Bold colours and tones give this watercolour outback landscape the impact and drama I was aiming for. The spacial flattening out helped, in this case, to create the desired atmosphere and vertical sensation. My good friend Jan Vincent, an artist as well, had taken me on a great driving tour of the surrounding hills […]
Who couldn’t do with a little bit of fresh, new artistic vision to invigorate their creative side? Sometimes its risky. Going out into an unfamiliar area and not feeling in control is not always the most beckoning of ideas. But that is exactly what I need to do to bring out more of my own […]
Daniel Smith watercolors… they make it so difficult not to play! And I’ve been playing and discovering new things with D.S. paints for over 25 years now. Whilst teaching my experimental Daniel Smith watercolor demos and workshops at their Seattle and Bellevue stores, a friend who was on staff there, chuckled abit at my out […]
Watercolours are said to be the hardest medium to use, but I’ve found them the easiest of all. Making ‘mud’ is often one of the first problems that beginners mention especially when colour mixing browns, greys and greens. My tips in preventing mud are fairly simple and easy to remember and do. They have evolved […]
I find on occasion, myself in a quandary of what to do once I’m finally in the studio with time to paint. I might have to then look around the studio for some ideas, inspiration, anything that sparks an interest. It could be ‘just playing’ with paint in a glass vase. It could be a full sheet […]
Those who create art, even as beginners: you are artists. By virtue of the simple fact that you have pursued your interest far enough to join an art course, you’ve purchased art materials, and you have begun creating. You – are an artist – for you are creating art. This is […]
This morning’s sunlight on the white satin orchids and the fuchsia pink was just too tempting to resist. A few nice photos captured the morning light before it vanished! Later this afternoon the watercolour paints will come out and we’ll be using the cool orchid palette as springboards to our day’s paintings at Atwell Gallery […]
A new series of posts featuring my collection of gemstones and my gemstone watercolour paints. This photo shows Zoisite gemstone with ruby inclusion, there so much minute detail, texture and tonal value gradations in just one of these stones. They’re like a work of art all in themselves. 50 Photos later….. and I was still […]
Creating the illusion of depth on a flat surface can be challenging for beginners at first, Especially in greens. But with some simple tips and regular practice, it does get easier in just a few weeks! In the photographs I’ve taken, they show various aspects of depth in greens. Have a look at each, try […]
The 5 watercolour techniques I enjoy using to create texture in my paintings: Dry brush, splatter, plastic wrap, moulding paste and granulating pigments on a rough surface paper. Terracotta Pot mainly is created from French Ultramarine with Burnt Sienna applied wet onto a very Rough surfaced paper to get the dimpling textural effect. French Ultramarine […]