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A LIFE DEVOTED TO ART
JACOB DITCHMEN
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4 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
Artist insights And
demonstrAtions
10 Jacob Ditchmen
18 Julie Burdis 
28 Clilnda Atkins 
40 Joise Birchall 
48 Marliyn Murray 
58 Cat Gabriel 
FeAtures
36 Pencils - Derwent XL Blocks 
48
28ontentsontents
Issue No.36 2020
66
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 5
 
in the gAlleries
66 In the Galleries - One Hundredth 
 Gallery
67 Emma Hack’s -‘Birds of Prey’ 
Exhibition
68 Vienna in 1900
regulArs
6 Readers Gallery
Cover image by: Jacob Ditchman
58
10
40
18
36
6 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
Woodland’sgallery
Katherine Appleby
Katherine Appleby
Katherine Appleby
KATHERINE APPLEBY 
I am interested in hyperreality as a result of contemporary scepticism in metanarratives that once acted as external referents 
for differentiating reality. My artistic practice addresses this concept through the depiction of nature interpreted by the 
imagination.
In particular, my body of work became an investigation of a fi ctitious, invented place: Firdarrig. 
By fabricating a place such as Firdarrig I am able to create a frame through which I can examine and comprehend my 
own reality. Each viewer has the opportunity to do likewise and the view through the frame will be unique to each observer. 
Firdarrig is a place to which I can return to and explore as I wish. 
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 7
These feature pages are reserved for displaying the work of emerging and 
developing Australian artists; as well as other unknowns whose efforts may 
provide interest for our readers.
To the editor,
Hi my name is Gemma. I have been encouraged to send a photo of myself and my artwork by my tutor Marea 
Kozaczynski-McCraig. I have been with her for two years now and she tells me to use my imagination. Thus the owl in 
pen. She teaches me mixed media. I love my art very much. 
Thank you,
Gemma Taylor
Thorton NSW 2322
Gemma Taylor
Gemma Taylor Gemma Taylor
Gemma Taylor Gemma Taylor
8 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
Woodland’sgallery
DENISE BALSON
I love painting in ink of old houses, hotels and schools.
I’ve worked as a teacher aide in the art department at St. Hilda’s School on the Gold Coast for 14 years.
Currently I’m travelling in a motorhome around Australia with my husband Tony, painting while 
exploring our wonderful country.
Denise Balson
Denise BalsonDenise Balson
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 9
KELLEA A CROFT
My name is Kellea Croft and I have been a striving artist all my life. I had almost stopped the pursuit until my 
mother took up the hobby as well; we now have competitions via email to challenge each other. I use a variety of 
mediums, but graphite or pen/ink with watercolour is my favourite. Animals and portraits are mostly my subjects, 
but I am trying different techniques to capture the beautiful Australian landscapes of the Blue Mountains.
Thank you for your time and for the magazine. It is always inspiring me to make better this craft that has a hold of 
my soul.
Kellea A Croft
Kellea A Croft Kellea A Croft
Kellea A Croft
10 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
Jacob Ditchmen
A Life Devoted to Art
Intense mentoring as a teenager gave this artist invaluable skills for his art
and an understanding of the complex world surrounding him.
The earliest thing I can rememberis drawing dinosaurs, and beingastonished at the magnitude
of my accomplishment when I drew
in a background: a third dimension! I
always drew growing up. I stared at
animals, cartoons, and people, studying
their anatomy and the way they fit
together. In a sense I don’t know why I
do art; it’s just always been something
that just needed to come out. As I got
older and got better at all of the skill-
sets necessary for living in western
society, I refined my artistic skills at
every opportunity, mostly out of a
feeling that it was a basic need. Like
many in my generation I was inherently
skeptical of almost everything life
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 11
I N S I G H T
seemed to offer, and most of the
explanations offered as to why these
things were so great made no sense to
me. Much of my art from a young age
started out with dinosaurs and warriors
in primary school, then fantastic
monsters and a darker world-outlook
in high-school. I drew only from
imagination for over a decade before
ever trying to draw anything from
visual reference.
As I got older, a nihilistic and anti-
social attitude developed and was
mostly poured into the escapism of
video games and freehand art. During
high school I started attending after-
school tuition with a local artist
who introduced me to the until then
unexplored artistic concepts of colour,
paints, pastels and life-drawing. I
learned that art was about more than
depicting or expressing; there was a
whole world of methodology and skills
to be mastered within the realms of
execution and technique.
It could not have been easy for
all those tutors and school teachers
up until that point to tolerate the
passionate but angry high school
student with a wide vocabulary and
misanthropic outlook, not being
willing to sit quietly and paint a
pretty bowl of fruit with free food
in the room. Eventually I was told
about another artist offering tuition
who sounded like he would be more
suited to teaching a fiery student like
me, so my wonderful mother made
the half-hour drive every Sunday
for meto attend three-hour classes
from a professional freehand artist
named Brett A. Jones. From the very
first lesson I immediately wanted
to grasp more and more knowledge
on artistic technique from this man.
At the conclusion of the first day he
looked over my work and said to
my parents, “I’m afraid I have to tell
you that unfortunately your son is a
born artist and will have to follow an
artistic path. Making him do anything
else would just be cruel and unusual
punishment.” I knew there was much
to be learned here.
Brett owns and runs his own studio
aptly named “Sea of Pain Fine Art
Productions”, nestled between the
ocean and mountains surrounding
Hervey Bay in Queensland. After
well over a year’s worth of Sunday
classes spent drawing, drinking
coffee, discussing philosophy, art
and creativity, Brett offered me a
more in-depth level of tutoring at his
studio during the week by observing
him work in his studio and giving
me studio space for my own work.
Artistically speaking, this was the
point in my life where all of the
universe’s knowledge seemed to start
flowing my way. I finally knew for
certain what I wanted to do.
I washed the dishes, walked the Bull
terriers, slept in the guest quarters (the
back of Brett’s ute under the stars)
and loved every minute of every day
and night I spent there. I spent hours
behind Brett’s shoulder in silence
watching him work with pencils and
pastels creating immaculately flawless
original freehand fine art. I picked
Brett’s brain not only on artistic
technique, but also on how to carve
out a life as an artist, how to survive
12 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
and the correct mindset required to
exist meaningfully at all. The most
important lesson I learned there was
that not everything I needed to know
in life could be taught, or bought, I
could be helped and guided in any
direction by others, but if I wanted to
really achieve or become something,
the only solution was to rely on myself
only and learn by my own mistakes.
It was okay to not be drawn into the
games of human society, and it was
okay to even hate it at times as long
as I didn’t hurt the other humans or
encroach upon their freedoms. I cannot
put into words how much I learned
and grew in those years that I spent
drawing out every bit of knowledge I
could from the Sea of Pain.
Over these periods of late high
school and the couple of years
afterwards I won a few exhibition
prizes, gained some local renown
drawing tattoo, clothing and poster
designs and participated in a joint
exhibition with two other artists
from the Sea of Pain. I spent much
of my time almost overwhelmed by
the limitless potential and number of
paths that were available for me to
take if I just started walking them.
I was freshly released to start my
journey in the world, and I was in
the midst of a crossroads so vast that
in my current position it was almost
impossible to even make out where
they differentiated from one another. I
had spent my whole life growing up in
a small Queensland town, cultivating
myself and I was craving the vast and
unexplored.
At 19 I packed my bare essentials,
said goodbye to my family and moved
to Brisbane to learn about the art of
tattooing. Like many of my generation
I was fascinated by the concept of
wearing art permanently on your body,
and I wanted to develop it as a skill
that could only enhance my abilities
and provide me with a profession that
I could take anywhere and, like art, do
almost anything with.
Moving from my background in
Fine Art and the mindset of pouring in
hours of time and effort into a piece
to demonstrate detail and finesse, to
the more dynamic and bold styles
required for tattooing, was not an easy
task. Tattooing required a much more
superficial approach to my visual style,
more use of optical tricks and restraint
so as to create the most optically
stunning piece but without cramming
in detail-upon-detail and making it into
something that, when applied to skin
and allowed to age, would degenerate
and lose its main appeal.
This entirely new perspective really
gave new breath to the freehand,
fantastical aesthetic styles that I
poured myself into so fully during my
formative years. The duality between
the “Fine Art” elements of detail
and realism, human portraits and
faces so full of attentive subtlety and
brimming with an insane dedication,
to the freehand realm of imagination,
being completely free to inject bursts
of cursive flow, negative space,
bold composition and psychedelic
subject matter, has firmly built on the
I N S I G H T
foundations of what I consider to be my artistic
“style”.
After doing my apprenticeship across two years,
I left the tattooing industry and have been working
on developing my own distinct and recognisable
style based on my background of working in a
wide variety of styles and purposes. I’ve been
working full-time in a pawn shop to feed myself
and at the conclusion of each day I come home and
sit down to sketch or paint away at whatever my
heart desires.
I have completed studies and pieces across many
mediums: pencils and graphite charcoal, lucid
watercolours, oils, bright coloured pastels and
acrylics and I know that in each I have still worlds
to learn and develop my skill indefinitely, but it
is this versatility above all that I aim to nurture.
I hope that one day people will look through
galleries, websites, magazines and tattoos and
immediately recognise pieces as done by Jacob
Ditchmen. I have already begun experimenting
with extreme multimedia and cannot wait to get
more out into the deep end. I want to mix paints
with pastels, inks with graphite and transform
from realism to abstract art and back again in the
same piece and even same subject while making
the transition smooth, flawless and deft. I want
to invent and perfect new mediums and styles so
unique that no matter what subject, aesthetic or
medium I’m working in, my style and technique
ring through and remain clearly recognisable.
Yesterday I received word that I have been
accepted to begin studying a Diploma of Fine Art
in Brisbane, and I will be starting in one month.
I can barely wait to start this new chapter of my
journey, and even less so to see where it leads
me afterwards. Every night when I finally lay
down, I am so utterly overtaken by gratitude to
the universe: to all the great thinkers, musicians,
artists and figures I admire for freely allowing
me to partake of their wisdom, to my family for
accepting my chosen life path and to anyone who
ever hated me and tried to get in my way for
making me push and fight harder. The only thing
about my future that ever gives me pain is the
knowledge that one day when I die, I will probably
be halfway through a masterpiece that will most
likely go forever unfinished; but hey, it was all a
very sweet ride. n
14 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
Chiaroscuro
Portraiture
Charcoal
This piece/technique is
a particular method of
chiaroscuro portraiture
done using mainly willow
charcoal and an eraser
to work up shadow and
light evenly. This creates
a dualism that will utilise
the full range from white
to black along with all of
the shades and textures
in between.
By Jacob Ditchmen
MATERIALS
• Paper (I used 160gsm)
• Soft willow charcoal
• Eraser
• Knife
• One piece of hard dark graphite
• 2h pencil
• One small piece of white pastelFINAL STEP
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 15
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
STEP ONE
Any black-and-white portrait is
essentially a two dimensional rendering
exploring the different light/dark
interactions of a three-dimensional
face. To ensure that it’s aesthetically
pleasing, preparation is all important.
We spend incredible lengths of time
looking at human faces, and are
sensitive to flaws in their dimensions;
this is why portraits are notoriously
difficult to just “whip up” or to perfect.
When selecting a subject and photo for
reference, you are looking for a picture
that captures the most interesting,
diverse and dynamic interactions of
light and shadow. For thisreason, I
always recommend that an artist should
take their own reference photos. Always
take the shots in natural sunlight, never
use the flash, and take as many shots as
possible and narrow it down afterwards.
Portrait photography is an intricate
art form in itself. If you take 10 or 20
shots, ou mi ht et one or two reall
standout faces for your portrait.
Draw a line work picture of your
subject. This involves drawing the
outlines of the shapes, dimensions and
placement of the major features. You
can be as tedious or relaxed in your
approach to this stage as you feel you
need to be, because these are just clues
to help you start out and lay down the
main features in the correct spots. The
initial sketch lines should be kept light
and be invisible once the piece is done.
I also use line work to mark out the
shapes of major shadows and/or tonal
changes on my subject. Try to keep all
outlines as simple and light as possible.
Use an eraser to sharpen the lines down
to the very bare essentials. For the
purpose of this article I had to heavily
darken the progress picture of this step
so the lines can actually be seen.
There are those whose automatic
reaction to drawing from a reference
picture is to grid the paper up, trace,
or use an overhead ro ector to render
the lines for the subject and make the
rest of the piece a case of colouring
in. You can do whatever you like, but
unless you sit down and draw subjects
yourself freehand, your fundamental
drawing ability will never improve
and you will forever be limited to the
“book-learning” levels of skill. The
best advice I can give on this issue
is to draw it yourself freehand by
analysing the two-dimensional shapes
in the piece, and simply replicating
them. Those of you who read Artist’s
Back to Basics magazine regularly
may be familiar with Brett A. Jones’
articles on freehand drawing. If you
wish to learn this essential skill, I
could not recommend a more sublime
technique or a better artist to teach it.
STEP TWO
Start at the top left of the picture
whenever possible (top right for left-
handers) and work back towards
STEP ONE STEP TWO
16 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
yourself to help avoid smudging your
work unintentionally. The goal is to
lay down some light tones to get your
footing. Don’t try to make anything
any darker than a light grey at this
stage. Look for the very light mid-
tones on your picture, the areas around
the cheeks, forehead and features.
Willow charcoal is extremely soft
and goes onto the paper easily but
lightens up as soon as it is touched.
Apply the charcoal in the denser areas
of your piece and dab rather than rub
the paper to spread the graphite out
and make some shades and shadows.
You’re essentially giving yourself
clues about where the finer details and
darker tones are going to go, so don’t
panic when you lose sight of some of
your lines. Do not attempt any detail at
this stage and resist the urge to spend
excessively large amounts of time
on the eyes; bring it all up evenly.
STEP THREE
At this stage we can start
differentiating and inserting some
different tones rather than just light
grey. Look for the deepest pits of
shadow and tone in your picture and
put some charcoal in there before
using your finger to dab or lightly
smudge the graphite out towards the
lighter areas; this technique ensures
that shades fade out with a nice
gradual gradient. Don’t attempt to
put in any actual blacks at this stage,
willow charcoal is far too soft and
light for that. Don’t worry if you shade
over some areas of your piece that
you were trying to keep light, willow
charcoal is easy to lighten and we will
be bringing light forward in the later
stages. I have used two progress shots
of this stage so you can see where I
chose to apply my charcoal, and the
result after that charcoal was smudged
into the paper. Don’t be afraid to apply
your charcoal, this is your weapon.
STEP 4
This step is essentially the same as
the last, but now you’re going to
deepen the shaded areas with some
darker shadows. Continue to smudge
them out towards the lighter areas as
necessary to ensure it flows. As you
do this you’re creating more tones and
a larger variation of their interactions.
You will know when you’re ready to
move on to the next stage because
your picture will have a lot of grey
and dark tones but will look somewhat
flat, too dark and blurred overall.
STEP 5
Take an eraser and use it to lighten up
the whiter areas of your picture, fight
back any grey that treads too far or
darkens too quickly and then smudge
it again to soften edges if required.
I recommend using an eraser that is
soft enough to pick up charcoal easily.
Regularly clean the surface of your
eraser by rubbing it against a more
textured surface. Also use a sharp
blade whenever necessary to cut your
rubber into points or shapes that suit
the kind of work you’ll be using it for.
You’re not just using your eraser to
correct mistakes at this stage; you’re
using it as a medium just like a pencil
or a charcoal stick to apply light
rather than dark. Feel free to continue
switching between your charcoal
and eraser to darken or lighten areas
as you go. This is the essence of
the technique I’m demonstrating:
illustrating the interaction and tonal
changes between light and dark.
STEP THREE A STEP THREE B STEP FOUR
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 17
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
Remember to not get lost in attempting
to create very fine detail around
areas like the eyes and mouth, get
the shades and tones in there so that
from a distance it gives the same look
and impression as your subject.
STEP SIX
I spend the last two stages putting in
some very subtle but game-changing
details around the most focal points
of the piece: the eyes. (I like to keep
the areas around the edges of my
work fairly primitive, sparing, and
vague, but make the eyes and features
more intricately executed so that the
viewer’s eyes travel around the piece
observing the transitions in technique).
I use a piece of graphite much harder
and darker than willow charcoal to
very sparingly place some lines or
spots of almost pure back. Put some
lines on the wrinkles around the eyes,
darken the pupils, line the mouth
opening etcetera. The two key things
to remember here are to try to avoid
smudging any of the charcoal you
apply at this stage unless absolutely
necessary, and to be very sparing
with your use and application of pure
black. You’re not editing the picture
at this stage, you’re just adding some
finishing touches to the details; the
final conclusion in the transitional
journey from light to dark: black.
FINAL STEP
The very final stage is to do exactly
the same as you just did with the
black, but do it for the whitest
highlights. This involves cutting your
eraser to a clean corner or edge and
making very small strokes at the very
brightest highlights of your piece; for
example the glistening bottom eyelid,
the light bouncing off the tip of the
nose, areas where the sun highlights
the hair, etcetera. I also take a piece
of white charcoal or pastel, and
simply place the very tiniest speck
of light on the eye exactly where it
corresponds on the photo. It may not
seem like much but this speck of light
is often what will make eyes come
alive in a portrait; even if the light
is difficult to see in the photo I will
sometimes exaggerate it to make it
more noticeable. Fine judgement will
be required for this so as to give the
eyes a hint of life, without creating a
spot of white too big that it distracts
the viewer’s attention. After your
piece is complete, take a moment to
exhale deeply and sign your name
on it, spray with fixative and inspect
it for errors that you will do better
with next time. If you never stop
simultaneously self-criticising and
sharpening your skills, nothing has
even the vaguest chance of stopping
you from mastering them. �
ARTIST’S
HINTS AND
TIPS
• Treat your preparation and your
photo with significance and care,
because the entire piece is going
to build onthese foundations.
• Don’t focus on one area too
much, work up the piece evenly.
• Don’t get lost in detail; the
idea is for it to look perfect
from a distance, and look
like charcoal up close. Fine
details can wait until the final
two stages. The eyes will
be your main temptation.
• Do not panic or freak out if it
doesn’t’t look how you imagined
it would at any stage along the
way, it is YOUR decision as
to whether the piece is bad, or
just incomplete. Persevere.
• Don’t just think of your eraser
as a tool for fixing mistakes,
as you could just as easily
think of a pencil in the same
way. It is a medium that
creates light instead of dark.
STEP FIVE
STEP SIX
18 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
Born in Yorkshire 1943, I displayedsome artistic talent throughout myschooling and my teachers suggested
I might think about art school. But I wanted
to follow the sun and after seeing the film ‘A
Town Like Alice’, decided that would be a good
start and at the age of 18 had saved up enough
to buy a passage on a boat to Australia.
Alice was more than everything I had hoped for
and I knew instantly I was a desert person. The
stunning colours and vistas of the inland in the midst
of a drought reiterated my desire to paint, and those
scenes remained in my head throughout leaving
Alice seven times for good, before finally settling
there in my 30s when I began to dabble with paint.
I felt I did very badly and wondered
why I wanted to paint so badly if
I could only paint badly!
I chose watercolour, thinking it to be the
simplest medium, Ha! I bought all the cheapest
paints, paper and brushes, and it took several years
to understand my ineptitude using these poor tools.
I had also been introduced to clay and
was experiencing more success with it. I
concentrated more on that for a while.
TAFE opened up a two-year introductory
course in art when I was 40 (and 40
was nowhere near as old as I thought it
would be!) and this helped unblock many
blockages between my wrist and head.
I can’t get past Leonardo Da Vinci being my
favourite artist, but enjoy and admire many other
artists’ works. I rarely warm to abstract but love
the work of Marcus Rothko. I am in awe of
sculptors who together with composers, I feel are
at the top of the art pile. I commend the strains
of Bruchs’ violin concerto for painting to.
My favourite subjects to paint are social
comment and landscape. I’ve done portraits
but only feel comfortable, and have done my
best portraits when painting in a group with
I Followed the Sun
Julie Burdis
Julie Burdis followed her dream, coming to Australia
and developing her artistic talents.
I N S I G H T
one sitter. One on one I find I
am unable to lose the person and
see them as a painting. And, they
often insist on talking to me!
I do enjoy still life but rarely do
it. It was good practice material
when first getting into pastels.
I have had four solo exhibitions
and several group ones. I have also
exhibited interstate and several
times in the Victorian Breast Cancer
Awards and was honoured to have
my painting, ‘Cat Scan’, put on a
banner advertising the exhibition. I
won the N.T. Art Award one year and
have several highly commendeds.
I like working in series. I am
currently working on a bushfire series,
which will be called ‘Nature’s Cull’.
These are Victorian scenes and I hope
to hold the exhibition in Victoria as my
husband and I have bought a home in
Euroa. The venue is yet to be decided
and the paintings are yet to be finished!
I still have one leg in Alice and spend
some months there each year.
I discovered pastel but had to
teach myself as it was not a popular
medium at that time and no-one in
Alice was using them. I absolutely
love the immediacy of this medium
and it is what I use when painting
landscape on site. In fact whatever I
am tackling I often do the preliminary
work in pastel before beginning larger
oil, which is my second preference.
The hassle and expense of framing
pastels to display them, as with
watercolour is, a bit off-putting. I
have pinned the raw picture onto
canite in a couple of exhibitions
but it is fraught with danger.
I N S I G H T
I love the fact that once you have
discovered your palette, there is no
mixing necessary and on site I can
work very quickly. I can stop almost
anywhere and quickly find something
I want to paint. I carry the paper,
Canson, usually Twilight, which seems
to be good for everything, in a tube
made to size about 10 sheets and 10
sheets of glassine to be put between
the works. I carry a canvas stretcher on
to which I clip the paper, and a very
light aluminium chair, sometimes two
as they are easy to carry, on which
I can lean the stretcher. On the seat
I have made a slim box with five
compartments separating the colours.
Two packets of BluTak rolled onto
a ball keep your hands and nails clean
whilst working. These all fit into a
canvas bag and are so lightweight I can
walk and climb quite a way. If the car
is near, I have the luxury of a fold-up
table, but concentrating and working
quickly for an hour gets me all I need
before backache and flies dement me!
I then take photos of the scene, return
home and work some more whilst the
area is fresh in my head. Eventually
I developed the photo, which looks
nothing like what I have seen and
painted, which is why I dislike painting
from photos directly. The camera
picks up everything, whereas my eye
picks out what I want to say. I get a
lot tighter too and feel compromised
by the photo. I can’t do as much slash
and bang! I’m always happier when I
can abandon the photo and concentrate
on the painting as a painting.
The bushfire series has all been
painted from photos because for
many reasons it was impossible
to set up and work on site.
I am a professional artist, but I
make a line of pottery, Sandpots,
which sell very well and provides me
with an income that enables me to
paint and not feel obligated to knock
out popular subjects simply for a
sale. I don’t take commissions for
the same reason. Portraits are very
dodgy (unless you are a flatterist), and
I only do them to become familiar
with the subject as social comment
usually requires people in them.
I N S I G H T
I also enjoy writing and have just
had a book published; ‘Dirty Linen’
is the title. It is an historical and
humorous autobiography about the
first six months I spent in Alice and
at The Rock where painting after
painting imprinted themselves onto
my mind, but it was to be another 20
years before I had a bash at recalling
these images. They had all disappeared
under a deluge of rain! Some of
these images are in my book.
As I like painting stories, I also tend
to write in pictures. Both pursuits are
generally lonely and I am a loner,
although have managed to enlist a
great cast of friends around the world.
‘Never say die’ is my motto. I
didn’t follow a career in art when
I was younger because although I
had been encouraged by people,
I didn’t feel I had a great talent.
I wasn’t the best in class.
When I finally went to classes at
TAFE in Alice, at the first drawing
class (I am weak in drawing), the
teacher said for us to work on a subject
he had set up for half an hour. He
then told us to walk around and look
at the other students’ work. I wasn’t
impressed with what I had done and
felt quite embarrassed as I had already
had an exhibition of watercolours
and knew that the expectations of
me would be far higher than what I
had produced. I spent half the time
watching others reactions to my work
and saw that look of disappointed
surprise on several faces. There were
16 students and two of them were
very good, four were very poor and
the rest middling including myself.
Over the months our progression
was interesting. The ones who were
good barely seemed to change and
have not gone on to utilise their natural
skill. Perhaps it was too easy for them!
Some of the very poor remained
so, though enjoying the class, but
big strides were taken by some of
the middling class, including me.
22 Artist Drawingand Inspiration
It was an important lesson in the power of
determination to improve at something you really wanted
to do. I also found through seeing how other people
worked seemed to teach me more than the teachers.
I am hoping I haven’t yet produced my most
outstanding work of art, but I am happy with ‘The Charge
of the White Brigade’ series (not yet completed) and
the Breast Cancer series, particularly ‘Cat Scan’ which,
seems to have an appeal on many levels to everyone.
I feel many of my landscapes are successful and have
kept some I do not want to sell, but many have gone
and I do lament the loss of some. A few hundred dollars
in the hand seems like little reward sometimes. But I
can’t keep everything. Selling work in Alice, which is
a big tourist venue, not only for Australians, but the
rest of the world, has given me many overseas buyers.
I have recently done canvas prints of ‘Cat Scan’ and a
few others, but it is a very expensive medium and difficult
to reproduce the vibrancy of the original. I also have a
large stable of photo cards of my works. My exhibition on
my chooks was great fun, and I enjoyed watching people
as they walked into the exhibition get a huge grin on their
face. The cards from this exhibition still sell very well.
I am very happy to share my knowledge, but
make a dreadful teacher. I just don’t have the
knack somehow and get very impatient.
To people starting out wanting to paint, I can only say
it takes practice, practice, practice. The best and most
famous musicians in the world still practice for several
hours dail all of their lives. Picasso’s father made
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 23
I N S I G H T
him draw very boring objects every day until he was
satisfied he had seen every nuance of the object. Picasso
also said to a person who bought a drawing from him,
paying $30,000, asked how long it had taken him to do
it. ‘About half an hour’, said Picasso, ‘and 30 years’.
Every painting is a disappointment, a failure.
You know exactly what you want to achieve and
for a while it is happening, but it never quite gets
there. But I always think the next one will.
It seems that every door you get through simply
throws up another 10. So the knowledge gained
actually diminishes as the vastness of what is
out there displays itself the further you go. It is
an exciting journey. I wish I could live a few
hundred years more than I have been allocated.
My ultimate goal, apart from being able to
reproduce exactly what my head can see, is also to
reach other people with the social comment series.
Give them food for thought. I particularly like the
idea of making people smile. Most of my social
comment pictures are based on the ironical.
Julie Burdis
384 Mansfield Road, Euroa, Vic, 3666.
Ph: 03 57951392
Email: julieburdis@internode.on.net n
24 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
Pastels
A Powerful Image
MATERIALS
• Oil pastels
• Hogs hair paint brush
• Rag cloth
• Fixative
By Julie Burdis
Julie skilfully
captures the
intensity of the
landscape.
FINAL STEP
STEP ONE
Using mid tone paper, put light
and dark lines indicating flow of
the painting and direction of light.
Block in as much local colour
as possible. This tells me if the
balance is working. The circle
reminds me of the focal point.
STEP TWO
Intensify areas adding a few more
shapes using same colours. Work
on background hills and middle
ground. When in doubt I always
use shades of caput mortuum as it
is neutral enough to either warm
up or cool down when necessary.
I try to keep the whole painting
working each step and often
work inwards from the sides.
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 25
STEP THREE
Push in more detail and strengthen sky
by pushing pastel into paper. A green/
blue is used in the sky and clouds are
strengthened using cool grey, palest
violet blue, white and pale lemon. I use
mainly Art Spectrum and Unison. Block
in fallen foreground trunks with yellow,
white where the sun hits and cool grey/
blue where it doesn’t, strengthening and
moulding major structures on the trunks.
STEP FOUR
Strengthen right hand burnt tree
and further develop sky using violet
blue and begin to introduce finer
branches into the sky. Burnt branches
from that tree have fallen with
leaves scorched varying shades of
red/orange and some almost white.
Indicate the patterns of these and link
them to the foreground trunks taking
them into the sky. Nature creates
STEP ONE STEP TWO
MATERIALS
26 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
a balance within itself but I have to choose what to
move or leave out in order to keep my balance on a
flat surface which is dealing with several hundred
square kilometres and placing it within 75x55cm.
STEP FIVE
When satisfied with your chosen forms and colours,
move in and push and pull darks and lights. Never be
afraid to rub right back to the paper instead of trying
to pile too many layers of pastel. Brush it off with a
hogs hair oil paint brush then smooth cloth and rebuild.
Keep flicking the surface to avoid build up and take
it outside and give it a good shake and blow. A good
rag will almost completely take off all the pastel if you
feel you need to change the balance entirely. I give it a
light spray of fixative and let it settle for a week before
going back in and highlighting the lights and pushing
the darks and adding fine details, in this case, branches.
FINAL STEP
A detail of the work. I feel a good balance can always
produce several detailed areas that can stand as a painting
in their own right. STEP FIVE
STEP THREE STEP FOUR
28 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
Cilinda Atkins
Art is the
Beauty of Life
Draw, paint, pastel and sculpt. This artist has found
her love of art to be the one constant in her life.
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 29
I N S I G H T
My earliest memory of gaininggreat satisfaction from artwas at the age of five when
I won my first drawing competition
with a drawing of a tulip flower in the
local newspaper. I was born in Victoria
but now live in beautiful Hervey Bay,
Queensland. As a teenager I spent
most of my spare time escaping into
a drawing. At age 15 I applied for
and was accepted into a commercial
art course, but as with many budding
artists, I was discouraged from
pursuing a career in art. At the age of
40 my love for art was renewed when
I decided to experiment with painting
and discovered I could not stop.
Within weeks I was commissioned
to produce some large works for a
display centre and received lots of
positive feedback. This led me to study
a Diploma of Visual Art and attend
several workshops.
I find my freehand drawing ability
is the basis for most of my art,
especially my representational work.
The freehand drawing workshop by
Brett A Jones really helped to hone my
drawing skills and provided me with
techniques to achieve greater results in
both my drawings and pastel works. I
love to work with a variety of media
and subject matter as I tend to get
bored with just one. So I draw, paint,
pastel and sculpt. Each media has
its own challenges as does each new
subject and more often than not the
subject determines which medium is
appropriate. I have only been working
with pastels for a couple of years but
have won awards for some of my
work. I believe this is because of the
drawing skills that come into play with
using this media. I never grid any of
my work and believe the highest skill
any artist can have is the ability to
draw freehand.
I tend to sway between two main
styles in my artwork regardless of
the media I’m using; it is either
completely abstract or very realistic
and representational. Throughout
my life I have always felt there were
two sides to me which I have tried to
make work in harmony, one restlessly
longing to be free and spontaneous,
the other longing for a relaxed, settled
life. I feel this is reflected in my
two styles of work, abstract being
random with total expression, and the
representational art where I get caught
up in the minuterealistic detail. My
aim is to find a happy middle ground
eventually in my artwork. I find art
provides a platform for me to express
both sides of myself through the
freedom to create in the settled space
of my studio.
In all my art regardless of it being
abstract or representational I rely on
my intuition to achieve balance and
harmony within each piece of work.
I have never used a colour wheel for
my art, only ever my intuition on how
colours work together. I have recently
completed a Diploma of Colour
Therapy with the aim of learning
how colours affect people’s health. I
Hymilan Wisdom
Toddler Contemplation –
award winner
30 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
have always been intuitively drawn
to particular colours and figured there
must be a reason for this, hence my
curiosity about colour therapy. This
curiosity started as early as my first
year at school, where I remember how
everyone argued over the red pencils
or crayons while I always reached
for the blue ones and wondered
why so many went for red with so
many choices to be had. I have run
workshops based on intuitive painting
using music to affect the participant’s
moods and blindfolds to help eliminate
the judgments made from what we
see, leaving only feel and intuition
to create with. This evolved from
my own experiments with painting
blindfolded (see Floral Bouquet) and
I would encourage all artists to have a
go at grabbing a pallet of paint, stick
on some music and a blindfold and go
for it. It’s a great way to learn to listen
to your artistic instincts and you will
be amazed at how you learn to detect
colour by the feel of the paint as each
colour has its own feel and texture.
I find drawing to be completely
different to intuitive painting in that
I rely constantly on the numerous
visual judgments I have to make
as I develop the drawing. Without
continuously judging the placement,
proportion and tone of each little
shape that comes together to make up
the final drawing it would not work.
So I would not recommend trying
to draw blindfolded. I have found
my ability to make these types of
judgments in my drawings improved
with the practice of drawing freehand.
I also find it very important to start
with a good source image that has
good composition and a balance
of light as shade. Often I find that
no matter how careful I am with
capturing my source image there are
little adjustment I need to make to the
image while creating the drawing and
this is where my intuition comes into
play for drawing and in pastel works.
So the two main skills I believe are
an absolute for creating any artwork
are the ability to draw freehand and
intuition, regardless of the subject or
media being employed these. Even in
Mocca
Dice – graphite workshops study
Secret Reflections – award winner
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 31
I N S I G H T
sculpture I find that I am drawing in
three dimensions using a chisel rather
than a pencil, and using my intuition
to find the balance and harmony.
After a mixed bag of jobs spanning
from taxi driver to landscape designer
and raising two children, I have found
my love of art to be the one constant
in my life. It not only provides an
escape from the mundane aspects of
life but also breathes life into my soul,
it is my passion and I am making it my
career. Since completing my Diploma
in Art in 2011 I have participated
in several group exhibitions, won
multiple awards for my works in
graphite, pastel and sculpture, and
had my first solo exhibition in 2012.
I have also been accepted by the
National Association of Visual Arts as
a professional member. I am currently
focusing on Atkins Art Works rentals,
a business providing flexible tax
deductable rent to buy options to
enhance corporate office spaces of
professional clients using my own
work as well as other selected artists.
I think one of the things I love
most about art is how it allows me to
capture the beauty that surrounds us
every day among so much negativity
being portrayed through the media. So
I am truly grateful to have the skills
and ability to produce something
beautiful that brings something
positive to the table of life.
Details of all my work and my art
rental business are available on
my website: www.atkinsartworks.
com I can also be contacted at
info@atkinsartworks.com n
Morning Scrounge
Star Jasmine – award winner What a ride
Hidden Bliss
32 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
d e m o n s t r a t i o n
age
Cont plation
Pencils
Using her daughter as her subject, this artist creates
a beautiful image for her demonstration drawing.
B Atkins
MATERIALS
• High quality artist white paper
• 2B graphite pencil – I
use Mars Lumigraph
• A good pencil sharpener and a
piece of fine sandpaper for getting
a really sharp tip on your pencil
• A solid drawing board
• Masking tape to the paper
on the drawing board
• Erasers – with these I cut them into
thirds and wrap paper around them
to prevent to oil off my fingers
ending up on the paper. I prepare
a jar full of these before I start
so I don’t have to stop drawing
• A sharp knife to cut off the end
of the eraser to keep it clean. You
only need to cut off a small portion
but it’s the best way to ensure you
drawing stay clean and smudge free
• Clean paper like photocopy paper
to place under your hand but over
the drawing to prevent smudging
from your hand resting on the
drawing while working on it
• Fixative to seal the finished drawing
FINAL STEP
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 33
d e m o n s t r a t i o n
emonstrated here is a graphite drawing
of my daughter sitting on a stump at the
beach as the sun was setting. Many artists
find it challenging to work with people especially
when it comes to the feet and the hands; however
I love working on portraits and have always been
fascinated by drawing people. Doing the feet and
hands are no different than any other part of the
drawing if you break them down into small shapes
of tone. This drawing took many hours of work to
complete due to the amount of detail in the stump
that I chose to include. In every subject the amount
of detail you represent is a choice you need to make
early on as it’s no good to start off with lots of detail
then dwindle off because of time restrictions. As
you will see in the source photo there were aspects
I decided to leave out such as the little bit of log
where she was sitting and the bra straps. I drew the
dress over that log and completely left out the bra as
these two choices made for a better final drawing.
STEP ONE
Once you have you paper firmly taped on to your
drawing board the first step is to get a quick placement
layout of the image. This step should not take too
STEP ONE STEP TWO
STEP THREE
34 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
d e m o n s t r a t i o n
long as it is only to get the subject
placement on the paper and a rough
initial outline. Many adjustments will
be made to this so don’t be too fussy
at this stage. I make sure I keep my
lines very light as most of them will
be erased as I refine the outline.
STEP TWO
This step is the most important
step and takes a long time. Here I
refine the layout and define each
shape within the drawing wherever
there is a change in tone. At the
end of this stage I end up with
what looks like a jigsaw puzzle of
lots of small pieces separated by
fine lines. Once I’m happy with
my layout I can move on to adding
some tone. No matter how correct
I think the layout is, changes
become highlighted once I start
STEP FOUR
STEP FIVE
STEP FOUR
STEP SIX
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 35
d e m o n s t r a t i o n
adding tone due to the illusion the
white paper plays on the eyes.
STEP THREE
This is where I start adding tone using
small sections of hatching. I make sure
the hatching is done in all different
directions but not overlapping. This first
layer is just to assess the correctness of
the lines and shapes. In this particular
drawing the line that was the hardest
was the back of the dress and shoulder
so I had to put a little bit of background
tone in to be ableto get this accurate
at a later stage. Most of the changes at
this stage are dimensional and can’t be
seen until tone is introduced. They are
not visible with white paper and lines.
STEP FOUR
At this stage I find I’m moving all
over the paper comparing different
levels of tone in the shapes within the
drawing. I am not yet trying to meld
the shapes; this comes later. As you
can see in the two images for this
step there is quite a variation of tone
happening in the tree stump from one
image to the next. As I tone one area it
becomes apparent another area needs
to be darker so I add another layer or
two of hatching to it to darken it. Still
making small adjustments, sometimes
as small as the thickness of a line, but
this makes the magic in the finished
drawing and is well worth the effort.
STEP FIVE
Once I have reached a point where I
am happy with how the subject of the
drawing is coming along I look at the
background if it is needed. For this
drawing it was needed to create a sense
of distance and to highlight the lighter
aspects of the hair and the back of the
dress. I chose to ignore the background
in the source image and create my own.
I had to decide where to put the horizon
line. Originally I aimed for a third from
the top but once I put the line in I didn’t
like how it cut across the main subject
so I moved it down so it cut through the
stump and not the person. I complied
with conventions for landscapes as
these rules help particularly when
working in graphite as it’s becomes
more about implying through tone
rather than representing with colour.
STEP SIX
Now it’s time for assessing the tone
and changes in it from one shape to the
next. I start to meld the shapes to create
the gradual tonal changes. There are a
couple of ways I achieve this. The first
is a layer of hatching that overlaps both
shapes creating a mid-tone working
them together. For very subtle changes
I hold my pencil at a 90 degree angle to
the paper and gently move it around in
very small movements in all different
directions. This melds the two tones
together to give a more gradual change
in tone. Some areas may need lightening.
The way I do this is to slice the end off
the eraser so that it is flat and clean.
Sitting the end of the eraser on the area
I want to lighten, I twist it once only
then slice of the dirty part and repeat.
I used this a lot to achieve the required
skin tone. During this stage it is a matter
of continually assessing while darkening,
lightening and melding the tonal work.
FINAL STEP
Once the background is in and to
the required tone I go back over the
drawing, darkening and lightening the
tone all over. Basically I repeat step six
until I am happy with the final drawing
and satisfied the tones accurately portray
the dimensional aspects of the subject.
This step ensures all aspects of the
drawing work in relation each of the
other aspects. As a final step once I am
satisfied with the final drawing I sign
it and leave it sitting on the easel or
wherever I will walk past it regularly for
a couple of days. This process allows
me to remove myself from the detail and
see the drawing as a whole. It highlights
little aspects that need slight adjustments
before proceeding to sealing the drawing
with fixative ready for framing. n
ARTIST’S
HINTS AND
TIPS
• Always keep your eraser clean
by trimming off used parts
with a sharp knife. You may go
through a lot of erasers for one
drawing but the result of a clean
crisp drawing is well worth it.
• Sharpen your pencil regularly.
I tend to be constantly
sharpening my pencil and in
this drawing I went through
about five pencils. This is vital
for working the graphite onto
the paper rather than locking
it and flattening the paper.
• Always keep a clean piece of
paper between your hand and the
drawing while working on the
drawing to prevent smudging.
• I cannot stress enough how
important it is to work you
tone up to the desired level in
multiple layers rather than doing
less heavier layers. This allows
for adjustment and changes.
• When working layers of hatching
take care not to start and stop
the layers in the same spot or
you will create darker spots
in your drawing. If you do
happen to crate dark spots use
the end of a clean erase and
twist to slightly lighten them.
• Work each layer of hatching in a
different direction to the previous
layer to prevent flattening the
paper. This allows you to achieve
a darker tone too without creating
shinny spots in the graphite. You
will notice I refer to what other
many call blending as melding.
I see blending as involving
rubbing either with fingers or an
implement. At no time do I rub
or push graphite around the paper
because this results in smudged
the graphite and shinny spots
on the finished drawing due to
flatten paper. The only time I
use blending is in painting.
36 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
F e a t u r e
Derwent’s XL
Blocks put to
the Test
Pencils
When I was asked whetherI’d be interested in tryingout Derwent’s XL Blocks
I jumped at the chance – what
sketchoholic wouldn’t? As I waited
for the blocks to arrive, I started to
question how different they could
be from other similar products on
the market. But nothing could have
prepared me for the chunky XL
blocks, which measure a generous
20x20x 60mm and fit comfortably
into the palm of the hand – they invite
you to grasp them in a fist with just
the tip of the block protruding.
What’s so special about them? Each
set has six subtly moody colours:
very soft, soft, burnt umber, raw
umber, dark Prussian and dark olive
in graphite; and ochre, sanguine,
Mars violet, sepia, black and white
in charcoal. Simply looking at them
fired my imagination and I set to work
immediately on a series of test sheets.
It wasn’t long before I was doodling
happily and making fanciful images
from the ostensibly random marks.
Derwent’s XL graphite and charcoal
blocks really score, having a softer,
creamier composition than some other
compressed blocks; they are more
responsive to variations of pressure and
therefore release a hitherto undiscovered
Landscape 1, Derwent Fine Art XL Charcoal and Graphite block
on smooth grey Canson paper, 231⁄2x231⁄2in (60x60cm)
David Winning
Compressed charcoal and graphite have been around for some time, and David
Winning thought he’d seen it all before, until he experienced Derwent’s new Fine
Art XL Charcoal and Graphite blocks. Here is his test report.
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 37
F e a t u r e
vocabulary of inspirational marks,
everything from the fattest, broadest
slabs to the frailest and most delicate
lines, and the loudest statements to
the barely discernible whisper.
The blocks responded intuitively in
my hand, instantly presenting different
facets, edges and points of contact,
each with its own unique mark-making
potential. The chunky dimensions
enhances their balance and handling,
facilitating an expressive approach
and more imaginative applications,
which for me frequently resulted in
unique and unpredictable outcomes.
Being heavily pigmented, they are
capable of delivering an extensive
range of tones at no discernible loss
of chroma, from the lightest and
most transparent to the darkest and
completely opaque. Their dense but
friable composition easily enables
textural effects: dry scumbles, impasto
applications and tonal variations.
Moreover, as they’re water soluble
they offer further potential for creating
sloppy washes and serendipitous
wet-in-wet effects. And it’s an easy
matter to erase passages to reveal
clean paper or underlying washes
for both correction and to create new
shapes, highlights or finishing detail.
How have I used them? As you’d
Initial experiments with Derwent Fine Art XL charcoal blocks Initial experiments with Derwent Fine Art XL graphite blocks
Initial arbitrary marks in charcoal Recognisable landscape features began to appear
38 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
F e a t u r e
imagine I’ve thoroughly enjoyed
experimenting with the XL blocks.
They readily yield every mark and
nuance,presenting results I’d never
experienced before, which is why
they’re so inspirational. You can’t
fail to respond – they can sometimes
take you by surprise by coming
half way to meet you in the creative
process, offering options and solutions
you’d never even dreamt of.
Both Landscape 1 and Landscape 2
were essentially media driven, from
first marks to final detail. I chose not
to work from preliminary sketches
or photographs, but allowed the
initial arbitrary marks to stimulate
my imagination, which then naturally
jogged memories of generic landscape
features that I later incorporated.
Whilst this free-fall strategy is
a liberating creative experience, it
can also be scary and may not suit
everyone. In the relentless search for
alternative approaches it’s become
one of my preferred starting points.
I worked on both pieces
simultaneously, beginning with the
blocks flat to the paper, applying broad
swathes of dry pigment in opposing
directions, varying the pressure to
produce a random composition of
marks, colours and tones. The first
layer of graphite for Landscape 2
was then washed with a flat 100mm
brush and clean water and allowed
to run. I enjoyed drawing into the
wet surface with contrasting colours,
which instantly releases a creamy
strip of live pigment with a solid
core and a delicately feathered edge.
Pure alchemy! I employed the same
unstructured expressive approach with
both pieces, mixing and matching
charcoal and graphite as I progressed.
The next couple of days were spent
adding new sections and removing
others, wrestling them towards
The first layer of graphite was washed and allowed to run A storm atmosphere emerged
Landscape 2, Derwent Fine Art XL Charcoal and Graphite blocks
on heavy textured paper, 231⁄2x231⁄2in (60x60cm)
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 39
F e a t u r e
a resolution (40 per cent of this
time was spent drinking coffee and
scrutinising), searching the semi-
abstract compositions for incidental
shapes, textures and tones that began
to suggest landscape features, such as
a rain-soaked ridge, a gleaming lake,
a receding lane. Once identified, it’s
back to the drawing board to juggle the
precarious business of developing and
establishing these vague references,
the features you imagine you’ve seen,
without overstating them or destroying
their originally tantalising ambiguity,
as in stage two of both demonstrations.
At this stage my approach is
primarily trial and error. The most
rewarding part of the process
is when things begin to come
together – working on top of
previous layers, defining edges,
patterns and vague details which
are often implied by serendipitous
juxtapositions of marks and shapes
formed by the medium itself.
Derwent’s Fine Art XL blocks
cry out to be handled. I loved just
crumbling them, rubbing the dust
into the paper surface, drawing with
pigment transferred from the block
to my fingers, blending areas with
a Derwent paper stump or a soft
cloth, or removing sections with an
eraser, wire wool or sandpaper.
For me the process is a constant
dialogue. It’s about being aware and
responsive to the potential of the
media, and being tuned into what‘s
evolving on the paper. If you’re
prepared to let go of the inhibiting
notion of an ‘intended’ or anticipated
outcome, it’s as if this intelligent
medium is talking to you, guiding your
hand and creative imagination towards
an unpredicted and often unique
outcome. They are liberating and
inspirational, a serious ‘drawing-from-
the-shoulder’ tool. If only my long
suffering art tutor had had a couple
of boxes back in the ’60s I’m certain
his job would have been a lot easier!
Derwent has three accessories
to enhance your experience
of Derwent XL:
XL Grippers, in a pack of two.
They are comfortable to hold and
will keep your hands clean.
Groove Cubes add some
excitement to your drawings. Run
your Derwent XL block along one
of the ridge sections. When you
draw it will leave different marks on
the paper, depending on which of
the four groove patterns you use.
The Sprinkler. Simply rub the XL
block over the mesh to create a fine
powder. You can sprinkle into a wet
area to create speckles, or rub into
the paper with your finger to make
subtle drawings or even tone.
This article first appeared in
‘The Artist Magazine’ April
issue and can be viewed online
at www.painters-online.co.uk
40 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
Josie Birchall
In my Narnia
This artist portrays taboo subjects or the darker side of human nature,
juxtaposed with the beauty in life, in order to present a visual narrative of the
mysterious or the ambiguity of a situation.
Sugar and Spice
After working for sevenyears in the field ofgraphic design, I wanted
to explore the creative/artistic
aspect of myself, so I enrolled in
a Diploma of Contemporary Art in
2008. Learning to paint and draw
anatomically during my course
at TAFE (Tasmania) I developed
not only skills in life drawing and
colour theory techniques, but also
a growing confidence in myself
as an artist. Testing out my new
skills, I entered a Tertiary Art
Competition in the second year
of the Diploma and was rewarded
for my efforts by taking out the
People’s Choice Award. This result
not only increased my confidence in
my artistic abilities and encouraged
me to continue my studies but was
a great source of feedback. Also the
reward I gained through the sale
of my creative output is measured
not in dollars but rather in the
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 41
I N S I G H T
knowledge that the general public
also valued my work.
Following on from this initial
venturing into the commercial arena of
the arts, I was approached by several
galleries around Tasmania which
invited me to exhibit my art works with
them both as a solo exhibitor and as
part of group exhibitions. Finishing the
Diploma Course and then encouraged
by my success both academically and
out there in the art world, I began
(and recently completed) a Bachelor
of Contemporary Art Degree at the
University of Tasmania and I also
continued to exhibit in galleries state—
wide and to sell my paintings and other
artworks via these venues. Currently,
all of my art works, except for one
recent painting, have been sold.
The inspiration for my work comes
from many sources, including music
and books, but primarily from my
own life experiences and in particular
from the emotions I ex erience
Immortal Beloved
Monanism
Error of Her Ways
42 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
in recalling the details of those
memories. By examining the human
condition I strive to portray taboo
subjects or the darker side of human
nature, juxtaposed with the beauty
in life, in order to present a visual
narrative of the mysterious or the
ambiguity of a situation.
My aim is to create a sense of
intrigue or questioning, or to evoke
feelings of confusion or fun within
the viewer; I enjoy pushing the
boundaries with subject matter of
my paintings and I am never content
to leave a portrait as a simple
presentation, rather I will take it
further into the confusing and surreal
world of imagination. Most of the
time when I start a painting I have
a clear concept in mind and I am
able to carry it through to the finish
without much change. I use symbolic
references in my work and the choice
of colours to use is important to me
as is the content or composition of
the elements; what is included or
deliberately excluded. These are
important aspects of the story I am
trying to tell.
Sometimes after starting a piece of
work, the concept I am trying to express
changes or the content or colours change,
because the picture is not “working” for
me. Other times I get lost in the work
evolving and I wait for the painting to
show me how the story goes; similar to
a Choose your own Adventure Book.
Ultimately the viewers themselves
will have formed their own sense of
connectivity with my artworks.
I have studied the traditional forms and
methods of painting and I have learned
the skills required but I have executed
thoseskills in a contemporary way. My
methodology has been heavily influenced
by my personal history and socialisation
coupled with my general education, all of
which has produced my individual style.
I love to paint. I always will. When
I am painting the real world ceases to
e ist and I am in my Narnia.
Family Portrait
Mask #3
Blindsided Beautiful Disturbia
Homage to Schiele and Klimt The Optimist
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 43
I N S I G H T
Exhibitions
2014 — The Mill Providore
& Gallery
2013 — Gallery Salamanca
2013 — Fundraiser Art Auction
— Sawtooth ARI
2013 — The Mill Providore
& Gallery
2012 — Fundraiser Art Auction
— Sawtooth ARI
2012 — Group Exhibition
— Curator. Poimena Gallery
2012 — Gallery Salamanca
2011 — Group exhibition, The Mill
Providore & Gallery
2011 — The Mill Providore
& Gallery
2010 — Group exhibition
— The Mill Providore
& Gallery
2010 — Group exhibition,
Poimena Gallery
2010 — Group exhibition,
Artifakt Gallery
2010 — Cimitiere House
2010 — Tasmanian Art Award
Eskleigh
2010 — Charity Fundraiser
Group exhibition – NEW
Gallery
2009 — Group exhibition
— Artifakt Gallery
2009 — The Birchall’s Tertiary Art
Prize — NEW Gallery
— People’s Choice winner
2009 — Tasmanian Art Award
Eskleigh
For more information on
my work please contact:
Gallery Salamanca
65 Salamanca Place
Hobart Tas 7004
Ph: 03 6223 5022
Email:
info@gallerysalamanca.com.au
Web:
www.gallerysalamanca.com.au n
Mask #5
Mask #2 Holly
44 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
Sweet Madness
Pencil and Charcoal
For the concept of this painting, the artist used herself as the subject; however
the work is a statement about the vulnerabilities that portrait artists possibly feel
when expressing their thoughts, emotions and experiences in a visual narrative
that may be viewed and publicly criticised.
Josie Birchall
MATERIALS
• Matisse Derivan Gesso
• Spray enamel
• Pencil
• Charcoal
• Unbleached Titanium
• White
• Paynes GreyFINAL STEP
STEP ONE
The linen is primed with Matisse
Derivan Gesso and lightly sanded. I
repeat this process approximately five
to seven times. I then mixed up a very
runny slurry of colour – Unbleached
Titanium, a small amount of Paynes
Grey and mostly white, and using a
wide wash brush, I applied the paint mix
to the linen, allowing it to splash and
drip. I also applied random marks of
spray enamel. Once dry, I then roughly
sketched up the figure in pencil and
charcoal. Any mistakes were left in the
finished work as I think it adds interest
rather than detracts from the image.
STEP TWO
I always start with the face when
adding colour, and usually begin
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 45
with a green base. However, in this
case skin tone is absent, and so
instead I built up thin layers of oil
paint in white with a small amount
of Paynes Grey for the darker tones
to form dimension to the face. More
colour was added in thin layers so
as not to block the underpainting.
STEP THREE
More thin layers are added to the face,
slowly building shadows and highlights
to form dimension, and a base coat
of paint for the hair has begun.
STEP FOUR
Hair and face are starting to take shape
and become more refined, and I began
to block in the clothing (striped top) in
acrylic. I kept my brushstrokes sketchy
and loose as I liked how it added
expression to the overall look of the
painting, and it also contrasts with the
more refined technique used on the face.
STEP FIVE
I added a party hat in acrylic and worked
a little more on the striped top. Only the
face and hair have been painted in oil;
the majority of the painting is in acrylic.
STEP ONE
STEP TWO
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
STEP SIX
I began to define the left ear and
add colour and highlights.
STEP SEVEN
Everything was given a tidy up to
smooth and refine where needed.
FINAL STEP
I scribbled a suggestion of a circus tent
and trapeze ladder in the background
with charcoal, and enamel spray-painted
stars were added randomly across the
bottom of the painting with the use
of a cardboard cut-out stencil to add
balance to the colour on the clown face.
For more information on my work
please contact:
Gallery Salamanca
65 Salamanca Place
Hobart Tas, 7004.
Ph: 03 6223 5022
E: info@gallerysalamanca.com.au
Web: www.gallerysalamanca.com.au �
STEP THREE STEP FOUR STEP FIVE
STEP SIX STEP SEVEN
48 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
The Need to Create
Marilyn Murray
Throughout her life, Marilyn Murray has amassed an amazing array of artistic
experiences which, in her words, “acknowledge my soul’s desire for creativity.”
Rainbow Lorikeet.
Although I started paintingin 2005, my artistic journeycommenced when I was quite
small. As one of six children growing
up in the 1950s in the suburbs of
Brisbane, we were encouraged to
spend most of our days outside. I,
however, loved nothing better than
to stay inside making dolls clothing
and furniture from material scraps
and bits of cardboard while my
busy, creative Mum sewed clothes
for her ever-growing family.
The need to create was very strong in
me and evidenced by my inventiveness,
including teaching myself to crochet
at age 12 using a reel of cotton and
the head of a pin as the crochet hook.
Practical fabric and yarn arts including
sewing, crochet, knitting and tatting
were my main forms of creativity up to
and including my early married life.
In 1983, I was introduced to
patchwork quilting. This beautiful art
form nourished my creative soul for
15 years. During this time, I made
several quilts, the first of which won
2nd prize at Sydney’s Royal Easter
Show. For most of those 15 years,
I taught patchwork at a number of
venues including Strathfield Evening
College in Sydney, Mayes Cottage at
Kingston and Meadowbank TAFE.
In 1995 my marriage broke up
and my life became incredibly
busy with work and family, leaving
little time to even acknowledge
my soul’s desire for creativity. I
received a wake-up call that all this
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 49
I N S I G H T
stress was bad for my being, when,
in 2000 and again in 2003 I was
diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
Whilst recuperating from treatment,
I completed the “Drawing on the
Right Side of the Brain” course at
the Relaxation Centre in Brisbane.
At this point in time if I played
“Pictionary”, nobody wanted me as
a partner my drawing skills were
so poor. After the course, I was
amazed to realise that I could actually
draw and for the next six months
I was consumed with the need to
produce black and white images.
This was my introduction to seeing
the dark and light in all subjects.
Finally, I decided that I wanted
to add some colour to my drawings
and had just heard about pastels as
a medium. I attended a few classes
with notable wildlife artist Gail
Higgins at Wynnum in Brisbane.
Pastels and I became instant “best
buddies”. I instinctively knew what
to do with them and won “Best of
Show” and my first Easel for a small On the Wings of an Eagle.
Paradise Found.
50 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
still life called “Anyone for Dressing”
in the student exhibition which
was held just four months after I
commenced classes. Apart from these
lessons, I am largely self-taught.
I was quite prolific right from the
outset and produced at least two works
a month. In my first six months of
painting with pastels, I submitted two
entries by photograph to the Spirit of
the Outback Competition held at the
Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton.
One of them “After the Rain – Long
Waterhole Winton” was selected to be
hung and subsequently sold. It was not
until later that I realised how lucky
I was to have my painting selected
into that prestigious exhibition.
I painted feverishly and passionately
for the next couple of years and
became a member of the Australian
Pastel Society, attending many of
their weekly meetings in Brisbane.
The demonstrations at these meetings
were very helpful to me as a beginner
and offered me many insights into
the use of this wonderful medium.
Whilst in Brisbane, mypaintings
were influenced by city life reflected
in a number of works which have an
architectural theme such as “Brisbane
Riverscape” and “Story from the
Balcony”. Other works including “On
the Wings of an Eagle” and “Top
End Pelican” came about after of a
number of trips out west with my
then good friend Stephen Murray.
In 2007, I married Stephen and we
made a “tree change” from Brisbane to
Childers, a friendly little town which
lies on the Bruce Highway between
Maryborough and Bundaberg. We
spent the first year in Childers clearing
our 12 acres of the sugar cane which
previously grew here and building
our beautiful home. To this day, we
still amaze ourselves that we two
“oldies” actually built our house with
some help from a couple of generous
neighbours and the odd tradie. During
the construction period, we lived in
a shed in our camper trailer. Even
in these cramped confines, I still
managed to produce many smaller
paintings, mostly of birds and animals.
Huxley to Goonaneman.
Kelly's Beach.
https://avxlive.icu/
https://avxlive.icu/
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 51
I N S I G H T
The view from our new back
verandah provides much inspiration
for my artwork with the vista
changing from season to season
as we look across farmland, cane
fields and bushland to glorious Mt
Goonaneman in the South West. One
painting “Huxley to Goonaneman”
was the first prize in a raffle for
the Childers Hospital Auxiliary
which raised much needed funds
for our local health care facility.
One of the first things I did when
I got to Childers was seek out the
local art group. What a fantastic
find!! The Childers Visual Arts
Group is a wonderfully vibrant and
interesting group of people who
get together every Thursday for the
whole day at the home of Alice and
Alex McLaughlin at Apple Tree
Creek. The group currently numbers
in excess of 40 with about half this
number gathering every week.
The group holds at least three
exhibitions every year. In the last
year, I have been part of “Showtime”
Hi Nan 1.
Boss Cocky. Sweet Dreams.
Spectacular.
52 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
and “Anything But Ordinary”
at the Childers Art Gallery and
“Wonder Weather” at the Gin Gin
Courthouse Gallery. Being part of
these exhibitions pushes me outside
my comfort zone and forces me
to “think outside the square,” thus
accelerating my growth as an artist.
We also often paint out at local
shows and festivals and as a group
have painted a number of murals
in the area. Our week long annual
camp is a wonderful opportunity to
paint “en plein air” which helps me
to “see” our natural landscape with
much more discerning eyes than
when painting from photographs.
All this exposure gave me the
confidence in 2010 to join with fellow
artist Patricia Deller-Smith for my
first private exhibition “Paint and
Pastel” at the Gin Gin Courthouse
Gallery. I found this to be a very
positive and rewarding experience.
I have been experimenting with
oils for a couple of years as I love
this medium and its buttery feel, so,
with the help of an RADF Grant,
I attended the 2011 McGregor
Summer School in Toowoomba.
Since then, acrylics have become
another string to my artistic bow.
People often ask me who I am
influenced by artistically and I
can honestly say nobody. I have
developed my own style which is
quite realistic. If I am painting from
photographs, I will only use one that
I have taken myself. I very rarely
copy an image exactly and enjoy
the challenge of combining more
than one photo. My work reflects
my life and all my paintings have
a story to tell. I only paint subjects
that mean something to me or to the
person who has commissioned me.
I am available for commissions
on any subject and my work
can be viewed at my website
www.marilynmurray.com.au. �
Change of Heart.
Suburban Secret. Sail Away
Bargara Central.
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 53
54 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
Wait for me Dad!
By Marilyn Murray
Marilyn’s grandson Joseph is the inspiration for this artwork.
He’s pictured with his Dad, fishing at Nudgee Beach.
Pastels
STEP ONE
I have chosen to do this demonstration
from a photograph I took of my
beloved grandson Joseph when he
went fishing with his Dad at Nudgee
Beach outside Brisbane. As we
were visitors to Brisbane, we were
unaware of the fishing restriction
at Nudgee Beach – it is a good
thing that no fish were caught!!
I liked Joseph on the left side of
the photo, but needed him to be
running into the picture, so I have
reversed the image using Microsoft
Office Picture Manager. I have then
moved him to the left side of the
page and his Dad to the right so that
they are looking towards each other
and into the picture instead of out.
Once the positioning is sorted, I
draw up a sketch. I first draw a line
FINAL STEP
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 55
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
about 1.5cm around the edge of the
paper to allow for framing. (If this
is not allowed for, some of the vital
elements of the painting could be
compromised when framed). I use the
original photo for the background,
then, using the reversed image,
I measure both figures carefully
and sketch them into their new
positions. I also decide to shorten
Joseph’s shorts to allow for some
extra skin colour at the water level.
STEP TWO
Transferring the sketch to the
pastel paper:
1. Turn the sketch over and rub the
back with a light coloured pastel.
2. Attach the pastel paper to the board
with the removable blue tape.
3. Tape the sketch right side out over
the pastel paper. Trace around the
sketch being careful not to apply
too much pressure. (It is important
not to indent the pastel paper).
4. Lightly draw over the
transferred outline with a light
coloured pastel pencil.
STEP THREE
So as not to smudge a painting as
I go, I always try to work from top
to bottom and left to right. For this
painting however, I lay down my
background in this manner before
proceeding to the foreground figures.
For the sky, I lay down Rembrandt
Ultramarine Deep to the top and
work my way down to the horizon
using lighter and lighter colours,
STEP ONE
STEP THREE STEP FOUR
STEP TWO STEP TWO
MATERIALS
• A3 Sketch Paper
• A3 160 gsm Canson Mid Blue
Mi-Teints Pastel Paper
• Art Spectrum Pastels: Raw Umber,
Aqua Marine Blue, Titanium White
• Rembrandt Pastels: Ultramarine Deep,
Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Light,
Light Oxide Red, Permanent Red
• Faber Castel Pastels: Dark
Indigo, Pink Madder Lake,
Cobalt Turquoise, Light Green
• Light coloured pastel pencil
• Blue Painter’s Tape which
is removable and will not
damage the paper.
• Micador Fixative Workable Mat
• Small soft brush
56 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
finishing with AS Titanium White.
I then lightly cover the whole area
with Rembrandt Prussian Blue to
tie all the colours together. I use
horizontal strokes at first and then
using a firm circular motion, I
blend all the colours to ether usin
my ingers. t e s y appears too
dark or uneven at this stage, go
over it with another light layer of
Titanium White and blend again.
When I am happy with the sky, I
use a small brush to remove any pastel
which may have invaded the figures.
I then add some wispy clouds using
the Titanium White with a touch of
Faber Castell Pink Madder Lake and
Rembrandt Deep Ultramarine. I then
spray with the workable fixative.
STEP FOUR
Using Faber Castell Dark Indigo,
I lightly paint in the hills in the
background and then go over this with
Ultramarine Blue and blend to soften
and push the hills into the background.
Next, using horizontal strokes, I lay
down a combination of Art Spectrum
Raw Umber and Ultramarine Blue,
Rembrandt Ultramarine Light,
Prussian Blue and Light Oxide Red.
I then blend gently with my finger
and add highlights where appropriate
using Art Spectrum Titanium
White. Spray again with fixative.
At this stage, I always want to
pull the sheet of pastel paper off
the easel and throw it in the bin.
I tell myself every time – “Wait