Adebanji Alade

A clear instruction manual for hobby artists hoping to improve their work by learning from a master artist and getting inspiration from a practical showcase of his work. President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI), Adebanji Alade's mission is to make oil painting accessible to anyone, while simultaneously providing insights and instruction that are valuable to experienced artists. From the absolute basics of getting an image onto your painting surface and preparing and mixing oil paints, this book includes invaluable information on different working approaches. Starting with the basics of value, edge, and colour, the book delves into brief exercises and fundamental techniques for sketching and drawing. It then gradually advances to Adebanji's distinctive method of oil painting diverse subjects, featuring six complete stage-by-stage projects. These projects encompass a range of subjects, from intimate portraits to captivating crowd scenes and the urban landscapes for which he is renowned. The reader will discover how best to tackle subjects ranging from single figures and small groups to expansive crowd scenes and interiors. Light, weather, character and atmosphere are all investigated by this infectiously enthusiastic artist.

All royalties, a minimum of £2.50 from the sale of each book, will be paid to NHS Charities Together (registered charity no. 1186569) to fund vital projects. When the UK went into lockdown in March 2020 to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus, artist Tom Croft offered to paint an NHS key worker’s portrait for free. Unsure how to help and offer his support, he wanted to capture and record the bravery and heroism of frontline workers who were risking their physical and mental health for our wellbeing. Tom suggested that other artists might want to do the same. He made his offer via video message on Instagram and was immediately contacted by Harriet Durkin, a nurse at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, who had contracted Covid-19 and, now recovered, was about to return to the frontline. Tom’s portrait of Harriet, wearing PPE, was the first in what became a global art project. The response to the initiative was staggering and Tom personally paired up 500 artists and NHS workers in the first two weeks. When numbers reached the thousands, Tom set up a traffic light system so that artists and frontline workers could match themselves. Portraits in all mediums followed, from oils to pencil, sculpture to ceramic, mosaic to mural. This book presents a selection of these remarkable images, including some by leading artists such as Alastair Adams and Mary Jane Ansell, showcased here as both a celebration and a remembrance, in physical form, of the dedication of our NHS key workers. ‘I just couldn’t imagine what it must be like to have to put on your PPE and head into the frontline of the pandemic, so I wanted to try and thank NHS workers in some small way. We are indebted to them, so to be able to commemorate, celebrate and record their experiences through portraiture felt fitting. This collection will stand as a permanent record of their bravery in a time of national crisis.’ Tom Croft

Praise for The Addictive Sketcher: "It's impossible not to be carried along by his enthusiasm and the sheer dynamism of his work. Although this is carried out for the most part in the field, it's remarkably polished and a lot more than just quick notes. There's an element of improvisation - a jazz-like tone - and Adebanji certainly has a natural ability. If you share his love of drawing, this is a book to embrace as well as learn from." - The Artist magazine Adebanji Alade is one of the UK’s most renowned artists – and he’s addicted to sketching. Inspired by the sights and sounds of London, he travels around the city filling his sketchbooks with drawings of people, places and scenes of contemporary urban life. Showcasing one of Adebanji’s inspirational sketchbooks in its entirety, and with a fascinating introduction to the way he works, this unique visual record of everyday city life also offers a compelling insight into the creative process of a modern urban sketcher.