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.

WELCOME from the editor

The Artist

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

A closer view • Gareth Brown, winner of The Artist Award in the 2020 Royal Society of Marine Artists’ annual exhibition, talks to Susie Hodge about how he achieves his close-up, detailed images

Painting through the pandemic • Committed plein-air oil painter Peter Brown shares his experiences of working around the Covid-19 restrictions of 2020-2021

Loosen up! • Follow Robert Mee as he demonstrates a colourful harbour scene in watercolour and includes his tips for keeping your work loose

What is realism? • Carl Knibb explores what realism means to him, how it translates into his work and demonstrates how to paint subjects realistically but without too much detail

The natural world • In the final article in his current series, Steve Hall shares his approach to tackling new subjects, especially when they put you out of your comfort zone, and suggests some exercises to try

Try painting with oil and cold wax • Learn a new technique with Lisa Timmerman as she shows how she paints a composition of koi fish using oil and cold wax

MATERIALS

the artist 2021 Open Art Competition • Be inspired by the work of some of our talented prizewinners in this year’s competition, organised in partnership with Patchings. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who took part, and to all our sponsors, who help make our competition such a success

THE ARTIST OPEN 2021 AWARDS

Make a colour study of the head • Adele Wagstaff concludes her current series by demonstrating how to paint an oil study of the head using the extended colour palette

Make your own linocut Christmas cards • In the first of three articles on creating linocuts in a loose and colourful style, Keith Tunnicliffe demonstrates a print of Prospect Cottage at Dungeness and shows how to make your own Christmas cards

MATERIALS

Synthetic hair brushes for oil and watercolour that really perform • Alan Bickley takes a close look at Winsor & Newton’s new Professional Watercolour synthetic and Professional Oil synthetic brush ranges

A bespoke finish for your frame • Peter Burgess concludes his series on making your own picture frames by suggesting alternative ways to finish your frames and complement your paintings

Lost and found • Mike Barr provides a gentle reminder about the importance of edges, both lost and found, and why judicious use of both will keep your viewers’ interest

Capture flesh tones using three colours • Lizet Dingemans demonstrates how to paint skin using a limited palette of just three oil colours

MATERIALS

ADAPTING IN CHALLENGING TIMES • Being able to adapt and respond to the challenges of a crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic has been critical to the survival of many artists, as Sarah Edmonds reports

the artist 90th Anniversary Front Cover Competition 2021

UK ART...