sketchbook
“PAINTING FROM NATURE IS NOT
COPYING THE OBJECT; IT IS REALISING
ONE’S SENSATIONS” – PAUL CÉZANNE
Artists & Illustrators 13
BOOK OF
THE MONTH
More than a Muse
by Katie McCabe
Former Artists &
Illustrators editor Katie
McCabe’s debut book
looks at creative
relationships in which the
woman has previously been sold short.
While musicians and fi lm editors feature,
the main focus is on fi ne art, with chapters
on Lee Krasner and Josephine Nivison
Hopper proving particularly revealing.
This is timely stuff, passionately written
and expertly researched. The author’s
exacting eye unpicks complex power
dynamics while her delicious turns of
phrase are works of art in their own right.
Quadrille, £16.99. http://www.hardiegrant.com
MASTER TIP
FRANK BRAMLEY
Painting techniques of
the world’s best artists
The Newlyn School painter Frank
Bramley cleverly managed to make three
pictures in one with 1888’s A Hopeless
Dawn. This is not just virtuoso painting
for the sake of it though; each element
contributes to the story.
A woman has collapsed and is
comforted, the sea outside the window
suggesting her husband is lost. The
altar-like still life arrangement suggests
the consolation of religion, hinted at by
the title – a quote from Ruskin. The
interaction between these elements
makes this a far more engaging painting.
A Hopeless Dawn features in Newlyn School
Interiors, which runs until 6 June at Penlee
House Gallery & Museum, Penzance,
Cornwall. http://www.penleehouse.org.uk
© TATE 2020. PRESENTED BY THE TRUSTEES OF THE CHANTREY BEQUEST 1888
THECOLOUR
This slightly purplish grey was
fi rst sold by colourman
Thomas Reeves in the 18th
century and was originally a
mix of red iron oxide, indigo
and yellow pigments.
THE PROPERTIES
Today, Neutral Tint varies from
brand to brand. For example,
Schmincke, Daler-Rowney and
Winsor & Newton each use a
different three pigments to
make their artists’ watercolour
NeutralTint.Ingeneral,most
brands are semi-permanent,
with Winsor’s being the
most opaque and Daler’s
the most transparent.
THE USES
Neutral Tint is a compound
shadow colour, primarily used
to tone down colours without
muddying them. The changes
to the make-up of each brand
means it pays to experiment
and fi nd which version mixes
best with your current palette.
EXPAND YOUR PALETTE
Discover a new colour every month
Neutral Tint