Cotswold Art Club

Welcome to the Cotswold Art Club

Membership is open to all artists both amateur and professional. The club gives support and encouragement to its members with a number of activities.

DEMONSTRATIONS

In June on one of the hottest days of the year Anne travelled to Cheltenham to provide us with an insight in to how she approaches painting out doors.

With a trip pod to hold her canvas and an ingenious attached palette, Anne has borrow from the tools musicains use to create her tool kit.

She starts with a quick sketch to work out her tonal areas, working through 5 stages from dark to light, this is then replicated on the canvas with quick brush strokes to sketch the design out and provided the darker areas.

The scene was of dappled shade along a path through the trees, with bright sunshine on the left and some darker areas towards the back.

She then began to build up the foliage with a variety of green mixes working from dark to light. She demonstrated how to use the scene to be painted to be guided by it but not to fix it exactly as seen. Some areas can be exaggerated and others left out entirely.

She then discussed how this would be finished in the studio and could make the basis for a larger painting.

Pastel Demonstration with Eric Watson

We were delighted to welcome accomplished pastel artist Eric Watson for a recent demonstration, hosted by the Cotswold Art Club. Eric shared a wealth of practical tips, insights, and inspiration throughout the session, drawing from his extensive experience, particularly in capturing animals with extraordinary realism and spirit. The demonstration was both informative and a lot of fun!

Key Highlights:

Efficiency in the Early Stages:

Eric recommended transferring outlines to save time and ensure accuracy, particularly when working on detailed animal portraits.

Tools & Materials

Favourite pencils included the blue Pitt pencil, ideal for animals with black fur as it enhances shine, and Faber-Castell Polychromos for adding definition, especially around the eyes and for black whiskers.
Stabilo and Caran d’Ache pencils were also praised, with Caran d’Ache watercolour pencils (especially the white) offering sharper, brighter lines than pastel alone – perfect for delicate features like white whiskers.
For blending, he often uses pipe insulation on Pastelmat paper; however, he noted this doesn’t work on all surfaces – for example, new pastel papers require a PanPastel foam tool instead.

Working Process

Eric typically works in the order of eyes ➝ animal ➝ background ➝ final detail, returning to the eyes at the end to bring out the soul of the subject and refresh colour vibrancy.
He varies his pencil pressure and technique: using the tip for fur detail and the flatter edge for broader areas.

Creating Character & Story:

“The eyes are the spirit of the animal,” Eric emphasised. Getting them right is key to creating emotional connection.
He encouraged artists to think about the story behind the painting when creating a background, ensuring it complements the subject.

Techniques & Surfaces:

Eric usually works flat and begins with a primer layer using pastel pans.
He also demonstrated how Blu Tack can help lift excess pastel if a section becomes too heavy.
When painting on black paper (such as Canston Velvet, a black paper he suggests as a good alternative to Pastelmat), he uses white polychromos or watercolour pencils to achieve highlights.
If a piece includes a lot of white, he avoids white paper and instead opts for a mid-tone background to help colours stand out more effectively.

The demonstration was a fascinating insight into how a professional pastel artist builds up texture, emotion, and atmosphere in animal portraiture. It was not only technically informative but also creatively inspiring. A huge thank you to Eric for such a generous and engaging session!