Category: Fine Art Blogs

Welcome to Inktober 2019!

Inktober is upon us, folks! What better way to start this auspicious occasion than with the release of our very own Artsavingsclub exclusive Inktober Art Box! We are so excited to be releasing this box filled with amazing inking art supplies, perfect for Inktober and professional work alike. We’ll be touching on a few of the items included in the box throughout October, and how to get the most out of them. Now, we understand that not everyone knows what Inktober is all about, so allow us to explain…

Making Waves in the World of Watercolour – IWSSA

Somerset West was the setting for the biggest international art event in South African history. The IWSSA (International Watercolor Society of South Africa) recently hosted the 1st International Watermedia Festival, Colors of the Rainbow Nation, which featured 150 artists from 26 different countries. The exhibition itself took place from the 4-16 September at the Art Curator Gallery, Lourensford Wine Estate, but that was certainly not the only element of interest surrounding this event.

Blending Coloured Pencil – Techniques

Coloured Pencil seems like a medium anyone should be able to master quite easily. It is – aside from crayons – most probably one of the first mediums you were introduced to as a child. It’s simple right – buy a set of 120 colours (how many can one possibly need anyway), get a good quality paper and TADA! You are all set to be a coloured pencil genius.

Masking Fluid – Friend or Foe

What makes watercolour such a challenging medium is that you can’t cover up mistakes as you can in other painting mediums. As watercolour is translucent and requires that you work from lightest to darkest values, it is extremely important to preserve your whites. In some cases, you can just paint around the shapes but when it comes to more complex or very small areas it becomes nearly impossible. This is where the masking fluid comes in. Essentially masking fluid is liquid latex which you can paint onto areas you want to preserve and protect from paint – and once it’s dry it can be peeled off, revealing the untouched whites below. It’s a bit like magic!

Get the Most out of Your Pastels with Canson Mi-Teintes Paper (Pastel Pads and Touch Pads)

Pastels are a wonderful medium to work with. You only need to look at Degas’s sublime use of pastels in his ballerina paintings. You can work them delicately or with boldness and the colour is always powerful. The pure pigment in artist’s quality pastels is a pleasure to behold. It is a pity then to use poor quality paper on which to paint. I have tried many papers over the years of varying quality. Recently I tried out two pastel pads from Canson. Their Mi-Teintes pastel paper pads and Touch pads.

Caran D’Ache – Pastel Pencil Luxury

We all have our Achilles heel and I’ll admit that art supplies are mine. It’s therefore quite fair to admit that I probably didn’t need the Caran D’Ache Pastel Pencil set I bought. Well, that is until I had used them. It is now quite fair to admit that I pretty much cannot do without them!

Versatile Inking: Pigma Micron PN

Newly stocked, and quite a new product in South Africa in general, the Sakura Pigma Micron PN differs slightly from the standard, beloved Micron range.

A chat with Contemporary Portrait Artist Chaz Williams

I find other artists and their stories very insightful and inspiring and I was therefore very excited when contemporary portrait artist Chaz Williams agreed to answer a few questions.  I think his predominantly oil portraiture work is fascinating and have been following him on Instagram for quite a while.  The arty Capetonian started taking his art a little more seriously when a ‘little Mandela sketch’ he did, ended up selling for more than expected after a local portrait competition.  He is very involved with charity and regularly auctions off artwork in favour of various charities.