Varying Edges

Ask an Artist ’s PETER KEEGAN concludes his three-part still life painting workshop by showing how variety at the edges can really add an extra dimension to your art

Photo PORTRAITS

A pet portrait can make a wonderful gift or a charming memory. MATT JEANES shows you how to overcome inadequate reference photos and produce a layered masterpiece

Rob Pointon

From impressing the Household Cavalry to bending city streets to suit his own vision, this Royal Institute of Oil Painters member is making his mark says

Walter Sickert

The Camden Town painter is renowned for portraying a darker side of life, yet behind the salacious subjects lies an artist on a simple quest to paint with honesty, says STEVE PILL

The Working Artist

Whether you step away for a few minutes or 17 years, taking a break is important for your creativity, says our columnist LAURA BOSWELL

Jennifer Anderson

From her brave approach to sourcing sitters to her unconventional compositions, the Scottish portrait artist does things differently in her shared studio, as REBECCA BRADBURY discovers

Exhibitions

JANUARY’S BEST ART SHOWS

10 Rules For Capturing Luminosity

American acrylic artist LEXI SUNDELL shares her expert tips for recreating a natural glow in your floral paintings, which could be applied to all sorts of subjects

17 Quick Tips For Better Drawings

While good drawing does take real practice, these simple correctives are designed to improve your sketching skills immediately

MEET THE ARTIST: Lucy JONES

The winner of this year’s Ruth Borchard SelfPortrait Prize on what it means to be human.

Autumn Walks

Join illustrator EMMA LEYFIELD for a brisk seasonal jaunt as she hunts out suitable subject matter for this month’s colourful watercolour project

Frans Hals

Far from just being a painter of jovial portraits, this Dutch Golden Age artist inspired future generations and a new exhibition is set to boost his legacy, says STEVE PILL

Why Draw?

THIS MONTH WE ARE CELEBRATING THE HUMBLE ACT OF DRAWING. OVER THE NEXT 11 PAGES, YOU WILL FIND TIPS, IDEAS AND CHALLENGES, BUT STEVE PILL BEGINS WITH AN IMPORTANT QUESTION…

Katrina Wallis-King

The newly-elected Pastel Society member tells STEVE PILL how bird nests, CBT training and willow charcoal have all played a part in her atmospheric mixed media art

The Working Artist

As the autumn term begins, LAURA BOSWELL reflects on how to make the most of an art class

AUTUMN flowers

This dahlia’s complex beauty and seasonal colours made it the perfect subject for SANDRINE MAUGY in a painting that combines drybrush and wet-in-wet techniques

Alla PRIMA

Raw Umber Studios tutor LIZET DINGEMANS presents an introduction to the direct painting technique that can be used to create lively, spontaneous pictures

13 Top Tips For Painting Reflections

Whether you’re trying to depict shiny objects or watery mirror images, we’ve got a host of expert tips and lessons from the masters to help you out

How to Paint Positively

If you’re struggling for confidence as your painting develops, HASHIM AKIB has some simple strategies to try – and an exercise at the end to put it into practice

Bold PORTRAITS

Inspired by “reckless” Expressionist painters, TERENCE CLARKE shows how working quickly and pushing false colours can add impact to a portrait

James McNeill Whistler

By treating his portraits as “arrangements” and his landscapes as fields of colour, the American artist was ahead of his time, as STEVE PILL explains

Chris Gambrell

The Bristol illustrator has brought a fresh perspective to fashion illustration thanks to his sculpture-indebted techniques and his love of wax crayons, as STEVE PILL discovers

Perfect Papers

Choosing the right surface will improve your artworks in an instant

Lily LEWIS

The portrait artist takes on tarot cards and Hollywood glamour in her latest projects.

Painting with masking fluid Painting

SIÂN DUDLEY shows why we should stop treating masking fluid as a purely protective measure and start seeing it as a medium that offers the freedom to be more expressive

PLACING Figures

BRUCE YARDLEY reveals how the French Impressionist painters incorporated portraits and figures into their interior scenes and plein air landscapes

The Working Artist

Accustomed to altering reality in her sketches, could our columnist LAURA BOSWELL still make a satisfying print with only a photo for reference?

12 Ways To Wondrous Wildlife Art

Four leading wildlife artists – Laura Hardie, Natalie Öberg, Maria Popma and Amber Tyldesley – share a dozen expert tricks for improving your work in minutes

Exhibitions

AUGUST’S BEST ART SHOWS

The Working Artist

After a particularly isolated year, our columnist LAURA BOSWELL is ready to collaborate – but establishing ground rules are important