JULY 2017

CANVAS

Welcome to Stephen Ashurst

Portrait in Oil

Coming Up next time:-

David Wilcox

Dancers Acrylics

8th August

Stephen is a familiar face to visitors at Patchings Art Festival

each year.

His large full colour images are testament of his ability to

capture a true likeness of the sitter. He is arguably one of the

UK’s best portraitists in oil. His method of application of the

medium, in a unique style of his own, make images he has

created instantly recognisable. Many distinguished people

have been captured on canvas, so those in attendance should

feel privileged to witness a great master at work.

CLAIRE BOTTERILL DEMONSRATION

‘Hares at Bradgate’

Ink, Wax and Watercolour – Tuesday, 13th June 2017

Drawing onto pre-stretched Bockingford 425gms/300lbs watercolour pa-

per, stapled to a back board. Claire began by sketching out her subject,

which was an image of a large hare in the foreground of fields and the

silhouette of ‘Old John’ on the skyline in the background.

Marking out a ‘frame’ at the outer edge of the paper, en-

abled the image to be placed correctly, and ensured it

would not be lost. For more complicated drawings, mark-

ing out gridlines at the edge of the paper assists in getting

the proportions correct. By placing a sheet of acetate

marked with gridlines over the photographic image of the

hare, helped speed up this process. The hare was

sketched in the foreground with the horizon containing

some trees and a rough outline of ‘Old John’. The sketch

was carried out using a light brown watercolour pencil;

standing back from time to time to ensure the drawing

“made sense” to the eye.

The foreground grasses were ‘scribbled in’ very loosely.

Once happy with her drawing, the pencil outline was rein-

forced in ink. A Parker Vector cartridge pen was used,

containing black Parker ‘Quink’ non-permanent ink car-

tridges (obtainable from WH Smith, Partners or any good

stationers). The sketch continued by putting in the eye

and more details on the hare, such as whiskers and fur.

In the second half of the demonstration Claire first concen-

trated on the hare’s eye, drawn as an ‘upright oval’. White

crayon was used as a wax resist on the ears, as well as to cre-

ate the highlight in the pupil; apricot and light brown were

used for the iris and dark brown was added to create shad-

ows on the face and body. Next the area of paper around

the central image was thoroughly wet with a flat brush to

create a ‘halo’ effect, avoiding contact with the inked areas,

and a light wash of French ultramarine was placed in the sky

area; lemon yellow and ultramarine was used for the back-

ground field and foreground. Note: for best results, the pa-

per should be laid flat for this part of the exercise to avoid

runs; always prepare your washes in advance. Claire made

washes of ultramarine, burnt and raw sienna, lemon yellow,

and a spring green mix of ultramarine and lemon yellow.

Working with a clean wet paintbrush into the wax on the

body of the hare, she added raw sienna, burnt sienna and

ultramarine to create contours and shadows. A damp brush

was used to lift out paint to enhance highlights. The spring

green mix was added to the foreground, occasionally moving

it near to the hare and touching it in parts so that it ran

slightly. Background washes were moved from the field area

toward the ink lines surrounding the hare and up towards

the trees and ‘Old John’. This produced a lovely, subtle

effect. The painting was painted in a “vignette” style, fading

to the edges of the paper.

This was an interesting demonstration and gave us all some

excellent ideas to try out.

Visit Claire’s website at: www.clairebotterill.co.uk

Nuala Carr

On the horizon, trees were also scribbled in; allowing light to

show through the trunks - ‘Old John’ was just a suggestion,

with no detail. Crayola coloured wax crayons in various col-

ours were used on the hare, starting with light brown and

adding some apricot and darker brown. Mixtures of yellows,

greens and pink tones were used for the foreground grasses

and fields leading to the horizon.

We were delighted to welcome back Steven, after his accomplished oil painting demonstration last year, of a

coastal scene.

This time his subject matter was a bluebell wood at Calke Abbey, Derbyshire, the county where lives. He was

working from a primary source photo, but usually prefers to paint and sketch ‘plein air’, finishing off his work

in the studio.

Steven had already prepared his support, which was a 24 x 24 “ box canvas. He had covered it with a tex-

tured paste, made from White Gesso sprinkled with dry playground sand. He explained that after application,

he waited for about ½ hour until it started to firm up and then worked into it with a palette knife, modelling

it to give it a 3 D quality, and scratching into it, to create details. He used finer textures for the trees in the

background, and rougher rounder shapes in the foreground, to describe the form of the bluebells. This was

then left to dry overnight.

He had then applied thin glazes of greens and yellows, to create a tonal under painting, which he could build

on with layers of paint, gradually using thicker paint as he proceeds. The colours he used: were Yellow Ochre,

Sap Green and Cadmium Yellow (he often came back to these 3 colours throughout the evening).

Already there was a strong compositional element to the painting. It had a gentle diagonal of trees in the

background, which traversed the top third of the canvas, and an attractive sense of light and shade as the

sun shone down through the centre of the painting. The light source highlighted a small copse of trees in the

middle ground, which would become the focal point of the painting.

Steven explained that if he were working in oils, he would use exactly the same process, but would use turps

to dilute the oils, as opposed to using water with the acrylics. He would need an extra day if using oils- it

would take 3 rather than 2 days to complete. He uses Alkyd quick drying oil paints, and Turners Acrylics, and

often has 3 paintings on the go at the same time.

9th May 2017

Steven Mcloughlin

‘Blue Bell Wood’ - Acrylic Landscape Demonstration

Then he began. Painting upright, he built up the initial thin layers with a medium household brush, allow-

ing the paint to run into the textures, and to leave interesting marks. He worked quickly, using the edges/

corners of the brush in different directions, or used the whole width, stroking the paint downwards to

blend, sometimes even using his fingers. He explained that he works dark on light from the background to

the foreground, building up the contrast, and then uses lighter colours at the end.

Next he captured the warm glow of the sun as it shone on the ground, using Titanium White, Flesh Tint

and Naples Yellow. He slowly built up the trees in the middle distance and the grasses in the foreground.

He used a Filbert No 12/14 brush to stroke in the foliage on the trees, and the bluebells in the distance,

mixing a pale lilac from French Ultramarine, Crimson and White.

A darker tone was added in the foreground, with a mix of Turquoise and Yellow Ochre, and the tree

trunks and branches were dry brushed in, using Burnt Sienna and French Ultramarine. This technique was

also used over the texture in the middle ground, with light yellows and whites to emphasise the glow.

The silver birch trees in shadow to the left and right were painted in with a thin watercolour brush, with

Burnt Sienna, Sap Green and Turquoise, and those in the centre were added using White. Shadows were

painted under the trees using Cerulean Blue and Crimson.

Then came the ‘piece de resistance’- the bluebells! Using thin mixtures of Cerulean and French Ultrama-

rine, Crimson, Pinks and Purples, he stroked over the thicker texture in the foreground, which easily

picked up the paint as it was more pronounced. He then scratched into it with the end of his brush to add

finer details. Lighter tones were added to the middle ground using thicker dryer paint, and to pick out the

highlights on the flowers. He then splattered on some lilac, refining it as he went, adding pure Cerulean

for a dappled light effect, and then adding white to the blue he dragged it over the canvas to create high-

lights on the bluebells.

Finally, he used the fine brush with a mixture of Titanium White, Crimson and Naples Yellow, to add the

fine details of foliage which crossed over the tree trunks, leaving some of the green under painting show-

ing through…

The finished result was a stunning, impressionistic painting, in a harmony of greens, blues and purples. A

beautiful subject, painted in a beautiful style…

Sue Faulks

SOCIETY OF GRAPHIC FINE ART ANNUAL OPEN EXHIBITION Deadline for online entries 21 July 2017 SGFA are calling for entries to Draw 17 - 96th Annual Exhibition. Open to artists, illustrators and printmak-ers from around the country. To take place at Menier Gallery, London SE1 1RU, 2 – 14 October 2017 More Information

SOCK GALLERY SUMMER OPEN EXHIBITION Submission Dates Friday 28 July 11am – 7pm and Saturday 29 July 9am – 5pm Call for entries. Applicants can submit up to 3 pieces of work each, which are all judged by an independent selection panel. Those who are successful will have their work on display as part of the Open exhibition. More Information

Cosy Club, Highcross Street, Leicester LE1 4HH 2nd and 4th Sunday of the Month 10.30am - 1pm Next dates: 9th & 23rd July 2017 All welcome, you do not have to be a member of LSC to attend. Free. Pop in for a coffee & sketch session in Leicester's The Cosy Club. Coffee and buns to buy at the bar and great background music. A chance to meet people and practise your drawing skills in a chilled environment. Bring your own sketchpads and materials.

Meet at 10.00am sharp at the main carpark or if late, catch up with people drawing inside the

park. Bring food and drink and plenty of layers of clothes. It is an informal day out and a chance

to meet club members and guests, pick up some tips and enjoy some sketching & painting.

There will be no cancellation notification so only come if you feel like it on the day.

Free entry to park. Car park costs.

Café and toilets available nearby.

ALL WELCOME.

Saturday 29 July 2017

10.00am

Main entrance carpark on Bradgate Road,

Newtown Linford. LE6 OHB

BRADGATE PARK, NEWTOWN LINFORD

Sketch The City Event - Volunteers Wanted

Saturday 19 August 2017 from 10.30am at Jubilee Square and Cathedral Gardens. Meet in the foyer of St Martins House 3.30pm for photos and to look at the work produced on the day. Leicester Sketch Club is hosting a day of drawing in the City Centre in partnership

with Leicestershire Archaeological Society and Leicester Arts & Museums Service. The day comes

as part of the ‘Changing Leicester’ Project, a Heritage Lottery Funded initiative looking at per-ceptions of heritage development in the post war period as well as promoting the importance of protecting and respecting Leicester’s heritage. Artists of all ages and abilities are invited to join members of the club to draw the surrounding city buildings and landmarks, capturing the old and new side-by-side. We are looking for volunteers to help out at the meeting places and/or to give sketching demon-strations - if you would like to help out on the day please email emmawillis1@hotmail.co.uk Keep an eye on our website here for more details to follow!

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