Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 33 i Australian How To Paint

I always knew deep down that I wanted to be an artist. Even as a young boy growing up in Brisbane I would draw as often as I could - filling my sketch pad with depictions of family holidays, cartoon characters, people and wildlife. I remember sketching pictures for friends back in primary school and participating in several local drawing competitions, resulting in a few small prizes along the way. In secondary school, I became even more passionate about art, but the perfectionist in me also enjoyed the detail and preciseness of technical drawing. My interest in these two subjects led me to study interior design at a tertiary level. By the end of the 3-year course I had lost much of my original enthusiasm for interior design as a…

Mellissa was born in England in the 1960s and as a child immigrated to Melbourne with her family. She has studied and practiced printmaking and painting continuously for the past 16 years and her work ranges between vibrant interpretations of her local landscape to intricate wood and linocuts. Her combination of quirkiness and calm blend to create works with a strong spiritual base. With a creative mother as an example, childhood was an idyll of ballet lessons, drawing, writing poetry and poring over many picture books bought and borrowed. Mellissa remembers primary school teachers who encouraged her personally to develop her painting. As a young adult, artistic pursuits took a backseat as Mellissa was busy seeing the world, working diverse jobs and eventually starting a family with her husband who…

STEP ONE The first stage is to plan the format and composition of my artwork. In this case I have chosen a square format - a square is a solid shape with a natural sense of balance and it seems appropriate for this particular subject. I have placed the tree slightly higher on the page because it will be counterbalanced by the strong reflection in the water and would otherwise appear too ‘bottom-heavy’. I have also ensured that the horizon line is positioned a bit off centre as this would appear to cut the artwork in half. A simple sketched outline of the subject will do at this stage. Although the intended final result is a detailed representation of the subject matter, there is no point getting too carried away…

STEP 1 After selecting the paper size I am going to use for my drawing, I determine the size of the subject and where the horizon should be. I do a rough sketch at this time, taking care that the horizon is not in the centre or near it, because wherever the horizon is placed it will always be seen at eye level. I use a faint line so that it is easy to remove later on. The subject must then be put into perspective (lines tapering away to vanishing point), as this gives the drawing a sense of depth, three-dimension, solidarity and realism. STEP 2 At this point, still using an F pencil, I only draw light lines because the paper can be easily marked if applying too much…

STEP ONE With an old brush - a badly looked after round bristle is my favourite - draw in the main areas of the scene. Same brush and colour, with lots of water - block in the dark areas. Follow this with a wider brush and use your darkest dark - Pthalo blue in this case. As you are using cool colours, block more areas with your blues and greens. Let the painting dry between stages. As I use a lot of water early on, it is very important not to muddy your colours by painting different hues over wet paint . It won’t take too long - the joy of acrylics, and you have an excuse to have a cup of tea. As per the cool colours, introduce the…

• Find a style of brush you are comfortable in using and stick to it. My paintings are all about the stroke, and the brush is intrinsic to this. • Gloss Varnish - this is my choice. You can use an acrylic water based one or a turps based one. Satin is a better option if a high gloss will not be suitable for your painting. It is important to add varnish to your acrylic paintings as it keeps the colours vibrant and protects the work. • When I add a new colour into the work, I also have a lighter and darker version mixed and ready on the palette. This keeps the momentum of working from one side of the canvas to the other, always keeping an eye on…

• Working from photographs is great – but spend time with your subject matter. If you are doing a landscape, go bush as often as you can and study the random wonder of Nature. If painting figurative works, join a life drawing class to build your skills in body proportions and texture. • When working with acrylics (especially in hot and humid conditions like Darwin), use only quality paints. The Atelier Interactive range is great. Keep a spray bottle handy and mist your work as you go. • Don’t overmix your colours. Place complimentary colours beside each other on your palette and load both colours onto your brush. I use colours straight from the tube and rely heavily on the colour wheel theory to create energy and impact in my…

Throughout my life, I’ve been impressed by the Australian landscape. As a child holidaying on the coast; at my homes at Lightning Ridge and Narrabri. The landscape has always evoked a deep emotional response. At times the immediate response to the landscape can be best caught with the spontaneity of the humble pencil. When I was young, it was rare for me not to be drawing – preferring to have pencil in hand moreso than anything else. As I matured, both physically and artistically, I felt it necessary to take a logical step and paint. Painting was seemingly an acceptable medium to produce ‘finished’ works. It wasn’t until I met the magician of landscape painting, Les Graham, that I discovered that drawing could be an end product in itself ……

• To produce a successful drawing, the extra work you do at the beginning i.e. planning and setting out pays off. Taking a close up photo of the subject and the different surfaces enables you to draw the intricate details that will make the picture appealing and enjoyable to look at. • I have found from past experience, especially for us lefties, when doing the detail work it is a useful practice to start working from the top so as to not to smudge the art work. Sometimes it is impossible to keep your hand off the surface of your drawing, so I place a sheet of paper or cardboard about half the size of the sheet of art paper and carefully rest my hand on it without moving it…

Canvas • I stretch my own canvas using heavy weight primed linen on heavy duty stretcher bars. This is then primed again with several layers of gesso. • I would suggest, if you are buying a ready-made canvas, to buy the best you can afford. Make sure the canvas is strong and the stretcher bars are thick to minimise warping. Brushes • I use flat bristle brushes, sizes, 8, 10 and 12. You may like to experiment yourself with filberts or round brushes. • I also use a painting knife when I need a straight edge. Paint • Matisse Derivan Structure Acrylics: Titanium White, Naples Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Red Medium, Alizarin, Pthalo Blue, Cobalt Blue, Permanent Light Violet, Permanent Green Light. Varnish & Mediums • Gesso • Acrylic…

I was born, raised and educated in Mudgee, New South Wales. After marrying at the age of 19, I moved to Gladstone in Queensland and I have resided in this area for more than 35 years. My only ‘formal art skills’ were acquired at high school … I guess you could say I’ve been self-taught and I have developed my own style from what I’ve observed in art reference books. One artist who I greatly admire is Claudia Nice, an American. I enjoy drawing specific aspects of the landscape, as opposed to panoramic views favoured by most artists. My inspiration to start drawing again (following a 30-year break) came after I visited a local farm hosting an abundance of subject matter. I began by taking photographs of old wrecked cars…

• As a matter of interest, I recorded the time it took to complete this picture. I was surprised that it totalled 50 hours. • Ink pens are a great medium to use when travelling as there isn’t a lot of equipment to pack – just the pens and a good quality drawing pad. • Photographs of my subjects are essential for this type of work, because of the detail and the time factor involved in achieving a finished drawing. • I always take a camera with me on holidays and excursions.…