Tabla de contenidos para January 2023 en Leisure Painter

LEARNING OBJECTIVES ■ Paint the effects of snow-laden branches, distant trees and figures ■ Practise colour-mixing skills using a limited palette ■ Practise brushstroke dexterity You will need • Pink Pig A4 300gsm Bockingford watercolour sketching pad • HB pencil • Pro Arte Series 100 Round brush No. 8 • Winsor & Newton Professional or Cotman colours: cobalt blue, raw sienna, burnt umber and Indian red Although I would recommend sketching and painting landscapes outdoors whenever possible, sometimes the weather restricts the amount of time you can spend on-site. This photograph (above) was taken several years ago, just after we had a heavy fall of snow. The snow clung to the tree branches, giving them a magical feel; it's an artist's dream when you are looking for a snow scene…

LEARNING OBJECTIVES ■ Create a drawing that's full of Mediterranean charm ■ Create a three-dimensional effect ■ Add the texture of old, weathered wood You will need Surface • Arches Hot-pressed (satin) watercolour paper (or similar good quality smooth surfaced paper) 7×13in. (18×33cm) Faber-Castell Polychromos coloured pencils See colours (right) Miscellaneous • B pencil for initial drawing • A good sharp pencil sharpener • An emery board for refining some pencil points • A medium putty rubber • Cartridge paper and tracing paper, ora lightbox for transferring the drawing to the final sheet (optional) COLOURS USED I saw this old rowing boat (below left) propped up outside a restaurant when I visited Santorini, the famous volcanic Greek island. I was attracted by the patterns and colour variations that had developed over…

LEARNING OBJECTIVES ■ The tools and processes for painting birds in watercolour ■ Tips and advice on painting in miniature ■ Where to go for reference material Two years ago, I read a book about a blue parrot that lived in the Caatinga, an area of north-east Brazil. The parrot was a spix's macaw and the book was called Spix's Macaw: The Race To Save The World's Rarest Bird by Tony Juniper. Over 20 years ago, the spix's macaw became extinct in the wild. Coincidentally, around the same time that the last wild spix's macaw disappeared, I fulfilled a dream of studying art as a mature student. It was a fantastic experience, but when I left, I still had no idea of the direction in which I wanted to go.…

LEARNING OBJECTIVES ■ How to draw glass objects ■ See how the tint of the paper affects the colours you use ■ Learn to view your subject as a series of abstract shapes Drawing glass can be difficult or even overwhelming, so this month we will look at ways of simplifying glass objects to create interesting artwork. We'll also work on toned papers as opposed to drawing on white. In the first section (page 60), we will work on grey paper and, in the second section (page 62), follow me as we draw the glass on black paper. Both drawings have the same object – a glass pear – but the reflections, colour and composition vary. The paper's texture As we're drawing glass, it's important to draw on paper that…

LONDON Bankside Gallery 48 Hopton Street SE1. 020 7928 7521; www.banksidegallery.com ‘The London Group at Bankside’, 24 November to 4 December. ‘Mini Picture Show 2022’, affordable work on a small scale by members of the Royal Watercolour Society and the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers, 9 December to 29 January. Burgh House New End Square NW3. 020 7431 0144; www.burghhouse.org.uk ‘Those Remarkable Carlines’: including work by siblings Sydney, Hilda and Richard Carline, until 10 April. Mall Galleries The Mall SW1. 020 7930 6844; www.mallgalleries.org.uk ‘Royal Institute of Oil Painters’: annual exhibition, 24 November to 10 December. National Gallery Trafalgar Square WC2. 020 7747 2885; www.nationalgallery.org.uk ‘Winslow Homer: Force of Nature’, until 8 January. ‘The Credit Suisse Exhibition Lucian Freud: New Perspectives’, until 22 January. ‘Turner on Tour’: featuring two ground-breaking…

Inspiration Although this year's recipient of the Leisure Painter Award has a natural ability that was evident in childhood, Richard's success as a painter stems from a focus on painting consistently and learning from his mistakes. He views his art as a challenge, and revels in overcoming problems that naturally arise. He isn't put off by what others might perceive as a failure, but he views each mistake he makes as just another lesson to be learned. Although he works full time in the training department of a local boiler manufacturer, he draws and paints consistently in his spare time. He sets himself goals with his painting and works hard to succeed at them. This Lancashire-based artist's childhood played a big part in forming his love of drawing and painting.…

LEARNING OBJECTIVES ■ Learn what essential equipment and materials you need ■ Learn to use good studio practice In this, the first article of a series of seven, I want to tell you only what you really need to know about traditional oil painting. I will discuss what to do and what not to do, and I hope that you will find it useful and be encouraged to try oils. Then over the next few months, I aim to introduce you to methods of making oil paintings that work. I am opinionated and, as time goes by, you may find yourself agreeing or disagreeing with me; that is fine. I hope, however, that it will make sense to a beginner and inspire you to try for yourself. If you already…

LEARNING OBJECTIVES ■ Set a time limit to paint and play with your media ■ Work with autumnal colours and mixes ■ Practise techniques and try creative ideas Get your paints out and glory in the colours of autumn –in an afternoon (or morning) of painting! In this article I want to offer you three ways of producing a painting in a relatively short amount of time. Why? Well because watercolour used in its characteristic way needs to be achieved quickly. The wet-in-wet technique is a way of working that displays watercolour at its best. To be able to achieve it, you need to work fast, hence an invitation to paint for just a few hours. Another approach I want to present to you is a freer use of colour…

Once zoos were able to open again after lockdown I visited Tropical Birdland in Leicestershire to gather reference material for my Parrots In Peril series. The first bird I came across was a yellownaped Amazon parrot and this is the bird I will use for the step-by-step demonstration next month. Once again, I was dismayed to learn that yet another parrot was under severe threat of extinction so this one had to be painted for the collection. The two problems to overcome here were 1) the overall composition from several photographs then 2) how to paint white birds. Painting white birds does have its difficulties in terms of how to define feathers and create shadows and form. It is very easy to go in with a shadow colour too heavily…

Stephen Kelly The Marshes, inspired by Rachael Grimm, Cotman watercolour on WH Smith's textured watercolour paper, 8¾×11¾in. (22×30cm). ‘I have taken Leisure Painter for a number of years and have always enjoyed the project section, as it provides a challenge every month. I tend to paint in watercolour, as I enjoy the spontaneity of the wet-in-wet technique and Rachael's project provided that.’ Keith Price The Marshes, inspired by Rachael Grimm, watercolour on Bockingford Extra Rough 425gsm paper, 7×10in. (18×25.5cm). ‘I loved the contrast between the marsh grass and the sky reflected in the water areas, but I felt that my painting should be lighter and brighter than the photograph to emphasise this contrast. I dampened the entire paper and put an initial wash of cobalt blue over the area, leaving areas of…

LEARNING OBJECTIVES ■ How to paint and produce your own greetings cards ■ Practise a variety of watercolour techniques ■ Add imaginative elements to your scenes Sometime in early autumn, as the shops fill up with Halloween images, I realise that the holidays are fast approaching and that if I really do want to make a holiday card, I had better start now. Creating a holiday card is one of my favourite seasonal rituals. The following is a lovely, easy approach to producing your own cards; indeed, the only hard part is waiting for each layer to dry. Your image I chose something relatively simple and classic for this project – evergreen trees in the snow (below right). This image appealed because it has a clear indication of background, middle…

WWW.PAINTERS-ONLINE.CO.UK Self-taught artist, Jonathan Margetts, has achieved notoriety for his pet portraits as well as for his naval and aviation paintings, but he only started using pastel pencils in the late 1980s. Here he describes his working practice and the way his work is developing. To see more of Jonathan's work, post a comment or upload your own images, visit www.painters-online.co.uk ‘Dogs are well known for their body language and people often comment on the way I manage to capture the character of their beloved dog or cat. This is what people like to see. The eyes, ears, tail, and angle of the head all contribute to communicate their feelings, wants and emotions. It is this aspect that I endeavour to capture in my pet portraits. In this painting (above)…