Tips and techniques to keep watercolour looking fresh and loose.
(Image credit: Andrew Pitt)
There are many things that contribute to the attractive and free nature of watercolour, but here we’ll concentrate on the simplest and most basic: how to apply the paint to the paper. If you're just getting started there are plenty of watercolour tutorials to help refine your skills.
I’ve found the easiest way to make the paint look happy on the paper is to touch the paper once. That is, I know how I want my picture to look straight away, and don’t plan to do any over-painting. I avoid painting anywhere twice, until I have painted everything once. And I don’t correct as I go along either– I wait until the end, when it is easier to judge the passages that haven’t quite gone to plan. Remember, we are all trying to narrow the gap between our vision and the execution of our vision.
The purpose of my preliminary drawing is to ensure the image fits the paper. As my aim – and I don’t always succeed – is to go for the end straightaway, I can start anywhere I like. I don’t paint to a set formula, but I do like to begin somewhere small and easy.
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.
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.
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.
Andrew started painting when he was 11. He is a self-taught painter who lives in Suffolk and is well known for his plein air paintings and simple style.
