Paintbox Tips

a difficult subject to draw so i broken it down to geometric shapes.  

I think its the foreshortening that confuses us PLUS we know what a car looks like - but do we actually look?

However, we need to remember to not confuse what we know with what w

this is a glossary of terms for all things art including watercolour

in no particular order and under construction, so please do check back regularly for updates:

UNDERPAINTING: a process of blocking-in (or washing-in) a preliminary light to mid valu

 I had to stop painting halfway through a new work yesterday - my pet peeve - largely
because I struggle to get back into the zone of things when it's all dry and at that middle bland stage of light and mid values.

so I'm writing a list of what I nee

If i could meet the person who first said "your painting is not perfect" or "I'm a perfectionist" i would give them a jolly good talking to!!

Lets get a reality check here - there's no such thing as perfect (except for Mary Poppins and even she said

always helps me to loossen up 

leave gaps

love wrong marks

curves where there should be straights and vice versa

less is more

hold pencil at tip so you can't be accurate

I might not paint it like this but it will make me stop and think

I should also

You probably know this - colour mixing in watercolour is vastly different from other mediums.

There are several reasons for this, including the fluidity of the medium - water; the watercolour paper; sizing; the pigments; and, the white of the paper.

Composing and designing are pretty much one and the same thing. 

it's all about placing shapes, colour, values and forms etc in a way that creates visual interest. 

There are several schools of thought on Design and Composition, a simplied version th

Mark Twain said, “never let the truth get in the way of a good story” 

Paint what your painting needs not necessarity what is in front of you.

Think about designing your painting - what are the elements that communicate your story or your message? w