Drawing people in very long queues to vote

Fancy improving your skills in drawing people in a natural stance? 

Back in 2008, I stayed up to watch the results of the American Election - which Obama won. One of those moments in history. Next day I published Another kind of surge which started....

The following comment was reported on a New York Times blog.

Overheard in a North Carolina polling place line:
“How long have you been waiting?”
“About 200 years…”

It also noted that I drew people waiting in queues to vote while waiting for the results to land - and it also included this image (BELOW - which I've made bigger for this post). 

I highlighted the image again in 2016, while waiting up for the predicted winner in Sketching the Vote in 2008

The thing I remember that was so remarkable then were the huge long queues of people waiting to vote.

There were so many images of them in the press and online that I decided to start my very own queue and sat adding sketches images of individuals from the various images online until I'd created my very own queue led by an elderly African American lady with a flag.

Another kind of surge
(or what I did while waiting for the results)
11.5" x 8.5", pencil
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

Drawing queues to vote in 2024

In 2024, what has struck me very forcibly is the length of the queues to get into rallies and the length of queues for early voting opportunities.

This time I'm thinking of drawing all women in the queues.

If you are watching the results too and want to draw your own queues too I'd love to see the results! Comment on my FB post today to watch out for you. Or message me on FB or via sites highlighted on my linktr.ee

TIPS:

• I added individuals from many different sources. Reference many media images of people in queues for sources of people to include. Stopping videos is good. 
• Focus on stance/posture and clothing and NOT on people's faces. A suggestion of eyes is often all you need
• The zigzag enables you to get more people on the page! Plus cater for different angles....
• Try and tell a story
• You might want to try a few people before you get started. 
• You'll be amazed how your drawing improves as you build your queue!

This time I'll be waiting up again - tomorrow night into Wednesday morning - with all my fingers crossed that the "gold standard" pollster Ann Selzer has got it right - after doing her Iowa Poll "the right way" (i.e. proven sound methodology + track record over time). She has an absolutely exceptional track record - check the tabulation of her poll predictions over the years on Wikipedia. Also listen to Rachel Meddows.

Prior to the 2024 United States presidential election, Selzer & Co. released their final Iowa poll that had Kamala Harris leading Trump 47% to 44% in the state, markedly different from other polls that showed Trump with a significant lead.[18] Trump criticized the accuracy of the poll. Selzer responded by saying the poll used the same methodology as in 2016 and 2020, and that, "It would not be in my best interest, or that of my clients—The Des Moines Register and Mediacom—to conjure fake numbers."[19] Wikipedia

References:

• 10 Tips for How to Sketch People (2008
• Drawing people (2018)
• Which are the best books about Portraiture? (2013)
• Van Gogh: Drawing media and techniques (2007)

and

• Another kind of surge (2008)
• Sketching the Vote in 2008 (2016)

PS Yes, there is a red vertical line. I hadn't quite given up on my old malfunctioning Canon Printer/Scanner at that time!

PPS Do not underestimate the effect that allowing people to bet on elections in the USA has had on the incentive to keep other polls looking very close.  I don't think it's close at all. I think it's going to be comfortable heading towards landslide. This is because too many male commentators have totally missed the commitment of women to voting and getting the vote out.

Life Drawing Live on BBC4 tomorrow

I forgot to include Life Drawing Live when I did my compilation of Art On Demand during the Pandemic #1 - British TV

Drawing the Nation Together is a new episode of Life Drawing Live and will be broadcast at 8pm on BBC4. Unfortunately if it's like last time you will be unable to see it later (unlike the Sky Arts portrait video arrangement).

The groundbreaking Life Drawing Live! returns to BBC Four, drawing the UK’s four nations together in the biggest-ever live, life drawing class. There has never been a better time to collectively get those creative juices flowing, as presenter and artist Josie d’Arby is joined by experts Lachlan Goudie, Diana Ali and Nicky Philipps to share their passion and knowledge in this inspiring event.

Viewers will be able to watch live and draw along, as amateur artists at home and in our socially distanced studio, capture a series of life model poses, based on classical works of art. Class starts at 8.00pm and is open to everyone with artistic skills, and those who think they have none, to pick up a pencil and draw!

BBC4 tried out Life Drawing Live earlier this year.
READ my two blog posts - before and after - earlier this year

• Views about the Nude and Life Drawing Live - on BBC next week
• Live Drawing Live - my results and conclusions

This time it's going to be a bit different - as Lachlan Goudie explains below



However

• there's absolutely NO INFORMATION ON THE BBC4 WEBSITE about how to access the screen on which you can see the model continuously during the programme
• assuming that it works in a similar way to last time - but with social distancing due to the pandemic - this is what you will need to do (see video below). You'll be using the red button on your computer.

No need to be 2 metres from your screen though!



I recommend you watch the programme on one screen and have the model on the red button on another screen.

121st Annual Exhibition of The Pastel Society

I visited the The Pastel Society's 121st Annual Exhibition earlier this week for the Private View. It is currently on display in all the galleries at the Mall Galleries,  The Mall, London SW1

• It's open every day 10am to 5pm (closes 3pm on final day) until 16 February
• Admission is £5
• HOWEVER you can have FREE ENTRY for Two to the exhibition  (normal price £10) if, as regular readers, you quote "Making A Mark" to the people at the Gallery Desk at the entrance.

I'm probably going back tomorrow afternoon to see which paintings and drawings won prizes which were announced just before I left on Tuesday. More of these anon.

It's a good exhibition whether or not you are a fan, as I am of dry media.

A Table at Seven by Kitty Glavin
Winner of the Pastel Society Young Artist Award
Her work was created in oil pastels on several pieces of paper which were stick together
and hung without a frame!

Below you can find out:

• how to view all the artworks online - both members, open entry and my photos
• how you can meet individual artists in the gallery, and what talks and demos are happening during the remainder of the exhibition
• my commentary about this exhibition and, if you like, review my past reviews of this exhibition!

View all the works online

You can view a folder of my photos of the exhibition on my Making A Mark Facebook Page (it's public - no need to be a member) - and you can see general views and images of the works I liked in this post.

Some of my photos from the Private View

You can also see artworks as follows

• Members Gallery
• Open Entry Gallery

Book Review: Notes from the Atelier by Julie Douglas

This book review of Notes from the Atelier

• follows on from Julie Douglas's appearance on Sky Arts in Episode 2 of the Portrait Artist of the Year 2020 last Tuesday and 
• precedes her studio appearing on Life Drawing Live! programme on BBC4 this coming Tuesday!

This coming Tuesday I am delighted that my studio will be part of the first live nation-wide life drawing session, on BBC4 with Lachlan GoudieJulie Douglas, Notes from The Atelier

Cover of Notes from the Atelier by Julie Douglas

My book review is long overdue(!) Its publication coincided with a lot of other things going on and then it hit the pile of books to be reviewed. Having now reviewed it I'm only sorry I didn't do so earlier as I would have been recommending it to people!

Notes from The Atelier is the first book by Julie Douglas, an award-winning designer, artist, illustrator - and art teacher who has been running her own Art School in Northern Ireland - comprising weekly classes and workshops - for over 25 years.

I first got to know Julie via coloured pencil activities when her artwork kept winning major awards. Then in 2015 we met up for the first time when I went across to give a lecture for a Drawing Consortium she organised at Belfast University.  Last year we met up again the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year heat that she participated in and I was watching.

When you read this book it's just like meeting up with Julie. It's very relaxed but very knowledgeable and informative with lots and lots of positivity and encouraging noises!  

If you want to see what I mean watch the video!

Let's DRAW! With Julie Douglas from Julie Douglas on Vimeo.

Title: Notes from The Atelier

Synopsis

The aim of this book is to provide practical steps to successful observation, drawing and painting. It places an emphasis on learning how to see as a stepping stone to being able to draw and paint effectively.

The core of the book is 32 exercises which she has used with her Weekly Class - in other words

• they're not only tried and tested but also refined as a result 
• you get to see some of the artwork by her students - which means you can compare what you've produced to what her students in her weekly cass produced doing the exact same exercise.

a double page spread about pencil shading and developing tonal values

The book also contains LOTS of practical tips relating to art materials, drawing and painting practice and looking after your wellbeing which you draw and paint.

I think it's really suitable for people who are complete beginners - as well as those looking to improve.

Summary Review

RECOMMENDED: This is an excellent book for somebody wanting to learn how to draw and paint but unable to get to a class. It's very stimulating and very accessible in the sense that, while reading it, it is exactly like having Julie in the room with you. Everything you need to know is articulated very clearly and in very clear steps. 

Plus it has 45 x 5 star reviews on Amazon UK which are worth a read - and some nice reviews from other leading artist tutors

You’ve inspired me to draw again! I haven't had time to read all of it (or even half - it's a big book!) but what I've read so far is WONDERFUL! I agree with everything you say, and I think you have a SUPER solid method of teaching here. : )I am very happy to recommend it.Carol Marine, Artist, USA

I like the way the overall approach focuses on:

• learning how to see being fundamental to being able to draw and paint well
• drawing as underpinning competence in painting. 

Examining options for cropping a complex still life involving light, dark and patterns

The exercises are very clearly set out and cover a variety of media including:

• graphite pencil
• coloured pencils
• charcoal
• watercolour

Others focus on specific approaches for particular subjects eg "Location Drawing" and "Drawing a Face."

Call for Entries - 5th Derwent Art Prize 2020

This is an overview of the Derwent Art Prize and how to enter this international art competition which

• focuses on those who create artworks created in pencil or coloured pencils, pastel, graphite and/or charcoal
• has £12.5k in prizes
• PLUS two exhibitions of selected artworks in London and Paris.

Below are SUMMARY details of

• the history of the Derwent Art Prize (and the brand name)
• the exhibition details, prizes and selectors for the Derwent Art Prize 2020
• how to enter - what you need to know and do to enter - the most important one of which is that entries must be received by 17th February 2020

In addition, all artists entering the Derwent Art Prize 2020 will be eligible to a 15% discount on all Derwent products(shipping not included).

• This code will be sent to all applicants once the competition deadline has closed on 17 February 2020 
• It will be valid from 18 February to 31 March 2020.  Please refer to website (www.derwentart.com) for products and our Terms & Conditions and for delivery information.

The History of the Derwent Art Prize

Derwent Art Prize at the Mall Galleries in 2018

The Derwent Art Prize was conceived in 2012.

The Derwent Art Prize aims to reward excellence by showcasing the very best 2D & 3D artworks created in pencil or coloured pencil as well as water soluble, pastel, graphite and charcoal by British and International artists.

BELOW are my blog posts covering the Derwent Art Prize in its first four outings. You can see the sort of work that was submitted and got selected in both the posts about the selected artists and those reviewing the exhibition.

4th Derwent Art Prize 2018

• Derwent Art Prize 2018: Prizewinners and Exhibition Lists the Derwent Art Prize 2018 prizewinners together with views of the exhibition on display at the Mall Galleries in London
• Derwent Art Prize 2018 - Selected Artists 

1278 artists from 64 different countries submitted a total of 3,299 artworks and 57 were selected for the exhibition.

• The 4th Derwent Art Prize 2018 - Call for Entries - overview of terms and conditions and how to enter this competition

3rd Derwent Art Prize 2016

• Derwent Art Prize 2016 - Prizewinners - details of who won prizes in 2016
• The 3rd Derwent Art Prize - Call for Entries

2nd Derwent Art Prize 2014

• Derwent Art Prize 2014 - Selected Artists - 79 works in pencil by 61 artists were in the exhibition
• Two People's Choice Awards - two opportunities for the public to vote for the People's Choice Award in relation to the artwork selected for exhibition
• Derwent Art Prize 2014 - ineligible drawing wins first prize? - this post reflects my perspective i.e. I have no time for people who copy other people's photographs in submitting work for competitions - plus my correspondence with the organisers
• Derwent Prize Exhibition 2014 - Other prizewinners - are detailed below in this post plus photographs of the winners where I have them and my comments.
• Review: Derwent Art Prize 2014 Exhibition - includes my video of my walk round the Derwent Art Prize 2014 exhibition

1st Derwent Art Prize 2013

• NEW! The Derwent Art Prize - for pencil art - announcement of the prize
• The Derwent Art Prize - a discussion (20 July 2013) - this first post is particularly relevant to those whose experience of pencil art is limited to realistic and hyper-realistic artwork
• Derwent Art Prize 2013 - Selected Works & Artists (23 July 2013) This post includes a list of the names of the selected artists and links to their websites where these could be identified.
• Chrys Allen wins inaugural Derwent Art Prize for pencil art (19 September 2013) - This post also provides images and more information about the artwork which won prizes last year

About Derwent and the Cumberland Pencil Company

The Art Prize carries the "Derwent" brand name of the Cumberland Pencil Company who in turn are part of ACCO (formerly Rexel).

• The Cumberland Pencil Company was created in 1916 
• The first Derwent colour pencil was introduced in 1938.
• In 2008, the Cumberland Pencil Company left the old pencil factory in Keswick and moved to its new Pencil Factory on a site at Lillyhall, Workington.
• The Derwent Pencil Museum maintains a presence in Keswick, where pencils first started being made in 1832 - after graphite was found in Borrowdale in the 1500s.

Derwent is very active in relation to other exhibitions besides this prize. It

• sponsors The Pastel Society, working closely with its members at events, exhibitions and commissioning artwork.
• work with the UK Coloured Pencil Society, Society of Botanical Artists and Society for All Artists (SAA).

Derwent Art Prize Exhibition and Prizes and Selectors

Artworks in the Derwent Art Prize Exhibition in 2018

The Exhibition

This year for the first time, selected works will also be displayed in France. Around 80 selected artworks will be on display at the following venues and dates

• 22 April to 4 May 2020 - the Gallery@OXO in central London (Address: Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street, South Bank, London SE1 9PH)
• 12 – 17 May at 20 rue Saint Claude in Paris.

The Prizes

Prizes valued at £12,500 will be awarded to entries selected for the exhibition at the Private View at Gallery@OXO, London.

This year there are two Young Artist Prizes for entrants under 25.

The prizes are as follows:

• First Prize £4,000 plus a year’s supply of Derwent products (Up to a monthly value of £50 - including postage)
• Second Prize £2,000
• Young Artist First Prize (For artists under 25 years) £4,000 *
• Young Artist Second Prize (For artists under 25 years) £2,000
• People’s Choice Award £500

In addition, all the First and Second prize winners will receive a special box of Derwent Lightfast Pencils. These pencils are resistant to prolonged colour change ensuring artwork will not fade for up to 100 years under museum conditions.

The Selectors

This year’s entries will be judged by a distinguished panel of selectors comprising of an artist, a critic and a curator

• Charles Avery - a Scottish artist from Oban who currently lives and works in London
• Victoria Pomery OBE - Director of the Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate
• Alice Rawsthorn - an award-winning British design critic and author of 'Design as an Attitude'

Artworks in the Derwent Art Prize Exhibition in 2018

How to Enter

Who can enter

• Entries are invited from international artists

What can you enter

• Artists may only enter once, with a maximum of 6 images.

How to enter

Information about the Derwent Art Prize
These are the links to:

• the page about the Derwent Art Prize
• the Rules and Guidelines
• Answers to Frequently Asked Questions and other Help

The Derwent Art Prize has a

• Twitter account https://twitter.com/derwentart
• Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/DerwentArtPrize/

Online Entry

• Artists can enter online. This is the link to the Online Entry Form
• If artists are unable to enter online please contact derwent@parkerharris.co.uk for further details.

The Submission

Artists are required to submit the following:

• The completed online entry form
• Images of up to 6 recent works, in digital format (jpg, max. 2MB file size)
• A non-refundable application fee

Entry fees

• The entry fee is £15 for the first work and £5 for each additional work - which is very reasonable!
• Artists under 25 years of age will pay £5 per work.

Timeline

• Monday 17 February 2020 (5pm GMT) - Deadline for entry
• Monday 2 March  - Artists notified of selectors' decision
• 6 - 17 April - Delivery of work (to Art Moves of Chelsea)
• Friday 17 April - Delivery of work (in person to Art Moves of Chelsea, 10am-5pm GMT)
• 22 April - 4 May 2020 - Exhibition opens to public at the Gallery@OXO in London
• 12 - 17 May 2020 - Exhibition open in 20 rue Saint Claude in Paris, France

121st Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 2020: Call for Entries

If you work in pastels, oil pastels, charcoal, pencil, conte, sanguine, or any other dry media you can submit your artwork to the 121st Annual Exhibition of The Pastel Society in February 2020.

The 121st Annual Exhibition will open on Wednesday 5 February and continue every day - from 10am to 5pm - until it closes at 3pm on Sunday 16 February 2020.  It's an open exhibition at the Mall Galleries and last year around a third of the art hung was selected from the Open Entry.

The Pastel Society seeks the best in contemporary dry media, combining traditional skills with creative originality

This is a summary of the Call for Entries for the 2020 Annual Exhibition

• For full terms and conditions, click here.
• The deadline for entries is Friday 1 November 2019, 12 noon

A view of part of the 120th Annual Exhibition in the Main Gallery at the Mall Galleries

Prizes & Awards 

The exhibition offers several prizes and awards, open to all participating artists, including £1,000 worth of art materials from exhibition sponsor Derwent. These include:

Cash prizes:

• Unison Young Artist Award (£500)
• Annie Longley Award (£250)
• Buzzacott Award (£750)
• The Pastel Society Young Artist Award (£200)
• The Anthony J Lester Art Critic Award (£50)

Product prizes:

• Derwent Award (worth £1,000)
• Caran d'Ache Award
• Frank Herring & Sons Award
• Henri Roche Award
• The Pastel Society Visitors' Choice Award
• Royal Talens Award
• Schmincke Award
• Unison Member Award
• Unison Non-member Award
• West Design - Faber Castell Award

Publication prizes:

• The Pastel Society Catalogue Award: First & Second Prize
• The Artist Magazine Award
• Artists & Illustrators Award

Dear Mall Galleries - I'm smiling - and you know why!

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

This is an OPEN exhibition and is not limited to work by members

• Any artist over 18 may submit.
• There is no restriction of where you live. It's open to artists in the UK, EU, and outside the EU and this exhibition often has works exhibited by people who live outside the UK.

However if you live outside the UK

If you are not a UK resident and your work is sold at the exhibition you have a responsibility to register and account for UK VAT with H.M. Revenue & Customs at www.hmrc.gov.uk, (HM Revenue & Customs Reference: Notice 700/1)

Eligible media

Acceptable media: Pastels, oil pastels, charcoal, pencil, conte, sanguine, or any dry media.

What's in a name? Not as much as you might think!

I'm personally of the view that the criteria ought to strictly limit artwork to DRY MEDIA in all its various forms (i.e. EXCLUDING oil pastels).

The inclusion of oil pastels always surprises me since oil pastels never really dry due to the use of a non-drying binder! A lot of artists also use solvents when working with them.

If the new watercolour sticks or the art marker sticks were called "pastels" would that mean that they too became eligible media?

Eligible artwork

• Works should not be larger than 2.4m (7.8 feet) along the longest dimension.
• Work must have been:
• completed during the twelve months prior to the exhibition and
• NOT have been exhibited elsewhere.
• Number of works:
• Maximum of six works submitted.
• Maximum of four works selected.
• All work must be for sale. Minimum price: £300 (The price of works must include 45%+VAT commission )

Mezzanine wall in the Pastel Society's 2019 Exhibition

Submission: key dates and points to note

ALL artworks must initially be submitted online.

The selection process involves two stages:

• Online entries are digitally screened to create a long list of what's called "pre-selected entries" ("long list" would be so much more descriptive!).
• The latter are then delivered - as framed works - to the Mall Galleries, London, for an appearance in front of the Selection Panel and a decision as to whether or not they make it on to the walls of the exhibition!

On the Mall Galleries website you can find:

• The Call for Entries for the Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 2020
• FULL Terms and Conditions for all 'Calls for Entries'

Stage 1 - Digital submission

• ALL work must be submitted online at https://mallgalleries.oess1.uk/
• Work must have been completed during the twelve months prior to the exhibition and not have been exhibited elsewhere.
• Submission fee is £18 per work (£12 per work for artists aged 35 or under). This includes Free Admission to the exhibition (normally £4).
• Images must be in JPEG format and under 5MB
• Maximum of 6 works submitted BUT......
• NOTE: the average number of paintings per non-member artist selected is less than two and nearer 1 (eg 1.3 in 2018; 1.4 in 2017)
• those having more than one work selected are candidates for members 
• serious candidates typically showed 2-3 works
• hence in reality the majority of exhibiting non-members only have 1 artwork selected.
• the cost of your submission therefore depends on 
• (1) how good your work is; 
• (2) how discriminating you are at submitting works with a good chance of being exhibited - and if you have not seen the exhibition in person I recommend you check out my posts at the end about past exhibitions 
• (3) how much you want to become a member of this society
• Maximum of four works selected. (Note that the average number of MEMBERS' works exhibited was just over 3 in 2018.)
• SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 
• Submission opened on 2nd September. 
• You must complete the registration form, pay your fee and upload your digital image no later than Friday 1 November 2019, 12 noon 
• CHECK to see if your work has passed the digital screening by logging on to http://mallgalleries.oess.uk from 12 noon on Friday 8th November 2019

Stage 2 (post digital screening)

• IF PRE-SELECTED, you must now
• get your work framed prior to delivery for the second round of selection.
• deliver your work for the second round of the selection process to Mall Galleries, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD
• Works should be delivered unwrapped with forms and labels (i.e. packaging cannot be accepted or stored)
• Artists sending work from abroad should use a picture carrier.
• RECEIVING DAY: Deliver your work on Saturday 4th January 2020 between 10am - 5pm.
• CHECK to see if your artwork has been selected for exhibition on Tuesday 7th January, 2020 from 12 noon.
• COLLECT all unaccepted work on Thursday 9th January 2020, 10am - 5pm from Mall Galleries, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD * see below for note

Stage 3 (post exhibition - if selected)

• COLLECT any unsold work: Thursday 20th February 2020, 10am to 5pm *Due to a shortage of storage space at the gallery, any work uncollected by 5pm will be removed and stored at a separate location for which artists will be charged a storage fee.

Delivery & Collection

Packaging from delivered works cannot be retained by the Gallery and must be taken away at the point of delivery. They also cannot wrap works or provide wrapping materials for any works being returned. Any work uncollected on the specified collection date/s will be stored at a separate location and the artist will be charged a storage fee.

Artists sending work from abroad should use a picture carrier. See my website which provides details of ​UK Art Movers & Couriers& Fine Art Transport Services

Last year the exhibition celebrated 12 decades of The Pastel Society

Selection

The Selection Committee is formed of artist members of the Society and is rotated annually.
Please note that selectors' decisions are final and we are unable to offer feedback.

FINAL TIPS for potential entrants

• Read the FULL terms and conditions for entry on the Mall Galleries website carefully
• Don't leave registration and uploading your image to the last minute.
• Measure your work precisely
• Make sure the framed size does not render the work ineligible.
• The price of Works stated must include the commission of 45% plus VAT
• If you live outside the UK make sure
• you read the conditions about VAT very carefully and don't think you can get away with skipping registration if it applies to you! This is both law and tax and this condition is NOT flexible!
• you use a picture carrier - framed work can only be submitted UNWRAPPED.

More posts about the Pastel Society

You can review previous posts about Pastel Society exhibitions - from my archives. As you can see I've done 14 reviews of this exhibition!

• 120th Pastel Society Annual Exhibition - Prizewinners
• 119th Annual Exhibition of the Pastel Society 2018
• 118th Annual Exhibition of the Pastel Society 2017
• 117th Annual Exhibition of the Pastel Society 25 February 2016
• 116th Annual Exhibition of The Pastel Society 24 February 2015
• 115th Annual Exhibition - Making a Mark 21 Jun 2014
• The Pastel Society - Annual Exhibition 2013 12 Jun 2013
• "Love Pastels" - The Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 14 Feb 2012
• The Pastel Society's Annual Exhibition - Colour 2011 25 Apr 2011
• The Pastel Society - Annual Exhibition 2010 14 Apr 2010
• Exhibition review: The Pastel Society's 110th Annual Exhibition10 Jun 2009
• The Pastel Society UK - 109th Annual Exhibition 17 Mar 2008
• "Pastels Today": The Pastel Society Exhibition (#2) 04 Mar 2007
• The Pastel Society - Annual Exhibition 2006 - Making a Mark 03 Mar 2006

Derwent Art Prize 2018: Prizewinners and Exhibition

The Derwent Art Prize 2018 prizewinners are listed below together with views of the exhibition currently on display in the Threadneedle Space at the Mall Galleries in London - until 5pm on Sunday 23rd September 2018.

View of part of the Derwent Art Prize exhibition 2018

The Derwent Art Prize 2018 exhibition will tour to venues across the UK including

• Trowbridge Arts (29 September – 10 November 2018) and 
• Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick, Cumbria (until January 2018).

Derwent Art Prize 2018 - Prizewinners

The nationalities of those receiving prizes (and the catalogue) underline that this has become a truly international exhibition. 

The Prizewinners were announced after the exhibition opened.  I saw the exhibition before the prizewinners were announced (last night) and it was difficult to tell who would win the prizes. There's certainly a lot of good calibre work within the exhibition.

First Prize (£6,000): France Bizot (France) - Madame Bovary

Madame Bovary
colour pencil on book 22cm x 19cm
copyright France Bizot

French artist France Bizot’s intricate hand-drawn books illustrate one way in which drawing can be realised in three dimensions Derwent is proud to announce the finalists and exhibitors of the 2018 Derwent Art Prize

France Bizot is an artist who draws in printed books. She also has a second work selected for the exhibition - of two graphite drawings also within a book. Both are contained within the display boxes on plinths.

Her work belongs to the great tradition of those who produce art in published books. Not artists books as such - as these are artists who produce books of their drawings - so much as artists who use books as their support and their medium for their artwork (eg see 10 Visual Artists Who Use Books as Their Medium for more not quite the same)

France Bizot was born in 1959 and lives in Paris France. She is a graduate of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs. Prior to becoming an artist she had a a successful career as an artistic director in the advertising industry. In 2002 she became an artist and has in the past created drawings based on images appropriated from social media. Her work has been shown in group and solo exhibitions, including Fondation EDF, Paris, BACKSLASH, Paris, Galerie François Giraudeau, Paris, Galerie Privée EBC, Paris, Espace Beaurepaire, Paris, and Young Gallery, Brussels.

Her works are contained in display boxes placed on plinths

Second Prize (£3,000): Jovanka Stanojevic (Serbia) - Hair

Hair 2
Graphite pencil on paper 33 x 33cm
copyright Jovanka Stanojevic

Jovanka Stanojevic is a Serbian artist living and working in Belgrade.

She has been awarded a BA in Painting (2005) and an MFA in drawing (2009) from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade. She is currently completing her PHD dissertation. Since 2008, she has worked as an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Art and Design Megatrend University, Belgrade.

Her professional art work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions in Serbia, Germany, England, Italy, Greece, Spain and Switzerland and she has received a number of painting awards.
Her drawings and paintings are a part of public and private collections in Serbia, Germany, USA, Switzerland, Greece, Italy and Denmark.

This is a video about her work which I found online

Pastel Society - Call for Entries for 120th Annual Exhibition (2019)

If you work in pastels, oil pastels, charcoal, pencil, conte, sanguine, or any other dry media you can submit your artwork to the 120th Annual Exhibition of The Pastel Society.

It's an open exhibition at the Mall Galleries and last year around a third of the art hung was selected from the Open Entry.

The Pastel Society seeks the best in contemporary dry media, combining traditional skills with creative originality

This is a summary of the Call for Entries - complemented by images from the 2018 exhibition and comments on this open exhibition. For full terms and conditions, click here.

The 120th Annual Exhibition will open on Tuesday 5 February and continue every day - from  10am to 5pm - until it closes at 3pm on Saturday 16 February 2019.

A corner of the Annual Pastel Society Exhibition in 2018

Prizes

This is an art society which has managed to attract a lot of sponsorship for prizes for work in the competition.

Prizes are mainly product prizes but also include some cash prizes - and the cash prizes are particularly attractive to younger artists

Four ways to hold a pencil to draw

How you hold a pencil to draw is different from how you hold a pencil to write.

This post is for those who'd like to explore different ways of holding a pencil and what each offers you. It shows you:

• why different grips offer you more scope to draw in different ways
• affect the range of movement that is possible from both your hand - and arm
• enable you to move your pencil in different ways
• offer you the scope to draw more effectively - in different ways

Below I look at four different kinds of grips for drawing

• the basic tripod grip
• a basic drawing grip
• the overhand/gesture grip
• an extended underhand grip

How to hold a pencil to draw - four different ways

I'll be systematically showing you

• what the grip looks like - in diagrams hand drawn by me!
• which fingers it uses
• what it's useful for
• what it limits
• who it's recommended for

If you find it useful you might like to share it with your friends who also draw - or want to learn how to draw.

Context - How we learn to grip a pencil

It's often the case that those who have taught themselves to draw continue to use their familiar grip for holding a pen or pencil - the one they've probably learned at school when they learned how to write.

However this can cause problems and it also limits HOW you can use a pencil to draw.

It's also the case that many people who are teaching people 'how to draw' haven't necessarily been taught to draw themselves and are still using the grip they learned when little.

For me, the essential thing is that people have the information to make a choice. After that, how we choose to use a pencil is entirely up to the individual. 

• There is no right or wrong way. 
• Your way is your way. 
• However experimentation can lead to expanding and improving your skills in different ways of drawing - and ultimately change

Different ways to grip

Study the ways the grips vary. Look at people you know who draw and watch to see how their grip works. Ask them why they use the grip and why they like it. Ask them what they can do with it.

In particular note:

• which parts of the hand and arm are involved in the grip 
• what the role of the thumb is
• where and how the pencil rests if not gripped tightly by the fingers
• whether the hand and/or the fingers move the pencil
• what provides the pressure
• what provides balance 
• whether control is exerted via pressure or balance.

The basic traditional / tripod grip

The 4th Derwent Art Prize 2018 - Call for Entries

This is about the Call for Entries from international artists for The 4th Derwent Art Prize. 

The Prize aims to reward excellence by showcasing the very best 2D & 3D artworks created in created with any pencil or coloured pencil as well as water soluble, pastel, graphite and charcoal by British and International artists.

The prizes total £12,500 and the deadline for entry is 8th May 2018 (5pm GMT)

This is a digest of

• who can enter, 
• what you can enter and 
• how the process works 
• with an overview of the timeline of dates. 

The Exhibition

Approximately 80 drawings will be selected for exhibition at the Mall Galleries.

• The exhibition will be held between from 18th – 23rd September 2018. 
• All artists selected for exhibition will be invited to the Private View and Prize Giving on the evening of Tuesday 18th September 2018.
• The exhibition will then tour to a number of venues throughout the UK - which means that all work submitted to the competition for exhibition must be available until 31st January 2019.

View of part of the Third Derwent Art Prize Exhibition

The Prizes

The Prize Fund is divided as follows:

• First Prize £6,000
• Second Prize £3,000
• Third Prize £1,500
• People’s Choice Award – Exhibition £750
• Young Artist Award – For artists under 25 years £750
• Coloured Pencil Award for Excellence – £500

The Selectors

A gallery curator, a leading artist and an art critic comprise the independent selection panel who decided which work gets selected for exhibition and which work gets prizes.

They are:

• Gill Saunders, Head Prints within the Word and Image Department at the V&A. I know her from two of her books which I've got Picturing Plants:An Analytical History of Botanical Illustrations (1995) and Recording Britain (2011)
• Clare Woods - a painter who trained as a sculptor and is essentially concerned with sculpting an image in paint, and expressing the strangeness of an object.  (This seems like a very odd choice for a competition involving dry media. Is it too much to ask that this competition is judged by a well-regarded practitioner who specialises in drawing! There are after all quite a few of them!!!)
• Chris Sharratt - a freelance arts writer based in Glasgow who is currently the Editor of the A-N website but has also written for a number of publications

I very much hope that this year the organisers actually check that the judges have both read and understand the conditions of entry! (i.e. no making up their own version of entry requirements and terms and conditions!) I don't enjoy highlighting Judges who very clearly breach the rules of the competition. See Derwent Art Prize 2014 - ineligible drawing wins first prize?

How to Enter

The official websites / pages of information

This is the website https://www.derwent-artprize.com/ (which has now addressed the major omission which I identified last time I wrote this blog post in 2016)
This is the Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/DerwentArtPrize - which is never very active.
This is the Twitter account @DerwentPencils which is quite active.
You can see the Derwent Art Range on the sponsor's website.

You can download catalogues from previous competitions to see the sort of work that gets selected

If intending to submit an entry do make sure you read carefully

• the Rules and Guidelines
• the Terms and Conditions
• the answers to the Frequently Asked Questions

This is the Online Entry Form

The competition and exhibition organisers are Parker Harris. Further enquiries about the competition should be addressed to Parker Harris, on: derwent@parkerharris.co.uk or Tel. + 44 (0) 1372 462190 - but do look at the FAQs first!

Who can enter?

The Prize is open to all British and international artists (as defined by the rules)

• Nationality:  The eligible geographical regions / countries are: 
• Europe, 
• North America,
• South America, 
• Africa, 
• Asia (participating countries: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand), 
• The Middle East (participating countries: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan) and 
• Oceania (Australia, New Zealand). 
• Who else can enter: 
• Previous prizewinners can enter
• A third party agency (such as a gallery) can enter work but there are significant conditions that must be met (i.e. the third party must confirm the conditions stated point 7 of the Terms & Conditions.)
• Age: 
• All entrants must be over the age of 18 years old on 1st June 2018. 
• You also have to be alive!

Eligible artwork

Eligible media

The Pastel Society - a final Call for Entries

Did you know that if you work in pastels, oil pastels, charcoal, pencil, conte, sanguine, or any dry media you can submit work to open annual exhibition of The Pastel Society?

Below is an overview of the details for those wanting to submit work to The Pastel Society (PS) Annual Exhibition 2017 at the Mall Galleries.

You have three weeks to get a submission together if you want to enter.

The deadline for your digital entry is Friday 4 November 2016, 12 noon

At the end of this post are links to past exhibitions which I've reviewed on this blog so you can see what sort of work gets exhibited by members and those selected from the open entry.

A panoramic view of the Private View of the 2016 Pastel Society Exhibition at the Mall Galleries

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

• This is an OPEN exhibition and is not limited to work by members
• Any artist over 18 may submit. 
• There is no restriction of where you live and the exhibition often has works exhibited by people who live overseas.  The exhibition is open to artists in the UK, EU, and outside the EU.

However....

Artists who are not resident in the UK but are resident in the EU are welcome to submit work. If your work is sold at the exhibition you have a responsibility to register and account for UK VAT with H.M. Revenue & Customs. Artists submitting work from outside the UK and EU must be registered BEFORE they submit online.

View of a corner of the exhibition in 2016

What media and images are eligible?

Eligible media

• Pastels, oil pastels, charcoal, pencil, conte, sanguine, or any other dry media are all acceptable media.
• I must confess I'm always surprised by the oil pastels. If the new watercolour sticks or the art marker sticks called them pastels would that mean that they too became eligible media? For me personally, the criteria ought to strictly limit artwork to dry media in all its various forms.

Eligible images

• Works should not be larger than 2.4m (7.8 feet) along the longest dimension.
• Work must have been:
• completed during the twelve months prior to the exhibition and 
• not have been exhibited elsewhere.
• Number of works:
• Maximum of six works submitted. 
• Maximum of four works selected.
• Minimum price: £300.

Submission: key dates and points to note

The Call for Entries for the Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 2017 can be found on the Mall Galleries website. This includes details of the numerous prizes on offer.

The website ALSO has the FULL Terms and Conditions for all 'Calls for Entries' for exhibitions at the Mall Galleries

• ALL work must be submitted online at registrationmallgalleries.org.uk
• You must complete the registration form and upload your digital image (in JPEG format and no bigger than 1MB) no later than Friday 4 November 2016, 12 noon when registration closes.
• The submission fee is £15 per work (£10 per work for artists aged 35 or under) - with no further hanging fee.
• CHECK if your work has passed the digital screening by logging on from Friday 11th November 12 noon.  
• If pre-selected you now have two months to get your work framed prior to delivery for the second round of selection.
• IF PRE-SELECTED you need to deliver your work for the second round of the selection process
• Works should be delivered unwrapped with forms and labels.
• Artists sending work from abroad should use a picture carrier.
• Deliver your work on the Receiving Day - Saturday 7th January 2017 between 10am - 5pm.
• Selection takes place on Monday 9th January 2017.
• CHECK if your work has been selected for exhibition on Tuesday 10 January, from 12 noon.
• Be prepared to collect unaccepted work on Thursday 12th January 10am - 5pm

Drawings in Charcoal at the 2016 exhibition

TIPS for potential entrants

Coloured Pencil Junkie - I need more greens!

I'm a coloured pencil junkie and every now and again I place a big pencil order. Very often it's associated with working on artwork when I become concerned that I've run out of a colour or I'm down to my last one and it's getting very short. There again there's the ones I've never used and wished I had which I find when start looking at the complete list of colours!

This is my pencil order which arrived from Pencils4artists this morning which was rather later than I was expecting - and two days after the artwork got handed in!

Nevertheless - like all true coloured pencil junkies - I lined up my pencils in order of colour and took a photo!  Not least because it helps me to remember that I have had that pencil before and this is what it looks like!  It also helps me gauge the differences between the different manufacturers colours when you mix them in this way.

[Note: It's a BIG photo so if you're interested right click and open in a new tab and you should be able to see them up close!]

My new pencils

Above are the colours and below is a list of what I ordered.

The list is not in the same order as the picture - and I've ordered two of some colours. However the list is in the order of colours and manufacturer's numbers.

These artists' coloured pencils come from three manufacturers:

• Faber-Castell Polychromos (oil based), 
• Lyra Rembrandt Polycolour (also oil based and work extremely well with Polychromos).
• Caran d'Ache Pablos (which are water resistant - and produce the only decent variations on olive)

You can read more about the individual manufacturers and their ranges on my Coloured Pencils - Brands and Manufacturers page on my website which provides an index of reputable coloured pencils and product reviews

BLUES

Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor Pencils

Colour 044 Light Cobalt Blue
Colour 047 Light Blue
Colour 046 Sky Blue
Colour 054 Aquamarine

Faber Castell Polychromos Colour Pencils

Colour 157 Dark Indigo
Colour 149 Bluish Turquoise

GREENS

Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor Pencils

Colour 055 Night Green
Colour 058 Sea Green
Colour 059 Hookers Green
Colour 062 True Green
Colour 063 Emerald Green
Colour 065 Juniper Green
Colour 067 Sap Green
Colour 068 Moss Green
Colour 070 Apple Green
Colour 071 Light Green
Colour 072 Green Grey
Colour 074 Cedar Green

Faber Castell Polychromos Colour Pencils

Colour 158 Deep Cobalt Green
Colour 163 Emerald Green
Colour 159 Hooker's Green
Colour 165 Juniper Green
Colour 173 Olive Green Yellowish
Colour 171 Light Green
Colour 166 Grass Green
Colour 112 Leaf Green
Colour 266 Permanent Green
Colour 167 Permanent Green Olive
Colour 267 Pine Green
Colour 168 Earth Green Yellowish
Colour 172 Earth Green
Colour 170 May Green
Colour 174 Chromium Green Opaque
Colour 230 Yellow Green
Colour 470 Spring Green
Colour 231 Lime Green

Caran D'Ache Pablo Water Resistant Coloured Pencils

Colour 015 Olive Yellow
Colour 016 Khaki Green
Colour 225 Moss Green
Colour 018 Olive Grey
Colour 039 Olive Brown
Colour 019 Olive Black

YELLOWS

Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor Pencils

Colour 008 Canary Yellow
Colour 009 Orange Yellow
Colour 085 Light ochre

Faber Castell Polychromos Colour Pencils

Colour 107 Cadmium Yellow
Colour 108 Dark Cadmium Yellow
Colour 109 Dark Chrome Yellow
Colour 268 Green Gold

The 3rd Derwent Art Prize - Call for Entries

The Cumberland Pencil Company announced the Call for Entries from international artists for The 3rd Derwent Art Prize on Monday. 

The deadline for entry is 1st June 2016.

The competition is now a biannual competition - so the next one will be in 2018.

Astri Saunders, Marketing Manager at Derwent, said

“We are proud to launch the Derwent Art Prize for the third year. Our aim of the exhibition is to showcase artworks created in pencil and increase the profile and importance of drawing as a fine art medium”.

This is a digest of who can enter, what you can enter and how the process works - with an overview of the timeline of dates. The competition is organised by Parker Harris to whom all queries should be addressed.

Approximately 80 drawings will be selected for exhibition at the Mall Galleries. The exhibition will be held between 19th - 24th September 2016.  You can see my video of the last exhibition below



After this the exhibition will go on a short tour of venues in the UK between October and December 2016.

The organisers have not yet resurrected the Facebook Page for the competition but you can reasonably expect that selected artists might also get some promotion for their artwork via this channel of communication as well.