Artists & Illustrators

We are moving!

2011-11-01T13:37:00.002Z

You can now follow the Artists & Illustrators blog on our main website - click here.

Talkin' Bob Dylan Plagiarism Blues

2011-09-28T13:25:00.003+01:00

It is widely acknowledged that Bob Dylan and his fellow Greenwich Village folk musician friends traded songs, melodies and inspiration in the melting pot that was early 1960s New York, but it now appears that the 70-year old singer is getting himself into a spot of bother for applying that same magpie-eyed approach to his painting.

The launch of a new exhibition at New York's Gagosian Gallery of Dylan's Asia series has seen a number of online bloggers come forward to point out the similarities between his paintings and photographs by a number of as-yet-uncredited sources.

Among the examples cited elsewhere include the painting on the right in this installation view which draws on a photo by Magnum photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, and another shot by Dmitri Kessel (reproduced here on the Bob Dylan Encyclopedia blog), that bears a striking resemblane to a painting seen in this second view from the gallery show.

One fan going by the name of Okinawa Soba even spotted that six of the late 19th and early 20th century photographs he owned and posted on his personal Flickr stream had been appropriated for the exhibition in a similar way. While other versions of these old photographs may exist, Dylan's painted homages incorporated edits Soba had made in Photoshop.

The real cheek comes in that the exhibition, which runs until 22 October, originally described Dylan's paintings as a "visual journal" containing "first-hand depictions" of life in the Far East. That description has since been amended to remove both phrases, referring now to the works as mere "reflections".

While Dylan wasn't breaking the law here by painting these compositions (at least as far as we are aware!), it is odd that he has failed to credit any of his sources, particular given that one assumes these paintings will be sold on to wealthy international collectors.

So what do you make of it all? Has he done enough to change the original images? Should we give Dylan some leeway and chalk it up to a senior moment? Or should he be forced to pay compensation to the photographers and their estates?

Artists & Illustrators first looked at the paintings of Bob Dylan in our May 2008 issue - call back issues on (01858) 438 789 to order your copy today.

The David Hockney Show

2011-09-07T15:00:00.000+01:00

It’s not every day that you get to share a room with an art legend like David Hockney… Which is why I was just one of several hundred people crammed into an upstairs room at the Royal Academy today to hear the 74-year old painter reveal plans for a major solo exhibition at the gallery in January. TV crews, broadsheet reporters, minor celebs (well, Newsnight’s Mark Lawson) and even a few curious fellow Academicians craned their collective ears to hear him speak, hoping for some wisdom and insight into this most fascinating of visual artists.

We’ll have a full report and interview in the November issue but I think it is worth just saying now what great fun Hockney was. Press briefings are notoriously dry affairs but once the show was put in context by the curators, the woman from the Cultural Olympiad had added her bit and we’d had a word from the sponsors (BNP Paribas, since you asked), the stage was set for the David Hockney Show.

Rather than avoiding questions or acting mock-bashful as is the usual artist stance, he launched straight into a rant about the way we wrongly say the exhibition’s launch date – it’s not two-thousand-and-twelve, it’s twenty-twelve he reasoned, pointing out that the Battle of Hasting took place in ten-sixty-six, not one-thousand-and… Well, you get the picture.

From here we were treated to joyous tributes to his native Yorkshire, a wildly fascinating explanation about his new nine-camera video making and several diversions into the joys of smoking (We’re all going to die anyway, he noted drily). If he was feeling the pressure of taking over Lucian Freud’s mantle of Britain’s greatest living artist, he didn’t let it show.

The short hour we all spent huddled in his company was a reminder that in some special cases being creative isn’t something that you can turn on and off, it’s a unstoppable torrent that pours out at all times.

- Steve Pill, Editor

Artist to sell life’s work for Alzheimer’s charity

2011-08-15T11:13:00.003+01:00

Northumberland artist Wilson Smith is selling his entire collection of paintings, new and old, to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity. Over 50 paintings will be on sale at an exhibition, entitled Painting for Alzheimer’s, at Bellingham Town Hall on 29 and 30 August. Mainly in oil, the paintings include landscapes, portraits, large abstract canvasses and a series of copies of Toulouse-Lautrec’s work.

Wilson, 78, pictured below, was devastated when his wife Jean died with Alzheimer’s three years ago. Since then he’s found comfort in his love for painting and is determined to continue to raise desperately needed funds for research into this devastating disease. His talent as an artist was first noticed when he was just 10-years-old and he was presented to the Prime Minister of the time, Sir Winston Churchill.

Based in West Woodburn, near Hexham, Wilson explained his motivation for supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK: “Watching Jean slip away with Alzheimer’s was one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced. So much more needs to be understood about this cruel disease and it can only be achieved through research. I felt helpless as Jean was gradually robbed of her precious memories and independence. Towards the end she couldn’t walk or talk and finally she couldn’t eat or drink – there was no way out.

“The sale of my paintings is dedicated to all those people who are living with this devastating disease. Every penny raised through the sale of my work will go to Alzheimer’s Research UK to help them progress with their pioneering research. Words can’t describe how much I want to see new treatments and a cure for this disease so that other people don’t have to suffer.”

The Painting for Alzheimer’s exhibition takes place on 29 and 30 August, from 9am to 5pm at Bellingham Town Hall, 19 Hillside, Bellingham, Hexham, Northumberland NE48 2RU. Entrance is £3 and includes a catalogue of the paintings.

An Unusual Sight

2011-07-04T13:51:00.003+01:00

In a break from designing Artists & Illustrators, I enjoyed the glorious sunshine of the Sussex countryside this weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I’d gone there looking forward to watching the variety of cars and bikes, old and new, tearing up the infamous hill climb - and I definitely wasn’t disappointed in that respect. But what I hadn’t banked on was finding one of the most impressive sculptures I’ve seen this year.

Soaring above the trees as I entered the grounds was a specially commissioned sculpture to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Jaguar E-type. Standing at 28-metres high and weighing in at 150 tonnes, this impressive sculpture by artist Gerry Judah is built out of piping and took 10 days to install.

Did any of you visit the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend? Let me know what you thought of the sculpture if so. And maybe you could recommend other artworks in unusual locations around the UK, to add to those picked out in the current issue of the mag.

- Chloë Collyer, Art Editor

Arcadian Painters

2011-06-29T16:40:00.006+01:00

Last night, the Artists & Illustrators team headed to the opening of Arcadian Painters, a fascinating new exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery which brings together the work of contemporary painter Cy Twombly and the classical 17th century artist Nicolas Poussin.

The concept of the show is one that, if I'm honest, it would be easy to glance over and dismiss - highlighting the similar career path and interests of two artists whose work couldn't appear more contrasting.

Poussin started out by making hand-drawn copies of classical sculptures and Renaissance paintings. He settled on a style that prided itself on grand allegories in natural settings, full of epic tragedies and ruddy-faced cherubs. Twombly meanwhile is defiantly abstract, dealing in aggressive marks, scribbled phrases and tight bursts of colour on relentlessly off-white or textured surfaces.

Curator Dr Nicolas Cullinan had the idea to pursue the links between the two artists a few years ago when he was working on a Tate Modern retrospective of Twombly's work. The elderly American painter confessed that he had always wanted to emulate Poussin. When Cullinan dug deeper, he found a string of shared interests and biographical details - both produced a cycle of paintings based on the Four Seasons, both moved to Rome aged 30, and so on.

I'll be honest here and say that artists like Twombly normally leave me cold and, on a purely visual level, Arcadian Painters didn't make me like his work any more than I did before I went in. For me, his work is too ugly and restless to make me ever want a Twombly on my wall.

However, Arcadian Painters achieved what so few exhibitions actually manages to do. It made me appreciate and better understand what drives Twombly. And how many times can you honestly say that you've been able to do that when you've been stood in front of another faceless abstract painting?

His 'visual language' (a phrase director Ian Dejardin used in his opening speech) is not one I will ever be buying a Berlitz guide to learn, but I could begin to see how and why he was doing what he was doing. I began to see how Poussin was as important to him as Raphael, Mantegna and co. had been to the French artist back in the 1600s. By the final room, containing Twombly's quartet of giant Four Seasons inspired canvases, I began to stand in awe of his approach.

I really recommend visiting the exhibition if you get chance - it opens at Dulwich Picture Gallery today and runs until 25 September. You can even pick up cheap tickets with our 2-for-1 reader offer - find out more by clicking here.

Take an open mind and you might just surprise yourself...

Cy Twombly, Hero and Leander (To Christopher Marlowe), 1985.

Collection of the artist

To Me, To You

2011-06-16T09:49:00.005+01:00

We've all done it - bought a lovely piece of furniture only for the delivery guy to drop it at your door and discover that there is no way you can get it through the tiny door frame. Somehow, you expect a major national gallery to be better prepared but nevertheless Cumbria's Abbot Hall Art Gallery has had a struggle on its hands after acquiring a giant triptych more than a decade ago. However, the three parts of The Great Picture, first commissioned in 1646, have finally been reunited in the gallery and the giant work will go on display there for the first time today.

The Great Picture was paid for by Lady Anne Clifford (1590 - 1676), the daughter of George Clifford, the third Earl of Cumberland and a favourite at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. After much the death of her cousin and uncle in the 1640s left no male heirs to the family's estates in Westmorland and Yorkshire, she petitioned for the return of her rightful inheritance. The Great Picture, thought to have been painted by Dutch artist Jan Van Belcamp, marks the moment when she finally received her due several years later.

Since acquiring the work in the late 1990s, the two side panels of the triptych have been on display at Abbot Hall but the central panel, measuring 2.5m square, had sat in storage while the team found a way of getting it inside the tightly-proportioned Georgian venue.

The pictures below show how the team finally got the central panel out of storage and into the gallery...

The reunited triptych will be on display at Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria, until December 2013.

Behind the scenes!

2011-06-03T16:48:00.003+01:00

Just a quick post today - you can read our exclusive interview with Michael Craig-Martin behind the scenes at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition preview by clicking here!

A painter's struggles...

2011-05-27T14:49:00.003+01:00

One of the things that I have always struggled with as an artist is getting a natural or pleasing balance of colours in my paintings. Do you have the same problem? You know the sort of thing: you are witness to a beautiful sunset but when you try to paint it, the colour just seems too bright or fake. Or you want to include the red barn in your landscape but you can't stop it jarring against its green leafy surrounds.

Help is at hand then in our new issue, which is in the shops today. The first in a new series on harmony will help you to understand and get the most from your palette. It's a tricky subject but luckily it has been written for us by Mitchell Albala, one of America's leading art tutors. As he says in the piece, "harmony doesn't happen by accident".

Elsewhere in the issue, we have a great portrait masterclass with some very useful tips on bringing your drawings to life and a behind the scenes look at the forthcoming Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Christopher Le Brun RA is hanging the last of the works in the show as we speak, but he took time out to discuss the show and offer tips for getting your work selected next year.

There's also an interview with Dame Elizabeth Blackadder and the entry forms for our own Artist of the Year competition. We've got details of some fantastic prizes in there, and unlike many other open shows, you don't have to pay to enter this one! I hope you enjoy the issue anyway and have a very artistic bank holiday weekend.

- Steve Pill, Editor

Charity auction time!

2011-05-26T15:11:00.004+01:00

As you may know, the 300th issue of Artists & Illustrators (on sale until tomorrow!) features a very lovely cover illustrated exclusively for us by none other than Quentin Blake.

Well, to celebrate the issue we are holding a charity auction on eBay for the chance to get your hands on a unique, framed A3 proof of the cover, printed on 300gsm paper and signed by Quentin himself - perfect for brightening up your studio wall!

All of the proceeds from the auction will be going to the House of Illustration - a campaign to raise funds to build the world’s first centre dedicated to the art of illustration in all its forms.

We've had some generous bids already but there is still just over 6 days to go. Why not dig deep and pledge some money to this fantastic cause? To bid on the work, click here.

A Spot of Yorkshire in Chelsea

2011-05-25T09:59:00.000+01:00

If any art lovers were at Chelsea Flower Show yesterday, you might have spotted a famous face among the crowds - celebrated landscape artist Ashley Jackson had his easel set up painting the Arts of Yorkshire Garden.

Ashley was invited to take part by Welcome to Yorkshire and continued a very local artistic theme to this particular garden, which also featured a Barbara Hepworth sculpture and plants chosen according to David Hockney's colour palette.

The garden was designed by Leeds-based landscape designers Gillespies and utilised curved wall toppings to suggest the undulating hills of Ashley's native Yorkshire - and he certainly seemed to be enjoying the challenge of painting the display and chatting away to the passing crowds.

Were you at Chelsea Flower Show yesterday? Did you see Ashley (or any other artists) at work? Leave us a comment at the bottom and let us know if so...

Inspiring landscapes

2011-05-23T10:46:00.000+01:00

We've got a new series starting in the next issue that focuses on showing you how to create a harmonious balance of colours in your landscape paintings. It has been written for us by the Seattle-based artist and author Mitchell Albala (the man behind one of our favourite art books!) and features the work of plenty of American artists whose work we've really enjoyed looking through. The series of workshops will begin in issue 301, out on May 27, but in the meantime I thought I would showcase a few of the artists that Mitchell has brought to our attention...

Jim Lamb, Laguna Canyon Oaks, oil on linen

Jim Lamb will be featured in our first article in the series but this painting is from a series he is developing on Laguna Canyon in California. On his website Jim says, "I love the wonderful varieties, textures, and colors of growth on the dry slopes of the canyon" and I think that fondness for textures has translated beautifully here.

Joseph Paquet, Rural Electrification, oil on linen

After being pointed to Joseph's website, I particularly liked this new work of a quiet country road. I think he is particularly skilled at capturing what photographers call the "golden hour", the brief time of day before the sunsets when landscapes are lit beautifully.

Rodger Bechtold, Barn with Crabapple, oil on linen

Rodger Bechtold is an artist whose handling of colour shows you that you don't always have to stick to exactly what you see in front of you in order to paint interesting landscapes. This picture is particularly exciting with the colour of the trees set off by the vivid pinks of the barn. You can see a great video of Rodger's work by clicking here too.

So, now I've shared these new discoveries, let's put it to the floor... Have you recently come across a new artist whose work you would like to tell us about? And who is your favourite landscape painter of all time?

Painting on the Thames

2011-05-18T16:16:00.005+01:00

I am about to put paid to any assumptions that just because you write for an art magazine you are any good at painting. Or drawing. Or anything that involves making representative marks on paper.

With my time taken up writing for the magazine, it has been a few years since I last took art classes so when I was invited to take part in a workshop last week with Art Afloat, I jumped at the chance.

My reintroduction to draughtsmanship took place onboard a 17th-century barge on the Thames, out near Maidenhead. Art Afloat run day-long courses where people can draw and paint whatever they float pass on the river, while being taught by the very patient, encouraging and generous-spirited Suzi Kennett-Brown.

It was a brilliant, sunny day. The other people on the course were wonderfully friendly. Roy May and his son Peter who drove the boat were great company. The Thames is a beautiful river and some of the buildings we saw were incredibly pretty.

However, I’d love to be able to say I was a better artist than I remembered, but unfortunately I was worse. Despite Suzi’s best efforts to get me to just capture the shapes rather than the details or to not over work the leaves in my funny little cartoon trees, I did not rediscover a talent. I did however say, “does this sheep look like a pig?” to which the diplomatic response was “you have a very distinct style”. I think we all know what that means!

I am currently being persuaded by my colleagues to publish my efforts alongside a forthcoming piece on my experience with Art Afloat, but you’ll have to wait and see if I capitulate and allow myself to be humiliated in front of thousands of readers!

- Martha Alexander, Features Writer

Deadline approaching for Cheltenham prize

2011-05-04T12:01:00.004+01:00

The deadline for entries to the acclaimed Cheltenham Illustration Awards is fast approaching so we thought we'd give you a little reminder to get your thinking caps on...

Hosted by the University of Gloucestershire, which is famed for its excellent illustration department, the event will invite student artists and up-and-coming illustrators to submit entries on this year’s theme of ‘Tree Time Tales’, with an emphasis on narrative illustration.

Prizes include £1,500 cash and an Apple iMac computer, with the judges including popular newspaper illustrator Steven Appleby. The "tree" theme coincides with UN International Year of Forests 2011 and Westonbirt Arboretum will be offering a ten-year membership as an extra theme.

Entries are to be received on a CD or as a jpeg by email, although any media may be used to create the images. For more information, or to download an application form you can visit www.cheltenham-illustration-awards.com. An entry fee of £12.50 per entry applies, with a maximum of five entries per person. Get your entries to them no later than 16 May 2011.

Pictured is an illustration by Jamie Mills, who won first prize in the student category last year on the theme of ‘Travellers’ Tales’.

UPDATE! The deadline has been extended for another week - you can enter up until 23 May 2011 now.

We are 300!

2011-05-03T10:54:00.004+01:00

Hello! I can't believe we haven't had chance to write to you sooner on here... Put it down to deadlines, Easter holidays and a bit too much time at the easel.

Anyway, one of the most important events in modern British history took place on Friday and it is time to commemorate it here... No, not the Royal wedding! We are, of course, referring to the launch of the 300th issue of Artists & Illustrators magazine!

Why is this so important I hear you ask? Well, for starters, the cover of this bumper 100-page issue has been illustrated for us by none other than Quentin Blake! We tasked the much-loved artist with drawing something that summed up A&I and he's come up with this colourful depiction of two proud artists in a (very) messy studio!

And proving that you can judge a magazine by its cover, the inside of the 300th issue is equally special. We have a talking techniques special, in which 10 members of some of the UK's leading art societies discuss how they create their paintings, with Shirley Trevena, Pip McGarry and Pete "The Street" Brown all featuring.

Elsewhere, Sian Dudley shows you nine great tricks for saving watercolours when you've made a mistake so you will never have to scrap another painting. There's also advice on mounting and framing your work, a great step-by-step masterclass with Joe Dowden, a look back at the first 25 years of A&I and we even found time to chat to Jennifer Durrant RA from her Italian studio.

There's lots more in there as well - find out more by clicking here. I hope you like it and be sure to pick up a copy today... This collector's edition will be gone quicker than a royal kiss!

Last chance to bloom!

2011-03-27T18:29:00.003+01:00

Our latest issue is only on sale for one more week so don't miss out...

We talk to some of the UK's leading botanical artists, including the very lovely Billy Showell who is on our cover this month. If you want to know how to paint or draw the perfect flower, her advice is invaluable.

Elsewhere in the issue, there are hundreds of tip and tricks to help you improve your painting skills - whether you are a beginner, improver or semi-pro! There's a look at a selection of stunning watercolour landscapes, advice on underpainting and great tips for composing a striking picture.

All this, plus the chance to win a painting holiday worth £1,000. Not bad for £3.75, hey? Pick up a copy from all good newsagents today.

The second session

2011-03-24T17:19:00.001Z

Oooooh! This week's portrait course went really well! Or at least, it felt as if it did - and isn't that half the battle? I made real progress on the painting and set myself up nicely for the third week. See how I got on below...

First break Here I wanted to build up a bit of darkness under the hair on the right side of the picture, and punch up the colours on the face to capture the sitter's rosy cheeks.

Second break Oddly, my tutor Ian suggested letting the hair colour drift almost to greens - it sounded counter-intuitive but I found that a mix that looked a toxic lime colour on the palette gave me a great base for the long blonde hair, taking the edge of the brown.

End of second session On previous portraits I had held back from dealing with the eyes until it was too late so I decided to mix a grey-ish colour for the white and then top that with a suggestion for the pupils - next week, when this has dried, I should be able to add the lids on top.

Step-by-step approach

2011-03-17T18:09:00.001Z

I thought rather than writing too much this week, I would take a photo after each of the two breaks and at the end of my session so that you could see the progress for yourselves. This portrait will be developed across the next four Wednesday nights at my portrait painting course at Heatherley's School of Fine Art (in a blatant plug, I should say the course has been excellent and bookings are being taken for summer term!).

- Steve Pill, Editor

First break To begin with, I sketched out the proportions very loosely and began to develop the different colours of the skin on the forehead.

Second break With the skin colour in, I added areas of hair and the blue drape behind so I had something to compare the tones against.

End of session I started to work down the face, using larger amounts of blue in the mix for the shadow areas under the chin. I wasn't quite happy with these so will try to revise them in the second session next week.

Seen a ghost?

2011-03-10T17:38:00.000Z

Not a successful portrait this time... Painted over two weeks, I used a larger canvas so thought I could take the picture in stages but think I committed one of the cardinal sins of painting.

I thought that I might have more luck if I treated the different sections of the subject as whole areas. Not a bad idea as such, but it meant that by starting with all of the skin, I thought I had got the changing contrasts right. However, it wasn't until I then started to add in the darks of the hair, eyes, lips and blue drapes behind the model that I realised I had painted the whole of the skin far too light. The shifting contrasts might have been right relative to one another, but tonally the whole area was way out.

I had extra time on this one (rather than the previous single sitting portraits I've done on the painting class previously) but still not enough to correct it. I felt incredibly bad for the sitter - she was actually a pretty girl, with a very delicate bone structure, but the finished study emphasised that too much and made her look very severe - like a skeleton in a wig.

Next week we will be painting the same model across four sittings so I think I need to take my time on that one and work across the portrait in chunks, to keep the colours and tones more cohesive. And not offend the sitter.

- Steve Pill, Editor

Controlling the primaries

2011-02-17T12:44:00.004Z

After last week's fiasco on my portrait painting course, I resolved to try again with the three brighter primaries and try to keep the colours under better control. I was using Lukas oils this time as I found that, for sketching purposes at least, the Michael Harding paints were taking too long to dry. In the drying racks, one study had been knocked and the poor girl looked like she had gone ten rounds with Muhammed Ali.

I was faced with the same model, so the challenge of accurately portraying his stubble without dotting in each individual hair was apparent once more. My tutor, Ian, suggested to add notes of green to the reasonably accurate greyish-flesh colour I had managed to create and surprisingly enough, this added to the depth of colour well.

The hair had been a problem before too, as I spent too long chasing a mixture that was mousey, blonde-ish, with a tinge of red in the light. A tall order with a palette that amounted to pillarbox red, lego yellow and school uniform blue. I perhaps ended up with a hair colour a little too ginger here, but at least the shape worked well, I think. By concentrating on painting areas of colour rather than the actual hair itself, I found I managed to get a better finish - something I need to continue on with next week.

The challenge next week then should be to combine the two previous palettes, balancing cool and warm variations of the same colour. I can't wait.

- Steve Pill, Editor

Third time unlucky

2011-02-10T10:23:00.004Z

After missing last week's painting class at Heatherley's due to illness, I was determined to make up for lost time last night when I attempted my fourth portrait workshop.

Last time out, I had used a restricted palette of Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Venetian Red and Ivory Black, and this time it was time to try the three primaries instead - switching to Titanium White, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Red and Ultramarine Blue.

In my head, this was the easiest task so far - freed of the constrictions of just black and white, and with a true blue instead of murky mixes that roughly approximated what I was after. In my first week of painting, I had made the pretty young lady's jawline look more like that of a rugged old man, so the chance to paint a male model instead would, I thought, lend itself to the way I had worked. However, I found the reality much harder than before.

Our tutor (and yours! See his excellent still life workshop in the current issue...) Ian Rowlands suggested that I begin by mixing up four colours: for the model's hair, his skin, his dark blue jumper and the grey-greenish cloth stapled up as the backdrop. And it is here where my problems began.

I landed on an approximation of the flesh tone quite easily but the subtle colouring of his hair - ranging from dark mousey brown to almost yellowish blonde highlights - proved more difficult. Even the slightest amount of white made the mixes too grey, yet as I muddled along adding dabs of yellow and red, the colours veered wildly either side of the target shade as I strained to keep the saturation under control, like a drunk trying to park a car on an icy road.

Having spent a fair amount of time mixing with the palette knife, I began painting more tentatively than the week before. I think a combination of a bad night, a tricksy colour palette and the use of a strong thinner (which I had avoided before) left my final study looking a little bare, disjointed and unfinished. In trying to tone down the creaminess of the finish in my last workshop, I went too far in the other direction.

Stubble proved a problem too. I knew I couldn't detail the individual hairs but greying down the flesh mix didn't produce the required colour for that area - I needed something with a tinge of brown and once again I drunkenly parked by car on a colour that was too dark and lent my final portrait the appearance of a strange kind of under-chin beard.

As this course is my first time painting with oils, I've resolved this morning to not be too hard on myself but after the joy of the previous workshop, comes the crash back down to earth. So with much reluctance and a little frustration, here is what I ended up with:

Oh dear! Next week it is back to the creamier finish and hopefully I will be able to get to grips with the extended palette a little more quickly... Can I paint with my fingers crossed?!

- Steve Pill, Editor

Become a greener artist!

2011-02-08T11:31:00.002Z

The March issue of Artists & Illustrators is in the shops now!

It includes our 15-page eco art special, a guide to becoming a greener, better artist. The special includes tips on improving your practice, a "green" products page, an exclusive interview with celebrated Cornish landscape painter and environmental campaigner Kurt Jackson, plus much, much more.

Elsewhere in the issue, we also have an in-depth to the history of watercolour with the Tate (and advice on the best paints to buy!), part three of Ian Rowlands' great still life workshops series and Sian Dudley's guide to mixing colour.

It's a great issue and we hope you like it - don't miss out!

A Spot of Colour

2011-01-27T09:39:00.004Z

Right, so yesterday saw me complete my third stint on Ian Rowlands' portrait painting class at Heatherley's and it was time to start working with a limited palette of colour. For this session, we were to only use Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Venetian Red and Ivory Black, the idea being that you have a basic palette of white, yellow, red and "blue", respectively.

It was daunting starting this one, as I couldn't imagine how I could possibly get blues or greens out of the limited selection. Ian advised making up three mixes, representing light, middle and dark flesh tones to start with. The light leaned towards white and yellow, the middle to white and red, and the dark to white, red and black (a kind of bluish, shadowy, veiny colour).

With these mixed up, I felt more confident starting and I was really pleased with the initial sweeps of colour I used to mark out the face and give it depth. The mixes worked well. Ian suggested blocking in the background (a beige and green sheet behind the model) as it would allow me to compare colours more accurately.

All was going fine by the second break in the two and a half hour session, but I had been avoiding painting in the eyes - in there place were two white holes, that gave my portrait the look of a zombie! In the end, a succession of tentative marks and a little too much oil paint left them looking a little odd, but if you didn't know what the model looked like, I think it is ok.

If only I had seen Greywolf-Art's comment on my last post before I went in! "Oils can be a lovely medium to work with once you get used to them, you just have to be careful to stop details from drifting a bit due to the moveability of the paint." I think I definitely suffered from that a bit last night.

Do any of you have any good tips for painting details in oils? Otherwise I may have to start painting portraits of people with sunglasses on...

- Steve Pill, Editor

My first oil portrait

2011-01-20T14:18:00.005Z

Our new offices are rather conveniently near to The Heatherley School of Fine Art, so as I mentioned in the last post, I've signed up for a portrait painting course. Heatherley's was founded in 1845 and can claim to be the oldest independent art school in London - previous students include Walter Sickert, Dante Rossetti and Sir John Millais.

We've worked with Ian Rowlands, my tutor, on two series of technique articles for magazine that have been a fascinating read but putting his tips into practice was something else. On the first night I concentrated on drawing and getting the proportions right but last night I took my first steps painting with oils. I've previously used watercolours and acrylics but this took some getting used to. The paint appeared more flexible and didn't dry out the minute my back was turned.

Last night, we worked in monochrome, using just five shades of grey, mixed with varying amounts of Ivory Black and Titanium White. The idea was that the first mark you make on the page was the darkest of five shades and then the tone of every other area would be measured against this initial mark.
While I think I got the hang of working in tonal areas to begin with, I couldn't resist tweaking some areas and adding a little too much detail, losing the more dynamic finish that I had begun to develop.

The model thought it was a reasonable likeness when she took a look in one of the breaks but I think I've got a hell of a long way to go yet. I will be posting updates on here each week after my class so you can see how well (or how badly) I get on.

Be sure to let me know what courses you have signed up for and how you are getting on too - it would be great to see your works and maybe we can compare notes over the weeks too. You can either leave a comment below or write to me directly at steve.pill@artistsandillustrators.co.uk.

- Steve Pill, Editor

My first attempt at an oil portrait in two colours - needs some work!

That Back To School Feeling...

2011-01-11T17:12:00.003Z

I’ve got that back to school feeling today. I’m starting a painting course at our local art school tomorrow night and I picked up the last of the items on the “materials list” this morning, so now is just the nervous wait. However, unlike waiting for a new school term, I am actually really looking forward to this starting.

I suppose it is because it has been far too long since I’ve been able to put some time aside to paint. Each month I sift through hundreds of artworks and proof read really inspiring technique features, which is like showing a steakhouse menu to a starving man. Finally I will get chance to feed my creativity tomorrow.

Part of the fun is speculating what I will end up painting. It is a portrait class, that much I know, and we only need four colours for the first session, but beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. I’ll be sure to post up some photos of my progress over the coming months too.

How about all of you? Are you starting a course for the new term? Or are you looking at starting something soon? Tell me all about it in the comments section below and hopefully we can help each other out along the way.

- Steve Pill, Editor

Tempting new paints - but what can I paint with them?

Get your goat!

2011-01-07T09:00:00.000Z

Happy New Year!

The new February 2011 issue of Artists & Illustrators is in the shops now.

Our practical section is packed with inspiration to help you improve your art in 2011. There is a 10-page special that reveals the truth about colour, the second part of Ian Rowlands' still life series and a look at the Old Master technique of Sight-Size Portraiture.

Elsewhere in the issue, we have chatted to a host of judges and winners for the inside story on how to win an art prize and our painting holidays special includes the chance to win two fantastic European art breaks.

Oh, and the goat on the front is a stunning new painting by Paul James who we have profiled inside...

I hope you enjoy the issue - available from all good newsagents, galleries and supermarkets.

Join us for the 12 Days of Christmas!

2010-12-13T14:40:00.004Z

During the festive period this year, we will be celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas with a dozen discounted art-related gifts. You can pick up a range of art films, books and other gifts at a price exclusive to Artists & Illustrators.

Starting today, the first offer is the Lucian Freud: Portraits DVD from Demand DVD. The film analyses Freud through the eyes of his sitters and features intimate and revealing details about his artistic methods.

The National Portrait Gallery have recently announced that it will be staging an exhibition of the 88-year-old artist's portraiture in Spring 2012 so what better way to brush up on his work first?

And as part of our 12 Days of Christmas promotion, you can now order this DVD for just £11.99 plus postage and packaging - a saving of 25% on the RRP, plus you can get it posted to your door for free!

To find out more about this offer, please click here. And be sure to keep an eye out for the next 11 offers over the coming days!

A Snooper's Paradise

2010-12-02T15:11:00.004Z

One of the perks of my job is that I meet lots of very interesting artists and often get to have a good nosey around their studios which, being naturally curious, serves my purpose very well indeed.

With this in mind, I was pretty chuffed to be bidden to a morning of studio visits with two of the UK’s most prolific artists. Organised by the Royal Academy of Arts as a precursor to its forthcoming Modern British Sculpture exhibition, I first went to Julian Opie’s East End studio, which stretches over three floors and was bought years ago for not much money at all. Lots of artists have similar “I was very lucky with this old hovel” stories as they show you round a space that is so spectacular you’d be happy to rent a kitchen cupboard just to be part of it.

In my mind, Opie is a painter, illustrator, printmaker and light artist. I hadn’t classed him as a sculptor so it was interesting to hear him talk about the work that is to be included in Modern British Sculpture – a work that has been in storage for 22 years and was made at the beginning of his career. A beautifully crafted metal cabinet that is completely empty and if it hadn’t been pointed it out, in truth, I might have thought was a storage unit waiting to be hung up, once Opie had a chance to nip down to B&Q for some heavy duty nails. The bleakness of it, assured Opie, was the point of it. He talked us through his inspirations, his commissions and the way he used a running machine to record the movements of his models for the LED signs. He was so engaging I forgot to have a snoop at his bookshelf or in his bathroom.

We went direct from Opie to Sir Anthony Caro’s empire, which is basically a very big building near Camden Town. I didn’t ask if he had bought it for £10, twenty years ago. Instead he answered a lot of questions about his work. I found it especially interesting when he talked about the evolution of sculpture – both his own career’s evolution and as a practise. He described how he challenged Henry Moore just as younger sculptors had the obligation to come along and challenge him. I did get a chance to pop into his downstairs loo and was not surprised to see lavender handwash. A classic with nothing to prove.

You can read my full interview with both artists and find out more about the exhibition in the February 2011 issue of Artists & Illustrators, on sale 7 January 2011.

- Martha Alexander

Anthony Caro, Early One Morning, 1962

Painted steel and aluminium, 289.6 x 619.8 x 335.5 cm

Photo: John Riddy/© Tate, London 2010; © Barford Sculptures Ltd/The artist

Sir Peter Blake - An A&I Homage?

2010-11-23T15:45:00.002Z

We are very proud to have Sir Peter Blake in our latest issue (see previous post), with an exclusive cover story in which the Godfather of British Pop Art talks about his new exhibition and the artists that influenced him. So when a press release landed in our inbox from Nottingham Trent University that gave details about a new book launch with the artist, we were obviously intrigued.

The new book is called Peter Blake: Alphabets and was produced in conjunction with Douglas Wilson, a graphic design lecturer at the University. Blake will visit the department on December 8 to promote the book, which is a limited edition and features 18 of his previously unpublished alphabets.

However, we were more intrigued by one of the alphabets that was included in the email. Take a look at the alphabet below and pay close attention to the very first letter...

Could it be that having been featured in Artists & Illustrators this month, Sir Peter has decided to pay homage to his favourite art magazine?! We can only speculate.

It might just be that he is a fan of the typeface Baskerville too, but we like to think we might have had some influence... However subliminal!

December issue - on sale today!

2010-11-12T16:44:00.002Z

Our festive-themed issue is out today, packed with everything you need to get creative this Christmas.

The Royal Institute of Oil Painters' president Peter Wileman has produced a great new masterclass for us, showing how to paint winter landscapes with lively brushwork.

Our cover star is Sir Peter Blake, who reveals all about his new exhibition and even tried to find a santa hat so he could pose for our cover - unfortunately, we missed out!

There is also news of a new painting course in Lapland and also advice on how to print your own Christmas cards from a leading artist and print firm.

Away from the festivities, we have advice on starting your own portfolio website, a look at the techniques of Edward Hopper, nine great tips for working with masking fluid from popular watercolour tutor Rob Dudley and lots, lots more.

We hope you enjoy the new issue - be sure to look out for it in all good shops, galleries and newsagents today. A perfect read for a wet weekend!

Open Studios time!

2010-11-12T15:36:00.002Z

I received a lovely email from Anna Wilson-Patterson at the Arts Hut in East Sussex this morning:

Dear Steve

I had a thought!

Would it be possible for A&I to make a blog post asking about Open Studios
this Christmas, which would allow your readers around the country to
advertise their shows by posting in comments.

It would perhaps liven your blog up a bit and be extra publicity for those
of us out in the sticks, who have to work a bit harder to attract people off
the beaten track.

Kind regards

Anna

So, seen as we are always open to new and creative ideas here at Artists & Illustrators, Anna's wish is our command! If any of you have local open studios events or other festive art sales that you would like to promote in the run up to Christmas, why not write a reply at the bottom of this blog post and tell everyone where and when you are staging an event.

And to get you started, you can find out more about Arts Hut here and be sure to check out Anna's own art blog too, by clicking here.

Watercolour show makes a real splash

2010-10-20T11:40:00.002+01:00

If you enjoy our columnist David Paskett's wonderful tales every month, be sure to go and check out his handiwork at the Royal Watercolour Society's biannual autumn exhibition. As president of the prestigious society, David's work will feature in the group show alongside other recent A&I featured artists including Denis Ryan.

Running at the Bankside Gallery, London, until November 5, there will be works for sale from the society's members and also a programme of talks and events running throughout - click here to find out more.

Our picks of the show are Francis Bowyer's sublime landscapes and Jane Corsellis's beautiful floral paintings. If you do make it down to the exhibition, be sure to write to us and let us know your favourites - you never know, they might just appear in a future issue of the magazine...

New issue out now!

2010-10-19T11:14:00.002+01:00

Hello lovely people! I hope the cold weather isn't getting you down and you are finding time to get creative?

Unbelievably it is that time again to announce the latest issue, with the November issue hitting the shops last Friday. We are leading with the Pastel Society, who have kindly shared their tips for painting perfect pictures, plus we have an in-depth "Talking Techniques" feature with member Felicity House.

Elsewhere there are not one but two step-by-step art masterclasses this month, with Aaron Robinson showing how to add life to a simple pencil portrait and Joe Francis Dowden explaining his three golden rules of watercolour painting.

You can also find a guide to mixing your own oil paints, a feature with an artist who is painting 100 National Trust properties, a guide to fashion illustration by one of Dior's artists in residence and an interview with Jack Vettriano's latest discovery. Sound good? You can find it in all good supermarkets, newsagents, galleries and book stores now. And if you are already on the hunt for Christmas gifts, why not consider a subscription for an artistic loved one? Click here to find out more...

Aside from the shameless self promotion, we would like to canvas opinion (pardon the pun) for our oil painting special. Can anybody recommend a favourite or unusual oil medium that they would recommend other artists trying?

Mark Wallinger makes drastic cuts

2010-09-21T09:55:00.006+01:00

We were sent a press release about a new work this morning that we thought we would share with you:

A new work by Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger is released today as part of a campaign supported by over 100 leading British artists against the government’s proposed funding cuts of the arts.

Mark Wallinger’s work shows a copy of Turner’s masterpiece, The Fighting Temeraire, 1839, by Joseph Mallord William Turner, in the collection of the National Gallery in London. A slash in the painting carries a notice “25% cut” and underneath the work a caption reads: “If 25% were slashed from arts funding the loss would be immeasurable.”

Turner referred to The Fighting Temeraire as "his darling", refusing to ever sell it until he finally donated it to the National Gallery. When the nation was asked by the BBC to nominate the greatest painting on show in the UK's museums and galleries it came first with 25% of the votes.

The title of Mark Wallinger’s new work is "Reckless”. He explains: “I describe the cuts as a reckless adventure. In fact, 'temeraire' means reckless in French and by removing the obsolete ship from the scene I am rendering the painting wreckless."

Wallinger has signed his name to a petition alongside dozens of major British artists, including Anthony Gormley, David Hockney, Bridget Riley and Maggi Hambling. We've included his work below but we thought now was a good time to ask all of you what you think about these cuts to funding. Will it have any direct effect on your practice?

(c) Mark Wallinger

Shadowy figures

2010-09-20T09:56:00.000+01:00

Last month, I took a trip over to Brighton to see Anne Magill, a fantastically talented painter who is creating a bit of a buzz at the moment. I've personally been trying to get her work featured in the magazine for more than 18 months now, since I first sent a polite email in December 2008. Things took a turn for the mysterious though, as she was keen to be interviewed but kept talking about projects bubbling along and exhibitions in the pipeline.

As it happened, Anne has been signed up by Heartbreak Publishing (the company co-owned by Scots art legend Jack Vettriano) and was working towards a huge show in a new, soon-to-be-opened London gallery. Since then, she has been working tirelessly from her studio in a former DHSS office and even took the time out to pose for the famous fashion photographer Rankin, as part of a new Sky Arts campaign.

So the time is right for Anne's work to make a big splash - particularly as her shadowy, atmospheric figures are perfect for the autumn, as the nights draw in. Look out for a full profile of her work in the next issue of the magazine, which hits the shops on October 15.

- Steve Pill, Editor

Photo: (c) Emma Wood

New issue out today!

2010-09-17T11:15:00.003+01:00

Yes, yes, shameless self-promotion time... The new issue of Artists & Illustrators is out today, available from all good newsagents, supermarkets, art galleries and more.

It is worth us shouting about the October issue for a number of reasons though:

There is a big, five-page profile of the talented and stylish printmaker Angie Lewin, whose work you might be familiar with, even if the name doesn't ring a bell! Almost any gift shop, print gallery or furniture store worth their salt is currently stocking fabrics, limited prints or gift cards of her lovely traditional work and we are proud to have an exclusive chat and pictures.
Every reader will receive a FREE sheet of Jackson's watercolour paper. You can find it tucked into each issue. It isn't flimsy old paper either - we are talking handmade, 300gsm, recycled paper made from 100% cotton. It's seriously good stuff and worth quite a bit of money.
The Campaign for Drawing's "Big Draw" gets under way in October and we have plenty of ideas of how you can take part. We look at the history of the campaign too and chat exclusively to patron Posy Simmonds, who is busy promoting the film of her cartoon, Tamara Drewe.
We have redesigned the news section, so now there is more info about local art societies and events in your area, plus a new diary of events and a guide to the best exhibitions opening this month.
We have redesigned a few of the techniques pages too. Here are a few of the things you will find in it: two lengthy masterclasses; a bite-sized guide to Canaletto's painting methods; a technique interview with the Royal Watercolour Society's Denis Ryan; an expert look at Waterhouse's Lady of Shallott; an intro to an unusual Japanese printing technique. We've missed plenty of interesting stuff too, but we don't want to give away all of the surprises. A bit of mystery is good for you!

Sentenced to a day in the studio

2010-09-16T17:27:00.001+01:00

Went to visit a very strange studio today, housed in a former police station. I was going to visit the illustrator Sarah McIntyre but spotted lots of artists while I was there, all working away in disused prison cells and former CID offices. Years ago I was lucky enough to visit the set of the BBC's Life On Mars when I was writing for another publication and their sets of grimy 1970s police stations suddenly seemed scarily accurate.

I've probably made it all sound a little creepy when in fact it was pretty inspiring to see so many people repurposing such an unusual space. The police have only moved to an adjacent building and there is still plenty of work to be done but it was great to see everything developing, like a low-budget, more organic episode of Grand Designs for illustrators and creative types. Anyway, look out for the full story of Sarah and her three sheep-obsessed studio chums in the November issue of Artists & Illustrators. Ooh, and don't forget to visit Sarah's own in-depth blog too - head there now by clicking here.

- Steve Pill, Editor

Calling all artists - Rugby Open 2010

2010-09-15T12:39:00.002+01:00

The following notice arrived too late to get in the new magazine (out on Friday!) so we thought we would post it up here:

Rugby Art Gallery and Museum is calling on artists in the region to submit their entries in visual art and craft for its annual Rugby Open exhibition, which runs from 12 November 2010 to 2 January 2011.

Up to TWO original artworks created in the last year can be entered per applicant. Entries will be accepted in the form of painting, sculpture, drawing, print, photography and craft. Selected works will remain on display in the art gallery up to and including 2 January 2011.

The Rugby Open 2010 application form provides full details including eligibility - click here to download the application form.

For further information, visit www.ragm.org.uk/open or call (01788) 533201.

The deadline for submission of application forms is 15 October 2010.

A Slow Burning Love Affair

2010-08-17T14:22:00.006+01:00

One of my first ever assignments for Artists & Illustrators was to write a small piece about Cambridge Contemporary Art’s Mixed Summer Show. The press images for the exhibition included a print by Angie Lewin – the sight of which would serve as the start of a slow burning love affair.

The reedy plants, and intrepid and unexpected colours made quite an impression on me and, over the next couple of years Lewin’s work sprung up all over the place, and not only as prints. Suddenly, you could decorate your home with Angie Lewin fabrics and kitchenware. Open any interiors magazine or the lifestyle pages of a broadsheet Sunday supplement and something featuring Lewin’s prints is likely to be there.

Having observed her career from afar for a couple of years (and kitted out a house that I don’t actually own and is in fact entirely fictional with Lewin-printed curtains, tea towels, bowl - both ornamental and functional - and the odd cushion) I was pretty chuffed to learn that I would be writing a feature on Lewin and, in preparation, would be visiting her studio.

Photo: (c) Rebecca Bradbury/Artists & Illustrators

As you might expect from her work – Lewin is a country dweller. Despite good instructions, I knew for sure it was her cottage before she opened the door to greet me, because of the garden, which comprises all of the plants found in her work. As painfully naff as it might sound, I did feel as if I was stepping into one of her prints.

In the back garden, along with her terriers, is her studio. I knew she was a perfectionist before she admitted it because she is one of those people that apologises for the mess just as I was thinking about how neat and tidy it is and making mental notes to do make some inroads into addressing the state of my own workspace.

There were all manner of printing contraptions all over her studio and I was lucky enough to have a one-on-one tutorial, although there’s no danger of me packing in my day job just yet – just how did she learn to be so good at this? Find out in the October issue of Artists & Illustrators…

- Martha Alexander, Staff Writer

Some Local Colour...

2010-08-16T17:02:00.003+01:00

After dashing through the historic market town of Horsham in the middle of Saturday's heavy downpours, I made it to my local art society show - The Association of Sussex Artists Exhibition at the Drill Hall (pic courtesy of www.drillhall.net).

The exhibition is a selection of almost 400 paintings, drawings and sculptures, compiled by a panel of members. I arrived in the middle of the afternoon and presumed the rain would have caused many to stay indoors, but the committee told me they had already sold a significant amount of paintings that morning - a good sign!

As well as being a lovely place to buy some unique artwork, I found it a great venue for finding, inspiration with such a mix of artwork from beautifully detailed pencil drawings to striking oils, and even a couple of airbrushed canvases, as well as the pottery and sculpture.

The Association of Sussex Artists Exhibition runs until 21 August at the Drill Hall, Horsham. The admission is free and you can click here for more information.

- Chloe Collyer, Art Editor

An action-packed time in Oxford

2010-07-20T15:55:00.001+01:00

This year the sun was out for the duration of Art in Action, a four-day festival of art in the grounds of Waterperry House near Oxford which was a bonus because it meant that people didn’t have to squelch around in wellies while dodging the downpours, as has become a feature of outdoor events in British summer time.

However, the high standard of work on display and the amount of one-off bargains on art materials means that even if the weather had been bad, it certainly wouldn’t have deterred visitors.

Although I was on the stand chatting to readers and selling subscriptions, there was ample opportunity to have a good look around. One of the best things about Art in Action is that, as much of a cliché as it sounds, there really, truly is something for anyone involved in art. There are entire tents dedicated to individual disciplines and within them professional artists at work, offering tips and fielding questions to the general public. I watched as part of a growing crowd while a potter threw the most delicate but totally symmetrical pot, repeatedly returned to check the progress of a portrait artist working slowly but surely on a very still model, and saw a variety of heavy printmaking machinery in full operation.

With so much skill on show, Artists & Illustrators were not to be outdone and so on the stand we were joined by master watercolourists Rob and Siân Dudley whose demonstrations, which included expert brush techniques and the use of masking fluid, were jam-packed throughout the day. If you made it to the show and enjoyed seeing the duo in action, be sure to check out their weekend workshops - for more information, click here.

Anyway, it was great to meet all of you who attended the event and look forward to seeing you again next year!

Bold tendencies on a Peckham rooftop

2010-07-01T10:47:00.004+01:00

I shouldn’t imagine it’s often that suited-and-booted city boys or PR darlings would choose Peckham over the Square Mile or Soho for an evening of music, drinking and art. But last night everyone on the London Art scene hot-footed it to the roof of the multi-storey car park off Rye Lane to quaff Campari cocktails and look at sculpture, against a panoramic backdrop of our capital.

Bold Tendencies 4, an annual show by Hannah Barry Gallery, is a collection of contemporary sculptural pieces by the likes of Rachel Adams and Alex Hoda. Much of the work was intriguing at least, inspired at best. There were a lot of the standard “so which is the actual sculpture, then?”, “right in front of you...” exchanges, but that’s to be expected when you venture away from the ordinary. Admittedly, it could also have been more to do with the sheer volume of people – including Mick Jagger and Jeffrey Archer - impeding clear vision. To appreciate the art rather than the view (and it is extraordinary, especially in the early evening), it might be best to go back at a quieter time.

The exhibition runs until 30th September and is open Thursday-Sunday 10am-10pm. Click here for more details.

- Martha Alexander

Glynn Griffiths revisited

2010-06-29T09:48:00.004+01:00

In the Summer issue of Artists & Illustrators, we caught up with photojournalist-turned-sculptor Glynn Griffiths as he put the finishing touches to his latest work. He has kindly displayed the article on his own website - click here to see it. The rest of his portfolio is well worth investigating, particularly the rather striking Vitruvian Man Revisited, which you can see by clicking here.

As for the new Summer issue we mentioned, it's in the shops now, just in case you were wondering... ;)

An Act of God?

2010-06-17T09:27:00.005+01:00

A 19-metre high sculpture of Jesus has miraculously been burned to the ground after it was struck by lightning in the US. Created by designer Brad Coriel and sculptor James Lynch, King of Kings was situated on Interstate 75, outside a large church near Monroe, Ohio. The styrofoam core ignited when it was struck during a storm on Monday evening, leaving only a charred metal skeleton behind.

The $250,000 sculpture was known by locals as the "Touchdown Jesus" because it resembled an American football player celebrating, yet it loathed by art critics, including The Times's Waldemar Januszczak who featured it in a recent documentary. So do you think it was a freak accident or an act of God?

The New Picasso?

2010-06-16T09:58:00.003+01:00

Most weeks we get sent details of at least one artist whose gallery is claiming they are the "new Picasso", when a quick perusal of their work reveals them to be either a) vaguely abstract, b) a bit obsessed with rounded women, or c) just not very good.

However, this week, one artist caught our attention who could yet turn out to deserve the tag. Amazingly, Hamad Walid Al Humaidhan is just 10 years old and yet is currently exhibiting alongside seasoned artists at The Gallery in Liverpool. His exhibitions so far have sold out, with his portraits currently selling for four-figure sums.

His father, Walid, told the Liverpool Daily Post: “I noticed Hamad’s paintings resembled Picasso and Dali and I went into a gallery to see what they thought. They liked it and we went from there to get an agent. I am very proud of Hamad’s ability."

So do you think Hamad is destined to become one of the 21st century's greatest artists or is he just a precocious talent with an eye for copying styles of the masters? We've included his painting, Peace, below and you can see more of his work at The Gallery in Liverpool until 25 June. Let us know what you think!

Wire Gorillas? Humorous Mothballs? It must be the RA Summer Exhibition...

2010-06-10T16:49:00.004+01:00

Aside from a gargantuan gorilla made entirely of coat-hangers (David Mach), a car crash (Yinka Shonibare), and a cheeky nude self-portrait by one of the stalwart members (Anthony Green, showing more flesh than usual and flying the flag for keeping marriage alive after 40 years), I thought the Royal Academy’s 2010 Exhibition was rather more modest than previous years.

Last year, Tracey Emin’s rather bombastic room, which had content-advisory warnings at the entrance, became the benchmark for shockability at Burlington House, so it was likely that this year’s show was to be rather more understated. There seemed to be more painting, and within that more muted tones, so much so that one room was entirely devoted to monochrome.

But with ‘Raw’ as the theme and Royal Academicians Stephen Chambers and David Chipperfield at the co-ordination helm, there is still plenty get your teeth into.

Six paintings by Gillian Ayres take up an entire wall in a riot of shape and colour, while a ‘room of scribbling’ curated by Aileen Jones further triumphs abstraction with works by John Hoyland, Maurice Cockerill and Barbara Rae each recognisable for their individual styles.

My favorite, the Small Weston Room, with it’s jigsaw of pictures offers up which was for me the biggest treat of the exhibition, a glass cabinet containing woollen balls with various Lepidoptera intricately embroidered on them, ingeniously entitled Moth Balls – Claire Moynihan offering a shining example of the subtle humour that flavours this year’s show.

- Martha Alexander

Nathan David at home

2010-05-06T10:03:00.000+01:00

When our photographer Andy Smith visited Nathan David's sculpture studio in South London last month, he made this video of the artist which we thought we would share with you...

Read our full feature with Nathan David (and see Andy's excellent photos!) in the June issue of Artists & Illustrators, in the shops now.

Dream guest doesn't disappoint

2010-05-05T14:47:00.005+01:00

They say you should never meet your heroes but last Friday, I met one of mine and I wasn’t disappointed.

Actually this was the second time I had met Tracey Emin (who would be top of the guestlist at my fantasy dinner party, along with the likes of George Clooney, Dorothy Parker and Sir Terry Wogan). The first was at a blood-curdlingly intimidating fashion press party in London, where I felt like a solid trying to do a liquid’s job. After a few complimentary cocktails I saw in Emin a face I recognised and believed this meant I personally knew her, and greeted her as such. She was extremely cordial and even though clearly she had no idea who I was, she didn’t point it out.

Sober in Emin’s hometown of Margate for the launch of her latest neon, I Never Stopped Loving You, it was a different story and I was less bold. It was a big deal for me to speak to Emin about her work and I wasn’t going to blow it by asking dud questions or bumbling my way through the interview. Although I don’t think it would have mattered if I had. Why do we always assume that all successful people are polished and publicity perfect? She showed no signs of PR robotics, and for that, I had to applaud her. Emin doesn’t sweep into rooms with an entourage, nor has she rehearsed answers in her bathroom mirror and she doesn’t try to shock or be clever. But she is still shocking and she is very, very clever.

What else can I tell you about her without ruining the feature in next month's magazine? I could start by stating that she’s not just Tracey ‘The Bed’ Emin. I could also say that she’s intelligent and articulate. That she has very clean perfectly oval fingernails. That she has a passion for her hometown. That she can laugh at herself but takes her work very seriously. For the rest, you’ll just have to wait and see, but in the meantime I might just smoke out Sir Terry.

- Martha Alexander

Drawing on the masters

2010-05-04T09:34:00.006+01:00

I went to see the British Museum's latest exhibition last week and would definitely recommend it for anybody interested in improving their drawing skills or just finding out a little about how the Renaissance masters put together their most imaginative and dynamic works. Fra Angelico to Leonardo - Italian Renaissance Drawings takes us on a grand tour of the 15th century, showing us works by Raphael, Michelangelo and Titian, not to mention the oldest surviving pairing of Renaissance painting and prep drawing.

Aside from the works, what makes this such an enjoyable visit is the sheer amount of information and inspiration that you can pick up. The curators neatly explain how the developments in materials (particularly paper) allowed the artists to get their ideas down quicker than before, and then in turn how this allowed them to secure wealthy patrons through competitive pitching of grander ideas. The way it is laid out also allows you to compare the styles of the various artists, from Da Vinci's grand, technical ideas to Raphael's sparser, meticulous approach. To avoid crowding the displays, the Museum gives you a time slot when you book tickets which is probably for the best - otherwise the temptation would be to stay in there for a few days to take it all in!

It really is worth investigating and be sure to let us know your own thoughts on the comments section below if you do drop by - the exhibition runs until 25 July. In the meantime, here is a video introduction from the British Museum's own blog to give a taste of what to expect...

Make way for The Gruffalo!

2010-04-30T10:07:00.000+01:00

Is it really that time again?! Yes, the latest issue should be hitting the doormats of subscribers and the shelves of all good newsagents today. The cover story is our exclusive interview with Axel Scheffler, the hugely successful children's illustrator with a surprisingly philosophical take on his art and fame. The man behind The Gruffalo gives us an exclusive peak at his early sketchbooks and offers advice for all budding illustrators looking to get their work published.

Also in this issue, the Wildlife special kicks off with an intro from David Shepherd and features tips and advice from some of the UK's leading artists in the field (no pun intended!), plus a wildlife painting masterclass from Bristol Zoo's own in-house artist!

In the practical section, there is a slice of iconic pop art in our Classic in Close Up feature, a look at Picasso's techniques, a test of the best watercolour brushes and some novel ways to add texture to your paintings. So do make sure you pick up a copy and take a look!

Thanks to all your responses for our hunt for art blogs earlier in the month too - we're going to go and investigate them all now...

Blog Solidarity

2010-04-08T16:42:00.003+01:00

To show a bit of blogging solidarity, I thought we should point out that one of our regular freelance photographers Andy Smith can be found on blogspot here.

Andy will be off to shoot a sculpture studio in South London for us next week and also took the portrait of Mark Braithwaite on the cover of our latest issue - pictured left. Keep an eye out on his blog for videos of his various shoots - there is rumoured to be an Artists & Illustrators shoot appearing on there very soon...

Does anybody else have any interesting art related blogs they could recommend we take a look at?

Monopoly and the boyhood dream

2010-03-30T11:16:00.005+01:00

As an artist, I am often on the look out for shared experiences to allow viewers to better connect with my work. Images from our childhood can be a great way of triggering emotions and nostalgia, particularly the popular brands of sweets, toys and games that we have all eaten or played.

Take Monopoly, for example. Most of us will know the concept and associate with a time and place, even if we haven't spent hours of our lives trotting a metallic Scottie dog and a top hat around the board, passing jail, collecting £200 and accruing more plastic property in an hour than we will likely afford in the whole of our real, adult lives.

Anyway, this is all a roundabout way to introduce the real reason for this post. Scotland's Kilmorack Gallery is in with the chance to be included on a new "Highlands" edition of the popular board game. It is now down to a public vote and we have just voted for them. As the gallery's director, Tony Davidson, said: "It would be a great celebration of contemporary art and a boyhood dream."

If you want to help Tony fulfil that boyhood dream, simply email monopoly@winningmoves.co.uk with "I vote for Kilmorack Gallery" in the subject line. We'll let you know how they get on soon...

Cashing in on 50 years of portraits

2010-03-17T13:43:00.003Z

It was 50 years ago today that HM The Queen first appeared on a Bank of England banknote - the long-forgotten £1 note. To coincide with this anniversary, the Bank of England Museum have launched an exhibition looking at the development of the portrait, which opens today too.

We were really taken by the concept of this exhibition. On the one hand, these are probably the most ubiquitous portraits in the UK, carried around in wallets, purses and rolls by almost all of us. On the other hand, they could also be one of the most overlooked set of portraits too. Despite probably carrying one with you as you read this, who has really stopped to look at these ornate artworks in any great detail?

And what of the four artists behind the five portraits we have seen over the years - Robert Austin, Reynolds Stone, Harry Ecclestone and Roger Withington? We know very little about them but this neat collection of drawings, letters, rejected designs and printed plates should offer us a small glimpse into four of the 20th centuries most coveted and undervalued print artists.

Interestingly, the show also reveals that the last portrait was made by Withington in 1990 - two whole decades ago. Surely we need to find another artist to update Her Majesty's image for 21st century spenders? It certainly begs the question: which artist would you like to see given the job?

Treasures of the Deep!

2010-03-10T10:22:00.004Z

In the March issue of Artists & Illustrators, we showed you a progress report from Jason de Caires Taylor's fantastic underwater sculpture park that is currently being put together in Cancun. While we were excited to show you a glimpse of one of the works in the magazine, we couldn't resist following it up here when Jason forwarded on a video of the first pieces in situ. Click on the play button and dive straight in...

Supermarket sweep

2010-03-05T10:57:00.004Z

The latest issue of Artists & Illustrators hit the shops last Friday and I was pleased to spot it in my local Sainsburys too! They don't stock any other art magazines in our particular corner of North London so it was nice to see all of our hard work gleaming back at us from the stands, somewhere between Men's Health and that peculiar Jamie Oliver magazine.

It's a bumper issue too. We opted for a botanical special to coincide with the first blooms of spring appearing and hope that you can benefit from the expert tips to help improve your floral art.

David FeBland is our cover star, a British-born painter who has spent most of his life in the US or travelling across dozens of countries with his wife on a tandem bike. The former illustrator has really taken to painting in his later years and his vast figurative landscapes are really worth looking at.

If you are sufficiently inspired by all of that, then our 21-page practical section will load you with practical advice to turn those ideas into images. We have an in-depth watercolour masterclass, a beginner's guide to aquatint printing, two great drawing exercises and much, much more. Look out for it in all good newsagents, galleries... and supermarkets!

Art For Haiti

2010-02-17T09:35:00.003Z

There have been a few charity exhibitions popping up in recent weeks to help survivors of the Haiti earthquake. Our long lead times mean we can't always mention them in the magazine in time but we thought you might want to hear about this one as soon as possible.

Work by more than 40 artists from across Norfolk will be on show at Sheringham Little Theatre from Monday (22 February), as part of an exhibition and sale in aid of the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Hosted by North Norfolk Artspace, the show will feature paintings and prints by well-known artists and photographers including John Midgley, Helen Herbert, Ger A Elwood, Martin Battye, John Vesty (see The Late Shop Girl, pictured left), David Morris, John Rance and Maureen Cherry. Proceeds will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella organisation made up of 13 humanitarian aid agencies, including the British Red Cross, Oxfam and Save the Children.

Exhibition organiser Karen Bethell thanked all those who had submitted work for the show, or donated prints, sketches and greetings cards. "I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of artists, who have given hundreds of pounds worth of work to be sold in aid of the appeal," she said. "And although this was originally intended to be an exhibition of North Norfolk artists' work, I have received donations of paintings, prints and greetings cards from people from all over the county."

Art For Haiti, in aid of the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal, runs at Sheringham Little Theatre, 2 Station Road, NR26 8RE, from February 22 - March 21. For more information, or to buy work online, visit www.northnorfolkartspace.co.uk

Revisiting the Golden Age

2010-02-10T16:46:00.005Z

In the process of writing up a piece on Donald Clark for the April issue (see his Figs, 2008, above), I felt that given his prime inspirations were 17th Century Dutch still life painters, I should brush up on the Dutch Golden Age, an era about which I knew shamefully little.

It’s a period that sits under the Baroque umbrella, and shares many characteristics however what sets it aside is the abrasive and exceptionally intricate realism involved, and the abandoning of idealized romanticism.

The Dutch Golden Age was an era fraught with categorisation and hierarchy. They placed varied importance on different genres, with still life pretty much bringing up the rear. This is surprising, given that that it was the best opportunity for artists to show off their precision of brushwork, dedication to accuracy and handling of texture.

I was thrilled to learn that there was traditionally a lot more to still life than I gave it credit for. The objects mean something! This wasn’t just artists painting inanimate objects found only in their kitchens or at harvest festivals for the sake of it, they were actually creating messages. Although as it turns out these were often quite gloomy – all of the fresh fruit is meant to remind us of mortality, perishability. That’s realism, alright...

I was pretty pleased that Donald didn’t mention anything about depressing subliminal messages in his own work. He’s more interested in how the colours and objects offset each other, which they do excellently as you will see in the next issue.

- Martha Alexander, Staff Writer

Hot Off The Press!

2010-02-01T11:05:00.004Z

Ok, so the world might have got a bit excited over the launch of the new Apple iPad last week but, in our opinion, you can't beat browsing a magazine in the traditional way - hot off the presses. Our new issue has just arrived back from the printers and it's looking great...

Getting us in the Valentine's mood, our cover star Angela Smyth will be introducing her fun, love-themed portraits, while there is also an exclusive interview with that old romantic Jack Vettriano.

On the techniques side, our new look practical section includes an introduction to inks, a look at Michelangelo's drawings and a watercolour masterclass from Search Press author Joe Dowden.

Plus, look out for the chance to win a £675 summer school place in Cornwall with our fantastic new competition... Fingers crossed!

The March issue of Artists & Illustrators should hit the shops on Friday so reserve your copy today!

Mixing Business With Pleasure

2010-01-11T16:19:00.003Z

Sometimes business can be a real pleasure and that was the case today when we went to visit the Winsor & Newton offices in North London. As well as finding out all about their latest developments and a new product launch due in the next few months, we also got to have a nose around their museum to see the full history of the company.

Nowadays of course you can just wander into an art shop and pick up one of hundreds of pre-mixed tubes of paint but it was fascinating to see the various experiments undertaken by the company's founders, William Winsor and Henry Newton.

If you are keen to visit the museum or find out more about how Winsor & Newton make their paints on a much larger scale today, you can find out more about their factory tours by clicking here.

Get your Christmas cards from us!

2009-11-19T17:02:00.004Z

Robert Hinton's winning design for our official Artists & Illustrators Christmas card competition is now available to buy from the The Postcard Company Ltd.

You can buy a pack of ten cards for just £4.95 with P&P directly from them. Just click this link here and you can find the details on the right hand side of their page.

And don't forget, five percent of all the Artists & Illustrators Christmas card orders will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation UK.

Festive fun in the new issue

2009-11-13T12:46:00.002Z

The December issue of Artists and Illustrators is now on the shelves of all good bookshops, newsagents, galleries and art stores.

Naturally we are in a festive mood and from asking our favourite artists to tell us what they would like for Christmas, it seems they are too. This is issue is packed with seasonal delights; from how to create and market your own Christmas artwork to the best art books for your friends and relatives. Plus an inside look at the production prcocesses behind Roche Pastels and a helpful guide to varnishing your paintings.

Don't miss out! Pick up your copy today or head to our website by clicking here to get a money-saving subscription.

Turn a vacant space into a creative place!

2009-10-21T10:14:00.004+01:00

We were just sent a press release which we thought would be of interest:

Art in empty spaces: turning vacant spaces into creative places

Arts Council England’s £500,000 initiative to help artists turn vacant high street shops into artistic and vibrant places is now open for applications.

From today artists are able to apply for grants to support artistic activity that will transform empty retail units into creative spaces - anything from an art gallery to recording studios or family arts workshops - which the whole community can enjoy.

The programme, Art in Empty Spaces, which was announced in April, will run in partnership with the Department for Communities and Local Government’s scheme Looking After Our Town Centres, which will invest £3 million to reinvigorate ailing town centres during the recession.

Art in Empty Spaces is funded with an additional £500,000 of National Lottery funds available through Arts Council England’s Grants for the arts programme. This extra money will be set aside from the core Grants for the arts funds and used specifically for artistic activity in vacant premises in town centres.

The money is intended to enable artists to connect their work with even more people in fresh and imaginative ways, despite the current tough economic climate. Priority will be given to projects where the activity begins within three months of a grant being awarded.

The role the arts can play in economic regeneration can already be seen across the country, where the innovative use of empty shops is already helping to prevent high street decline.

For example, in Chester, Roam the Rows uses the high street as its setting for the annual Chester Performs festival, which brings a mix of arts events and installations to the historic city centre. Artists take over both empty and occupied shops and public spaces to create new and stimulating experiences for shoppers and passers-by.

Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England said: “The arts offer escape and comfort in tough times and they have the power to play a key role in our recovery from recession.

“Art in empty spaces is a wonderful way for artists to connect with even more people in unexpected places and to turn the depressing sight of another empty shop into an encounter with something different.”

More information about the scheme and how to apply can be found at www.artscouncil.org.uk/artinemptyspaces.

Online competition winners...

2009-10-15T11:41:00.004+01:00

Congratulations to Pam Henk from Wolverhampton, Stephen Hills from Hither Green and Fiona Wright from Southport - all three were selected from the hundreds of you who entered our recent A&C Black competition online.

All three winners will be receiving copies of Colin Gale's Practical Printmaking and Pete Smithson's Installing Exhibitions - A Practical Guide direct from the publishers soon.

If you missed out, you can order copies of those titles - or plenty of other great art books - direct from the A&C Black website by clicking here or else try your hand at entering our latest online competition - click here to be taken to our online entry form and details.

A very satisfied art tutor...

2009-10-15T10:47:00.006+01:00

Over the past year, we have been teaming up with the Field Studies Council and a number of high-profile art suppliers and tutors to offer a range of exclusive art workshops - and Bob Hughes certainly enjoyed hosting the Chroma-sponsored event at Preston Montford last weekend.

"The atmosphere and camaraderie of the group was very pleasant, which also made it a pleasure for me to teach them," he said. "We spent quite a bit of time discovering how to mix colours using the Atelier Interactive acrylics... I showed the group various exercises including my usual colour swatch exercise and also watercolour exercises on wet-in-wet."

You can read Bob's full account of the weekend on his excellent art blog here. And if you missed out on the weekend, there are still a few places left on the last of this year's workshops too - click here for more information or call 0845 345 4071 to book a place.

Design our official Christmas Card

2009-10-14T12:27:00.006+01:00

While we are as scared as anyone that there have been mince pies in the shops for the past month, there is unfortunately no escaping the fact that as the nights draw in, talk will sooner or later turn to Christmas.

One positive aspect of this prolonged festive period is the Artists & Illustrators Christmas Card competition. We are after your most imaginative and eye-catching artworks to use on our official 2009 Christmas card, which will be sent out to all manner of high-profile artists and major art institutions and suppliers. The winning artist will also receive 100 cards for their own use, printed up professionally on high-quality card by the lovely people at The Postcard Company Ltd. (where the design will also go on sale!).

To enter, all you have to do is paint or draw a wintry or festive scene. It could be comical, serious, religious - whatever you like, in any medium. When it is complete, simply email a hi-res jpeg of the work to: 2009@artistsandillustrators.co.uk

Be sure to include you name, address and daytime contact number with the image too. And you must be quick - the closing date is just two weeks away. All entries must be with us by 28 October 2009. Good luck!

Meeting Boo Ritson...

2009-10-13T16:21:00.003+01:00

Admittedly, I wasn’t really sure what to expect when meeting Boo Ritson, but one thing I certainly wasn’t prepared for (thanks to her gloriously conspicuous works achieved by slathering household paint over human beings and photographing the results) was how understated she is.

She was wearing grey. She is small and slight and pretty. She spoke in a fitting low, quiet voice, that she later told me was a symptom of the pneumonia she was suffering from, typically, in the run up to her current show, Back-Roads Journeys.

I had been geared-up to do a bit of jostling for her time and attention on the eve of the exhibition, which divides into two parts that run simultaneously at separate Mayfair galleries, however Ritson couldn’t have been more welcoming and relaxed.

I was given a personal tour of The Gas Station, and more importantly, told the story of the characters found there. Meeting her gave substance to her style; now I know that what lies beneath the paint is more than just flesh and bones, I can barely wait to go to The Diner on Saturday...

Back-Roads Journeys runs in two parts until 21 November, with The Diner at Alan Cristea and The Gas Station at Poppy Sebire. Look out for my interview with Ritson in a forthcoming issue of Artists & Illustrators...

- Martha Alexander, Staff Writer

Editor's Note... Society of Graphic Art

2009-10-07T12:58:00.003+01:00

What do you think of as drawing? For me, it’s line work in pen or pencil; perhaps with shading, perhaps without. But visit the annual exhibition of the Society of Graphic Fine Art and you will have your preconceptions challenged.

The society was started in 1919 to “foster good draughtsmanship” and its annual show now features a lot more than just line work: from watercolours to linocuts – even collages. But what is evident with all the works currently on the two floors of the Menier Gallery is the breadth of talent and imagination of its members.

At the prizegiving ceremony last night, Royal Academician Norman Ackroyd enthused about the various images on display, chatting with each winner about their technique. In a line of continuity, he said that he currently uses the etching press once owned by Sir Frank Brangwyn, an early president of the society.

As well as a treat to see the excellent work in the show, it was an opportunity for me to chat to several members who have made invaluable contributions to Artists & Illustrators over the past three years. And, in these days when movies, constructions and noises all compete as art, it was very nice to realise that drawing is alive and well.

The 88th Annual Open Exhibition runs at the Menier Gallery, 51 Southwark Street, London SE1 until Saturday.

- Lynn Parr, editor

New student competition from Chroma

2009-10-07T12:17:00.004+01:00

The art suppliers Chroma have announced a new online student art competition, with huge cash prizes to be won and the chance to improve your chances of making a splash in the competitive international art world.

The Chroma Student Art Competition 2009-2010 is open to students enrolled in a tertiary (or higher education) art course with a duration of at least one year. Students must be a resident of either the USA, Canada, UK, New Zealand or Australia.

Click here to head to the Artists & Illustrators website to find out how to enter and more importantly... what you can win!

Let the judging commence!

2009-10-01T09:30:00.000+01:00

The judging for The Bath Prize will be taking place this morning, with 154 works from 94 different painters in contention for the £5,000 prize fund. The Mayor of Bath and The Spectator critic Laura Gascoigne will be among those tasked with judging the entries and based on the sneak preview we've had, we don't envy that task!

David Collett of host gallery Hawkins Fine Art told us: "We are delighted with the quality of the entries to the competition." We were particularly taken by the Shane Feeney piece, below, but we'll publish the full results once we hear from the team...

A Big Thank You!

2009-09-29T16:04:00.004+01:00

We've just received news from our ever-stylish ads director Steve Ross that Artists & Illustrators currently has more subscribers than at any point in its 25-year history. So thanks to all of our subscribers past and present for supporting us and we hope we continue to produce quality magazines, keep you all interested and maybe even bump that total up even higher over the next quarter century.

And as for the rest of you, it's not to late to join in the fun...

Anish Kapoor opens with a bang...

2009-09-28T12:00:00.001+01:00

After previewing it for our current issue, we popped along to the new Anish Kapoor show at the Royal Academy yesterday to see and it is safe to say that the queues out of the door will be a fixture for the next few months. Luckily we didn't have to wait long and were kept entertained by his glorious courtyard sculpture, Tall Tree And The Eye, a mass of highly polished spheres that reflect the surrounding architecture beautifully and play havoc with your own reflection.

Inside, you'll find plenty of similarly interactive mirror works and optical trickery but the undoubted highlight was Shooting Into The Corner, an installation work that features a giant paint cannon! Every 20 minutes, an assistant steps out of a side door, loads the cannon with a red bomb made of pigment, wax and vaseline and then readies the machine. The sense of anticipation among the crowd as the assistant cranks up the air pressure was palpable, beaten only by the gasps when the paint bullet eventually launches itself - surprisingly slowly - across the gallery and splats against the wall of the Small Weston Room.

We're not sure whether it should even be labelled an artwork or just a piece of pure theatre but for sheer gallery-bound thrills, you are unlikely to see anything quite like it for a long time to come. We won't spoil the rest of the visual surprises in store but suffice to say, it's definitely well worth a visit but we would recommend booking tickets in advance, to avoid disappointment and help jump those queues. Find more information on the show and book advance tickets at the Royal Academy's website by clicking here.

Turner's competitive side

2009-09-24T17:09:00.003+01:00

JMW Turner, Dutch Boats in a Gale ('The Bridgewater Sea Piece')

1801, oil on canvas, 162.5x221cm. Private collection

Firstly, apologies for the lack of posts around here. After a few weeks off and the subsequent time spent catching up with the next issue, it has been a hectic time at Artists & Illustrators of late. Anyway, yesterday we were privilege to be one of the first to visit Tate Britain's new Turner & The Masters exhibition and we thought we'd give you a heads up.

First the good news. For lovers of skilled romantic landscape painting, it is undoubtedly one of the finest collections you will see this year. There are 46 oil and watercolour works by Turner himself, offset by the various masterpieces that inspired him. As a trainee artist, he would often copy compositions or refashion them in his own, increasingly distinctive way. Arranged chronologically, we see him first take on Van der Valde and struggle to find depth in the brooding clouds of his own seascape (see above) but later he ventures stylistically far enough from Canaletto's The Bacino di San Marco on Ascension Day to make his own painting of the Bridge of Sighs a very satisfying exercise.

The main problem we had was with the overall layout of the show. Sure, it makes for an interesting set of comparisons and the Tate curators have done a fantastic job assembling it all, but the whole idea of contrasting two approaches to the same composition makes it all seem slightly academic and detracts from the sheer joy of the brushwork or the deft handling of light and shade. You find yourself wanting to keep score in your head too. You can almost hear Des Lynam in your head reading out the scores: Rembrandt 1, JMW Turner 0...

Maybe you'll disagree. We'd be interest to hear from you if you do pay the show a visit before it closes on December 11. And don't forget to check out the latest issue of Artists & Illustrators with our exclusive guide to painting like Turner so you can play him at his own game. And who knows, maybe soon the score will be: A&I Reader 1, Turner 0!

Look what we've started...

2009-09-07T15:04:00.000+01:00

For our new series of Starting Art features in the magazine, our intention had been to give all you dedicated painters and illustrators some ideas for new mediums to explore - so far we've looked at things like linocut printing and airbrushing. However, what we didn't expect was how much fun we've had turning our own hands to the various challenges we've been setting you...

We've just been putting together a piece for the October issue on soapstone sculpting and our Art Editor Chloe has been charged with getting to grips with the medium. Soapstone is apparently the easiest way for beginners to try their hand at sculpting. So what was Chloe's verdict? "I got very dusty but I've had a great time!"

To see the finished carving and read more about the basic requirements and considerations for making your own first sculpture, make sure you pick up the October issue of Artists & Illustrators - out in the shops on September 18th. And don't forget: once you've read any of the Starting Art features in the magazine, you can head to the website for even more inspiration. For example, if you've got the latest issue of Artists & Illustrators (Issue 278) and enjoyed our Starting Art feature on life drawing, you can head to our website here to find five great exercises to try out...

Brighton Up Your Autumn!

2009-09-04T10:43:00.002+01:00

If the end of summer is getting you down, there's a great little colourful exhibition opening up tomorrow at Brighton's Art At Five gallery. Dreamscapes features the work of Kim Anderson, Yvonne Coomber and Nick Vivian, whose A Place For Contemplation is pictured above. All three artists have attempted to capture the magic of the natural world through both real and imagined spaces, with all three using great swathes of brilliant turquoises, scarlets and yellows.

The details of the show arrived a little too late for our last issue but be sure to check it out if you are in the city over the next fortnight. Dreamscapes runs 5-20 September at Art At Five, 5 Bartholomews, Brighton.

Artist of the Year Exhibition

2009-09-03T11:10:00.003+01:00

Rain sliced down in glinting silver javelins last night, so forceful they almost pitted the pavement. Windscreens were cloudy with spray spattered from log-jammed traffic. But atrocious weather was no obstacle for Artists & Illustrators readers: it was the opening night of the Artist of the Year show in Oxford’s O3 Gallery – and nothing was going to stop the winners attending, no matter how far they had to come.

Based in the refurbished Oxford Castle, a prison until relatively recently, the O3’s circular, split-level format is ideal for showing artworks. The paintings were hung in their own individual space on the rugged stone walls, allowing viewers to see their quality at eye level. Up close like this I was amazed at the depth and narrative achieved in each – judging prints of the works we could only see dimensions of colour, composition and idea: face to face we could see into the paintings, finding nuances and details of technique that made them even more stunning.

The winning artists were from a wide variety of backgrounds and regions, from Scotland to Somerset. There were art teachers, artists-in-residence, painters who had won after trying out a new technique or subject – even someone who had only taken up painting a few months before entering. But one thing they had in common regardless of their background was pride. And so they should. They were all worthy winners.

Make sure you enter next year!

Get Wild in Hampshire Next Weekend

2009-08-24T09:00:00.000+01:00

Marwell International Wildlife Art Society (MIWAS) is celebrating their 11th annual wildlife art exhibition at Marwell Wildlife Park in Hampshire, by holding the world’s largest annual display of paintings and sculptures this weekend (27-30 August).

The four-day event will play host to the BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year Awards 2009 and there will also be around 700 stunning exhibits on display in Marwell Hall by more than 170 artists and sculptors. Visitors will be able to meet some of the artists in two large art marquees next to the exhibition.

New issue is out today!

2009-08-21T09:00:00.000+01:00

The latest issue of Artists & Illustrators is out in all good newsagents, supermarkets, galleries and art shops today.

We're in the holiday mood with some unusual takes on the traditional idea of art breaks. There are tips from art safari experts who have devoted their lives to finding the wildest of life models and also tales from the high seas, courtesy of a cruise ship art tutor. Plus, we have a competition to win a painting holiday worth £1,500. How's that for recession busting?

Also inside, there will be tips on becoming a professional illustrator, a hog hair brush product test, plenty of practical how-to features and even an exclusive glimpse at the Royal Academicians at work in our My Studio special.

Don't miss out, pick up your copy today or head to our website by clicking here to get a money-saving subscription.

Seeing Double

2009-08-19T16:11:00.007+01:00

As we were looking at the details for Tate Modern's new exhibition, Pop Life: Art in a Material World, we spotted this unusual call for entries that we thought might make you smile:

Take Part in a Damien Hirst Performance
For the exhibition, Tate Modern will recreate Damien Hirst’s performance shown at Cologne’s Unfair art fair in 1992. Identical twins will sit beneath two identical spot paintings for the duration of Pop Life: Art in a Material World. Tate Modern is appealing for identical twins to take part in this performance. If you would like to be involved, please email twins@tate.org.uk.

While it will undoubtedly be a fairly unusual sight for all to see, we can't help thinking it might be a little boring for the twins themselves. Who wants to be forced to sit in front of a painting without even being able to look at it?! The show opens on 1 October 2009 - let us know if you spot a pair of twins when you visit, or indeed if you are one of the volunteering twins.

Damien Hirst, Aurothioglucose 2008

household gloss and enamel paint on canvas, 68 x 108in

Good Housekeeping

2009-08-14T14:41:00.004+01:00

It's Friday afternoon and the day has been filled with busy editorial meetings but there is just time for a little spot of housekeeping and things to look out for this weekend. Firstly, congratulations to Rod Hunt, who has just been voted in as Chairman of the Association of Illustrators (AOI). We featured Rod's colourful illustration work in last October's issue of the magazine and we're sure he will continue the great work of the AOI.

Anyone planning on entering this year's Society of Wildlife Artists annual open exhibition needs to head down to the Mall Galleries today or tomorrow, where they will be receiving your open submissions. If you missed our listing in the magazine last month, it's not too late to enter - click here to go to the Mall Galleries site and download a registration pack which you can bring along with you.

If you're in the east of England this weekend, don't forget to check out the opening of the Curwen Studio - 50 Years exhibition at Ipswich's Town Hall Galleries. The show will be celebrating (just over) 50 years of the influential print studio's work with pieces by artists such as Paula Rego and Graham Sutherland. The exhibition opens tomorrow and runs until 26 September, with a family print workshop held next Saturday - call 01473 432374 to book a place.

And finally, don't forget to enter our exclusive online competition for the chance to win a set of Da Vinci watercolour brushes (RRP £39!) - see below. All you have to do is fill in your details and answer a simple question. Click here to be redirected to the entry form on our site.

Mystery cinema stars in our next issue...

2009-08-11T12:54:00.003+01:00

Our next issue is finally done and dusted, with the proofs heading off to the printers as we speak. And coincidentally we will be featuring the work of three different artists who have worked on big-budget movies...

The September issue of Artists & Illustrators will include an illustrator who has designed costumes for Johnny Depp, a portrait artist commissioned for a new British period drama and an oil painter who has worked on Star Wars, The Da Vinci Code and Four Weddings & A Funeral. Who are they? You'll just have to check the issue to find out - it should hit the shops on 21st August.

Want to exhibit alongside Damien Hirst?

2009-08-04T16:01:00.009+01:00

The housing charity Shelter has launched a nationwide competition offering budding artists and designers the chance to display their work alongside the biggest names in British art. They have invited 52 of the country’s top artists, photographers and designers - including Damien Hirst, Gerald Scarfe (see below) and Sir Terence Conran - to design a playing card for a unique exhibition as part of its award winning House of Cards campaign.

Launched in February this year, the TV and poster campaign depicts a collapsing house of playing cards to highlight the fragility of Britain’s housing market. The charity has held back one card and is now calling on the public to help complete the deck by creating the final card – the eight of clubs.

There are no restrictions or limitations to the way the card is designed - photography, sculptures, textiles, illustrations, street art or paintings are all welcome. The only rule is that it is an original work of art designed in a creative and interesting way. Entries should then be uploaded to Shelter’s microsite by Friday 21 August. The public will then have a week to vote on their favourite design before the top five will be put to painter, animation director and film-maker Simon Henwood who will choose the winner.

The winning card will be hung alongside the others at the Haunch of Venison gallery in London’s Piccadilly, where the House of Cards exhibition which will run from 24–28 September. The winning artist will also attend an exclusive launch party on the opening night. Shelter’s chief executive Sam Younger says: “This competition is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see your work appear alongside the very best in British art and design and I’d encourage anyone with creativity and imagination to enter.”

All of the works submitted can be viewed online, in a gallery of uploads here. If you do enter, be sure to drop back here and leave us a link to your work.

Digital trickery in BBC's art final

2009-08-03T10:05:00.006+01:00

BBC's The One Show were inspired by the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition and decided to run their own summer art competition. The winners were announced last week and the full shortlist - chosen by Chris Orr RA and the One Show presenters Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley - can be viewed and rated online here.

Interestingly though, one of the shortlisted works is not quite what it seems. Grumps, pictured right, was "painted" by Phil Howells on a digital art programme on his Apple iPhone - despite the competition requesting pieces in more traditional mediums like watercolour, crochet and pottery.

Phil explained: “When I started to look at the Brushes application and the work being produced with it, I began to consider whether it could actually pass as art. It took me two hours to create on a screen that’s 3x2 inches wide, so it’s fantastic that this can pass for art by someone with Chris Orr’s artistic credentials."

"I know there are already a lot of people working with the technology, creating exhibitions and impressive pieces, so it will be interesting to see how this develops as a tool within the industry as well as in the wider arena.”

So has Phil cheated the trusting nature of the judges with this digital image? Or are you excited by the prospect of being able to sketch on the go with impressive results? Let us know your thoughts...

Heatherley's - The Forgotten Art School

2009-07-31T16:03:00.004+01:00

I've just spent a lovely afternoon visiting the Heatherley School of Fine Art, which is one of the oldest independent art schools in the country and remains firmly committed to teaching fundamental fine art skills.

The School moved into new premises last summer and is just gearing up for their first of their summer art courses next week - click here for more details. The workshops and print rooms are fantastic, airy spaces, a real contrast from their last home, while the view from the roof terrace is simply breathtaking - I'm sorely tempted to head back soon for one of their en plein air classes. Heatherley's remains in an odd position though, having been thought of as a progressive institution in the Victorian era, while nowadays it is prized as a haven for learning fine art's more traditional skills. By rights, it's reputation should be up there with the Slade, the RCA, Glasgow and so on, but it remains treasured by an appreciative minority.

I was shown around by the lovely marketing lady Hero Johnson (a fine artist and former Heatherley's student - it's surely a good sign if they stay around, no?) who also let me delve into the archives of the School. Of course, the word "archives" brings to mind vast libraries of ordered files, when in truth there is precious little left. The majority of the School's costume department, sculptures and photographic history had been disposed off over the years as they have moved premises on several occasions.

As such, Johnson and the Heatherley's team are keen to hold on to what remains. They are currently working through the remaining boxes and albums (see above), with a mind to displaying the vintage photographs and articles in the future. It's fascinating stuff, with pictures dating back to the late 19th century that reveal unorthodox approaches to life drawing, Royal visits and glamorous end-of-term balls - look out for the next issue of Artists & Illustrators for a full photo spread, with some highlights from this private collection. In the meantime, why not check out their range of week-long summer courses or perhaps consider a longer placement for the new term in September (there are still a few places left) in order to help continue this institution's distinguished and rather colourful history.

- Steve Pill, Deputy Editor

Something for the weekend?

2009-07-31T10:14:00.000+01:00

If you've got a free weekend on your hands, why not get out to see an exhibition in your local area and get some inspiration from the Old Masters?

It's often difficult to choose where to go or what to see so here is a quick run down of a few of our favourite pre-20th Century shows that are currently on display. Click on the individual gallery names to be redirected to their own websites for more info too... And remember to tell them who sent you!

Burrell Collection

A Painter of Poems – Matthjis Maris

Until 27 September

This little known 18th century Dutch artist often worked in charcoal and pastel on the same sheet, resulting in smoggy, mysterious images of daily life. This Glasgow show contains 44 of his works on paper, the largest display of Maris' work outside the Netherlands.

Harris Museum & Art Gallery

Bella Vista: Italian Landscapes from the Harris Collection

Until 30 January 2010

If you can't afford an expensive foreign holiday this summer, indulge in a Grand Tour at Preston's Harris Art Gallery, thanks to this collection of work by a variety of 19th and 20th Century English landscape painters - see James Holland's The Gondola, Venice, pictured above left.

Laing Art Gallery

Thomas Bewick: Tale-Pieces

Until 18 October

Raised in a small Northumberland farming community, nature illustrator Thomas Bewick aimed to show important social truths in his delicate engravings and woodblock prints. Newcastle's Laing Art Gallery is currently showing 150 pieces from across his career - see right.

National Gallery

Corot To Monet

Until 20 September

If the daft exhibitionism of Antony Gormley's fourth plinth project doesn't appeal in Trafalgar Square, step inside the National for a fresh look at landscape with works from their extensive collection of Impressionist works. Elsewhere, in Room 1, Titian's Triumph Of Love is on display for the first time in almost 50 years - don't miss out!

National Museum Cardiff

Artistic Uprisings

Until 31 January 2010

Focusing on two generations of artists - the mid-19th century Realists and the later 19th Century Impressionists - this vast collection includes Monet's Waterlilies, Cezanne's Still Life with Teapot and Rodin's famous sculpture The Kiss. Pretty impressive, huh? The exhibition underlines how many of these gorgeous works were once considered controversial or politically challenging.

Editor's Note... Peter Randall-Page

2009-07-30T16:22:00.005+01:00

In this celebrity-obsessed age, we have become used to famous people lording it over us peasants and generally treating everyone around them as less-evolved creatures. It’s really refreshing, then, when you meet a celebrity who is respected around the world as being at the top of his game, yet who strikes you as one of the nicest people you’ve ever met. Such a person is the sculptor Peter Randall-Page, below, whom I met recently as he installed his latest exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

At the risk of sounding sycophantic, artists we interview for the magazine do generally seem to be cheerful, friendly types, regardless of whether they are fresh out of art school or planet-wide superstars such as Rolf Harris. But as a journalist you can’t help feeling a bit like the rat that dashed across in front of me near Battersea Bridge this morning – just doing your job, but not generally invited to tea parties unless someone wants publicity from you.

So when someone spends an entire day personally escorting journalists around his exhibition, explaining each and every piece, answering the same questions over and over with a smile, and interrupting a well-earned fag-break to rush off and be photographed yet again, you can’t help but admire him. And when it came to my turn, midway through the afternoon, he was just as eloquent and thoughtful as at the beginning of his long, hot day.

You'll be able to read that interview in the November issue of Artists & Illustrators - on sale 16 October. But in the meantime I do urge you to go to Yorkshire Sculpture Park before the exhibition ends in January. Not only is it a beautiful country park with stunning sculptures sprouting in unexpected places like exotic plants, but Peter’s Brobdingnagian forms carved from sensual stone and marble will make you gasp, wonder and want to throw your arms around them.

- Lynn Parr, editor

Who's that girl?

2009-07-27T12:58:00.011+01:00

If you've travelled on the London underground over the past few weeks, you will have no doubt spotted a mysterious girl glancing out from the National Portrait Gallery's posters for this year's BP Portrait Award, pictured right. After we saw two more people inspecting it on our journey to work this morning, we thought we'd shed some light on the subject...

This strikingly beautiful, alabaster-skinned lady is Georgie - an original oil painting by the artist Mary Jane Ansell. For us, it was one of our highlights of the BP Portrait Award exhibition and so we decided to find out a little bit more about the artist herself. As such, we decided to interview Mary-Jane for the Life Drawing section of next month's magazine, where she talks about everything from Georgie and the BP Award, to Dutch landscape masters and the benefits of Twitter!

The next issue comes out on 24 August but in the meantime, you can see the rest of her portfolio by clicking here or order a copy of the exhibition poster here.

August issue is out today!

2009-07-24T10:40:00.004+01:00

The August issue of Artists & Illustrators hits the shops today and we think you'll really love this one. On the cover we have Alan Stratford's That Certain Smile, the portrait painting that has won our prestigious Artist Of The Year 2009 competition. Inside you can find a portfolio special with all of the winners and runners up across the three categories. Is your entry included? Find out inside...

Alongside this stunning portfolio, we have a 16-page special celebrating Scottish Art, some expert advice for your painting holidays and a new in-depth product test section, comparing the best (and most unusual!) palettes on the market.

Plus, every issue contains a £5 voucher for spending at GreatArt, the UK's leading supplier of quality art materials. And that's not to mention all of the usual news, features, reviews and advice.... Phew! We hope you enjoy it.

Our local art school

2009-07-22T15:18:00.005+01:00

The Heatherley School of Fine Art is near to the Artists & Illustrators offices and rather aptly is one of the few art colleges in the UK to focus purely on portraiture, figurative painting and sculpture. It was established in 1845 and has recently moved to brand new light-filled studios on Lots Road in London's Chelsea.

The School's annual students’ exhibition opened today with all standards represented in the show, from the diplomas to the short course students - and there is lots of budding talent to see. Keep an eye out for Kate Turner, Hardashan Auhlak, Pru Llewellyn and Dermot Trimble, among plenty of others. The exhibition runs from today until Saturday 25th July. For more information on the school, click here.

Executions and fakes? The new National Gallery season announced

2009-07-21T11:34:00.006+01:00

The National Gallery in London have announced their exhibition programme for 2010 this morning and there are some exciting projects in the pipeline.

Things kick off next year on 24 February with Painting History: Delaroche and Lady Jane Grey, which traces the career of the early 19th century artist Paul Delaroche. The Frenchman caused something of a stir in his day, depicting scenes from history in a dramatic fashion – from the execution of the Queen of England to the trial of Marie Antoinette. Delaroche may not be as popular in the UK as he once was but this exhibition should cast his tragic tableaux in new light, charting his influence throughout subsequent generations.

Following this, the Sainsbury Wing will then be used to house works from the National Gallery’s collection that explore how the application of science has altered our understanding of fine art. Close Examination: Fakes, Mistakes and Discoveries opens on 30 June 2010 and re-evaluates the works of a number of Old Masters through 21st century eyes. The Gallery will prove its humility too, exhibiting a work that was purchased in 1845 as a Hans Holbein the Younger original but later resulted in the gallery’s keeper resigning following his mistake. Nobody’s perfect, right?

Well, you might reconsider when it gets to 13 October 2010 and Venice: Canaletto And His Rivals. The city has become a go-to destination for artists chasing the sublime light in the canals but those Renaissance boys set the watermark incredibly high. More than 50 major loans will present arguably the finest view of Venice ever seen in the UK, with Canaletto’s Santa Maria della Salute and the Entrance to the Grand Canal, Looking East every bit as close to perfection as its title is long – see below.

In between these blockbuster displays, look out for small Sunley Room displays focusing on Danish master Christen Købke and the British Symbolist painter Frederick Cayley Robinson.
For visitor information or to enquire about tickets, click here.

So are you excited by the chance to discover Delaroche or bored by the prospect of another collection of Venetian landscapes? And which artist or period would you like to see get the full National Gallery treatment in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.

Canaletto, Santa Maria della Salute and the Entrance to the Grand Canal, looking East, 1744

Art In Action

2009-07-17T10:06:00.005+01:00

The rain just about held off at the first day of this year's Art In Action festival yesterday and the Artists & Illustrators team were on hand to chat to the crowds and enjoy some of the art and entertainment (and ice cream) on offer.

If you are planning on visiting the event at Oxfordshire's Waterperry House over the next few days, do make sure you come and see us in tent 34. You'll get the chance to take a sneak preview of our Artist Of The Year competition winners, watch demonstrator Ronald Swanwick FRSA in action and even pick up a discounted subscription to the magazine.

Below you will find a few photographic highlights of the weekend so far, but if you do attend the event, be sure to leave us a comment below and let us know which bits you particularly enjoyed...

The festival crowds enjoy a break in the clouds outside Waterperry House

Last September's magazine cover star Michele del Campo was hard at work in the artist tent

Sculptor Simon Keeley relaxes after an afternoon's chiselling

A five-piece Mariachi band made an appearance outside this year's new Mexican art tent

Sculptors perfect their observational skills in the Art Academy's tent

We've finished!

2009-07-14T17:02:00.003+01:00

The August issue of Artists & Illustrators went to the printers today! It will include a 16-page feature on Scottish art, all of the Artist of the Year winners and a painting abroad feature - not to mention all the usual advice, inspiration and stunning artwork.

The issue will be in the shops on July 24...

Life Class on Channel 4

2009-07-13T12:29:00.006+01:00

Did any of you watch the new Channel 4 art series Life Class: Today's Nude that was shown every weekday afternoon last week? We had previewed it in the July issue of the magazine when we spoke to one of the tutors from the show, Judy Purbeck (pictured above, on set).

Respected artists including Maggi Hambling and Humphrey Ocean RA conducted life drawing classes, with the model shown on screen throughout, giving viewers the chance to join in at home. The show caused controversy for showing nudity before the 9pm watershed, despite it being in an artistic context.

Did the nudity put you off or did you try to follow the artists during any of the programmes? And did you find their advice - and the format of the series - a useful way of learning? We'd love to hear from you and see your life drawing sketches from the programme. You can post a copy of your drawings to us at Artists & Illustrators, 26-30 Old Church Street, London, SW3 5BY or else email a photo of them to us at info@artistsandillustrators.co.uk.

If you missed the series, the episodes are still available to watch online via Channel 4's 4OD service - click here for the menu.

...and Facebook too!

2009-07-08T10:57:00.004+01:00

Don't forget that you can also meet up with like-minded artists and art lovers on the official Artists & Illustrators Facebook page. You can post ideas for discussion or interesting art events and exhibitions, sharing them with our ever-expanding following. To find the group, just click the logo below...

Artists & Illustrators is on Twitter

2009-07-08T10:38:00.008+01:00

Artists & Illustrators magazine is now on Twitter! Click the blue Twitter logo below to find us, and sign up to start receiving regular updates from us, with all the latest offers, news and views from the Artists & Illustrators team.

If you are a regular Twitter user (a Twitterer? a Tweeter? a Twit?!) and have a good art-related Twitter user that you want to recommend, leave a comment here and let us know...

Decision Time!

2009-07-03T14:38:00.007+01:00

After sorting through hundreds of excellent and varied entries for the Artists & Illustrators Artist Of The Year 2009 competition, our judges have finally made their decisions - the Artist of the Year has been chosen!

To help with the judging process this year, the editorial team were joined by BP Portrait Prize winning artist Craig Wylie and Sophie Egleton, manager of competition sponsors the O3 Gallery. While each of us had our individual favourites, all the judges were in agreement on one thing - the standard was exceptionally high this year. As such, we've not just chosen winners and runners up in each of the three categories, but also a fourth commended work. Could it be you?

The winners will be announced in the next issue of the magazine - in the shops on July 24 - or you can visit our stall at this year's Art In Action festival in Oxfordshire from 16-19 July, where you can get a sneak peak of the winning entries. In the meantime, here is a shot of last year's overall winner Lucie Richmond, pictured at 2008's Art In Action with her winning work, Birch.

Welcome!

2009-07-02T12:17:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the new Artists & Illustrators blog - the official blogspot home of the UK's best-selling magazine for artists.

We will be using this blog to keep you up to date with all the developments at Artists & Illustrators. Declare yourself a follower or sign up to our RSS feed on the left and you will be the first to hear about news, interviews, competitions and offers from your favourite art magazine.

We will also be using this as an opportunity to post up more reader art as well, with the best and most unusual selections from our free online reader portfolio featuring here. Sign up today and you could be featured here soon!

Our Summer issue is out now. It features an eight-page special on Equestrian art, a photo special from the Royal Academy summer exhibition and our new look For Your Studio section. Click here for more details.

In the meantime, we are currently hard at work on our August issue and we'll be posting more details over the next few weeks... See you soon!