PaintMyPhoto Quarterly Newsletter - Issue 3

PMP Newsletter Welcome...

To the third edition of Paint My Photo’s Newsletter.

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In this edition...

Meet the Photographers Flowers - “step-by-step” Acrylics Workshop Review Promoting Your Art Hidden Treasures

A wonderful example of a painting created from one of Paint My Photo’s many stunning reference images.

Reference photo taken by Gary Jones Watercolour painting by Sharon Whitely

Banner photo ‘Mist on the Moors’

by Steve Lyddon

PMP Newsletter Roy’s Welcome

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Well here we are on our third newsletter! Do we have the ‘difficult third album’ problem? No not a bit! Mainly because I have had little to do with this issue. Huge thanks to Ruth, our editor, who has put all this together for us. In this edition we are introducing some of our wonderful photographers, without whose generosity PMP could not exist. It is fascinating to get an insight into the people who give us all such wonderful images to work from. We hope to feature more of them in future issues.

PMP, the website, continues to grow steadily and maintain the quality we are becoming known for.

That is quality of photos, artworks, and, most importantly, people. I am so glad we have the social discussion aspect of the site. The groups are as always full of interesting topics. The ‘Promoting your Art’ group for example is becoming quite a fine resource for anyone who wants to ‘get noticed’. It can be a challenge for us ‘Arty’ types, both photographers and Artists, to get to grips with the ‘business’ side of things. So if you fall into that category, take a look at all the discussion around blogging, marketing and selling your work.

Also I am extremely grateful for all the work Suzanne is putting into the Monthly challenges, they are proving to be incredibly popular. I don’t know how she dreams up the ideas!

At the time of writing we are approaching 4,000 members and now have over 32,000 photos.

As always, I must thank publicly our admin team who make this all happen just because they love the creative opportunities - who knows where they will take the site next? I am realizing more and more that my role is to light the touch paper, and get out of the way of all you incredible people!

One thing I know, whatever comes along, it is going to be fun!

Roy.

We’d like to extend a great big thank you to all the photographers and artists who have contributed to this edition of the Newsletter - we couldn’t do it without you!

PMP Newsletter Meet the Photographer Steve Lyddon

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First and foremost, on behalf of all members, may we thank you for your generosity in sharing your wonderful photos! Can you tell us how you first discovered Paint My Photo?

‘Snow Scene’

I was sending paintings in to` I draw and paint` and finding it hard to find pictures to paint from without copyright problems, then I saw that Roy had started a new site that that would provide the answer I was looking for. I had never been interested in photography before but I thought I would buy a camera and take some photos myself.

What is your favourite photography subject?

Wildlife, especially birds.

What type of camera and equipment do you use for the photographs that you post on Paint My Photo?

‘Lucky Shot’

I use a Canon 1000d slr camera, with a 55-250 zoom lens for close ups.

What, if any, photography/image software do you use to manage your photos?

I use Gimp free imaging editor to adjust the photographs.

‘Beautiful Horse’

PMP Newsletter Meet the Photographer Steve Lyddon

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If you had to choose just one photograph that you have posted on Paint My Photo, which one would it be and why?

I think my favourite photograph would be whispers, three young swans in the early morning, I love the way a shaft of sunlight just catches one of the swans faces.

‘Abandoned Boat’

‘Fly By’ Steve’s photo choice - ‘Whispers’

Finally, we’d love to know a little more about you, do you have a personal website (or other online presence) where we can see more of your work?

I don`t have my own website but I put my artwork onto ` I draw and paint`.

From a personal point of view I really enjoy providing photographs for people to paint and I like seeing other peoples photographs and paintings, it’s a great site!

‘Agent Starling’

PMP Newsletter Meet the Photographer Steve Lyddon

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‘Germander Spreedwell’

‘And it’s called whistling you say?’

Two examples of Steve’s fabulous paintings based on photos he has shared with PMP - we think you’ll agree that he’s very talented indeed!

Steve Lyddon is a wonderful photographer who kindly shares with his stunning photos with PMP. He is also a gifted artist and produces beautiful paintings.

More of Steve’s paintings can be seen on: I Draw and Paint You can contact Steve on the PMP website.

To see more of Steve’s fabulous photos and paintings on PMP, visit his photo gallery.

‘Sparrow (3)’

PMP Newsletter Meet the Photographer Gary Jones

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First and foremost, on behalf of all members, may we thank you for your generosity in sharing your wonderful photos! Can you tell us how you first discovered Paint My Photo?

‘Moel Siabod, Snowdonia’

Simple answer to this one, my amazing girlfriend... SHARON! I had never heard of it really and Sharon asked me a good while ago when she started painting seriously again could she use some of my photos and post them to PMP, and it sort of came about after that, Sharon told me more about PMP and what it was all about. how it had really helped her, and I just started posting my photos, and I now get enormous pleasure seeing the paintings produced from my photos.

What is your favourite photography subject?

My favourite photography subject is birds, I have been interested in Wildlife for as long as I can remember, but more especially birds, and I never tire of photographing them, even in my garden getting shots of common birds gives me as much of a thrill as getting the rarer species. A close second has to be landscapes, again for many years I have spent a lot of my spare time in the mountains of the Lake District, Scotland and more recently Wales, and wherever I go my camera comes with me.

What type of camera and equipment do you use for the photographs that you post on Paint My Photo?

‘Kingfisher’

I am very much a Nikon man, it's all I have ever used, and I have tried different models over the years, the body I use at the moment is a D300S, and I just adore it, the quality of the images it produces is amazing. But of course this has to be coupled up with good quality lenses, and the main lenses I use for most of my photography are Sigma Lenses, again these are superb quality, and the two that I mainly use are an 18-250 mm and a 150-500mm. These do really cover all bases for me, although I am waiting for that lottery win, and maybe I can afford an 800mm!!

‘Tiger’

PMP Newsletter Meet the Photographer Gary Jones

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What, if any, photography/image software do you use to manage your photos?

`Puffin’

To be really honest I don't really do a lot with my images, I am a firm believer that I like my photographs to actually reflect what I have seen through the viewfinder, so other than maybe sharpening them up a little and sometimes cropping, I don't really do anything else to them. I have Adobe Photoshop, but find I shoot that many images it is quite labour intensive, so I tend to use Nikon software called Picture Project, which really suffices for what I need.

If you had to choose just one photograph that you have posted on Paint My Photo, which one would it be and why?

If I had to choose one photo on PMP, surprisingly its not a bird photo, but a Red Deer stag, it was a morning that I will never forget, watching a magnificent wild animal wade across a pool right in front of me, I was literally holding my breath as I fired off the shots, right place right time but a moment to remember!!

`Stickle Gill Falls’

Gary’s photo choice - `Red Deer Stag’

`Welsh Lamb’

PMP Newsletter Meet the Photographer Gary Jones

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Finally, we’d love to know a little more about you, do you have a personal website (or other online presence) where we can see more of your work?

I don't have a website, but a few years ago started a blog site, which I titled 'Walks and Wildlife' to reflect my love of both walking in the mountains and photographing wildlife: http://walksnwildlife.blogspot.co.uk/ `Mount Olympus’

More recently Sharon has started her own blog site: http://sharonwhitleytheramblingartist.blogspot.co.uk/ and between us we are now actively trying to market my photography and Sharon's artwork with a view to selling our work.

We are both also active on Facebook, and have our own pages again: https://www.facebook.com/ - Gary’s Pages https://www.facebook.com/- Sharon’s Pages

Gary Jones and Sharon Whitley are based in North Wales.

Gary kindly shares a wide variety of stunning photographs with `Rooster’

PMP (as indeed does Sharon!).

View Gary’s fabulous photo gallery on PMP: Gary’s Photo on PaintMyPhoto Why not also take a peek at Sharon’s wonderful gallery too?: Sharon’s Photos on PaintMyPhoto

`A Tender Moment’

PMP Newsletter Meet the Photographer ESP - AKA Nigel

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First and foremost, on behalf of all members, may we thank you for your generosity in sharing your wonderful photos! Can you tell us how you first discovered Paint My Photo?

`Band of Brothers’

To be honest, I am a little hazy on the subject, but I feel sure LJ can clarify on this matter. It was she who suggested I take a look at the site, either just before or during our visit to LJ Towers in Canada back, I believe, in the Summer of ‘09. Now there’s a scary thought!

I really liked the idea of the site as soon as I saw it, especially as my partner, Liane, has often expressed the opinion that my hobby is mostly pointless. I can fully understand where she is coming from on the matter: literally thousands of photos I have taken languish in magnetic limbo, probably never to be seen again by a single soul. Why bother spending so much time and money to capture scenes and moments that will probably never see the light of day? Well, at least PMP, in some small way, goes to address this – a very small percentage of my photos gain a new lease of life on the PMP pages and thence onto canvas or card stock or whatever. Of course, under Liane’s auspices, my photography has gained some other exposure, but more of that later What is your favourite photography subject?

`Elephant Experience (1)’

Now that’s a really tricky question, and one which will have to be partially dodged. In truth, almost anything is grist to my mill – anything that catches my eye and makes me think: “That’s interesting” or “That’s beautiful”. So, landscapes (urban or natural), architecture, cute furries, creepy-crawlies, ruins, plant-life, sunsets (rarely sunrises), waterfalls, waves and seascapes, and so on, and so on...

If I really had to choose, then it might possibly come down to the beauty of a spectacular sunset.

`For a Few Poppies More (3)’

PMP Newsletter Meet the Photographer ESP - AKA Nigel

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On the flip side, what I generally dislike as a subject is people.

Not only do they tend to clutter the landscape, either in person or with the products of their labours (all too often inconveniently parked vehicles), but also on a personal level I generally lack the confidence to take candid snaps or approach/ask people to be models/subjects. I would never cut it as a professional photographer! `The Jubilee’

What type of camera and equipment do you use for the photographs that you post on Paint My Photo?

Currently, my principal workhorses are the Canon 50D camera, the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM and Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS USM lenses. These are supplemented with the handy little Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 camera and two great ‘peripherals’: a bean bag and a ‘seagull’ right-angle viewfinder (Google it). Oh, and I mustn’t forget the battery pack for the Canon 50D plus two spare batteries, the charger (with intercontinental power adaptors), several spare 4Gb and 8GB memory cards, a cable release, and very importantly...a decent camera case and equipment bag (cabin baggage size).

Try making that lot look light as you nonchalantly stroll to/from airport check-in!

Meanderings in Mechelen (7)

`South African Safari Sunset (1)’

Yes, I do have a tripod and even a monopod, but seldom take them with me or use them. Even for me they are too much carriage and encumbrance. Usually the image stabilisation and/or the bean bag suffice.

PMP Newsletter Meet the Photographer ESP - AKA Nigel

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What, if any, photography/image software do you use to manage your photos?

`South African Safari Sun & Mist (1)’

I now shoot all my photos (on the Canon) in RAW format. This may not be as convenient as the standard jpeg format, but offers the flexibility to use each image as a (hopefully) high quality ‘negative’ from which to base pictures that I want to produce. As a result, my first resort in the software department is usually Canon’s own EOS Utility to download from camera (it saves the images by date in folders under My Pictures) and then Canon’s Digital Photo Professional as supplied with the camera to tweak and hone the photos before saving them as jpegs.

Any jpeg images that require adjustment are put through Adobe PhotoShop Elements 7, which is such a powerful piece of software that I have barely mastered(?) the basics.

I must admit that for the most part, I am of the school that subscribes to ‘less is more’ where processing is concerned. I rarely do more than sharpen up the image, crop down to a more presentable picture area, and tweak the lighting. Maybe if I ever get around to retirement I will have more time to ‘play’.

Doune Castle (4)

`Monet, Monet, Monet (3)’

Just one more thing on the subject of management: although I have not explored features of the software that do exactly that – help catalogue and order your photos in a properly organised manner – I do ensure one thing...that my photos are backed up, not once but several times on several devices.

True, because I am not the most organised and systematic of people, there are plenty of duplicates but all my ‘babies’ are safely stored away in case of accident. This includes an external drive or two stored at my workplace. Paranoid? Me?

PMP Newsletter Meet the Photographer ESP - AKA Nigel

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If you had to choose just one photograph that you have posted on Paint My Photo, which one would it be and why?

`More Meerkats!’ (1)

What a cruel question?! I hate decision-making at the best of times! Well, I suppose it will come as no surprise that it would probably have to be ‘that jaguar’. It must have been among the very first photos I uploaded to PMP but has captured the imagination of so many artists since. In some ways it exemplifies the saying that you can’t beat being in the right place at the right time...something photographers all hope to achieve – consistently. In this case it was down to pure luck on my part, but I am glad the photo has brought such pleasure to so many on PMP and beyond.

Finally, we’d love to know a little more about you, do you have a personal website (or other online presence) where we can see more of your work?

Nigel’s Photo Choice - `Jaguar (2)’

Oh dear! I am sorry to disappoint, but I am afraid that I don’t have a personal website on which I display my work...and I don’t do Facebook! I did set up a Flickr account in 2009 when there was a bid to create the biggest ever photo mosaic in the UK; I had a brief flirtation under the name of ESP2009 with my online ‘photostream’ but got bored with all the uploading malarkey.

However, if you ever drop by on http://www.droitwichferretwelfare.co.uk/ you might come across a few of my photos; or take a look at the gallery on http://www.dudleylittletheatre.org/ I seem have become ‘official photographer’ to both due to Liane’s involvement.

She wasn’t slow to put me forward in that capacity when photo publicity was required. Oh, the pressure! Oh, the responsibility!

Don’t miss out on Nigel’s wonderful selection of photographs - visit his PMP photo gallery:

`Dozes With Wolves (1)’

Nigel’s Photos on PaintMyPhoto

PMP Newsletter Flower “Step-By-Step�

By Judith Farnworth

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I've been asked to do a video on how I did the clematis but sounds a bit technical so thought a stepby-step might "break" me in before I go for the filming bit!!! My friend Susan Hall and I were chatting and she wanted to give this flower a go, we have been on-line friends and painting buddies for a good while now and the whole "loose" thing started with Susan so I have a lot to be grateful to her for...

This is the image Susan chose (one of Suzanne Wallick's lovely photos on Paint my Photo ) and I have to say wasn't sure how to begin. I thought I would start on the centre at first, then decided to do a full wash instead.

Used opera rose, ub, may green, permanent rose, dash of green gold, paper is 20"x25" 200lb Hahnemuhle, so slightly smaller and squarer than full imperial.

PMP Newsletter Flower “Step-By-Step�

By Judith Farnworth

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The biggest I have ever done!!! Tried to keep the pink/purple shades to the outside with darker shades in the centre. Now what to do next.... well first it needs to dry and then am going to try and do a mix of positive and negative painting defining some of the petals but by no means all but not sure at this stage where to do that..... exciting eh?

Thought I might be losing it here, kept going in before it was properly dry.... am always telling other people not to do that but I get carried away!!! Anyway I add paint then wash it away by adding clean water to the darker paint so that I don't get hard lines (you may notice the bg to the left is slightly lighter than the first photo.. that's because it had a hard line as it dried so I washed it away) and also let the colour bleed into other areas so that hard lines are kept to a minimum. I have made a mistake with the paper, as I had forgotten it has both rough and smoother sides and I have used the smooth for this whereas I much prefer rough.

PMP Newsletter Flower “Step-By-Step”

By Judith Farnworth

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Starting to see it now and I liked the "unfinished” area to the left so decided to keep something of that as I continued to add some of the detail around the centre of the flower. Just kept adding a mix of darks both negatively and positively and washing away to pick out some of the petals. At this stage I was using some violet to give added depth to the darks. Another note about letting the paint dry, as I work on each area and wash away the paint I need to let each of those areas fully dry before I even think about going in again, otherwise mud will happen before my very eyes!!!

This is where it got trickier, deciding where to lose the flower head so I had a few goes and think this looked the best, at this stage it really is a case of keep stepping back to observe from a distance and tweaking it until it looks right to you. At this stage I also added a touch of Chinese white for some highlights in the centre.

So that's the first step-by-step I've done, I usually forget to do the photographs in between but disciplined myself for this one. Would be very interested to hear your comments about whether you found this useful and would also be very happy to answer any questions you might have.

This article was extracted from Judith’s blog – thanks Judith!

Judith Farnworth is an artist based in Bolton, Lancashire.

Judith’s blog can be found at http://judithfarnworthart.blogspot.co.uk/ - we recommend a visit!

Contact Judith by email at judesfarnworth@hotmail.com Judith also plays a key role in the Loose Watercolour Group on PMP.

PMP Newsletter A Workshop with Hashim Akib

By Rick Brind

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Earlier this year I attended a workshop with Artist Hashim Akib and thought you may like to hear of the experience.

For those of you who have not heard of him, he was voted SAA Artist of the Year 2005, 2007 and 2009 as well as being highly commended and winning several awards since 1987 with various organizations, including the Royal Society of Oil and Society of Marine Artists. Hashim is also a demonstrator for Daler Rowney System 3 Acrylics, his medium of choice.

Hashim gives regular tuition at The Old Fire Station, Hadliegh, Essex, which is where I first met him.

Having never really attempted portraits let alone in the big, bold, colourful and very quick style Hash is known for, it was with some trepidation I entered the studio.

I really need not have worried. He is a great guy and I soon picked up on his laid back vibes and love of ‘whacking’ loads of “Rasta” colour onto the canvas in a very loose yet confident and assertive way. He briefly explained his palette and equipment then covered his canvas in an outrageously bright heavy magenta wash ! He does not like white canvas it ‘scares’ him!

He explained that drawing was important to the novice but too restricting once you became practiced. So after doing no more than an almost cubist outline of his subject’s face on the canvas, he proceeded to add six or seven different colours to a 2 inch flat brush and daub away, continually reloading the brush and rarely reworking any strokes.

Within only ten or fifteen minutes a likeness “Night Life” appeared on the canvas as if by magic, then changing to a ‘tiny’ 1 inch brush he added a few strategically placed highlights and hey presto an amazing portrait. Simples!

PMP Newsletter A Workshop with Hashim Akib

By Rick Brind

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Suddenly it was my turn to show what I had learned in 30 minutes, ughhh! I feign illness? Fake an emergency call on my mobile? Run to the toilets? Climb out of the window and run home? Yes to all of those, but then I remembered my beloved had paid for this and I couldn’t undermine the confidence she has in me.

So come on Rick boy, tough it out you wimp, and boy am I glad I did. Okay, my first attempt was a little shaky but within an hour or so I was away.

Hashim was brilliant. He loved my use of colour, but the likeness left a lot to be desired. However, with a few clever marks he brought it back from the ‘bin’ and soon put me on the right path.

As for going again? Certainly, it was tremendous fun and a huge learning curve I’d recommend to anyone. Not only had I picked up some good tips and tricks during the day, but I was lucky enough to have a long chat with Hash later in the afternoon.

His energy, love of colour and enthusiasm is totally infectious. We also discussed the art market, where art was going, how to promote oneself, and what sells. This insight was extremely helpful and I learned far more from this one meeting than I have from any other workshop, demo or from any of the myriad of books collecting dust on my shelves at home.

As Hash said, all I have to do is put my lessons “Blue Moon Over Sydney Harbour” into practice, easier said than done maybe, but the enthusiasm , confidence and inspiration I gained that day certainly paid off. I left with a totally fresh view as to where I was going as an artist and it made me shake off some of the restraints we give ourselves by following the ‘Rules’ so slavishly.

On returning home I quickly knocked out a couple of paintings and e-mailed them off to my ‘new best friend’ for a critique. I received a very quick and positive reply and after reworking the sky slightly in ‘Blue Moon over Sydney Harbour’, the painting sold before the varnish had dried !!!!!!! I’ve also subsequently had enquires for other work and commissions in the same style, double whammy, thanks Mr Akib.

PMP Newsletter A Workshop with Hashim Akib

By Rick Brind

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I have attended several workshops and unlike demos you obviously get more involved and thus learn more, I have certainly gained a lot from them and would recommend trying it whatever your level of ability or chosen medium.

I suggest you do some research and find someone whose work you admire, or better still, get a personal recommendation. The cost need not be prohibitive Hashim charges £5 per hour or £30 for the day and I have attended others by Vic Bearcroft, Graham Cox and Paul Apps who charge £30 to £45 per day often with materials included so it won’t break the bank and in my experience is worth every penny.

There are many other good artists offering good value for money, but beware of those who you have never “Cafe Romantica” heard of, or who consider themselves ‘Famous’. Their fees can be high and the tuition no more than a glorified demo. It’s even possible it will not be the artist but one of their students running the course.

If any of you have any horror stories or recommendations post them on our wonderful site so others may benefit.

Many thanks to Rick for taking the time to write this article for us!

To find out more about Hashim Akib and his workshops visit http://www.hashimakib.com

Rick Brind is an talented artist specialising in a variety of subjects. He also supplies PMP with some wonderful reference photos - visit his PMP gallery.

Rick has 2 websites: http://rick-brind.artweb.com http://www.rickbrind-art.co.uk You can contact Rick on either of his websites or through PMP.

PMP Newsletter Promoting Your Art

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A new group was recently set up by Roy called ‘Promoting Your Art’ and is aimed at helping members who are looking to promote and sell their artwork - a place to discuss all aspects of getting your art known.

It has been very popular and several of our members have been adding extremely helpful information that we are sure will be of great interest to anyone looking to sell their art.

Here is an article that was added by Laura Moore about creating a brand:

Creating a 'brand' Promoting ourselves as a brand is a way of thinking and it doesn't come naturally to any of us artists.

Not only that it is also quite a scary daunting prospect. Roy has been my greatest inspiration, though unknowingly, with his 'fearless' approach to life that it pushed me into venturing into the wide world with my art which up till recently I was hiding in Art Sites and in my closed Facebook Page. As artists we don't always have the confidence to think we are capable of achieving something that someone wants to buy or the confidence to tackle the promoting process.

‘Casa Calisto’ by Laura Moore

So as to selling there are some tactics that hopefully will help to bring some sales in. As to confidence that is something that has to be overcome if you want to achieve a name and sales as an artist. Artists are probably the worst people to sell themselves because it doesn't come naturally. We rely on the art to do the work for us. Sadly it's not all about the art these days. It's knowing how to build a lifestyle and persona or brand that people want a piece of and to feed into and hopefully buy the work along the way.

Artists like Jean Haines do it so well. She has Facebook, a blog, a website, and loads of other venues. All these show her many facets. Who she is on a personal level showing her ability to connect with people, showing what she thinks and who and where she can be found artistically.

All in all creating a Jean Haines world that people want to enter.

Now Jean has a team of people to help her do all this but creating yourself as a 'brand' is not that difficult and is probably the easiest way to get people to remember who you are.

PMP Newsletter Promoting Your Art

Promoting Your Art

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A lot of us are on lots of sites, have blogs, have websites, are on Facebook, are on selling venues, or even Exhibitions, etc. So a lot of our work is done for us already just by using these venues.

What I do find though is inconsistency with names especially with blogs. I'm guilty of it too till today. I was only ever known as Laura on PMP and I have now shown my name and profile picture which I use to promote myself on all my other sites.

So having created my blog I also created a brand: "Laura Moore Watercolour Art". Every site that helps me to promote myself I listed myself as "Laura Moore Watercolour Art" therefore creating a brand. Do you see what I'm doing here? I keep mentioning "Laura Moore Watercolour Art" because that is the brand I'm pushing and at every opportunity I want that name in people's minds.

So my Facebook Account (I'll talk about that another time), my blog, Flickr, Google+, etc, are all called Laura Moore Watercolour Art. Everywhere that is promoting me and my art.

Not only does this repetition create memory in people but it also allows the search engines to find me easily too.

‘Fish Again’ by Laura Moore

Take every opportunity to post this brand name too. I post it all over my blog by adding a discrete copyright sign written under my images with "Laura Moore Watercolour Art" (there I go again). Subliminally it's going into people's minds and people know quite effectively who I am. This is a marketing tactic that is used everywhere just watch out for it now.

Another reason for being consistent with your branding is it will be a lot easier for people to find you amongst the masses. I do follow a lot of blogs because of the networking process, it doesn't mean I read them all but I read some and when I go down my list looking for blogs, I have to remember the person I'm looking for and then try to remember the blog that relates to them.

Not easy when every one else is using Watercolour something or other. OK slight exaggeration but this is another mistake that prevents people from finding you. Classic case is ‘Derwent Water, Cumbria’ by Laura Moore Jean Haines. Her blog is called Watercolours with Life. I really do follow 15 other blogs that start Watercolour and I use Reader to view these blogs.

The space Reader allows me to find the titles is not very much. All I see is Watercolour so how do I know which one is Jean Haines's blog when I want it.

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PMP Newsletter Promoting Your Art

An Article by Laura Moore So "Laura Moore Watercolour Art" explains who I am everywhere I am with consistency and efficiency. I just wish I didn't have such a common name as Laura Moore but I'm not going to change that just to get noticed... lol!

Laura Moore is a watercolour artist - more of her paintings can be seen on PMP and by visiting her blog.

‘Parisienne Memories’ by Laura Moore

Laura’s Page on PMP: http://paintmyphoto.ning.com/profile/LauraMoore Laura’s Blog can be found at: http://lauramoorewatercolourart.blogspot.co.uk/

Visit the ‘Promoting Your Art’ group pages to read more by Laura and other members of PMP about this subject.

Other groups that can be found on PMP are: Loose Watercolour Painting Detailed Watercolour Painting Photography Challenge ACEO Painting Acrylic Painting Photography or “The Magic of a Moment” Oil Painting

PMP Newsletter Ro’s Hidden Treasures

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With literally thousands of amazing reference photos to feast your eyes on, it is easy to miss those that were added to the site some time ago. Ro, one of Roy’s admin angels, has been busy searching for hidden gems that you may have missed. We hope you enjoy her delightful selection!

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PMP Newsletter Featured Artwork Park Bench Series - Waiting for the Icecream Man - By M Diana Heater

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We chose Diana’s drawing as we felt it showed wonderful imagination and is a great example of how to use multiple reference photos to inspire and develop an artwork.

An inspirational and very cheerful drawing - well done, Diana!

‘Bench Series - Waiting for the Icecream Man’ by M Diana Heater

‘Color of Love’ by Donna Sommer

You can see more of Diana’s wonderful work by visiting her gallery on PaintMyPhoto: http://paintmyphoto.ning.com/profile/mdianaheater

‘The Bench’ by Suzanne Wallick

PMP Newsletter You Might Like to Try...

Creating darks with

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watercolours To create rich, luminous darks without creating mud, try the following four colours: Quinacridone Gold Alizarin Crimson Viridian Prussian Blue The image shows the four colours layered from left to right - the blocks underneath show the colours individually. You can change the colour bias of your darks by simply adding an extra layer, e.g. for a cool dark use more Prussian Blue.

They can also be added together wet-in-wet, which gives a lovely varied blend within the darks.

Well, there we are, another Newsletter at an end. We hope that you’ve found the articles interesting and have found inspiration for photography and artwork.

We will be producing the Newsletter on a quarterly basis, so look out for our winter edition.

Your Newsletter needs you! We are always looking for articles that will interest our readers, so don’t be surprised if we call on you...

That’s All Folks!