When it comes to freehand drawing, the pencil in your hand is so much more than simply the means of making marks on the paper. It’s also an absolutely indispensible tool that allows you to make any number of proportional judgements in the course of t

We can create a completely different image using the same techniques with subtle differences. Because I’m often asked how I make water look realistic, I thought we would bury the techniques in an exercise, AND at the same time get a basic understandi

Remia Montayre Homuk is originally from the Philippines town of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte. After moving to Sydney in 1984, she married and continued to follow her clear artistic destiny. This lady is a natural artist. She was born with the artis

Pigments are the basis of all paint, formed originally by using different colours of ground clay, earth and rocks. They were made into a paint medium by mixing with animal fat or human saliva. For such an interesting and fertile subject, there is onl

I love the human body, it seems … because I return to it time after time in sculpture, painting and drawing. Maybe I got the bug from poring over ‘Gombrich’ or ‘The History of Art’ – both long time art reference books – losing myself in fascination w

Along, long time ago in the land of brown robed Christian Brothers and black and white Nuns, I lived in a world of Times Tables, Logic, English Grammar and the monotonous repetition of historical dates and facts. In this world, Art took a back seat o

I have reached the magical French milestone of being ‘a woman of a certain age’. My life began in Sydney quite a few years ago. Now I live an almost idyllic life with my husband Tom … on our hill near the Queensland town of Agnes Water 1770. Five yea

In the last article we looked at what an indispensible proportional judgement tool the pencil in your hand can be in the process of creating an accurate freehand line drawing. There are other techniques in the same vein that don’t require anything bu

I often work from plein air sketches done with oil crayons and combined with photographic references. However ‘Down the Barcoo’ arrived in my favourite way – just as an almost finished image in my mind’s eye. After preparing the canvas with two addit

If you are painting a botanical art or natural history subject on a white background, ensure your work is protected at all times. Oils from your hand can leave greasy marks on the watercolour paper which are impossible to remove as they are absorbed

• Artists’ canvas. • Artists’ oils: Titanium White; Cadmium Yellow; Jaune Brilliant; Naples Yellow (reddish); Yellow Ochre; Australian Red; Burnt Sienna; Raw Sienna; Spectrum Green; Cerulean Blue; Ultramarine Blue; Permanent Mauve. • Brushes: Large s

My home and studio is at Leonay, an outer Sydney suburb. I was born in East Germany. My wife and I arrived in Australia in November 1960; and in 1966 we moved into a new house at Leonay where we have lived ever since. I have had no formal artistic tr

Perspective is all around us. It is in the landscape, in buildings and clouds in the sky. Creating depth is an essential part of any landscape scene. Unless you understand the simple principles, your work will appear flat. Perspective in the landscap

• Artists’ canvas.• Artists’ acrylic paints.• Chalk.• Selected brushes.• Turps-based varnish. I have drawn in my initial lines and composition with chalk. This can be easily reworked or removed with a cloth, leaving no pencil lines or commitment. Nex

Imagine a product designed by Australian artists for Australian artists. This concept is what the Roymac brand prides itself on. Roymac creates colour products that you will love to create with; and has done this since 1960. Vincent van Gogh famously

Some might say that John Murray’s current home at Lightning Ridge in New South Wales makes a dramatic contrast to his Melbourne birthplace – but it doubtless feeds his passion for the Outback landscape. John has a Diploma of Art, and he has always nu

Bay Art and Design has recently opened the ‘Murray Charteris Art Gallery’ in Hervey Bay, Queensland, showcasing the brilliant work of Murray Charteris along with some more of Hervey Bay’s finest artists. The community of Hervey Bay is very excited ab

So far we have explored being able to confidently sketch and draw lines, circles, and curves, the basics of hatching and crosshatching, the rudiments of creating good compositions of your own and delved into the specifics of the tools and equipment r

In the last issue, we looked at the importance of light and the ways in which you can use the lighting in your studio to enhance your painting. In this issue, I would like to discuss the fundamental question of space. Not everyone has the luxury of a

What an amazing invention the pencil is. We take it for granted, but where did this ingenious invention come from? The Egyptian scribes used a stylus, a thin metal? rod to leave an indelible mark on papyrus This technique, some scholars believe, was

Greetings! Human beings learn by comparison (last time I touched something red, I burnt my finger). I frequently question my actions, as well as other people’s, in a non critical and non judgemental way. I do this so that I can clearly define my own

In the last issue, we discussed how many of us don’t really have an inkling of what is possible with our brushes. In this article we’re going to expand our abilities by simplifying your applications of your paintbrush. Sounds like a contradiction, bu

Brenda Holden spent her formative years in the foothills of Adelaide. Hiking around waterfalls in the area, she grew to love the abundant birdlife. While young, she spent many years in Broken Hill and outback Western Australia – all the while develop

• Soft Chalk Pastels (artist quality) – hand-made by Jeff Waterson, Art Spectrum and Rembrandt.• Pastel Pencils – Stabilo CarbOthello – favourites include: 1400/105 Cream; 1400/760 Dark Blue Grey; 1400/635 Dark Brown; 1400/706 Grey.• Spray Fixative.•