Innehållsförteckning för February 2025 från Artists & Illustrators

ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORS Phone: +44 (0)1858 438789 Email: artists@subscription.co.uk Online: subscription.co.uk/chelsea/solo Post: Artists & Illustrators, Subscriptions Department, Chelsea Magazines, Tower House, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough, LE16 9EF Renew: subscription.co.uk/chelsea/solo Annual subscription rates UK: £75, US: $150, RoW: £110 Welcome to Our fabulous website for showcasing and selling your art BECOME A MEMBER TODAY! GO TO BRITISHARTCLUB.CO.UK…

Things we love… Image of the Artist: Portraits from the Royal Academy brings together self-portraits by contemporary stars like Chantal Joffe RA, as seen here, and Sir Sidney Nolan RA, exploring the complexities of artistic identity. From traditional poses to playful disguises, it delves into how Royal Academicians, both past and present, use portraiture to define or reinvent themselves, offering a fascinating glimpse into their lives, studios and creativity. On until 20 April 2025 at Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury CO10 2EU. gainsborough.org Don’t miss… Boy George’s electrifying debut art collection, Fame. Presented with Castle Fine Art, it features limited-edition portraits of icons like David Bowie, Madonna and Prince, alongside his self-portrait from the Culture Club era. Blending neo-expressionism with a punk DIY aesthetic, Boy George’s vivid, maximalist style celebrates individuality and…

MICKALENE THOMAS: ALL ABOUT LOVE 11 February to 5 May 2025 This show is the artist’s first UK solo exhibition, celebrating her vibrant portraits of Black women adorned with bold patterns and rhinestones. Spanning painting, collage, photography and installations, her work redefines beauty and identity while challenging societal norms. Highlights include grand mixed media portraits and immersive domestic settings inspired by her 1970s childhood. Drawing on Black feminist theory, Thomas’ art celebrates love in all forms – self, family and romantic – reshaping contemporary portraiture with beauty, glamour and style. Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX. southbankcentre.co.uk DELICATE BEINGS 5 January to 8 February 2025 This immersive collection explores the interplay between good and evil, blending spiritual iconography with ecological themes. Through vibrant palettes and ethereal compositions,…

A CURIOUS AND CREATIVE CHILD, Beijing artist Jie Gao remembers being glued to the TV, captivated by traditional Chinese cartoons and American Disney animations. Soon, he realised it was the art design that fascinated him, and he began to imitate the moving pictures with his own creations. Recognising his budding talent and in a bid to nurture it, his father, a painter and one-time art teacher, sent him to a local art tutor where he learned the basic theory and practice of drawing. Later, he went on to study fashion design. But a brief stint working in the industry failed to quash his instinctive desire to paint. So, he upped sticks to the States to study oil painting and gaming design, obtaining a masters in both fields. Today, he holds the…

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO PAINT AND CREATE 1 Make your oil paints go further Oil paint can be a costly medium, and using impasto palette knife techniques can significantly increase the expense. To make your oil paints go further, I’ve found that mixing in a wax medium is a cost-effective solution. Not only does it bulk up the paint, but it also reduces drying time and produces a matte finish which creates a striking contrast when paired with pure oil paint. 2 Give the Sgraffito technique a try This is a technique which involves scratching into wet oil paint with the tip of the knife, revealing a contrasting layer beneath. By carving illustrative lines into my own palette knife paintings, I can balance broad, sweeping strokes with finer elements, such…

WINTER IS THE PERFECT SEASON to draw a polar bear, and this piece was inspired by the icy surroundings and dramatic lighting of this photograph. The unique interplay of light and shadow in this scene immediately caught my eye and offered the ideal challenge for an almost value-study approach on Pastelmat paper. The way the light dances across the polar bear’s fur and the cool icy textures of the glacial cave provided an opportunity to explore depth, contrast and subtle colour transitions in a way that pushed my skills further. I’ve been experimenting with Pastelmat paper lately, exploring its unique texture and versatility with both pastels and coloured pencils. This surface allows for lots of layering, and I enjoy finding new ways to push the boundaries of what’s possible with…

… is listed in the Guinness World Records as the most prolific painter who ever lived, producing 13,500 paintings and designs, 2000 prints and engravings, and 300 sculptures and ceramics in his lifetime. So, although we’re very familiar with some of his better-known works, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s still a lot we haven’t seen. Which is why a new exhibition, Picasso Printmaker, at the British Museum is such a treat as over 100 much lesser-known prints will be on display. To see and read more, and for the chance to bag one of the 25 pairs of tickets we’re giving away, go to page 36. For challenges to try at home, why not follow Sema Martin’s step-by-step on drawing a polar bear in coloured pencil and…

21 JANUARY Apply for the First Plinth: Public Art Award by this date. You could win £15,000 to create a large-scale sculpture. The entry fee starts from £22.50. sculptors.org.uk 31 JANUARY Enter The Homiens Art Prize for a chance to showcase your art in an online exhibition. Six winners will each receive $500. The entry free starts from $20. homiens.com 10 FEBRUARY Submit your artwork to the BBA Artist Prize 2025 in any medium for the chance to exhibit in Berlin. The total prize fund is €2,700 and entry fee is €35. bba-prizes.com 24 FEBRUARY Enter the Scottish Landscape Awards for a chance to win part of the £20,000 prize pool. Open to artists in Scotland over 16, working across all mediums. scottishartstrust.org…

London Art College is a leading institution in online distance learning, dedicated to nurturing artistic talent from the comfort of their own home. With a diverse range of courses tailored for all skill levels, students can explore various disciplines, including painting, drawing, illustration and digital art. The courses are designed by experienced professionals who provide personalised feedback and guidance, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience. Understanding the importance of flexibility in education, London Art College allows students to learn at their own pace, fitting their studies around personal and professional commitments. Whether beginners looking to explore their creativity or experienced artists seeking to refine their skills, students will find a supportive community and a wealth of resources to help them achieve their artistic goals. The college offers a diverse array of…

I didn’t choose art; art chose me. That is probably the most clichéd answer. Yet, I believe it defines a dedicated artist and I consider myself to be one. The journey towards creation is never easy, especially when you’re born in Moldova, where any success comes hand-in-hand with a continuous struggle to find the right place, style, inspiration and people to guide you. My figurative style was born out of a love for people’s inner worlds. What I create reflects what I feel; an expression of the things we all experience: family, love, longing, loneliness, affection, innocence. So, what draws me in? It’s the people who bring stories, history and emotions. Landscapes, on the other hand, bring atmosphere, outward expressions and other kinds of emotions. They provide me with an emotional…

Over the past five issues we have looked at approaches to drawing the features of the face, recognising how each feature makes a different contribution to a portrait: the nose and ears support good proportion, while the eyes and mouth convey expression and likeness. Hair, or the hairless expanse of a bald head, does a little of both. Hair bridges the space between the face and our subject’s surroundings, framing the proportions of their features; the distance between the features and hairline gives us the shape of the cheek and forehead in negative. As well as having a structural role in a portrait, hair is one of our primary sources of personal expression and a source of layered meaning. The texture and colour of your subject’s hair might speak about…

ANGELA’S MATERIALS Posca pens Colours: Lavender, Light Pink, Light Orange, Ivory, Coral pink, White, Beige, Apricot, Powder Pastel, Light Blue, Sky Blue, Turquoise, Brown, Dark Brown Sizes: extra-finetip0.7mm–1mm, fine tip 0.9mm–1.3mm, medium tip 1.8mm–2.5mm, broad bullet tip 4.5mm–5.5mm, broad chisel tip 5.5.mm–8mm Support Blank-coated cardstock paper HB pencil Eraser Washi tape YOU MIGHT HAVE STUMBLED upon drawings made with Posca acrylic paint markers and thought it would be fun to try them out for yourself; at least, that’s how I got interested in them. However, despite my initial excitement, I found that they didn’t yield the desired results on my mixed-media sketchbook. Consequently, I stowed them away for months until I received blank coated cardstock paper unexpectedly, sparking the idea to give my Posca markers another try. This surface instantly…

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DIANE GRIFFITHS Self-taught, The People’s Choice winner works part-time as an artist and has artwork on display in Cornish galleries, shops and online. Working in a mixed media of acrylic, oil and enamel, she enjoys playing with colour and texture and is inspired by life, memory and imagination. JIE GAO Our cover artist, who is also an art director for a gaming company, enjoys portrait painting in oil and charcoal, and is always fascinated by capturing the unique moments of beauty in ordinary people. Expressive, animated faces consistently ignite his strong desire for artistic expression. JANE DAVIES Jane is a self-taught watercolour artist who runs her art business painting commissions and teaching both in person and online with Skillshare. Jane has been a finalist in the David Shepherd Artist of…

Although Toulla Hadjigeorgiou has always wanted to be an artist, she remembers being told that “it was not a proper profession.” Yet, her passion for painting emerged at a young age; her art journey shaped by her early experiences and the world around her. “At around five years old in primary school, a few kids in my class would want me to draw for them,” she recalls. The vivid scent of powdered paint mixed with water and the ‘canvas’ – reminiscent of paper used to wrap fish and chips – are cherished memories of her early creativity. When her parents gifted her a Reeves Oil Painting Set at age 12, she discovered a new medium. She still uses the palette knife that came with it. Toulla primarily paints people, pets…

THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD DIANE GRIFFITHS’ DRIVING HOME captures an unlikely subject: a petrol station. But it’s the kind of painting that invites you to stop, look and think. With the esteemed People’s Choice Award under her belt, Diane has proven that the beauty of everyday life, if seen through the right lens, is anything but ordinary. Her foundation in art was built, not with brushes or palettes, but through a deep understanding of line, form, light and shadow. Her early education focused on developing these core skills, which she later combined with her self-taught approach to create a distinctive style. “At school, I developed these skills carefully,” she says. “I learned to capture what I saw accurately, then later, I was encouraged to be more imaginative. It was a…

THE BARN OWL IS INCREDIBLY DISTINCTIVE, shrouded in mystery and legend. It’s hard not to feel drawn to painting these magnificent birds and trying to capture that essence on paper. I’m fortunate enough to see them regularly, and when I do, I just have to stop and stare and simply wonder at them. That touch with nature is a magical thing. When back in my studio painting, I love to use a lot of water in my watercolours; this allows the paint to flow and blend, creating magic on the paper. I typically like the granulating paints, which I use straight out of the tube, giving me fabulous strength of colour and ease of use, making the most of each painting’s unique colour and character. A tidy work area is…