It goes without saying that as painters we love colour! Many amateur painters and especially beginners, however, often focus too much on achieving the ‘right’ colour and overlook the importance of tonal values in their artwork. A good tonal range – presenting the subtle differences from the lightest light to the darkest dark – and understanding the role of tone in creating convincing depth are vital to painting successfully. I am therefore delighted that Jem Bowden turns his attention to tone this month (pages 14 to 17) and discusses colour in the April issue, to help you fully appreciate how understanding the difference can really bring your work up to the next level. Why not put away your colours today and work on tone with Jem then watch how this understanding feeds into your paintings in future.
Adding a narrative element is another way to help you put your own stamp on your paintings and really make them stand out. Mike Rollins (pages 38 to 41), who worked as a set designer for many years before he turned painter and tutor, uses the techniques he learned then to develop drama and mystery in his acrylic paintings today – and give the viewer something more to think about as they look at the work. This month Mike explains how you can be more expressive in the way you paint and how to transfer your personal response to the subject onto paper or canvas, then puts theory into practice in next month’s landscape demonstration.