MATERIALS
• Kolinsky sable mop brushes
• Art Spectrum wash brushes
• Arches 300gsm rough paper
• Paints: Cadmium Red,French Ultramarine, Winsor Blue, Aureolin, Permanent Rose, Burnt Sienna
STEP ONE
I draw the basic shapes onto the stretched paper.
STEP TWO
I use washes of Cadmium Red, French Ultramarine and Windsor Blue in the sky and the water.
STEP THREE
I use washes of Aureolin and Permanent Rose on the sands.
STEP FOUR
The sky and clouds are added, with shadows on the sands made by using a mixture of Ultramarine and Permanent Rose and a touch of Burnt Sienna.
STEP FIVE AND FINAL STEP
Here I added the final details – the tree line, texturing in the foreground and added glazes with Winsor Blue and Ultramarine.
ARTIST’S HINTS AND TIPS
• One thing I have learnt from viewing art in some great galleries is that there are many ways of approaching any subject. There are also different ways of attacking a subject in watercolour, however in this medium some things have to be acknowledged. It is true some mistakes can be corrected but in general this can be difficult. I have found much of the work in a watercolour needs to be thought about and planned before touching the paper.
• Although some watercolourists are masters at building up many glazes, I have personally found keeping things fairly simple produces clean, glowing works without the mud. Practice is the word. With practice comes the balance between control and letting go. Along with practice can come many failures but we can learn from each of these. Only with practice can you understand the laying of a clean wash, how the brush needs to be fully loaded with plenty of colour ready and to know just at what point the paper is ready to drop in more colour. Confidence to use strong darks and dry brush work also comes with much practice.
• Good quality art materials can be expensive but I have found to really get the best results it is essential to have quality paper and watercolours. There are several good brands and usually an artist will find a particular paper that really suits them and their style of work. I prefer Arches 300g rough for most work and Arches 300g smooth for pen and wash. I use a mixture of Winsor and Newton, Schmincke and Art Spectrum Watercolours. Though I enjoy purchasing a new colour to try occasionally, I stick to a fairly simple palette in most paintings. The main colours I work with are Aureolin, Raw Sienna, Australian Red Gold, Cadmium Yellow, Winsor Blue, Cobalt Blue, French Ultramarine, Permanent Rose,Cadmium Red, Burnt Sienna, and Holbeins Hookers Green Light. A larger landscape will require a larger
brush and lots of pigment ready.
•I usually soak the paper in a bath then place it on a board and gently smooth out the paper with a towel. I then staple the paper to the board, let it dry, then apply masking tape around the edges of the paper over the staples. I like to have several boards of stretched paper ready and waiting. For travelling I have devised a method of applying several layers of smaller sheets of paper to foam core with masking tape on each layer. I found this light and easy to use when painting in Venice and Tuscany.
• Some paintings require a fairly detailed drawing while others require the major areas blocked out. I usually work from light to dark laying down the first washes, then darker areas, shadows and finally details.
