The Artist

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.

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EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS

YOUR VIEWS • LETTERS, EMAILS AND COMMENTS

STAR LETTER

THE ART WORLD • NEWS, INFORMATION AND ONLINE EVENTS IN THE ART WORLD

Guided by light and atmosphere • Caroline Saunders talks to Royal Academician Fred Cuming, whose sensitive and poetic landscapes, still lifes and portraits in oils leave an indelible mark

Explore your mix of media • Lydia Bauman experiments with a variety of unconventional materials and mixed-media techniques - be inspired to try these in your own work to achieve some interesting effects

On the road with watercolour • Watercolours offer convenience when travelling and are eminently suited for use outdoors. Richard Bond shares the contents of his painting bag and offers his tips for painting en plein air

Setting the scene

From site to studio • Sandra Corpora demonstrates how she created a successful studio oil painting of a lily pond from reference collected on site and shares her top tips for colour mixing

Create a collage of coastal life • Mike Bernard demonstrates how to capture the mood and atmosphere of a busy harbour scene using collage and mixed media

EXPERIMENTAL EXERCISE

The importance of shapes • Paul Talbot-Greaves urges you to consider the variety and arrangement of shapes in your stilllife setup to help you create better compositions, and suggests an exercise for you to try

Paint a photorealist still life • Be inspired to paint a contemporary photorealist still life in oils. Kate Brinkworth urges you to be brave and choose new colours appropriate for your theme

Create your own sketchbook reference library • Make a habit of keeping a sketchbook, says Carole Baker, as it will be a great source of inspiration and ideas for future paintings

Practise micro landscapes • In the second of three articles on improving your landscape painting, Tom Cringle builds on the skills you learned last month with exercises to help you to loosen up

Paint a sky to complement your landscape • Winston Oh recommends a simple wet-in-wet technique for painting skies in watercolour along with tips for a successful composition

TURNING PROFESSIONAL – A MINDSET • When is the right time to go professional as an artist? Sarah Edmonds considers what it takes to become professional

CASE STUDY Melanie Cormack-Hicks

It’s not easy being green • Do you avoid using green? Mike Barr dispels some rumours and says that achieving the right green is a journey well worth undertaking

UK ART SHOPS • Support your specialist art retailer by purchasing your materials from the shops listed here

ART BOX • Art products to help you develop your skills

OPPORTUNITIES & COMPETITIONS • Check out the latest competitions to enter and make a note of important deadlines

ART BOOKS

EXHIBITIONS • GALLERY OPENING TIMES AND EXHIBITION DATES CAN VARY; IF IN DOUBT PHONE TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

PaintersOnline editor’s choice • Meet this month’s editor’s...