Born under grey Edinburgh skies, the Scottish Colourists had a thirst for brighter hues. So what can we learn, asks STEVE PILL, from a new display of their stylish, modern paintings?
![Scottish Colourists](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/1186/365026/5d5d2e49b2844/ScottishColourists.jpg)
A question often asked of the group is whether they festishised light and colour because their surroundings in the early 20th century had so little of it? This is often posed by anyone who hasn’t spent enough time in the Scottish capital, a place that the author Alexander McCall Smith would famously later describe as “a city of shifting light, of changing skies, of sudden vistas. A city so beautiful it breaks the heart again and again.”
It was less a case of lacking colour and light at home in Edinburgh and more that they wanted to imbue their surroundings with the vibrancy they had seen elsewhere. Their outlook was far broader than their patriotic collective name suggests too. They each spent time studying in Europe and the USA, returning with a thirst for both modern art and classical paintings they had seen on their travels.
This story is from the September 2019 edition of Artists & Illustrators.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2019 edition of Artists & Illustrators.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
![Still life IN 3 HOURS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1186/844842/61f792c5a3f42/crp_StilllifeIN-3-HOURS.jpg)
Still life IN 3 HOURS
Former BP Portrait Award runner-up FELICIA FORTE guides you through a simple, structured approach to painting alla prima that tackles dark, average and light colours in turn
![Movement in composition](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1186/844842/61f79b71d0a88/crp_Movement-in-composition.jpg)
Movement in composition
Through an analysis of three masterworks, landscape painter and noted author MITCHELL ALBALA shows how you can animate landscape composition with movement
![Shane Berkery](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1186/844842/61f7818f6b363/crp_Shane-Berkery.jpg)
Shane Berkery
The Irish-Japanese artist talks to REBECCA BRADBURY about the innovative concepts and original colour combinations he brings to his figurative oil paintings from his Dublin garden studio
![The Working Artist](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1186/844842/61f77a3ac4bdc/crp_The-WorkingArtist.jpg)
The Working Artist
Something old, something new... Our columnist LAURA BOSWELL has expert advice for balancing fresh ideas with completing half-finished work
![Washes AND GLAZES](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1186/844842/61f790b2c9aab/crp_WashesAND-GLAZES.jpg)
Washes AND GLAZES
Art Academy’s ROB PEPPER introduces an in-depth guide to incorporating various techniques into your next masterpiece. Artwork by STAN MILLER, CHRIS ROBINSON and MICHELE ILLING
![Hands](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1186/844842/61f7986ec7b51/crp_Part-2-Hands.jpg)
Hands
LAURA SMITH continues her new four-part series, which encourages you to draw elements of old master paintings, and this month’s focus is on capturing hands
![Vincent van Gogh](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1186/844842/61f77d4d3ae30/crp_Vincent-van-Gogh.jpg)
Vincent van Gogh
To celebrate The Courtauld’s forthcoming landmark display of the troubled Dutch master’s self-portraits, STEVE PILL looks at the stories behind 10 of the most dramatic works on display
![BRING THE drama](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1186/844842/61f78df5b4e4d/crp_BRING-THE-drama.jpg)
BRING THE drama
Join international watercolour maestro ALVARO CASTAGNET in London’s West End to paint a dramatic street scene
![Serena Rowe](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1186/844842/61f79601ea704/crp_Serena-Rowe.jpg)
Serena Rowe
The Scottish painter tells STEVE PILL why time is precious, why emotional responses to colour are useful, and how she finds focus every day with the help of her studio wall
![Bill Jacklin](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1186/844842/61f778be9e7f9/crp_Bill-Jacklin.jpg)
Bill Jacklin
Chatting over Zoom as he recovers from appendicitis, the Royal Academician tells STEVE PILL about classic scrapes in New York and his recent experiments with illustration