Tabla de contenidos para April 2017 en Paint & Draw

THE AMERICAN DREAM – POP TO THE PRESENT The past six decades of US history are reflected in this collection of inventive and outstanding prints. Big names like Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg get a look in, with museums and private collections from around the world loaning their works to the exhibition. The event runs at the British Museum until 18 June. www.americandreamexhibition.org VANESSA BELL RETROSPECTIVE The first major monographic exhibition of work by Vanessa Bell is being presented by London’s Dulwich Picture Gallery until 4 June. Showcasing Vanessa’s portraiture, still life and landscape compositions through nearly 100 oil paintings and other media pieces, this exhibition is a fresh presentation of the Bloomsbury artist who striking work was often overshadowed by her family and private life. www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk MADONNAS…

About JILL TISBURY Northampton, England Jill is an artist and tutor who specialises in wildlife. She loves to experiment, but her two main passions are pastels and airbrushing (acrylics). www.jilltisbury.co.uk Creative textures with an airbrush WORKING with an airbrush requires some out-of-the-box thinking, but the end results can be rewarding. If I’m ever caught studying pan-scourers, rest assured it’s got nothing to do with the washing up sitting in the kitchen sink – I’ll be working out if I can spray through them to create some wonderful texture! After this, shopping trips will never be the same again… Follow these steps... 1 These are just some of the items collected or made that create great textures. Broom bristles are great for developing hair or fur, while pan-scourers make for fantastic…

The National Gallery of Ireland Boasting the national collection of European and Irish fine art, the National Gallery of Ireland (free entry) is a must-visit. Caravaggio's work is on show, with the art of Margaret Clarke exhibiting in May. www.nationalgallery.ie The Doorway The Doorway Gallery in the city's centre exhibits fine art paintings, among other works, from a selection of international and Irish-born artists, including Aidan Hickey. It also holds exclusive shows from leading artists. www.thedoorwaygallery.com Molesworth Gallery One of Ireland’s leading contemporary art galleries, Molesworth represents some of the country’s most exciting artists, and hosts eight solo and two curated group exhibitions annually at its gallery space in Dublin’s city centre. www.molesworthgallery.com Graphic Studio Gallery The gallery arm of not-for-profit printmaking studio Graphic Studio Dublin deals exclusively in contemporary…

About JULIA Bath, England 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 For 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…

About REBECCA Exeter, England Rebecca specialises in pastels, producing lively and energetic work. She teaches around the UK and in Italy, and co-founded The New Pastel School. http://bit.ly/pad_rdm Soft pastels are a great medium to work with, because they give me the ability to draw and paint at the same time. You hold the stick of pigment in your hand and apply it directly on to the surface. The results are immediate and tactile. There’s no drying time to hold you back, or brushes to swap around. I want to share my passion for this exciting medium in this series, showing how I choose my colours, use different surfaces, and explain how I vary my mark-making to make the best use of the varied types and grades of pastel that…

NICK DAWE Nick’s been an artist and teacher for over 30 years, and has several groups running throughout Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. He also teaches numerous private students. Nick specialises in painting wildlife subjects in acrylics. 1 Morning Light Acrylics on canvas “A Bengal tiger emerging from the darkness of the jungle at dawn. It was inspired by a visit to Rathambore National Park, India.” 2 Mum’s Home Acrylics on canvas “This represents my first venture into British wildlife for many years. It’s the first of many.” 3 Africa Acrylics on canvas “Another acrylic painting inspired by a visit to the Masai Mara, Kenya, where I saw a family group of zebras grazing at sunset.” IVANA BESEVIC Dividing her time between Belgrade and Paris, Ivana has been creating art for over…

You Will Be Able to Draw by the End of This Book Author : Jake Spicer Publisher : Ilex Price : £14.99 Web : www.ilex-press.com IF YOU’RE A BEGINNER, you’ll be looking for something specific from a ‘how to’ book. You want clear, unambiguous instructions. You want easy-to-understand rules. You want methodical exercises to follow. And so you get frustrated with books that appear to be vague, unfocused and filled with the author’s own finished art. Brighton-based artist and drawing tutor Jake Spicer is clearly familiar with this kinds of reader frustration, and has created this plainly titled, beginner-friendly book as the antidote. His guide takes the methods he teaches in his drawing classes, and concisely puts them into book form – nothing more, nothing less. Jack guides you through…

“It’s amazing how little we still know about the real Michelangelo” LOVE AND DEATH Michelangelo’s curious life hits the big screen FEW NAMES in the world of art are as big as Michelangelo. The Italian artist is famous for his poems, paintings and sculptures, but we know curiously little about the man himself. That’s where Michelangelo – Love and Death comes in. Directed by David Bickerstaff, the new film from the Exhibition On Screen series aims to shed some light on the great artist. “Michelangelo wrote over 1,400 letters and 300 poems and had two biographies published about him during his lifetime alone, but it’s amazing how little we still know about the real Michelangelo,” says David. “By delving into his private writings and visiting the key places he lived…

About ADRIAN Senior Curator, Royal Academy of Arts, London Adrian Locke joined the Royal Academy of Arts in 2001. He has overseen many exhibitions, including ‘Munch by Himself’, and ‘Modern British Sculpture’. The 1930s can be seen as a pivotal decade in the history of American art. This was a time when artists (like their fellow citizens) were confronted by unparalleled challenges. It was also a time of uncertainty and anxiety that drove artists to experiment with different styles (Regionalism, Socialist-Realism, Abstraction, Surrealism, etc) in order to find a distinct American style that reflected the times, but which was no longer associated with the traditions (such as Academic teaching) and subject matter of European art. In other words, this was the time to forge a new, distinctly American art. This…

About ROBERT Whitby, England As a member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, it's unsurprising that Robert loves to illustrate the light in coastal and landscape scenes. He counts Venice as a favourite painting destination. www.robertbrindley.com Spring is a wonderful and exciting time of year. As we move from the cold, damp, and dull conditions of winter, many artists feel the desire to venture outdoors to paint the fresh colours of the new season. However, many inexperienced painters return to the studio disappointed by their efforts. In many cases, failure comes from their inability to simplify the subject matter and also to reduce the overwhelming strength of colour. In this painting, The Bridge at Milldale, I hope to illustrate how clean, transparent colour can be controlled to produce a…

Walk along the canals Patrick Cahill advises taking a walk along the two canals, Royal and Grand, for inspiration. “The canals are a great place to walk, draw and paint,” he says. “There have been many paintings of scenes along the canals, and for me, the beautiful watercolours of Tom Nesbit stand out.” Explore Dublin’s art shops “Visit the art shops in Dublin,” advises Mary Duffy. “My top two are Evans in Mary’s Abbey, north of the river, which has been open for over 100 years. And the oldest gem of all is KennedyArt, which has been in the same family for five generations.” Be inspired at the National Gallery “My two favourite paintings in the National Gallery are the superb views of Dresden by Bernardo Belotto, and the wonderful…

About VALÉRIE Bath, UK Originally from Belgium, Valérie has lived in the UK for the past 11 years. She works mainly in oils and enjoys working plein air. See more of her paintings at www.valeriepirlot.com Painting ‘alla prima’ (that is, painting wet-on-wet, in one session) is the ideal technique for embracing the nature of oils. There is something about the medium that is so generous. Its fluid, glossy, rich texture enables you to make thick brushstrokes, which can be spread and layered with so much satisfaction. Also called ‘direct painting’, alla prima is all about being spontaneous and making rapid decisions, as the goal is to produce a painting in one go (often in one setting), without letting any layers dry. If there’s one thing painting this way can teach…

Full-time painter and art tutor Rachel can’t stress enough how much the space in her current studio matters. “Since I’ve had the studio, things have changed a lot for me,” she says. “It sounds dramatic, but it has changed my life.” The artist continues: “I had a small studio at home in Tetbury, which I was growing out of. I wanted a bigger space and I also wanted to be in town. This space came up, but it was in need of some work. However, the landlord gave me free rein to make the space exactly what I needed it to be.” Rachel’s subjects include animals as well as people, and she describes herself as a painter in the traditional sense. She says, “I’m currently working on a self-portrait.…

About TONY Sydney, Australia Self-taught Tony works mostly in watercolours. His work has been published in several books and he regularly teaches and paints overseas. Tony was born in Croatia, but now lives in Australia. www.artiscon.com Over the years I’ve developed my style of painting by looking closely at the work of the Impressionists. Their art was fresh and spontaneous, and was executed with bold brush strokes, which didn’t reveal too much detail. For this workshop, I’ll paint a contemporary café scene in watercolour using their methods (and a photograph) for reference. Impressionistic techniques also match the essence of painting with watercolour. Washes are applied with one decisive brush stroke, and are never corrected or smoothed out. This gives the painting an almost unfinished look, enabling the viewer to finish…

Fun, informative videos to accompany the issue: http://bit.ly/pad_vids Airbrush textures Get creative with Jill Tisbury http://bit.ly/pad7_texture Painting & teaching Inside Rachel Vynne’s studio http://bit.ly/pad_rvynne Clean your airbrush Jill Tisbury’s maintenance tips http://bit.ly/pad7_clean Paint Like... van Gogh Rob Lunn shows you how http://bit.ly/pad7_vincent PLUS: Workshop sketches! Download them here: http://bit.ly/pad7_sketches Try five issues for £5! Just visit: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/springdesign or call 0344 848 2852 and quote Spring Design…

“When you look at a painting by Vincent van Gogh of a basket of gone-to-seed onions, you don’t say, ‘Oh, look, a basket of onions,’ you say, ‘Wow!’” David Chandler reveals why the subject of a still life lesson is all a matter of perspective, page 98 “As soon as I had any spare money, I came out to Africa. I fell in love with the smells, the heat… it’s the most wonderful continent on this Earth.” We talk to Hazel Soan, whose mastery of watercolours has taken her around the world, page 40 “Whether I’m painting happy children playing on the beach, dynamic horses or dramatic windswept landscapes, pastels give me the drama, range of textures and freedom of expression that I need.” Rebecca de Mendonça on why she…

The Royal Hibernian Academy The RHA holds life-drawing classes, with its summer 2017 classes taking place between 29 June and 27 July 27 (€75/€150 half/full day). The academy also runs a series of workshops, starting in March. www.rhagallery.ie KennedyArt From watercolour to portraits, figure drawing, oils and still life, KennedyArt hosts a wide range of one-day workshops (€70) held in the studio space above its family-run shop, located just off St Stephens’ Green. https://kennedyart.com/workshops Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane Life drawing and mixed media drawing are among the four-week classes (€80) included in The Hugh Lane’s spring programme. Adult courses take place in the Gallery’s Learning Resource Centre. www.hughlane.ie The School house for Art For those who fancy mixing art classes with Dublin’s countryside, The School house for Art,…

LAPIN Lapin is a French illustrator, artist and urban sketcher, working in fashion, advertising and magazines. He has published several books, including Paris, Je T’Aime, Carnet de Bagnoles and Lapin au Japon. www.lesillustrationsdelapin.com Pompidou Centre, Paris The view from the Pompidou Centre is one of my favourite. Heading from the 13th arrondissement to the 17th on the metro and via foot, I stop at art déco façades and wander through Aligre market. Ten years later, I went back to being a Parisian for a month to capture these fragments of life for my sketchbook Paris, Je T’Aime. Pont Neuf, Paris "Here I've captured a meeting with another sketcher while we were drawing Pont Neuf. We had to share some wine together…" Aligre Market, Paris "My apartment in Paris was near…

About ROB Bath, England Rob is a self-taught painter, and loves to paint in oils. His influences are Vincent van Gogh, Caravaggio and Ilya Repin. Rob’s taught art workshops since 2012. www.roblunn.co.uk Dutch post-impressionist, Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853 –1890) created many self-portraits in his career, and some of them are not so obvious. For example, Irises , painted at the Saint Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémyde-Provence in the last year before his death, is a perfect example. A white flower stands alone and defiant in this very moving painting. The self-portrait can take many guises and gives the artist the opportunity to say something about who they are, what they are, and importantly, what and who they want to be. In this workshop we’re going to go…

About SUE Nottingham, UK Sue enjoys painting a wide range of subjects from life, sketches and photographs. She also runs workshops and courses for artists of all levels. www.sareenarts.com Materials Sue uses Bockingford watercolour paper, 300g, NOT surface. She prefers this surface, as it’s “not too smooth and not too rough”. Bockingford is also more heavy than other papers, making it easier to sponge, and if necessary, remove paint. She uses squirrel-hair mop brushes in sizes 2, 8 and 11. These brushes hold a lot of water, enabling her to paint more freely, but at the same time “they keep terrific points”. She also has a small synthetic brush, which can be useful when she needs drier, more precise marks. With this workshop, I will explain the watercolour techniques I…

 Company: Creature Art Teacher Price: £24 Web: www.creatureartteacher.com “Over the course of several hours, you get to see every single stroke Aaron makes and how they add up to one stunning piece of art.” If you watch a lot of Disney videos with younger members of your family, the name Aaron Blaise may strike you as familiar. That’s because he spent 21 years of his life as an animator on such films as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, Mulan and Brother Bear, the latter of which he co-directed. Aaron’s now left the film business, but Disney’s loss is the art world’s gain, because he’s turning his hand to teaching. And he’s very good at it. In this, his first course in traditional media, Aaron creates a…

About DAVID CHANDLER Frome, England David teaches weekly classes and painting courses, and writes and presents Seeing Things, a local radio show about art. www.davidchandler.net It’s known as the dead badger school of teaching. You’re driving to class, having done no prep and without a clue about what you’re going to teach. The vision of all those eager, expectant faces fills your mind and the disappointment they’ll have in you when you arrive empty-handed is making you cringe already. Then, your eye alights on an inert, grey object by the roadside. “Oh, look! Dead badger!” you say to yourself, brightening and screeching to a halt. I spared my class the badger, but inflicted the contents of the cupboard under the village hall sink on them instead – even a random…