Making a Mark Reviews

Makingamark's Top Ten Fine Art Books in January 2012

2012-02-05T23:00:00.000Z

Find out about the the Top Ten Fine Art Books sold in January 2012 - and which new art books were published. You can see more about: the Top Ten art books in January 2012 in Makingamark's Top 10 Fine Art Books the best NEW books in January 2012 in...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Product review: A stylus for iPad sketching #1

2012-01-21T16:06:00.002Z

I want to do a review of different styli (styluses) used for iPad Sketching. That's because this week I bought my second stylus for sketching having seen both the Hockney Exhibition at the RA on Tuesday - which includes his ipad sketches - and a...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Book review: A Yorkshire Sketchbook by David Hockney

2012-01-19T15:00:00.006Z

A Yorkshire Sketchbook - by David Hockney Back in 2006-7, I nearly became a conduit for David Hockney fans all over the world who wanted a copy of the DVD of David Hockney's sketchbooks. (See David Hockney: Fifteen Sketchbooks 2002-2003 - Update on...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The Favourite Coloured Pencil Awards! (2011 Brand Poll Results)

2012-01-08T15:58:00.001Z

577 people voted during 2011 in the 2011 POLL: Which is the best brand of artist grade coloured pencil? to determine which is the best brand of artist grade coloured pencil on Coloured Pencils - Resources for Artist. The results are as follows The...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Shipping art: FedEx is the most trusted service

2011-11-29T17:10:00.004Z

I've been running opinion polls about posting and shipping art in 2011. These have consistently identified FedEx as being the service most people seem to trust when shipping artwork. One caveat is that the numbers responding to the polls have not...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

NEW: Analysis of Lightfastness of Prismacolor Colored Pencils

2011-10-28T19:05:00.006+01:00

Prismacolor has published its very first detailed color chart detailing the ASTM lightfastness ratings for its existing range of 132 Prismacolor Pencils. The ratings also apply to Art Stix of the same colour. Here's the Color Chart (download as a...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Book Review - The Illustrated Herbal by Wilfred Blunt

2011-10-05T19:10:00.001+01:00

The Illustrated Herbal by Wilfrid Blunt My rating: 5 of 5 stars For those interested in the history of the development of The Illustrated Herbal this is an excellent reference book. Initial indications (from skim reading it on the way home from...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

POLL: Coloured Pencils - colour or brand?

2011-09-24T18:20:00.004+01:00

Which is more important - colour or brand - when buying coloured pencils? This post is about a new opinion poll for coloured pencil artists. People vary as to whether they prioritise colour or brand when making their purchase of coloured...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Product review #1: Wacom Inkling

2011-09-21T12:00:00.001+01:00

The Wacom Inkling kit unpacked - Inkling case, Inkling pen, Inkling receiver, USB lead, 4 pen cartridges I've not yet seen a Wacom Inkling - however I have seen the tutorial videos on YouTube and wanted to research it so this week I'm sharing what...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Book Review: Cherries from Chauvet's Orchard

2011-09-19T18:51:00.002+01:00

This book tells the story of Postcard from Provence from the perspective of the artist's wife and partner. It's a definite "must read" for all followers of Postcard from Provence and aspiring daily painters. Ruth Phillips writes extremely well -...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Product Review: Liz Steel reviews Schminke watercolour paints

2011-09-09T14:52:00.001+01:00

If you like Schminke watercolour paints - or have always wondered about trying them out - you should definitely take a look at Liz Steel's unique review - in her sketchbook journal - of the Schminke paints she took to Europe this summer - see her...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Product Review: Pilot G-Tec C4 Microtip 0.4mm Rollerball Pen

2011-09-05T12:55:00.006+01:00

Pilot Pens: G-Tec C4 Microtip 0.4mm Rollerball Pen (brown ink) - my latest "bulk" purchase @£3 per pen Product: Pilot Pens: G-Tec C4 Microtip 0.4mm Rollerball Pen (brown ink) Pilot Product Catalogue description HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: The...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

DVD Review: Lucian Freud Portraits

2011-08-12T08:54:00.009+01:00

DVD: Lucian Freud - Portraits [DVD] (released 18 April 2005) Summary: A film portrait of Lucian Freud produced by people he knows well and based on interviews with people who have sat for portraits by Freud. Most of the sitters are also relatives or...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Product Review: KUM Automatic Long Point Pencil Sharpener

2011-06-06T00:37:00.000+01:00

Product: KUM Automatic Long Point Pencil Sharpener Summary: An excellent manual pencil sharpener for those who like their pencil leads to have a long point. Made by a manufacturer with lot of experience in the manufacture of manual pencil...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Places to buy Pochade Boxes in the UK

2011-05-28T15:36:00.000+01:00

In my new guise of "about to start learning to paint in oils" (see Learning how to paint with oils in Provence), this is a quick reminder for me of the places in the UK which sell Pochade Boxes online. Julian Large Paint Box There's nowhere...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Prismacolor announces new Scholar colored pencils

2011-05-25T16:59:00.000+01:00

Prismacolor have just sent me an email announcing they have introduced a new line of art media for aspiring artists with the brand name Scholar(TM) Three points which any aspiring artist needs to bear in mind It's good to have more economical...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Product Review: Daylight Professional Artists Lamp

2011-05-15T13:49:00.009+01:00

Daylight Company: Professional Artist Lamp Jana Bouc (Jana's Journal) has done an independent product review on her blog of the new Daylight Professional Artists Lamp made by The Daylight Company in the UK. I've used The Daylight Company's...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

North Light Shop - Digital Download Deficiencies

2011-04-24T12:18:00.003+01:00

Going round in circles - trying to download to no avail This is all about how the North Light Shop makes it difficult for international customers trying to download a digital copy of The Pastel Journal I've become a big fan of digital downloads of...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Faber Castell Coloured Pencils - Ann Swan Selection

2011-04-16T16:37:00.001+01:00

Ann Swan selection of Faber Castell Coloured Pencils I got a pleasant surprise earlier this month when attending the Private View of the Annual Exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists (Review: Society of Botanical Artists Exhibition 2011). ...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Product Review: Derwent Black Book

2011-03-17T13:19:00.004Z

Derwent Black Book (A4 size) Coloured pencils have a reputation for sinking into black paper over time - which is a bit of a nuisance to put it mildly as this can alter the value pattern of any artwork you produce! Derwent sent me one of their...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Art supplies and art shops outside the UK and USA

2011-03-02T17:10:00.001Z

I've finally got round to publishing a resource site I started ages ago. Art Supplies Around The World - Resources for Artists is a listing for art shops and stores located in Europe, Asia and Australasia. Arcobaleno Pigmenti de Nube Massimo,...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

POLL: Which "Print on Demand" site do you like the best? (Update #1)

2011-02-12T12:41:00.000Z

Last summer I started a poll on Print on Demand - Resources for Artists to identify what people's preferences were in relation to different Print on Demands websites. The popularity of the various 'print on demand' sites waxes and wanes. We know...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Moleskine Folio Sketchbook - A3 size

2011-02-09T12:26:00.005Z

Moleskine A3 size (16 ½” x 12”, 29cm x 42cm) Folio Sketchbook Yesterday I came across an A3 size Moleskine Folio Sketchbook - and bought it without a second thought. I've been using Moleskine sketchbooks for the last five years and although I might...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Which dark soft pastels are the best?

2011-02-05T13:10:00.007Z

Soft pastels in very dark colours present a challenge which some manufacturers have tried to address. This post is about soft pastels in dark colours, shades and tints - and a new opinion poll. Common problems are: Some brands can feel abrasive...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The NEW 2011 Pastels Opinion Polls

2011-01-19T16:19:00.000Z

This is an invitation to pastel artists to vote for their favourite brand of pastels in 2011. You can find two BRAND NEW 2011 Opinion Polls about artists' grade pastels for 2011 on Pastels - Resources for Artists. Artists have already started...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]