Features:

• Ben Taffinder explains how he reduces his oil paintings to 'blocks of light forming a strong design shape'
• Susie Hodge talks to Nicola Slattery, winner of The Artist Award at the 2016 Royal Society of British Artists' annual exhibition
• Motivational tips from Adebanji Alade

Practical painting and drawing:

• How and where to start your painting with Charles Williams
• Richard Suckling shows how to create expressive pastel paintings
• Overcome painter's block with heelp from Paul Talbot-Greaves
• Try Derwent Graphite and Charcoal Blocks with Robert Dutton
• Mike Barr shows how to achieve rain-soaked cityscapes
• Discover your subject through sketching and drawing with Paul Weaver
• Add marker pens to your drawing kit for energetic results with James Hobbs
• Invigorate your still lifes using gouache with Wendy Jacob
• First of a three-part guide to choosing watercolour papers with Ian Sidaway
• Improve your figure painting with Ann Witheridge
• Tips for watercolour success from Terry Jarvis
• N is for the colours found in nature in Julie Collins' A - Z of colour series

Plus:

• Pull-out guide to open art competitions and exhibitions 2017
• Your views
• The Art World
• Exhibitions
• Opportunities

All this plus call for entries to The Artist Open Art Competition in partnership with patchings Art Centre and Art Club of the Year 2017 in the January issue of The Artist, out on December 2 - click here to purchase your copy.