Tag: landscape

A Chinese New Year?

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by Bev Dunstan

Well, no, it will not be the Chinese New Year until next month. But we started off 2026 with a workshop of Chinese Brush Painting by Jean Turton. And it was wonderful!

Jean introduced the attendees to the wonderful world of Chinese Brush Painting with her amazing stories of her visits to China to witness the making of the paper, the creation of the chops (stamps), the history of the brushes and visiting the country to paint the phenomenal landscape.

Soft, absorbent surface

She began by ensuring that we all were working on a soft and absorbent surface, explaining that the Chinese paper would surprise us all in how quickly it would take up the water.  Any hard or plastic-finished surface would encourage the water to spread under the paper and that was avoidable with the correct base surface – newspaper was ideal and Jean used a piece of felt,

Jean explained that, although there were many brushes to choose from, we would really only need 3 types (1) a narrow brush for thinner marks (2) the sheep brush, made from sheep or goat hair which was very soft and absorbent (3) the stiffer wolf brush (actually made from weasel hair).  This brush was harder than the sheep brush and kept its point during application.  Jean kindly lent her brushes to the class for the workshop. 

Jean supplied the paper and she was NOT wrong regarding its water absorbent properties!  It was like painting onto cheap toilet paper!  Great care had to be taken to remove the excess water from the loaded brush before making the mark on the paper.

Jean supplied the Chinese ink and explained its origins.  The black was ground from Oil-soot or Pine-soot.  The vibrant red paste used for the chop marks (generally messages of good luck and the like) was cinnabar, an ore made from mercury sulphide, which is toxic and to be handled with great care.

Narcissus and Camellia

Introduction over, she demonstrated the techniques used to create a painting of narcissus and camilla using the narrow and sheep brushes to define outline and infill colour respectively.

Iconic mountain landscape

After lunch, Jean demonstrated the different techniques used to create the iconic Chinese mountain / pine tree landscape.  It used the stiffer wolf brush and included the ‘push’ technique of the brush, causing it to wobble and expand the mark as it crossed the paper surface.

How to paint bamboo

To complete the day, Jean shared her technique for painting bamboo and its leaf patterns.  One leaf (passing boat), two leaves (fishtail), three leaves (goldfish tail), four leaves (swallow) and five leaves (landing goose).  Jean’s enthusiasm for the poetry and symbolism of the marks was infectious and we all thoroughly enjoyed the day.

The results of our labours:

Loose Landscapes with Christine Forbes

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by Bev Dunstan

Christine came up from Chichester on June 14 to present a wonderful  ‘Loose Landscape in Acrylic’ workshop.

Thought process

She began by explaining the importance of drawing out your painting prior to applying the paint.  By doing so, you were breaking down the thought process of the painting into different stages – tone, mark placement and then colour.

Using a graphic stick, the members were encouraged to map out the image, pressing hard to show the darker areas and working the graphic stick across the page to demonstrate the different tones within the painting.

Using the tonal map as reference, a test piece was created to practice making the marks and the placement of paint. Beginning with deep purples – mimicking the darker tones of the graphic marks and once dry, the landscape was applied and the cloud formations were completed.

The final painting was then created using the techniques of the practice piece.

Sgraffito

Christine continued by demonstrating the technique of sgraffito.   A base layer of colour was randomly applied to the paper and once this was dried, a darker application of paint was brushed over the top. Whilst this was still wet the artist scratched away the paint to reveal the colour beneath.  

The afternoon provided time to the artists to use the techniques learned in the morning to create their own work – either freeform or from favoured photos.

The final display of work demonstrated the wide interpretation of the techniques learned during the day.

Different Strokes – Chinese Brush Painting

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Our 26th February Zoom Demonstration was given by Kaili Fu, an expert in the art of Chinese Brush Painting.

Kaili showed us pictures of landscape and flower on rice paper, and others on silk. It takes time to use these, because of their delicacy and the drying time involved. For the demo she used thicker rice paper. Like kitchen roll, it absorbs water when wet. Chinese artists make ‘rice’ paper out of whatever grows locally, bamboo, rice, straw, tree bark. All brushes are from natural materials. Some brushes are soft, to wash flowers, and leaves. But for trees, mountains, rock, uses stuff brushes. Traditionally, ink is ground from a block, but to save time, she’s using ink from a bottle.

dragging the wet ink across to create ‘water’

The brush is held upright. Trees are done from top to bottom. It seemed like she was resting on what she’d just painted when she was doing detail, but perhaps the wet had already soaked into the paper.

Adding detail – carefully, and with much consideration for the exact stroke

Kaili had camera failure before we started so was improvising using her phone. All in all I think she did a good job in difficult circumstances. It may not have been the most dynamic or organised of presentations, but I loved the way she used the light, shade, and size of the trees to indicate space and distance. It was difficult to see what she’d done for a boat until she brought it close to the camera, when we discovered that there were birds drying their wings on the cross-poles of the rigging!

As some of us sketchers found when we did the February challenge prompt ‘Patterns’, there was a kind of meditative calm about watching her paint. Very deliberate, sometimes very small marks, carefully placed.

Laying on wash with an amazingly wide ‘brush’ tool

When the picture is finished, it has to dry. To support it, it is then pasted onto another sheet of stronger paper. Originally this would be a flour paste, but mostly they use wallpaper paste these days.

Stages in developing the flower. Each petal is one stroke, pooling the ink at the inner end. Surface detail was added later

The second painting was a flower. The technique was amazing, producing a wonderful 3d effect. And I loved watching the detail of the butterfly.

Paint… Chinese water colour paint. All materials are derived from organic or mineral sources. You need to check out specialist suppliers for these, and the papers and ink blocks, if you want to be authentic.

All photos are screenshots; pictures copyright Kaili Fu.

We all want Les Darlow’s Pan Pastels

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The November Zoom Demonstration by Les Darlow was billed as Winter Landscape in soft pastels over watercolour.

I confess to have got a bit confused, because it wasn’t what I was expecting. It was fascinating, and brilliant, and Les is obviously a very talented artist, but it seemed to me to be all about the new materials he was using. What about those of us who have a stock of pastel paper, watercolour paper, watercolours and soft pastels that we want to use up before adding more kit to our overflowing art …box?

The materials are clearly wonderful. A new fabric for painting on, developed by Les’s students. Use for pastels or watercolour – and spray the back to help with the colour fixing. Pan pastels you apply with a sponge (I missed whether this was a wet sponge, or dry). No need for pastel dust on your fingers, clothes or the end of your nose… or anywhere else.

Les’s pictures were brilliant. Very brilliant, and I think this was part of the glory of applying the pastels with the sponge on the fabric. His work was based some pictures which were originally quite dark, and as he reminded us: It’s our picture, we can do what we like with our prompt. Any colours, crop it how you like, add or subtract. In Les’s case they were much more vibrant.

It was a fascinating demonstration, and I think most of us enjoyed it, even if we were left wondering if we could really use the same techniques with our soft pastels over dry watercolours.

Brenda kindly circulated details of the fabric and Pan Pastels from Les afterwards. If you’ve lost the email here they are again:

Those interested in the fabric should contact Chris Brookes at chris_brookes@sky.com

Les has also sent information of an offer he is promoting on his website for Christmas.

Les says: Should anyone be interested I have an offer (Ultimate Pastel Package) on my website for Christmas with over 70% off.  Six downloadable books with ten step by step projects, plus six pre recorded workshops via Zoom with over 12 hours of tuition plus much more, just click the link…

Ultimate Pastel Package – LES DARLOW FINE ART

Les Darlow  – www.lesdarlow.com

Graham Webber zooms us into autumn

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On 23rd October, Graham Webber ROI gave us our first Zoom demonstration of the autumn season, and what a corker it was! Graham presented an East Anglia landscape in oils, from start to, more or less, finish.

Why more or less? Because he finished by talking about that thorny problem ‘when do you know it’s finished?’ Graham’s solution is to leave it around, so he can look at it from time to time, and pick up a brush and palette (because the paint is usually soft enough to move in small amounts) to make adjustments. And when he stops doing that, it’s probably finished.

But we started with a blank piece of MDF, with 3 coats of white gesso (already dry). This gives a textured ground which the paint likes, give something for the brush strokes to get hold of. Then he makes an approximation of the shapes he wants to make in a dark neutral colour. Graham uses vermilion, red ochre and yellow ochre, and white, and that’s all. Everything comes from there. Need it warmer: mix a little red in. Cooler, add yellow, darker, add blue. That’s how it seemed anyway. You can see from the photos of his palette what a range he made, and also how they all go together, all the time. They pick up each other’s tones and support or contrast with each other.

He blocks buildings in to start, along with the other shapes. Everything is worked on at the same time, provided the tone on the brush is right. He especially mentioned not making buildings too ‘right’ to start. The surroundings you add later will do that, along with highlights and key features.

He also showed how he composed the picture to create balance and interest, drawing your eye to the key part, not sticking to the photo. In this case he completely changed the sky, firstly indicating in quite dark paint how he wanted to bring the sky forward over the sea by taking a diagonal line from top left towards the fishing huts, and scribbling it a bit to indicate bulk. His treatment of sky was something I particularly valued, although I still couldn’t spot what he did later to turn the clouds from scrubby patches into dramatic clouds.

There is a recording of the demo (will be available for one more week, for members only) and I should go through it and see if I can spot this stroke of genius on second (or third) viewing. Roy circulated the details by email on 24th October.

I wish I could read my notes on the words of wisdom I scribbled down at the end, but I did get this one:

Remember, you don’t have to put everything in the photo, or in front of you, in the picture. It’s yours.

Thank you for a most enlightening and engaging demonstration, Graham.

Jacky Pett

all images screenshots, copyright for artwork belongs to Graham Webber.

A Priceless Workshop

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Adebanji Alade held an ‘Urban Landscape using Acrylic’ workshop for
the Art Group on Saturday 14th September.  What a fantastic day!

The day began with Adebanji offering to gesso prime our canvases –
which we all accepted – and providing various images of London
demonstrating light and shadow.  He showed the group how to mark out a
grid by dividing up the image into smaller triangles and mimicking the
grid onto the canvas.  His tip was to use a canvas or board that had a
ratio of 3:4 to provide a balanced rectangular painting.

He completed an hour’s demo, talking us through his technique of
sketching in the image to create a tonal sketch; blocking in the darks
before completing the stage by using white to create a monochromatic
painting.

He then continued to add the sky, progressing to the ground and then
working with the darkest areas towards the lightest points.  He
continued to work on the painting during the session and has kindly
signed and donated the piece for CFAG to auction off with the proceeds
going towards the Eastleigh Mayors’ charities.

It was then the turn of the workshop participants.  What seemed to be so easy in
theory took much effort and concentration to even get close! Four
hours later and with much encouragement and assistance from Adebanji
sixteen paintings were lined up for review.  Adebanji was absolutely
amazing – he was willing to help – offering advice and assistance to
all – be it adjusting the painting, mixing the right colour or just
providing words of encouragement.

Adebanji then ended the day by completing a two hour demonstration in
the evening – first sketching and then completing a portrait of a
Vagabond – aka our Chairman Roy.

A splendiferous workshop.

Bev Dunstan

Abstract Watercolour Paint-along with Kerry Bennett

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by Jacky Pett

Kerry Bennett paints abstracts of landscapes using blobs of paint and a straight edge, like a credit card. She showed us how this works, taking the paint from a dish onto the card, then scraping along lifting at times. Then she took a large brush, slightly damp to move it around a bit.

For those who work in watercolour, I think this was mainly a chance to try a different technique. I don’t, so it was fascinating to see not only the way Kerry approaches the abstract element, but also the tips and tricks she gave to solve problems watercolorists tackle routinely.

She showed lots of examples, most of which I thought were gorgeous. Especially the more monochrome and the one that looked like a highland loch

Not just watercolour paints

Use anything you like, including salt, clingfilm, ink, pen. It will depend what you see on how you want to develop and what tools to use.

You need a dark colour in the middle, so start with cobalt and burnt sienna. Also a cerulean and magenta. Take some of all together on your card and make the first marks.

Fill the bottom with some water and tilt to help the paint spread. This takes time. Use a normal brush to bring some of the other colours in, and move the paper around (tilt) till it’s dry enough to stay there.  Don’t let it puddle when flat or you get cauliflowers.(hard edges)

Paper has three stages of wetness:

  • Very wet smooth and glossy
  • Sheen, you can do wet into wet
  • Matt… too late. Dry completely and reset to add new wet in wet.

Putting salt on, grain by grain, gets a little bloom.

Alcohol gives a dandelion or lichen effect!

When dry enough, turn and wet the other half, and repeat tilting and playing with the paint effect. Decided she wanted a waterfall effect, so held board vertical and spray with water to make a gap in the colours that runs down the paper.

Use the edge of the card to create marks from any blobs of paint. If the paper is still wet you can do white marks, but judging the wetness is tricky.

I found it fascinating to watch how the colour spreads itself on wet paper. Kerry showed one example of ink on watercolour where the ink on water had made very realistic(if dense) foliage. A small spray bottle is essential equipment! Quink ink, or the one she uses has a white an purple vertical label and Japanese characters (or Chinese)

Quite often she ends up choosing the other way up for the sky from what she first thought!

The Paintalong

Joy Hatherell’s example

There were lots of people who showed their efforts on the screen, but I only managed to ‘collect’ one. I imagine those painting along had a lot of fun!

Kerry asked if we had a lot of water colourists. I’m not one, but seeing her paint like this, instead of the mostly neat and controlled watercolours that I’ve always thought ‘proper’, this approach I’d like to try.

Some more tips

  • Size 10 zero black velvet has a lovely tip. Use older brushes to wet your palette box, and the nice ones to take the paint from there.
  • Getting rid of cauliflowers: dampen, scrub and dab!
  • Use a hake brush to throughly wet the whole paper. Use long brush strokes.
  • Note that some colours e.g.  Paynes Grey dry a lot lighter than you expect.
  • Ink on dry paper you can’t lift off. On wet paper you can get rid of most, but it leaves a patch.
the initial abstract after tilting
painted highlights as a cliff seemed to appear

all images taken as screenshots, copyright remains with Kerry Bennett

Abstract Landscape in watercolour – update

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Members looking forward to next week’s zoom demonstration have something extra to excite them!

Kerry Bennett will be demonstrating how to paint abstract landscapes – but with you painting along at home. 

Hopefully many of you will take part – this is a lot of fun to create and quite unpredictable.

Time permitting Kerry will also demonstrate creating landscapes using watercolour and black Chinese ink.

Joining details for the zoom meeting will be emailed to members this week.

REQUIREMENTS for the paint along

A3 or A4 watercolour paper, NOT cold pressed

A credit card or a piece of stiff plastic.

A water spray bottle

Watercolour in tubes  between 3 or 4 colours.  Pans will not really work well for this as what is needed is a thick blob of paint to scrape on the paper, but if you can create a thick paste from the pans it will be okay.

A large brush for wetting the paper.  

A board a little bigger than the paper and masking tape to tape all 4 sides down.

A hairdryer, or hot air gun.  If you want you can also use other mediums, like white gouache, fine salt, a fine tip ink pen.

Kitchen towel and/or cloths.

2 containers of water and plenty of creative imagination.

Juggling all this and our screens might prove challenging for some of us!

Pastels with Rebecca de Mendonca

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Our Zoom demonstration at the end of January was from Rebecca de Mendonca, a prize-winning member of the Pastel Society. As a keen pastel painter, I loved it – and learned, or was reminded of, things I’d forgotten.

This report is mainly just notes of things Rebecca did, said or recommended. If you missed it there is a link to the recording of the zoom event in the 25 January Newsletter, together with dates of her April exhibition at Royal Wootton Bassett (Wilts) and links to tutorial activities on her website.

The View Gallery, Royal Wootton Bassett, 4th April to 18th May. This is a new gallery, which has opened this year. The exhibition, ‘Equine’, will show the work of a selection of artists, working in different media.

Why put figures in landscape pictures?

Figures in a landscape give a sense of scale. I want to tell a story through the landscape.

Take photos of landscape for reference and of people in it — rear views for privacy.

Remember to compose things in the foreground big, and then smaller further away. Also light and dark are more extreme in front. Middle tones in the (hazy) distance. Also use more saturated or intense colours in the foreground. Foreground marks tend to be more jagged, and also not blended.

Make test grades of similar hues – useful to have them at the side of your painting for reference..

Rebecca uses pastels from The New Pastel School which she runs with a friend. Note the Wild landscape set!

Tip: to put e.g. clouds on an already pastel background, use a stiff card to scrape off some of the powder so you have more chance for the top layer to stick. Lilac works well in cloud base rather than grey.

And now add people….

Placing people… place their feet, then their heads, then turn them into tadpoles! Men tend to have broader shoulders and smaller hips. Good idea to work it out at the side of your painting. Uses pastel pencil to get them placed as silhouettes. Then adjust tones etc with ordinary pastels. Don’t need fantastic detail, but do need light in the right places. On this scale you have to be very careful with your marks. Remember to add shadows that work.

Discussing some other paintings… street scenes, etc. gets more complicated because of light on blocks. Eyeline is important. Draw in eyeline, vanishing points and block grids. On streets, start with heads level as their heads should be on your eye line, allowing for height differences, and feet go up and down!

People who don’t have their feet together seem to look odd.

A good reference for drawing people is Figure drawing without a model by Ron Tiner. Develop your shorthand of a basic figure to make more than stick figures and give them body language.

A Beach scene

Rebecca did a second picture, children on a beach, after the coffee break. Her reference photos were taken on different days!

Figures on a beach… think about composition and do small sketches to get the body language. When doing groups, think of negative space. You can put them together from totally different times, but it’s easiest if the light is coming from the same point.

Create sense of space by doing figures and then concentrating on background space and how they fit in it.

Uses Conte pencils for detail including where shading — works in creases. A detail like eyelashes makes all the difference!

How to frame without the pastel making a mess

Tip for framing… apart from knocking it so loose pastel comes off, frame the painting with a second mount with a larger opening between the primary mount and the picture so that any dust falls down between the primary mount and glass.

All images are screen grabs from Rebecca’s talk. Copyright remains with her.

Getting loose with a knife – and some paint!

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by Jacky Pett

Stephen Foster’s workshop on 13th May was his second this year, and presumably just as much enjoyed by us as it was for our predecessors!

This was entitled ‘Spontaneous palette knife landscape/seascape painting’ and Stephen gave short talk beforehand on methods and materials, showing examples of his work. Then he picked one to demonstrate the techniques of using a palette knife on a prepared board.

Looking from a distance, the way Stephen blurred and moved the paint around to create clouds and trees was amazing. It was even more amazing, as I saw later, his spiky trees emerging from the clump were really just rough squiggles in the paint when you looked closely. His clouds showed the scuff marks on the board, too, but from a distance, they looked fantastic.

Despite the word ‘spontaneous’ and Stephen’s advice that if we wanted a reference, to look at it once, then put it away, quite a few people carefully drew out their landscapes and proceeded to fill them in. Maybe they were being more spontaneous with their paintwork than usual. They were certainly more beautiful than mine, which I thought were a mess. But then this was my first workshop with the group, and the first time I’d used acrylic paint in nearly twenty years. Thank you to my table mates Bev and Valerie for making me feel at home, and also for helping me get the paint caps off!

Although we’d been around the room and admired each others work, we also got a critique at the end from Stephen, who went through each painting and made useful comments. I think they were useful learning points for us all, anyway. And I came away with plenty of ideas about painting with a palette knife that I hadn’t had before.

Thank you to Stephen, and to Bev for organising it. A good time was had by all, I think!