Table of contents for Issue 32 in Creative Artist

Step One I prime the canvas with two to three coats of white primer sealer, allowing to dry thoroughly between coats. Meanwhile, I draw a series of thumbnails in my visual diary, brainstorming ideas for the composition. I then look through my photo library for reference on the computer or on the internet if I don’t have what I’m after. Once I’ve chosen them, I do some more quick thumbnails and then print out the images and make a mock-up of the composition. It’s then back to the computer to adjust, crop etc., and then I print out sections of each image, tape them together and, using charcoal paper, transfer the outline of the animal onto the canvas. Using this process, I’m assured of getting the perspective and scale right.…

Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641), one of the most celebrated and influential portraitists of all time, enjoyed an international career that took him from his native Flanders to Italy, France, and, ultimately, the court of Charles I in England. Van Dyck’s elegant manner and convincing evocation of a sitter’s inner life—whether real or imagined—made him the favourite portraitist of many of the most powerful and interesting figures of the seventeenth century. His sitters—poets, duchesses, painters, and generals—represent the social and artistic elite of his age, and his achievement in portraiture marked a turning point in the history of European painting. Van Dyck: The Anatomy of Portraiture, on view only at New York’s Frick Collection, looks comprehensively at the artist’s activity and process as a portraitist. It is also the first major…

This dossier exhibition centres on pairing and juxtaposing related works by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973). A loan of four major works from the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland includes ‘The Rescue’ (1932), ‘Seated Woman’ (Dora) (1938),’Woman in Green’ (Dora) (1944) and ‘The Rape of the Sabines’ (1962)—none of which have previously been seen in New England. These works complement three additional loans from private collections, as well as four works from the MFA’s holdings of painting and sculpture by the artist, looking at different stages of his career and his exploration of form. Groupings within the exhibition will explore relationships and differences within Picasso’s treatment of the same sitter or story. For the first time in the US, the MFA painting, ‘Rape of the Sabine Women’ (1963) will hang alongside the…

In the previous portrait, the eyes have been central to the character. Is it possible to create character without using eyes as focal points? I believe it is. As previously stated there are more than one focal point in a portrait and careful use of this principle can make for some dramatic images. In the following images, I've tried to use other focal points or simply the subject's pose to create character. One more thing I would encourage is to sketch often. Sketching improves your drawing skills and also helps to make the “drawing” stages of a scratchboard more fresh and exciting. I like to sketch with pens rather than pencil because you can't erase pen and so you are forced to become more accurate. Even when you are sketching,…

• Large, upright easel • Large backing board either in masonite or any non-pliable board with a smooth surface (size 1m x 1.1m) • Strong bulldog clips – taping the inside of the clip that holds the paper to the board helps to prevent indent marks on the works • Arches 300gsm or Saunders Waterford 300gsm paper are my favourites for smaller works in pastel or a roll of paper I cut to size for larger works. The paper must have a good ‘tooth’ or roughness to allow the charcoal and subsequently pastel to grab. • Selection of soft charcoal sticks in various sizes, i.e. thin sticks for details and thick sticks to cover larger areas • Soft, medium and hard charcoals for a stronger attack on the paper •…

Richard is a freelance travel photographer. He has published eleven books including four editions of the ‘Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Photography’ and the large format pictorials: ‘Australia: 42 Great Landscape Experiences’, ‘Nepal and India: essential encounters’. Richard was one of five photographers selected for the National Geographic Channel television series ‘Tales by Light’ (screened in Australia and New Zealand in June 2015). He is a Master of Photography’ awarded by the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP)’ and represents Canon Australia as a Canon Master Photographer. Richard runs workshops teaching all aspects of travel photography for individuals and small groups, and leads photography tours to Australian and international destinations. He is also much sought after as a speaker and judge for photography and travel industry events and competitions. His…

• Comb brushes can be tricky to use when creating fur and hair. My advice is to experiment, experiment, and experiment. It all comes down to paint consistency on the brush and the pressure you apply. Very fine, hair-like strokes can be achieved with practice, and the same can be said for using a liner brush. • There are many copyright free image sites on the internet to find reference for your art: https://pixabay.com or https://www.morguefile.com etc. These sites allow use of their images for whatever purpose. There are also sites that are copyright free, but you have to pay to use them as well. • A visual diary is a must have; documenting your process and recording your research and ideas helps the creative process. • I find that…

For the first time, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is staging an exhibition featuring every version of ‘a girl in a kimono’ by the Dutch nineteenth-century painter George Hendrik Breitner. The artist made this much-loved series between 1893 and 1896. The young model Geesje Kwak posed for the works and in so doing was immortalised by Breitner. The exhibition shows the series of fourteen paintings, including an unfinished version and an unknown Girl in a Red Kimono. It tells the story of how these works were created through the many preparatory drawings, sketches and photographs that the artist produced. George Hendrik Breitner George Hendrik Breitner was born in 1857 in Rotterdam. In 1876 he went to the Academy in The Hague, and then spent a year in the studio of Willem…

One of the things that wildlife artists can get criticised for is being draughtsmen rather than artists. We can get very good at copying photographs, and that's where criticism often comes in. I like to keep my work real. I don't try to make it look like a photograph, but I work hard to make it look as real as possible, and in most cases the compliments are well worth it. However, there's always someone who will say, “Why not just take a photo and save yourself the time?” It's never the sort of thing that worries me, but it does get me thinking. As artists we have the opportunity to tell a story that the photograph might not be telling. In a previous issue, I talked about composition and…

• Choose a subject matter that inspires you. I can be inspired by many things. Nature, people, poetry, my surroundings, world events. The simple, exquisite beauty of flowers has drawn me back many times, and really showcases the intense pigments of pastels. • Photographing your own subject matter is great, and the Internet presents a wonderful resource tool. • Be careful of composition. Sometimes I refer to a number of images and references and compose the work as I go. Other times I work from photographs I have taken. A bad photograph can make an even worse artwork if you choose to use it for inspiration. • Always stand at your easel. This allows you to fully engage with the work and also to pull back and observe the image…

• When you drag or scumble your paint across the canvas, it creates a dry brush technique that shows a little darker colour underneath. This creates more depth. • Always remember to use complementary colours in your work. Use light against dark to add greater depth and remember that warm colours move objects forward and cool colours make objects recede. • If you need to make fine lines or abstract lines in your art, use liquefying medium added to your paint to make it more fluid, then use a liner brush to draw or create these lines. Use your hand as a guide to drag the brush along. If you wet the surface with a damp cloth, the brush will glide along freely. • Always glaze or varnish the artwork…

Fiona Pardington is an artist of Scottish (Clan Cameron of Erracht) and Maori (Kai Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Ngati Kahungunu) descent. She is one of New Zealand’s most important and celebrated photographers. ‘A Beautiful Hesitation’ is the largest exhibition of her work to date, with more than 100 photographs, spanning 30 years. Its title comes from the artist’s description of photography as a “hesitation in time”. “Taking a photograph is like tilting at windmills. It’s taking on the universe”, she says. For Pardington, each of her photographs is “a sovereign world”, carrying its own logic, experiences and pressures, and often intersecting with her viewers’ desires in confronting, disarming ways. Her approach has brought forth some of the most beautiful, challenging and affecting photographs made in—and often about—this country. Incorporating material salvaged…

• Concentrate carefully on the direction of your subject's eyes. If they are supposed to be looking at you, make certain this is the case. • Use a mirror to check that the eyes are correct. • Crop your reference in such a way that the focal points are carefully composed. • Use compositional tricks like diagonals and the rule of thirds. • Have a plan for how much information you want to include. Know when to stop. • Use diluted ink with an airbrush or a large watercolour brush to make some areas darker while leaving others lighter. • I've only used a couple of tools in this piece, a craft knife which I've used for about 95% and a fibreglass brush for just a few of the hairs…

Step One To begin a work, I always use a soft thin charcoal stick. Quite a few. This is good for shading and structuring the composition. I also use my hands and fingers to help shape the forms of the work. I love to get my hands dirty and feel the paper directly. At this stage, I work the tonal gradations of the image i.e. light and dark areas. Charcoal is good for re-working areas until I’m satisfied with the overall design. A kneadable rubber comes in handy to remove excess charcoal or to lighten areas. Step Two Blow off any loose charcoal and lightly spray with workable fixative or hairspray to prevent the charcoal from blending into your pastels too much. Next comes the exciting part. The introduction of…

Hi Brett, How do you stop sweaty hands from wrecking the paper you are trying to draw on, AC and fans make my eyes hurt which doesn’t help either, Regards, D. W. Hi D.W. It can be a problem alright, especially if your economy doesn’t allow for running air conditioning, or it causes other detrimental problems counterproductive to drawing progress. In the very hottest weather I usually set up a fan behind me and off to one side so it can’t dry my eyeballs out. I always use cover sheets (just A4 print paper) over the drawing to rest my hand on, but sometimes it’s 3 or 4 on top of one another if it’s particularly hot weather. The slightest suspicion of the top sheet becoming damp with sweat sees…