Issue 10 Volume 1

Artist's Back to Basics

Step by step guide to art

Artist's Back to Basics2 min read
Onkaparinga Morning
The complexity of this composition calls for a detailed charcoal drawing in preparation for the large painting. This process highlights potential pitfalls and avoids the problem of having to rework the composition if things go wrong. A small colour
Artist's Back to Basics6 min read
Traditional Landscape and Still Life Artist
With a garden full of blossoming roses, camellias and azaleas, South Australian artist John McCartin never needs to look for inspiration to paint. Red brown chooks and white ducks fossick free range in nearby farmyards. Around the corner are country
Artist's Back to Basics1 min read
Materials
• Brushes – Select the right size and type of brush for what it is you are painting. Filberts are good for general brushwork and for softening edges. I often use them in portraiture and still life painting. Flat brushes are useful in achieving a bold
Artist's Back to Basics8 min read
The Bare Bones
Before any toning of a drawing can begin you have to first get to what I call the ‘bare bones’ stage (the bare bones of the drawing) which is laying down all the features of the composition that can reasonably be represented by an outline as accurate
Artist's Back to Basics3 min read
Art Tours
Art tours combine a holiday with art tuition and travelling with like-minded people. They are suitable for all skill levels and for all ages and are done at a relaxed pace with some free time to enjoy as you wish. The tours cater for small groups and
Artist's Back to Basics1 min read
Hints And Tips
• Try to stay fresh throughout the painting if you don’t want the painting to appear as tired as you are. • Stepping away from the painting for a few days is helpful. Looking at the painting upside down or in a mirror will show any obvious faults tha
Artist's Back to Basics5 min read
The Ben Roberts Cafe and Gallery
The Ben Roberts Cafe and Gallery is a new art venue in the Blue Mountains. Owner Carolynne Skinner has a long history of arts publishing and running galleries. She tells here how her new gallery came about … Many people, including those living here,
Artist's Back to Basics8 min read
Handling the Tools
I’ve noticed in my freehand drawing workshops lately that although I supply and explain the use of all six of the essential tools required for freehand drawing the same basic handling errors come up over and over again. Despite their having been two
Artist's Back to Basics17 min readVisual Arts
Back To School And University
Get the feel, opacity and translucence of traditional oils minus the drying time, ‘hard to clean’ mess, and that smell … Genesis Heat Set Oils are an easy to use painting system. They are similar to traditional oils in feel and application, yet the p
Artist's Back to Basics1 min read
Temple entrance at Tirtagangga Water Palace, Bali
Draw a light pencil border the size you would like your sketch. This is particularly helpful if you want to do several small sketches on the one page. The border also prevents you sketching to the edge of your paper and the sketch becoming a finished
Artist's Back to Basics3 min read
Heading The Desire to Experiment
Ian Reardon first became interested in art through his grandfather who worked in pencil and watercolours and also painted window-front signs for shops in Grafton. Ian took art as a subject at the Southport school on Queensland’s Gold Coast when he wa
Artist's Back to Basics3 min read
Spotlighting Patrick’s Exhibition Crash Paintings Contributed
Born in Melbourne in 1985 and raised in Sydney, Patrick attended The College of Fine Arts, experimenting with several mediums including film, video, sculpture and sound, before settling on painting. With two solo shows, both in 2008, Patrick discusse
Artist's Back to Basics6 min read
Drawing What You See
In this article I want to explore one of the all time and most important golden rules of freehand drawing, which is “draw what you see, not what you think you see or want to see”. It all comes back to your own perceptions of reality and gaining a dee
Artist's Back to Basics5 min read
Brush Strokes
There’s something about making discoveries artistically that leads to discovering that waste is not at all attractive. For those of you who are afflicted with that same sentiment, this article is for you. There comes a time that we must say goodbye t
Artist's Back to Basics5 min read
Wash Away the Doldrums
We all suffer from inspirational block during our artistic lives and sometimes the lulls are just too long: “So what do we do about it”? To get out of this type of rut, I visit galleries for inspiration then wander off to some beautiful part of Austr
Artist's Back to Basics5 min read
Repeatability
The keyword for this issue is “repeatability”. The FreeOnlineDictionary gives as one of it’s explanations – “To do, experience, or produce again”. Have you ever had one of those moments when you have looked at your work and said, “I really like that

Artist's Back to Basics

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