JULY 2017
CANVAS
Welcome to Stephen Ashurst
Portrait in Oil
Coming Up next time:-
David Wilcox
Dancers Acrylics
8th August
Stephen is a familiar face to visitors at Patchings Art Festival
each year.
His large full colour images are testament of his ability to
capture a true likeness of the sitter. He is arguably one of the
UK’s best portraitists in oil. His method of application of the
medium, in a unique style of his own, make images he has
created instantly recognisable. Many distinguished people
have been captured on canvas, so those in attendance should
feel privileged to witness a great master at work.
CLAIRE BOTTERILL DEMONSRATION
‘Hares at Bradgate’
Ink, Wax and Watercolour – Tuesday, 13th June 2017
Drawing onto pre-stretched Bockingford 425gms/300lbs watercolour pa-
per, stapled to a back board. Claire began by sketching out her subject,
which was an image of a large hare in the foreground of fields and the
silhouette of ‘Old John’ on the skyline in the background.
Marking out a ‘frame’ at the outer edge of the paper, en-
abled the image to be placed correctly, and ensured it
would not be lost. For more complicated drawings, mark-
ing out gridlines at the edge of the paper assists in getting
the proportions correct. By placing a sheet of acetate
marked with gridlines over the photographic image of the
hare, helped speed up this process. The hare was
sketched in the foreground with the horizon containing
some trees and a rough outline of ‘Old John’. The sketch
was carried out using a light brown watercolour pencil;
standing back from time to time to ensure the drawing
“made sense” to the eye.
The foreground grasses were ‘scribbled in’ very loosely.
Once happy with her drawing, the pencil outline was rein-
forced in ink. A Parker Vector cartridge pen was used,
containing black Parker ‘Quink’ non-permanent ink car-
tridges (obtainable from WH Smith, Partners or any good
stationers). The sketch continued by putting in the eye
and more details on the hare, such as whiskers and fur.
In the second half of the demonstration Claire first concen-
trated on the hare’s eye, drawn as an ‘upright oval’. White
crayon was used as a wax resist on the ears, as well as to cre-
ate the highlight in the pupil; apricot and light brown were
used for the iris and dark brown was added to create shad-
ows on the face and body. Next the area of paper around
the central image was thoroughly wet with a flat brush to
create a ‘halo’ effect, avoiding contact with the inked areas,
and a light wash of French ultramarine was placed in the sky
area; lemon yellow and ultramarine was used for the back-
ground field and foreground. Note: for best results, the pa-
per should be laid flat for this part of the exercise to avoid
runs; always prepare your washes in advance. Claire made
washes of ultramarine, burnt and raw sienna, lemon yellow,
and a spring green mix of ultramarine and lemon yellow.
Working with a clean wet paintbrush into the wax on the
body of the hare, she added raw sienna, burnt sienna and
ultramarine to create contours and shadows. A damp brush
was used to lift out paint to enhance highlights. The spring
green mix was added to the foreground, occasionally moving
it near to the hare and touching it in parts so that it ran
slightly. Background washes were moved from the field area
toward the ink lines surrounding the hare and up towards
the trees and ‘Old John’. This produced a lovely, subtle
effect. The painting was painted in a “vignette” style, fading
to the edges of the paper.
This was an interesting demonstration and gave us all some
excellent ideas to try out.
Visit Claire’s website at: www.clairebotterill.co.uk
Nuala Carr
On the horizon, trees were also scribbled in; allowing light to
show through the trunks - ‘Old John’ was just a suggestion,
with no detail. Crayola coloured wax crayons in various col-
ours were used on the hare, starting with light brown and
adding some apricot and darker brown. Mixtures of yellows,
greens and pink tones were used for the foreground grasses
and fields leading to the horizon.
We were delighted to welcome back Steven, after his accomplished oil painting demonstration last year, of a
coastal scene.
This time his subject matter was a bluebell wood at Calke Abbey, Derbyshire, the county where lives. He was
working from a primary source photo, but usually prefers to paint and sketch ‘plein air’, finishing off his work
in the studio.
Steven had already prepared his support, which was a 24 x 24 “ box canvas. He had covered it with a tex-
tured paste, made from White Gesso sprinkled with dry playground sand. He explained that after application,
he waited for about ½ hour until it started to firm up and then worked into it with a palette knife, modelling
it to give it a 3 D quality, and scratching into it, to create details. He used finer textures for the trees in the
background, and rougher rounder shapes in the foreground, to describe the form of the bluebells. This was
then left to dry overnight.
He had then applied thin glazes of greens and yellows, to create a tonal under painting, which he could build
on with layers of paint, gradually using thicker paint as he proceeds. The colours he used: were Yellow Ochre,
Sap Green and Cadmium Yellow (he often came back to these 3 colours throughout the evening).
Already there was a strong compositional element to the painting. It had a gentle diagonal of trees in the
background, which traversed the top third of the canvas, and an attractive sense of light and shade as the
sun shone down through the centre of the painting. The light source highlighted a small copse of trees in the
middle ground, which would become the focal point of the painting.
Steven explained that if he were working in oils, he would use exactly the same process, but would use turps
to dilute the oils, as opposed to using water with the acrylics. He would need an extra day if using oils- it
would take 3 rather than 2 days to complete. He uses Alkyd quick drying oil paints, and Turners Acrylics, and
often has 3 paintings on the go at the same time.
9th May 2017
Steven Mcloughlin
‘Blue Bell Wood’ - Acrylic Landscape Demonstration
Then he began. Painting upright, he built up the initial thin layers with a medium household brush, allow-
ing the paint to run into the textures, and to leave interesting marks. He worked quickly, using the edges/
corners of the brush in different directions, or used the whole width, stroking the paint downwards to
blend, sometimes even using his fingers. He explained that he works dark on light from the background to
the foreground, building up the contrast, and then uses lighter colours at the end.
Next he captured the warm glow of the sun as it shone on the ground, using Titanium White, Flesh Tint
and Naples Yellow. He slowly built up the trees in the middle distance and the grasses in the foreground.
He used a Filbert No 12/14 brush to stroke in the foliage on the trees, and the bluebells in the distance,
mixing a pale lilac from French Ultramarine, Crimson and White.
A darker tone was added in the foreground, with a mix of Turquoise and Yellow Ochre, and the tree
trunks and branches were dry brushed in, using Burnt Sienna and French Ultramarine. This technique was
also used over the texture in the middle ground, with light yellows and whites to emphasise the glow.
The silver birch trees in shadow to the left and right were painted in with a thin watercolour brush, with
Burnt Sienna, Sap Green and Turquoise, and those in the centre were added using White. Shadows were
painted under the trees using Cerulean Blue and Crimson.
Then came the ‘piece de resistance’- the bluebells! Using thin mixtures of Cerulean and French Ultrama-
rine, Crimson, Pinks and Purples, he stroked over the thicker texture in the foreground, which easily
picked up the paint as it was more pronounced. He then scratched into it with the end of his brush to add
finer details. Lighter tones were added to the middle ground using thicker dryer paint, and to pick out the
highlights on the flowers. He then splattered on some lilac, refining it as he went, adding pure Cerulean
for a dappled light effect, and then adding white to the blue he dragged it over the canvas to create high-
lights on the bluebells.
Finally, he used the fine brush with a mixture of Titanium White, Crimson and Naples Yellow, to add the
fine details of foliage which crossed over the tree trunks, leaving some of the green under painting show-
ing through…
The finished result was a stunning, impressionistic painting, in a harmony of greens, blues and purples. A
beautiful subject, painted in a beautiful style…
Sue Faulks
SOCIETY OF GRAPHIC FINE ART ANNUAL OPEN EXHIBITION Deadline for online entries 21 July 2017 SGFA are calling for entries to Draw 17 - 96th Annual Exhibition. Open to artists, illustrators and printmak-ers from around the country. To take place at Menier Gallery, London SE1 1RU, 2 – 14 October 2017 More Information
SOCK GALLERY SUMMER OPEN EXHIBITION Submission Dates Friday 28 July 11am – 7pm and Saturday 29 July 9am – 5pm Call for entries. Applicants can submit up to 3 pieces of work each, which are all judged by an independent selection panel. Those who are successful will have their work on display as part of the Open exhibition. More Information
Cosy Club, Highcross Street, Leicester LE1 4HH 2nd and 4th Sunday of the Month 10.30am - 1pm Next dates: 9th & 23rd July 2017 All welcome, you do not have to be a member of LSC to attend. Free. Pop in for a coffee & sketch session in Leicester's The Cosy Club. Coffee and buns to buy at the bar and great background music. A chance to meet people and practise your drawing skills in a chilled environment. Bring your own sketchpads and materials.
Meet at 10.00am sharp at the main carpark or if late, catch up with people drawing inside the
park. Bring food and drink and plenty of layers of clothes. It is an informal day out and a chance
to meet club members and guests, pick up some tips and enjoy some sketching & painting.
There will be no cancellation notification so only come if you feel like it on the day.
Free entry to park. Car park costs.
Café and toilets available nearby.
ALL WELCOME.
Saturday 29 July 2017
10.00am
Main entrance carpark on Bradgate Road,
Newtown Linford. LE6 OHB
BRADGATE PARK, NEWTOWN LINFORD
Sketch The City Event - Volunteers Wanted
Saturday 19 August 2017 from 10.30am at Jubilee Square and Cathedral Gardens. Meet in the foyer of St Martins House 3.30pm for photos and to look at the work produced on the day. Leicester Sketch Club is hosting a day of drawing in the City Centre in partnership
with Leicestershire Archaeological Society and Leicester Arts & Museums Service. The day comes
as part of the ‘Changing Leicester’ Project, a Heritage Lottery Funded initiative looking at per-ceptions of heritage development in the post war period as well as promoting the importance of protecting and respecting Leicester’s heritage. Artists of all ages and abilities are invited to join members of the club to draw the surrounding city buildings and landmarks, capturing the old and new side-by-side. We are looking for volunteers to help out at the meeting places and/or to give sketching demon-strations - if you would like to help out on the day please email [email protected] Keep an eye on our website here for more details to follow!
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