Ian Rawling PS

Statement

During my time at art college in Chester & Sheffield in the late 1980s I supplemented my student grant by doing large scale pavement drawings in pastels, chalk & charcoal. A subsequent career in art & illustration followed involving the creation & publication of numerous greetings cards & limited edition prints for large companies.

More recently I have enjoyed returning to pastels & charcoal with my depiction of everyday subjects in a realist style. I love the hands-on creative process involved & the vibrant colours & various mark-making techniques I can use from broad sweeps of colour to the tiniest of details. Although my primary aim is to paint a realistic picture I also like how, on closer inspection, some techniques I use such as cross hatching & underlying brushstrokes are revealed to the viewer. With simple compositions & a limited colour palette I try to give emphasis to the textures & fine details which help give the impression of reality.

Education:

Foundation in Art & Design, Chester School of Art, 1984-1985

Industrial Design BA (hons), Sheffield Art College, 1985-1988

Work Experience:

Freelance Artist & Illustrator, 1988-1992

Artist & Illustrator, Hallmark Cards, 1992-2003

Freelance Artist & Illustrator, 2003-present day, including work for:

De Montfort Fine Art Publishers, 2005-2012

Card Factory, 2010-present day

Collier & Dobson Fine Art Publishers, 2014-15

Methodology

I work mainly in soft pastels & pastel pencils as well as charcoal.

My pastel technique involves painting onto a ready-made lightly textured paper or onto a wooden panel with a brushed on textured ground. Having taken many photographs of the subject & settled on a composition I sketch the basic outline & important details onto the board. Then, using the soft pastels, I block in the larger areas & gradually work towards the finer details with the pastel pencils. I use my fingers for blending as well as the outside of my palm for large flat areas & a paper stump for the small details. The pastel pencils are especially good for highlights & when I need a crisp edge.

When drawing in charcoal I use compressed charcoal for the darkest areas, charcoal sticks & pencils for the mid tones & simply the white of the board for the white areas & highlights. As with the pastels, I use my fingers & paper stump for blending but also use a putty rubber for lifting off lighter areas & a scalpel blade for sharp edges & subtle texture.