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

WELCOME from the editor • Want to comment on something you've read, or seen?

YOUR VIEWS • LETTERS, EMAILS AND COMMENTS

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

TADWORTH ART GROUP • The Artist Award

Light & Colour: Scenes from London

ECHOES of Earth and Water

A Sense of PLACE

The urban landscape painter • Caroline Saunders talks to Melissa Scott-Miller about her portraits of London, which she paints from life

Melissa Scott-Miller

Stepping away from cups and saucers • Shirley Trevena used the space that lockdowns gave her to re-examine her working methods. Here she shares how she develops her abstract landscapes

Looking for the abstract in realism • Jo Quigley encourages us to find patterns, textures and colours within everyday subjects and use them to elevate our acrylic paintings

Jo Quigley

The real deal • Catherine MacDiarmid relishes the qualities of oil paint. Following her portrait of Bob in watercolour featured last month, she demonstrates how oils allow her to create her realistic, yet relaxed portrait commissions

All the fun of a Canaletto • Peter Burgess makes his own copy of a Canaletto painting in oil, discovering the humour and working practices of the master along the way

Why watercolour? • It's difficult and temperamental, but the rewards of getting it right make it worthwhile. Paul Talbot-Greaves demonstrates his techniques for painting a still-life subject working from light to dark

Painting by serendipity • Howard Milton loves to find a subject with a story and found this one right under his nose. Follow him as he paints his colourful subject in acrylics and oils

Art Courses & Holidays showcase • Never underestimate the importance of taking time out to explore new places, meet new people and learn new skills

The beauty of the night • In the first of four articles on the joys of painting night scenes, Barry Herniman paints a group of buildings on the Shetland shoreline in watercolour

Barry Herniman: The beauty of the night • This is a totally different view of the small cluster of shoreline buildings called the Lodberries. I loved the fact that almost all the buildings were in shadow and that the only bits of striking light were on the roofs and water. This, for me, was a great opportunity to paint a scene using just a series of varied colourful grey tones, but it was enjoyable all the same.

Nova the rescue dog • In the second of three articles on painting animal portraits in pastel, Emma Colbert reveals the benefits of using Pastelmat as her surface, providing both softness and texture for her portrait of Nova

How to see like a pencil • As artists we need to look at the world around us differently if we are to create successful drawings. Peter Cronin shows us how to see shapes, tones and edges rather than objects

New resolutions • Maintaining your confidence as an artist isn't always easy. In the last of her series on painting with oils Helen Tarr discusses ways to...