What better time to head to the great outdoors with your favourite art materials than during the height of summer? In this month’s issue we celebrate the Great British summer with a range of tutorials and demonstrations to help build confidence and skills as you prepare for sketching and painting outdoors and from life. If you’re new to painting in public and hesitating about taking the first step, try to go out with a friend, or simply take a small sketchbook and pencil, and sit somewhere quietly to draw what’s around you. Painting en plein air doesn’t have to include easels or pochades – not until you’re ready, that is!
We all recognise that painting outdoors isn’t for everyone, and you can still produce fresh, lively work from your own home or studio. Follow Tony Underhill’s advice this month (and in last month’s issue) as he uses urban-sketching techniques to produce an animated line and wash sketch from a photograph (pages 48 to 51). To emulate urban-sketching techniques when working from home Tony suggests that you time yourself to ensure the finished sketch isn’t overworked. You can also stand your reference material up in front of you as if you’re looking at the scene from life, and only use the materials you know you would take on a painting trip outside.