Introduction to Watercolour

What can I say about watercolours.... panic …. then regroup! Watercolours can create a luminosity by using a method of layering translucent pigments on a bright white surface. Using thin overlapping strokes, carefully preserving the underlayers. The careful stacking of colour achieves subtlety and also builds intense depth. It is this that creates the luminosity.

Don’t panic about mistakes as with watercolour it is very workable and it is very easy to make corrections as you go.

All of the colours I use are mixed first on the palette before applying them to the surface. Working with thinner washes and allowing each layer to dry prevents the paint from lifting when applying subsequent layers.

The best advice I have for an artist just starting out in watercolour is to remember that it takes time to build up your skills.  Play with different surfaces, paints, and tools. Don’t limit yourself with perfectionist thinking that there is a “right” or “wrong” way to paint. 

Remember that you are on a journey. Don’t look at your paintings as individual masterpieces, putting that kind of pressure on yourself is creative suicide.  You never “arrive”. You grow and change, your art will grow and change. Jump right in and figure it out as you go!