Liverpool is a creative city full of practicing artists, engaging gallery spaces and events led by the community. One independent space that contributes to the ambitious Liveprool art scene is Arena Studios & Gallery, a registered charity and an independent space run by artists.

We caught up with Arena to find out exactly what they can offer artists in Liverpool, and how you can apply for a residency in their studios.

What sorts of things happen at Arena Studios & Gallery?

Arena Studios and Gallery was founded in 1982 and offers affordable studio space for artists and creatives in Liverpool, ranging from fine artists to illustrators and fashion designers. Led by a team of artists who volunteer their time, the studio has an ethos that promotes artistic excellence with a socially driven perspective. Arena draws upon the skills and talents of its members and encourages and supports new projects, commissions, educational teachings, workshops, exhibitions and other opportunities. Arena hosts an array of events throughout the year including exhibitions, open studios, auctions and talks.

 

So you’re an artist-led space – how does the affect the day to day running of the studios and gallery?

Arena is a charity, regulated by the Charities Commission, and operates in a way that responds to the needs of its members as well as its commitment to reach the wider public through inspirational and entertaining events and exhibitions. We have a board of directors which communicates regularly with the studio members to find out how they want the organisation to be run, but also to seek their involvement to make things happen. Our members are at the heart of the activities we put on in the Studios and Gallery and in the community. 

In the last 6 months we have been trying something new with our Gallery space. Our members have been offered the opportunity to use the space for 2 weeks at a time, for whatever they want. This could include making new work, experimentation, exhibiting, showing a film, giving a talk or performance, inviting an artist outside of Arena to use the space or maybe something we've not even thought of!  So far, the space has been used for exhibitions, life drawing sessions, an artist critique group, an animation workshop, a large scale commission, the development of new work and a public participation event for Light Night Liverpool. 

When it comes to the studios, our members all chip in with keeping on top of the daily running of the space and are encouraged to try their hand at taking more of a lead on individual projects or to even become a director of Arena. 

 

How do people apply to become an artist at Arena?

Arena Studios and Gallery is in Elevator, one of the iconic warehouses situated in the upcoming Baltic Triangle Cultural area. There are 22 different sized studios spaces, 24 hour access to the building and a really friendly and supportive atmosphere. If we have studios vacancies we advertise them on Art in Liverpool and the Arena website. Artists interested in a space are asked to send information about their practice and images of their work. They are then invited to view the studios and have a discussion about their work with one of the directors. A studio space in Arena could come up any time; we encourage artists who are interested in applying to arrange to have a look around the studios and join our mailing list to receive notifications of when spaces become available.

What’s one of the most memorable events you’ve hosted recently?

In May we opened for Light Night Liverpool where Arena presented 'Exquisite Cadaver' opening its doors for a fun participatory event for all the family. The public were invited to come and pay homage to the Surrealists by creating their very own Exquisite Cadaver. You may know it as ‘Exquisite Corpse’ or the parlour game ‘Picture Consequences’. In this technique, which was famously adopted by the Surrealists, people build a picture together, with individual sections concealed until the end, resulting in a fun and often rather strange ensemble!

Visitors were invited to join the Arena artists in trying their hand at the traditional parlour game, or take part in Arena's huge Exquisite Cadaver Mural. We posted some great photos on our website and even a stop motion film.

 

How would you describe the Liverpool Art scene?

What we think is so great about the Liverpool art scene is its diversity alongside its potential as a platform for an artist at any stage in their career to be noticed and make something exciting happen. Liverpool is a unique place, offering a large number of high profile galleries and organisations, alongside a welcoming underlying artistic community, on a smaller scale than in London, but with competing quality from talented artists making progressive work.  Another huge factor in Liverpool's artistic energy is the Liverpool Biennial which every two years generates a surge of exhibitions and events from local artists, alongside national and international names. As an independent arts organisation in Liverpool we feel very lucky to be part of an art scene that is supportive rather than competitive, offering opportunities for partnership working and which never fails to do Liverpool justice by putting on a great show.



Feeling inspired?

Find out more about what's happening at Arena Studios on their website.

Our newest art shop has opened in Liverpool, next to The Bluecoat, so if you're in the area feel free to stop by and browse all the art materials. Find out more details on Cass Art Liverpool here.

The Other Art Fair is the UK's leading artist-led fair, and it is back in London this October for their tenth edition.

TICKET OFFER

Get your free ticket to The Other Art Fair when you buy anything in-store at Cass Art, up until 18th October. 

Feeling inspired?

The Other Art Fair is running at Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London from 15th -18th October 2015.

This time last year we were getting over-excited about the Montana Chalk Sprays, and now we have a similar treat in store for you.

Montana, makers of Montana Gold Spray Paint, have just released Montana Effect Sprays. Here at Cass Art we are stocking four different types: Marble, Crackle, Granit and Glitter.

Read on to explore each of the effects and start to imagine the new possibilities they will bring to artists everywhere - as well as designers, decorators, crafters, model makers and more.


 

Montana Effect Sprays

All are high-covering spray paints that should be used in well ventilated areas.

All Effect Sprays can be used on many different surfaces such as paper, cardboard, primed canvas, wood, glass, metal, ceramics, porcelain, stone, acrylic and other paintable materials.  

Once thoroughly dry, you can then work over the top with conventional spray paint, acrylic markers and acrylic colour.

Marble

- Used to achieve deceivingly realistic marble effects

- Once thoroughly dry, you can then use a conventional spray paint over the top, or finish it with a protective varnish

 

 Crackle

- Creates a crackle-look for vintage or aged like effects

- Before spraying, the desired surface must be completely dry and suitably prepared with a primer or spray paint

- Available in 6 colours: Copper Brown, Gentian Blue, Patina Green, Squirrel Grey, Pure White and Traffic Black  

Granit

- Water-based special effect spray paint with fine plastic particles for achieving a deceivingly realistic granite effect

- Very high covering power

- For best results, prime your surface before using light colored Granit Effect shades, particularly when painting on dark surfaces

- Montana Granit can be top-coated once thoroughly dry

- Available in 4 colors: light grey, grey, brown and black

Glitter
 

- Glossy translucent paint with silver coloured glitter particles for a metallic effect

- Montana Glitter Spray gives objects, surfaces and artworks all kinds finishes and effects

- Additional coats will lead to a higher density of the effect, so if you love a lot of glitter, keep on spraying those layers 

Feeling inspired?

Shop for all Montana Effect Sprays here, available exclusively online.

You can also shop for Montana Gold Spray Paint and Montana Chalk Spray.

Calling all practicing painters - applications for the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize are now open.

The prize is looking for representational paintings from both amateur and professional artists based in the UK. If you're a master of figurative painting or superstar at representational drawing, then this is the painting prize for you.

Now in it's eleventh year, there's a whipping £30,000 of prize money up for grabs, including a First Prize of £15,000.

The competition is usually popular with young contemporary painters and art students; the Young Artist Award of £2,500 promotes fresh new talent, and is eligible to artists who are 25 or under. For the second year running, the competition is also offering the Brian Botting Prize of £5,000 which will be awarded to an artist aged 30 or under for an outstanding representation of the human figure. Five Runner Up Prizes of £1,500 each are also awarded.

The judges for the 2015 competition include: artist Ken Howard OBE RA NEAC, artist James Lloyd, artist Sam Wadsworth and Andrew Wilton, a Visiting Research Fellow at Tate Britain.

Around 100 works will be chosen for an exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London from 7th-13th March 2016. The exhibition will then tour to Guildford House Gallery in June. 

How To Enter

You have to be over 18 to enter and based in the UK.

You can submit up to 4 works online on the Lynn Painter Stainers Prize website here.

Entry costs £15 per work, £8 per work for students, and applications close on 16th December 2015 by 5pm.

Feeling inspired?

Enter the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize here, and shop online for all your painting materials to prepare your entries for this fantastic prize.

Follow the buzz about the prize on Twitter with #LPSPrize @ParkerHarrisCo.

Image Credits: Melissa Scott-Miller, Front Garden, David Piddock, Hanseatic Walk, Holly Brodie, Pothole

It was yet another glorious heat as the second episode of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year travlled to Trelissick Gardens in Truro, Cornwall. The beautiful National Trust site was depicted by another round of hopeful painters, and artist Emma Copley was crowned the winner. 

Born in Dublin, Emma lived on the east coast of the United States for 20 years and currently lives and works in Cambridge, England.  Emma has been developing her painting practice since graduating from Rhode Island School of Design in 2001. Her work depicts places and people from everyday life, exploring colour and form with thick, gestural layers of paint. 

She is now one step closer the final of of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year. We caught up with her about her experience and take a look at her landscape paintings below.

 

Congratulations on winning your heat, Emma! What was it like painting in front of the cameras?

Thank you. This is one of the first awards I have applied for and to get into the competition was excellent but to have won my heat? I can't say how proud I feel. I was very surprised at how calm I felt in front of the cameras. I teach painting and am used to speaking and painting in front of a group of people, so I think I just pretended that's what I was doing. It helped that the crew, judges and presenters were so lovely.

How long do you normally spend on a single painting?

More then 4 hours! I normally spend about 8-10 hours at least on a painting depending on size. When I am painting a portrait that time can vary greatly depending on how many sittings I do and what the client wants.

Are you used to painting outside?

I usually paint in my studio from photographs. I almost always do a study outside from life of whatever I am painting. My studio is my garage and the door is always wide open, so in a way I feel like I'm always outside when I paint. Completing a painting outside at Trelissick Gardens was a new experience for me and since then I have done a lot more of it. I learned so much from the experience.

Which materials do you prefer to use and why?

I love to draw with charcoal and paint with inks, watercolour, gouache and oils. I use the water based materials when I am painting outside because they are more portable. When I was in France this summer I did a lot of paintings on the beach using a combination of watercolour and gouache. When I am in the studio I work mostly with oil paint on wood panel. I enjoy the layering and thick texture of the paint, I feel I can get more physically involved with the process when I use them and the result is a painting with more immediate marks, and hopefully a little piece of me.

Finally, were you pleased with your final painting at Trelissick?

I was very pleased with the painting I made at Trelissick Gardens. It felt finished. I am glad I only had 4 hours because otherwise I may have overdone it. I surprised myself with this painting and it has driven me to make a lot of new work. It was really interesting speaking to all who were involved in the show about my work but I found Tai's and Frank's comments to be particularly useful. They helped me to see my work in a new light.

Feeling inspired?

Explore more of  Emma Copley's paintings on her website. Find out more about Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year here.

Catch the programme on Sky Arts on Tuesdays at 8pm.

We have exciting news for all watercolourists painters and art supplies enthusiasts! A completely new brand on the art materials scene, QoR, has introduced their first range of watercolour paints. 

Pronounced "core", QoR stands for Quality of Results, and the brand hit the US market last November and are new to the UK market of art supplies. We've snapped up the QoR watercolours to sell exclusively online at Cass Art, and you can read on to find out what's so unique about them... 

QoR Watercolour Paint

The QoR watercolours come in 83 colours, all with maximum lightfastness and permanence and intense colours that stay vibrant even after drying. 

The paints include a unique binder called aquazol that disperses a great amount of colour, so you can be sure of colour brilliance.

Smooth and vibrant, they offer a density of colour with every brushstroke.

The exciting thing about these watercolours is that they've been released with their own grounds and mediums which can be applied to any surface, whether that's wood, glass or metal, and then you can use the watercolour to directly paint onto those surfaces. That means they're opening doors with what's possible in terms of surfaces, and the kinds of objects on which you can use watercolour. 

The QoR watercolours are durable and resilient, so don't crack or flake over time even with heavy coats of paint.

Finally, they're wonderfully resoluble, so even after weeks of the paint being dry you can add water and continue with your painting.

Don't just take our word for it - watch the video below to see the qualites of Qor Watercolour Paint for yourself.

Feeling inspired?

Shop for Qor Watercolours here, available at Cass Art exclusively online. 

We know the freedom and creative pleasure that art can bring. Here at Cass Art we want everyone to be able to afford to do it – and see it. We have partnered with some of the UK’s leading galleries and organisations to help inspire you this season, wherever you happen to be.

When you shop in-store or online throughout October and November, you'll receive our exclusive Art Offers leaflet which includes discounts for major art galleries and brands from across the UK. The leaflet also gives you £5 off whenever you spend £30 or more at Cass Art.

Read on to see what art treats and more we have lined up for you this Autumn...

The Royal Academy - £2 off tickets to Ai WeiWei

Major artist and cultural phenomenon Ai WeiWei takes over the RA's Main Galleries with brave, provocative and visionary works showcasing everything from marble and steel to tea and glass.

To redeem this offer, simply present this voucher at the RA ticket desk.

Image Credit: Ai Weiwei in his studio in Bejiing, taken in April 2015, Photo © Harry Pearce/Pentagram, 2015.

National Portrait Gallery - 2 for 1 tickets to Giacometti: Pure Presence

The first major exhibition to focus on portraits by one of the most important and distinctive artists of the 20th century: Alberto Giacometti.

To redeem this offer present the voucher at the ticket desk in the Gallery.

Image Credit: Alberto Giacometti by Ida Kar, 1954 © National Portrait Gallery, London

The British Museum - £2 off tickets to Drawing in Silver and Gold: Leonardo to Jasper Johns 

This exhibition explores the beautiful artistic technique of metalpoint, from the Renaissance to the present. Includes works by Leonardo, Raphael, Rembrandt and Jasper Johns.

To redeem this offer, show the voucher at the ticket desk or book online with the promo code written on the art offers leaflet.

Image Credit: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), A bust of a warrier in profile to left, Silverpoint, on prepared paper, 1475-1480.

Tate Liverpool - 2 for 1 tickets to Works to Know By Hearts: An Imagined Museum

This exhibition includes work from the Pompidou, Tate and MMK collections and displays the very best of European collecting. Visitors can enjoy works by Marcel Duchamp, Claes Oldenburg, Bridget Riley, Dorothea Tanning, Andy Warhol, Rachel Whiteread and many more.

To redeem this offer, show the voucher at the ticket desk at Tate Liverpool.

Image Credit: Barbara Kruger, Untitled (We Will No Longer Be Seen And Not Heard) 1985, © Barbara Kruger, Courtesy Mary Boone Gallery New York

 

Artists & Illustrators - £30 off a subscription

To redeem this offer visit the website on the art offers leaflet.

Rise Art - Free Portfolio Review to promote your art

Are you an artist looking to sell your work? Rise Art is the curated art marketplace for exceptional artists. Our independent curators select and promote artists to our international collector base. Get your artwork reviewed and considered free of charge (a £30 value).

To redeem this offer visit the website on the art offers leaflet.

Looking for new art for your home?

Join Rise Art and get £25 towards any purchase before you buy art rental. Claim your voucher at www.riseart.co./cass

Image Credit: Artist Bruce McLean www.riseart.com/user/bruce-mclean 

Art Fund - 30% off Art Fund National Art Pass

The National Art Pass gives free admission to over 230 charging museums, galleries and historic houses across the UK and 50% off major exhibitions.

To redeem this offer, quote the code on the art offfers leaflet at www.artfund.org/pass
 

After the success of Paint Out Wells 2015, Paint Out are now holding a plein air painting event in Norwich this October!

Paint Out Norwich are on a mission to redefine en plein air painting in the 21st century - to bring art to the masses, the same way that Norwich School of Artists in 1803 did when they opened Britain's first provincial art movement for working class artists.

Over 40 Paint Out Norwich competition artists will join members of the public – amateur and keen artists alike, in a mass painting session on the historic Mousehold Heath, with beautiful skyline views overlooking the city of Norwich and the towering spire of the Cathedral.

Here are Cass Art we are proud to sponsor the event, offering prizes of gift vouchers to selected public artists which they can spend on art materials. We are also sponsoring an art bursary prize for the best young artist under 30 at the Paint Out Norwich competition.

GET INVOLVED

There will be two competitions running during the week 19th - 23rd October: the Nocturne and Core Event. Entries can be submitted here ( for free if you're under 30) and you can view the full core event schedule and nocturne event schedule for the selected artists.

The public event - where anyone of any age or ability can get involved - takes place on 22nd October from 1:30 to 4:30pm. Bring your own materials and meet outside the Cafe Britannia, 3 Britannia Rd, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 4LU to take part.

Watch the video below from last year's Paint Out Norwich, as artist Bryony Birkbeck talks about her experience.

Feeling inspired?

View the event on Facebook and sign up for free.

Using oil mediums can transform your paintings, adding finishes, textures and new possibilities to your work.

In line with paint experts from Winsor & Newton, we take a look at four effects you can achieve using different Oil Mediums. Have a read, try them out for yourselves, and enjoy the sheer joy of the unique painting verbs. (To scumble. Just brilliant!)

 

Glazing

After a layer of Artists' Oil Colour has dried or semi-dried, you may choose to glaze it by adding a thin, oily transparent layer of paint. As light travels through the glaze, it’s reflected off the opaque layer beneath. In short, it makes the painting glow. 

Often a lengthy process of applying layer upon layer, glazing is one technique that benefits from a professional-grade medium, like Liquin Original or Blending & Glazing Medium. If you choose to work with Liquin, you’ll notice an improvement in drying times, flow and less visible brush strokes. Likewise, Blending & Glazing Medium improves transparency and depth, before drying to a durable, glossy finish.

 

Scumbling

Who knew scumbling was a verb? Scumbling allows you to build up multiple layers of ‘broken’ (speckled or deliberately cracked) colour. The base layer peeks through, giving a sense of depth, texture and colour variation to your work. While the technique can be skilfully achieved with either opaque or transparent colours, the effect is stronger when opaque shades are used. The base layer needs to be thinned with Liquin, as well as being lighter than the upper layer.  

Stippling

Sometimes, blending a light area of oil paint into a dark area does not give off the smoothest glow. Many artists choose to add incandescence to their finished piece by using a stippling effect. 

For stippling, the best brush to use is a Hog Brush. Its stiffness, when used with thick, viscous colour, creates a strong, stippled texture.

 

Impasto

Coming from the Italian for ‘dough,’ impasto is a particularly popular technique for exploring texture. By applying thick layers of paint with the right brush and Mediums, brush strokes can remain plainly visible and create an highly textured effect. Rembrandt, for instance, employed this technique to pick out jewels on a costume; while Van Gogh used it for expressive purposes. 

Liquin Impasto Medium is designed to retain crisp texture. Your painting will be touch-dry in 1-6 days, making it useful when layering for an ultra-thick impasto effect. 

It's October, which all Stoptober and Halloween themes aside, means we're in the swing of Inktober, a drawing campaign created by artist Jake Parker back in 2009. 31 days, 31 drawings, and 1 artist inspiring others across the world - that's all it takes for the international art community to get on board.

We caught up with the Founder of Inktober, Jake Parker, who told us why he started the campaign, and how you can get involved.

"Inktober just started out as a way to motivate myself to become better at drawing in ink," Jake says simply. "I wanted to do a bunch of ink drawings for practise, but I needed a way to be accountable for it, otherwise I'd get frustrated and move on to something easier. So I announced the challenge and invited people to do it with me. Not very many people took part in that first Inktober, but a lot of people expressed their support and it was enough to keep me going the whole month."

"Six years later, there's thousands and thousands of artists doing it and I couldn't be happier. The pressure is on for me to do it and do a good job at the challenge each year. However, it's evolved for me from being just an exercise in getting better. It's become a platform for me to explore story ideas, and to push my style and artistic voice."

But what's the future for Inktober, the art campaign of our October month?

"In the future I hope it's something that keeps going," Jake says, "and keeps inspiring people to pick up a pen and tap into their creativity."

GET INVOLVED WITH INKTOBER

Anyone can do Inktober, just pick up a pen and start drawing. Browse for your favourite inky weapon of choice here.

Inktober Rules:

1) Make a drawing in ink (you can do a pencil under-drawing if you want).

Image Credits: Jake Parker

2) Post it on your blog (or tumblr, instagram, twitter, facebook, flickr, Pinterest or just pin it on your wall.)

3) Hashtag it with #inktober

4) Repeat

Note: you can do it daily, or go the half-marathon route and post every other day, or just do the 5K and post once a week. Whatever you decide, just be consistent with it. InkTtober is about growing and improving and forming positive habits, so the more you’re consistent the better.

That's it! Now go make something beautiful.

 

Feeling inspired?

Visit the Inktober website here. Post your images on Twitter or Facebook and share your inky creations!

The third episode of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year saw another group of hopeful painters gathering at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire. The beautiful house was built in the Neo-Renaissance style in the 1800s for Bardon Ferdinand de Rothschild, and was gifted to the National Trust by James de Rothschild. The manor is surrounded by stunning gardens and held another round of hopeful painters as they captured the heart of Waddesdon on canvas.

The winner of the third episode was Nerine Tassie, a painter who graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art with a sell out show. Now an art teacher, too, her landscapes are haunting and atmospheric, exploring forests, seascapes and skies with intricate scenes of dark and light.

Nerine is now one step closer the semi-final of of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year. We caught up with her about what it was like painting in front of the cameras, and why she is so driven to paint.

 

Hi Nerine. Congratulations on winning your heat! Were you pleased with your finished painting?

Thank you!  It was an amazing experience to be part of and I was really surprised to go through especially considering the quality of work produced by the other artists. I was pleased with my finished painting. I’d made peace with the fact that for me I wouldn’t be able to complete a fully finished studio painting in the time given so I’d have to adapt my practice to suit the conditions. I just focused on trying to communicate my compositional ideas and my painting style and technique but using an adapted approach. 

Did you train as an artist or are you self-taught?

I trained at Edinburgh College of Art as a fine artist. I realised I wanted to specialise in painting during my first year at Edinburgh. I really enjoyed being in the painting school and having the opportunity to solely focus my time exploring this medium. My work would range from very small pieces to huge panels of canvas but I loved the physicality of painting and being able to experiment with a whole range of materials to create different surface qualities within my work. 

 

Which kinds of paints do you use and why? 

I love experimenting with a range of materials specifically within the ground layers of my work. I’ll use base grounds of acrylic then sometimes work over that in enamels or shellac because the mixture between these materials creates unusual textures and colour patterns within the ground.  I then work in layers of oil, developing the imagery within the painting.  For me it’s a time consuming process because of the drying time required and the layering of different materials but I like the depth that this creates within the work. I’ll use Daler Rowney acrylics but for oil painting I’ll interchange between Winsor and Newton Artists' Oil Colour and Daler Rowney Georgian depending on the colour I’m using.

  

Was it strange painting to a time limit and in front of the cameras?

I found it really strange painting to a time limit.  In my normal practice I can spend upwards of 12 hours on a piece of work, even a small scale piece because of the initial compositional planning involved and the time spent layering paints. I’d usually have some thinking time over a painting and would be able to come back to it or work on pieces simultaneously. 

Working to a 4 hour time limit was very much out of my comfort zone but it was a great challenge! I did feel anxious that I wouldn’t get finished.  But ultimately I felt quite excited about exploring and developing my painting practice under conditions which were very new to me. And it was very surreal having to paint in front of the cameras. For me painting has always been a very private experience working away in my studio. But I think having your painting filmed and sharing your practice publicly definitely creates a deeper dialogue between the artist and viewer. I was really nervous at first but the crew were amazing and I just tried to focus on my canvas and the fact I was there to paint and to enjoy the experience. 

 

Finally, why do you paint?

I paint because I love painting! From a young age I had always enjoyed drawing and creating art but I had a great art teacher at secondary school who really brought the subject to life. I love the physicality of painting!  There’s something really enjoyable about the process of creating a painting and being able to change a blank canvas into a rich object through mark making and exploring colours and textures. I always feel like there’s something missing in me if I don’t make time to paint. 

Feeling inspired?

Explore more of  Nerine Tassie's paintings here on her website. Find out more about Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year here.

Catch the programme on Sky Arts on Tuesdays at 8pm.

Jake Spicer is an artist and author, well known for drawing portraits, faces and animals fluidly and accurately, as well as a tutor that teaches drawing across the country. His 'Draw in 15 Minutes' book series offers helpful tips on learning to draw certain subjects, and his most recent book, DRAW, is a wonderful book that covers a broad range of drawing exercises that you can work into your everyday life. 

We wanted to find out more about his impressive new book, as well as a bit more about his artwork and the artist behind the pencil lines.

Hi Jake! Congratulations on your new book, DRAW. Can you tell us about it?

It’s a book intended to help people draw more as part of their daily life. It’s full of practical exercises that you can complete day-to-day in a variety of locations that are easy to access, all with simple materials.

How does it differ from your other specific ‘Draw People’, ‘Draw Faces’ and ‘Draw Cats in 15 minutes’ books?

It’s not so subject based, it’s more about location. It’s about making drawings whilst at work, on public transport, at home, sitting down…you can dip into the book and you’re allowed to spend more than fifteen minutes on each exercise! I mean, some of them suggest you take 20 minutes. It’s wild. There’s one exercise that will take as long as you can endure being outside, because it involves sketching trees!

The book showcases your skills in a broad range of media – sketching pencils, ink and wash, coloured pens and pencils…but what three art materials couldn’t you live without?

I’ve got a big chest of drawers full of bits and pieces which is completely organised, but I do try and broaden my horizons when using materials. But if I had to pick three…

I love a pencil. I’m into the Faber-Castell 9000 pencils – specifically a 2B or a 4B.

And a sketchbook. I love a Moleskine. I was a bit dubious about why people love them so much but I gave one a go and am now completely sold, I always have one on me.

I’m also very into dip pen work. In saying that I love the similar effect you get with the Pentel Brush Pen – it’s great for when I want to create something punchier.

And now for a bit about you. Have you been drawing ever since you can remember, or can you remember that moment when you decided to pursue being an artist?

I’ve always drawn. When I was very little my family didn’t have very much money and my mum’s friend worked in a paper mill, and she always brought over huge offcuts of paper so I’d be drawing all the time. I was a keen model maker, too. I liked doing things with my hands as a teenager, it was a nice way to help you relate to the world as a half grown adult, trying to capture things with drawing. It’s a really important meditative process, to sit down and look around and capture something.

I was really into chemistry and maths as well as art. It could have gone either way, really. Then I realised that oil painting was kind of like alchemy! It’s probably also why I’m so into anatomy. It was a bit of a flip of a coin, whether I studied art or science.

 

So what decided it for you?

I went to a life-drawing class by John T Freeman. He just embodied what you imagine an artist should be. He made me realise it was hard work to be a full time artist but that you can do it. So I trained with him, and it led me to pursuing it as a profession.

Where did you study art?

I took an Art Foundation in Farnham. It was a great place to go, a dedicated art school that was really exciting, and it was near John’s studio so I could also carry on with his classes. And it showed me I was interested in things beyond education, so I didn’t go and do a degree. I wanted to learn from other artists but not through uni. It was harder work but very exciting and took me on a route I wouldn’t have gone on otherwise.

I grew up not far from Brighton, but I didn’t like it much at the time, I just thought it was a bit of a grubby city. But I hopped from Farnham to Devon to London, and was offered an exhibition in Brighton so I moved there. At first I slept in my car, on my picture framer’s floor, but I found my feet and got a studio and have stayed there since.

 

Do you draw every day, without fail?

Yeah I really do. I didn’t at first. When I spent 3-4 years as a full time painter I drew just for training, and drew for pleasure less. Now it’s become a really fundamental thing for me. I sketch ideas and am much more confident sketching in public than I used to be. And it’s a way of looking – you’ve got to practice what you preach! I’m really anxious if I don’t have a sketchbook on me. I pick it up before my keys or my wallet when I leave the house.

When I’m sketching I get approached a lot and it makes for nice conversation. Lots of people say things like ‘I wish I could draw’ or ‘I used to draw but I don’t any more’ but I try to tell people it’s not about talent. It’s a skill you can develop by practising. You can learn to do it.

It’s like at John’s art class, there were young ones there who were much more talented than me, but it’s about the time you put in. The innate talent you start with isn’t a big part of it – it becomes about your choice.

 

At Cass Art we believe everyone has the potential to unlock their creativity. And you’ve kind of alluded to it already, but do you believe that anyone can draw?

Yes, absolutely. The main thing is we teach ourselves not to draw. All children can and do draw, and the older you get you convince yourself you can’t. You develop a self-consciousness and learn not to be able to draw, and you need to unlearn that. And I’ve taught people that prove that. One student took up drawing at aged 50 having not drawn a thing since he was 10. He didn’t know what way to hold a pencil. But with practise he’s become so much better.

 

List three things that influence your artwork.

The first thing would be the book Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee, who did a lot of the art for Lord of the Rings. When I was a child we had a copy of the book that fell apart, so we had pages from it all over the walls. You could see the pencil marks. I absolutely loved it. That was a big thing for me.

The second thing…as an art student I remember discovering Paula Rego’s lithographs. I saw them at Brighton Hove Museum and just found them wholly inspiring. They were images that told stories, and that was really exciting.

And finally probably John Freeman’s life-drawing classes. They made me realise you could teach people to be better and that you could learn to be better yourself. I’ve met so many art tutors in my time and he’s still one of the best I’ve ever met. He’s really curmudgeonly, and a great de-mystifier of things. He opens doors and doesn’t keep secrets; he shows you that art is a practical, human process.

So what inspires you to keep drawing?

A lot of it’s people, really. I enjoy the interaction of it. Drawing others, teaching people to draw, finding ways for others to express themselves. It’s always exciting.



Feeling inspired?

Take a closer look at Jake Spicer's new book, DRAW, here. Shop the books in Jake's 'Draw in 15 minutes' series online and in-store.

Explore some of the exercises straight from DRAW on our blog. 

Visit Jake Spicer's website here and follow him on Twitter at @BrightonDrawing. 

Michele Del Campo is an artist in love with oil paint. His paintings explore the sentimental themes of everyday life; the idleness and melancholy of youth, the degradation of environment and the failures yet resilience of human nature.

Born in a small town in South Italy, Michele has studied Fine Art in Milan, Falmouth, Dundee and Madrid and now lives and works in London. His oil paintings are made using a wet on wet technique with Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Paint, and to celebrate our oil season, we wanted to find out exactly what it is that he loves about the process and paint.

Hi Michele! So, when did you learn to paint with oils? And what is it that you like more about oil painting than other forms of painting?

I was 14 years old and I had a go with oils during the weekly art class that we had in the “liceo scientifico”. It came out quite well. I was good at art but I was still far away from thinking about going astray from “having a proper job and life”, as my family wanted.

I prefer oil painting over other techniques because it allows for a more creative approach, and because it can be a forgiving technique, up to a certain point, so one can be “more daring” with it. It is also a pleasure to work with; it is a very sensual technique on the canvas and, once prepared the colours are available on the palette for a long time and one can concentrate more on the painting, instead of tackling mixes on the palette all the time. I have methods to keep my colour mixes available for several days, which comes handy for final retouches on long lasting paintings too. Finally, the effects that can be achieved wet on wet are far more varied, vivid and captivating than those obtained with other techniques.

 

Can you describe your wet on wet technique?

In general I start with a white canvas, for brighter results. I draw the main forms quite loose, directly with a brush and a very thinned earth colour. I am not too concerned about exactitude, as I think that a more loose approach can have more personality and strength if supported by anatomical and perspective knowledge. I then lay on the canvas a thinned tone that is quite average, then I lay in the shadows, with pure, unthinned colour, and finally the lights. With a certain experience it is even possible to do glazings on wet colours, helped with the right brushes.

What is it you love so much about Winsor & Newton Artist's oil paints?

Their purity, being mostly single pigmented colours, their big covering power, their creamy consistency at the right point, and the wide range of tones available. Plus with all their great properties, they are still affordable!

What would your top 3 tips for oil painting be?

1 - Don't rely on your eyes only.Reality is constantly changing and subjective, so also use your knowledge, intuition and imagination when painting.

2 – Separate all colour mixes on your palette, and use different brushes for every colour, and for light and shadow of the same colour. Only that way you can have the cleanest and most vibrant results.

3 – Say something with your painting, aim for content to complement the form. Too often we only think about making beautiful painterly objects and forget that they could be the vehicle of our thoughts, feelings and statements.


 

You often paint on large formats, from life and from photos – but do you have a favourite way of working?

Certainly I enjoy more the freedom of movement, gesture and the compositional possibilities of large formats although they imply a bigger responsibility, stronger ideas and a lot of preliminary studies.

About working from life or from photos, there are advantages and disadvantages in both methods, but I think that building knowledge to tackle both processes can make one richer in resources. In general, although I enjoy living the experience of painting models and places from life, i find that the transient reality is limiting the possibilities of my imagination and expression. Thus I find that if I want to say something that goes beyond the obvious and is more meaningful to me, I need to work with ideas, and use combined elements from various photos and from life to construct the image that I want.

 

Can you tell us about your upcoming exhibition?

From 26th October to 6th November I will show a peculiar project, called “The Fall”, at the Westminster Arts Reference Library. It will be a series of portraits of random people from different walks of life, who after a fall of no major consequences find themselves suspended in time, having broken the apparent inexorability of their blind routine. They all remain pensive, absorbed in a deep reflection and self-analisys, and clearly there is something unfulfilled or tormenting in each of them. As models I used real people doing their real jobs or their usual acivities, and some of the falls came to my mind after listening to their experiences.


 

Feeling inspired?

Stock up on your own oil painting materials here, including Michele's preferred Winsor & Newton Artists' Oils.

Visit Michele de Campo's website here to explore more of his paintings.

Johanna Basford is known for her wonderfully intricate colouring books for adults: Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest. Adult Colouring has been thrust into the limelight in recent months for its therapeutic qualities but it was Johanna who first pitched the idea to her editors at Laurence King, before the colouring craze took hold.

Johanna lives in rural Aberdeenshire with her husband, baby daughter and crazy dog Simcoe. She studied Textile Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College  of Art and Design in Dundee, and her magical, winding illustrations have captured the hearts of people across the globe.

We caught up with Johanna to find out what inspires her drawings, and what art materials she uses to create her inky wonderlands.



Hi Johanna! What gave you the idea for a coloring book for adults?

A few years ago I created a series of illustrations which I put on my website for people to download as desktop wallpapers for free. I was working as a commercial illustrator at the time and always looking for interesting ways to increase my profile and connect with potential new clients.

One of the people who downloaded my ‘Owls in a Tree’ illustration was my soon to be editor at Laurence King. She got in touch and asked if I would like to create a children’s colouring book. I pitched the idea of an adult colouring in book – my signature style of illustration was super intricate, hand drawn, black and white work and for years my clients have been telling me that they wanted to colour in my drawings. This was 4 years ago, before the worldwide trend for adult colouring kicked off, so you can imagine how quiet my editor went. They weren’t sure if colouring in for grown ups was silly and if there would be any demand for books like this.

 I sat in my studio and drew the first 5 pages, then emailed them to my editor. They got back to me that day and said to go for it! And with that, the inky adventure began!

 

Why do you think so many adults are colouring in?

In terms of why I think people are embracing the colouring craze, I think there’s been an underground adult colouring in movement for years, it’s just more recently that it’s come to light and become socially acceptable! I get emails from people saying until my books came out that they used to wait till the kids went to bed, then got their books out and had a sneaky colouring session!

More seriously though, I think colouring has 3 main reasons it appeals to adults:

Firstly it’s a great way to de-stress. That notion of being ‘in flow’ and completely absorbed in a task - particularly an analogue task that doesn’t involve a screen - is just so soothing. Everyone’s lives are now so busy and so digital, I think colouring offers a welcome opportunity to unplug and allow yourself to be completely immersed in a task without the constant chatter of Twitter or the lure of Facebook. This is how I feel when I’m drawing, blissfully submerged!

Secondly I think everyone has a creative spark, they just need the opportunity and encouragement to allow it to flourish. An empty sheet of paper can be daunting, but a colouring book offers a gentle buffer to those with blank canvas anxiety! I think of the books as a collaboration, I draw the outlines then the owner of the book brings the colour. They don’t need to worry about composition or layout, only colour palette. 

And finally, there’s the nostalgia factor. Chances are the last time most people did a spot of colouring in they didn’t have a mortgage, a mean boss or worries about the fiscal debt. Colouring gives hard working grown ups the opportunity to play and to indulge themselves in an activity which likely reminds them of more carefree days.

 

What inspired Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest?

The books take their inspiration from my childhood holidays spent on the Isle of Arran on the West Coast of Scotland. My Grandfather was the head gardener at Brodick Castle gardens there and we would visit him and my Grandmother for summer and Christmas holidays.

The gardens were an amazing place for a child with a big imagination to be allowed to roam free and play. There was a formal walled garden, complete with precision planted flowers beds, honeysuckle clad pergolas and a beautiful sundial at it’s center. I have a vague recollection that there were beehives hidden in gaps in the walls, but I can’t remember if this is fact or just the imaginings of a bee curious child! Out with the walled garden lay acres and acres of forest peppered with spectacular blossoming rhododendrons, ponds with lily pads big enough to stand on, a half hidden summer house lined with pinecones and row upon row of humid greenhouses where the ‘behind the scenes’ work went on – trays and trays of seedlings, seed pods in little paper bags and mountains of plant pots! Much of the inspiration for Secret Garden came from those early days I spent playing in the Gardens and helping my Grandfather at his work.

Whilst the Gardens influenced my first book, the sprawling forestry and woodlands which surround them and creep up the mountainside of Goatfell (an extinct volcano studded with crystals!) is where my second book, Enchanted Forest has its roots. The woodlands were dark, mysterious places with lots of fallen trees to climb and curious little leafy hiding places for beasts of the real or imagined variety.

When my Grandfather passed away I inherited his library of botanical reference books. These are an invaluable source as they detail so many weird and wonderful species – many of which I’d never see growing here in Scotland. I often take a leaf from one plant, a petal from another and perhaps a seed pod from a third and combine them in a drawing to create an imaginative botanical hybrid. This type of fanciful horticulture ensures I always have plenty to draw!

 

Why do you think your illustrations, in particular, appeal to adults?

I think a good colouring book should contain a mini work of art on each page. A variation in pattern, motifs and panoramic illustrations keeps things interesting whilst an intricate level of detail makes sure the grown up wielding the felt tip pen or colouring pencil is adequately challenged!

My illustrations are super intricate and delicate, a style which I think lends itself well to the colouring book format. Also, I work by hand; creating each illustration in pencil and pen, before scanning into the computer to edit (I don’t create on the computer) Unlike computer generated graphics which can be a bit cold and clinical, hand drawn artwork has a sense of charm and character that appeals to people.

If I’m honest, I’m very selfish and create illustrations with just myself in mind! I draw to make images that I myself love to look at and want to colour, then hope that a few other people feel the same and want to buy the books. Whilst this might sound a bit inward, I think it’s a good way to work. I’m not swayed by current trends or even the lure of trying to get a commercial success, I just want to make beautiful books. I feel that as long as I remain true to those values, I’ll continue to make products that other people will (hopefully!) enjoy too.

What is it you like about the Staedtler Pigment Liners?

These little grey pens are my bread and butter. I use them to draw almost everything in the studio, including the original artwork for this book. The opaque ink runs smoothly from the delicate nibs and allows you to add intricate monochrome detail with lots of precision. Love them! 

Why do you prefer working with pencil and pen as opposed to digitally?

I have a lot of contemporaries who produce amazing work digitally, but for me personally, I just love the imperfect circle and a slightly crooked line. I think there is something natural and soulful about the little intricacies which are evident in a hand crafted illustration. Vector artwork is so precise, almost clinical in it’s make-up, whereas something created by the human hand has character and depth (and wobbly bits!). I’ve always felt this way, perhaps in part to my inability to use a computer, but also because so much of my work is nature inspired. It seems jarring to try and capture the beauty of nature using a machine. 

Feeling inspired?

Shop for Johanna Basford's Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest, and browse her beloved Staedtler Pigment Liners, both online and in-store at Cass Art. 

Images courtesy of Laurence King Publishing. 

Here at Cass Art we believe in young emerging artists - they are the artists of the future, after all. We take a look at the talent across the country, delving into the work of the Cass Art Student Ambassadors. Read on to have a look at the diverse illustration and drawing being created by young artists in the UK.

Above: On The Bone- Kate Ashton- fineliner- 10 W x 10 H inches- 2015  

Kate Ashton lives in Cornwall and studies Drawing at Falmouth University.

Kate works mainly in fineliner, but also dabbles in watercolour and block printing. The artist's current body of work includes a collection of small-scale pointillist drawings of animals and plants. She has begun experimenting with the size of her pieces; increasing their scale to see what effect this has on the acutely detailed nature of each drawing. She is drawn to naive art pieces, and incorporates this influence into her own practice by using a relaxed and unrefined line quality in much of her work, creating a visual sense of nostalgia and warmth within her drawings. Kate is also a book-maker and has recently finished a number of commissioned pieces for bespoke wedding guest-books.

You can see a small collection of Kate's more recent works here.

Chalk and Charcoal Butterfly Wing- Maria Quintin- chalk & charcoal- 9.4 W x 7 H inches- 2015  

Maria Quintin  currently studies Drawing and Print at UWE in Bristol.

Inspired by the natural world and all things fantastical, her work ranges from photography and sculpture to sketching and printmaking. She is currently exploring the idea of  "a sense of place", and researching the local natural areas around Bristol, specifically the parks around Vassals and Snuff Mills. Her main influences are illustrators such as Toni DiTerlizzi (illustrator of the spiderwick chronicles) and Douglas Carrel (One of the Dragonology illustrators), who both incorporate animals and natural elements to inspire their fantasy creations.

Maria's website is currently being designed. For now you can find her work here. 

Ela e Ela- Livia Pinheiro- pencil & ink- 16.5 W x 23.3 H inches (2015)

Brazilian born Livia Pinheiro currently studies Fashion Design at the London College of Fashion.

Livia finds inspiration while wandering around London, and views fashion as not solely about making clothes. She finds inspiration in the way people relate to clothing every day, and how they can be perceived through illustrations. This interest has led her to draw more and more. “I just fell in love with fashion illustration when I moved to London”, she says. Using vibrant colours in ink and watercolours she draws her two biggest influences: people and fashion.  Confident about the future, she promises to bring art, fashion and people closer because, “in the end, it is all about how we relate to each other and to what surrounds us”. Be prepared – she has only just started.

Follow Livia on Instagram: @liviarpr

Sketchbook Extract- Cora Clarke- coloured pencil- 2015

Cora Clarke is a second year Illustration student at the Arts University Bournemouth.

Aiming to challenge perceptions of what it means to be an illustrator, Cora engages with diverse practice, bringing together a love of craft and modern contexts. Alongside a love for making, drawing forms the foundation of her work, with nature and organic forms often influencing subject matter and palette. Dedication to life drawing allows her to maintain her ongoing curiosity for the human form. Cora is currently creating work with a view to better understand and find her place within the publishing industry. 

Follow her work here. 

Leaving Uganda- Neneh Patel- fineliner- 5.9 W x 4.7 H inches- 2015

Neneh Patel is studying Illustration at Leeds College of Art.

Her work centres on the idea of family, and finding a sense of place within the modern world. Valuing the opportunity to work free-hand, Neneh enjoys playing with materials, and is drawn to flowing mediums, such as fineliner, ink and watercolour. She chooses to work on a small-scale during the developmental stages of her creative process and has also experimented with textiles and hand-sewing to translate sketched images into embroidered tapestry. She is inspired by Lucinda Rogers and Olivier Kugler, whose layered pieces offer insight into the lives of his subjects. Neneh says of her own work; "Being able to communicate my own personal experience with my surroundings is something that I try to put across in my pieces. My current work explores the sights and sounds of everyday life, and finding a voice in the city."

Jack Frost- Kathryn Ottley- Copic markers, pencil, fineliner, ink- 2015

Kathryn Ottley is currently undertaking an Art Foundation at The Bristol School of Art, producing work under the name Kye.

Tending to work small, she counts herself as a perfectionist, and enjoys the challenge of creating highly detailed images. While her degree specialism is still undecided, she is free to explore her joint interests in illustration, comic work, and animation, and is happy not to be restricted within her varied practice.

Keep up to date with Kye's work here and here. 

Sophie's Cafe at the Story Museum- Laura Sayers- cut paper and gouache- 8.3 W x 8.3 H inches- 2015

Laura Sayers studies Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art.

Her primary material choice is paper; working free hand with scissors to manipulate the different layers for her small designs which focus on detail, shape and colour. This style of working lends itself well to the themes of architecture, interior and the human form, which she favours as subjects. Illustration allows cohesion between narrative and visuals, and it's this partnership that inspires Laura's craft, stemming from her interest in literature and storytelling.

Find more of her work here. 

Floral Hedgehog- Jodie Cox- watercolour and fineliner- 8.3 W x 11.7 H inches- 2015

Jodie Cox currently studies Illustration at Brighton University.

She loves to dabble in different styles and materials, but finds particular joy in traditional mediums such as pencil, paint and printmaking. She relies on trial and error, and gains true satisfaction from messy processes, which allow her work to develop in front of her. Ideas come impulsively, and she sees small-scale sketchbooks as an invaluable tool for visual notetaking. She finds great influence in atmospheric painters such as Edward Hopper, Jack Vettriano and Lucian Freud, and is particularly inspired by seeing the process behind their work; skeletal preliminary sketches blossoming into ambitious and captivating paintings. As her own work develops beyond the sketchbook, the scale of her pieces increases- in her own words "the bigger the better! (Or as much canvas as I can afford at the time!)" The palette, mood and composition of the illustrator Hope Gangloff are other major influences.

See more of her work here and here. 

Sitting in the Grass- Emily Yendle- charcoal, graphite & ink- 10.9 W x 8.2 H inches- 2015

Emily Yendle is a London based Illustrator, who is currently studying BA Illustration at the University for the Creative Arts.

Preferring to work in a Monochromatic style, she aims to create visual narratives that not only touch on the surrounding world, but also attempt to highlight the beauty within it. The artist's own poetry is often at the soul of her work, taking inspiration from her own experiences and feeding them into her illustrations. Finished pieces branch out into a variety of formats, which include prints, animation, design work as well as self-published zines.

Find more of her work here and here, or follow on Instagram @emilyyendleillustration.

Birds Costume Design- 2015/ Grandma- 2014- Lucy Kembey- watercolour, pencil, coloured pencil, ink, biro & fineliner- 11.7 W x 16.5 H inches

Lucy Kembey is studying Costume Design for Theatre and Screen at Wimbledon College of Art

Her love of costume design is fed by an enjoyment of process and the satisfaction of watching an idea evolve; she says "designing and making it is like watching your artwork come to life and walk off the page". She strives to create a depth of character within her designs, and inspiration can be found anywhere; from a poster on the tube to a single colour. As well as drawing techniques, she enjoys experimenting with textiles; incorporating recyclable materials, and creating texture. She is inspired by other costume designers, including Sandy Powell, Gregg Barnes and Kate Hawley.

Rock Form- Megan Fatharly- etching on soft ground with sugar lift- 2015

Megan Fatharly studies Drawing at Falmouth University.

Her work draws a mirror to the natural world, documenting nature's objects through the use of colour and mark-making. She seeks to emulate the patterns and repetitive marks found on natural objects, such as trees and stones, and through her pen, capture the subtlety of the patterns within a landscape. Her practice spans beyond traditional notions of drawing, to explore further techniques including collage and printmaking; she says, " I have a very chaotic, fast-paced way of working. I love the process of printmaking, which is meditative and repetive, and helps me to slow down and refine my ideas". University peers, including Illustrator Sophie Eliza, and Fine Artist Joanna Hulin, are key sources of inspiration, as well as artists Claire Leach, Mimi Robson and John Howard.

Find more of Megan's work here and here, or follow her on instagram: @meganfatharly

James Green was the winner of the most recent heat on Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year, when several painters gathered to paint outside at Lyme Park. James is a bit different to most of the competitors on the show though, as he's a printmaker rather than a painter, and he's actually had experience of working in front of the cameras before.

Did you recognise him? James competed in Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in 2013, and this year he's managed to lino-cut his way to the semi-final of the Landscape show! We chat to James about his success, his inspiration and the experience of working on the show this time.

What was it like painting on Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year?

I thought it'd be fairly straightforward, compared with the Portrait series that I took part in. Landscapes are part of what I do (portraits are not generally!), but I think I actually found it more difficult, as my expectations were higher. I did enjoy it an awful lot, though.  

Did you talk to the other artists and the judges much?

Whilst the competition was happening I spoke to the other artists very little. We were all so busy trying to get our pictures completed. The judges did come and chat with us throughout the day to find out what was happening. I hope I made some sense trying to explain my methods. They were very friendly. After the competition the artists did then get time for a chat about the experience, and we got to share our thoughts on the surreal day.

 

Which kinds of art materials do you use and why? 

I'm not a painter, but a printmaker, and I specialise in linocuts. So the inks I use are Nerchau water-based block-printing inks from Germany. 

Were you pleased with your final painting at Lyme Park?

Yes, although in an ideal world I'd have liked to have spent another few hours on it. I'm guessing most artists will say this! 

 

Finally, which top three artists inspire your work?

Max Beckmann

Francisco Goya

Egon Schiele



Feeling inspired?

Find out more about James Green's work on his webshop and his blog.

Give lino cutting a go yourself with the Essedee Lino Printing Set.

Catch Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year on Tuesdays at 8pm.

Gary Webb is a sculptor known primarily for his bold use of colour and material. A graduate of Goldsmiths and represented by The Approach gallery, His sculpture Dreamy Bathroom was a star of Frieze 2015 and he is also an artist behind the new revolutionary launch of the Winsor & Newton Pigment Marker.

We caught up with Gary to find out more about his sculpture and what kind of materials he likes to use, from aluminium to glass to light and paper and pens. A regular exhibitor at the Cass Sculpture Foundation, he gives us a sneak preview into his upcoming commission, and shares his insight on using the Pigment Markers.

Pictured above: The Sound of the Blue Light



Hi Gary! So tell us, how did you first get into sculpture?

I don't know. It was so long ago. I've always worked with it, since I was fourteen, maybe even earlier. It just had more freedom than painting, and more choices, to use materials from the world. With painting it's just paint, but I can use paint and glass and metal and sand and light and who knows what else. The choice is more extendable with one's life, rather than painting windows like you're in a prison. Like painters do.

What kind of recurring themes run through your work?

Colour. It kinds of comes through and somehow it's all quite different but it's also all from the same guy. 

 

The Pooing Dutchman

Do you have a favourite piece?

A few. I really like The Sound of the Blue Light. That's a nice piece. And The Pooing Dutchman. Can I say that? I'm gonna say that.

What are your favourite materials to work with?

Pretty much everything, but I like aluminium. It goes through lots of pushing and shoving but still remains secure and solid. It's manageable, you can heft it about. 

Do you draw a lot in the beginning, to help realise your final sculptures?

Quite a bit, not all the time. A drawing could be lying around for ten years and then it gets made. Sometimes it's just a couple of months old. And sometimes the sculptures require no drawings, but it's just nice to use them. The drawings capture the feeling of the piece.  

 
Dreamy Bathroom

What was the reception to Dreamy Bathroom at Frieze?

 Well we got in the paper twice! There were big photos of it in The Evening Standard. So that's kind of all right.

What are you working on at the moment?

A leg piece for the Cass Sculpture Foundation. It's cast aluminium. So I'm waiting to get the green light to move on with it. It starts with polystyrene, I carve that to make the mould, then coat it in non-toxic waterbased material a bit like plaster but not as heavy. We make moulds and cast it in aluminium, then slot it all together and weld and bolt it together. And you're not taught any of this stuff. It's all kind of unmade. You just need a basic knowledge of getting something to stand up and make sure they're not gonna squash your kids! It's just about always doing and pushing and learning processes quite early on.

 

You’re an artist behind the campaign of Winsor & Newton Pigment Markers – what is it you like about these extraordinary pens?

The blending of the colours. You can pick out the red and blend it with the yellow, and then wipe it to the left on a bit of spare paper, and it's clean and the colour returns. They just offer this ongoing saga of drawing. I use them on the Pigment Marker paper, because all my drawings tend to be on A4, and I've always used lots of different brands of pens to make my marks and indicate those pieces in 3D. But I've never really had that blending technique, and it brings in a different atmosphere to the drawings. It means I'm able to let the thing drag on, go down a new road. They give me more options.

What kinds of surfaces have you used them on, aside from the Pigment Marker paper?

 I've used them on loads. On glass, tests on casted aluminium and drawing over the top of it...the next step is to use them on a 3D surface.  They're more than just an illustration tool.

 

What would your tips for using these Pigment Markers be for someone who hasn’t used them before?

The white blender pen includes white ink, so you can use it to pastelise the colours, whereas the colourless blender is just clear so the liquid all runs together, and you get more purity of colour. 

But my top tips would be to blend it, clean it and see. Just give them a go.

Feeling inspired?

Get the Winsor & Newton Pigment Markers yourself to try out their blending qualities.

Visit The Approach website to find out more about Gary Webb's sculpture.

Images are courtesy the artist and The Approach, London. 

As a practicing artist, working with galleries can be something of an enigma. It's not really taught at art school and it can be hard to know how to proceed, and how to distinguish the good opportunities from the not so good ones. Jenny Judova, Founder of Art Map, has written a series of How To Work With Galleries tutorials, exclusively for Cass Art, to teach you all that you need to know, and here is the third and final in the series.

Part 3: How To Approach A Gallery

Galleries do not enjoy being pitched to or being approached. The majority of gallerists I speak to enjoy finding artists; many see discovering new talent as the biggest perk if the job. In other words, it is not the artist who finds and approaches the gallery, but the gallerists who discover and approach the artists. To be approached by a gallery, the artist has to be discovered, but in order to be discovered they have to make themselves discoverable.

Unfortunately when artists think about ‘being discovered’ they use extreme and dated examples that usually include Charles Saatchi and the YBAs. The problem with these examples from more than 20 years ago is that they occurred in a very different time, when the London art scene was a lot smaller and the internet did not exist. Today, in a post-internet world, ‘being discoverable’ means having a search engine optimised website and a few thousand Instagram followers. I don’t remember anyone ever telling me that they discovered an artist during a studio visit - but I do know many examples when an artist was offered an exhibition or a commission by an Instagram follower. So when old rules no longer apply, how does an artist get discovered in the 21st century?

Have a website

I cannot express my surprise at how many artists still think that having a website is an unnecessary luxury. Your website is your personal business card and store front that is open 24/7. It allows people to find you, learn more about your work, and get in touch with you.

Tom’s Etching Studio website built with Square Space

Over the last few years, the cost of setting up a website has become extremely low. You can have a personal website for free. You can choose to use blog platforms such as Blogger or Tumblr, or shop building platforms such as Square Space, Wix, and Shopify. Of course the go to solution for many is still Wordpress or Inexhibit.

Garry Russell’s website built with Wix

Do not have a unique website

When setting up a website an important thing to remember is that it doesn't need to be unique. The content of your website makes the website unique, not its appearance. A ‘unique’ appearance often means a confusing user interface (UI) and, a website should be easy to understand and navigate.


Laura Aldridge’s website built in Inexhibit

Use your name as a domain name

Another issue to consider is the domain name - always use your real name or your artist pseudonym. In other words, if you introduce yourself as Jane Doe to people you meet, then your website domain should be janedoe.com or janedoeartist.com or janedoe.gallery. It should not be artistjennifer.com or londonartisttowatch.com. The aim of your website is to make you easily discoverable - not to make it harder to find you.  

Have an email address

Do not forget to add contact information to your website. If your contact information is not on your website it can be assumed that you do not want people to get in touch. Also make sure that the email address works and that emails will not bounce back. Choose an appropriate email name, too - something like sexykitten4689@hotmail.com is a good idea only if your work explores webcam culture! Also it's important to remember that such emails tend to be automatically redirected into junk mail.

Create a mailing list

The aim of your online presence is not just to make you easily discoverable but also to help build your audience. Creating a mailing list and interacting with those who signed up is a crucial part of that, as those are the people who actually want to know what you are up to. And if you tell them about your next show they will probably come to see it.

Bhavani Esapathi’s newsletter

Use social media

A decade ago social media was seen as a waste of time. Ten years on it is the most important marketing tool that artists, writers, journalists, curators, musicians, and creators have at their disposal. It's free to use, it helps connect with a larger community, and it helps create a community around what you are doing.

Mychael Pybus’ Instagram account

Furthermore Twitter and Instgaram have very powerful search engines. So if I type in ‘#etching’ or ‘#landscapeartist’ it will give me a list of all individuals who use the term in their description or that have existing posts including those terms. Social media is an amazing tool to make yourself more discoverable. And when it comes to Instagram, many artists I know have received commissions, sales, or exhibitions through the app.

Paul Kindersley Instagram account

Optimise the description about yourself in every social media account you have. Do not have generic descriptions such as ‘I am an artist and a mother of two beautiful kids, I also love sunsets.' No dealer will be using search terms such as ‘sunset’ or ‘kids’. Instead write something like ‘I am a painter, interested in still life and landscapes. I also do etching, engraving, and screen printing. You can buy my work at … or get in touch for commissions .’ This way you are likely to come up in search results for search for ‘still life’ or ‘etching’.

Art Map London’s Instagram account

Apply for open calls

This is something I learnt from a panel discussion that had three not-for-profit organisations talking about artist development, residencies, open calls, etc. One of the panelists bought up an interesting point: ‘It's worth applying to some open calls and residencies just to get your work in front of certain people.’

Show your work

To show your work you do not need to be represented by a gallery.  Invite your friends and social media followers to visit your studio. Hang your work in your living room, or coffee shop, or in the back of a van in a parking lot in Peckham and invite people over. Notice that this is not advice to spend money and organise an exhibition, but just to show work using resources you already have.

By Jenny Judova

Jenny is an art writer and speaker specialising on the primary art market. She is the founder of Art Map London, and is currently working on the publican Gallery Guide London and How to Approach a Gallery. The latter will be filled with advice on how to pursue a career in the arts.

Get in touch via twitter @jennyjudova 

Art Map London is an art events listing website that developed into a peer to peer network for artists and curators. 

Falling feathers, winding vines and curious creatures all feature amongst her famous pages. Johanna Basford's adult colouring books have sold millions of copies across the world, and when looking at her intricate drawings, it's not hard to see why.

Watch this video to go behind the scenes and find out about the illustrator, get a sneak peek into her studio and find out where her inspiration comes from.

Feeling inspired?

Buy Johanna's colouring books Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest at Cass Art.

Read our in-depth interview with Johanna here.

Video courtesy of Laurence King Publishing. 

Another episode of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year saw more painters battling it out with oil, acrylic and watercolour amid the British countryside to make it to the semi-final.

But as we know as avid watchers of the show, there can only be one winner per heat, and this week Jo Abbott was chosen by the judges at Waddesdon Manor.

A contemporary landscape painter based in Oxfordshire, Jo takes a mixed media approach, using a variety of materials on her finished paintings. We caught up with her about her experience at Waddesdon, and what art supplies she likes using the most.



Hi Jo! Are you used to painting outside or was this a new challenge?

I sketch a great deal outside, usually making brief sketch notes in pencil, watercolour and gouache, but sometimes in more detail in acrylics. I like to be very free and expressive at this stage, noting colours, textures and shapes. I usually do a number of sketches and then return to the studio to work these up into a painting, either combining elements or taking a particular feature that appeals and then expanding on it. Painting in front of so many people and the cameras was definitely the challenge rather than being outside!

 

Were there any comments from the judges that you particularly took on board?

I tend to paint very intuitively and at one point in the heat at Waddesdon I was feeling rather overwhelmed by the sheer amount of visual information facing me. I was getting a bit lost in the actual detail and wasn't responding to the landscape. The judges reminded me to look back at my submission painting and consider how I had expressed the feeling of that place. It made me loosen up again and stop worrying about being too representational. Oddly once I stopped looking at the view, the painting started coming together better!

Which kinds of paints do you use?

I am a bit of a magpie with materials. I mostly use pencil and watercolour in my sketchbooks, but will scribble with crayon, pastel, ink and acrylics too. In my finished works, I usually work in acrylics or oils, and I also use pumice powder, paper and canvas collage. I have a variety of brands, but I'm using a lot of Cobra and Michael Harding oils at the moment, Winsor and Newton acrylics and Sennelier watercolours. I like to experiment and play with combining materials - you can get some surprising and beautiful results.

 

Were you pleased with your final painting at Waddesdon?

I was really unsure what I was going to be able to achieve with my painting in my heat as I have never painted to a time before. In terms of getting paint down I work usually fast anyway, but I also had to think about drying time in order to be able to layer paint. I think of the painting as about 2/3 finished, and am frustrated every time I look at it as I just itch to clarify areas I am unhappy with and finish it off properly. I am so glad the judges could see potential in what I did achieve in the 4 hours, but I would have loved another couple of hours!

Finally, what’s next in your painting career?

I am currently working on several commissions and am also looking for other competitions and art prizes. I would ideally like to have gallery representation rather than working from my website, so I will be working on a portfolio and body of work that I can submit. I will be working on new project this winter where I aim to create a series of paintings based around my route "home" to the West Country which is where I grew up. 


Feeling inspired?

Find out more about Jo Abbott's work on her website.

Pursue your own painting and shop for acrylic, oil and watercolour materials here.

Catch Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year on Tuesdays at 8pm.