Tabla de contenidos para September 2025 en Leisure Painter

You will learn What composition means. How to site a focal point and provide balance in your artwork. Observations to make and questions to ask. This is the first of three articles in a series about composition. In this first article, I'll make key points using example paintings and reference photos, and leave you with a practical exercise to do before next month. Making successful paintings can be boiled down to just three simple statements. 1 Good control of the medium's techniques. 2 Relating those techniques to the various aspects of composition. 3 Careful observation of the subject. 1 Emphasising the focal point A subject, which is a distinctive or stark shape set against the sky should allow for a strong composition so long as all the surroundings are borne in…

You will learn How to work with the colours you have Practise scumbling with soft pastels How to create effective aerial perspective You will need Surface Saunders Waterford High White 140 lb rough paper 10x15in. (25.5x38cm) Colours used Sky: pale blue, warm white, cream and pale pink Distant landscape: mid blue, pale blue, warm lemon, cream, mauve and pale green Trees: mid and deeper mauve, pink, darkish grey-blue and darker purple-blue Mid-ground field: green and warm creams Hedges: dark and lighter greens Tree trunks: warm white and pale cream, dark greys and browns Foliage: different greens, bright yellow-green. Gatepost: beige and brown. Foreground: different greens and blues, creams, browns and mauves Shadows: purple and dark green Gate: dark brown or grey It is always difficult to suggest colours in pastel…

You will learn An inventive was to use your offcuts of watercolour paper How to finish your creations with an extra flourish In an age dominated by digital screens, there's something magical about the tactile experience of holding a physical book. Whether you're reading a gripping thriller or thought-provoking non-fiction, bookmarks help preserve your place while adding a personal touch. But what if your bookmark could be more than just functional? Why not create a colourful bookmark that not only marks your page but also reflects your artistic style and, in the process, stretches and reinforces your watercolour muscles. Creating your own watercolour bookmarks is a simple way to express your creativity and allows room for experimentation, making it an ideal project for all skill levels. It is a no-pressure…

This is a fairly typical open landscape and it was a very hot (in British terms) summer's day. These landscapes do not present much of a challenge to draw, but be warned: I usually find that the subjects that are easiest to draw are the most difficult to paint! Location insight This was one of those really warm summer days, not too hot, but just perfect for plein-air. I was also able to set my board up so that it was shaded from the sun – much easier on the eyes. Plein Air Painting with Watercolours by Grahame Booth is a practical and inspirational guide to painting outdoors, including invaluable advice on the materials you will need, choosing a subject, composition, sketching, pen and wash, perspective and essential watercolour techniques.…

Simplifying makes a chosen subject more digestible and allows you to capture it in a form that communicates something about it. But it's a profound challenge when painting in an impressionist way and not easy to simplify your chosen view while simultaneously describing and retaining the character of the various elements. When simplifying we often say much more about the subject in terms of atmosphere, depth and light than a more abitrary approach to details can ever achieve. How we go about simplification depends on the objectives and there is no simple formula for how to achieve this. Whereas each element and each painting has to be considered carefully, by and large, simplification can be achieved by considering a number of factors. Through editing and detail selection we can begin…

Mike Barr is a Fellow of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts. He has won over 80 awards, including 17 first prizes. You can find more of Mike's work at mikebarrfineart.com Every artist I can think of has their own style, even though they may not recognise it themselves. If we have been around the local art scene for several years, then artists’ work is often very recognisable to us; their style becomes a signature. As well as signature styles, there is also a signature use of colour that many seem to have. It's all a part of how we develop over time. Some artists regard themselves as colourists and tend to use lots of colours, whereas others limit colour; using it more as an accent than it being…

Frameless Creative, a leading creator in immersive experiences, has joined forces with the National Portrait Gallery on the first ever touring immersive art experience inspired by a UK art institution. Stories – Brought to Life by the National Portrait Gallery Unframed is a deep-dive into the lives of people featured in the London gallery's extensive collection, from the Tudor period to the current day. Designed to push the boundaries of storytelling, it promises the highest quality digital projection, Hollywood-style visual effects and the latest audio tech with music and creative narratives to bring to life the gallery's best-loved portraits. Sitters featuring in the experience include Grayson Perry, Nelson Mandela, Emmeline Pankhurst, Queen Elizabeth I and William Shakespeare. The Piazza, MediaCity, Salford Quays, M50 2EQ, Until 31 August 2025 npgunframed.com…

You will learn You don't need much equipment to paint with acrylics How different brush shapes help you to create a varied painting To add vibrancy to your artwork with a carefully chosen limited palette You will find the first part of this series, focussing on atmospheric skies using watercolour in the August issue of Leisure Painter & The Artist. Go to bit.ly/LPTASingleIssue to buy your copy today. In the second article in this three-part mini-series on painting skies, I will explore the use of acrylics – a versatile water-soluble medium with unique properties that's ideal for painting skies with atmosphere. Acrylics can be watered down to mimic the look of a watercolour painting. The main difference between the two media is that acrylics dry very quickly and, once dry,…

As the weather warms up, it's the perfect opportunity to get outdoors and paint on location. Painting en plein air, which translates from the French to in the open air, is a romantic notion, but if you don't plan for the inevitable challenges of dealing with the elements, it can prove to be quite frustrating. The secret is to be prepared, flexible, open-minded and resourceful, and finally, to have fun. Here are my top ten tips to help make painting on location an enjoyable and rewarding experience. 1 Safety Locations for painting outdoors don't have to be anywhere exotic; your own backyard may hold a wealth of painting inspiration. If you don't have a yard or garden then local parks and even urban streets are a wonderful resource. Wherever you…

You will learn To build confidence in adding details to your paintings An array of ideas and inspiration for drawing and painting figures How to work from photographs When I lead a session on drawing or painting urban scenes in my weekly art class, I've often noticed how students shy away from adding details, such as vehicles, street furniture, lampposts and especially figures. There is often a fear of ‘ruining’ a painting, especially perhaps after mastering the topic of perspective with the buildings. But they soon find that it's the details that not only enhance the realism of the subject but also give the townscape a sense of activity and life. Whether you are working from a photograph or sketching plein-air, including figures will enhance your work and give the…

When I go for a walk on a hot summer's day, I search for a route that has lots of cover from trees and tall hedges that line a path or lane. In that way, strong rays of sunlight are broken by shade from overhanging tree branches and the shaded areas allow my eyes to see the true colour of the trees, hedges, grass and path or road. This in turn helps me to determine the tonal values of those areas. On one such walk, near the top of my studio in Galleywood in Essex, I used the phone on my camera to capture this lovely country lane (right). I then isolated the three main areas into distance, middle-distance and foreground before using three water-soluble graphite pencils (light, medium and…

Our next challenge is ‘Inky adventures’. Email your work to artclubs@painter-online.co.uk for the chance to feature in the December edition.…

This landscape series encourages painters to think differently about the medium and ‘supercharge’ their watercolours by embracing abstract behaviours. Step away from your brush! Abandon your hair dryer! Be brave. Trust the movement of water and use the power of suggestion to force viewers to ‘lean in’ closer. Catherine Beale specialises in watercolour techniques across a number of surfaces and paints landscapes and portrait commissions from her hillside studio on the edge of Bath. Her first book Capturing Light – Creating Radiant Landscapes in Watercolour was published in May 2023 by Search Press as part of their Innovative Artists series. Catherine is a member of the Society of Women Artists and teaches at the Royal West of England Drawing School, Cornwall School of Art, Chapel Cottage Studios and art societies…

In the August 2025 issue, I spoke about the subject of using photos as reference material for paintings. I talked about the advantages and some of the challenges that they may present to the artist. I also described my own ways of using photos in a creative way, such as cropping and making small compositional sketches to help overcome the potential trap of merely copying the photo. The subject of this painting is Gallox Bridge, Dunster. As you can see, the photo, which I have cropped, (right) is quite sharp from front to back and edge to edge. If I were painting or sketching this scene from life, which I have done, I would not include so much information. For one thing, there wouldn't be time to do that before…

■ Cheltenham Art Club Autumn Exhibition at Gardens Gallery, Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham, GL50 1SD. Wednesday 3rd September to Tuesday 9th September 2025.10am to 5pm every day opening at 12pm on the 3rd. Visit cheltenhamartclub.co.uk ■ Clevedon Art Club 67th Open Art Exhibition at The Science Atrium, Clevedon School, Clevedon, from 16th to 24th August. Open daily from 10.30am to 4pm. Visit www.clevedonartclub.co.uk ■ East Kent Art Society Open Exhibition, St Mary's Art Centre, Strand Street, Sandwich CT13 9HN, Saturday 23rd to Monday 25th August, 10am to 5pm. Visit eastkentartsociety.co.uk ■ Hempnall Art Club Annual Art Exhibition, Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October. Open daily 10.30am to 4.00pm at Hempnall Village Hall, Bungay Road, Hempnall, Norwich, Norfolk, NR15 2NG. Refreshments available. Search for Hempnall Art Club on Facebook ■ Mellor Art…

Devon-based artist Alan Cotton is always looking for new locations to inspire his work. He has travelled to Provence, Tuscany, Morocco, Ireland, Piemonte, Venice and, with Sir David Hempleman-Adams, as expedition artist to Mount Everest in Tibet on two occasions. He had never, however, visited the southern Hemisphere. So, when an invitation came from St James's Palace asking him if he would like to join the, then Prince of Wales, (now King Charles lll), as his tour artist to Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, it took Alan no time at all to accept the invitation. Preparations were made and they flew from RAF Brize Norton, first to Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, following the devastating tsunami the previous December. Alan Cotton lives in Devon, where the Hartland coastline…

Becky Thorley-Fox SWLA is a landscape and wildlife painter working en plein air, capturing the light, atmosphere and essence of her subject through direct observation. She is based in mid Wales near the coast where she finds an endless source of inspiration. Becky is a member of the Society of Wildlife Artists, and her work can be seen in the annual exhibition The Natural Eye at the Mall Galleries in London each autumn. Her online gallery showcases her latest work beckythorley-fox.co.uk Islands have long held a particular draw for me. I love exploring that wild edge where two worlds collide and create a dynamic environment that supports a rich biodiversity. Being able to follow the light around the water's edge over the course of a day offers endless painting opportunities.…

Sarah Edmonds is a painter, art historian and lecturer. She studied Italian and History of Art at UCL and a short course at the Slade School of Fine Art. She works as a communications consultant and as a history of art lecturer in the Cotswolds; sarah-middleton.co.uk The collection at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol is home to some incredible artworks, including a handful of works by one of our most notable British painters, Vanessa Bell. Henrietta was acquired in 1961 from the private collection of Henrietta Garnett, the granddaughter of Vanessa Bell. Vanessa would have been 76 when she painted the tenyear-old girl at Charleston farmhouse, her home in West Sussex. Henrietta is a beauty with her bee-stung lips and symmetrical features, right on the cusp of…

KIMBERLEY KEEGAN The Ask an Artist podcast has been releasing episodes for over five years, with total downloads now exceeding 450,000. The podcast aims to assist and support working artists and makers with the administrative and business side of being an artist. This year, podcast producer Kimberley Keegan has been writing this exclusive Q&A feature for The Artist magazine, sharing advice from the podcast and her own wealth of experience. Kimberley, who has a Fine Art degree and is a qualified teacher, is also the co-director of Art Profile, an agency representing over 150 UK artists who teach workshops and deliver demonstrations for art clubs, groups, and societies. You can listen to the podcast on any of the usual podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts or Spotify as well as…