Free exCLusIve vIdeo Lessons & more! art resources to help you create Watch artists in action and study their art in-progress
how to Draw & Paint in Pencils, oils, acrylics & more!
LEARN NEW TECHNIQUES
20 pages of
drawing skills
How to draw drapery and folds on figures Paint emotive art in watercolours
Invaluable lessons in values, anatomy, form and colour
Get inspired by the Rococo style Explore fantasy art in your paintings Creature creation masterclass
Learn to paInt
Discover new ways to start painting unique faces and stunning compositions!
146 pages of art and advice
get starteD!
the art of nature How the Pre-Raphaelite art movement changed the world
IFZ32 2016
Watercolours Simple steps to help tame this tricky medium
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PRINTED IN THE UK
Pastels Tips and tricks to get the best out of these vibrant tools
ÂŁ9.99
Pencils How to approach mark-making in graphite
Gallery
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06........................................ Traditional artists
Showcasing the finest artists around.
Artist’s Studio 18........................................... Four artists’ workspaces
Explore the ins and outs of these studios.
Drawing Skills 28......................................... Drawing hands from life
Learn how to conquer one of the most common artistic challenges.
30......................................... Drawing heads from life
Expert advice on how to correctly depict the head from life or observation.
32.......................................... Introduction to colour sketching
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Colour schemes and sketch advice for capturing the human form.
34......................................... Learn to control your values
Discover how you can bringing a flat scribble into stark life.
36......................................... How to draw and shade in 3D
Taking your bodily scribbles and shading them into solidity.
38......................................... Tricky side poses
The human body is an incredibly malleable object to try to capture…
Creative Space
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40........................................ Rendering ambient light
48........................................ Get drawing in good company!
Rendering diffused or ambient light and immersing your work in subtle shadows.
42......................................... Foreshorten the figure
Getting the details right is crucial when looking at the body from all angles.
We highlight some of the artistic groups from around the world who are keen to share the benefits of collective art.
Sketchbook
44........................................ Value composition
56......................................... Alexandre Puvilland
Here’s how to make the most of a powerful tool for capturing the eye.
46......................................... Upper back muscles
Such a complex network of sinew requires keen observation.
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The DreamWorks artist captures the landscapes of the places he loves.
78......................................... Tuomas Korpi
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Environments from real-life and this artist’s imagination fill his sketchbook…
Feature 70......................................... Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
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Discover the Victorian artists who made a name for themselves painting nature as they saw it, in blossom and in decay.
Core Skills 62......................................... Get more from acrylic paint
Strong and versatile, acrylic paint works well with other tools and techniques.
64........................................ Starting out in pastels
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A medium we all came across in school, but there’s a lot more to them…
65......................................... First steps with watercolours
A popular medium to work in, but did you know about some of these tips?
66......................................... Be bold with your pen strokes
Gaining confidence with the bold permanence of penmanship.
67......................................... Get more from your pencils
A series of insider tips on working in graphite, sure to expand your skills.
68........................................ Preparing your sketch
A fast way to mount your sketch to a paintworthy surface.
Workshops 84........................................ Rococo-inspired faerie
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Mixing 18th century French style with mythology, courtesy of Annie Stegg.
90........................................ Critter creation masterclass
Monster creator Corey Godbey lets us in on his tips for designing mythical beasts.
96........................................ Improve your portrait skills
More insights from Annie Stegg, with an underwater fantasy composition.
98......................................... Loose character portrait
Cynthia Sheppard reveals how she paints a Game of Thrones heroine.
104...................................... Turn real life into fantasy
James Gurney draws from real locales, and turns them into magical worlds.
110........................................ Mixed media painting
download your free resources… Video and image files Learn from our artists’ video tutorials, then study their image files in detail. • Annie Stegg Get in close to Annie’s brushstrokes and see how she paints. • Cynthia Sheppard From sketch to finished art, observe Cynthia’s process.
Turn to page 146 for more
• James Gurney Video from James’ art adventures in urban and rural locales. • Kev Crossley Gain an insight into how Kev makes the most of watercolours.
Freelance artist Wylie Beckert lifts the lid on mixing digital with the real thing.
116......................................... Be passionate about your art
Donato Giancola strives for realism in his art, and shows how you can do the same.
122....................................... Painting an emotive damsel
A unique showcase, courtesy of American artist Tran Nguyen
128....................................... Realistic clothed figures
Ensure your figure’s clothes have a life about them, with Jack Bosson.
134.......................................The fluid art of watercolours
Kev Crossley lends his advice on the popular painting medium.
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Christiane Vleugels
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Location: Belgium Web: www.raipun.deviantart.com Email: christiane.vleugels@telenet.be media: Oil and acrylics
With having a natural affinity for the arts, it was no surprise that Christiane found herself working as a professional artist after years of devoted study, although things didn’t begin as expected. “At first, I was forced to take on numerous commissions, with many of them being reproductions. Looking back, I realise they were a necessary part of my artistic journey. I owe my various skills to that endless list of commissions.” Then Christiane broke free and took her own ideas to the canvas. “With each original work I create, I realise that the true learning process has only just begun for me.”
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1 Medusa Mixed media, 110x130cm “A portrait of my beautiful stepdaughter, Zoë. She has posed for many of my paintings, so I guess you can say she is my muse. Her ability to pose like a chameleon always surprises me with the diversity of her looks!”
2 Allure Mixed media, 90x120cm “This is a portrait of the lovely Hollywood Icon, Louise Brooks. I especially love painting these vintage portraits because they reveal the beauty of a long-gone genre. Especially the sentiment that one feels looking at old glory!”
3 Hope Mixed media, 100x140cm “This is a portrait of my youngest daughter, Marilyn. I never get tired of painting her dreamy looks that bring out this romantic feeling.”
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Gallery Art showcase 3
Practical Painter says “The true beauty of Christiane’s work is the way that her adoration for the models flows straight into these paintings. They’re portraits crafted with love; every brush stroke reflects a heartfelt sentiment.”
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Drawing skills
Pencil
Charcoal
Ballpoint pen
Drawing Heads from Life
There is a crucial science to depicting the head accurately, either from life or observation – so eyes to the front, and pay attention
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ecause head drawing is so complex, it’s a good idea at first to simplify as much as possible, starting with simple shapes and then slowly beginning to add features. I like to start out by making careful observations and looking for key landmarks, such as anatomy, and the gesture of the head. I make sure to establish the outer shape solidly, looking at the extreme edges of the face and hair.
Materials n Smooth newsprint paper n Carbothello pencil, black (or Conte B) or n Willow charcoal sticks (medium grade) n Kneaded eraser n Ballpoint pen n Sketchbook
That done, I draw an outline that captures the general shape. Next, I begin to place the features by locating the crosshairs – the vertical and horizontal centre of the head. This defines how much of the face you see and the direction of the model’s gaze. I indicate the features by defining the rule of thirds, which places the hairline, brow ridge and the bottom of the nose. To construct the head, I like to use boxy forms and planes. Planes work well in
head drawing because they define corners and direction changes. I like corners because they make heads feel solid and three dimensional. Once the planes and structures are established, I complete the drawing stage with the features, and small details, like the eye openings, nostrils, ears and hair. To finish the drawing, I add light and shadow. First, I use mid-value tone to block in the shadow, making sure to group dark objects (such as hair) as well.
Extreme top Extreme side
Extreme side
Vertical and horizontal centre 1/2 1/2
Extreme bottom
‘Rule of thirds’
Common head shapes
1/3 1/3 oval
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square
Define the outer shape
It’s good to start by observing the key landmarks, especially the top, sides and bottom of the head. Using the landmarks as a guide, I then design a shape that captures the general shape I see. For head shapes, oval, square and combinations of both work well.
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1/3
hybrid
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Locate the crosshairs
To place the crosshairs, I look at the centre of the face and the centre of the eyes. This gives me the accurate tilt and rotation of the head. Next, I look to the hairline, brow ridge and bottom of the nose to help accurately place the features.
Artist insight Drawing heads Side plane (in light)
Top plane
EXERCISE Heads up!
Bottom planes
Side planes (shadow)
Draw 30 heads from observation in the next 30 days. Spend 5-Â10 minutes per drawing, focusing on observation and consistency.
Side plane (in light)
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Define planes
Using planes helps to make my drawing feel solid, three-dimensional, and also aids the rendering process. I first break up the head into top, side and front planes, then carve into the planes to refine the drawing as appropriate. Then I begin tackling the features by constructing them, also in planes.
Tearducts
Ear connection
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artist insight plein-air practice Drawing people in public is my favourite exercise. Because the poses are random and unpredictable, it forces me to simplify the head and make the most of the opportunity with very few marks.
Inside curve of ear
Corners of mouth Light and shadow pattern
Features and details
I complete the drawing stage by refining the features and other small details, before going on to refine my original constructions until I achieve a likeness. For greater accuracy, I use the natural rhythms in the anatomy to help place the features. This also helps with proportion and adds gesture to the drawing.
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Half-tones and transition tones
Dark accents and highlights
Light and shade
I begin the lighting and shading process by first separating the light from shadow. I’ll often draw out the shadow pattern and then fill it with a mid-value tone. Then I’ll continue the rendering process with half-tones and conclude with the dark accents and highlights.
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profile Alexandre Puvilland
e r d n a Alex nd a l l i v u P
nline o c fi li o r p d n rtist a es v a lo n e o i h t s a e c m i la n p a e th orks This DreamtoWr reveals the landscapes of comic crea
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Country: US “Having grown up in France during the eighties, I may have mad cow disease or I may be perfectly normal. I’ll find out for sure when I’m 75,” says Alexandre, who works for DreamWorks Animation. He coillustrated the graphic novel of Prince of Persia, and the upcoming Templar with his wife LeUyen Pham. They live in San Francisco with their sons Leo and Adrien. www.alexpuvilland.com
Studio sketch
“A view of our studio from a while back. It doesn’t look like that anymore, but we still have the paper cutter. I like the mix of black and white and colours.”
Sketchbook Alexandre Puvilland
San Fran ships
“These boats are army ships moored in Alameda, east of San Francisco. I went there with some friends on Veteran’s Day, I think. It’s one of the three or four drawings I did in my super-wide sketchbook. That explains the weird format. Boats are really cool to draw, especially warships.”
“Boats are really cool to draw, especially warships”
Another sketch of San Francisco
“I really like the way this one came out. Out of the many travel sketches I’ve done over the years, this is still one of my favourites, even more than a decade later. It’s kind of depressing in a way that I haven’t done better since.”
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Workshops
Oils
Improve your portrait skills Using her love of underwater life as her starting point, Annie Stegg paints a portrait of a young woman in the company of piscine friends
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his piece was originally painted as a gift for Justin, my now-husband, when we were dating. It was our first Christmas together, and since we’re both painters it seemed an art exchange would be the best way to celebrate. I decided to theme my new piece after a pair of goldfish paintings that I’d done years earlier – his favourite paintings of mine at the time. There’s something about water and the mystery of the unknown that’s always
fascinated me. It’s an alien landscape that’s hiding from us in plain view. If you’ve ever been snorkelling or scuba diving, then you know of the beauty and serenity that comes with this hidden world and its strange inhabitants. I grew up surrounded by goldfish, and koi ponds, and still have several aquariums to this day. To me, fish represent both tranquillity and peace, and I’ve always found watching them to be calming. I knew that oil would be the best medium for me to accomplish the look
Materials n Pointed round 3x0, Angle shaders 1/8” and 1/2” brushes n Old Holland paint n Belgian Linen canvas n Walnut oil Alkyd n Prismacolor white and Col erase brown pencils n Canson Toned paper
and feel I wanted for this image. I rarely paint in light blue hues, and since these colours fit in so nicely with the themes I was working towards, it seemed like the perfect choice for this image. I aimed to make my final painting both surreal and tranquil, but with definite undertones of mystery. Annie is a freelance illustrator and fine artist who’s worked with a variety of publishing and private collectors from around the world. www.anniestegg.com
get your resources See page 146 now!
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Define composition and value
After deciding on a thumbnail to work from, I like to create a toned drawing on a mid-toned kraft paper. By using both a brown pencil for low lights, and a white one for the highlights, I’m able to further explore my composition and lighting. By having a strong foundation, the painting process is going to run a great deal more smoothly in subsequent steps.
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Block in colour and glaze
When a palette is determined, I apply rough colours in light layers. Once they’re dry, you can begin to glaze the image to unify the lighting in your piece. Using walnut oil alkyd, I mix hansa yellow and alizarin crimson to make a golden orangey hue. I apply this to the surface of the painting. Remember to observe fat over lean. If you use too much oil, it’ll bead up on the surface.
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Detail your forms
While the surface of the painting is still wet from the previous glaze, I like to leap right in there and add a detail layer. Using a fine-tipped brush and mostly titanium white paint, I can add in the highlights. Once the layer is finally dry, I’ll be able to reglaze the painting and repaint the highlights. This enables me to gradually build up dimension and colour.
Artist insight Portrait skills Giving life to the eyes To give the eyes more vibrance and life, I exaggerate the reflective light. By mixing titanium white with a phthalo blue, I can enhance the dimension of the iris. I also deepen the shadow cast by the eyelid for a more dramatic effect.
Framing Once the piece was completed, it was important to me to find an appropriate means to display it. I wanted to be sure to complement the colours in the image without distracting from it. Luckily, I was able to find a beautiful frame from a local antique shop by my home. The cream-coloured linen liner was a perfect way to help bring out the brighter elements in the image, such as the goldfish and floral elements.
Adding motion The goldfish and foliage in this painting act as compositional tools which create a sense of motion in the piece. They flow around the figure, in a circular motion, to bring the viewer’s eye around the entire image. You notice the main figure is looking at the two larger fish, and the third smaller fish is looking at her. These visual cues help create a more dynamic composition for what would normally be a static portrait.
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Workshops get your resources See page 146 now!
PR ACTICAL
VIDEO available
Pencil
Watercolour
Gouache
The Fluid Art Of Watercolours Don’t underestimate the complexity of watercolours – and what you can achieve with them! Kev Crossley reins them in to produce a piece of decorative art
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lthough many of my art heroes used acrylics, I found they dried too quickly on the paper. Watercolours didn’t have this problem! I soon learned how to get the most out of them, and they became my medium of choice for the next 20 years. Watercolours are often used for landscape paintings, yet they lend themselves just as well to fantasy art, decorative illustration, comics or anything else for that matter. They have a vibrant, translucent quality that enables the paper to shine through the pigment once dry, adding depth and brightness to the image. Watercolours are designed to be either applied in thin washes of colour that can be painted over previous washes that have already dried, or encouraged to mix into other wet washes on the paper. The variety of effects and techniques you can achieve in this way is staggering. The downside of using watercolours is that, unlike acrylics or oils, you can’t paint light over dark. A painting can be ruined
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Materials Pencils/pens n 2H, HB and Orange Col Erase pencils. n 01 and 03 size drawing pens. n Compass, set square, French curves, ruler, putty eraser. Brushes n 00, 3 to 6 size acrylic or watercolour brushes are used for most of the painting. Paper n Textured watercolour board, 300gsm. Paints n An assortment of solid block watercolours are used, together with brilliant white gouache.
by the application of too much dark paint too soon, so the trick is to plan ahead and decide how you want your painting to balance tonally. The other option would be to build up dark areas gradually, using consecutive washes of lighter tone. In this workshop I’ll use this versatile medium to develop colours and build tones. Watercolours are ideal for painting fine details, and the liquid nature of the paint enables it to flow over the paper with ease. I want to produce a piece of decorative art, and I’ll start by drawing a portrait set against a patterned border. I’ll then use a fine ink pen to strengthen the line work. If your drawing is detailed, a lot of that detail can be lost as soon as colour washes are applied, so a little ink ensures none of your line work becomes muddied. The process of painting is quite straightforward – at least in principle! I’ll paint thin washes into each area, staying within lines to keep the colours controlled. With a drawing this detailed, the process will take a long time, but the result is worth it.
Kev is an illustrator and writer who has worked for numerous publishers including 2000 AD and Ilex. In 2012 he illustrated Ian Livingstone’s Blood Of The Zombies, and in 2014 Ilex published his third book: Character Design From The Ground Up. www.kevcrossley.com
In depth Watercolours
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