3 Add Other Media
Artists & Illustrators|Summer 2017

In The Third Part Of Her Series, Kate Osborne Encourages You To Try Gouache And Other Materials In Your Paintings To Develop Your Own Vocabulary Of Marks

Kate Osborn
3 Add Other Media

My students often approach the start of their painting life with a degree of trepidation thinking that there is a right and wrong way to ‘do’ art. I suspect that it is the unfortunate fall out from an old-fashioned art education that encourages this idea and makes students nervous about getting stuck in and allowing mistakes to happen.

It’s an old saw that you only learn from your mistakes but, with watercolour, some of those errors can become happy accidents, which go on to give you the confidence to continue taking risks. Fear of failure is the enemy and taking some risks always, in the end, works to your creative advantage.

There are many talented watercolourists who paint in the pure medium and in a traditional style, but the medium does lend itself happily to mixed-media painting and drawing. However much you admire an individual’s style, finding your own voice within your painting practice is far more worthwhile and satisfying than emulating someone else’s. I am not knocking the idea of copying as a means of getting to grips with your medium – it is a great way to learn, just don’t get stuck with a bunch of rules that you are too nervous to break. Always be prepared to swim into slightly deeper water.

FEELING GOUACHE

Esta historia es de la edición Summer 2017 de Artists & Illustrators.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición Summer 2017 de Artists & Illustrators.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORSVer todo
Still life IN 3 HOURS
Artists & Illustrators

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

time-read
5 minutos  |
March 2022
Movement in composition
Artists & Illustrators

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

time-read
6 minutos  |
March 2022
Shane Berkery
Artists & Illustrators

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

time-read
7 minutos  |
March 2022
The Working Artist
Artists & Illustrators

The Working Artist

Something old, something new... Our columnist LAURA BOSWELL has expert advice for balancing fresh ideas with completing half-finished work

time-read
2 minutos  |
March 2022
Washes AND GLAZES
Artists & Illustrators

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

time-read
7 minutos  |
March 2022
Hands
Artists & Illustrators

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

time-read
7 minutos  |
March 2022
Vincent van Gogh
Artists & Illustrators

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

time-read
6 minutos  |
March 2022
BRING THE drama
Artists & Illustrators

BRING THE drama

Join international watercolour maestro ALVARO CASTAGNET in London’s West End to paint a dramatic street scene

time-read
7 minutos  |
March 2022
Serena Rowe
Artists & Illustrators

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

time-read
8 minutos  |
March 2022
Bill Jacklin
Artists & Illustrators

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

time-read
8 minutos  |
March 2022