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.

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...