Free Articles from The Artist’s Magazine, November 2012

---

Lesson in Craft: A Letter from the Editor

If you attended art school in the 70s or 80s, you probably were encouraged to seek bold ways of expressing feeling with materials that were often nontraditional, possibly ephemeral. For every artist who felt free in such an environs, there was another who wished for order, having perhaps looked forward to learning the chemistry of materials and the discipline of craft. In response, in the last few decades, ateliers modeled on the systems of the 18th- and 19th-century Académie des Beaux Arts have sprung up on both sides of the Atlantic. In this issue, we showcase the work of Justin Hess and Shane Wolf, graduates of the Florence Academy of Art and the Angel Academy of Art in Florence, respectively; they share secrets handed down through the centuries (“Setting His Sights,” and “In Paris, in Process”). Other lessons include Michael Dumas’s field guide to sketching animals in their habitats (Drawing Board) and Daniel K. Tennant’s measured approach to gouache (Brushing Up).

Eric Wert’s opulent, intricate flowers grace our cover; learn how he draws the contours and then determines the values with a grisaille (“Sweet Destruction”). In contrast to Wert’s penchant for planning is Donna Levinstone’s more rhapsodic temperament, as she looks to the skies to suggest a spirituality that’s invisible (“Heart & Soul in the Clouds”). Whether your art stems from calm or chaos, deliberation or impulse, you have to do it—and that’s all that matters. ~Maureen Bloomfield

Take a peek at this issue’s complete table of contents and get your print or digital issue today at www.northlightshop.com. And in the meantime, enjoy the following free articles from this issue.

 Annual Competition Finalist: Artist of the Month

.

Take a Closer Look

.

Complete Step-by-Step Alla Prima Demonstration

.

Learn More About Framing

.

The Sky’s the Limit

More Cool Art Links from The Artist’s Magazine (November 2012):

• Learn more about the upcoming DreamWorks Animation film, Rise of the Guardians.

• Browse the website of Olek, who is yarnstorming the public.

• Visit the Desert of Forbidden Art interactive companion website, which includes an interview with the filmmaker and additional links and resources. The site also features a “Talkback” section for viewers to share their ideas and opinions, preview clips of the film, and more.

• Preview Classic Pet Portraits: How to Draw a Dog and Painting Oil Portraits with a Limited Palette, both by Joy Thomas.

• More resources: Figure Design in Gouache DVD by Carla O’Connor; George Bellows exhibition catalog, published in conjunction with a major retrospective exhibition (National Gallery of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art); The Successful Artist’s Career Guide: Finding Your Way in the Business of Art by Margaret Peot

Click here for quick links to our Daily Extras listed in The Artist’s Magazine.