CATEGORIES

VISUAL Diary

Why not put the kettle on, pick up a pen, and try your hand at keeping a “tea” diary? EMMA LEYFIELD shares advice and tips to get you in good habits in the New Year

THE glazing METHOD

STEPHEN COATES shows how carefully planning the wetness of your layers and applying glazes of colour can allow you to build a soft, atmospheric set of clouds in a landscape painting

Thomas Gainsborough

With a major exhibition, the opening of a centre dedicated to his art, and the return of his Blue Boy , 2022 is shaping up to be the year of Gainsborough, says ADRIAN MOURBY

THE BIG INTERVIEW: Anthony Eyton

As he approaches his hundredth year, the Royal Academician tells STEVE PILL about what it means to be an artist and why there is a newfound urgency to his work

DRAWING IN DETAIL Part 1: Eyes

Award-winning artist LAURA SMITH presents the first in a new four-part series that takes a closer look at details within masterpieces to help you improve your own art

MEET THE ARTIST: Edward CAREY

The UK-born, Texas-based author and illustrator on shifty birds, the perfect pencil and his drawing hero.

MAKING Pictures

Rather than just paint a pet portrait, TERENCE CLARKE wanted to make more of a chance encounter. He shows you how to take charge of your subject and create a true work of art

Angela Harding

The artist behind some of today’s best-loved prints and book illustrations talks to REBECCA BRADBURY about the delights of the British countryside and dividing her time between two studios

GET A HEAD START

Jason Parnell-Brookes shows you how to set up your tripod head correctly, and explains the pros and cons of different types

HOW TO...GET CREATIVE WITH TEXTURES

James Paterson shows you how to blend textures and add 3D lighting effects to images for incredible effects

EXPERT GUIDE TO ACTION CAMERAS

So, you think action cameras are just for video? The truth is that these versatile devices can unlock creative doors for pro stills photographers, too…

HOW TO USE A GOPRO HERO 10 TO SHOOT STILLS

We try out this latest action camera in a few different shooting scenarios

PANASONIC ANNOUNCES THE LUMIX S 35MM F/1.8

New lens completes lineup of fast primes designed with gimbal users in mind

WATERFALL SECRETS

Go beyond long exposures, and discover how to combine a host of skills to take your waterfall photos up a gear with James Paterson

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE OF THE BUILT WORLD

Voting is open for the Art of Building 2021 Public Choice Award

3 LEGGED THING UNVEILS TWO NEW LEVELLING ACCESSORIES

Levelling Base and Half Bowl enable easy adjustments for stills and video

HOW TO...CREATE YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS CARDS

James Paterson shows you how to make personalised festive cards, ideal for sending to friends and family, with these easy-to-follow tips

25 PRO WAYS TO SHOOT BETTER PORTRAITS

From lighting to learning how to work with models, improve your people and camera skills with these top tips from five expert photographers

How to...Suggest depth

Painting is often a case of trying to depict a 3D object on a 2D surface. AL GURY reveals four simple principles that will help you create a true sense of depth

Kirsten Britt

In the first of four case studies, the part-time artist explains how she developed her colourful, layered approach to painting portraits in pastel and watercolour

Petula Stone

Finding subjects from the garden studio of her 19th-century cottage, this award-winning watercolourist has developed a graphic approach to floral painting

Sketching SUBJECTS

Over the next 16 pages, we will cover some basic skills needed to start painting. GRAHAME BOOTH begins by explaining the benefits of sketching to familiarise yourself with a subject

Varying Edges

Ask an Artist ’s PETER KEEGAN concludes his three-part still life painting workshop by showing how variety at the edges can really add an extra dimension to your art

How -to GUIDES

So you understand your materials and you’ve practised basic skills, over the next 22 pages it is time to take a deeper dive into some tricky artistic subjects. Wildlife artist JASON MORGAN kicks things off with a simple approach to painting fur

Photo PORTRAITS

A pet portrait can make a wonderful gift or a charming memory. MATT JEANES shows you how to overcome inadequate reference photos and produce a layered masterpiece

Wisteria IN WATERCOLOUR

Finding variety in repeated forms is the key to creating interesting pictures. FABIO CEMBRANELLI shows you how to balance light and shade in this gorgeous French doorway

Rob Pointon

From impressing the Household Cavalry to bending city streets to suit his own vision, this Royal Institute of Oil Painters member is making his mark says

Walter Sickert

The Camden Town painter is renowned for portraying a darker side of life, yet behind the salacious subjects lies an artist on a simple quest to paint with honesty, says STEVE PILL

The Working Artist

Whether you step away for a few minutes or 17 years, taking a break is important for your creativity, says our columnist LAURA BOSWELL

Jennifer Anderson

From her brave approach to sourcing sitters to her unconventional compositions, the Scottish portrait artist does things differently in her shared studio, as REBECCA BRADBURY discovers