Former Army Officer Freddy Paske Developed His Style on the Frontline. Now Known for His Sport and Wildlife Scenes, He Reveals How to Capture That Spark of Life
How can I hope to capture the dynamism of an animal moving at speed, such as a racehorse?
The key is being loose with your work. The naked eye will not pick up the fine detail of a rabbit running or horse jumping, instead your brain fills in the gaps. This is the same principle I use for capturing movement in my subjects. Get the basic shape and light right, and then enjoy playing around with the medium to enhance your image. You will be amazed at what you can actually get away with.
What techniques are best for working with wildlife and moving subjects?
Work quickly. This will force you to capture the essence of your subject and not get tied down. The medium will bring out detail. Leave your mistakes: you won’t believe how many unruly lines or smudges turn into ‘happy’ events as the image progresses. My most valued technique is understanding negative space. The eraser is your most important mark-maker. I will regularly strip back a drawing to add to the illusion of movement and simplify the subject matter. Be bold and adventurous – you can always build the image up again.
How can I bring an animal’s character into the painting?
Denne historien er fra June 2017-utgaven av Artists & Illustrators.
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Denne historien er fra June 2017-utgaven av Artists & Illustrators.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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
Through an analysis of three masterworks, landscape painter and noted author MITCHELL ALBALA shows how you can animate landscape composition with movement
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
Something old, something new... Our columnist LAURA BOSWELL has expert advice for balancing fresh ideas with completing half-finished work
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
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
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
Join international watercolour maestro ALVARO CASTAGNET in London’s West End to paint a dramatic street scene
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
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
