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"Now is the time to enjoy painting outside"

Painting outside • Preparations are key to a comfortable and successful plein air painting session…

River Avon • Jem Bowden takes you through the stages of creating an en plein air painting, explaining how to get great results in under two hours.

Try painting outdoors • There’s so much to gain from painting outside in the elements, says artist and tutor Jem Bowden. And your paintings might improve too!

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Indian Daily Life • Brain Smith is lucky enough to travel the world as an artist and tutor. Here he shares his tips and techniques for creating an atmospheric street scene of women, pilgrims and market traders in Kerala.

Follow the trail • Arts trails are a brilliant way to get your work seen by the public and take your first steps towards becoming a professional artist.

Landscape sketch • Using pen and ink in their many forms can be a flexible way to make a sketch on the spot. Grace Haverty shares how she created her French countryside scene.

Hare Study • Using her fingertips is a messy technique, but Emma Taylor says it helps her feel closer to the painting as she works...

Understanding seas and skies • Roy Lang describes how to put together the many aspects of the sea and sky to portray their majesty.

Hall Walk, Fowey • Inspired by walking the ever-changing Cornish landscape, Amanda Hoskin captures a beautiful summer scene and demonstrates how she paints it from start to finish...

Paper choices & preparations prior to painting • Your questions answered by our team of art experts...

Visual diaries • Designer Phil Carter explains why he’s passionate about keeping a notebook at his side to record his observations.

Mastering still life • For many, a still life subject is the ideal starting point, but there are some subtleties to consider before picking up a brush or pencil…

Lily Study • The lily is a beautiful flower with tiny details that require delicate treatment, says Julia Trickey.

Red Pepper Study • The challenge of depicting this halved red pepper, says Julia Trickey, is in making it appear concave.

Why you need great reference photos • ... and how working from ’the flat’ is very useful. By Will Kemp.

Pencils, pens & pastels • Try a variety of colouring techniques to create the appropriate texture or effect.

Orange Roses Study • Flowers are not Jason Walker’s usual choice of subject, yet he has a fascination with still life and how it teaches him to be a better painter.

Portraits and people • Over the next 20 pages, we look at why artists paint portraits and share some of their work, tips and experiences of painting them.

What’s in a face? • We chat with some artists about why they love painting portraits, and look at what it takes to be a great portrait artist throughout history and today.

Expert advice • Keen to start painting a portrait? Try these top tips from our artists…

Want to see more? • If you’d like to get close to some amazing portraits, check our listings…

Porcelain skin tones • Learn to capture the magical, optical effects of translucent oil glazing over a grisaille underpainting with classical portrait painter Will Kemp.

Colour palettes for portraits • …Perfect skin tones take a lot of practice, says Will Kemp.

Portrait Poses • Choosing the right pose for a portrait is essential to the success of your painting. Here, David Thomas explores the pros and cons of each and offers expert tips.

Glen Scouller • The convenience of a self-portrait enables artists to experiment with materials, settings and styles....