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Gouache

WHAT IS GOUACHE?

The History

Gouache is both a technique and a product. The technique, dating back to before the renaissance, refers to the use of white to achieve opacity in water based colours. Originally used for illuminating manuscripts, it was Paul Sandby in the 18th century who first used the painting technique extensively and later the Pre-Raphaelites.

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Pastels

WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT PASTELS?

By Serena Dawson

Serena Dawson who hails from Ngunguru, says she has been asked several times: “What’s so great about pastels?” In this article she sets out to describe - with examples kindly contributed by her - why she is so passionate about this medium, and why she thinks it has so much to offer.

Although Soft Pastel is one of the most versatile and permanent of mediums it doesn’t enjoy the same respect as oils or watercolours, it is often discriminated against by galleries, and suffers under many misconceptions.

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Stretching paper over a canvas

ALTERNATIVE TO MATTING AND FRAMING WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

By Charlene McGill

This process can be fun and rewarding as an alternative to matting and framing your watercolour paintings. I prefer to use inexpensive primed cotton canvases. These can be purchased at all Art Stores, Craft Stores and even Department Stores. Buying the cheaper brands can be a little risky, because the stretcher bars may warp. The process seems to work very successfully with 140# paper. You can certainly use hot press which is very smooth, cold pressed which has a little bit of tooth, or rough which has a lot of tooth. Arches is good, strong paper and that’s what I’ve used in this demonstration. I’ll be stretching this paper over 8” x 10” canvases.

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Perspective in Composition

GETTING A HANDLE ON PERSPECTIVE

by Morgan Riekert

In this article on drawing basics we will be dealing with one of the more technical and perhaps harder to grasp principals of drawing, namely, Perspective. It is vitally important in any drawing or painting where you are trying to capture a representation of a three-dimensional space or object on your page / canvas in a realistic or believable manner.

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Stretching Watercolour Paper

STEP BY STEP - STRETCHING WATERCOLOUR PAPER

If you have ever painted on a sheet of well-stretched watercolour paper, you will know why it is worth the time and effort to do this relatively simple task before starting your next painting.

Many artists are put off by the thought of stretching their paper, thinking it is difficult. But it is like anything – practice makes perfect. The first question many ask is: Why stretch paper in the first place? By pre-stretching watercolour paper you will prevent the paper from cockling when you wet it in the painting process. The second question many ask is: Does all paper need to be stretched? The easy answer is no. The better answer is – it depends on the weight of the paper. The general rule of thumb is that thinner paper needs to be stretched to prevent it from buckling when it gets wet as you paint on it. There is no hard and fast rule. If you are doing a small painting, about postcard size, you could probably get away without stretching, even on a fairly light weight paper. But if you love your washes and dowse your paper with successive layers of colour you probably need to keep reading.

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All about Palettes

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR PALETTES?

Traditionally, an artist’s palette was a wooden board with a hole for the thumb, so that the artist could hold it whilst painting. These days, palettes come in a myriad of sizes, shapes and materials... each have their pros and cons, and every artist has an opinion about which one they prefer and why.

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Curating Exhibitions

HOW TO CURATE AN EXHIBITION

By Donna McKellar

Being an artist I am by no means a professional gallery curator, but I have made a point of learning as much as I can about putting together an art exhibition. Here is a list of tips I have picked up along the way. Curating your own show is not a walk in the park. You need to be organized and efficient, and oversee every detail. If you present a poorly planned show it is likely to reflect poorly on the work displayed and on your own reputation.

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History of the Paint Tube

JOHN GOFFE RAND'S INCREDIBLE INVENTION

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John Goffe Rand - Self Portrait

“A metallic vessel so constructed, as to collapse with slight pressure and thus force out the paint or fluid confined therein through proper openings for that purpose and which openings may be afterward closed air-tight, and thus preserving the paint or other fluid remaining in the vessel from being injuriously acted on by the atmosphere.”

This rather quaint description of an everyday item that we have come to take for granted was on the patent application for the humble tube we have come to associate with toothpaste and artist paint.

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