The UK’s best practical art magazine for aspiring amateur and professional artists - since 1931. Well-known artists reveal their working practices and techniques, covering all subjects and media, in every issue. Learn how established and up-and-coming artists create their work and use the tips they provide to help you improve your own drawing and painting. Keep up to date with the latest art materials, tried and tested by our trusted panel of expert artists, and keep in touch with the latest art competitions to enter and must-see exhibitions. Learn how other artists make money from their work, join one of our practical workshops/holidays, and don’t miss out on the latest art news and views.
the artist
Editor’s Guest Welcome from Mike Barr • ‘You’ll only be a painter if you paint’
EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS
Next month in the artist
YOUR VIEWS • LETTERS, EMAILS AND COMMENTS
STAR LETTER
THE ART WORLD • NEWS, INFORMATION AND ONLINE EVENTS IN THE ART WORLD
Jewels in the Crown • Celebrating 25 years of collecting at Penlee House
Music and dance • Paul Riley explores how music, theatre and dance can inspire your work and lift it to new levels
A taste of summer • Follow Lisa Timmerman as she paints a floral scene in acrylics using the power of colour to revive summertime memories
The expanded palette • In the final part of his series focusing on colour mixing for landscape painting in oil, Graham Webber explores additional colours to add to your palette
Face to face • Portrait artist Steven Higginson talks us through the process behind his paintings, and shares advice with those keen to improve their skills in the genre
A carpet of blue • Jenny Aitken paints bluebells in acrylics and shows us how to make the colours sing
Water and reflections in gouache • In his second article, Robert Brindley explores the attraction painting water has held for artists over the years and shows how gouache can be used to capture this challenging subject
The first signs of spring • Join Helen Tarr and paint spring flowers in oils, alla prima, to celebrate the first blooms of the new season
Sketching outdoors with speed • In the first of his two features on sketching outdoors, Barry Herniman introduces us to his favourite sketching tool and shows how it can be used to create quick, vibrant sketches
Garden birds in watercolour • In the first of two features Becky Thorley-Fox shows how watercolour is ideal for capturing these fleeting visitors at speed
Celebrating earth colours • Earth colours don’t have to be dull. Robert Dutton demonstrates how they play a vital role in his colour palette, bringing warmth to his mixed-media paintings
Oils in the elements • In the final article in her current three-part series Clare Lord shows us how to energise our oil painting by choosing to work outside
Life as a professional artist • Steve Griggs shares his experiences of working to commission and gives advice on how to liaise successfully with your client
The art of woodcut • Be inspired by Ian Sidaway’s beginners’ guide to woodcuts, from basic materials to finished print
Texture in watercolour • As part of her 12-part series considering common painting problems, Julie Collins turns her attention to texture in watercolour and offers advice on how to avoid common mistakes
UNWANTED TEXTURE AND HOW TO AVOID IT • Sometimes texture in watercolours is unwanted. This is always very annoying, particularly when I can’t get rid of it. Unwanted texture can include the following problems:
OPPORTUNITIES & COMPETITIONS • Check out the latest competitions to enter and make a note of important deadlines
EXHIBITIONS • GALLERY OPENING TIMES AND EXHIBITION...