too.
9
The big picture
We’ve tried to do as
much of the tonal work
in the initial stage, but you
should still continue to use a
tonal scale as you paint.
Squinting breaks down the
range of tones so you can see
and simplify the image,
making it easier to read. Add
more tonal details, but hold
off from adding highlights.
136
Oil
10
Reflect on colour choices
I’ve left all the reflections on the
watering can until last, so I could test
all the colours together and see if they needed
tweaking. The colours are always going to look a
little ‘knocked back’ in a reflection. If reflections
ping as much as the colours in the real objects,
they’ll fight for dominance.
11
Bringing it all together
You should now have all the elements
together on the panel. However, don’t fall
into the trap of believing things can’t change. They
can, they should and they will – be it in this painting
or the next – but that’s exactly how you learn and
grow as a painter!
12
Fine-tune
Remember to keep checking your real-life source,
checking tones and colours again and again, and
keeping them fresh in your mind. Knowing when to stop is an
art in itself, so avoid adding highlights until the end if possible.
Don’t fuss over areas. If there’s a major problem – just scrape
it off and start again.
137
Workshop
Ma terials
n 40x50cm cotton primed canvas
n A range of brushes and knives.
A good selection would include
a large 2” or 3” flat brush e.g.
‘Skyflow brush’, 1” natural hair
brushes round, 1” natural hair
brushes flat, Size 14 Brights,
138
Size 8 Filberts, Size 5 Brights,
and a selection of palette
painting knives
n Rags/paper towel
n Yellow Ochre (raw powdered
pigment or acrylic)
n Acrylic matte medium
n Whiting (chalk dust) available
from good art suppliers
n A natural-coloured soft pastel
(Sienna/Umber)
n Limited palette of oil colours:
Lemon Yellow, Yellow Ochre,
Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean
Oil
Paint like
Turner
Want to achieve a Turner-esque seascape,
full of movement, with a glowing, dramatic
sky? Sarah Jane Brown shows you how
J
oseph Mallord William Turner is
widely revered as the master of light
and atmosphere. His sublime,
luminous skies, swirling seas and
dramatic storm clouds can,
figuratively speaking, suck the viewer in and
transport them through a vortex of paint to
some otherworldly experience.
Born in 1775, Turner achieved celebrity
status during his own lifetime, and his
work has continued to inspire generations
of artists for more than 200 years. In
particular, his later, more expressive works
are thought to have influenced the
impressionists, and subsequently more
abstract art movements.
For me, a Turner painting can project far
more than the sum of its material parts.
More than any other artist of his time, he
managed to communicate something
‘sensory’. Personally,this is the reason that
I paint. It is a way of expressing something
emotional that I can’t adequately describe
About
SARAH
Pembrokeshire, UK
Sarah developed a deep
understanding of the sea
during her previous maritime
career. Now she creates
atmospheric and emotive
paintings that capture the
sensations of the coast.
www.sjbfineart.com
Blue, Magenta or Alizari Crimson,
Cadmium Red, Burnt Umber,
Titanium White (I use Alkyd)
n Fast-drying flow medium such
as Liquin
n Fast-drying painting butter or
impasto medium (optional)
with mere words. Turner’s vast repertoire
of techniques was in itself a visual
vocabulary; an emotive language full of
hope and fear, light and shade, complexity
and subtlety.
Like Turner, I tend to make loose
preliminary sketches outdoors, taking in
not just the sights, but all the sensations of
the experience and committing them to
memory. Back in the studio I can transfer
these experiences onto canvas in a more
controlled environment. As you will soon
discover, Turner’s method of layering
glazes with areas of thicker paint requires
a great deal of patience! Each layer must
be dry before adding the next. This is why I
am always working on several paintings
simultaneously. All around my studio there
are paintings at various stages, propped or
hanging up to dry, waiting for the next
layer. Fortunately, thanks to the properties
of modern materials, we do not have to
wait quite as long as Turner did!
Workshop
1
Preparation: make
a Flemish Bole
Turner usually began his paintings by
covering the primed canvas with a mid-toned
ground, often favouring a ‘Flemish Bole’ made
from ground Yellow Ochre, whiting (chalk dust)
and a binder such as egg white. Fortunately,
these days we have more convenient solutions
and a suitable alternative can be made
by mixing a little acrylic paint with matte
medium. It’s important to still add some
whiting, though, as this makes the surface
more absorbent. This helps with the drying
time of subsequent layers and provides
a ‘tooth’ for the paint to adhere to.
2
Lay the ground work
Using a large brush or rag, apply the Flemish Bole mixture with varied
criss-crossing diagonal strokes until the canvas is covered. Next, using
a soft pastel, roughly sketch in the composition, making sure that the key
elements are in the right place and pleasing to the eye. I placed my horizon
approximately along the bottom third and decided that I wanted the viewer’s
eye to meander around the painting on an S-shaped journey. Mapping out
the main focal point and areas of interest at this stage ensures a strong
composition, creating a good structure from which to build your painting.
3
Block in tones
Using some Ultramarine with a little
Burnt Umber, mix up a nice, neutral
dark. Wet your brush first, pick up some of
the paint and thinly block in the darkest
areas. Next, use Pure White to block in the
lightest areas. Try not get carried away
here, the areas should remain fairly
separate and clean, leaving the yellow
ground to show through in the mid-toned
areas. N.B. You must let this layer dry
completely before moving on, so for
speed you can do this stage in acrylic.
140
Ge t some
distance!
Every few minutes, stand as
far back from your painting
as you can get to get a fresh
perspective. When you’re
feeling stuck or indecisive,
the more distance you get,
the more obvious it becomes
what you need to do next.
Oil
4
First glaze
Pour out a little puddle of glaze medium and,
picking up a small amount of paint with the
tip of a clean brush, mix a transparent ‘wash’. Make
sure there is no white or other opaque colour in
your mix, or it will go cloudy. Apply the glaze over
the areas you wish to tint; the transparency will
create an optical depth of colour that is otherwise
impossible to get. It’s like treating a piece wood
with rich layers of coloured varnish, versus coating
it with flat, brown paint! Apply a mix of Burnt
Umber and Ultramarine in the dark areas, add
some warmer reds towards the light source, and
yellow over the lightest areas for that golden
‘Turner-esque’ glow.
5
Add some softness
When the glaze is tacky to
touch, add in a little white into
some areas, gently blending it with a
circular motion into the coloured glaze
to create a misty, atmospheric effect
along the horizon. Using a big, 3” flat
brush and a quick, sweeping gesture,
you can also add the illusion of light
beams. This is very easy to overdo, so
use a very small amount of paint and
then soften it with a clean, dry brush.
6
May the force
be with you!
A white area under a glaze
a called a ‘force’. Light passes
through the glaze and is
reflected, or ‘forced’ back to the
eye, creating the illusion that
light is being emitted from
within the painting. With each
layer of glaze, less light bounces
back from the original force, so
we now need to reintroduce
some thicker white areas, ready
to repeat the glazing process. In
this way layers are built up,
giving a real sense of depth and
complexity. Bear in mind that
this will look a bit like a snow
storm until the next glazes go
on, but you must let it dry first!
Speed up drying time
As well as paint mediums such as Liquin, I use Winsor & Newton
Alkyd White, which mixes well with other oil paints and speeds
up the drying time considerably. Alkyds will usually dry overnight
even if applied fairly thickly, whereas standard oil paint takes
several days (or sometimes weeks) to dry.
141
Workshop
7
Repeat the glazes
When the second force is completely dry, you
can add more glazes. Remember to glaze the
sea area with some of the sky colours to give both the
impression of some reflection and a cohesive feel to
the entire painting. I like to use a rag to get a nice
texture, smudged effect, or even to lift off areas that
seem too thick. I also use my fingers for smaller areas,
to push the paint into the canvas or scratch back to
the previous layer. Turner also used rags in this way
and famously had long, paint-stained fingernails!
8
A touch of blue sky
One of the reasons that Turner’s
paintings have enduring
popularity is that however dark, stormy
or dramatic his scenes were, they always
contained an area that held a sense of
hope. There was always a chink of blue
sky, a glimpse of sunlight through
clouds, the promise of something
brighter. Here, by adding a small area of
blue sky above the storm clouds, the
mood of the entire painting is lifted.
9
Add sea colours
Create a really dark,
greenish glaze by adding
some yellow to the cloud mix
(Ultramarine and Burnt Umber).
Add this with a large brush to the
bottom corner of the canvas and
any areas that would be in
shadow. Using the two blues and
the yellow, mix a range of sea
greens and, with a smaller brush,
make short ,overlapping stokes
(like intersecting smiles). To keep
the effect dynamic, leave areas
where the underlayers peek
through. Finally, add a little white
to the green to make a few lighter
areas, such as where the waves
are facing the light.
142
Oil
10
Make waves
Take a tiny amount of the light green mix
and add more white to it. Take a palette
knife and, turning it on its side, pick up a thin roll of
the mixture along its edge. Working directly into the
wet glazes, touch the knife edge to the canvas and
‘slice’ it sideways. Then, flattening it slightly to the
canvas, drag it downwards in a curving diagonal. As
you do this, jiggle the knife sideways in a zig-zagging
motion. This does take a bit of practice, so it’s worth
trying out a few times on some scrap canvas or
paper beforehand.
Kinder
clean-up
11
Creating spray
Using a small, stiff brush and some thick, almost-white paint, add a
few highlights on the crests of the main wave shapes by flicking the
brush upwards lightly so that it appears as though the wind is whipping up
foam and blowing it from the tops into a spray. Again, it’s wise to practise this
first! Reserve this treatment for the waves that form a focal point. Don’t do it
everywhere; less is more! Below the crests, I also added a few strokes of
yellow glaze where the waves face the glow in the sky. This gives the
appearance of a reflection and helps tie the sea and sky areas together.
Always keep a bottle of baby
oil and a roll of paper towel
close by. It’s the best thing
to clean your hands with
and much kinder to your skin
than solvent.
12
Final tweaks
Taking a small, longhandled brush at
arm’s length, tease out any
foamy areas, add any small
shadows or reflections for
implied detail and dot in some
thicker highlights if needed. If
you find the paint consistency
a little too soft, squeeze some
out onto a scrap of cardboard.
This will draw out the excess oil
and stiffen the paint. Stand well
back to assess and stop before
you find yourself ‘fiddling’!
143
Pro tips and
step-by-step
tutorials from
digital artists
and illustrators
Learn and
get creative
with drawing
and colouring
activities
Master new
skills and create
beautiful items
for your home
and family
DISCOVER OUR
GREAT BOOKAZINES
From crochet and quilting to painting and Photoshop,
pick up a book that will take your hobby to the next level
Take your
hobby to the
next level with
expert advice
and top tips
Follow us on Instagram
@futurebookazines
www.magazinesdirect.com
SUBSCRIBE &
SAVE UP TO 61%
Delivered direct to your door
or straight to your device
Choose from over 80 magazines and make great savings off the store price!
Binders, books and back issues also available
Simply visit www.magazinesdirect.com
No hidden costs
Shipping included in all prices
We deliver to over 100 countries
Secure online payment
COLLECTION
9000
9021
Volume 4
Essentials
Watercolours
Master the basics
Depict lively wildlife
Paint like Caravaggio
Review core skills to truly
elevate your artwork
Capture the mischief of wild
animals in watercolour
Discover the techniques you need
to paint like an Old Master
Colour pencils
Figures
Oil pastels
Embrace texture
Work from life
Explore mediums
Master techniques to create
depth with coloured pencils
Get the most from your
life-drawing sessions
Delve into the creative
possibilities of oil pastels
Masters