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Category: Drawing

Tonalist Techniques in Painting and Drawing

In this article, I explore the techniques used in Tonalism by looking at the qualities of artworks from the movement. Among its leading figures were American painters such as James McNeil Whistler and George Inness. I then demonstrate how to create your own Tonalist works in painting and drawing media. Articles in the Techniques Series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them.     Tonalist Techniques in Painting and Drawing Definition: Tonalism refers to artworks with a restricted palette of colours, which exist within a narrow variation of dark tones. These muted palettes lend themselves to nocturnal scenes, suggesting dusk or dawn, often depicting the landscape or people. ‘Tonalism’ refers to both the painting technique and the late 19th-century American art movement that originated the term.   What is the Effect of Tonalism? Tonalism has a contemplative, quieting effect, with its muted palette and sombre tones evoking the quiet stillness of dusk. Tonalist works often evoke a feeling of loneliness, as if you have come across the dying light on an evening walk, or seen another person absorbed by their own thoughts at the end of the day. …

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Inside the Sketchbook of Noemi Conan

Polish-born, London-based painter Noemi Conan discusses her lifelong impulse to gather inspirational fragments of data, and how she curates these visual mementos within her sketchbook as a way to process her busy mind. Noemi’s sketchbook serves as a creative receptacle for her collection of found materials and snippets of inspiration compiled from films, exhibitions and long journeys. Through this process of visual journaling, Noemi is able to explore the themes of migration, womanhood and identity that are central to her work.     Inside the Sketchbook of Noemi Conan I’m Noemi Conan, a Polish painter based in London for the time being. In my work, I explore the ways visual storytelling can aid me in talking about my conflicted experience of migration, self-image, and womanhood. I paint women, cats and conifers, smoking after dark, and extended hangouts at roadsides.     I arrived at what I would call a sketchbook by combining my lifelong obsession with collecting visual data – labels, dried plants, napkins, stickers, a particularly tasty typeface or logo, a ridiculous headline in the daily newspaper – with the written scaffolding I was encouraged to build by tutors at art school. My brain is a messy, overstuffed attic …

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Pointillist Techniques for Painting and Drawing

In this article, I explain the pointillist technique by looking at works by the artists who created it – Georges Seurat and Paul Signac – and others who embraced it, like Anna Boch and Lucie Cousturier. And then I demonstrate how to achieve the pointillist technique in your own work, using oil and acrylic paint, pencil, and pastel. Articles in the Techniques Series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them.     Pointillist Techniques for Painting and Drawing Definition: Pointillism is the application of small dots of pure colour that form a complete image when viewed from a distance. The technique relies on optical mixing, where instead of combining colours on the palette, our eyes merge the adjacent dots to reveal form, value, and space.   What is the Effect of Pointillism? When pointillism is executed well, it conveys to the viewer that the artist has a deep understanding of colour. These works often use complementary colours to create contrast and visual interest. And they have soft transitions between tones by diffusing the dots of one area with those nearby. Since these artworks rely on optical mixing, the …

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Artist Review of the Stillman & Birn Zeta Softcover Sketchbook

Stillman & Birn Zeta Softcover Sketchbooks are praised for their thoughtful design and quality manufacturing, making them a popular choice for artists and illustrators alike. In this article, Amy Sharp shares her love for the smooth and durable paper surface of the Zeta Sketchbooks, and their exceptional handling qualities, adding comfort and ease to her drawing practice.     Artist Review of the Stillman & Birn Zeta Softcover Sketchbook by Amy Sharp This is my absolute favourite sketchbook, one of the few that I’ve managed to fill from cover to cover, and I’m currently on my third one! One of the biggest reasons for this is the paper. I’ve tried several other sketchbooks with ‘smooth’ paper, often finding the paper to feel thin and cheap, with a strangely slippery quality. Stillman & Birn’s Zeta Softcover Sketchbook balances the smooth surface with thick, high quality paper, creating a much better drawing experience.     This allows pencils to glide across the surface, but with enough tooth to allow controlled and detailed lines. In addition to this, the paper is sturdy enough to withstand vigorous erasing; this is a very important quality for me as I constantly revisit and edit ideas.   …

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