Learn Art with David » Products

Gold Rings

idesigner — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 08:09:10 +0000

The use of gold in art has a long tradition. Originally pure gold was used in paintings as gold leaf which was obtained by hammering gold coins into sheets so thin that they appeared weightless. It can be found as a background in many icons and in religious painting to denote the majesty of heaven and was used for halos or to add a sparkle to robes or hair. But real gold has an unnatural look, which explains why it was used in this context; to emphasize the difference between the temporal and spiritual plains.

It was only during the Renaissance and then in the masterful still life paintings by Dutch masters that artists discovered a way of depicting the brilliance of gold objects using ordinary pigments and a great deal of skill.

Monsal Head Fall

idesigner — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:40:46 +0000

These magnificent falls are found near Monsal Head, an area of outstanding natural beauty in the Peak District where three counties, Derbyshire, Shropshire and Cheshire, meet. This watercolour painting captures the power and excitement of the moving water as it tumbles over the edges, before continuing on its way down the river between rocky banks.

Mute Swan in Coloured Pencils

David Lewry — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:22:46 +0000

This file contains step-by-step instructions and full colour illustrations to help you create this fabulous picture of a Mute Swan. Also included is a template for you to copy or trace, list of materials and colour chart for you to match your existing colours. This project has been presented to a class of my students on an all day Saturday workshop with excellent results.

Olympic Cycling

idesigner — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 08:01:16 +0000

2012 and the Olympic Games comes to London! This dramatic image of the British cycling team makes a great subject to paint and hopefully Sir Chris Hoy and the rest of the team will be bringing home the medals!

Sports subjects may not seem an obvious choice to paint but can be very rewarding. The bright colours of the uniforms and the dynamic attitudes of the competitors can make excellent compositions.

Queen Butterfly: Step by Step in Coloured Pencil

David Lewry — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 09:40:09 +0000

Butterflies make great subjects for coloured pencil work. The Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus) comes from North America, Central and South America. Like many species of insect the bright colours serve as a warning to predators that the Queen is not a pleasant thing to eat! It is normally found in open sunny areas including fields, roadsides, pastures and even deserts.

This project gives you the opportunity to create a soft background by using blending medium and useful techniques to develop strong vibrant colours which are set off by the intense black markings.

This project contains fully illustrated step by step instructions, comparison colour chart and a handy template for you to copy or trace.

Red Macaws

mcnee — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 17:54:47 +0000

A full step by step demonstration to complete this vibrant picture of red macaws in coloured pencil. Project includes full size template, colour swatches and full colour illustrations of the various stages. Students can use any make of coloured pencils, merely matching up what they have with the colour swatches in the pack.

Ring Tailed Lemur in Coloured Pencils

David Lewry — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 12:01:57 +0000

This attractive portrait has been created using coloured pencils on a black paper. It can be downloaded as a PDF file for you to print off or use on your computer or laptop.

Winter waterfall

idesigner — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:30:07 +0000

This little stream running through the snow covered woods reminds me of crisp mornings taking Blondie for a walk along the banks of the river and watching her bound off into the virgin whiteness.

Watercolour is a great medium for painting snow and always makes an attractive subject. The secret is to get plenty of contrasting dark tones set against the whiteness to make it stand out even more. The whole scene is painted in very cool colours apart from the distant sky that hints of a thaw on the way.