Artists-Drawing--Inspiration-June_2019 (1)

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Artist insights And 
demonstrAtions
10 Janelle Fisher
20 Lynn Bowman
30 Alex Dixon
46 Paul Ballantine
54 Lynda Robinson
62 Gail Castles
ontentsontents
Issue No.33 2019 10
38
30
Product guides
38 Back to School
in the gAlleries
6 Readers Gallery
Cover image by: Paul Ballantine
20
38
70
54
6 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
Artist DrAwing AnD inspirAtion magazine
seeks to showcase the works of talented Australians
producing art at a whole range of skill levels, whether they
are accomplished creative people with a long history of
achievements or beginners (of all ages) striving to build their
identities and reach their particular artistic goals.
This ‘Gallery’ segment provides a place to display pictures 
by people who may not have the means or the opportunity 
to be extensively featured in our magazine. Submissions are 
sought from such people for future Issues.
This month we are pleased to display the work of another 
three enthusiastic artists.
R aller
Maree Siganto Maree Siganto
Maree SigantoMaree Siganto
MAREE SIGANTO
Now retired and living on the Gold Coast, Maree has been drawing in some form since she was a young child. 
She enjoys painting in oils but drawing is her fi rst love. She had a few lessons with Pastels but feels she still 
has a long way to go to master this medium. Tending to draw with graphite mainly and occasionally with 
colour pencils and water colour pencils. 
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.
LUISA GRASSO
My name is Luisa Grasso and I have had a passion for
drawing since I was four years old. I am self taught and
have studied art through my primary and secondary
school years. I fi nd drawing to be a form of meditation as 
it allows me to escape my troubles and become completely
engrossed in the task at hand. My preferred medium is 
graphite as it allows me to capture the light and tone of 
a subject in an emotive way. I recently discovered my 
love of pastel when I enrolled in a short course under the 
guidance of Heather Peberdy. Pastel is a very versatile 
medium that allows me to express myself freely and easily.
I draw anything that I find interesting or challenging, but
have recently focused on animals and nature as I have
always found them difficult to draw. I believe in practising
most what I find to be diffi cult to draw in order to become 
skilled at rendering it. My inspiration comes from 
photographs, nature and the general world around me.
Artists I admire are The Impressionists, Jeff Koons and
Ken Done as their works express their feelings and I fi nd 
their techniques inspiring. I would one day like to become 
a professional Illustrator and hold a solo exhibition.
Luisa GrassoLuisa Grasso
Luisa Grasso Luisa Grasso
8 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
Reader’sgallery
MicheLLe naude 
Firstly, thank you for a great magazine! each month i await its arrival on our shelves in great anticipation.
i am living in the most beautiful part of South africa - Paarl, Western cape. i have no formal training but have attended some 
art classes in the past. i love bright colours and prefer to work with acrylic paint. i also love to do pencil drawings. i have 
recently started to sculpture and must say i enjoy it very much. 
Michelle Naude Michelle Naude
Michelle NaudeMichelle Naude
Michelle Naude Michelle Naude
cORRine SMiTh-RuSh 
i have been drawing and painting since my school days, but like a lot of people i have only had time in recent years to get more 
serious with my art. in the last 5 years i have discovered pastels and most recently i have been experimenting with acrylics and 
attending life drawing sessions.
Fauna and fl ora are my passion, particularly our Australian wildlife. My future plan is to be continually learning and putting 
many more miles on my pencils and brushes.
Corrine Smit-Rush Corrine Smit-Rush
Corrine Smit-Rush Corrine Smit-Rush
10 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
My Creative World
Janelle Fisher
My life is, and always has been, one filled with creativity. 
I relate to the lyric from the Sound of Music that says 
“my heart wants to sing every song it hears”. Perceiving 
meaning in the world around me I feel compelled to draw, 
savouring its richness as I do.
By Janelle Fisher
Northern Yellow-Faced Turtles
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 11
I N S I G H T
Though I’ve been drawing sinceI was a child, it’s only beenrecently that I’ve been able to
invest myself in my art, as I’ve long
hoped. As many self-taught artists
find, mine has been a winding journey,
driven by an undercurrent of passion,
dedication, and hard work. It has been
intermingled with other priorities,
interests and needs at different times,
and only really developed when
permitted. Encouraged to pursue a
customary vocation, I’ve worked as
a paediatric Occupational Therapist,
assisted in Health Research and have
a Masters in Tropical Environmental
Management. This background
has tendered me knowledge and
experiences that have influenced
the art and the artist I am now.
Darwin is my home, and has been
for most of my life. It is a beautiful
place, unique and diverse in many
ways. It also offers an abundance
of encounters with nature. I enjoy
curlew’s night calls, sunset beach
walks, kapok blooms, black cockatoos
chatting, Dry season fires, and in
the wet season,electrical storms and 
torrential rain. I think my affinity with 
these encounters and experiences is 
deeply infused in me and my art. I 
cannot resist the allure of creation. It’s 
elegance, intricacy, and authenticity 
is captivating. I love the truthful 
witness that is the natural world 
and that the creations it inspires are 
invested with its beauty and wisdom.
I love sharing what I observe 
in nature with others. There is 
a satisfaction that arises from 
completing a work that is 
Shell
Ballerina Panorama
Qin Sleeping
12 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
pleasing. This is made greater when others 
retreat into, and enjoy, the creation too.
I work almost exclusively in soft pastel and 
graphite, for I love the expression of these 
mediums. I am self-taught and most of what I 
know has been developed through discovery. My 
artistic influences include Hans Heysen, Susannah 
Blaxill, Maxine Thompson and Terry Isaac. 
Their depictions of, and insights in to the natural 
world are breathtaking. My inspiration is nature 
itself. Those moments I don’t want to forget. I 
find my art is enriched with my other interests, 
which include jazz piano, singing and ballet.
In 2001 I held a solo exhibition titled Aspects 
of the Territory. Since then I have exhibited in 
The World Wildlife Fund Threatened Species 
Exhibition (Darwin, NT), Botanica (Sydney, 
NSW), Cossack Art Award (Cossack, WA) and the 
Mortimore Prize (Dubbo, NSW). Much of my work 
is commissioned. Until recently word of mouth 
has been the main avenue for my work, which 
has fit aptly with the time I have to give to art. 
With a young family, it requires much effort to 
keep the balance between family life and art. The 
accumulation of small valuable drawing sessions 
allows me to see works through to completion. 
Dolly Understands
Made for Each Other
Green Tree Frogs On Tea Tree
14 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
It takes great mental discipline and 
energy to keep the momentum, apply 
myself in the time I have and let 
go when that time needs to finish. 
At times it requires great personal 
sacrifice, but I think it’s worth it. My 
husband’s support and belief in me, 
and our children’s accommodating 
natures helps make it possible. The 
experience of the artistic process and 
product is valuable to all of us.
It is often challenging fitting art 
around three young children. The 
children’s sleeps, day or night are 
especially valuable times to work. I 
also work when they’re awake. I’ve 
trained myself to focus on drawing 
amid the busyness that comes with a 
young family. I am often amused at 
the context in which my pieces are 
created. Preparing works for exhibitions 
to the sounds of Play School, baby 
giggles and answering three-year-old’s 
questions can at times feel surreal. 
Between July and October of this year 
I undertook a residency at the Territory 
Wildlife Park, Berry Springs, NT. Three 
other artists, and myself were given 
unprecedented access and opportunity 
to photograph, draw and create at the 
Park. It was a valuable experience to 
observe the various birds, reptiles, 
mammals, aquatic and other animals, 
and learn of their behaviours, life cycles 
and habitats. The residency has been 
the first time I have worked alongside 
other artists, and I’ve been inspired by 
their talents, styles and love of nature.
I have recently started drawing 
portraits. I love to sink in to the 
wonder children have of the world. 
Their innocence and unfettered 
regard makes theirs a pleasant 
perspective. My beautiful children 
don’t realise how keenly I observe 
them. Light reflections on their skin, 
facial expressions, postures and 
movements, to name a few, I observe 
with more than a little interest. 
There’s something sweetly exquisite 
about drawing your own children.
Dedication, practice and critical 
thinking have helped me develop my 
Hibiscus Bloom
Pied Cormorants
My little angel
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 15
I N S I G H T
craft over the years. I have had very
little tuition. Circumstances mean
that I spend more time observing the
world around me than I do drawing.
My easel stands in the living area
of our home, so I critically view
my work between drawing sessions.
This allows me to review what I’ve
done, and plan my next session. I
also have the reference photo for
the work in progress as the desktop
background on my computer.
These are strategies I have found
invaluable in my artistic process.
Artistically there is much more I
would like to learn. We are all given
one day at a time, and my hope is that
I can use that time wisely, learn what
I can, not be discouraged by what I
don’t know, and enjoy the process.
To preserve and share beautiful
moments in what can easily be a hectic,
disconnected and troubling world. My
heart has many more songs to sing
as I relish the beauty and meaning
invested in our natural world.
I have recently been informed that
I won Best Drawing at the 2011
Mortimore Art Prize,
held in Dubbo, NSW.
www.australianartsales.com.au/
MortimorePrize/mortimoreprize.html
My web address is
www.janellefisherfineart.com n
Lotus Lily opening
Acacia dunnii pods Putting the pointes on Dingo Gazing
Pointe Shoes
16 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
Pastels
Goodnight
Quinn
By Janelle Fisher
Janelle captures the beauty of her three-day-old son, Quinn.
FINAL STEP
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 17
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
MATERIALS
• Paper
Art Spectrum Colourfix
suede paper – Tasman Sky
• Pastels
I use pastels of the following
brands - Art Spectrum(AS),
Rembrandt (R), and Faber
Castell. And pastel pencils -
Faber Castell and Derwent.
Colour list
• Skin
Dark: Mars Violet R 538/5, Burnt
Umber R 409/3, Flinders
Blue Violet AS D520, Caput
Mortuum Red R 343/3
Middle: Burnt Sienna AS
T548, Caput Mortuum
Red R 343/7
Light: Burnt Sienna AS V548
and AS X548, Caput
Mortuum Red R 343/9
• Fabric
Dark: Flinders Blue Violet AS
D520, Mars Violet R 538/5,
Mouse Grey R 707/5
Middle: Raw Umber R 408/7
and R 408/9
Light: Yellow Ochre AS X540,
Yellow Ochre R 227/10,
Warm White AS P501
• Pastel pencils
Faber Castell
1122 – 199 Black
122 – 177 Walnut Brown
1122 – 175 Dark Sepia
1122 – 193 Burnt Carmine
1122 – 169 Caput Mortuum Violet
1122 – 132 Light Flesh
STEP ONE
STEP TWO: PART 1
STEP TWO: PART 2
18 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
Using soft pastel on suede paper, 
Janelle took some photos of her 
youngest, Quinn, when he was three 
days old. “I remember that beautiful 
night, when having fallen asleep in 
my arms I laid Quinn on our bed 
and photographed him. I thank 
myself often for pulling out 
the camera when I too should 
have been sleeping. A memory 
beyond measure preserved.” 
STEP ONE
I work from reference images I’ve 
photographed either printed as 
photos or on my computer. I draw 
the image on white paper, and 
transfer it on to my final paper with 
tracing paper. I use white pastel 
pencil on the underside and trace 
the image with a graphite pencil. 
I do this gently as I find the suede 
readily indents, but need the graphite 
point to produce a fine line. The 
benefit of drawing then transferring 
is I can see the proportions and 
composition and can be confident 
of these prior to placing on the 
final paper. Once the image is 
transferred I pack the lead pencil 
away so I don’t accidently use it!
STEP TWO
I begin with the fabric surrounding 
Quinn and define the darkest areas 
first. I also draw the darkest shadows 
of Quinn too. I then add middle 
colours and the reflected colours I see 
in the fabric. I then add light colours, 
joining the areas of colour previously 
laid down. Once I’ve defined all the 
dark, middle and light colours I blend. 
As I do I am mindful of the forms 
I am creating. Minimal blending 
in the lighter areas preserves their 
boldness and keeps them ‘clean’. I 
repeat this process to define the finer 
creases and reflections in the fabric.STEP THREE: PART 1
STEP TWO: PART 3
STEP TWO: PART 4
STEP THREE: PART 2
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 19
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
STEP THREE
When the fabric is mostly complete 
I shift my attention to Quinn. I begin 
with the darker colours. Skin is highly 
reflective, and I see many colours 
in Quinn’s skin and include these 
in the foundation (eg Mars Violet, 
Flinders Blue Violet, Burnt Umber 
and Caput Mortuum Red). Then I add 
the middle colours, laying my strokes 
at various angles to express the form. 
I then add the lighter colours. These 
are not my lightest colours yet.
STEP FOUR
I blend the colours I have laid to 
create the foundation of the skin. I 
then repeat this process (dark – mid 
– light) to develop the forehead. 
Using sharpened black and brown 
pastel pencils I define the hair, using 
gentle strokes. Baby hair is very fine. 
I sometimes like to do the hair before 
I’ve finished the skin as it allows me 
to see the face in context with the hair.
FIVE STEP
I then work with the mid and light 
skin colours to add more detail to 
the contours of Quinn’s skin, and 
bring more warm colours to the skin 
(ie less yellow and more red). 
FINAL STEP
I apply colour, then blend, 
repeating this process until I’m 
satisfied. The completed piece. I 
can leave Quinn to sleep. �
STEP FOUR: PART 1
STEP FOUR: PART 2
STEP FIVE
20 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
Just Do It
Lynn Bowman
In Lynn’s own words … 
“Art. Once you get into it – it gets into you. Then your journey begins.”
Marbles on Water
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 21
I N S I G H T
I ed art at school. It was myourite subject! Then I leftool, started working and life just
too er. I married, had children, then
became a single parent and worked.
Life was so busy I rarely even thought
about art. I would admire any artworks
I saw in offices, and very occasionally
would visit a gallery … and sigh. ‘One
day’ I would get back into my art.
About 10 years ago I married
again, and we moved from suburban
Adelaide to rural South Australia. We
bought an old schoolhouse which was
built in 1880 and sits on two acres
of land situated about 20kms out of
Mannum. It was the best move of
our lives. We both love the country,
its people and the lifestyle. There is
a sense of community in the country
that simply doesn’t exist in cities.
JohnGorilla Mum
Assylum Seeker Cat Face
2
I N S I G H T
We all have our share of trials in this life 
and I was no different. I hit a personal low a 
few years back, and I was struggling to get 
back up when one day I was walking past 
our local community centre noticeboard in 
Mannum and stopped to have a look. I saw 
a notice about a new art class starting up. 
OH YES! For the first time in ages, I felt 
the stirrings of excitement. My time had 
come! I started art class on that first lesson 
and began painting, and I haven’t stopped 
since! Art has been the best medicine.
Four years on and our art class is 
still going strong. We meet for three 
hours on Mondays to laugh, paint and 
exchange ideas. New art products are 
discussed and tried, and that weekly get 
together keeps us all inspired. Between 
us we have differing styles and medium 
preferences, so there is a diverse range 
of artworks that come out of our group. 
Last year I organised two exhibitions of 
our artworks which were well supported 
by locals and visitors, and we raised some 
money for the Community Centre. 
My husband was so impressed with my 
blossoming [albeit late in life] art career 
that he built a studio onto our home. He is 
fond of telling people, ‘As soon as I finished 
her studio she moved in and hasn’t left it 
since’. I bless him often for his wonderful 
gift. He even put in a large skylight which 
allows me to work in good natural light. It 
hasn’t taken me long to fill the studio with 
my ever-increasing supply of art materials, 
books and canvasses, but everything I need 
is there in the one room. My own art space!
I have entered some of my artworks in 
five local Agricultural Shows, winning 
numerous first, second and third prizes and 
a Grand Champion Art sash. There are some 
wonderful artists living in Mannum, and 
the art exhibit section of the Agricultural 
Show is growing larger each year. Eight 
of the women from our art group entered 
their artworks in the March 2011 Show, and 
between us we managed to take away 14 
prizes! We were all pretty excited about that.
I have painted with oils, watercolour and 
gouache, pastels, and various pencils. Like 
most artists, I do enjoy the simple creativity 
of drawing with a lead pencil, though we call 
them graphite pencils nowadays. Of all the 
mediums I use, it is the oils I keep returning 
to. Recently I did black and white oil portraits 
Orange Cat
Window Cat
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 23
of my Mum and Dad from old photographs. I
thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the time it
took to do them. Dad has long since passed away,
but Mum proudly has the portraits hanging in her
dining room. Dad’s portrait won First Prize in
the Oils/Portrait section of the Show this year.
About a year ago I discovered the Derwent
Inktense Pencils and have done several pieces with
them. They are quite amazing to use. The colours
can be used dry like a normal coloured pencil,
but when you go over them with a wet brush the
colours become very vibrant. I like to use mine
on canvas as this gives me the opportunity to
build up colour. If I happen to put colour where it
shouldn’t be, I use a stiff bristle brush and work
the colour off with water and a paper towel. I
can’t do this if I’m using a watercolour paper.
What I most enjoy doing are portraits, both
animal and human. People portraits I do in oils,
while the animal ones I tend to do in pastel, oil
or Inktense, whichever a particular animal seems
to call for. I also love to paint from old black
and white or sepia photographs. I have several
of these passed down to me that are just waiting
for their turn to be turned into an oil painting.
A while back the farming family near us had
friends and relatives gathering for a ‘dipping’.
Being a city girl I had to ask what a dipping
was. It was a sheep dipping. I went along on the
day and while they were all busy I took many
photographs from which I did an oil painting of
the whole scene, from start to finish. Apparently
Orange Cat
Eagle Head
Ivy
I N S I G H T
there aren’t many farmers who still 
use this method of dipping their 
sheep, and the painting created a lot 
of interest at the Mannum Agricultural 
Show that year. The painting now 
resides in the farmer’s house. 
I have sold several pieces of my art 
and given many away to family and 
friends as gifts. I do remain ‘attached’ 
to some of the family portraits I’ve 
done, but with all other works, once 
the journey of the painting is over, 
I move on to the next one and I’m 
happy for them to find new homes.
Lately I have had an urge to paint 
still life, which I intend to do from my 
own photographs. Photography seems 
to go hand in hand with painting, so 
I recently upgraded from a compact 
digital to a digital SLR camera. 
Needless to say I’m still learning how 
to use it properly, but even on the 
auto setting it takes beautiful photos.
I feel art has helped me ‘re-invent’ 
myself. It picked me up and is taking 
me on the journey of my life! I now 
spend most days in my studio working 
on one piece or another and it is not 
unusual for me to have several on the 
go at once, particularly if they are 
oil paintings. Art has claim to a good 
part of my life these days, and each 
piece of artwork takes me on its own 
little journey. I love every minute of 
each experience and I learn something 
from every one of them. My biggest 
mistakes have been my best lessons.
If I was asked to give advice to 
someone who is interested in art but 
feels they are ‘too old’ or ‘don’t have 
any talent’, I would say to them – 
‘Just do it! Find an art group or class 
near you and enjoy the communalpainting atmosphere. You are never 
too old to pick up a brush!’ n
Frog on Lily
The Sheep Dipping
d e m o n s t r a t i o n
Pencils
There is a special joy
in capturing a dearly 
loved animal friend to 
canvas, especially if 
they have passed on. 
By Lynn Bowman
MATERIALS
• A3 size canvas sheet
• Derwent Inktense Pencils
• HB pencil
• Fixative spray
• Masking fluid
• Plastic eraser
• Kneadable eraser
• Good quality watercolour brushes
• Liner brush
• Round well mixing palette
• Paper towel
• Derivan Matisse background 
Folk Black acrylic paint
Neddy
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 27
I going to paint Neddy at three months old from aurite photograph, using a sheet from an A3 sizeas pad and Derwent Inktense pencils. As the name
sugg s, these pencils are ink-based and can be used dry or
wet, or both. They are especially interesting to use on canvas
because you can build up colour with several layers and
when needed, you can work off enough unwanted colour
with water and a stiff bristle brush to go over with another
colour. This I couldn’t do if I was using a watercolour paper.
My set contains 72 colours, and the option of mixing
my own. For mixing I use a round well plastic palette,
dipping the pencil in water and then working it round
and round one of the wells until I have the colour and
consistency I’m looking for. I can then paint the colour
directly onto the canvas. For larger areas I use the pencil
dry, and then go over it with a wet brush. It never ceases
to amaze me how this brings out bright vibrant colours.
Inktense are non-toxic and dry to a permanent colour.
STEP ONE (PREPARATION)
To begin Neddy’s portrait I use a light pencil to draw the basic
outline and mark out the placement of important features like
eyes, nose, mouth, chest, etc. It is worth spending time getting
your drawing just right and saves a few headaches later on.
When I’m happy with the drawing I roll a kneadable
eraser over it so the pencil mark is very light, and then
spray with a fixative so the pencil won’t blend in with
my colours. As Neddy has a lot of white areas and
I’m such a messy painter, I put masking fluid on those
areas of the canvas I want to keep pristine white.
STEP ONE STEP TwO
STEP ThREE ANd FOuR
28 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
d e m o n s t r a t i o n
STEP FIvE
STEP TwO (EYES/EARS)
When doing a portrait, animal or
human, I always start with the eyes.
In any portrait, if you don’t get the
eyes right, nothing else you do to the
painting will make it better. The eyes
hold the essence of the personality.
Neddy has large dark bulbous eyes with
a drooping lower lid which has pink
and black exposed areas. The upper
lid covers the top section of the iris
and pupil. On either side of the iris I
add yellow highlights and a small faint
watery moisture line where the bottom
of the eye-ball meets the lower lid. To
finish off, I add the reflection points to
the eyes with the tip of a small brush,
taking care to go with the shape of the
eyeball. I need a fairly thick mixture
for this, so apply my mixing technique
described earlier. Then I fill in the
black area of the face, including the
moles on either side. I mix a soft grey
and brush a little around the eyes.
The inside of the ears are an unusual
colour of pink. I use the Fuchsia
colour mixed with White, applying
a soft wash first, then a little darker
for the veins. I don’t worry if the ears
look a bit odd at this stage. It will
all come together when the whole
face is completed, and I can back
off any excess with water later. The
outside of the ears are quite dark, so
I use Bark & Saddle Brown for them,
blending the colours together where
they meet. Then I back off a little of
the colour for the lighter sections.
STEP ThREE (NOSE/FACE)
Now I apply Bark for the darker lines
on the forehead and Saddle Brown
for the head colour. Then I go over
that with a wet brush, working the ink
around the canvas as I want it. I build
up depth of colour with several layers
of pencil and lighten where needed.
Next, I paint in the basic nose
shape and lay down some colour
using Madder Brown lightly and a
touch of Fuchsia mixed with White
for the area under the nose. At this
point I really need to rub off the
masking fluid around the mouth
to finish this area, but will leave it
till last, as I particularly want the
white facial area to remain clean.
STEP FOuR (BOdY wASh
& uNdERCARRIAGE)
Before starting on the body I like to
put a light wash over the limbs and
shoulders to clarify each area and this
also helps to define muscle tone. Then
using Bark and Dark Chocolate I paint
in the darker areas of the undercarriage,
and again use Fuchsia mixed with
White for the soft pink areas. I find
putting a very light wash over the
darker parts of the undercarriage
softens the look. I then paint in what
can be seen of both hind legs.
STEP FIvE (BOdY)
It is now time to paint the larger golden
brown areas of the body. I start with a
strong coat of Saddle Brown and then
work in some Willow for the darker
outer edges. At this point I need to
remove the masking fluid from the chest
area to complete the sections where
the golden brown coat meets the white
chest. I use a plastic eraser to remove
the masking fluid. When I’m happy with
the colour blending I take a wet brush
and lift some colour in light areas.
STEP FIvE STEP SIx
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 29
d e m o n s t r a t i o n
ARTIST’S hINTS ANd TIPS
• When working from photographs,
have several of your chosen
subject. For portraits, animal or
human, photos from different
angles and in differing light
can be extremely helpful.
• With any set of colour medium
create your own colour chart. They
are invaluable! I create mine on
a spreadsheet, with the name and
number of each colour alongside the
box. For my Inktense chart, I filled in
each box with its relevant dry colour
and then wet half of each colour.
This shows me at a glance the colour
both dry and wet. I laminated the
chart to keep the colours in pristine
condition. With 72 colours in my tin,
and all colours more vibrant when
wet, I would go mad without my
colour chart! Oh, and I always store
my pencils in the numerical order
in which they came. This allows for
quickly finding the colour I want.
• When working with a lot of pencils,
make yourself a ‘pencil block’. I
made mine 13cms x 17cms to fit a
tray which came with my drawing
table. The wood is about 3cms thick
with a 3mm MDF board top and
bottom. I nailed the MDF on the top,
marked out 2cm squares then drilled
holes where the lines met, going
all the way through. Then I put the
other piece of MDF on the bottom
to stop the pencils falling through
when I pick it up. This pencil block
holds all the selected colours I am
using for my current artwork and
stops them from rolling off the table.
• When working with the Inktense
pencils, I don’t clean off my
round palette until the artwork is
finished. If I need a little bit of a
mixed colour for a touch up, I can
reconstitute the colour with a little
water. This saves the headache of
trying to match the mixed colour.
• Do yourself a favour and buy a
drafting/drawing table. You can
pick up a good second-hand one
quite cheaply. It doesn’t have to be
top of the range. You will wonder
how you ever did without it!
• Don’t limit yourself to one or
two mediums – try them all!
Life is short - Have a go!
STEP 6 (TOES & TOENAILS)
Now I focus on the front paws to give some shape to the toes.
Again, using the plastic eraser, I remove the masking fluid
from the paws. With the Fuchsia and White blend, I use a small
liner brush to outline the toes and paint in the nails. The nails
also have a little soft red-brown to them so I add this using the
Dark Chocolate pencil. I also add a little shading to toes.
STEP 7 (BACKGROuNd)
At this stage I paint in the background, going carefully
around the edges of the painting with a medium size
soft round brush and a larger brush to complete the rest.
I use a background black acrylic for this paintingand
find two coats gives me a lovely soft flat even black.
As Neddy has so much white on him, the contrasting
black background really brings him out of the canvas.
FINAL STEP (ChEST MARKINGS,
MOuTh, whISKERS & TIdY uP)
Then I add in the muscle shadows under the breast
area using a mix of Fuchsia, White and a touch
of Black to achieve a lilac-grey colour.
Finally it is time to remove the masking fluid from the
face and tidy up the mouth and chin area. I create a thick
White mix and paint in the whiskers using a fine liner brush.
It is also important to lighten the areas around each mole
on the sides of the face. Any marks that I have managed
to get onto the white areas, I try to lift off with water
and a stiff brush. If this leaves a mark I simply go over it
with the White pencil. Lastly, I give the canvas a coat of
fixative to give a little extra protection to the colours. n
STEP SEvEN
30 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
Alex Dixon
Life in the Tivoli
Still life subjects have been a staple for this artist. She recently decided to 
focus on items from the Tivoli theatre – in order to bring elements of human 
character and emotion into play.
By Alex Dixon
Courses in drawing and painting gave me the basis for sound draftsmanship and an 
understanding of how to make colour. I 
have developed my ability as a still life 
artist and oil pastellist through my own 
practice and through observing work 
by other artists.
The recent incorporation of another 
brand of oil pastels into my work 
(Caran d’Ache) stemmed from reading 
about the work of American artist 
Susan Bennerstrom. The way I use 
these pastels, however, is based on the 
understanding developed over many 
years of the nature of Van Gogh oil 
pastels; the variations in opacity and 
intensity of colour.
I am interested in colour, shape, 
light and shadow. I am also interested 
in texture in artwork. I like to see the 
building of a piece of artwork, what 
sustains it from underneath, and what 
contributes to what happens on the 
surface.
I have always been interested in 
the still life genre, but not necessarily 
within the confines of the more 
traditional compositions.
I have worked primarily with oil 
pastels since being introduced to them 
in a drawing course at Adelaide Central 
School of Art. I was attracted to their 
vibrancy of colour and capacity to 
build texture. I prefer to use colour 
by mixing on the paper; I like colours 
built in this way.
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 31
I N S I G H T
I teach art at Marryatville High
School in Adelaide. I feel that my
experience with my own artwork gives
me a good base for working with senior
students. I am interested in broadening
the students’ choices of subject matter
and their understanding of composition.
My experience of the psychological
process involved in producing artwork
enables me to understand and support
students who often expect that a work
will come together more quickly and
with greater certainty than it does. I
often talk with students about the final
‘fine tuning’ that will bring a piece of
work to a fully resolved level.
While my own works are produced
primarily using Van Gogh oil pastels, I
have also begun using Caran d’Ache oil
pastels (neo pastels) … these come in a vast
range of colours and, while softer than the
Van Gogh pastels, they can still be used
to achieve a high level of texture through
layering. Generally the Caran d’Ache
 
pastels have a much higher intensity of colour than Van 
Gogh pastels although the degree of opacity and intensity 
of colour varies within both ranges of oil pastels. In my 
experience, more painterly oil pastels (such as Sennelier) 
cannot be used to produce the texture and layering that 
Van Gogh and Caran d’Ache can achieve.
I enjoy working with my broader range of 
pastels. If I need to add an intense deep red into an 
area, I will use a red Caran d’Ache pastel; but if 
I want to blend colours I have laid down to arrive 
at an overall red tint, I will use a less intense Van 
Gogh red.
There are up to six main layers in each work, with 
the bulk of the oil pastel being taken up by the ‘tooth’ 
of the paper in the first two or three layers. Each layer 
has up to seven or more colours that, after being laid 
onto the work, are brought together by two or three 
‘blending’ colours. In the final stages, the oil pastels 
are laid on and less blending occurs – producing a 
highly textured surface. It is necessary to wait for up 
to three weeks for a layer to dry sufficiently to be 
worked on again without muddying the colours and 
losing texture. Drying time can depend on the colour 
used and also on the weather.
All my works are on 600gsm acid-free ‘Brolga’ 
paper that is hand-made from 100 per cent pure 
white cotton rag by Blue Lake Fine Art Paper 
at Mount Gambier in South Australia. It is both 
internally and surface sized and is highly resistant 
to fungal attack.
In producing my ‘Life in the Tivoli’ series, I set 
out in a new artistic direction.
Although my work has primarily been in the still 
life genre, this body of work represents a significant 
development. Having focused on organic subject 
matter in much of my work, the Tivoli theatre 
series allowed for a continued focus on the form of 
objects while bringing into play elements of human 
character and emotion. Each object has a history, 
a link with a performer; and a past era that shapes 
the way I work as an artist and the way viewers 
respond to the works.
In this body of work I hoped to capture the fun, 
the whimsy, and the sense of the bizarre of Tivoli 
style performance … and the melancholy of a 
theatrical past.
The idea for the project developed after seeing 
a make-up case in a Performing Arts Collection 
display at the Adelaide Festival Centre. I thought 
theatre items would be an interesting extension 
of the still life work I had been doing. Although 
recent works I had exhibited included items such 
as a Japanese soroban (abacus), my focus had been 
primarily with organic objects.
I met with Jo Peoples from the Adelaide Festival 
Centre Performing Arts Collection – to discuss the 
project and to negotiate access to items from the 
Judy
Punch
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 33
I N S I G H T
Collection. Jo gave me an overview
and I then photographed an initial
selection of items and began working
on developing ideas for paintings.
Contact was then made with the
Performing Arts Collection at the
Victorian Arts Centre. I visited the
collection, viewed items, and then
acquired existing photographic images.
I made a submission to The Victorian
Arts Centre and was subsequently
able to photograph items from their
collection.
I maintained contact with Jo Peoples
and Helen Trepa at the Adelaide
Festival Centre. They provided me
with useful information about many
items. I read Frank Van Straten’s book
‘Tivoli’ and listened to audio cassettes
of an interview with Rowley Storey
(Punch and Judy performer); and a
talk given by Howard Speed, son of
the amateur magician Wally Speed. I
also made contact with the daughter of
Alf Withers, the owner of two of the
ventriloquist dolls.
There are two main subjects within
the series: Make-up sticks, make-
up cases and magic equipment; and
puppets and ventriloquist dolls.
I wanted to develop a focus on the
form of objects, encouraging the viewer
to consider objects as abstract shapes
that relate to each other in smaller
areas within the composition … rather
than solely responding to the realism
of the composition as a whole. In
works relating to the make-up cases, I
attempted to introduce an element of
curiosity about the performer and to
evoke images of the transformation into
‘performer’ prior to a performance.
The link between objects and the
absent performer was developed further
in the drawings of magic equipment.
My intention was to use the objects
and the space in between objects to
stimulate curiosity. I was inviting the
viewer to wonder what was in the
boxes and how theitems worked.
In developing the magic equipment
compositions, I also wanted to bring the
vivid colour of the Tivoli era into the
series.
With the puppets and ventriloquist
dolls, I explored the continuum
of human likeness. I was initially
interested in the Punch and Judy
puppets because they were crude carved
puppets whose exaggerated features
seemed ‘home-made’. They were very
much still life objects – quite inanimate
– yet they held a bizarre fascination.
My interest in them as characters
developed through reading an 1832
Punch and Judy script. Their portayal
in my series of drawings was intended
to reflect their involvement in violent
events (as depicted in early scripts),
making reference to ‘mug shots’ as well
as actors’ photographs.
The experience of handling and
drawing the two ventriloquist dolls,
Pal Joe and ‘Girl’, was very different.
On seeing these dolls I immediately
had a sense of them having been
brought to life in the past and of them
having a life history. They were much
more human and I felt the need to lift
them carefully. Reading the joke cues
pinned to the back of Pal Joe’s jacket
gave me greater insight into their
characters; although in drawing ‘Girl’
I was guided very much by the sense
of melancholy I felt she portrayed
as a doll who had seen better days!
Working with these ‘objects’ felt
much like drawing a portrait … rather
than working in the still life genre.
Each composition was developed
from a base of many photographs. The
works were rendered in oil pastels – a
medium rich in colour and texture
which smells like the greasepaint of
the era depicted. Each work took many
hours to produce. n
34 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
d e m o n s t r a t i o n
Oil Pastels
Fragments of Magic 2
Amazing skill shines through the art of this lady who urges other pastellists 
to make colour by using a range of hues … rather than selecting the oil 
pastel closest to the colour they want to achieve.
By Alex Dixon
FINAL STEP
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 35
d e m o n s t r a t i o n
STEP ONE
I began by drawing up the composition.
Having established a composition
(using Adobe Photoshop to manipulate
photographs), I then sketched a
basic outline using a broad grid.
STEP TWO
The next phase was the general
mapping of areas of colour. The first
layer of oil pastels was laid down using
colours close to the actual colours of
items; mapping in general areas and
adjusting the composition as necessary.
I used complementary colours together
with purple and black to mark in darker
areas so the composition lines and
details of the drawing were not lost.
STEP THREE
A range of colours, particularly
complementary colours, were laid down;
then colours that approximated actual
colours of objects (I will refer to them
as base colours) were layered on top.
Paler, more neutral areas became more
MATERIALS
• Mt Gambier Blue Lake Paper
(‘Brolga’ hand-made, 600gsm).
• Van Gogh oil pastels: Black
700.5; Prussian Blue 508.5; Blue
Violet 548.5; Fir Green 654.5; Sap
Green 623.5; Permanent Green
614.5; Greenish Yellow 243.5;
Scarlet 334.5; Vermilion 311.5;
Light Orange 236.5; Raw Sienna
234.5; Raw Umber 408.5; Light
Orange 236.9; White 100.5.
STEP ONE STEP TWO
STEP FOuRSTEP THREE
36 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
d e m o n s t r a t i o n
‘coloured’ and darker in order to build 
up the oil pastel more heavily. At this 
stage the surface of the drawings had 
not yet become a solid layer. The 
work was then left to dry; and the 
process was repeated to further build 
the surface of the work. When dry, 
cream was used on lighter areas to 
introduce some tonal definition. An 
additional emphasis in this step was 
to develop an understanding of colour 
and the ways in which shadows and 
light fell within the composition.
STEP FOuR
A range of colours – base colours 
plus complementary colours – were 
laid on again at this stage, for the 
development of texture, depth 
and interest … with a focus on 
beginning to develop the interest 
in colour, depth and texture in the 
work. Cream and black were then 
used to increase definition. The 
work was left to dry once again; 
and then the process was repeated 
to build further texture and colour.
STEP FIVE
Here I attended to the merging of 
underlying pastels into the first solid 
layer. It was not until this step that the 
first solid layer was completed. I laid 
on cream and a minimal repetition 
of colours where necessary and 
then developed the first solid layer, 
trying to achieve a reasonable tonal 
likeness. Two or three different oil 
pastels (different tones of similar 
colours) were used in each area 
as ‘blenders’ to bring together the 
preliminary layers. At this stage 
tonal likeness was more important 
than achieving the desired colours.
STEP SIX
Base colours and complementary 
colours were once again laid down 
quite heavily. Tonal difference 
and definition were increased 
at this stage by using black and 
cream pastels, before a second 
solid layer was completed.
STEP SEVEN
 By this stage, all areas had a solid 
build-up of oil pastels. Black and 
cream were then used to achieve 
greater tonal likeness, before all 
areas were worked over to achieve 
the desired colours. In doing so, I 
continued to use complementary 
colours before final colours were 
used. At this stage I paid closer 
attention to the detail in each 
object and to differences in 
colour and tone, adding interest 
and realism. There was also an 
increased focus on the relationships 
between objects, comparing colour 
and tone – particularly in areas 
where objects came together.
FINAL STEP
In the final stage I moved backwards 
and forwards between lightening 
and darkening areas of the work. 
I continued to use complementary 
colours to avoid colours becoming 
too bright; and focused on capturing 
the complexity of colour and tone. 
I used my fingers for blending, 
occasionally using clear oil pastel 
to blend adjustments made to 
lighter areas. I used the oil pastels 
lightly, creating additional interest 
and refining tones and colours 
rather than trying to build up 
the surface of the work. n
MASTER HINTS AND TIPS
• Establish which pastels have a greater intensity of colour. 
Those that have a lower intensity are useful as ‘blenders’.
• Leave work to dry between layers.
• Make colour by using a range of hues, rather than using 
the oil pastel closest to the colour you want to achieve. 
This increases the richness of colour and texture.
• Leave your work for a week or two, when you can no longer ‘see’ it.
STEP FIVE
STEP SIX
STEP SEVEN
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 37
38 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
P r o d u c t F e a t u r e
Back to School 
and University Contributed
Early in the New Year, many student artists and keen amateurs will be planning 
to replenish their art supplies and learning tools for the busy months ahead. 
A selection of your favourite art materials suppliers are ready with useful 
products to assist with the enhancement of your creative education in 2013.
Artograph’s NEW LightPad Series
has a sleek and contemporary design 
making them more user-friendly than 
ever. Advanced Super Bright LED 
technology allows the LightPad Series 
Light Boxes to shine brighter, run 
cooler and use less energy—providing 
up to 30,000 hours of maintenance-
free creative brilliance! The LightPad 
Series features durable and attractive 
extruded aluminium frames with 
chrome steel corners and the double 
layered illuminated surface provides a 
firm work surface. Includes a custom 
protective storage sleeve. Available 
in two sizes: LightPad A930 - 9” x 
12” (229mm x 305mm) and LightPad 
A940 – 12” x 17” (305mm x 432mm).
Strathmore® Visual Journals deliver
- v -
features engineered to meet the intense
demands of creative processes - where 
pens meet paintbrushes, coloured 
pencils meet glued photos, markers 
meet magazine clippings, and found 
objects find a home. The perfect tool 
for artists and students to collate and 
revisittheir art in a totally new way. 
The cardboard Visual Journal cover 
sheet on the front of the journal can 
be removed to reveal a subtle yet 
stylish, hand-illustrated, 2mm thick 
hardcover. The wire binding allows 
the journal to lie flat and open up 
360 degrees. Strathmore Visual 
Journals are available in three sizes, 
in Drawing, Mixed Media, Smooth 
and Vellum Bristol, and two weights 
of Water Colour paper. Available 
in each media: 3.5” x 
5” (8.9 x 12.7cm), 5.5” x 8” (14 x 
20.3cm), 9” x 12” (22.9 x 30.5cm).
Reeves has a new range of Canvas 
Covered Sketchbooks which can be 
customised with an artist’s own unique 
design on the cover. The spiral bound 
sketchbooks have a canvas cover with 
paper inside. Suitable for sketching 
pencils, colour pencils, pastels and 
markers. Available in A5, A4, and A3, 
they are ideal for visual journals. 
The NEW Art Fusion Presentation 
Portfolios are chic and sophisticated 
with a smart leather look and stylish 
metal corners. The portfolios have a 
strong ring mechanism to hold work 
in place plus an internal pocket for 
additional storage. The portfolios 
are perfect for keeping work safe 
when presenting, travelling or 
JASCO IS READY TO HELP YOU START A NEW YEAR OF CREATIVITY
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 39
P r o d u c t F e a t u r e
storing. Available in two sizes, (A2
& A3) and are made in the UK.
The NEW Art Fusion Creative
Station is an ultra stylish and
functional creative workstation, ideal
for drawing, drafting, crafting or as
a general workstation. It features
a tempered blue safety glass top
with heavy gauge steel construction
for strong durability. Keep your
essentials organised and close at
hand with two removable side trays
for supplies, three plastic moulded
slide-out drawers for storage and a
9.5” x 28” (24cm x 71cm) pencil
storage drawer. Table top angle
adjusts from flat up to 35°. The main
work surface is 38” x 24” (97cm x
61cm). The perfect multi-functional
contemporary table with a timeless
design for the home or studio.
Winsor and Newton Artisan
Water Mixable Oil Colour has been
specifically developed to appear
and work just like conventional oil
colour. The key difference between
Artisan and conventional oils is its
ability to thin and clean up with
water. Hazardous solvents are not
necessary for Artisan so students
can learn about oil painting
techniques and enjoy a safer painting
environment. There are 40 colours in
the range plus a dedicated range of
11 Artisan solvents, oils, mediums
and varnishes, allowing artists
to achieve all oil painting techniques.
Winsor & Newton Designers’
Gouache is an opaque water colour. It
is a superior quality gouache that
has brilliant opaque colours
of exceptional tinting strength
and even flow. The unique feature
of Winsor & Newton Designers’
Gouache is that it has an extremely
high level of pigments. The superb
covering power is achieved by the
high levels of pigmentation, not
by the use of fillers or opacifiers
which are often found in cheaper
gouache alternatives. Winsor &
Newton Designers’ Gouache is
available in individual 14ml tubes
plus a number of sets that are ideal
for students learning colour mixing
techniques, painting and design work.
Jasart has two new 12-piece brush
tube sets available in long handle
and short handle versions. The
brushes are made using White Taklon
hair and are suitable for use with
Acrylic, Water Colour, Poster Colour,
Gouache and Tempera paints. The
sets include a variety of popular brush
sizes including round, flat, filbert and
fan shaped bristles. They’re packaged
in a convenient and practical tube
that can be used for storing your
art products. Tube ends can also be
used as water pots whilst painting
or as unique colour mixing pots.
Rotring Tikky Graphic Pens have
a waved textured grip design which
provides an extremely comfortable
writing and drawing experience.
They’re lightfast and water resistant
giving high density writing /drawing
results. Seven different line widths
are available for precise writing
and drawing with free view to the
tip. Also available in a 3-pen set
(sizes .2mm, .4mm and .8mm).
Further information about quality
artists’ products can be obtained
from JASCO – telephone
1800 676 155.
40 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
P r o d u c t F e a t u r e
As the school holidays draw to an 
end and parents everywhere breathe a 
sigh of relief, we at Derivan thought 
it would be a good time to encourage 
artists to learn the basics with an article 
on acrylic mediums. So, welcome to 
Derivan Art School - Mediums 101! 
Acrylic paints are often seen as 
somewhat not comparable to oil paints, 
partially due to their relatively recent 
invention and the fact that they are 
seen as less versatile. And this is where 
mediums come into the picture, so to 
speak. Derivan has a medium specifically 
designed for practically every artistic 
need, and today we will be concentrating 
on our four best sellers, although some 
additional mediums will be mentioned.
So what are mediums? Put simply, they 
are series of products or additives to be 
used in conjunction with acrylic paints 
to create a range of textures and finishes, 
you can enhance, glaze, build, extend 
and even glue when used in collage 
work. They offer artists vast control over 
the resulting layers of acrylic paints.
EXTEND
One of our most essential mediums is 
MM9 Acrylic Painting Medium. This 
product is designed to mix with acrylic 
paints instead of water to increase flow 
without affecting colour and water 
fastness. It is very useful when creating 
thin layers of glazes while improving 
gloss and retaining paint film stability. It 
can be used with both Matisse Flow and 
Structure acrylic paints. Although white 
in colour, it will not significantly alter 
the colour of the paint when blended. 
Even though our first impulse to thin 
a paint film to create a translucent effect 
would be to mix water with Matisse 
acrylic colours, the addition of more than 
30-50 per cent water will reduce not only
colour strength, but will also decrease the 
“binding” capacity of the paint, making it 
less waterproof when dry. So if you paint 
over the top of it the new colour bleeds in 
with the old colour creating a regrettable 
mess. MM9 Acrylic Painting Medium lets 
you increase the flow of any acrylic paint 
to create stains and layers, while retaining 
both colour and waterproof qualities. 
In contrast, the addition 10-20 per 
cent MM9 Acrylic Painting Medium 
to acrylic paint can be done so without 
the need to add water. However, when 
adding more than 20 per cent medium it 
is recommended that equal parts water 
and medium be used. This will ensure 
that finish and waterproof qualities of 
the final blend are not compromised. 
As MM9 Acrylic Painting Medium 
has a low sheen finish with good 
adhesion, it also makes it suitable for 
use as a transparent primer or surface 
conditioner on canvas, paper and board. 
I used this as a primer over linen so I 
could still have that lovely texture and 
colour of linen showing through.
GLAZE
Now we move on to MM4 Gel Medium. 
One of the most versatile mediums in 
the Matisse range, MM4 Gel Medium 
mixed with acrylic paint allows the 
building of impasto like transparent layers 
that dry to a high gloss finish. This is 
an ideal medium to create translucent 
glazes while retaining paint consistency 
and film stability. Impasto refers to the 
application of a thick paint that leaves 
visible brush or palette knife marks. If 
you’ve ever felt that acrylic paints may 
not be able to achieve the same soft 
translucent qualities of oil paints then 
this is the product to change your mind.
Only a small amount of colour is 
necessary to achieve a glaze layer, a five
per cent acrylic paint is recommended 
be added to this medium. When mixed, 
the blended paint and gel medium should 
be a very pale version of the original 
paint colour. As it dries, the transparent 
qualities of this medium become 
apparent, and the richness of theacrylic 
colour will develop. Although it may be 
tempting to add more paint, doing so will 
reduce the transparent qualities, resulting 
in an opaque, gloss finish. As this 
medium dries from opaque to transparent, 
artists may need to wait between layers 
to see if the desired effect has been 
achieved, so after you do a layer, go out 
for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat because 
waiting for the transparency to kick in 
can be, well, like watching paint dry.
Although this medium creates 
translucent layers, extending paint colour 
and retaining consistency, MM4 Gel 
Medium is not suitable for achieving 
very thick, clear, resin-like finishes. Due 
to its formulation and purpose, if applied 
directly from the container in a layer 
thicker than 2mm, the resulting layer will 
dry to a semi opaque to gloss white finish.
Gel Medium is multipurpose little 
gel that can also be used as a collage 
adhesive. Although many people use 
diluted PVA glue for this purpose, 
MM4 Gel Medium is a superior 
choice for the following reasons:
1. It dries to a flexible transparent 
finish. PVA is much less flexible 
and may crack if used on surfaces 
such as stretched canvas.
2. MM4 Gel Medium dries completely 
clear, is non-yellowing and 
Acid Free, ensuring your work 
remains permanent in archival 
terms and stain-free over time.
3. It will not reactivate once 
dry if additional layers of 
collage work are added.
When using MM4 Gel Medium as 
an adhesive it is important to apply 
the product quickly and evenly to 
ensure that it will not begin to dry 
before the collage piece is applied to 
the surface, as this can compromise 
the adhesive properties. The use of 
ponge brushes, which are basically just 
firm sponges on a brush handle, can 
help speed the application process. 
MATISSE MEDIUMS 101 
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 41
P r o d u c t F e a t u r e
MM9 Acrylic Painting Medium and
MM4 Gel Medium dry to a glossy
finish, but if you’re the type who thinks
matt is where it’s at, we do have MM5
Matt Medium. Also, if you do use MM4
Gel Medium on certain sections of the
canvas, you may end up with different
areas of the same painting having gloss
and matt finishes. If a uniform gloss
finish is required over the entire canvas,
the use of MM7 Polymer Gloss Varnish
and Gloss Medium is recommended.
BUILD
If you think your acrylic paint isn’t thick
enough to create highly textured effects,
then MM2 Impasto Medium will change
your mind. The word impasto refers to
the application of a thick paint that leaves
visible brush or palette knife marks. This
medium, mixed with acrylic paint, will
achieve impasto effects by increasing
the thickness and density of the paint.
Although pigment-free and white
in colour, it does not alter the colour
of the paint when mixed with the
paint in a 50/50 ratio. It dries to a low
sheen, subdued finish very similar
to that of Matisse acrylic paints.
MM2 Impasto Medium can be added to
either Matisse Flow or Structure acrylic
paints, but is particularly compatible with
the Structure formula due to its thick
and full-bodied qualities. MM2 Impasto
Medium can also be applied unmixed
from the tub directly to a primed canvas
with either a palette knife or brush. Once
dry, it can then be painted over with the
Matisse acrylic paint of your choice.
MM2 Impasto Medium allows blends
of this medium and Matisse colours
to be applied much more thickly in a
single application than paint, without the
fear of shrinking or cracking. However,
extremely thick layers and extremes of
temperatures/humidity whilst working
are best avoided, unless you would like
to see sections of your painting crack end
up on the floor. If this does happen, just
lie and tell everyone it was deliberate.
ENHANCE
Acrylic paint users often find that the
colour intensity of their painted layers
becomes more subdued once dried. The
use of MM7 Polymer Gloss Varnish
and Gloss Medium will help maintain
colour intensity with a shiny finish
comparable to that of oil paintings.
MM7 Polymer Gloss Varnish and
Gloss Medium is a permanent water-
based varnish/medium used to create
a glossy, highly reflective finish. As a
medium blended with acrylic paint it
will increase both flow and gloss levels.
Although white in colour, MM7
Polymer Gloss Varnish and Gloss
Medium dries completely clear and
is non-yellowing. The white colour
is an optical effect produced by light
refraction of acrylic particles suspended
within the water-based medium.
The careful proportion of water
to medium will allow for a smooth
application of a varnish layer, increasing
flow and minimizing texture created
by brush strokes. On application, this
varnish may appear to be slightly
white, but will become transparent as
it dries. It is important to apply the
product rapidly and not keep working
the surface as it begins to dry. Doing so
can result in white patches and you can
trust me when I say that these patches
are virtually impossible to remove.
Always drying times will vary
depending on prevailing weather
conditions where temperature will
affect the curing (drying) of the varnish
film. As tempting as it may be, do not
attempt to speed the drying process
with a heat source as this may cause
cracking of the paint film over time.
When using as a medium, a good
starting point is a 50/50 ratio with
acrylic paint. Our advise is for you
to experiment with ratios, recording
the results for future reference, a
most useful studio practice. Personal
experience has shown me how
frustrating it is to just randomly try to
recreate the formula that worked best.
Although we have covered only
four of the products in the Matisse
Mediums range and briefly referred
to application techniques, we have
other mediums and in depth technical
information on each of these mediums
for you to consider at our website
www.derivan.com.au or by requesting
our comprehensive Matisse Technical
Guide through one of our distributors.
Today’s session on Mediums 101
has come to an end. Your homework
for today is to consider what Derivan
Matisse Mediums can do for you. The
one thing that all our mediums offer
is additional ways for you to discover
just what acrylic paints are capable of.
How you choose to do that is the point
where new avenues of creativity begin!
DERIVAN – Inspire Innovate Create
For your nearest stockist of Matisse
and Derivan Mediums contact
Derivan Pty Ltd on 02 9736 2022
or email derivan@derivan.com.au
42 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
P r o d u c t F e a t u r e
range of pencils provides a wide choice
of mediums for all pencil artists. The 
rich, luscious colour of Coloursoft 
and the bold, earthy tones of Derwent 
Drawing pencils are especially good 
for capturing landscapes and life 
drawings while the unique properties 
of Graphitint and Tinted Charcoal 
offer artists exciting new mediums 
to create beautiful pencil drawings. 
Inktense pencils are pure, vibrant 
colour pencils that combine the 
intensity of pen and ink with the 
versatility of line and wash. Use dry to 
create strong, vivid tones then apply 
a light wash to achieve a translucent 
ink-like effect. Once dry, the colour is 
permanent and can be worked over with 
both soluble and non-soluble media. 
Derwent Inktense pencils are incredibly 
versatile and can be used to create a 
diverse range of art from Japanese 
Manga and vibrant silk painting to 
more traditional watercolours and 
stunning botanical illustrations. 
Now available to Australian art 
students are the newly re-formulated 
Derwent pastel pencils. These pencils 
have a softer texture and improved 
performance than the previous 
Derwent Pastel pencils. The colours 
are vibrant, intense and blend easily 
allowing you to create an infinite 
number of hues and tints. All Derwent 
pencils are now manufactured with 
an environmentally friendly, water-
based, solvent free coating. 
For sketching artists, there is a 
selection of graphite and sketching 
pencils, mixed media sets and charcoal. 
The Cretacolor Black Box and Artino 
graphitesets contain a useful selection 
of black drawing materials including 
charcoal, graphite and Nero drawing 
pencils while the Bruynzeel Design 
sketching specialties set and the 
Cretacolor Artino and Primo sketching 
sets all provide a great selection of 
sepia, sanguine, charcoal and chalk 
pencils along with accessories such as 
paper stumps and kneadable erasers. 
The new Cretacolor “Artist Studio” 
Drawing 101 set is ideal for all 
art students. This excellent value, 
introductory set contains three graphite 
pencils (HB, 2B, 4B), an extra soft 
oil charcoal pencil, white chalk 
pencil, sanguine pencil, sepia pencil, 
three charcoal pencils (soft, medium, 
hard) plus paper blending stump. 
For something a little different try 
the Cretacolor “oil pencil” sketching 
set. This set contains a selection 
of oil pencils that are perfect for 
all types of drawing, sketching, 
landscapes and portraiture. This set 
contains oil pencils in white chalk, 
sepia (light and dark), Nero (soft 
and extra soft) plus Sanguine. 
If you are looking for charcoal, the 
soft black willow charcoal from Coates 
is particularly well suited to satisfy a 
whole range of artistic needs. Coates 
willow rods are clean and straight 
– top quality artist pieces! S&S is 
also offering Daler-Rowney’s willow 
charcoal for back-to-school this year. 
This premium quality charcoal has a 
deep black hue and uniform texture and 
is available in a range of thicknesses.
Bruynzeel Pastel pencils are available 
for back-to-school this year. These 
pastel pencils are regarded by many 
as the best pastel pencils available. 
Manufactured from the highest quality 
pigments they offer a high degree of 
light fastness and maximum purity. 
With a soft, smooth and fine texture, 
they are excellent for landscape, 
portrait, fine and broad work. They 
are water-soluble and the cedar 
barrel allows for easy sharpening 
and prevents splitting. Daler-Rowney 
Artists Oil Pastels are a serious 
painting medium providing both a 
pastel and oil colour effect. These 
round oil pastels are smooth, easy to 
use and have been carefully selected 
to match and complement the Daler-
Rowney Artists Soft pastel range. 
For protection of your work, Nuart 
workable fixative gives clear protection 
to prevent smudging or dusting 
of your valuable drawings. Nuart 
workable fixative has been specially 
formulated for charcoal, graphite, 
BACK TO SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY WITH S&S WHOLESALE IN 2012
S&S has a wide variety of items 
on offer for Back to School 2012. 
From colouring, pastel, sketching 
and graphite pencils to charcoal, 
brushes, oils, acrylics, watercolours, 
gouache, paintstiks, easels, 
sketchbooks and paper, students 
will find everything they need to 
make this year an artistic success. 
A large selection of the Derwent 
pencil range is on offer for this year’s 
Back to School. S&S is offering 
Derwent Inktense, Coloursoft, 
Drawing, Artist, Studio, Watercolour, 
Pastel, Metallic, Graphitint, Tinted 
Charcoal and Sketching pencils along 
with some specially selected Collection 
Sets for students to begin their 
artistic year in style. These selections 
of pencils are available in selected 
wooden boxes and tins. Derwent 
pencils are high quality drawing 
instruments suitable for amateur, 
student and professional artists. This 
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 43
P r o d u c t F e a t u r e
coloured pencil and pastel drawings.
To transport your pencils around,
then look no further than the Derwent
Pencil Wrap. Made from heavy cotton
canvas they are available in pocket
size (holds 12 pencils) or standard size
(holds 30 pencils) and have a small
pouch for accessory items such as
erasers and sharpeners. They are small
enough to be carried in your pocket,
bag, portfolio or backpack. Ideal for
the artist on the move!! The Derwent
Sketching Folio is also worth a look
at for those artists who like to work
outdoors. It contains everything you
need to sketch anywhere, anytime
including 12 Graphitint pencils, three
water-soluble sketching pencils, two
charcoal pencils (light and dark),
sharpener, palette, eraser, water brush
and A6 hardback sketchbook, all
packed in a compact carry case.
S&S is also offering a selection of
fine liners and markers to students this
year. The Cretacolor Artstik is a fine
line writing pen with a metal encased
nib containing permanent black India
ink. These pens are available in three
nib sizes (0.3, 0.5 and 0.7mm) and are
ideal for sketching, technical drawing
or fine writing. The Sakura Pigma
Micron fine liner contains the unique
Pigma ink which is permanent, water-
proof, colour and light fast. Pigma
Micron pens will write on virtually
any porous surface and will not bleed
through paper. They work very well
on tracing paper. Pigma Micron is
available in black in a variety of line
widths from 0.2mm to 0.5mm for both
technical and artistic drawings. There
is also a range of eight colours which
are great for cartooning, illustration,
Manga, scrapbooking and journaling.
Bruynzeel Markers are perfect for
the younger student. This set of 50
quality felt tip markers contain a
high quality ink that will not dry
out in the barrel and will wash out
from most types of fabric. Markers
feature a safety cap with ventilation.
If painting is your forte then check
out the offers from Daler-Rowney
and Maimeri. S&S is offering sets
of Classico oil colours, Georgian
Oil Colours, System 3 Acrylics and
Designers Gouache. Georgian oil
colours have been the UK’s favourite
oil paint for many years. Georgian
Oil colours offer artists high quality
and performance at an economical
and uniform price across colours in
the range. They are produced to the
same exacting standards as Daler-
Rowney Artists’ Oils and are carefully
blended and tested to produce the
most brilliant colour and match the
tint and texture from batch to batch.
Daler-Rowney Designers Gouache
is characterised by its free-flowing
texture, tinting strength and excellent
covering power. It is a brilliant, opaque,
artists’ quality body colour made using
only the highest quality pigments and
calcium carbonate ensuring that it
retains its’ pure bright colour across
all 87 colours in the range. Daler-
Rowney’s System 3 Original and
Heavy Body acrylic colours are high
quality acrylics featuring a high
pigment loading, excellent covering
power and durability – even outdoors!
Maimeri Classico oil paints are
also on offer for Back-to-School.
These highly regarded Italian oil
paints contain the highest quality
and exceptionally finely ground
pigments blended with the best quality
linseed oil. Classico oil paints are
the perfect bridge between student
and professional oil paints. Due to
the unique manufacturing process of
Classico oil paints, all 74 colours are
the one price, so students will not be
paying expensive prices for cadmium
and cobalt based paint colours. For
a different take on oil painting, try
Shiva Painstiks. These are professional
grade artists’ oil colours in convenient
stick form. Manufactured from quality
pigments blended with refined linseed
oil, they can be used in conjunction
with conventional oil paint surfaces,
mediums and varnishes, using the
same methods and techniques.
For Watercolourists, the Venezia
watercolour “Travel Box” is a unique,
compact, folding “pocket” case
containing 10 1.5ml half-pans of
concentrated Venezia watercolours, a
10-well mixing palette in the lid and
a convenient thumb hole for stability
at the base plus short-handled, quality
hair brush. The Venezia “Pocket pan”
set contains 12 x 1.5ml half-pans in a
soft rubber-like case with twin folding
lids, three mixing wells and removable
plastic palette. Alternatively, you may
like to try a 12 x 8ml tube introductory
set of Daler-Rowney Aquafine
watercolours. For those wishing to
try something different, Cretacolor
Aquastics are definitely worth a look.
44 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
P r o d u c t F e a t u r e
They are water-soluble artists’ oil 
pastels that are made with the highestquality pigments and produce pure, 
clean, gloss colour. They are excellent 
using alone or combined with other 
water-soluble or dry media. 
A stable platform is essential for 
painting and this year S&S have a 
selection of top quality easels on offer. 
The BEST Portable/Collapsible easel 
is hand-made from American Red 
Oak and covers a full range of angles 
from vertical to horizontal, making it 
ideal for works using watercolours, 
oils, acrylics and pastels. For outdoor 
or plein air work, look no further than 
the Richeson field/sketching easel, 
the Maimeri folding easel or the St. 
Pauls field easel from Daler-Rowney. 
Both are lightweight, compact and 
easy to transport. The St. Pauls field 
easel is supplied with a carry bag 
to make transport even easier. The 
Daler-Rowney “Artsphere” is a new 
concept in easel design. It has a small 
base and large work surface area that 
can be positioned flat or in portrait/
landscape style. Ideal for artists, 
designers, hobbyist and crafters the 
Artsphere has a unique ball and socket 
joint that allows the large A3 drawing 
board to move in any direction. 
To complete your painting 
experience S&S is offering a set of 
Daler-Rowney “Simply” Golden 
Taklon or Bristle brushes. Each set 
contains 10 brushes in various sizes 
and all have nickel-plated brass 
ferules and short timber handles. 
The Golden Taklons are suitable 
for oils, acrylics and watercolours 
while the Bristle brushes are best 
used for oils and acrylics. 
To begin your masterpiece you will 
need something to begin on. S&S has 
a great selection of sketchbooks from 
Fabriano, Derwent and Daler-Rowney. 
These sketchbooks are the ideal 
platform for taking initial sketches 
prior to painting or for plein air work. 
The Fabriano Artists’ journals are 
available in several sizes and contain 
a selection of 90gsm Ingres paper in 
various colours and are ideal for work 
in pencil, pastel, charcoal and ink. The 
Daler-Rowney “Ebony” and “Cachet 
Classic” Hardback books contain 
quality acid-free paper in 150gsm 
and 220gsm respectively. Both are 
bound with durable, rigid covers 
and have a glued/sewn spine. The 
“Ebony” and “Cachet Classic” books 
are suitable for works in pen and ink, 
pencil and all other dry techniques 
and the covers can be overprinted.
If you would like any further 
information on the S&S Back-to-
School offerings please visit 
www.creativityunlimited.com.au 
or phone S&S Customer Service 
on 1300 731 529.
AT CHROMA, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PAINT!
Chroma is a wholly owned Australian 
company that has been committed 
to providing high quality paint 
for artists, teachers and students 
for over 40 years. The company 
manufactures a variety of product 
ranges to suit all your back to school 
requirements at its factory in Mt 
Kuring-gai, north of Sydney.
School students will find 
Chromacryl Students’ Acrylics 
very satisfying to use. Long 
recognised as the leading 
acrylic for schools, Chromacryl 
has a body and density similar 
to an artists’ impasto acrylic 
with a strong colour 
and excellent 
covering power, 
allowing you 
to explore 
amazing textural 
possibilities; and 
when combined 
with a range of Chromacryl mediums, 
it provides a versatility of classroom 
applications, including fabric painting 
and collage. The colour range is 
based on the warm and cool primaries 
system which makes colour mixing 
more effective and teaches good 
fundamentals to developing artists.
Serious art students should 
upgrade from Chromacryl to 
A2 which now has a great new 
LIGHTFAST formula. Students 
need to consider the lightfastness 
of their paint because the artwork 
they create in their final years at 
school and university are often of a 
high standard and hold significant 
sentimental value (especially 
to parents) and it can be very 
disappointing to see these important 
pieces fade over the years.
This big improvement in quality 
means that A2 is now also a good 
choice for professional artists 
46 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
Paul Ballantine
in o
By Paul Ballantine
From pencils and paints to chook wire, this artist revels
in creating a wonderful array of art.
Although English born, myfolks had wanderlust, so Ispent my childhood growing
up in in numerous locations across
Australia and New Zealand. We
always lived in rural areas, with the
countryside on our doorstep, which,
naturally as kids, we explored. So I
developed a love for nature that still
influences my art and life.
As a result, my interests are diverse,
from fossicking for gemstones,
hunting for native orchids, camping
and gardening, to poetry (in the
Spike Milligan vein), writing fiction,
photography and on and on and on.
Most of these interests carry over
into my art. I think my real love of
drawing began as a boy when we
discovered Marvel comics in the ‘60s.
My older brother was a much better
artist than me (although he never
pursued it) and I would follow his lead
in carefully copying in pencil the great
comic book artists of that era.
I guess I went into hibernation in my
teens and early adult life, with just the
odd drawing here and there, maybe
a farewell or anniversary card for
someone; that sort of thing.
It was only when I landed a job as a
graphic artist for our local newspaper
in Mount Gambier, South Australia that
I started to develop an interest again. I
wasn’t hired because I was artistic in
any way; I was just there at the right
time and cheap.
Swamp Wallaby Black
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 47
I N S I G H T
The job didn’t demand much
artistically, but it did teach me about
deadlines, layout, writing creatively
quickly and photography under
pressure. I was able to draw the
occasional cartoon/caricature etcetera
for some of the advertisements I
designed, but that was about it.
What I did do in my ‘free’ time
that helped me artistically was to
develop the idea for a weather cartoon
strip to fill a space for the paper’s
weather section. I offered it (naively)
for free initially to my boss, thinking
he wouldn’t go for it otherwise and
that the paper would want to pay me
if it worked. They took it, and as I
hate asking for anything I’ve done,
in my lunch hours and late at night, I
produced around 200 weather cartoons
for nothing.
Well, not exactly for nothing. It did
teach me how to develop ideas very
quickly and how to illustrate in a wide
Dog 1 Magpie Sunset
Weather the Storm
48 Artist Drawing and Inspiration
I N S I G H T
range of styles. This actually took me
back to my copying comic books days, 
and I used a plethora of cartoonists’ 
styles to adapt to each cartoon.
Ten years on I had to seek more 
physical, less mental work and my 
art became dormant again. During 
this time period, I finally found out
why I had been in so much pain 
and utter exhaustion all my adult 
life … I had fibromyalgia as well 
as spondylolisthesis, TMJ and more 
recently carpal tunnel syndrome and 
tendinitis (I do like to collect things). 
I ended up being able to work only
part-time as a workplace mentor, 
assisting other people with difficulties 
to work.
What this has enabled me to do for 
the last four years is to come out of my 
dormancy to some degree artistically. I 
Shoe Polish Boy
Horse Trio
Swamp WallabyPortrait 3
Artist Drawing and Inspiration 49
I N S I G H T
entered a portrait of a friend in a local 
art competition, which to my surprise 
won. This gave me the confidence to do 
more and the next big step for me was 
thanks to my mum.
She had read an article about a 
woman in England who made animals 
out of chook wire and suggested I try 
it. Never having worked in 3D and with 
no idea how to go about it, I made a 
brushtail possum out of old chook wire 
from an actual chook run. It was slow, 
tedious, methodical and painful, but 
I quite liked the end result, so I made 
another one. When they sold I became 
a little more ambitious and made a 
life-sized koala. Someone saw it and 
suggested I enter it in the Waterhouse 
Natural