Make your composition work

WELCOME from the editor

Email me at theartistletters@tapc.co.uk, or visit our

NEXT MONTH IN the artist

MASTERCLASS Bob Rudd, past winner of The Turner Prize

THE ARTWORLD

NEWS, VIEWS, INFORMATION AND SPECIAL EVENTS IN THE ART WORLD

BPPortraits

If you missed an opportunity to see the 2017 BP Portrait

WATERCOLOURS

Founded in 1831, this year sees the 206th annual exhibition

PAINTERS ONLINE EDITOR’S GALLERY CHOICE

‘I always like to paint what catches my interest in

PAINT LIVE

If you were in London at the beginning of December

YOUR VIEWS

Letters, emails and comments

OPPORTUNITIES & COMPETITIONS

Check out the latest competitions to enter and make a note of important deadlines

POLITICS

Charles Williams’ musings

Night walking

Paul Regan, The Artist Award winner in the 2017 Royal Watercolour Society exhibition, talks to Susie Hodge about his atmospheric night scenes of urban streets

A painter’s line

Jason Bowyer shows you how to make and use your own reed pen, and so follow in the footsteps of Rembrandt and Van Gogh, both of whom used the reed pen and enjoyed its expressive mark-making power

How to drive effective sales in the digital domain – websites

Mark David Hatwood explains why an up-to-date website is crucial for sales, with information on how to create one and keep it current

Game of tones

Having explained how to interpret tone and translate what you see to your paper, Hazel Soan brings her series to a close with advice on how to balance those tones throughout your painting

How to paint light on the sea

Jenny Aitken reveals her method for capturing light effects in seascapes in acrylic

GO GREEN

If you’ve been struggling to paint green successfully, Paul Talbot-Greaves comes to your rescue with some useful suggestions for mixes and their application. As he says, ‘green really isn’t just green’

Sketching my children

Adebanji Alade urges you to make the best of every opportunity to sketch the people in your life, wherever you are – it’s how memories are made

Get started with acrylics

Trying any new media for the first time can be both an exciting and daunting prospect. In the first of her six-part series Jo Quigley offers a few tips to help alleviate some of the initial frustrations

Rethink small paintings

Robert Dutton explains how re-evaluating your approach to using big brushes, even for small paintings, will help to move your art in new directions

Put life into your paintings

David Howell shows you how to add life to your watercolours by adding figures, with advice on the practicalities of capturing figures in a quick sketch

Mark-making in watercolour

The addition of a few harmonious pencil or pen marks can both enliven and make a significant contribution to your painting, as Judi Whitton explains

Make the most of a great combination

Julie Collins begins a new three-part series about the benefits of working with ink and watercolour with a look at what you’ll need to get you started

Drawing from the cast

In a new six-part series Ann Witheridge looks at the relevance of a classical training to portraiture. This month she underlines the importance of cast drawing, with a demonstration by Archie Wardlaw

Celebrate spring light

It’s time to shake off the winter and capture the new light and life en plein air. Paul Weaver suggests potential subject matter and how to get the best from your outdoor experience