Iam confident that you will find within these pages plenty to inspire you this month. If you are ready to walk in the footsteps of the Great Masters and paint with oils, but concerned about how you will handle the fumes associated with this traditional medium, why not explore water-mixable oils? Murray Ince introduces materials and techniques (pages 12 to 17) before demonstrating just what ten colours can do for landscape painters, and proving that water and oil mix after all. There are more water-mixable oil tutorials planned over the year so this is a good time to try painting with a different medium. Another newcomer to our pages is the celebrated miniature portraitist, Bill Mundy. Bill’s articles, featured this month (pages 30 to 32) and next, launch a series of tutorials and demonstrations by well-known miniaturists. I am in awe of the detail and time that go into producing these tiny gems that must fit in the palm of a hand when framed. Even if miniature painting isn’t your interest, over the coming months I am sure that you will gleen helpful information on drawing and painting portraits successfully.
We also publish the first article in a six-month series on painting the effects of weather in acrylics (pages 35 to 38). Tim Fisher begins his new series with a look at how to paint cloud, wind and unsettled weather, but there’s a plethora of tutorials on changing weather patterns ahead. I hope you have fun with the techniques and effects achieved. You still have plenty of time to enter your best work in David Bellamy’s sketchbook challenge, which we launched in the April issue (your deadline for the first challenge is 15 May). Don’t forget to take on the task each month – we love to see your work.