Leisure Painter

Leisure Painter - the number one learn-to-paint magazine featuring practical painting and drawing features from top art tutors. Includes step-by-step tuition and easy-to-follow advice on how to draw and paint.

Editorial

Leisure Painter

Editor's choice • ‘British Landscapes: A Sense of Place’ a collection of paintings capturing the distinctive character, emotional resonance and enduring “spirit of place” found in Britain's landscapes

Spotlight on art • A round-up of events and ideas to enjoy live and online

From farm to canvas finding the poetry in place • Renowned for her atmospheric landscapes and intuitive use of colour, Milly Stokes shares her approach to capturing mood, movement and memory on canvas - revealing how observation, experimentation and a deep connection to the farming world shape her painting practice

In the studio • Milly takes the time to share her studio set up

Spring bulbs • Recreate the beauty of snowdrops in this project by Julia Borodina

Chasing light & shifting skies • Hannah Benkwitz-Friar reveals why it is not the land itself but the drama of light that compels her to paint. Drawn to the sublime and the ‘beautiful terror’ of vast, shifting skies, she transforms lived encounters with weather and atmosphere into expressive, light-charged canvases where mood eclipses map-making, and awe becomes the true subject

The hidden power of Open Studios • In an age dominated by social media algorithms, online marketplaces and constant advice about ‘building your brand’, one of the most effective ways to grow an art career remains surprisingly low-tech: opening your studio door.

How to paint a field of gold • Follow this step-by-step demonstration and learn how to paint this wonderful landscape with Tim O'Brien

Call of the wildcards • From a last-minute application and initial rejection to painting under pressure aboard Landscape Artist of the Year at HMS Wellington, artist Tim O'Brien reflects on the nerves, camaraderie and hard-earned lessons of competing as a wildcard

Hedgerow in springtime • Fresh and bright, speckled with Queen Anne's lace, ox-eye daisies and yellow poppies, overgrown hedgerows and field boundaries can be beautiful and inspiring places, where the blackthorn blossoms bloom brightly among the trees.

Q&A Foliage fears • Professional coloured-pencil artist Helen Carter provides guidance on how to naturalise your ‘out-of-the-box’ greens

Art clubs • Over to you for the latest news on your club exhibitions and activities

Art club challenge • In celebration of spring, we asked you to share your paintings of this wonderful time of year

10 mins with… BECKY THORLEY-FOX • Landscape and wildlife painter Becky specialises in painting en plein air, out in the natural landscape. We took 10 mins out to chat to her about her passion

Art Then! British Painting, Sculpture and Drawing, 1910-1960 • NEWS, INFORMATION AND ONLINE EVENTS IN THE ART WORLD

Dear Diary • Join us as we sneak a peak into the diary of an artist. Robert E Wells

Making landscapes great again • Mike Barr considers the downside of photorealist landscapes

OPEN IMPRESSIONISM • We talk to Erin Hanson about the painting style she has created Open Impressionism - her influences and her unique painting technique

DRAMA IN THE OPEN AIR • From the vast skies of Lincolnshire to the brooding fells of the Lake District and the silvery shores of Whitby, oil painter Dominic Parczuk follows light, weather and instinct wherever they lead. Working predominantly en plein air, he captures fleeting effects of cloud and sun with energetic, alla prima brushwork, balancing compositional rigour with the spontaneity of painting in the elements.

Embracing the...