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Who hasn’t envied the outdoor artist, set up ‘en plein air’ on a
sunny day with easel and stool and watercolours, painting the
kind of stunning view that a photo can’t ever do justice to? Now
you too can join their ranks! Whether you want to take your
brushes and palette outside or you’d prefer working from
reference photos in the comfort of your own home, this
complete guide explains everything you need to start painting
beautiful watercolour landscapes. Advice and tutorials from
award-winning professional artists will get you started, while
advanced tips and techniques will help you to explore what you
can do. You’ll discover how to paint complex effects with
sunlight, shadows and water, learn how to show perspective
and depth through your use of tone and colour, and mix your
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Take the first step on your watercolour journey today!

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Contents
42
Learn to
achieve depth
with shadows

30
Top tips B asics
Basics
revealed
10 Mastering the basics
of watercolours
16 Composing landscapes:
Line, tone and colour

10
Get to
28 Colour theory
30 Tips and techniques
grips with
the basics

6
 TuTutorials
torials
50 Working freely in
watercolour
54 Winter farm
62 Capture spring light
in watercolour
50
Loosen up
your painting
68 Paint a dazzling landscape
74 Tips to paint vibrant water
78 Depict a luminous
harbour scene at dusk
84 Simple tips for an English
church in line and wash

Taking i tfurther
Taking it further
92 Capture light for a 68
harmonious result Create a
vibrant colour
98 Bring the outdoors in with harmony
ink and watercolour
104 Get outdoors and
paint with gouache
106 Paint the landscape
118
Learn how to
in gouache mount artwork

114 Create great quality digital

copies of your art
118 Mount your artwork
122 Frame your own art
Basics

10 Mastering the basics

of watercolours
16 Composing landscapes:
Line, tone and colour
28 Colour theory
30 Tips and techniques

8
9
Basics

Mastering the basics

of watercolours
Robert Brindley RSMA explains how to simplify a watercolour
by using a limited palette and interpreting tonal value

THE FLUIDITY, TRANSPARENCY

AND IMMEDIACY of watercolour allows
the artist to interpret a wide variety of
subject matter. Although challenging,
especially for beginners, watercolours
can be simplified by adopting a limited
palette and choosing a subject with good
‘tonal contrast’.
In the following snow scene
demonstration, I followed the above
criteria and worked from photographic
reference, in conjunction with a ‘plein air’
oil painting. Working from a sketch – or
even a painting in the final stages – helps
to eliminate the often overwhelming
detail in a photograph.

ROBERT
Carlisle, Cumbria, England
Robert aims to capture light
and atmosphere in a
contemporary impressionistic
style. He tutors watercolour
around the UK and abroad.
www.robertbrindley.com

10
 Basics

Reference
I used this reference image, but
altered it to suit my needs

Draw and mask

1 Using a 2B pencil, I drew out just enough of the
image to enable me to apply the initial loose
wet-into-wet colour washes accurately. The
predominant areas of sunlit snow, together with
smaller highlights, were then preserved with masking
fluid using an old No. 2 Pro Arte Acrylix brush. It is
important to mask these areas as accurately as
possible. Clean the brush immediately after use.

Ma terials
n Arches, cold pressed, ‘Not’ watercolour
‘block’
n Brushes: Escoda Perla - Nos 8 and10;
Pro Arte ‘Acrylix’ Series 202 Nos 2, 4;
203 No 2 Rigger
n Winsor and Newton artists tube colour:
Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Cobalt Blue,
Cerulean, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt
Violet, Permanent Magenta
n Masking Fluid
n Masking tape
n Ceramic mixing palette
n Small tube of white acrylic paint
n 2B pencil
n Plastic eraser
n Kitchen towel

11
Basics

Mix colour pools

2 I prepared several colour pools for
the first wet-into-wet washes.
These mixes don’t need to be exact; I call
them my ‘first guess’. They were prepared
using the following colours: Cobalt Blue,
Cobalt Violet and Raw Sienna (these
three colours are the basic primaries
upon which the entire painting is based).
In addition, mixes using the following
colours were also prepared: Raw Sienna,
Cobalt Violet, Burnt Sienna, Cobalt Blue,
Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean and
Permanent Magenta.

Wet into wet,

3 diffused wash
Before introducing any of the pre-
mixed colour pools, I wet the paper
thoroughly. By doing so, a little more time
can be taken applying the colour and a
soft, diffused result is more readily
achieved. My aim was to place the colour
from light to dark and as accurately as
possible, letting the colours mix freely.

12
 Basics

Develop the foliage

4 When dry, the foliage on the main

trees was painted using the
following mixes: Raw Sienna and Cobalt
Blue; Cobalt Blue, Raw Sienna and
Permanent Magenta; Cobalt Violet, used
sparingly, was introduced into the above,
damp washes. I tried to keep this diffused
wash simple with only a little definition to
the edges of the foliage.

Remove masking fluid

Don’t
overcomplicate 5 Once completely dry, I removed all
of the masking fluid using a clean
finger. You should never attempt to
remove masking fluid until the painting is
For all paintings, especially watercolour, it is
completely dry. With a damp brush, I then
essential to keep things simple. Just a few
softened a few of the harsher edges. This
colours and brushes – plus a surface to
ensures a variety of edge and makes the
work on – is all that you need.
masked areas appear more natural.

6
Develop tree trunks
and branches
Using the No 2 Rigger and the No 8
Escoda Perla, I started to paint the tree
trunks and branches. I created a natural
taper on the finer twigs and branches by
using the brush from bottom to top,
finishing with a flick to end the stroke.
The two colour mixes used were:
Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Blue, one
with slightly more Ultramarine in the mix
and the other with more Burnt Sienna.

13
Basics

Paint the pony

7 To add life to my painting,
I included a pony, which
was taken from one of my
reference photographs.
Although I took care to retain
the masked highlights, I had to
use a little pure Titanium White
acrylic paint to reinstate them.
The colour mixes used were:
Cobalt Blue, Permanent
Magenta plus a touch of Raw
Sienna, making a grey-blue
colour. A mix of Ultramarine
Blue plus Burnt Sienna was
used for the dark patches.

Have focus
A successful painting is reliant
on a strong focal point. To
ensure that the focal point is
effective, consider the
following points:
1. Increase the tonal values
around the focal point. Strong
contrast draws the eye in.
2. Reduce the tonal contrast
and details around the edges
of the painting to ensure that
the viewer’s eye is not drawn
away from the focal point.
3. Try introducing a lead-in line,
which takes the viewer’s eye
to the focal point. This could
be a fence line or footpath.

Add details
8 and foreground
wash
I started to add the fence
posts and more detail to the
grasses and bushes on the
fence line. I also began to
develop the white building
further, giving consideration
to the tonal values with regard
to the lit wall and the wall in
shadow. These tonal values
ensure that the painted
building looks convincing and
three-dimensional.

14
 Basics

9
Paint
falling snow
I had not planned to paint
falling snow, but I felt that it would
add atmosphere, further interest,
and it would help to soften the
overall feeling of the painting.
I used a fairly fluid mix of Titanium
White acrylic and loaded an old
toothbrush with the mix. After
trying out the effect on a scrap
piece of paper, I spattered the
paint carefully using my thumb.
I built up the spatter in several
applications to control how far
that I wanted to take it.

10 Finishing
touches
In this step I gave careful
consideration to all aspects
of the painting, most
importantly to ensure that
the tonal values were correct.
I was also mindful that by
adding too much detail and
unnecessary information,
I could easily reduce the
effectiveness of the painting.
I did very little extra at this
stage, just adding a few
grasses, fine twigs and a few
more details on the building.

15
Basics

16
 Composition

Composing landscapes:
Line, tone and colour
Lancelot Richardson LANCELOT
gives ten essential tips for Brighton, UK
Lancelot Richardson is a painter and freelance
composing landscapes illustrator. He also works at independent drawing
school Draw Brighton as a life-drawing tutor.
using line, tone and colour lancelotrichardson.com

THE COMPOSITION OF AN IMAGE scene. We are going to dip our toes you are more likely to sink time into it
is the arrangement and relationship into this huge subject with ten tips to without being critical of the
between the elements it contains. get you started. foundation, and find yourself with a
This is an abstract property that lets boring painting later. With 20 napkin
us reduce images down their to basic Sketch to explore ideas sketches that were run off in a few
elements, devoid of any identifying Composition is an important step in minutes each, it is easier to thin out
details. By looking past the ‘window planning our work. A big challenge we the bad ideas – when something can
dressing’ of details, we can use encounter is fighting our human urge look good as a rough plan, it will look
composition to create more to straighten things out and divide fantastic as a finalised piece.
appealing images with greater them equally. As much as we love to
emotional impact. do this, it often doesn’t make for an Understanding composition
Composition allows us to make the interesting picture! Whilst these tips may seem close to
most of a subject. A crude drawing The solution to this, aside from being rules at times, remember that
can be interesting with good being more self aware, is brute force; rules are made to be broken. For
composition. However, an otherwise we must make lots of sketches to every rule or convention, there will be
masterful painting will look boring if plan our work. Use these as examples of excellent landscapes
the composition is bad; one might experiments, and treat them as that break it. Study artists whose
appreciate the execution, but it won’t disposable. Most of them will go no work you like and do compositional
be eye-catching. further. By thinking on paper like this, sketches of their artwork. Make lots
Credit: Lancelot Richardson

In landscapes, composition is an we get to explore and compare the of quick sketches whenever you can
essential tool, as it allows us to possibilities that we cannot picture in and try to figure out what works.
reduce the complex scenery around our heads. Furthermore, figure out what doesn’t
us into pictures. Everything we see is They don’t need to be pretty work – learning what kills a good
material we can select from, and sketches – in fact, the opposite is composition is just as important as
manipulate in order to describe that better. If you have a polished sketch, what makes one.

17
Basics

Silhouettes
1. Plan and select Rather than details, think
silhouettes! Clear, well drawn
One of the easiest steps to improving your landscape silhouettes will add character to
your compositions, and help
drawings and paintings is to plan ahead first viewers identify subjects.

IT DOESN’T TAKE long to make a basic work in landscape orientation, or in a square formats can help add a sense of
plan. Composition is all about portrait one? There is no rule you need a weight, or closeness.
experimenting with the subject in these landscape format for a landscape We should also think about selection in
early stages. If you want to invest hours painting. For example, some artists – this early stage. Given a rolling vista
into a well developed painting, spending such as Turner – have even managed to ahead of us, we could select anything
15 minutes filling up a page or two with make notoriously tricky square from a single tree stump, to the entire
sketches is a small price to pay to avoid compositions work. expanse. Sometimes the subject leaps
finding yourself working on weak You might have preset sizes to work to, out, but usually I will try zooming in and
foundations. If you are worried about such as primed boards, but if you can cut out of the scene with different
making a mess in your sketchbook, get your own, it is worth experimenting with thumbnails. This applies equally to
some cheap copy paper. the proportions of your images. Long, photos! You don’t have to draw the whole
Where to start? Well, first we need to skinny formats can let wide spaces shine photo, just select what makes an
think about our format. Do you want to their best, whilst more squat, near- interesting composition.

These are all thumbnail sketches made in

sketchbooks, usually to help plan paintings

Credit: Lancelot Richardson

These sketches are variants of the same scene,

using landscape and portrait formats

18
 Composition

2. Find a horizon
The horizon is a vital element of a landscape – all
structure hangs off it

ANY LANDSCAPE PAINTING that depicts a wide

space with land (or water) and sky will have a horizon.
This effectively is going to break the landscape into two Land-heavy
parts, and you want to be mindful of where it is from the composition – here
early stages of your image. we have a chance to
Placement of the horizon will determine whether you explore the textures
have a land-focused image, or a sky focused image. of the greenery.
Avoid dividing the composition in half. Whilst there are a
large number of excellent paintings break this rule of
thumb, it is generally better to make the division of land
and sky uneven. One should be bigger – an even
division typically looks boring.
Generally, I see beginners have a bias to land-heavy
paintings. After all, there are a lot of interesting things
down here. It is worth using thumbnail sketches to try
out compositions with a larger sky element to them.
Sometimes a large, empty sky space will create
breathing space for busy details in a land area. If
you are finding your sketches to look too dark or
cluttered, try changing the amount of sky you include.
Including more sky can also help indicate the scale of
your scene and lend your composition a grander sense
of space. This also opens up opportunities to show light
and weather.

Cloud-heavy
composition –
clouds can offer
interesting light
and colour
Credit: Lancelot Richardson

19
Basics

3. Structure and rhythm

A good composition will lead the eye using lines of
rhythm to emphasise its subject

Focal Point Verticals and

1 2
LINES OF RHYTHM underlie a composition.
Sometimes people think of them as the ‘flow’ or This focal point has horizontals
gesture. This can be created by edges between been created by The horizon line of the path
different objects or shadows, by repeating directing multiple leading and brush meets the vertical of
elements, or structural components like lines to the same place the trees at the focal point
the horizon.
There are different types of line that can
underpin a composition; verticals and
horizontals, diagonals, and curved lines, as well
as many ways of arranging them. Usually eye-
catching compositions incorporate a mixture of
4
different rhythm lines to maintain interest, and
create a unified whole.
Horizontal lines help calm busy rhythms, whilst
vertical lines help stabilise the composition by
creating clear stops. Diagonals and curves are
more dynamic. If you overdo any kind of line, it 2
can harm the impact of a composition. Too many
horizontals and things can get a bit boring and
1
slow. Too many verticals can halt movement and
leave the image looking static. The opposite, an
excess of diagonals or curves, will start
3
overwhelm the eye and feel overly energetic, even
Leading lines Cascades

3 4
losing structure without the support of
horizontals and verticals. These leading lines for the The slight change in the
We can manipulate lines in many ways. Pushing brush and path repeat the angle of the trees creates a
the contrast and hardness of an edge will add same curve as they lead the eye cascading pattern that leads the
emphasis, whilst softening an edge will let the eye into the composition eye to the left
leave that rhythm.
We can break up
lines to adjust the
rhythm as well –
mixing short and
long rhythms will
keep things
interesting.

20
 Composition

Go small
4. Armatures Alongside squinting to blur
details, working small is also an
An armature is a simplified version of the structure of effective way to force yourself
to simplify a composition.
the composition, often reducing it to a few lines

These small
colour studies are
based off
simple armatures

Armatures
should be simple
enough to reduce
to a simple icon

ARMATURES are a way to simply and with paths, roads and rivers when
unify the rhythm lines underpinning our painting a landscape scene.
compositions. Whilst I have picked six
that are common to landscapes, there Hole
are countless more effective possibilities. The focal point of the image is seen
Letters of the alphabet, and simple through a foreground layer, like looking
shapes or symbols can be effective, so through a hole. This effect is sometimes
try experimenting. The key thing with generated by framing the subject with
these is that they need to be as basic as other elements. Similar to this are
possible – if it is much more complex compositions that lead the eye around in
than a letter or a circle, you are probably a roughly circular flow.
over thinking it. can be rotated in any direction. Two
Diagonal leading lines work across the image
Seesaw A simple layout that creates a strong to intersect with a focus, usually at
Two masses balance each other, with the diagonal across the image. This can be the corner.
larger being closer to the centre, harsh, so it can be a good idea to include
emulating the balancing of a seesaw. some verticals to create a braking effect Triangle
– otherwise the eye falls off the edge. Leading lines form a triangle structure
Letter ‘S’ with a focal point at one of the corners.
An ‘S’ line that flows through the image – Right Angle This is a good way to unify busy subjects
this is a common composition to use Rhythm lines create an ‘L’ shape, that in a scene.

21
Basics

Value shapes
5. Design compositions Experiment with different
media when you do

with value sketches compositional sketches. Pencils

are standard, but black ink is
great for value shapes!

Value, or tone, is one of the most important

elements of composition

WHEN YOU HAVE selected your black, white, and possibly a grey or two.
subject, and have a feel for the rhythm of Anything else and the temptation to
the image, it is time to think about how work into smaller details is too much,
you will arrange the values. Simplifying and our ideas start to lose clarity. Once a
an image to clear value shapes is an lot of fragmented tones come into play,
effective way to create a composition our compositions become weaker and
that presents the subject clearly. We can look cluttered. These broad value shapes
also use colour shapes to generate we help us lay out clear areas of dark and
contrasts as well. light in more developed work. Try to
We want to think in terms of the avoid including any outlines, although
biggest shapes at this point – no leaves, you might want to start with a basic
just entire trees. Ignore the details. One sketch underneath.
way to help with this is to squint at your In these examples, the only colours
subject until the details blur out and you used are black and white, and a wash to
are left with a hazy impression of dark create midtones between the two to add
and light shapes. Simple value schemes some depth. It can be a challenge to
can underpin complex landscapes. It is a ignore the details to find these tonal
good idea to keep it simple at this stage shapes, but it is a very worthwhile
and use between two and four values – exercise to practice.

Tonal compositions with ink and wash

add a midtone to black and white layouts

Black and white compositions reduce complexity

and let us see important shapes

22
 Composition

6. Rule of thirds and divisions

The rule of thirds is a popular, and effective, convention, but there are
many ways to break up a composition

THE RULE OF THIRDS is a common horizontally, the idea being that you a lot of landscapes that don’t follow
way to help break up elements of a place focal points and major lines – such this idea.
painting. It might help with placing a as horizon lines or the edge of a large Rather than the rule of thirds, it is
focus point, or give you a good place to tonal shape, on those markers. probably better to think of the rule of ‘not
put the horizon line. It works by dividing This is an effective tool, and underpins half’. Dividing or placing elements of an
up the frame into thirds vertically and a lot of great artwork. However, there are image using halfway markers often
results in static compositions. (Like all
rules, there are exceptions!) Once we
start to introduce unevenness, things
start to get interesting. This is why the
rule of thirds works well. But it is equally
effective to divide into fifths. Or
intentionally introduce uneven divisions
and placements.
The rule of thirds is so commonly
used, it can sometimes be predictable.
We can intentionally avoid and ensuring
that the way we introduce uneven
placement and divisions. Or we can
The rule of thirds tweak it. One way is to use it, and just
Credit: Arthur Streeton

can be an effective nudge elements of the picture slightly off

way to to add more the third division markers. Another way
interest by creating is to use it to place a first element, then
an uneven subdivide the next part of the image into
composition thirds – this works great for repeating
elements too.

Apply the rule of thirds

This example shows how the rule of thirds can be applied to a more static composition, and how
we can experiment with uneven divisions

Divide image evenly The conventional rule Push the rule of

1 Dividing an image evenly tends to

result in static compositions.
There is no variety, nothing attracts
2 of thirds
Focuses lie at either a division of
1/3, or at an intersection between a
3 thirds
The focus has been nudged
slightly off the third divisions, but is
the eye in any particular direction. We horizontal and vertical 1/3 divider. This is not on an even divide. This generates
look at the focus of the image, then an effective way to avoid placing a little more unpredictability, as we
move on. subjects in the centre of a composition. can create unusual shapes.

23
Basics

Desaturate
7. Compose with value Don’t neglect using greys! They
might not seem fun, but
desaturated colours are
With good planning, we can use value to add clarity to important for making bright
our compositions, and create striking work colours stand out.

THERE ARE SO many ways that we can and midtones, with only a few small painting as they are key to showing
manipulate value to compose a painting. areas being black. depth and space. When one object
Here are four techniques that can overlaps another, it shows that there is a
generate more visual interest in tonal High contrast vs low contrast distance between them. Look for ways to
compositions in your landscapes. Try It is a good idea to combine areas of high increase overlaps in your images.
them out in your paintings. and low contrast in a composition. If
everything was high contrast, Empty vs busy
Uneven areas of value nothing would stand out. High contrast It is good to have a balance of empty
By picking which values are most and areas can create a focal point, whilst less spaces to more detailed, busy ones to
least common, we can create interest by intense contrasts can generate leading create a visual contrast. Don’t be afraid
breaking the composition unevenly in lines. to leave large areas as empty sky or
terms of the area different values take up shadow – they will let more detailed focal
– try to ensure one value is rarely used. Overlaps points shine in your scenes, capturing
In the example, there are lots of lights Overlaps are essential in drawing and the viewer’s attention.

Uneven Overlaps

1 areas of value
Large areas of
midtones and lights
3 These reeds in the
foreground help
push the idea of space
balance the more limited by overlapping the water
use of dark tones across and the reeds on the
the whole composition opposite bank

2
3
High vs Empty

2 low contrast
Light and dark
tones are right next to
1 4 vs busy
Here a large
area of light tone has
each other at this focal been left to give the
point, balanced by busier central area space
contrast diminishing to to breathe
the sides
Credit: Lancelot Richardson

24
 Composition

8. Compose with Contrast

Besides value, saturation and
hue, we can use other elements

colour contrast to create contrast such as

pattern, texture and edges.

Credit: Vincent Van Gogh (Pushkin Museum, Moscow)

Hue and saturation are key elements of colour
that can create contrast in our compositions
LET’S START BY clarifying what hue is a kind of muddy, not very bright
and saturation are, as they accompany orange. This would be our brown. (Of
value in creating and reproducing any course, there are many browns – some
specific colour we see. redder, some more yellow.)
Hue is the place that a colour is on the You can use hue and saturation to
spectrum, or on a colour wheel. This is create contrast in an image, just like
pretty straightforward if you have a value. In general, that which is closer to
bright blue or red – the hue is blue, or us, is more saturated. There are a lot of In this Van Gogh painting, red and
red. It gets tricky when you get a brown – directions to experiment in here, as we green contrasts create focal points
where does that sit on the colour wheel? have a lot of variables. Using variations in
This is where saturation comes in. Say hue and saturation, it is possible to Experiment with these properties,
you have a continuum between grey, no create compositions with little value and don’t be afraid to exaggerate the
colour at all, and lurid, bright orange. In contrast, because our eyes can use colours you see to create interesting
between the grey and the orange, there those elements to discern shapes. colour relationships.

Composing for different contrasts

Here value, saturation and hue are used to create contrasts in the same subject

1
Value

2
Saturation

3
Hue
This composition has muted Saturated colours around Here contrast is more focused
colours, but has plenty of the shed and the cart wheels on the colour itself, with the
contrast from the relationship give them more visual dominance. yellow wheel being surrounded by
between the dark shadows and the Note how the red and yellow purple shadow and the red cart with
lights of the items in the shed, and the areas are neighboured by greys to green. Complementary colours
dark bucket in the light grass. maximise this. create the maximum hue contrast.

25
 Basics

9. Low key vs high key Limit it

Limited palettes are great for
colour unity. If you find yourself
often having to fight clashing
Being able to control the ‘key’ of our images allows us to colours, cut down to 3-4 colours,
restrict and control colour to create bright or dark pictures plus white.

A FULL VALUE RANGE encompasses In high-key images, to keep from using and will keep things colourful and bright.
the white of the Sun to the blackness of a shadows, it helps to avoid blacks unless Whilst not a golden rule, there is a
cave; however, we cannot achieve that absolutely neccessary, and instead tendency for hue and saturation
when we draw or paint. White paint is substitute dark areas for saturated contrasts to dominate high-key scenes.
never going to be as white as a light, and colours. A common trick is to put reds, The opposite is true of low-key images
black paint, dark as it seems, is still purples or blues into the shadows, as – here we restrict the use of white
brighter than an unlit cave. So we are they look darker than yellows, oranges through the majority of the composition.
limited by our materials already. and greens. This helps imply shadow Often to lighten colour mixes, we can add
‘Key’ is a term is picture-making that without pushing into a wider value range, yellow or occasionally a bright red, to lift
describes the value range an image them, before resorting to using white.
occupies. Selecting a key is to limit our
value range even more. A high-key image
“Sometimes Sometimes artists will have a small
splash of light colour for dramatic
is bright, and will not have many, if any,
black areas on it. A low-key image is dark,
artists will have a contrast. Low key images tend to rely
more on value contrast, as different hues
and will generally not have anything small splash of are hard to make out.
brighter than a mid-tone, though it many
have some light colours accenting it. light colour”
Credit: John Russell (National Gallery of Australia)

High key painting by John

Russell; lights dominate the

Credit: George Inness (Art Institute of Chicago)

composition

Low key
painting by
George Inness;
note how nothing
is lighter
than yellow

26
 Composition

10. Find a focus with contrast

The eyes are always drawn to the part of the image with the
most contrast – this is a focal point
THERE ARE MANY creative ways to use mild version of these – you can lead the of thumb to pairing complementary
colour to generate contrast. Often these eye with contrasts that are more or less colours is to pair a saturated one with an
techniques can work well by changing intense. Treat it like a balancing act. unsaturated one. This maintains the
value, but will add additional vibrancy to contrast – now you have saturation
your compositions if you use colour Contrasting edges contrasts as well – without becoming
constrasts. Using these compositional When two colours that contrast each garish. To include:
techniques requires some thoughtful other are placed side by side, they create
balancing; if you have complementary an edge. This is especially effective for Flagging of focal point
and high value contrasts all happening in complementary colours – colours that One way to create a clear focal point is by
the same picture with several different oppose each other on the colour wheel. surrounding it with a contrasting value or
focuses, things will start to look Often it is too jarring to use two fully colour. This helps create a silhouette that
cluttered. Remember that you can do saturated colours to do this. A rough rule a viewer can quickly recognise, and
works well if you want the focus to be on
a specific object, such as a recognisable
tree, or man-made item.

The odd one out

Difference is another way to attract
attention. If we have a recurring shape or
object, creating a version that is different
Credit: Lancelot Richardson

to the rest will generate an effective

focus. This can be done by changing the
object entirely, or creating a different
This composition uses colour or value. For instance, placing a
complementary colours to yellow flower in a bed of predominantly
create a focal point. red and pink ones will ensure the eye
travels to that point.

Composing with colour contrasts

These steps show how colour contrasts can be incorporated into the construction of a composition.

Contrasting edges Focal point Odd ones out

1 Red and green colour contrasts

create an immediate focal point
in this compositional sketch. Different
2 The saturation of the red and
green has been increased in the
top left, creating a focal point. This is
3 In the row of white flowers that
are sprinkled across the
composition, there are a few red ones
colour edges have been introduced balanced by making these colours duller to emphasise the focal point. Note
by using a saturated red above the along the top edge of the bush. that these flowers are distributed in
green and a desaturated red below. an uneven way.

27
Basics

Colour theory
Whether you have half an hour or an afternoon to spare, follow these quick,
simple and fun tips to start experimenting with your art today!

Create a colour theory

chart to improve
your colour mixing
GETTING TO GRIPS with colour theory
can seem a little bit too much like
learning maths or science. You may feel
you just want to be creative and express
yourself, not work out calculations. But
colour theory is one of the fundamental
things you need to learn in order to
progress and grow as an artist. Read on
to create a colour theory chart that will
transform your creative life.

ROB LUNN
Bath, UK
Rob is a self-taught painter,
and loves painting in oils. His
influences are Vincent Van
Gogh, Caravaggio and Ilya
Repin. He has been teaching
art workshops since 2012.
www.roblunn.co.uk
You can read every book on colour theory, but there is no
substitute for getting stuck in. This exercise should help
Follow these steps... you take control of your colour mixing.

1 2
1
Your medium Materials
2
The following exercise can I recommend using an A2
be completed with acrylic, oil piece of quality cartridge
or watercolour paints, but paper, but you could scale the
colouring pencils are best. Not exercise down. Draw a square of
only do you just need the pencils 300x300mm (12x 12in). Then
themselves – there’s no need for divide that square up into 12
water, spirits, brushes or a equal parts (the squares
palette – but they’re are also a lot should be 25x25mm or 1x1in).
less messy than other mediums. Starting from the bottom left
And they’re portable, so this corner, mark 1–12 running
exercise can be completed on horizontally and vertically as
the bus if need be! shown in this image.

28
 Colour theory

The spectrum

3 The wonderful thing about

the spectrum is how the
colours all work together.
4

Understanding the relationships

between the colours is key to
getting great results while
mixing. Using the lovely Derwent
Procolour pencils, I chose the
The diagonal

4
following 12 colours to represent
the full spectrum: Start with the bottom
01: Ultramarine (31) left corner (square 1–1)
02: Midnight Blue (40) and shade it in with the
3 03: Racing Green (44) Ultramarine (31) pencil. If
04: Grass Green (49) you’re using good-quality
05: Primrose Yellow (02) pencil, a light touch is all
06: Buttercup Yellow (03) that’s needed. This will be one
Fix up, look sharp 07: Middle Chrome (08) of our ‘pure’ colour squares.
Keeping your pencil sharp is vital when drawing, sketching 08: Spectrum Orange (10) There will be a line of ‘pure’
or colouring. If you like to use a long-leaded pencil then a 09: Primary Red (12) colour squares running in a
new scalpel blade is key. Never skimp on changing your 10: Plum (15) diagonal from the bottom-left
blades, they’re cheaper than good quality pencil leads. 11: Imperial Purple (26) up to the top-right as the two
12: Dark Violet (27) sets of colours converge.

Extending colours

5 Now it’s time to extend the Ultramarine line

out horizontally and vertically. Still try to
shade each square as an individual, though – it will
5

help keep them consistent and stop you from

making some much darker than others. Don’t worry
about going over the lines, just give it a nice relaxed
feel. And don’t get too uptight while laying down
your colour; it should be fun.

A new colour Colour chart

6 Move to colour 2, square

2-2, colour in this
square as one of your ‘pure’
7

7 As you move into the

oranges and reds, the
effects of the 12-step
colours. Then add Midnight colour mixing wheel becomes
Blue in squares 1-2 and 2-1. more apparent. See how the
Continue with the rest of the colours that are opposite each
colours, colouring in the ‘pure’ other on the 12-step wheel
square first and then the seem to ‘cancel’ and ‘grey
surrounding colours. As you’re each other down’ when mixed
starting off with the blues and together. This effect of
greens, the initial effect of desaturating the colour is one
mixing won’t be obvious at of the cornerstones of
first, but stick with it. effective colour mixing.

29
Basics

Tips & techniques

Keep watercolours fresh and loose
THERE are many things that contribute don’t plan to do any over-painting. I avoid
to the attractive and free nature of painting anywhere twice, until I have ANDREW PITT
Suffolk, UK
watercolour, but here we’ll concentrate painted everything once. And I don’t
Andrew started painting when
on the simplest and most basic: how to correct as I go along either– I wait until he was 11. He is a self-taught
apply the paint to the paper. the end, when it is easier to judge the painter who lives in Suffolk and
I’ve found the easiest way to make the passages that haven’t quite gone to plan. is well known for his plein air
paint look happy on the paper is to touch Remember, we are all trying to narrow paintings and simple style.
www.andrewpitt.co.uk
the paper once. That is, I know how I want the gap between our vision and the
my picture to look straight away, and execution of our vision.

Fishermen’s Sheds, Suffolk

An advantage of this one-wash
method is I don’t have to paint in
any set order, plus I remain
interested and committed. It’s an
enjoyable way of painting.

30
 Tips

Follow these steps...

To get a fresh-looking watercolour

Sketch it out

1 The purpose of my preliminary

drawing is to ensure the image
fits the paper. As my aim – and I
1 2

don’t always succeed – is to go for

the end straight away, I can start
anywhere I like. I don’t paint to a set
formula, but I do like to begin
somewhere small and easy.

Get painting

2 I decide to leave the sky until later.

I like to feel my way before tackling large
areas. I continue to paint the sheds and some of the
greens, all the while going for the final look in one
wash. I also keep varying my colour to add interest.

Make the sky

3 The sky is painted in one go on dry paper.

Starting at the top, I work down and across,
and I use the paper to separate the clouds – the
flecks of unpainted paper add life and movement.

4
Add the details
Finally, I add selected detail – masts, figures,
shadows and texture. I avoid tidying up my
picture, in fact, I often ‘muck it up’. I think this adds
life – I certainly don’t start painting everywhere
again. That is guaranteed to muddy fresh washes.

31
Basics

Paint vibrant petals

in watercolour
FLOWERS are always lovely subjects
to paint, but their complex petals can
often be difficult to get right. By looking
at the contrasting effects of highlights,
midtones and shadows on a single
petal, I will show you how to get a more
realistic, tonal appearance with just a
few techniques, and only three basic
mixes on the palette. WATCH THE
VIDEO
http://bit.ly/pad_petals

JARNIE GODWIN
London, UK Mixing shadow tones
Working as a botanical I always mix my own shadow tones using transparent red, With the fine details
watercolour artist, tutor and introduced, the
blue and yellow. Mixing the three primary colours together
blogger, Jarnie is known for complex tones and
her quirky compositions will always create black. Many premixed greys contain highlights emphasise
of imperfect subjects. opaque pigments that can dull a mix. the shape further, giving
www.sketchbooksquirrel.com a more realistic finish.

Follow these steps...

1 2 3 4

First wash The midtone Details Build depth

1 After laying a glaze of

clean water, I drop in the
lightest colour. While the
2 Now onto the midtone,
which will form the
actual colour of the petal.
3 Shadows offer the
deepest tones and
will give the petal a three-
4 Working wet on dry, I
apply the deepest
colour only where I want it.
glaze is still wet, I continue to Working as before, I let the dimensional appearance. This builds more depth and
build up the tone where I need water glaze settle before Another glaze helps the darkest movement with several
to by adding more touches of dropping in the second paint spread, softly building the layers of paint. I also soften
paint several times. Lifting colour. Keeping the paint deeper tones, and creating the edges with a clean, damp
colour with a clean, damp away from the brightest higher contrast and tone. With brush. The characteristic
brush maintains any highlight, I leave plenty of more variation and contrast it markings are softened with
highlights and softens the the first wash visible. Again, I will look more lifelike. At this several complex overglazes,
finish. Let each layer dry use a clean, damp brush to stage, wet-on-dry details can made by mixing the hues on
before applying the next. lift off any unwanted colour. also be introduced. the palette together.

32
 Tips

Paint spring foliage

using a dry brush
watercolour technique

THIS PROCESS shows a method for

depicting trees when you want your
foliage and branches unified as one.
It’s the effect we generally get when
looking towards the light. You’ll see less
‘internal’ detail and variation of tone
and colour. Things become silhouetted
and it’s more the outside edges of
shapes that define them.

JEM BOWDEN

Follow these steps...

1 2 3

Paint the trunk Branch out Add your foliage

1 It’s best to use either Rough or Not

surface paper for this effect. Load a
medium-sized brush with fairly thick
2 Using the tip of the brush, draw
out some fine lines as the
branches of the tree. However, don’t
3 Next, use the side of your brush
without re-loading it, so it’s quite
dry. Test on some scrap paper first,
paint, then begin the tree by squashing add too many – just think of the biggest before dragging the brush across the
the brush against the paper firmly at the branches. At the moment the tree looks surface of the paper. If you’re happy, start
base of its ivy-covered trunk. Drag the like a winter one, but in the next step at the outside of the tree and make drags
brush quickly upwards along its length, we’ll add the budding spring foliage inwards. You may have to press the brush
so it leaves a mark that’s broken by the – you’ll see that you don’t need to paint a bit, but go cautiously at first. It can
paper surface. hundreds of branches. almost be like shading with a crayon.

A little more
4
4 Use the same method to describe
the hedgerow. Mix up your marks
using the side and tip of the brush,
pressing down firmly as you drag when
you need a stronger, more solid mark.
Finally, dampen the brush to enable you
to make a cleaner edge along the bottom
of the hedgerow where it meets the
grass. This will contrast nicely with the
rougher top edge.

33
Basics

Follow these steps...

For a core shadows lighting key

1
Since I’m concerned
with light and shade here,
I try to merge areas that
will share shadows, and focus
less on rendering detail in
those areas. Look for values
that are already close and join
My grandfather looking
them across objects.
on, when he helped to build
Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge Background shapes especially
in the late ’50s. will become simple outlines
containing a single tone.

2 3
How to convey
bright sunlight
TO CREATE the effect of strong sunlight,
start with locating core shadows – the
darkest areas of shadow in your picture.
Look around your scene and identify
every place where these shadows occur.
Don’t get hung up on individual objects
– just look at where the deep shadows
are happening. Often these areas will flow
together across several objects, so don’t
be afraid to join the shadows together.
Start painting by laying in these core
shadows throughout the scene, and try

2
to minimise transitions to lighter values. With the dark core
The result will be a dark/light interplay shadows on the figure
that already conveys the essence of your laid in without much
scene. This is how our eyes see in bright transitional edge shading, we
light, especially when coming from a already have a feeling of bright
dimmer environment – we tend to light. We’ve established a value
interpret everything as a high-contrast range to work between –
play of light and shadow. darkest to lightest – and can
This will create a key that can be used begin filling in the rest of the
to build your image. Work back up the areas based on this range.
value scale from your core shadow value.

3
For each element, ask yourself where it Now it’s large fields of mid-tone
falls between the core shadow and your colours. Thinking of each object as a
lightest value. Where possible, push the pattern of shadow and light helps
light values together in the same way, point me to rendering solutions. I use
tending towards the light end of the scale. watercolour pencils for details and to adjust
some of the deeper shadow colours that
weren’t consistent enough. This will help
DAVE BRASGALLA unify the various elements.

34
 Tips

My edges became too strong as I coloured

the forms, so I had to carefully pull out most
of those dark accumulations of pigment.

Merged shapes, colours and the outlines of

forms convey this boat and its occupants,
making a strong compositional base to build
detail onto.

Create more interesting compositions

A REWARDING technique that can safely omitted – for instance, the
drive your compositions in new silhouettes of the passengers is all that’s
directions is to push compositional needed to convey them. We read their DAVE BRASGALLA
Stockholm, Sweden
elements of the same value together forms easily as people, with almost no Dave is an illustrator and
and then let the colour flow freely detail given. graphic designer who also
throughout the new, more complex I’ve let the general value of the boat loves to pursue personal
shapes that are formed. You can even lift hull bleed up into the sail, into the projects using traditional
painting media.
out bits of pigment within these areas to passengers, and also down into the
www.pixelhuset.se
create lovely effects. waves. I pulled out a bit of pigment along
This is a good mental exercise the upper edge of the boat, so that it
because it encourages us to think in would be clearer, plus that element has
terms of the overall composition, rather such a nice curve. Taking the shapes Lif t off!
than potentially getting lost by focusing further, I would probably darken the An effective watercolour technique is to
too much on single details. main sail area all the way up. create detail by lifting out areas of pigment.
In this scene, I thought that the boat, At any rate, it’s now ready to go in and Use a brush with water to carefully wet the
its sail and passengers made a nice I can polish it where needed, as the basic areas to be lifted, then daub off the pigment
arrangement that could be combined forms are now strong and the image with a paper towel. Experiment to discover
into a single, more complex shape. The already makes a distinctive and what different results can be produced.
key here is deciding which details can be recognisable impression.

35
Basics

Negative
painting in
watercolour
NEGATIVE PAINTING
refers to painting the negative
shapes that define positive
ones. This is especially
important with traditional
watercolour, where painting
things as light-against-dark
means the white of the paper
must be preserved (rather
than using white paint as is
Some darks-against-lights were
done with opaque media). So,
added at the end of this watercolour
instead of painting the object, sketch, but first I did the negative
you paint the object’s painting, as I describe below.
background.

1
Follow these steps...
1
JEM BOWDEN The sky and ground
Bristol, England This is a simple demonstration of a
Jem paints and teaches useful exercise. First, paint a
watercolour full time, with rectangular section of paper with a
a focus on landscapes. He
two-colour wash, blue at the top and a
gives demonstrations, runs
workshops, and tutors on pale hay colour at the bottom. They can
residential painting holidays. blend together for a soft-edged join.
http://bit.ly/jembowden Don’t worry about perfection, but aim
for half and half of each colour. Now let
the paper dry completely.

2 3 4

2 3 4
Add the hedgerow Up and down Try scraping
Using a thick dark green mix and a Now use a combination of Here’s another negative-painting
large synthetic brush (which will downwards and upwards brush method for some fence posts.
enable you to work quickly), paint in two strokes at the bottom of the hedge First, briskly make horizontal and
bits of hedgerow. These overlap where sections. Here you’re defining the long vertical scrape marks in the still-damp
the background colours merge. You can grass and weeds in front of the hedge, hedge. I find a fingernail works well for
draw the main shapes in pencil first if and you have to think negatively while this, but you could try anything hard,
you like, but here I’m just drawing with being quick! In addition, paint a gate, such as a matchstick. The relatively thick
the brush, which is good practice for posts and some growth on top of the paint will lift off to reveal the underlying
mark-making. hedge. You need to do all this while the wash, and voilà – you have your lights-
paint is still wet. against-darks!

36
 Negative and night sky

Follow these steps...

Create stars with masking fluid

It can be a satisfying
challenge to capture the
essence of nature and
reproduce it on paper.

Create a sparkling night Create the stars

sky with watercolour
2

1 First, I place light yellow and blue

spots on very wet watercolour
paper. It will form the colour of the stars.
WATERCOLOUR is an incredible I then dry the paper using a hairdryer.
medium that can be used to make the Then I add masking fluid using a
most magical and unique images. It can toothbrush, as shown above. These
create anything – a bright sunny day as spatters will soon be stars! I remove any
well as a deep dark night. unnecessary drops and let the paper
Here, we’ll create a mysterious starry dry. Note that the masking fluid should
night using watercolour and masking dry completely before we can proceed.
fluid. The latter is an interesting and
Paint the sky

2
relatively new medium for me. To create
the randomness of stars, I will spray it I then wet the paper again to paint
onto paper using an old toothbrush. a gradient. I place the dark colours
When this stage is done, I can colour the on the top and mix them with warm
sky with dark shades and different tones. tones near the horizon. I use Payne’s
The branches of trees will then cover Grey, Perylene Violet, Permanent
some parts of the sky, especially near the Mauve, Manganese Blue Hue,
horizon. Where the background goes Ultramarine, Phthalo Blue, Orange and
dark, I can paint the branches in a lighter Lemon-Yellow colours. Then, I add a
colour. Dark on light and light on dark is a yellow and blue glow around stars. They
great method to enhance a painting. are still masked, so I paint around the
I’m using a wet-in-wet technique masking fluid.
here, but note that masking fluid should
be used on dry paper only. Any small 3
details can be painted on the dry paper
too. And, remember, to save time you can
always use a hairdryer.

OLGA STERNYK

The end result

Beware the masking fluid!
Before using masking fluid for watercolour,
cover your brush with soap. This will prevent
3 It’s now time to remove the
masking fluid using an
eraser. I paint tree branches using
the masking fluid from sticking to your brush. dark tones, and wash out a few
However, as a precaution, it’s best not to use branches with a wet flat synthetic
your favourite brush for it. You can also use brush so they are visible on the
the end of brush handle to apply the fluid. dark background. Every time I
erase masking fluid it feels like a
miracle! We are now done.

37
Basics

Mix greens from basic pigments

for a more natural effect
THROUGHOUT YEARS of working as a but even though it’s a fairly subtle colour
professional artist, I have experimented it can overwhelm more delicate MARGARET MERRY
with a number of purchased greens but pigments. Here, I would like to Almeria, Spain
After studying at Falmouth
have always found them unsatisfactory. demonstrate how a wide range of
Art School, Hornsey College
Viridian is useful, but only for seascapes. pleasant greens can be obtained from of Art and Bristol University,
On rare occasions I use Hookers Green, mixing basic pigments. Margaret has worked as a
artist specialising in
watercolour and pastel. She
now paints in Spain.
http://bit.ly/pad_merry

38
 Colour mixing

Ultramarine Blue Ultramarine Blue Ultramarine Blue

& Lemon Yellow & Yellow Ochre & Cadmium Yellow

Cobalt Blue & Cobalt Blue & Cobalt Blue &

Lemon Yellow Yellow Ochre Cadmium Yellow

Ultramarine Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt

Lemon Yellow & Burnt Lemon Yellow & Raw Umber & Yellow Ochre
Sienna Sienna

Getting stronger

2 For the trees and bushes below the

church and their reflections in the
water, I needed even stronger greens. In
2

order to create a feeling of perspective,

I warmed up the colours using Burnt
Umber and Burnt Sienna. These
pigments blended very well with the
Ultramarine mixture and they did not

Follow these steps...

lose their transparency. By allowing
clean water to flow into the wet paint, the
pigments separated and produced a
Vary intensity

1
pleasant effect.
When creating the painting above,
Soft versus strong

3
the greens needed to be stronger as I 3
approached the foreground. I used I wanted soft greens for this
Ultramarine mixed with Lemon Yellow painting depicting a Cornish spring
and a touch of Raw Sienna, with but for stronger, summer greens I would
highlights of Cadmium Yellow and have used Cadmium Yellow, as well as
Cadmium Orange. The latter are strong Lemon mixed with Ultramarine. Monestial
pigments and must be used with care. Blue (Phthalo Blue) also produces a
To vary the intensity of colours, I painted strong, bright green when mixed with
freely using plenty of clean water to dilute Lemon Yellow. It’s a sharper, more acid
the paint. The trees were given a loose blue than Cobalt or Ultramarine and a
treatment to avoid too much detail. useful addition to the palette.

39
Basics

Combine hard and soft edges

for effective watercolour clouds
DISTANT CLOUDS in the sky can 1
appear to have hard edges in places and
soft edges elsewhere. Often the sun
striking their tops will make these hard
edges stand out, with the shadowed
undersides appearing to blend softly into
the blue sky. Watercolour is ideal for
capturing this effect, and I’ll show you
how simply it can be done.

Follow these steps...

JEM BOWDEN

1
Kent, UK
Make an outline
Jem is a watercolour Mark out a section of paper to practise
landscape artist and tutor, on. Then, as a guide, lightly draw the
who enjoys working outdoors. outline of a single cloud as shown, although
He provides workshops, there’s no need to do so if you can visualise
demonstrations, individual
tuition and teaches on
the shape without it. I’ve also marked an
residential painting breaks. area at the bottom of the cloud shape
jembowdenwatercolour.co.uk where I’m going to wet the paper.

I used this method

here, doing all
clouds at once, but
with some grey
instead of clean
water. The pencil
guide lines enabled
very quick painting!

40
 Clouds

Prepare the paint Paint the sky

2

2 Mix a dilute wash of blue using a

wash brush. Ensure there’s more
than enough so you won’t run out
3 Quickly pick up the first brush and
paint the blue sky above your
cloud. Here, you’re defining the top of
halfway through. Then once your brush is your cloud, which will be hard edged.
pre-loaded with the paint and ready to be Make sure you don’t go down as low as
used, put it down. Next, using a separate, the clean water! Continue down both
clean brush, quickly lay down some clean sides of the shape, eventually letting the
water over the area inside the dotted line paint touch the wet area at its base. Then
shown in step 1. Make sure the area is move on to the next step as quickly as
thoroughly wet. you can!

Prioritise speed
over shape
Don’t worry too much about
the actual shape of clouds.
Instead focus more on the
relative sizes and spacing,
which you could draw out
lightly to guide you. Speed
with the brush is necessary
for getting those soft edges.

Create the cloud

4

4 Speed is of the essence! Draw

your brush directly through the
wetted area at the base of the cloud to
join up with the sides. Don’t fuss or try
to make things even. If you’ve done it
quickly enough, the clear water may
run down slightly randomly, creating
some ‘flow’ along the bottom edge.
Relax and let it do its thing.

41
Basics

How to paint shadows I’m fascinated by old, rural

buildings, especially when
in watercolour they feature colourful doors,
such as this one. The
while maintaining intriguing patterns of the
shadows were a bonus.
transparency
SOMETIMES a fairly unremarkable
subject can be transformed into an
interesting composition when there’s
a strong contrast between light and
shadow, as in this painting of an old An alternat ive
rural building with the sun shining to Chinese white
through the bougainvillea. I’ll describe I sometimes use white casein
how I set about painting the patterns paint , made from milk protein
created by the shadows. (Pelikan), to correct errors or
add finishing touches such as
highlights. I dislike Chinese
white because of its opacity
MARGARET MERRY
Almeria, Spain and tendency to dull colours,
After studying at Falmouth and find casein far more
Art School, Hornsey College compatible with watercolour.
of Art and Bristol University Take care not to overuse this
Margaret has worked as a
technique, though, or the
artist specialising in
watercolour and pastel. She watercolour will gradually
now paints in Spain. lose its transparency.
http://bit.ly/pad_merry

Follow these steps...

Paint the base Colour mixing Make the shadows

1 First, I make a preliminary drawing

that’s fairly detailed, but omitting
the shadows – I’ll paint these last. I then
2 When I’ve finished painting the
first layers of my composition, I
mix the grey with which I intend to paint
3 Shadows need to be painted
rapidly and with fluidity of paint. If
they’re overworked then the effect will
eliminate most of the white of the paper the patterns cast by the shadows. This be spoilt, which is why I didn’t draw them
with a transparent layer of Raw sienna mixture comprises Ultramarine blue, before I began applying the watercolour.
and touches of Burnt sienna. When this Alizarin crimson and Raw sienna and The shadows on the walls of the building
base is completely dry, I paint the door with it, by varying the amount of water are painted first. I allow plenty of clean
and the furniture, along with the leaves and the pigments, a wide range of greys water to flow into the paint while it’s still
of the overhanging bougainvillea, leaving can be achieved. Because I’m using the wet to give transparency. Note how the
blank spaces for the flowers to be same pigments for the preliminary pigments have separated to create a
painted in later. painting, I maintain the colour harmony. more interesting effect.

1 2 3

Darker shadows

4 I paint the darker shadows using the same technique as before, drawing the patterns
with single brushstrokes and again allowing clean water to flow into the still-wet paint.
The advantage of using a limited palette of basic pigments is that you can apply extra layers
without the base layer bleeding through, such as in the shadow on the basket. I paint in the
bougainvillea flowers with Opera rose (Sennelier) as the finishing touch.

42
 GET INSPIRED BY INCREDIBLE
AND UNIQUE FANTASY ART
Take a peek inside the minds of artists from all over the world as they share
their designs and creations in The Ultimate Sketchbook Collection alongside
some handy tutorials to help you improve your own sketching.

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Basics

Create texture in watercolour

with a plastic credit card
LIVING SO NEAR to the wonderful very effective with watercolours, but With a little practice, a range of
coast of North Cornwall, there are was developed from experimenting with different types of rocks – from rounded
always some interesting textures and a palette knife and oils back in the ’60s pebbles to the sharp angles of Cornish
shapes to be found in the natural at art college. slate – are easily and quickly obtainable.
landscape. And I have the found the As an artist who works with many I like using an old credit card cut in half,
technique of creating rocks, cliffs and different media, this cross-referencing of as it provides a sharp corner, as well as a
waves using an old credit card (cut in techniques is exciting and brings new softer one, giving a variety of options with
half) to be invaluable. This method is ways of achieving unexpected results. the final marks.

TONY HOGAN
Cornwall, UK
Artist Tony also organises art
holidays. After art college, he
embarked on a career in
commercial art, and returned
to painting in the 1970s.
www.hoganart.co.uk

A completed Cornish beach watercolour

The clouds were scratched out using the
credit card, as were the crashing waves
and cliffs. I painted in the figures later.

44
 Texture

Follow these steps...

Use a credit card to create great natural textures

Wet-in-wet

1 Working from light to dark,

I quickly paint three colours
one on top of the other, wet-in-
1 2

wet. Make sure the top layer is

dark (the darker it is, the better
the result) – often I use indigo at
this stage. Importantly, while the
three paints are still wet, I grip
the credit card firmly and scratch
into the surface, cutting back to
earlier colours and highlights.

Different edges

2 Here you can see how I’ve developed these

large rocks on a Cornish beach with just the
credit card technique. Again, working quickly while the
paint is still wet, I turn the card off the corners and use
the flat side to catch the lower part of the rocks. I now
have what is a delightful reflection in a pool of water!

Using colours

3 I create the cliffs and headlands in a similar

way, by painting a selection of at least three
colours from light to dark. However, here I’ve kept
the darks to the lower area, allowing the fresh
greens of the headland to be accentuated. My
selection of colours are determined each time by
the view and light on the day.

Be bold and decisive

I always start with a positive mindset – just going for it
rather than worrying about the result before I have even
started! Years of experimenting (and many binned
paintings) have since brought successful results.

45
Basics

Preparing paper for Follow these steps...

wet-in-wet watercolour Fixing paper on a drawing board

1
THERE ARE many ways you can stretch 1 Place your watercolour paper on
paper onto a drawing board. First, it’s the board and measure 3cm from its
worth remembering that when paper edges. Mark up the corners, too, as
gets wet, it increases in size slightly. And shown. Now, use these marks to glue
as it dries, the whole sheet can become down your paper strips, applying the PVA
buckled if it isn’t fixed properly. That’s glue to the three outer edges of the strips
why securing it firmly is important before only. You now have a paper frame on your
working wet-in-wet. Here, I share one drawing board with a ‘window’ inside, and
method I use often to achieve the effects the outer edges of this window secured.
I like for my paintings. It also works for

2
dry paintings as well. Place the watercolour 2
You can use this method for a new paper down centrally
sheet of paper at the start of a painting or and mark the corners, as
to flatten a finished painting. I’ve used shown, then remove it. Wait a
Saunders Waterford Watercolour Paper couple of hours for the frame
(300gsm) and four strips of cheap paper to dry, using this time to soak
(with the same thickness as the your paper in water for about
watercolor paper), PVA glue, and my 10 minutes.
trusty wooden drawing board.

3
Lift the soaked sheet 3
from the water and place
it on a clean surface, face
OLGA STERNYK down. Dab off any excess water
Kyiv, Ukraine from the edges with paper
Art graduate Olga has towels. Try not to touch the rest
illustrated several books, and
of the sheet, as it’s important
has exhibited in Europe.
Having experimented with that it remains wet. If you dry
many mediums, she now the middle part, the sheet will
works mainly in watercolour. shrink before the glue dries in
www.sternyk.com the stretching process.

4
4 Take the board and
apply glue to the inner
part of the paper frame
up to the marked corners.
Place your wet paper in
position and leave it until the
paper dries completely. The
paper is now stretched and
ready to be painted on. If the
paper becomes wet and
there is ‘cockling’, it will now
become flat again after it
dries.

46
 Watercolour special
Wet

This painting employs a

lot of wet-in-wet
technique. The cloud
shadow over the land in
the background was
done following the three
steps below.

Get to grips with the wet-in-wet technique

WET-IN-WET is a technique that can
often cause frustration. This method is Follow these steps...
where additional paint is added into a wet How to control your wet-in-wet technique
section of the paper. Problems usually
arise from an inconsistent amount of To create soft-edged
water in the combined mixes. Paint may
disperse too wildly, or irregularities (such
as ‘runbacks’ – see box below) may
1 but controlled marks, the
paint that is added must
have a lower water content
1

result. These effects can be desirable, but than the area it is added into.
often they’re not wanted! As a quick exercise, you can
Once an area of paper has been squeeze out a small blob of
dampened by paint or water, usually not tube paint. Mix and quickly
much extra water will be needed in any lay down an area of wash (a
paint that is added into it. If the paper few inches square), using a
isn’t heavy, or pre-stretched onto board, very diluted mix of paint and
it may form bumps. Experiment by a fully loaded brush.
adding different dilutions into different
wetnesses of paper. Timing is important. 2 3
Adding undiluted tube paint into a wet
area helps gain control with the method,
so it’s a good starting point. The three-
step example illustrates this.

JEM BOWDEN

Straight away, hold Now, while the wash is

What is a ‘runback’?
Runback is also known as a cauliflower or
bloom, and is often a frustration! It occurs
2 your brush against an
absorbent rag or kitchen
paper, so almost all moisture is
3 still wet, paint some marks
into it and see how the
paint reacts. Here I’ve painted a
when laying a wash, and especially with wet- taken out of it. Then, onto the tree shape – the effect is that it
in-wet, if the paper is inconsistently damp. A tip of your brush pick up a blurs, as if out of focus. However,
wetter part pushes pigment at the edge of a generous amount of paint and the paint dispersal is minimal, the
dryer part into a characteristic wavy line. work it evenly into the tip using shape holds up and the effect is
a dry section of your palette. therefore controlled.

47
Tutorials

50 Working freely in watercolours

54 Winter farm
62 Capture spring light
in watercolour
68 Paint a dazzling landscape
74 Tips to paint vibrant water
78 Depict a luminous
harbour scene at dusk
84 Simple tips for an English
church in line and wash

48
49
Tutorials

Working freely Bristol, UK

JEM

Jem paints and teaches

watercolour full time, with

in watercolour
a focus on landscapes. He
gives demonstrations, runs
workshops, and tutors on
residential painting holidays.
http://bit.ly/jembowden

Jem Bowden used photos, plus a large helping

of artistic licence and traditional techniques, to
potential compositions as possible.
create a harmonious, impressionistic landscape Taking a lot of photos will give you
some facts about a place. From this you
can take or leave whatever you need to
create a painting that will work on its own
MINE IS A fairly impressionistic style of sounds and smells, and the compulsion terms. Use “artistic licence”, to move or
watercolour, where detail is less to work quickly. Working from photos, exclude items, change colours and so on.
important than a sound composition, however, allows for a bit more reflection, It’s a fun process, and you’ll see that even
good atmosphere and a bit of verve and with a different element of creativity and “bad” photos can be useful to you.
directness in the painting process. fun added to the process. In the stages I follow, the brushwork
In this way, I try to capture the overall Although this scene was sunny, is done swiftly, with regard for some
sense of a place, at the same time as there was a strong wind that would have important aspects of the photographic
allowing the medium itself to shine. I blown over my easel, so instead I walked reference but not restricted by it. Don’t
paint outdoors – “en plein air” – as often all around the scene, snapping it from worry about the result when painting,
as possible, as I like to interpret from life different angles, towards the light, away focus on the process! Enjoying your
with the influences of the weather, from the light, recording as many painting brings good results.

50
 Working freely

The reference photo Creating an initial

1 The photo has a nice atmosphere,
typical of the beach at Aldeburgh. I
like the composition in general because it
2 working sketch
First, I created a small watercolour
sketch. To lighten up the scene, I tried out
has depth. The eye is led into and around a sunnier sky. I also increased the size of
the scene by a series of virtual zigzags, the main boat, moved the crab baskets to
from foreground to distance. The sky is the left, and added a couple of figures by
interesting, and will be fun to paint. There the distant boat, to create more of a focal
are some bright colours we can make the point. I also changed that boat to a dark
most of, and some things we can change... one so it stands out. Finally, I put the whole
Have fun with “artistic licence” to improve background under the shade of a cloud.
on photos. Alter composition, contrast or This could work, but the sky could
colours, as necessary, to spice them up. contribute more. Let’s go for it!

Materials
Jem says working in the studio is different
from painting outdoors, but these materials
suit his traditional, impressionistic style...

n Winsor & Newton French Ultramarine,

Light Red, Indian Red, Cobalt Turquoise,
Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow
n Bockingford 200lb (NOT)
paper (56x38 cm)
n Squirrel hair “wash brushes” – great for
covering large areas quickly and easily
n Medium/large size (14) synthetic-hair
brush with a good point – ideal for

3 4
accurate painting and fine lines The exciting sky! Work fast with energy
n Large plastic mixing palette I draw out a horizon line with a soft Being careful to keep some white
n Board and easel 8B pencil. Having mixed plenty of paper where sun is catching, I add
n Soft pencil (8B) paint for the sky colours, I dive straight in. in a greyish mix of Light Red, French Ultra-
n Putty rubber First I wash on some Light Red near the marine and a bit of Indian Red (for variety)
bottom in a random fashion with the for shaded parts of clouds. This touches
medium mop brush. Using my large mop into the blue-sky areas “wet against wet”,
brush loaded with French Ultramarine, I so the two blend into soft edges. Where
put in blue-sky sections. I move the brush the blue or grey meet white paper there
fast to cover paper, looking at the photo are hard edges. Moving downwards I work
for inspiration but not copying it closely. into the Light Red areas I did first, which
It’s the general character we’re aiming for. are still damp, giving mainly soft edges.

51
Tutorials

6 7
The completed sky Sea and beach washes The main boat
5 This mix of edges is key to an
exciting watercolour technique. You
need to work fast, so make sure to have
I draw in the main shapes of boats
etc loosely in pencil. Next I add the
sea, in a similar blue to the sky and clouds,
My techniques are very traditional,
using the white of the paper and
the transparency of the medium to
plenty of paint mixed before starting. It’s a adding water to dilute the mix paler on the capture the light. Using the synthetic
good idea to practise on a small scale, on right. I let this dry before I paint the beach, brush I take thicker mixes of paint to get
scraps of watercolour paper. I wanted a starting in the distance and working down darker tones. Tube paints are essential
couple of bold “dark against light” clouds to the foreground, using first a mix of Light for this. It’s great fun using really thick
near where the background boat will be, to Red with a touch of blue, then pure Light paint! Don’t be afraid to go dark first time.
help draw the eye. Some marks may look Red towards the foreground. Before it’s Watercolour looks fresher if you don’t
a little stark, but don’t ever lose faith in a dry I add in some darker patches, Indian overlay more washes than necessary to
sky until you see it with land added. Red with French Ultramarine. build up tone.

Taking shape

8 The shadow is painted

in the same wash as the
boat hull, so they look unified.
Strong darks set off the lighter
tones and put the background
into its place. Other details on
the boat and in the background
are done loosely, in as few
brushstrokes as possible.

52
 Working freely

9
Bits of stuff and
background shadow
Next I paint the pile in the
foreground, not worrying about what
10 Adding in detail
Next I add marks that suggest
detail – some dots, some dry
brush marks (by dragging a brush quickly
11
Beach grasses
and further stuff
I move the beach-grass section
from the photo to where it best balances
it actually is! What’s important is the on its side), and a bit of judicious spatter. the composition in the painting. Again it
bright colours, which convey the notion Spattering is where you fling spots of paint is random shapes, allowing the key
of fishing gear. I put in a first wash for the from your brush by tapping it against your turquoise and orange colours to mix with
baskets on the left, using free, fast and other hand while holding it over the paper. the greenery. I swipe a couple of linear
random brushwork to suggest their form. Less is more with this. I did the line from marks with a fingernail. This reveals the
Next, a wash of grey goes over the whole the boat using the pointed tip of the pale underlying paper and can be done
background area, putting it into shade to synthetic brush, held high up the handle in relatively thick paint, when it is just
draw the eye with added contrast. and swiped from the wrist. beginning to dry. Give it a go!

Finishing touches

12 To complete the
scene I add a bit more
random detail to the baskets
on the left, dot some distant
birds into the sky and put a
cheeky gull on the main boat,
for a key bit of focal interest.
When all is dry, I remove the
pencil lines with a putty rubber.
Aim for fresh and loose by
resisting details and keeping
your eye on the bigger picture.

53
Tutorials

54
 Winter

Winter farm
Using his unique '5 Cs of Painting', Robert Newcombe demonstrates
how to paint a snow scene in watercolour from a sketch

55
 Tutorials

ROBERT
Ravenstone, UK
Materials
Robert Newcombe has been n Winsor and Newton
painting in watercolour for over (Professional Water Colour
30 years. On 3 June 2012 Robert range): Burnt Sienna, Burnt
was selected by the BBC as one of Umber, Cobalt Blue,
20 artists to paint the Diamond
Jubilee Thames Pageant from the
Ultramarine Blue, Brown
Millennium Bridge in London. Madder, Light Red, Indian
www.robertnewcombeartist.com Red, Cadmium Red,
Permanent Magenta or
Alizarin Crimson and
Winsor Blue (green shade)
n Brushes – a one inch Hake
brush for the broad washes
and Escoda Perla (8 and 12)
for the architectural details
and a rigger brush for the
trees
n Paper – Whatman Not
140lb (300gsm), size
one-quarter Imperial (11 x 15
I WAS IN the English Lake District in the the reddish-grey stone walls of the inches) – Whatman is
early 1980s just after I had taken up farmhouse and assortment of barns. I whiter than some
watercolour painting as a hobby. It was added some colour notes. I didn’t realise watercolour paper and is
late November and there had been a until many years later that Skelgill Farm is ideal for snow scenes
fresh fall of snow. Taking the road towards mentioned in Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of n 2B pencil
Derwent Water I came across this Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, with a drawing of part n Putty rubber
magnificent view of Skelgill Farm; it was of the farm by the author as an
too cold to paint but I did a ten-minute illustration. I will now use my '5 Cs of
sketch of the scene shown in step 1 with a Painting' to show you how I develop a
felt-tip pen, using a soft pencil to shade in unique interpretation of this subject.

1
The sketch
The concept (the first C) is a
Lake District farm under
snow. The subject is
predominantly cool with a
brilliant winter sun coming from
the front-left, which lights up the
front of the farmhouse and
barns creating strong shadows.

Snow paint
Snow paintings are a gift for
watercolourists as the white
of the paper represents the
snow (no white paint) but the
critical skill is to preserve the
white paper.

56
 Winter

The pencil drawing

2 Composition is the next C and refers
to the design of the painting. I felt it
was a perfect composition. The snow-
covered roof of the farmhouse contrasts
with the dark yew tree at the centre of
interest, there are some lovely autumn/
winter trees and the sloping ground adds to
the character of the subject. The mountain
(Catbells), which gives distance and depth,
will be put in directly with the brush. I raise
the horizon in the drawing to give more
prominence to the foreground snow.

The tonal scale

3 The next C is 'contrast' or tone

values. On the left of a fresh sheet of
watercolour paper I create a five-value
tonal scale using squares, numbering the
squares from 1 to 5. Tone 1 is the white of
the paper; Tone 5 is the darkest tone I can
get with Ultramarine Blue. I add water to
achieve tone 4 and more water again to
achieve tones 3 and 2, creating a gradual
transition from the dark to light. The space
to the right is for checking the tones of the
colours I’ll use in the painting.

57
 Tutorials

4 The tonal plan

Referring to my five-value tonal scale
and using Ultramarine Blue again I
produce a small tonal plan for the painting
to enable me to see colours as tones. The
white of the paper is the lightest tone (Tone
1 – the snow) with almost neat ultramarine
blue for the darkest tone (Tone 5 – the yew
tree) and the intermediate tones shown as
per numbers on the tonal plan. As we paint
from light to dark in watercolour this tonal
plan will also give me my painting sequence.

Paint the sky (tones 2

5 and 3)
I turn the paper upside down to paint
the sky to prevent dribbles running down
the white paper representing the snow.
After checking my colours on my tonal scale
sheet I use my Hake brush to paint a tone 2
purple wash (Ultramarine Blue and
Permanent Magenta) starting at the snow-
covered roof of the farmhouse and barns
and taking the wash down to ground level
elsewhere, then gradually changing this to a
Tone 3 wash of Cobalt Blue at the zenith of
the sky. The paper cockles slightly at this
stage but will dry flat.

Paint buildings (tone 3)

6 Following my tonal painting sequence

I paint the stone walls of the
farmhouse and barns with a tone 3 mix of
Ultramarine Blue and a little Indian Red to
achieve the warm colour of Cumbrian stone.
I use my Escoda Perla 12 brush having
checked the mix on my tonal scale.

5 Cs of Painting
I developed my 5 Cs of Painting (Concept,
Composition, Contrast, Colour, Completion)
to provide a logical sequence of steps in the
painting process (see my book Robert
Newcombe’s 5 Cs of Painting).

58
 Winter

7 Paint the mountain

7 (tone 3)
The simple mountain shape is now
painted in directly with the same brush
with a mix of Ultramarine Blue plus a
little Permanent Magenta to give a
purplish tinge. I check the tone against
my tonal scale. It may look too dark at
this stage but watercolour dries lighter
and I know the tone 5 oak tree I’ll be
adding later will push it back into the
distance of the scene.

8
The background trees
(tone 4)
The tone 4 winter trees to the left of
the farmhouse still had some warm autumn
colours so are painted a cool green-grey
with Burnt Sienna dropped in at the base.
The trees behind yew tree and the big barn
are painted with the same cool green-grey
wash. While the washes are still damp I paint
in the trunks and branches with a dark
brown mix of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt
Sienna, then scrape out some lighter tree
trunks with my pen knife.

59
Tutorials

9
The shadow wash (tone 4)
Switching to my Escoda Perla 8 brush, I use a
transparent mix of Ultramarine Blue and Brown
Madder to paint the shadows on the buildings. The sun
is coming from the front-left so there will be shadows
under the eaves of the farmhouse and barns where the
roofs overhang and the barns will cast some attractive
raking shadows on other barns.

Importance of contrast
I had a major painting breakthrough when I realised the
importance of tone values (Contrast) in creating paintings with
impact. I spent three months painting only monochrome
paintings using different dark colours that enabled me to
capture a full tonal range, e.g. ultramarine blue, burnt sienna,
light red, indigo etc. (see steps 3 and 4) after which I was able
to see colour in terms of tone. Try it.

The yew tree and

10 the oak tree (tone 5)
Next the darkest tones in the
picture using tone 5 mixes. The dark green
yew tree is painted with Winsor Blue
(green shade) and Burnt Sienna to create
the impact of the darkest dark against the
lightest light at the centre of interest. The
oak tree in front of the mountain is a mix
of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber
painted with my rigger brush. I then
establish the outline of the tree with quick
downward strokes of diluted Burnt Umber.

60
 Winter

Make the final

11 touches (tone 5)
I’m nearing the Completion stage
of the painting where there is a danger of
adding too much. Using the same mix as for
the oak tree I paint the fence leading the eye
to the centre of interest together with its
attendant shadows, then the Land Rover
and the figure talking to the driver. The last
touch is to paint the front door of the
farmhouse in bold Cadmium Red to attract
the viewer’s eye to the centre of interest.

The finished painting

12 At this point I refer back to my
concept, Lake District farm
under snow. Have I achieved my concept? I
feel like turning up my coat collar so I think I
have and the painting is finished.

61
Tutorials

Capture
spring light
in watercolour
A visit to Derbyshire's Peak District provides
Robert Brindley with the chance to paint a rural
springtime scene filled with crisp light and colour

SPRING IS A wonderful and exciting the focal point under the bridge. In my
time of year. As we move from the cold, painting I decided to reinforce the focal
damp, and dull conditions point with the introduction of two figures.
of winter, many artists feel the desire to I'll be using the controlled wash
venture outdoors to method for painting atmospheric
paint the fresh colours of the new season. watercolours. This method begins with an
However, many inexperienced painters overall loose and airy wet-into-wet
return to the studio disappointed by their application of colour. When dry, the
efforts. In many cases, failure comes from tonal relationships from light to dark
their inability to simplify the subject are developed, before adding the final
matter and also to reduce the darks and details.
overwhelming strength of colour. The reference photographs for this
In this painting, The Bridge at Milldale, I painting were taken on a crisp, bright day
hope to illustrate how clean, transparent in mid-April on a trip into the Derbyshire
colour can be controlled to produce a Peak District to gather subject matter.
more considered, sympathetic rendering
of the British spring light. The importance
of a solidfoundation of drawing,
composition, colour and especially the
ROBERT
use of tone will be stressed. Whitby, England
I was attracted immediately to this As a member of the Royal
subject for a number of reasons. The Society of Marine Artists, it's
most obvious reason was for the quality of unsurprising that Robert loves
to illustrate the light in coastal
the light and colour, which I felt perfectly
and landscape scenes. He
encapsulated spring. I also felt that the counts Venice as a favourite
composition was sound where the banks painting destination.
of the stream provided a gentle lead in to www.robertbrindley.com

62
Vibrant water

63
Tutorials

Materials
Robert uses these colours
because they're perfectly
suited to replicate the
subtleties of the UK landscape.
n Winsor and Newton
(Professional Water Colour
range): Raw Sienna,
Aureolin, Burnt Sienna,
Raw Umber, Cobalt Blue,
Cerulean, Ultramarine Blue,
Permanent Magenta and
Cobalt Violet
n Paper: Arches (300lb).
n Brushes: Escoda Perla (4, 8
and 12). Pro ARTE Acryix (2
and 4). Pro ARTE Rigger (2)
n Masking fluid
n Water spray diffuser
n Toothbrush
n 2B pencil

Start with a good initial sketch

1 A carefully considered drawing is essential to

enable me to place the initial loose, wet-into-wet
washes with confidence and accuracy. To preserve
the most important lights and highlights, I use
masking fluid applied with a number 2 Pro ARTE
Acrylix brush. I always clean the brush thoroughly,
immediately after use.

Prepare colour pools

2 I prepare pure colour pools using

the following: Cobalt Blue, Cobalt
Violet and Raw Sienna. These three
colours are the basic primaries on which
the entire painting is based. In addition,
the following colours are also prepared
using mixes of Aureolin, Raw Sienna,
Cobalt Violet, Burnt Sienna, Cobalt Blue,
Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean, Permanent
Magenta and Viridian.

64
 Spring light

“A careful drawing is
essential for placing
washes accurately”

3
Do a diffused wash
I wet the entire surface and introduce the
colours as quickly as possible, from light to
dark. The result is a diffused wash. My aim is to
place the colour accurately, hopefully replicating the
subtle colour and tonal changes in the scene. I allow
the colours to mix freely, while at the same time use
the pre-mixed colour pools to adjust colour and
tone as the washes are introduced.

4
Paint the backdrop
I develop the distant diffused trees behind the
bridge using the same colour pools. I want to
achieve just the right level of resolution, so that when
the nearer, skeletal trees are painted, the background
doesn't compete for attention.

65
Tutorials

Remove masking fluid

5 to reveal the lights

Now I remove the majority of the
masking fluid with a clean finger. You
should never attempt to remove
masking fluid until the painting is
completely dry. I then soften a few of the
harsher edges left by the masking fluid
to make them sit in naturally.

Develop

6 tonal relationships
I start to develop the middle tonal
relationships. Tone basically means how
dark or light the colour is, and it's vital
for the success of any painting. Without
the correct evaluation of how dark or
light any particular area of your painting
is in relation to surrounding areas,
everything will fall apart.

Tone is king
Tone is key to a successful painting. Colour,
drawing and composition are of course
important, but if the tonal sequence is poorly
observed then the painting won't work.

Paint the water

7 To ensure that the

painting develops as
a whole, I now turn my
attention to depicting the
water, and introduce wet-into-
wet washes of Cerulean,
Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Violet and
Permanent Magenta. I make
an effort to observe all of the
subtle tonal changes that
are present in the water.
I purposely create a much
darker area at the bottom of
the painting – this helps to
push the viewer's eye further
into the painting.

66
 Spring light

Take positives
from failures
Nothing is ever learnt from a successful
painting that almost painted itself. Always
be positive, as far more can be learnt from
your failures and mistakes.

Paint the skeletal trees

8 I start to paint the trees using

mixes of Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Violet
and Raw Sienna, along with Viridian and
Cobalt Violet that together make a
wonderful grey/green. I'm careful not to
overdo the number of branches and
twigs in the painting – too many would
detract from the overall effect. I also
employ a lost-and-found approach,
which I feel gives a more convincing
rendering. From time to time I compare
the number of branches and twigs in the
reference photograph to what's
developing in the painting.

Approach the end Add finishing touches and evaluate

9 I'm often asked when do I know a painting is finished.

It's pretty much a gut feeling. At this stage I'm aware that
the finish isn't too far away and that I must be careful not to
10 Time to add the final tones and details. This, for me, is
the most exciting stage of the painting. However,
without careful evaluation it can be the stage where everything
overwork the painting. To complete this stage I work more on can be ruined. Always think twice before committing to any
the skeletal trees and other details, together with giving more addition. The fine details for this painting include small twigs
consideration to the darker tones present in the bridge, the and taller blades of grass. I also paint the ducks, introduce some
banks of the stream and the cottage. daffodils and add two figures within the focal point.

67
Tutorials

Paint a dazzling
landscape
Ibolya Taligas shows you her way of
painting a vibrant autumn landscape full of
engaging textures and zesty colours

68
 Dazzling landscape

IN THIS WORKSHOP I encourage you

to be more daring with watercolours. This
medium allows us to create some
wonderful effects that may not be
possible with other mediums, so let’s
IBOLYA exploit this quality! I use vibrant,
London, UK transparent colours, which enables me to
Ibolya is a Hungarian watercolorist paint over previous layers and still keep
living in London. Her inspiration
my work bright and clean. There are also
comes from observing nature.
Her favourite pastime is sketching endless ways to create textures which
during her travels and can be seen a lot in my work. I select a
encouraging others to paint few methods to show you how to make
outdoors. She organises painting interesting marks with little effort.
holidays in some of the less
For this I use everyday tools, such as salt,
explored parts of Europe.
www.ibolyataligas.com a palette knife and a spray bottle. I hope I
can make watercolour painting a lot of
fun for all! Here, I guide you through the

Materials process of creating a painting of a

dazzling autumn landscape from the
n Paints: fascinating Tisza Lake in Hungary.
Quinacridone gold - Winsor &
Newton Professional
Watercolour
Warm up Plan it
Permanent magenta - Winsor &
Newton Professional
Watercolour
Winsor blue (green shade) -
1 I do a basic drawing, marking out the horizon
and the shape of the trees, then choose my
colours: Winsor Blue (Green Shade), Permanent
Have a plan before you get
started with your painting but
don’t be afraid of making
Winsor & Newton Professional Magenta, Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Sienna and
changes along the way. I once
Watercolour Vermilion. On a scrap piece of paper I do a quick
turned a badly painted figure
Burnt sienna - Winsor & colour sketch, kind of a mood board. A great warm-
into a tree! It worked fine.
Newton Professional up exercise before getting started.
Watercolour
Vermilion - Mijello Artists’
Watercolour
n Brushes:
Pro Arte Series 50 extra large,
squirrel hair wash brush
Da Vinci Series 5530 Cosmotop-
Mix, size 12 round brush
SAA Kolinsky Sable brush,
Rigger size 4
Pro Arte Series 40, Pure Sable
round brush, size 2
n Paper:
Bockingford Watercolour block,
NOT, 16 in x 12 in
n Other materials:
Rock salt
Plastic palette knife
Spray bottle
n Ibolya finds the medium
rough paper perfect for creating
textures as well as for applying
washes with a large brush . She
uses mostly transparent colours
to achieve vibrancy.

69
 Tutorials

2
First wash
I brush a very diluted magenta, gold and blue
across the dry paper with my large brush. I tilt
my board slightly to let the paint flow downwards to
create a smooth, soft layer. I leave out white shapes for
the flowers. I add some ripples on the wet paper, using
my round brush and a thick mix of magenta and blue.

I nspiration
When I lack inspiration, I take a day
off to visit the seaside or
countryside. Then I can’t wait to
get back, re-energized, full of ideas.

3 4 5
Distant trees Have fun! More fun
I now fill the shape of the trees by Sprinkle some rock salt onto the I realise that I should indicate the
placing a thicker layer of clean freshly painted surface. I also grassy area on the water’s edge in
colours side by side. I’m using the side of spatter paint with my brush. After front of the trees. So I scrape out some lines
my round brush. This also lets me leave spraying over my paper gently I can see and shapes using the side of my plastic
out gaps in the trees and gives the the speckled effect already. I wait for my palette knife. It seems effective. It’s best to
impression of foliage rather than a block paper to dry completely before removing use this technique when the shimmer has
of colour. I continue across the page the salt. Once I do, I have a convincing gone from the paper, or your marks you
varying my colours. foliage that took such little effort. make could disappear.

“After spraying over

my paper gently I
can see the speckled
effect already”

6
Adding darks
I mix a green first to manipulate the
dark blobs with my brush. I also spray
over them gently to make them spread.

70
 Dazzling landscape

Radiant reflections
7 I use the same bright colours to paint
in the reflections that I used for the
trees. I start filling in the whole area I marked
out. I’m using vertical brush strokes, adding
bright colours first, then greens, leaving out
the waterlily field in the middle for now. At
the bottom I brush horizontal lines to
correspond with the ripples.

8 Dark reflections
While still wet, I drop some darks into
the reflections, being careful to keep
my colours clean. What’s important to know
about reflections is that darks reflecting in
water will appear lighter and light things will
appear darker. So I use a lesser intensity of
darks in the reflections.

9 Simplify things!
I now paint horizontal lines with my
rigger brush inside the lily pad,
avoiding the white shapes I left out. I start
with gold, dropping into this some red then
green. I paint exactly what I see in the photo.
At this scale I can only see bits of colours.

An escape
I realised early in my life that art is what I
wanted to do, even though it took me decades
to recognise my own skills. Painting and
drawing has been my biggest strength.
Although frustrating at times, it’s like a best
friend that picks me up when I fall down.

71
 Tutorials

Darker or lighter?
10 Some parts of the lily leaves
appear darker than the water,
so I fill the gaps that I left out with a wash
of purple grey colour. I use my round
brush for this job as I can quickly and
easily fill those gaps with its pointy tip.

12
Create contrast! Foreground detail
11 I now paint in some dark, broken lines for shadows,
using a rigger brush and applying little pressure. I draw
random horizontal lines. To create high contrast I add these darks
I decide to paint in some reed to indicate that I’m
viewing this vista from the edge of the lake rather than
from a boat. I use a thick dark mix as before. I press my rigger
around the white flowers. They become a lot more defined and brush firmly onto the paper and lift it away from it as I get to the tip
noticeable now. However, my painting seems a bit lifeless still. of the reed to make it thinner at the tip.

13
Background detail
I use the same thick mix of paint
as before, but this time with a
much smaller, size 2, detail brush. This gives
me a lot more control when I paint flying
birds. These are simple, curved, broken lines
resembling birds flying. It’s really fun to
practise these on a separate paper. All of a
sudden my painting comes to life!

72
 Dazzling landscape

Evaluation
14 This painting looks so much
more alive now. I still think I could
add some birds in the water to balance out
my composition as there is this large empty
space in the foreground.

Final composition
15 With my small detail brush I add
two swimming coots in the
foreground. Now the place appears full of
life! It also improves the composition.
Memories of the peaceful Tisza Lake are
flooding back.

73
Tutorials

Tips to paint
vibrant water
Jennifer Branch shows you the secrets behind
painting energised water and realistic reflections
in any situation

PAINTING WATER CAN sometimes

JENNIFER Paint still water first

1
seem overwhelming. Water moves
Northwest Georgia, USA
constantly, so capturing a moment Start practising when the water is
Watercolour artist and
without the aid of a camera may appear lifelong teacher Jennifer calm and reflective, then later you’ll
impossible. But paintings can convey Branch travels the world be able to use the techniques you develop
the constant movement of water in a with her husband and two here to paint any other type of water, from
way that photos struggle to, as long as sons, to find inspiration for raging surf to a rippling pond surface. All
her next painting.
you have a good water-painting of the wave and wind action makes the surf
paintingwatercolor.com
technique that ensures your pictures are seem far more complicated to paint, but
as full of life as the real thing. the principles are the same as for still water.
The following top ten tips explain a few If you learn to paint reflections and subtle
basic skills and techniques you can use ripples on that calm pond, a crashing wave
to paint water that looks spontaneous at the beach will be easy to paint. A wave is
and vibrant. Although I use watercolours, just a very big ripple, after all.
these tips also translate to the medium
of your choice. Practise en plein air
whenever you can, but you can work
from photos when you need to.
You can’t paint the same water twice,
since it’s ever-changing. Capturing the
energy in that movement is what makes
water so amazing to paint. I love to sit by
a lake or the ocean and paint at different
times throughout the day, using several
sketchbooks to capture these fleeting
scenes. One sketch dries while the
others are in play. Take a photo before
you start, so that if the light changes you
can finish the last wash at home.
Water can be opaque, transparent,
choppy or smooth, but you use the
same techniques for painting it. Follow
these tips to make sure that all of your
water paintings are vibrant and lively.

74
 Vibrant water

3
Notice colours Flatten distant water
Water is only blue if it’s reflecting
blue! Look at the colours in the
reflected trees, sky and objects and use
4 Water appears flatter as it grows
more distant, and horizontal lines
can convey this flattening of the water’s
these colours as your palette for any surface and the shortening of reflections.
water that’s not white foam. Even the hull Use a few connecting horizontal dashes to
of a boat or sky not seen in your painting show the distant water and reflections
might still be seen in a reflection. To from the shore or objects on its surface.
connect the water and landscape, pull Streams and rivers also appear to flatten
the colours from the reflected objects at a distance. Almost the same strokes
directly into the water reflection, then you use for a reflected squiggle (as seen
go back and sharpen the shoreline with in the tip 2 picture) can look like an entire
a few strokes of strong darks. river as it snakes away.

Reflect down
2 No matter what angle you’re
painting from, reflections
always come directly towards you
from the source. It’s simple physics,
but sometimes people may expect
reflections to follow the same rules
as shadows and perspective. To
paint them, first pick a simple line
in the reflected object such as a tree
trunk or building façade. The
reflection of that line will always be
perpendicular to you, or the bottom
of your page. This makes it easy to
pull some pigment down from the
reflected object into the reflection.
All you need are a few dashes of
movement on the next wash.

75
Tutorials

Make reflections dull

5 Light rays scatter on the surface
of the water, so a reflection is
never a perfect mirror. Therefore your
palette of reflecting colours should be
duller than the objects being reflected.
Many artists continue their first wash
from the objects into the water, then
finish by adding duller washes with
more movement on the surface of the
water. Most bright whites in water are
sunlight reflections. Darker colours
usually look lighter in reflections and
lighter colours darker. Add a touch of
complementary colour to your
pigment to get very close to the colour
you need.

6
Paint pointed Know
ovals for waves
The shape of a wave is
an oval, curved in the middle
7 your light
Your light direction in a
scene will tell you how dark
with sharp points on both or light the water looks.
ends. Use a pointed round Backlit trees will be dark, but
brush to paint waves. A flat their reflection will be lighter.
brush gives you great broad Conversely, bright front
strokes, but it fails you on the lighting will give you a darker
points. Start by painting one reflection on the water. The
point of the oval with the tip light direction will also tell
of the brush, add more you whether the top or the
pressure for a broader stroke bottom of the wave should
in the middle, then finish with glow. If the light comes
the tip of the brush. The ovals through a wave at the right
can be evenly distributed or angle, the wave acts as
skewed depending on the a lens, focusing bright spots
wind and your perspective. of light on the bottom.

76
 Vibrant
Vibrant
water
water
tips

Cobalt Blue
tin ted gouache
Wax crayon
White p aper

Mix it up Adjust texture

9 Use a variety of techniques for
capturing textured whites. I always
like to leave more white paper than I use,
10 Hot press paper gives you
rich colours and a smooth
texture, which is ideal for painting water
as paper is the most sparkling white you on a foggy day with no sparks of white
have in your toolkit. It’s easy to paint reflection. You can use a lot of wet on wet
over whites, but you can never get the brush strokes for blurred edges. Rough
white paper back. However, don’t limit press paper gives you dull colours with
Paint in layers
8
yourself to just one shade of white. reflected sparkles and texture, perfect
Since crystal clear water, Permanent wax crayon preserves for the seashore with white reflections,
where we can see rocks on whites, while white or tinted gouache in surf and rocks. Cold press paper falls
the bottom, is actually separate a pale colour can give you highlights on between hot press and rough press,
layers of water and rocks, the the water surface. Lifting pigment giving you a little texture and brighter
simplest way to paint these softens edges. Wait until your painting is colours, which is great for re-creating a
scenes is in layers. The key is to dry, then use a damp rag to pull out peaceful pond scene with vibrant
separate the different layers by the pigment. flowers reflecting.
letting them dry completely
between washes. Don’t be afraid
to use strong dark colours in the
first wash. Dry brushing gives you
texture that shows up under the
water. Paint the water in one bold
wash, making wave-shaped
strokes. Let your brush dance. You
can use gouache for reflected sky
or preserve the white paper with
masking, wax or precise strokes
(see next step).

77
Depict a luminous
harbour scene at dusk
Abigail McDougall shares her passion for using the fluidity of watercolour
to describe an atmospheric waterscape at sunset

78
 Waterscapes

WATCH THE
VIDEO
http://bit.ly/pad13_dusk

ABIGAIL
Bristol, England
Growing up in Italy, Canada
and Dorset, Abigail has always
been inspired by the beauty of
the landscape. Watercolour is
her favourite medium and she
is focusing more and more on
painting water scenes.
www.abigailmcdougall.com

I AM GOING to talk about light, tone,

colour and creating interesting
brushstrokes. I always love to paint
outdoors whenever I can, especially at
dawn or dusk. The light changes fast, so
you have to learn to work quickly and
spontaneously.
I am always out on my bike looking for
subject matter to paint, I treat it as an
adventure. I take sketches, colour studies
and photos to make sure I have enough
reference in case I want to make a larger
painting in the studio.
Choosing a subject matter at these
extreme times of day means that I have
the best chance of creating an
atmospheric and relaxing landscape.
I always work from light to dark to keep
the colours fresh and avoid smudges.
I also try and use transparent colours
whenever possible. You can check on the
watercolour tube whether it is a
transparent or opaque colour. The more
transparent colours you use, the better
the chance of keeping the luminosity of
the white paper shining through. Painting
at dusk means also having a few pinky or
pastel shades, I try and look for the
colour naturally present in the scene.

79
Tutorials

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hot pressed

1 2
Draw with paint Bright areas
I use a very light yellow shade – As it’s dusk, there aren’t
a mix of Naples Yellow and Lemon going to be any white
Yellow (Nickel Titanate) to draw out the details in the picture, the lightest
main lines of the composition. These will areas are going to be light yellow
disappear as the painting progresses. or light blue. I fill in the sky,
I like to keep the painting quite background and the reflection of
spontaneous-looking, without detailed the sky in light yellow. I don’t use
drawn pencil lines showing through. I masking fluid; I am careful to
use quite loose brushwork to give me an preserve the lighter details as I
idea of where the main objects are. work, so I start marking them out.

80
 Waterscapes

3
Block in light areas
I block in the lighter details: the light facades of buildings, lighter areas of
detail, or bright areas of detail, such as the red chimney tops. I use fairly
diluted colour hues – light blues, light pinks, yellows and reds where necessary.
I always try and use transparent colours rather than the more opaque ones so as
to preserve the luminosity of the white paper shining through.

Eastern delight
Watercolour is the perfect medium to paint
water and reflections. The Chinese brush
allows me to create a multitude of different
brushstrokes and allows me to have enough
water on the brush to paint fluidly.

4
Blend background
I block in the background: the
Clifton houses, trees, the bridge
and the hill of the Ashton Court estate.
I use a tone that is not much darker than
the sky because I want it to look hazy.
I use a combination of very diluted
colours: blue, ochre, red, neutral tint.
I let them bleed into each other to
create a hazy, yet colourful effect.

81
Tutorials

5
Fill in mid-tones
I use blocks of colour to fill in
some of the main areas of the
mid-tones. I don’t work with dark
colour yet, as I’m saving that for the
end. At this point I use blues, purples,
reds and browns. I paint the main
buildings and boats, and the main
areas of the reflections. I also start to
define where the darker objects will
be, using a lighter shade than the
final colour.

AV inspiration
In the studio I have all my art books and artist
postcards I have collected over the years.
It’s delightful to flick through these when
inspiration is low. I listen to audio books while
painting to keep my concentration.

“It is tricky to paint

light shades next
to dark ones, they
will inevitably
smear”

6
Define deeper tones
I define some of the slightly darker
and deeper areas of colour,
bringing in ultramarine, cobalt, deeper
reds and browns, indigo and turquoise.
It is tricky to paint lights next to darks,
they will inevitably smear, so I am careful
that I have already painted in the lighter
objects that the deeper colours will
touch, and that these objects are dry.

7
Create reflections
After checking that all the lighter
areas of colour in the water have
been filled in, I start painting the mid-
tones in the water. I work with the fluidity
of the water on the brush to create fluid
gestural marks in the water area. The
Chinese brush helps me create different
kinds of brushstrokes, using the tip of
the brush and the middle.

82
 Waterscapes

8
Blend gradients
I work with blending, wet-on-wet,
creating some gradient tones
from dark to light, especially in the
water areas or in particularly dark areas.
I make the shadows between the boats
and reflections by laying down a strip of
dark colour and then using clean water
(not too much) to blend it into the
bottom (reflection) area. I also use this
technique for creating the graded
shadows on the buildings.

9
Fill darker details
I fill in the darker areas: the
shadows on the boats and the
dark details on the houses and start
painting the darker details, such as
windows and doors. I use the tip of the
brush for fine details, such as the masts.

10
Finishing touches
Using light shades of blue,
purple and ochre, I suggest
some of the windows and details in the
background buildings. I use fluid
brushstrokes to paint the squiggly
reflections of masts, water patterns and
details in the water, between the
reflected objects and the sky. I lay darker
patches at the bottom of the water and
top of the sky to help contain the image.

On the
flip side!
I was painting a large piece
outdoors on a February
morning and my paper and
board was on the ground on
my picnic mat. About two
hours in, a very large, very
muddy dog came and trampled
over the whole piece! I sat
there for a few minutes
bewildered and dejected
before deciding to turn the
paper over and start again.
It didn’t take me too long to get
back to it, and the painting is
one of my favourites.

83
Tutorials

Simple tips for an English

church in line and wash
Using his unique ‘5 C’s of painting’, Robert Newcombe demonstrates
how to paint a quintessential English country scene in his favourite media

84
 Line & wash

ROBERT
Ravenstone, UK
Robert Newcombe has been
painting in watercolour for
over 30 years. In 2012, he was
selected by the BBC as one
of 20 artists to paint the
Diamond Jubilee Thames
Pageant from the Millennium
Bridge in London.
robertnewcombeartist.com

I LIVE IN RAVENSTONE, one of the

Ma terials lovely Cotswold stone villages of North

Buckinghamshire – it’s the Cotswolds
without the tourists! St Laurence’s
n Winsor & Newton Professional Water
Church in Weston Underwood, the next
Colour range: Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna,
village from where I live, is a typical
Burnt Umber, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine
medieval village church.
Blue, Brown Madder, light red
The photograph of the church shown
n Bockingford Not 140lb (300gsm),
in step 1 was taken on a sunny but cool
size 11x15in
day in April from the edge of a field at the
n Isabey Squirrel Mop Brush (size 10)
back of the church. I have put a 3x3 grid
for the broad washes and Escoda Perla
Paint from the photo

1
on the photograph. Draw a 14x10in
(sizes 8 and 12) to use on the
border on your watercolour paper and The first C is Concept (what you
architectural details
this will be exactly proportional to the want to say in the painting). The
n For a pen, try a sharpened matchstick dimensions of the photograph. Once concept here is English country church
(Bryant & Mays Extra Long Matches) done, draw a 3x3 grid lightly with a B on the edge of a village. I decide to refine
dipped in a bottle of waterproof Indian pencil on the watercolour paper, which the concept to create a warm autumn
ink. The matchstick makes it easy to will proportionately match the grid on painting in contrast to the cool spring
achieve a line with character the photograph and enable you to feel of the photograph; the concept now
n B pencil transfer the image accurately. is an English country church in autumn.
n Putty rubber With the basics done, read on as I I also decide to have a strong sun from
share my ‘5 C’s of Painting’ and show you the left to light up the left facade of the
how I develop a unique interpretation of church and create strong shadows for
this subject. tonal contrast at the centre of interest.

85
Tutorials

2
Pencil outline drawing
Composition is the next C and it refers to the
arrangement of the painting. A pencil outline
of the main elements is drawn by referring to the
3x3 grid on the photograph and putting dots on the
watercolour paper grid where the main elements
strike the grid lines. Then it’s a case of joining the
dots – no detail, just the outline of the objects. For
clarity, I’ve drawn the gridlines, dots and outline in
strong 4B pencil, but you should draw these lines
with a B pencil as lightly as you can.

3
Start the ink drawing
Line and wash is particularly
useful for details on the buildings
and drawing the trees. To produce a line
with character, I’m using a sharpened
matchstick dipped into waterproof black
Indian ink. It is particularly good fun
flicking in the trunks and branches of
the bare autumn trees. As the ink
drawing is completed first, it is critical
that the ink is waterproof and doesn’t
run when the watercolour washes are
applied. As I’m left-handed, I start
drawing on the right-hand side of the
paper to avoid smudging the ink; if you
are right-handed, start on the left.

No need
to stretch
4
The completed ink drawing
I never stretch paper; just buy You will note I have made some adjustments from the photograph:
thicker paper to avoid I left out the rather ugly bush at the centre left of the photograph,
cockling – minimum 140lb which I felt competed with the church. I’ve also indicated some plough
(300gsm) for quarter Imperial, furrows in the foreground to create the autumn feeling but reversed the
minimum 200lb (425gsm) for direction of the furrows to give directional perspective lines leading the
half Imperial. eye to the centre of interest – the church. I also added a distant hill to
improve the composition and add depth.

86
5 6
Hatch in the shadows Paint the sky
The next C to explore is Contrast (tone Colour is the next C to consider, specifically whether it is warm or
values). This refers to the darkness or cool. I’ve decided on a predominantly warm painting so the sky will
lightness of objects in the painting; I create the be warm light grey clouds with blue patches. I mix a warm light grey from
tonal plan for the painting at the ink drawing stage Cobalt Blue and light red and another pan of strong Cobalt Blue. Using my
by hatching in the shadows using vertical lines. mop brush, I apply clean water where I want the clouds and leave the
The sun is coming from the left so there will be paper dry for the blue patches. To emphasise the centre of interest, I put
shadows on the right-hand side of the tower, the blue sky behind the church tower, leaving the domed cupola the white of
buttress and the gable end of the church, as well as the paper. Then I quickly paint the light grey wash into the damp paper,
an eaves shadow caused by overhanging roof. If creating soft-edged clouds and drop in some more blue patches in a
you want to erase the grid lines, now is the time. single wet-into-wet wash.

Logical
approach
I developed my 5C’s of Painting
(concept, composition,

7
Begin the foreground contrast, colour, completion) to
One of my concept decisions was to change the season to autumn provide a logical sequence of
and create a freshly ploughed field in the foreground in rich browns steps in the painting process
and reds to give warmth to the painting. The plough furrows were drawn (see my book, Robert
in ink, so at this point a strong wash of Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna is Newcombe’s 5C’s of Painting).
sloshed on with my mop brush. The shadows created by the furrows are
dropped in while the wash is still damp.

87
Tutorials

First wash on

8 the buildings
I add a touch of Raw
Sienna to my grey cloud
wash to emulate the dull
yellow grey of the Cotswold
stone. Using my no. 12 round
brush, I paint the walls and
tower of the church in
addition to the gravestones.

Interpret
the scene
The major breakthrough in my
artistic approach came when I
realised that I didn’t have to
paint the scene or photograph
in front of me exactly; in this
workshop we aren’t painting
the photograph, we are painting
from the photograph, giving the
subject our own unique
interpretation. We have artistic
licence to omit, move or change
elements in the scene.

Finalise the wash The shadow wash

9 The church, cottage roof and the domed roof of the

cupola are all painted with a strong mix of Ultramarine
Blue and light red mixed on the paper to vary the wash. I then
10 The hatched shadows are reinforced with a strong
shadow wash, which will turn on the sunshine.
Shadows aren’t grey; they are a darker tone of the colour of
use light grey again for the lead roof on the facing extension the object plus some purple from the sky and reflected light
and paint the cottage walls light red. The large bush in front of from adjacent elements. For shadows I use a transparent mix
the church uses Ultramarine Blue and Raw Sienna, and the of Ultramarine Blue and Brown Madder; the transparency of
other bush is Burnt Sienna. Both are put in while the church the shadow wash allows the colour to show through, which I
wall wash is slightly damp to give a soft-edge effect. The long reinforce with some strong colour dropped into the wet
dead grass at the edge of the field is watery Burnt Umber. shadow mix, for example, Raw Sienna into the tower shadow.

88
 Line & wash

Make the final

11 touches
Completion is the final C.
At this stage, I’m nearing the finish of
the painting and there is a danger of
adding too much. The trees need
some indication of shape, so using
quick downward strokes I dry brush
in some light Burnt Umber. Then
I emphasise the furrows in the
foreground with some corrugated
cloud shadows using the same shadow
mix as before, and I drop in some neat
Burnt Sienna as the local colour.

Enjoy your work

12 At this point I refer back to

my concept: English
country church in autumn. Have I
achieved my concept? I think I have,
so the painting is finished.

89
Taking it further

92 Capture light for a

harmonious result
98 Bring the outdoors in with
ink and watercolour
104 Get outdoors and paint
with gouache
106 Paint the landscape in gouache
114 Create great quality digital
copies of your work
118 Mount your artwork
122 Frame your own art

90
91
Taking it further

Capture light for a

harmonious result
Margaret Merry demonstrates how to produce a
simple architectural landscape using the clean,
vibrant colours that give watercolour its charm

THIS WORKSHOP SHOWS how a wide and keep the water you use to rinse your
range of colours can be produced from a brushes separate from the water you
limited palette. This gives colour paint with. On the subject of brushes,
harmony to the finished picture and although I have sable brushes that I
avoids muddy colours resulting from the keep ‘for best’, I mostly work with
use of too many pigments. synthetic brushes, which are cheap
I never use black or synthetic greys as enough to replace as soon as they begin
they contain pigment that can easily to lose their points. I like the flexibility of
contaminate the purity of the other these brushes and they are particularly

Materials colours. It’s a lesson I learnt when I first

experimented with the medium. It’s
good for drawing in watercolour, as I’ll be
doing in this architectural landscape.
Margaret uses tubes of Schmincke important to understand how to mix Because I work on a fairly small scale,
watercolour paints with synthetic brushes. your own greys and greens, and I shall my brushes are also small, the largest
She likes to paint on Arches 300gsm paper demonstrate this as the painting being no.12, which I use mostly for skies.
with a fine surface, which she prefers as proceeds. I shall also talk about the most I have experimented with various
“the surface has the right amount of important component of watercolour brands of watercolour and have
resistance to enhance the transparency painting: water. decided that the Schmincke range of
and brilliance of the watercolour”. Before starting, make sure you have pigments suits my work best. I find,
several containers of clean water to hand tubes are better for working in the
studio, while paintboxes containing little
pans of pigment are better suited for
sketching outdoors.
Watercolour can be a difficult
medium and it takes years of
practice to become an expert. It’s
worth the perseverance, though, and
I love it for its ability to perfectly
capture light and mood with just a
few, rapid brushstrokes.

MARGARET
Almeria, Spain
Professional artist Margaret
lives in Almeria in Spain. She
has art training from Falmouth
Art School, Hornsey College
of Art and the West of England
College of Art.
margaretmerry.wordpress.com

92
 Capturing light

Paint & Draw February 2017 93

 Preliminary drawing Picking up the brush

1 I begin with a fairly detailed

drawing. I chose this view because I
like the way the trees frame the
2 It’s always best to start with the
sky and spontaneity is the key.
I use pure Cobalt Blue, leaving the white
composition and lead the eye to the of the paper to create the clouds. If
church, the focal point. When drawing there is a large area of sky, dampen the
architecture, faintly mark in a few paper by brushing it with clean water
perpendicular lines, as the eye tends to before applying the paint. To balance
distort perspective. Never use a rubber the horizontals and verticals of the
at this stage – it can damage the surface architecture, I leave diagonal streaks
of the paper and the paint will stain. of white to suggest clouds.

3
Killing the white
Too much white can be
distracting, so I paint in an
undercoat of very diluted yellow ochre.
Make sure each layer is dry before
overpainting, otherwise the result will be
a disaster. In the case of mistakes, non-
staining pigments may be removed by
brushing with clean water, or dabbed
Defining dark areas

4
with absorbent paper or a soft rag.
I now paint the dark trees in the
foreground, using a mix of
“I love watercolour Ultramarine Blue, Lemon Yellow, Raw
Sienna and a touch of Burnt Umber.
for its ability to I drag a fine brush (no. 2) through the
wet paint, to create the fronds on the
capture light and branches. I will paint where the trees
overlap the walls later. I have dropped
mood with just a pure Lemon Yellow into the green where
the light strikes the trees to give them
few brushstrokes” form. Hard lines should be avoided when
painting with this medium – it’s better to
allow the pigments to bleed into each
other while they’re still wet.

94
 Capturing light

5
Painting the shadows
The bright winter sunlight casts
dark shadows on the buildings in
the foreground. To paint these, I mix a
strong blue-grey using Ultramarine,
Alizarin Crimson and Raw Sienna, and
plenty of clean water. I work with quick,
fluid strokes to avoid hard edges in the
shadows. Again, I allow water to drop into
the paint to enhance the transparency.
The road, too, is given a wash of grey.

6
Draw with the brush
Now that the foreground is
established, I can begin the
church. For this I use Cobalt Blue, Yellow
Ochre and Permanent Rose to make a
soft, recessive grey mix to paint
shadows, such as for the undersides of
clouds or distant skylines. The warm
colour of the brickwork is a mix of rose

7
and Yellow Ochre. To suggest the tiles on Warm colours
the roof, I paint parallel lines into which I introduce warm
I’ve dropped clean water from the tip of colours into the
my brush. All the detailed work is done foreground by painting the
with a no. 2 brush. roof tiles and bricks in the wall
with a combination of
Cadmium Red, Cadmium
Yellow, Cadmium Orange and
A im high Burnt Sienna. The cadmium
pigments are strong, so they
Use the best materials you can afford –
need to be diluted well. The
artists’ quality if you can. There’s often no
warm colours complement
pleasure in painting with inferior materials,
the cool blue of the shadows.
and the result will always speak for itself.
I overpaint the bricks with
grey where the shadow falls.

95
Taking it further

8
More foreground work
I now start to add more warm colours to the old,
crumbling wall on the left. I let plenty of clean water flow
into the wet paint, a combination of Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna
and orange, plus my grey mixture for the shadows. The darker
details are painted with the same grey and a touch of Burnt
Umber. Now, having established the light and dark areas, the
picture is beginning to come together.

9
Into detail
I’m ready to work on the smaller detail in the centre of
the painting. I continue with my blue-grey mix of
Ultramarine, Alizarin and Raw Sienna, and, with a no. 2 brush,
use quick strokes to suggest the doors and windows. Other
details, such as the street light, are painted with Ultramarine
and Burnt Umber which, when mixed together, work as a black.
I’ve painted the tree at the end of the street. This is an orange
tree and very symbolic of Granada!

True art
As a professional artist,
I’m often obliged to paint
subjects that aren’t always
inspiring to me. However,
when painting for pleasure,
inspiration is paramount. It’s
important to be original and try
not to copy others too much.

96
 Capturing light

Determined
10
Adding
more layers
I need to do some
more work on the road, so I
to succeed
add another layer of my If my headmistress at school
Ultramarine Grey mix, plus had her way I wouldn’t be a
some Burnt Sienna to give professional artist now. She
warmth to the foreground. wanted me to go to university
This is a useful pigment for to study languages, but I was
demonstrating how cool determined to go to art
colours recede and warm college. As a compromise,
colours advance. Also, it I agreed to stay on at school
combines well with other for an extra year to take
pigments in the basic palette. A-level Art and, perhaps,
There is a patch of light change my mind. Our school
between the buildings on the motto was Perseverantia vincit
right, so I’ve allowed a layer of (‘perseverance succeeds’)
Cadmium Yellow to blend into and, indeed, my determination
the grey while it’s still wet. to do what I wanted won.

Finishing touches
12 I’ve added in a few figures, but
care is needed as overworking
can result in disaster! Just a few, quick
dabs are needed and it doesn’t matter if
the colours run into each other. Feet can

11
Towards completion look strange if they’re given too much
My watercolour is almost finished. I tend to work more quickly attention, so just a suggestion is enough.
when I reach this stage, which is a good thing, because it helps In order to direct the eye along the road
avoid getting bogged down in detail. I paint the overhanging branches of to the square and the church, I’ve given
the trees, adding more Lemon Yellow to define the lighter areas, and the the figure in the foreground an orange
reddish tree on the right, using Alizarin and Ultramarine. I’ve added a few jacket. Lastly, I paint a few oranges on
more touches of Burnt Sienna to the trees to complement the green. the tree with dabs of Cadmium Orange.

97
Taking it further

Bring the outdoors in

with ink & watercolour
With a focus on simplicity, Tony Underhill reveals how to get the fresh
and lively results of plein air painting indoors

TONY
Bedfordshire, UK
Tony specialises in line and
wash and is a regular
contributor to art
publications. He prefers to
work en plein air and favours
buildings. Not surprisingly,
he’s a keen urban sketcher.
[email protected]

I LOVE TO SKETCH outside in pen and

watercolour, travelling as light as
possible. I aim to capture the character
of the scene in front of me rather than
worrying too much about accuracy and
detail. This helps me work quickly using a
simple, easily repeatable process that
Ma terials
delivers the spontaneity I like. Tony likes to use the same
But working indoors with more time and materials indoors as when
equipment available (as well as a he’s travelling light and
self-imposed expectation to produce sketching outside.
better results), it’s easy for our paintings
to become overthought and overworked. n Mechanical pencil (2B)
To avoid this, I bring my outdoor process n Sharpie pen (black,
inside, and try to draw and paint as if I ultrafine)
were on location. Using the same n Soft eraser
minimum equipment and simple n Letraset Promarkers
techniques promotes confidence and – Cool Grey 2, Cool Grey 4
freedom and, therefore, enjoyment too. n Signo white gel pen
So although I’m painting indoors from a n Sable travel brushes:
photo for this workshop, I’ll be working Escoda Optimo, size 12;
as if I were sitting in front of the scene. da Vinci Maestro, size 6
Decision time

1
My main aim is to capture the character n Daler Rowney Langton
of the houses and the harbour, and I’m 12x9in spiral sketchbook First I decide what to retain, omit or change.
perfectly happy to move things around with 140lb Not paper Tenby’s multicoloured houses are the star of
to produce a composition that helps me n Sennelier watercolour the show and we need boats for a harbour. But
do that, or to change colours tubes – Cinereous Blue, we’re keeping it simple, and focusing on character
if necessary. And all the time, I’ll be French Ultramarine Blue, rather than detail, so we don’t want too many of
reminding myself of my trusted painting Yellow Ochre, Primary either. The reflections distract from the houses
motto: keep it simple! Yellow, French Vermillion and we can lose the sky and the hill.

98
Outdoors

99
Taking it further

“It’s much
better to
spend time
now than
have regrets
later”

2 3
Focus on format Make a plan
and thumbnail sketch I redraw my thumbnail
A vertical format will give the making a few
houses height. I like the central group improvements, and I use light
and I move others to improve the and mid-grey marker pens to
composition. My boats need to break add form and tone. A plan like
the line of the harbour wall and their this only takes a few minutes
masts can link foreground to but helps ensure an effective,
background. I try this out on a quick easy-to-read end result. It’s
6x4in thumbnail sketch and find I’ve much better to spend time
got room for a seagull! now than have regrets later.

4
Position
the big shapes
Sitting down with my
sketchbook and the photo
propped up in front of me (as
if on location), I lightly pencil
in the position of the big
shapes. I keep adjusting until
I’m happy they look right on
the page. With the big shapes
done, I know the smaller ones
will fall into place once I start
the pen work.

5
Start line work
Simplici ty I develop the drawing with my
pen working quickly, freely (and
My painting motto is ‘keep it definitely not perfectly), just as I would
simple’. I try to apply this to outdoors. I start with big shapes first,
everything: equipment, subject then add windows and finally slates.
matter, composition and All the time, I remind myself to keep it
technique. If things go wrong, simple; too much detail or precision
it usually comes back to this. won’t look spontaneous. And I decide
I don’t need the seagull!

100
 Outdoors

6
Do a colour test
Although the houses are multicoloured, the
fewer colours I use, the more harmony my
painting will have. I plan on using five colours and
I test these on an offcut of the same paper. I’m
more concerned about value – relative lightness
and darkness – than colour matching. I also test
a shadow wash on each colour.

7
Paint the houses
I paint the house walls using very
weak washes, touching the paper
just once. Then I do the slate roofs using
Cinereous Blue with a touch of French
Vermillion and Yellow Ochre, varying the
wash as I go. I try not to be too careful
– accidental unpainted patches are fine.
Finally, I use Primary Yellow and French
Vermillion for the chimneys.

8
Harbour wall & beach
I use weak washes of Yellow Ochre
for the beach and Cinereous Blue
G o ou tside
and a little Yellow Ochre for the sea. I use I much prefer to work
a stronger mix of the same colours outdoors. It forces me to
(mostly Yellow Ochre) for the harbour travel light and work quickly,
wall, adding patches of each while the which in turn helps deliver the
wash is still wet. I’m not too careful, so fresh, lively results I like.
the washes complement the style.

101
Taking it further

9
Paint the boats
Now it’s time for the boats. I
remind myself they’re supporting
players and shouldn’t distract from the
houses. So I use simple one-wash
brushstrokes, although I’m careful to
leave the cabins as the white of the
paper so that they show up against the
harbour wall as per my plan.

Enjoy yourself
People ask why I don’t develop more
sketches into fully finished studio paintings.
For me, one’s quick, intuitive and fun; the
other involves time, discipline and a
self-imposed expectation of a better result.
Fortunately, in art at least, it’s fine to do what
you enjoy rather than what others expect!

10
Add shadows
I mix a large pool of
Ultramarine Blue with a touch
of French Vermillion – I don’t want to run
out midway through! It’s transparent, so
the underlying colours will show through
so long as I use confident one-wash
brushstrokes to avoid any muddying.
Shadows on the side walls, boats and by
the steps lead the eye to the white house
in the centre.

102
 Outdoors

Finishing touches

11 Keeping it simple, I add some shadows in

the window reveals, some ripples in the
water, and suggest some pebbles on the beach to
lead into the picture. Then I lift out some stones on
the harbour wall with a damp brush, patting dry
with a tissue. I add some white gel pen on the masts
and finally some railings.

Final review

12 As always, I review my final

painting. I’m pleased with the
composition, the line work and the
freshness of most of the washes.
There’s a few things I might have done
better, but there’s always next time.
I like the overall sense of ‘seaside fun’,
I kept it simple and, most importantly
of all, I enjoyed creating it!

103
Taking it further

Get outdoors and

paint with gouache
Peter Chan goes through his compact set-up that allows him
to paint both indoors and out

bring to work. So I decided to take up

PETER
Los Angeles, USA
Peter lives in LA, where he
gouache, and really fell in love with it. The
medium comes in vibrant colours, and
Materials
works for Sony Pictures it’s very flexible in its application in terms Peter also used cheaper paint
Animation. He was previously of painting thick as with oils, as well as
at Pandemic Studios as a brands such as Reeves, which is
wet like watercolours. It can also be great in quality as well as price.
concept artist, and he has also
worked for DreamWorks. prepared and cleaned easily, making it
www.pixelp.tumblr.com the perfect medium for plein-air painting.
n Winsor & Newton Gouache
The tools required to use gouache are
n Holbein Gouache
relatively simple and compact, which is
n Watercolour paper
PAINTING FROM OBSERVATION with perfect for anyone who wants to go out
traditional media is one of the best ways for quick studies in any breaks that come n Canson art boards
to study and improve your sense of up in a busy work schedule. n Moleskine sketchbook
colour and light. After a decade working It’s been four years since I took up this n Flat brushes: 1/4, 3/8,
in the animation industry with digital weekly gouache painting routine in the 1/2 , 3/4-in
tools, I decided to revisit this passion of mornings or at lunchtime, and I still n Round brushes #3, #6, #10
mine and began painting outdoors once become excited by the beautiful natural
a week. This reinvigorated my passion for subject matter around me, which is a
painting, but also helped with my colour great counterbalance to the imaginary
work professionally. work I do for the animation studio. It’s
Oil paint was always my go-to medium, also the perfect excuse to get away from
but it’s not the most convenient set-up to working on the computer…

1
Simple and
compact set-up
Start by assembling a compact plein-air set-up
that enables you to start painting and cleaning up
easily. Mine comprises a sketchbook, my paint box, a
small jar of water, a small spray bottle to keep the
paint wet, masking tape, toothpicks for prepping the
paint, paper towels and my brushes in a bamboo
matt. I keep all this in a small bag except for the paint
box, which needs to be carried. I also have a simple
fold-out table instead of a pricey pochade box, where
I can rest my water and paint, and use the table top
as the mixing surface. A fold-out table is a great and
affordable option for painting in remote areas. Hold
the paint box by hand so the colours don’t flow into
each other. Roll up your brushes in a bamboo mat to Keeping the set-up simple and pared back
means the cleaning up can be easy too!
protect and organise them.

104
 Gouache

Try experimenting
2 with paper types
I like painting on many different types of paper.
It really pushed me to control gouache as a medium
when I first started using it. The thin Moleskine
sketchbook paper forces you to apply the paint
rather thick and dry, while Canson art board has
an absorbent surface and enables you to layer the
paint. Toothy watercolour paper suits a dry brush
Different paper technique, which creates interesting textures. You
can produce can learn all types of gouache application just by
different results.
painting on different paper surfaces.

Limit your brush choices

3 You don’t need to buy premium brushes for
these painting studies; it’s all about getting
comfortable and efficient with them. I mostly use flat
and round brushes at a couple of different sizes. The
flat brush is great for blocking in big areas and
cutting into colour shapes to create sharper, cleaner
edges. The round brush enables you to ‘draw’ the
colours, develop organic shapes, and is also good for
dry brush texturing.

The flat brush creates a blocky, hard edge look. The round
brush can develop a softer, organic feel on the canvas.

4
Prepping the paint
It’s important to prep your paint before each
session and make sure it’s not too dry. I
recommend adding the appropriate amount of paint
depending on the depth of the box compartments.
Spray the desired amount of water with the bottle –
I aim for a pancake-mix type consistency. Then mix
the water and paint with a toothpick. Depending on
the weather, I might also make the paint a bit more
watery on a very hot day, or add more fresh
pigments for thicker paint when painting indoors.

The paint box

5 I carry my paints in this compartmented box
and use the lid as my mixing surface. The
advantages with the paint box is I don’t have to
squeeze out new paint every time; it’s easy to control
the amount of paint I get on my brush; and it also
helps to keep the paint fresh for up to a week if it’s
kept out of the sun. It’s also easy to clear out the
compartment and replace old paints. I organise my
colours according to their values, which helps when
picking colours. Whenever I notice the paint is
drying, I can revive it by mixing in a few drops of
water. However, this has to be carried level in the
hand, so the paints don’t overflow into neighbouring Don’t forget to clean and prep your paint for each painting
compartments. Search for “24 well paint box” online session. Always keep the paint damp – once it dries hard it’s
and find something similar. more difficult to revive with water.

105
Taking it further

Paint the landscape

in gouache
Lancelot Richardson utilises the unique
layering and textural properties of gouache
for painting a rural landscape

106
 Landscape

LANCELOT
Brighton, UK
Lancelot Richardson is a painter and freelance
illustrator. He also works at independent drawing
school Draw Brighton as a life-drawing tutor.
lancelotrichardson.com

Materials
n Gouache Paint: Permanent white, Lemon Yellow,
Permanent Yellow Deep, Yellow Ochre, Winsor Red,
Quinacridone Magenta, Ultramarine, Phthalo Blue, Burnt
Siena, Ivory Black
n Plastic palette – I am using a children's finger painting
palette as it has a lot of space
n Kitchen Towel
n Water soluble pencils – any graphite, colour or
watersoluble can work with different effects
n Seawhites A4 Watercolour Paper– any watercolour or
a heavyweight mixed media paper will work well
n A mixture of flat and round synthetic brushes, ranging
from a 1” flat to a #1 round
n Pipette
n Spray bottle
n Jar for water
n Masking Tape

107
 Taking it further

GOUACHE IS A WATER-BASED
medium, also known as opaque
watercolour. It works in a similar way to
watercolours, in that it is watersoluble,
and can be used from a dry cake, or
fresh paint.
It also pairs beautifully with
watercolour paint –they can mix
together, or gouache can be kept for
opaque accents. Because gouache is
opaque, it is more forgiving than
watercolour, as it layers readily.
Over the following pages, we are going
to be using gouache as fresh paint. This
Reactivating gouache
makes the most of its ability to be One unusual property of gouache is that it can be 'reactivated' – dry paint can be wetted with a damp
applied as a thin wash in early stages, brush. This is handy for generating softer transitions and varied textures. When you make the gouache
working up to thick neat paint in the final wet, it will initially change colour, but don't worry, it will dry the same. Be gentle when you do this, as
highlights and details. rough handling will lift paint off the paper – try to nudge it around.

1
Set up a surface
Gouache is very tolerant of different surfaces, and
will go down well on any good-quality heavyweight
papers. Here I have watercolour paper, but thick kraft
paper, or toned mixed media papers create a nice
midtone to work on. Use a low-tack masking tape to
create a border.

108
 Landscape

Use a wet palette

2 A wet palette will help keep paint wet.
To make one, take a sheet or two of
kitchen towel and fold it into a narrow strip,
then spray with the spray bottle until evenly
damp. Lay this on the palette and squirt paint
on top. Use the spray bottle to keep it wet.

3
Initial sketch
Using an orange, watersoluble
pencil, I draw in my initial layer,
sticking to big simple shapes. At this
stage, we don't need to obsess over
details, just tone and colour.
Watersoluble pencil will melt, so the
sketch will be lost quickly, so you may
prefer something more permanent.

109
 Taking it further

4
Transparent layer
Looking at the dominant hues in the scene, I lay
down colour with very dilute paint. This
transparent layer kills any white gaps later on in the
painting, and will help the greens look more vivid. Don't
let things get too dark, or it will be hard to paint on top.

Lighttss dry dark,

Ligh
darks dry light
Gouache tends not to dry the same colour it is wet, especially
for the extremes of light and dark. Usually light colours get
darker when they dry, and darks get lighter. This makes things
tricky, but the best solution is to compensate for it. If a light
colour dries too dark, I will add more white or yellow to lighten
it further – it may look bizarre at first, but will dry how I want it.

Start
5 with the
sky
Although gouache is
more forgiving than
watercolour as it is
opaque, it is still a
good idea to preserve
any large tracts of
light tones early on,
as painting over large
dark areas can
reactivate the
gouache and
contaminate light
tones. I have put in
the sky to start with,
using wet-in-wet
paint for the clouds.

110
 Landscape

6
Block in darks
Still working thin and wet, I lay in
shadow shapes. Try to hold off using
black right now and instead mix dark
colours to create 'chromatic blacks' – black
mixed using complementary colours on the
palette such as ultramarine and burnt
sienna. I've added magenta or green to add
variety in different areas.

“Try to pay attention

to the shapes and
silhouettes of your
major colour areas”

7
Big colour areas
In this stage, the paint is getting
more opaque. Try to pay attention to
the shapes and silhouettes of your major
colour areas, and ignore any fine details.
This also mean ignoring highlights; try to
paint in the darker colours so we can put
lighter ones on later.

111
 Taking it further

8 Work wet in wet

To achieve soft edges and
transitions, you can work wet in wet.
In gouache this can be done by gently
brushing water over an area, and then
lightly applying paint, or painting two wet
areas next to each other and manipulating
them. Try to be gentle to avoid lifting the
gouache off the paper.

Push the darks

9 Here I have restated the darks to

push the contrast – another layer is
enough to give them an extra kick, and the
wet boundaries create atmosphere. It is
important to work through the painting as a
whole, rather than working from one point,
to maintain cohesive colour and light.

Opaque shapes

10 Once the surface is dry, I use more opaque paint to lay

in the lights and refine shapes across the painting.
Shape can help us indicate the direction, texture and layers of
foliage. There is relatively little water in the paint now, giving it a
somewhat creamy consistency.

Create textures with drybrush

Textures are a quick way to add detail. Dry brush is a technique that involves
picking up paint with a mostly dry brush, and dragging it over the surface of
the paper to create a fragmented texture. This works best with thicker paint,
but subtle effects can be made with dilute paint, as long as the brush is
dried out with a towel first. Use different brushes and movements (twisting,
flicking, dragging) to create varied textures.

112
 Landscape

11
Apply texture
Texture is important for
transforming shapes of colour
into more recognisable subjects. A lot of
the textures added in the grassy areas
and fields were applied using dry brush
techniques. We mostly see texture in
light areas, and around the edges of
shadow shapes, but not in the shadows.

12 13
Build details Add highlights
It is finally time to get into the little details. Using a Here we are really making the most of the opacity of
smaller brush, and opaque paint, I am picking out the gouache by adding in small highlights with thick paint –
branches in the trees, and refining the silhouette of the brightly lit a mixture of white with yellow and green hues. Thick paint will sit
grass in the foreground. The alternating light-shadow pattern on on top of anything that is dry. Be sparing with highlights, as too
the left is important for showing depth, so I'm resolving that too. many will overwhelm the image.

“The trees have more

highlights on them to
help convey a more
diffuse, leafy texture”

14
Finishing touches
Lots of small changes have been made
here. A dry brushed texture has been
added to indicate the grass around the path. I've
enriched shadows with colours to contrast the
grass in the foreground. Finally, the trees have more
highlights on them to help convey a more diffuse,
leafy texture.

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Taking it further

Create great
quality digital
copies of your art
If you want to share your art, whether via email, posting
online, or making prints, you’ll need to digitise it first.
Nicolette Hamilton shows you how

The best way to digitise your work is to

NICOLETTE
photograph it. What we’ll demonstrate
here is how art galleries and museums Ma terials
London, UK have digitised their art archives, but we’ll Gather together the following for your
Art expert and artist do it in a way that won’t require makeshift photo studio. You should have
Nicolette Hamilton used
expensive kit. In fact, you might already most of these things to hand, but if not,
the techniques shared over
the following pages when have most of the items you need. they are easy to borrow. Also note that
she oversaw the digitisation To capture your work at its best, the there is plenty of photo-editing software
of the London Borough of two most vital things are to control the available to download for free.
Sutton’s art collection. lighting and set up your camera as
accurately as possible. This way, there n Artist’s easel
shouldn’t be a lot of messing around on n 3mm sheet of MDF board
ART ISN’T JUST about creating, it’s the computer – if you get the shoot right, n Thin pane of glass
also about sharing. Once you’ve made a minimal computer work will be required.
n Digital SLR camera
beautiful work you’re proud of, it’s only Once you’ve set up your makeshift
n Tripod
natural that you’ll want others to see it studio for digitising your artwork and
n 2 soft box lights (or floor or desk lamps)
too. There are several ways to do this. Of photographed a few pieces, it’ll become
course, you could frame your paintings second nature. You could go ahead and n Some black cloth or felt
and drawings and hang them up at start digitising your entire portfolio of n Some black paper or black sugar paper
home, or put them on display at work – even the sketches. People love n A computer and photo-editing software
an exhibition. But you can also go digital looking at all aspects of art from the very
and share your work online by posting on earliest stages to the end result.
social media or on your very own blog.
If you do want to put your works online,
or even have digital prints made, then
Soft box
you’ll need to digitise them. If your
Lighting set-up lamps
painting is smaller than A4 size,
Here’s the basic set-up. The lights face
Camera
you could do this quite easily by popping
one another fairly close to the easel,
it on to an A4 flatbed scanner. However,
casting an even illumination. Your camera
many artists work at sizes bigger than
can move closer to the easel or further 6ft
A4 and, while A3 scanners are available, x
it’s a bit extravagant to buy one just so
from it, depending on the size of the
work. Keep an eye on the lighting (and
appro
that you can scan the occasional
reflections), and make small adjustments Easel
painting. Besides, flatbed scanners
with each image you photograph.
aren’t great at capturing the depth and
texture of paint.

114
 Photograph your artwork

Controlling the light

1 Don’t worry, you won’t need to
create darkroom conditions for this,
but it is a good idea to block out any light
from any windows and close any doors if
they are also letting in light.
Here we’ve used a piece of black paper
and parcel tape to cover a Velux window
in the loft room that we’re using as our
digitisation studio.
If you prefer, you could use blackout
cloth instead – this is easily available
online. Simply cut it to fit the window’s
shape, and fix it in place with masking
tape (especially if you’re concerned
about the paintwork). Don’t forget to
turn off the room’s main light when
you’re ready to start shooting.

Organise the artwork

2 Choose the pieces of art you want
to digitise and then organise them
into groups according to size. This will
make things much easier once you start
photographing the work, as you won’t
need to keep adjusting the easel, lighting
and camera set-up for each painting.
Instead, you will photograph all the
smaller works together, all the medium-
sized ones, and finally all the big ones,
having to make only minor adjustments.

3
Setting up the easel
An ordinary artist’s easel is
perfect – if you don’t already
have one, see if you can borrow one.
The back of the easel needs to be as
close to vertical as possible. You could
use a spirit level for this, but we’re doing
it by eye. Next place a sheet of MDF
onto the easel, followed by your sheet
of glass, in portrait aspect. Fix them in
place using the easel’s clamps.

4
Bring in the lights
G rea t idea! Place the soft box lights about
six feet apart, facing one
If your artwork doesn’t sit perfectly flat on another, on each side of the easel. If you
the easel by itself, it’s best to put it behind haven’t got soft box lights like the ones
glass to even the surface. However, if it’s on we’re using, floor or desk lamps will do
canvas or board, you won’t need the glass the job. Just make sure they’re at the
to photograph it, and removing the glass same height and can provide fairly even
actually makes it easier because you won’t lighting across the front of the easel.
have to control any reflections it creates. Don’t worry too much about reflections
– we’ll show you how to control them.

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Taking it further

5
Position the camera
Attach the digital SLR camera to
the tripod and adjust its height so
it’s roughly level with the lighting and
the easel. You can move it up and down
to get it perfect once the artwork is in
place. We’ll shoot in portrait orientation
because the wider your set-up is, the
more chance of reflections. Even if your
artwork is landscape format, place it in
portrait orientation and simply rotate
the image in your computer software.

6
Get the artwork ready
Make sure your pane of glass is
clean. If your artwork was made
using a medium that requires fixing
(such as charcoal or pastel), make sure
this has been done and the fixer is dry
before placing the art behind the glass
and in position for you to photograph it.
We’re photographing a life drawing on
some flimsy newsprint that’s been rolled
up, so the glass really helps. Pegs can be
used to secure the glass to the backing
board, flattening the artwork.

Line it up
7 Raise or lower your camera so that
the centre of your shot is as close
to the centre of the artwork as possible.
Then move the lights to try to make sure
they are not being reflected in the glass.
Look through your camera’s viewfinder
and keep making adjustments until it’s
right. You might find you need to get
someone to hold a piece of blackout
cloth in a certain position to help dim
away unwanted reflections.

Camera action
G rea t idea
If your artwork has already
8 Set your camera to take photos
at the highest resolution possible,
then start shooting. We’d advise three
been framed, don’t remove shots per artwork, each at a different
it from the frame to shutter speed. Once you’ve taken a
photograph it. Just pop it few shots, take the memory card out,
on the easel and use the pop it into your computer and check the
same process to capture quality of the photos on your computer.
it on your camera. It’ll be easier to spot any flaws on the
computer screen than on your camera’s
smaller display. If you can see any small
reflections or things you want to change,
make the required adjustment to the
set-up and take some new shots.

116
 Photograph your artwork

9
Camera to computer
When you’re done, transfer the
images to your computer. If you’ve
used your camera’s Raw image format,
which captures the best detail and colour
depth, then you’ll need to convert the files
to a format your software can handle. We
recommend saving in TIF format to begin
with. JPEG will discard most of the detail.

Digital editing

10 You can use a free application

such as GIMP (www.gimp.org)
or Paint.NET (www.getpaint.net). Choose
the photo with the most accurate colour
representation from each set of three.
Crop the image to the area containing
your artwork, and save this as a new
file. Use the edges of the crop box to
11 Ready to share
Now that your file is digital, there are many
things you can do with it. You can upload it to
an online portfolio, or to your Facebook page. You can
determine whether or not your artwork have giclée prints made and give them to your friends or
is being seen flat-on. You might need to sell them. Or, why not use your artwork to create your
make tiny adjustments or rotate it ever own set of greeting cards? The possibilities are just
so slightly. When you’re happy with it, about endless, but the important thing is that other
save it as a TIF for printing, and as a JPEG people can now enjoy looking at your art as much as you
for websites or sharing on social media. enjoyed creating it.

117
 Mount your artwork
When framing your art, a mount is also essential to help
protect it. Rodney Dive shows you how it’s done

AT THE END of this book, we’re contact with the glass of the frame. basic tools. This workshop shows
going to show you how to create a This is particularly necessary if you you the basic methods you need to
simple but professional-looking are framing media that will stick to mount your art, but the more you
frame for your art. But right now it’s the glass, and with prolonged contact do, the better you will get and
time to enhance your art by using a they can be difficult to remove develop your own style.
mount. Thiswill add an aesthetic without damaging the art.
quality to your work and create the Although, it’s simple-looking the
perfect environment for the viewer mount is more sophisticated than it RODNEY
to experience your pictures. appears. Most standard mounts will Bath, UK
Mounts aren’t just for decorative have the window edges cut at 45 Rodney has been framing
purposes, they also serve as degrees to create a bevel. Cutting for over five years, initially
protection by allowing the art to through the board at an angle creates as a way to save money on
a nice finish but requires a completely framing his collection of
expand or contract depending on
prints and art. He develops
temperature and moisture content straight and clean cut that meets at traditional techniques and
of the surrounding air. The mount the corners. methods with every
also prevents the delicate pigments To create the mount you will need a new commission.
on the page from coming into clean, flat working area and a few

118
 Gouache

How much board?

1 Measure the dimensions of
your picture accurately, then
decide how big the margin should
be around your image – sometimes
small images look great with large
mounts, and vice versa. For your
board, add double the border
dimension to the width and height of
the picture you are framing, then add
a touch more to the height to allow for
‘lower weighting’ (see step 2).

Ma terials Mark the aperture

n
n
n
Artwork
Mount board
Cutting mat
2 Make sure your working area is clean
and dry, then place the mount board
face down. With a sharp pencil and ruler
n Metal ruler mark out the area you will cut away to make
n Mount cutter the window. I prefer to make the border
n Pencil slightly larger at the bottom; this ‘lower
n Scalpel weighting’ has a pleasing proportion (most
n Hinging tape doors have a larger bottom panel or the
n Double-sided tape (optional) bottom drawer in a chest of drawers is often
larger). Extend your pencil lines beyond the
area to be cut.

Prepare to cut
3 Now you have marked your cut
lines, it’s time to make the actual
cuts. Because we’re cutting at a
45-degree angle through the board, it’s
important to work methodically so all
cuts are in the same direction. Align the
centre marker of your cutter with the
right-hand perpendicular cut line and
press firmly on the cutter so the blade
goes all the way through the board.
Maintain this pressure and slowly slide

Cu tt ing room the cutter along the straight edge until

the centre marker is just past the the
Buy spare mount board to use as a cutting next vertical pencil line.
mat to protect the surface you’re working
on. Also, you can practise cutting windows
on scrap mount board – remember you’ll
only get one chance to get it right for real.

119
Taking it further

All abou t
moun t board
There are many options when it comes to
mount board. Here’s a quick lowdown:

Museum grade: Top-quality board that’s

acid free with a high cotton content and
fade-resistant finish, these are the kind of
expensive boards museums use to preserve
precious pieces of art.
Conservation grade: A high-quality board,
which is acid free and fade resistant – it’s
more than good enough for most uses and
Check and repeat
4 Flip your board over to check the
blade has cut all the way through and
left a clean incision. Now turn it back over
is cheaper than museum-grade board.
Standard grade: Cheaper, easier to use and
widely available from most art shops, ideal
for practising mount-cutting techniques or
and rotate 90 degrees. Align your ruler to the
framing projects.
next pencil line and make another cut. Flip
and check that your cut lines meet at the
Aside from different grades, the board can
corner and create an accurate bevel –
come with different colour cores, such as
sometimes you need to slide a sharp scalpel
black, white or cream. So, regardless of the
blade in at 45 degrees to help release the
surface colour, the board that is exposed at
corner without tearing the surface.
the core of it (when the bevel is cut, for
example) will reveal a different colour.

Finally, most mount board come in several

thicknesses, typically:

Standard: 1400/1500 microns or

1.4/1.5mm thick
Thick: 2000/2200 microns – 2/2.2mm thick
Extra thick:3000 microns – 3mm thick

Book hinge the mount

5 Now that the aperture is cut, have a
close look at the face of the mount
and remove any blemishes and marks with
the eraser – be very careful if you’re using a
black mount as they mark easily. Take your
backing board and place it face up on your
work surface. Place some waste board at
the top and align your window to the top
edge of the backing board face down. Place
a couple of small pieces of tape across the
two boards to hold them in place while you
apply a long strip of tape across the whole
length of the card. Raising the front piece of
board will stop the tape from stretching
when the boards are folded over.

120
 Mount your artwork

Align the art

6 Place your image between the

backing board and the window
mount and align it centrally. Close the mount
together to check it’s aligned accurately.
Next lift one of the top corners and place a
small length (approx 5cm) of tape face-up
underneath the corner so about 5mm is
underneath the picture itself, press the
picture on top of the tape to form a bond.
Repeat with the other corner, being careful
not to move the position of the picture.
A weight placed on the picture will help.

7
Finish the hinges
Take a 5cm length of tape and place it
across the top of the exposed tape
facing upwards from underneath the picture,
press this down firmly. Repeat for the other
side. These two hinges will hang the image
from the backing board behind the window
mount, it will allow the paper to move around
as it expands and contracts. Don’t be
tempted to add more hinges down the side
or the bottom, as these will restrict
movement and the art will buckle.

Finishing off
8 Once you’re satisfied with the hinges,
flip the window mount back over and
check everything is lined up. Once happy
with the mount, stick a small strip of
double-sided tape on the lower portion of
the backing board and then press the
window mount firmly on top. This will stop
the two pieces of board from moving
around. Your mount is now finished and
ready for display or framing.

121
Taking it further

RODNEY
Bath, UK
Rodney has been framing
for over five years, first as
a way to save money on
framing his ever-growing
collection of prints and art,
developing the traditional
techniques and methods
with every new commission.

GETTING YOUR ART professionally

framed can be expensive. Ready-made
frames are a cheaper alternative, but
they’re only suitable if your work is a
standard size such as A4 or A3. If you
want a cost-effective solution, with the
flexibility to accommodate unique-sized
art, then make your own frames. It’s not
as hard as it sounds.
In this guide (part one of two), I’ll explain
how to frame your art at home, without
using the expensive automated equipment
you see in a professional workshop. With a
little practice and an eye for detail, there’s no
reason why your frames can’t be as good as
the ones your local framing shop makes.
You’ll initially need to invest in a minimum
set of tools to get started, but you’ll quickly
recuperate the cost of those when you
produce your first few frames at home. And
the more frames you make, the more value
you’ll get from your equipment. You can pick
up good quality second-hand equipment

Frame your from websites such as eBay or Gumtree.

When buying tools you get what you pay for,
since cheap tools generally produce inferior
results and don’t last as long. The best

own art buying advice I can offer is to start making

frames with whatever equipment you have
to hand (making sure your tools are clean
and your blades are sharp), and it will soon
be apparent what you’ll need to buy. As with
Rodney Dive shows you how to make affordable, most things, the more you do it, the more
you will develop your own working methods
beautiful picture frames to protect your precious and practices, then you can buy tools to suit.
artworks and make them shine In the next issue we’ll explore cutting
mounts to complement your art and
attaching your artwork with hinges.

122
 Frame your own art

S afety first
Always wear protective equipment when
using power tools. Make sure you have
enough room to move around your work
without over-stretching, as this could make
you lose your balance. Take extra care
when cutting glass, since the cut edges are
razor-sharp. If you don’t feel confident using
some of the tools or methods in this guide,
please consult a professional for advice.

Measure up

1 Make sure you have an area to work

in that’s clean, flat and large enough to
fully support the piece you are working on.
First, measure your art. If you’re not using a
mount board or mat then your frame should
match the length and width of the artwork.
If you are using a mount board then the
measurements of the mount will of course
determine your frame size. Once you have
the dimensions, put your artwork out of the
way to prevent any contamination from
dust or glue. When working on a particularly
precious piece of work, I make a blank out of
card, the same size as the art I’m framing, to
use for test fitting in the workshop to avoid
damaging the original painting.

Ma terials Work it out

n
n
n
Art to be framed
2.5mm MDF
2-3mm float glass
2 To work out how much
moulding you will need,
first calculate the perimeter of
the whole frame by adding your
n Frame moulding measured width and height
n PVA wood glue dimensions together, then
n V-nails doubling that number. Next,
n Gummed tape measure the width of the
n Framer’s points or panel pins moulding you’ll use, multiply
n Cord hangers and picture cord this measurement by eight and
n Hand v-nailer tool add it to your total length, to
account for the mitred edges
n Pin hammer/ framer’s point gun
(the 45-degree cuts that will
n Mitre saw
match up to form the corners
n Mitre guillotine
of the frame). Add on 10% to
n Glass cutter allow for wastage. Examine
n Craft knife your sticks of moulding for
n Adjustable square or T-square knots in the wood or transit
n Band clamp damage, then cut around these
n Long metal ruler so that they don’t affect the
n Marker (similar colour as your moulding) final finish of the frame.

123
Taking it further

3
Mark your lengths
Measure the frame moulding from
the inside of the rebate (the tab
Moulding
of material that sticks out at the bottom
of the moulding. Once the frame is put
material
together, the rebates make the aperture Mouldings come in all sorts
that holds the glass and art in place). This of materials for many different
needs to accurately match your artwork’s purposes. Wood mouldings
dimensions to ensure a snug fit. Aim to cut are easy to work with and can
slightly larger pieces than required, since accept dye, varnish and oil
it’s easy to skim off a few millimetres to finishes. I prefer to work with
fine-tune the size, but once something’s hardwood such as obeche,
cut too small, nothing can be done. With which has good working
this in mind, cut the longest lengths first qualities and will stay straight
so if you do make a mistake then it can be and square. Metal mouldings
re-cut to make one of the smaller sides! are modern-looking and can
look attractive with the right
art and environments. Metal
Cut the moulding to size
4
needs specialist blades to get
Chop shop Cut the moulding lengths in two stages, first using a mitre
saw to rough cut the lengths. It’s worth investing some time
an accurate, clean, burr-free
cut. Plastics are cheap, light
A host of online framing in setting up your saw to make sure it cuts true – use some of the and easy to work, and are
retailers offer a chop service spare moulding to do test cuts to check the angle accuracy and to ideal for pictures in a child’s
so you can order your frame see if the saw blade will splinter the finish. If this does happen, wrap bedroom, for example. But
moulding ready-cut to your some sticky tape around the area you’re cutting to prevent it from they’re affected by heat and
specified size. Some will even splintering. Use the finest-toothed saw blade you can get hold of – sunlight, and over time they
supply you with perspex or the finer the teeth, the cleaner the cut. may warp and become brittle.
small panes of glass cut to
your required size (see p80).
Because these companies
use professional equipment,
the mitres are clean and
accurate and will bond
together well. This is a great
way to get started and build
up your framing skills without
needing to buy any equipment
yet. Sites offering this useful
service include DIY Framing
(bit.ly/diychop), Ashworth &
Thompson (bit.ly/ashchop),
Lion (bit.ly/lionchop) and
Brampton Picture Framing
(bit.ly/bramptonchop).

124
 Frame your own art

5
Prepare for joining
Finish the moulding cuts with a
mitre guillotine, which will hone the
edges to be joined to create a flat, smooth
surface that will bond well and produce a
good-looking perfect mitre once joined. Use
the guillotine to shave off a millimetre or so
from the edge of your rough-cut piece of
moulding, then check that all the edges are
angled at either 45 degrees or 90 degrees.
Hold your two lengths and two width pieces
back-to-back to make sure they’re exactly
the same size, so the finished frame will be
square. Before joining them, use a marker
to colour around the top of the cut edges to
hide any slight imperfections in the join.

I f you buy Join the lengths

one thing...
The FrameCo PushMaster
6 Test-fit the pieces to make sure they
sit flush together. Do this on a clean,
level surface to also make sure the frame
is flat. Make slight adjustments if needed.
(bit.ly/pushmaster) hand Next, use some PVA wood glue to bond
v-nailer is worth investing the faces of the mitres together, then run
in. A cost-effective way to a band clamp around the perimeter of the
professionally finish your frame and tighten it to apply even pressure
frame joints, it also doubles around the edges while the glue dries.
up as a handy point-nailer for
attaching backing boards.
It has a magnetic head that Underpin
holds the v-nail or point in
position ready for insertion,
and a solid metal construction
that can take a bash with a
7 Push a v-nail into the underside of
each corner, using a handheld v-nailer
tool (see the ‘If you buy one thing’ box, left,
for my favourite). These metal v-shaped
hammer if you need to push wedges will pull the frame edges together,
some v-nails in to hardwood. adding strength and preventing the weight
The starter kit costs about of the frame from deforming it when it’s
£45, including enough points hanging on the wall. Make sure you get the
and v-nails for 50 frames. v-nail into the wood the right way around,
with the sharper end facing down into the
back of the frame corner, with the point
of the v-shape meeting the angled join. If
your moulding is wide then you should put
a number of v-nails along the join – here I’ve
used two v-nails to add strength.

125
Taking it further

8
Measure the glass
Lay the glass for your frame on a
flat, clean surface that’s big enough
to support the whole surface of the glass.
Use a sharp cutter and a sturdy straight
edge that won’t slip – a T-square is ideal
and will help you to make straight, square
cuts. Measure the glass to fit your artwork
by putting the square underneath your
ruler and moving the square into the
correct position, remembering to allow
for the width of the cutter itself. Before
you commence cutting, make sure that
everything is in the correct position and
that you have enough room all around you
to cut the full length of the glass without
any obstructions or distractions.

9
Cut the glass
Types of glass Cutting glass is all about confidence.
Scribe the glass firmly with the cutter
along the straight edge (if you use enough
PLAIN GLASS
pressure it should sound like frying chips).
Also referred to as standard, float glass,
Make sure you only scribe the surface once,
soda lime glass or picture glass, it’s usually
as this creates a single fault line along which
2-3mm thick and is available in all glass
the glass will snap cleanly. Once marked,
merchants. It’s also very cost-effective.
hold either side of the scribe-line and apply
an even upward pressure until the glass
NON-REFLECTIVE GLASS (NRG)
breaks cleanly. Alternatively, place one side
Available in specialist glass stockists and
of the glass on an elevated surface (the edge
most bespoke picture framers, this is more
of the T-square, for example) and apply a
expensive than plain glass. Non-reflective
gentle downward pressure to the other side
glass has an etched finish that dulls down
until it snaps. These newly cut edges are very
the surface, cutting down on reflections but
sharp, so be careful when handling.
also flattening colours in framed images.

PERSPEX
Sometimes called Plexiglas, this clear
acrylic is easy to work with and doesn’t
leave any sharp edges once it’s cut, plus
it’s fairly inexpensive. It scratches easily,
though, and it sometimes turns opaque over
time and exposure to sunlight/UV light.

CUT TO SIZE
Whatever the type, glass merchants will
usually cut glass to size, but you will have to
be accurate with your measurements and
be prepared that there could be a tolerance
of up to quarter of an inch in its finished size.
I prefer to cut my own glass so I can get an
exact fit – it’s not hard to do (see step 9).

126
 Frame your own art

Cut the backing board

10 Use 2.5mm MDF or standard hardboard,

available from all good hardware merchants.
Measure and mark your backing board with a ruler and
square. Use a sturdy straight edge and a craft knife to
cut the board to shape – you might have to take several
passes through the material to cut right through. Once
cut, sand or plane the edges to prevent splintering.

11
Make it shine
Clean everything, then clean it
again. Vacuum up all of the dust,
polish the frame and clear away surplus
tools and equipment. Remove the band
clamp and place the frame face-down on
your clean, flat surface, then run around
the rebate with the vacuum to remove
any dust or debris. Next, clean the glass on
both sides using a quality cleaning agent to
prevent any smears, leaving a crystal clear
finish. Lay the glass into the frame, handling
it as little as possible. Again, run the vacuum
around the inside of the frame to clear any
debris. Next, lay the art on the glass and
finally put the backing board in place.

12 Add finishing touches

Pin the backing board tight into the frame with some
framer’s points or panel pins. Carefully insert these
with a pin hammer or a specialist framer’s point gun. Or you
could use a PushMaster, which has a handy groove for inserting
points by hand. Give everything a wipe down and then run a
length of gummed tape around the frame and backing board,
cutting it into the corners with a sharp blade to seal the back
of the frame. Finally, position a couple of cord hangers on the
frame edges and run a length of picture cord between them.
Knot these securely and your frame is ready to hang.

127
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