The beauty of watercolour

Welcome from the editor

This month I have great pleasure in welcoming versatile

Letters

SHARE YOUR TIPS, EXPERIENCES, IDEAS AND QUESTIONS WITH OTHER READERS

Diary

THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH

Exhibitions

JANE STROUD RECOMMENDS

Books

WHAT TO READ THIS MONTH

Art clubs

OVER TO YOU FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON CLUB EXHIBITIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Art club gallery

BEST IN SHOW PAINTINGS

Online gallery

Jane Stroud’s selection of works from our PaintersOnline gallery

Subject matters

What inspires you to paint? David Bellamy offers insights into how he finds the best subjects and vistas to sketch and paint when travelling

Painting Project

Part 2 Complete your painting of Grantchester parish church using line-and-wash techniques, with Tony Underhill

Painting Project

Part 2 How to begin a lively watercolour painting of three ostriches from three separate photographs, with Kerry Bennett

What’s your plan?

Part 2 Learn how to plan your compositions, from subject and focal point to the placing of visual paths and beyond, with Valérie Pirlot

Colour confidence

Practise colour-mixing exercises before you paint three different skies using three acrylic painting techniques, with Wendy Jelbert

An illustrator’s journal

Part 3 How to paint two familiar autumnal subjects using the wet-on-dry technique and just a handful of colours, with Michelle Campbell

Making arrangements

Part 1 How to plan, arrange and place objects for a successful still-life composition, with David Webb

Know your brushes

Make your brushes your best friends as you recognise how, when and why to use six essential types

Look for the light

Here’s an easy-to-follow step-by-step demonstration to help you practise painting with watercolour, by Charles Evans

Making waves

How to paint the form and movement of a rolling wave, with Elena Parashko

The colours of sunset

Here’s a guide to painting sunsets with pastels, using the pastels alone and as part of a mixed-media technique, by Matthew Evans

Alice draws the line

Alice Savery encourages you to draw and paint every day – and consider using your studies for greetings cards, calendars, mugs and more

The garden urn

Here’s an exercise to help you work with tone, shade and form

Let’s start with art

Part 12 Linda Birch discusses how to draw and paint with oil pastels – and use them as part of mixed-media paintings

Holiday of the month VAL CANSICK STUDIO

Val Cansick has a lifetime’s experience in art and

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