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Archive by category "Drawing"

Strokes of Genius 17: Presenting the Top 3 

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Sponging Techniques for Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking

Using sponges for painting may initially bring back memories of using poster paint in primary school, but they’re also a valuable tool for artists working in painting, drawing, and printmaking. In this article, I explore the sponging technique by looking at examples from antiquity to Dutch botanical painting, as well as Degas’ prints. Articles in the Techniques Series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them. Sponging Techniques for Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking Definition: Sponging is the application of paint or ink to a surface using a sponge. This could be a natural sea sponge or a manufactured one. What is the Effect of Sponging? Sponging adds texture to paintings by printing the impression of the sponge onto the surface. Sea sponges generally have defined holes which will appear when dabbed onto a painting. Whereas manufactured sponges have tiny holes which make the sponged mark appear more unified. The artist may manipulate a sponge by cutting it into a particular shape for their purposes, or compress or twist it in their grip to make a specific printed mark. Sponges may also be swiped …

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Testing Ampersand Claybord in Painting, Drawing, Printmaking and More

It seems like an impossible feat to find an artist’s surface that works with virtually all mediums, yet the Ampersand Claybord fulfills it. The ingenious surface is archival, acid-free, and warp-proof, with a highly absorbent, smooth finish that works beautifully with an array of techniques and materials. In this review, I tested the Claybord with the widest range of mediums I’ve ever used for a single review – acrylic, oil, ink, watercolour, printmaking, graphite, coloured pencil, markers, and collage. Testing Ampersand Claybord in Painting, Drawing, Printmaking and More About the Ampersand Company The invention that marked the beginning of the Ampersand company was the Claybord itself. This unique coated artists’ panel was invented by Charles Ewing, who sought to create a rigid surface for his own artworks that would allow for a combination of ink and scratchboard techniques. He was friends with Elaine Salazar, a graduate student at the University of Texas. She believed in the potential of the Claybord with her background in art history, and alongside three classmates won a national business competition with their plan for the development of the Claybord. The prize allowed them to found Ampersand with Charles and his wife, Barbara, in …

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On Location at Derwent

Our On Location series reveals where some of the best-loved art materials are made, and provides insight into the working methods of the people who make them. This time, we travelled to England’s beautiful Lake District in Cumbria to visit the Derwent pencil factory. Here, highly experienced workers produce a wide range of artists’ pencils, drawing tools, and accessories, from their heritage Artists coloured pencil range and innovative Inktense collections to their premium Lightfast pencils. On Location at Derwent A Brief History of Derwent The original Derwent factory was based in Keswick, close to the historic Seathwaite graphite mine in the Borrowdale Valley. This site, discovered in the 1500s, after a tree was upturned in a storm, was found to be rich in deposits of the purest graphite. At first, its potential was not realised, and local farmers, calling it ‘wad’, used it to mark their sheep. But gradually, its unique mark-making qualities began to be realised. The pencil only became a commercial venture from the 1790s, and by the early 1800s, there were thirteen manufacturers in Keswick, building a reputation for the finest pencils in the world. Derwent outlived them all, having its roots in …

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In Conversation with Derwent

We sit down in the Jackson’s Studio with Tom Lewington, Global Sales Director, and Adam Gaskell, Technical Manager at Derwent, to hear the story behind the brand. From its roots in England’s Lake District, the historical source of the world’s richest graphite, to its modern innovations in pencil making, Derwent’s journey spans nearly two centuries of craftsmanship. In this interview, Tom and Adam share how the company’s heritage and deep connection to artists continue to shape every product they make – from raw materials to the finished pencil. Above image: Tom Lewington and Adam Gaskell of Derwent In Conversation With Derwent Contents 0:00 Introduction 1:38 Can you tell us about the very beginnings of Derwent? 2:59 What was the first Derwent Product Made, and who was it aimed at? 3:55 Derwent are a world-renowned manufacturer of Artist Pencils. Tell us more about how your brand achieved this. 6:50 Can you tell us about Derwent’s production? Walk us through the steps in producing a pencil. 12:41 How do you colour the outside of a pencil? 14:57 Can you tell us about the wood used for your pencils? 16:15 What is mixed with graphite to make a pencil lead, and …

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Resist Techniques for Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking

In this article, I describe the resist technique by referring to historic examples, from dyed fabrics to etchings, and Henry Moore’s drawings. Then I demonstrate how you can apply the resist technique to a host of mediums, such as acrylic, oil paint, and mixed media for drawings. Articles in the Techniques Series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them. Resist Techniques for Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking Definition: The resist technique refers to media or materials that have been used to block out or reject the subsequent layers that are applied to an artwork, to retain the quality of the ‘resisted’ area. For example, an oil pastel drawing will reject a layer of ink applied on top of it, adhering to the surrounding areas of paper, and tape applied over a dry area of oil painting will resist the next layer, so the original one can be revealed again later. What is the Effect of the Resist Technique? The resist technique has a different visual effect depending on the medium or combination of mediums it’s used with. In general, it indicates that the artist is a …

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Art Through Symbols: The Moon

The moon doesn’t just move our seas, and mark time through its phases, but is an ever-evolving symbol in the visual arts that has collected a broad net of meanings. From rebirth to madness, and introspection to immortality, our fascination with the moon is imbued with the reassurance that it’ll be in our sky as long as we are. The Art Through Symbols series explores the interpretation of symbols throughout art history – be they cultural, religious, folkloric, or personal. Each article analyses a series of artworks, before detailing an art-making tutorial inspired by the symbol for you to try. Art Through Symbols: The Moon Interpreting the Moon The moon has hung bright on our collective visual consciousness throughout history. Perhaps we are so enchanted by it because it’s our closest planetary neighbour in an endless universe, or that its cycles plainly mark the passage of time. The moon has always been associated most broadly with eternity, appearing to every living being for as long as our planet has existed and will remain. Our tides roll because of its constant tugging, and folklore and mythology both suggest the full moon pulls people into madness or beastly …

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Inside the Sketchbook of Ranny Macdonald

Ranny Macdonald is a London-based artist and musician whose practice is deeply rooted in drawing. In this article, he describes the important role sketching plays for him, and how rapid, intuitive mark making in his sketchbook allows him to capture fleeting moments and elusive ideas. Whether it’s the quickly shifting light and colour of a scene, a moment caught within the briskness of urban life, or creative concepts competing for dominance in his imagination, this spontaneous sketchbook process allows him to record ideas in their rawest form – ultimately shaping the distinct perspective of his work. Inside the Sketchbook of Ranny Macdonald Drawing is at the heart of everything I do (artistically speaking!), and for as long as I can remember, it has been a beloved companion and a space I feel totally safe within. Despite this, and the fact that I try to carry a sketchbook everywhere I can, I’ve never thought of myself as a sketchbook person. You might know the type I mean, the kind of artist who might be in your A-level class or art school, whose shoulder you can gaze over in awe as they flick through endless colourful double spreads. I don’t …

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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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Category: Drawing