Painting has always been considered a relaxing activity, and this is certainly true with watercolours. As your brush sweeps over the paper, it’s impossible not to feel a sense of calm, and that’s what has drawn so many people to the medium. In Paint & Draw: Watercolours, it’s time to take this to the next level and improve your techniques. With tutorials on everything from colour theory to composing interesting scenes, it’s the perfect way to develop your skills while still having fun. Uncover how to create stunning fire effects, make the perfect harbour scene and fill in all of those minute details that will make your art really stand apart from the crowd. Painting has always been considered a relaxing activity, and this is certainly true with watercolours. As your brush sweeps over the paper, it’s impossible not to feel a sense of calm, and that’s what has drawn so many people to the medium. But the learning doesn’t stop there – explore how you can take yourself that one step further with ink, gouache, and line and wash. Finally, we reveal how you can mount, photograph and frame your own paintings. The next step of your watercolour journey is just a click away…
Welcome to Paint & Draw: WATERCOLOURS
Mastering the basics of watercolours • Robert Brindley RSMA explains how to simplify a watercolour by using a limited palette and interpreting tonal value
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!
Tips & techniques • Keep watercolours fresh and loose
Paint vibrant petals in watercolour
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.
How to convey bright sunlight
Create more interesting compositions
Negative painting in watercolour
Create a sparkling night sky with watercolour
Mix greens from basic pigments for a more natural effect
Combine hard and soft edges for effective watercolour clouds • DISTANT CLOUDS in the sky can 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.
How to paint shadows in watercolour while maintaining transparency
Paint realistic copper effects • PAINTING METAL EFFECTS is based on the contrast of light and dark in addition to environmental reflections. For this example, I’ll take an old copper glass holder standing on a glass surface. Any form is based on alternating tones: midtone-light-midtone-shadow-reflection. But copper also needs to include colour variations, made by combining contrasts and additional colours. The most difficult part is to not get lost in all of those details.
Create texture in watercolour with a plastic credit card
Tips to paint vibrant water • Jennifer Branch shows you the secrets behind painting energised water and realistic reflections in any situation
Simplify painting with a strong composition • Margaret Merry demonstrates how to use watercolour to capture the charm of a summer garden, with its ephemeral light, shade and colour
Working freely in watercolour • Jem Bowden used photos, plus a large helping of artistic licence and traditional techniques, to create a harmonious, impressionistic landscape
Capture spring light in watercolour • A visit...