Leisure Painter April - Drawing Children's Faces

One of the most interesting articles in April's edition (yes, we in Malaysia are a deprived lot, receiving the month's edition at month's end mostly!) is that by Juliette Dodd on painting children's faces - one of the most difficult subjects to draw.

In this issue, Dodd shows the way of how to proportion the face in seven steps. Not only are you taught to draw front profiles, but side as well, and these are requirements if you ever hope to draw portraits well and not doing Mickey Mice or Potato Heads!

Another interesting feature I find in this issue is David Bellamy's tips on making your watercolours sparkle. If you are wondering how Bellamy makes his subjects stand out via hilights, this issue will show you how. And oh, there is also an exciting version on keeping sketchbooks - everything all of us aspire to do but never quite get down to it.

Can't Malaysian Paper Manufacturers Produce Good Watercolour Paper?

Most of the watercolour papers we see today are that from the West. Not that they are no good but the exchange rates are certainly not in our favour.

According to my sources, the price of paper across the board will be up by at least 30 per cent next year. Some of the good brands are already up by at least 20 per cent if you were to frequent art shops.

Paper is something you cannot stock and if we know little of how to store it, then it will be investment down the drain as the paper yellows and loses its fine quality.

There are several Malaysian companies which produce good drawing blocks. Over the past three years, many ventured into acid free paper which is quite suitable for watercolour work. The grammage, too, is good at 300gsm.

Right now, the only market leader is Chee Wah Corporation which goes by the brand name CAMPAP. Others produce mediocre blocks for use in schools, which is quite a lucrative market. Chee Wah also produce good watercolour, oil and acrylic paper and boards. However, what little stock the have are usually sold out and it is quite tough to source for them, even in Kuala Lumpur.

For the sake of watercolour art and future of watercolourists, I hope there is a manufacturer who will be willing to produce good paper. Afterall, the material is right here under our noses in the orient.