Leisure Painter - UK (2019-06)

Here is a simple tonal painting – a chestnut
mushroom painted in sepia monochrome –
with the four tonal washes used

t

60 JUNE 2019 http://www.painters-online.co.uk

I

love watercolour. It is one of the

loveliest and most challenging media

with which to work. The rewards,

however, can be enjoyed if there is

some knowledge of how it works and

how to approach it. If you have never

tried watercolour before, or if you did

and things went wrong, I want to

show you how to build confidence in

handling it, and enjoy the process.

What is watercolour?

Watercolour is pigment (colour) bound

together with a gum (usually acacia or

gum Arabic) to make it soluble in water.

It has been developed in tube form or

dry in small pans (half or full pans

contained in paint boxes). As watercolour

is soluble it is moistened with a brush and

applied to paper to create washes of light

and dark tones according to how much

water is used.

Watercolour works best on watercolour

paper, which can be bought in a variety

of surfaces and weights. If just beginning

with watercolour I recommend a NOT

(medium surface) paper, which is sold

in books or pads.

In the classical English style the paint

is used to create transparency so the

paper becomes the lightest tone and

left empty to create the highlights.

White is not usually used, as it destroys

the transparency. If white is used with

watercolour, it becomes opaque and

is known as gouache and this form

of watercolour has traditionally been

used in European painting.

Watercolour history

Watercolour also has a long history of

use in China, and is probably linked to

the use of a brush for calligraphy. In the

West the earliest use of watercolour

appears in illustrated manuscripts. Later

watercolour was used in England to paint

miniatures or to make studies prior to oil

painting, and not regarded as pieces of

art to be displayed. Watercolour became

portable when solid cakes of colour

were developed.

The army is probably responsible

for developing the use of watercolour

for map making. One of the earliest

watercolourists, Paul Sandby (1730-1809),

was employed to make military maps.

Part 6 Linda Birchbegins her look at water-based media

with tips and techniques for painting with watercolour

Let’s start with art

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

nFirst steps with watercolour

nPractise wash and wet-in-wet

techniques

nPaint a simple still life

Watercolour

You will need

nSurface

lA block, book or pad

of watercolour paper.

I recommend Langton,

Bockingford or

Cotman paper.

There are more

expensive papers

available, and

Waterford is one

of my favourites

nA small box

of watercolours

lTubes or pans

nWatercolour brushes

lRound, No. 14 or 12

and 6 (these can be

manmade or real hair)

lHake medium size

(for washes)

lAn old shaving brush

makes an ideal tool

for laying washes

nMiscellaneous

lPalette:an old

dinner plate (near

white as possible)

lA large pot of water

and a roll of toilet tissue

(for lifting out)

lA drawing board or thick

piece of MDF or ply

lA roll of masking tape

for securing the paper

to the board

Materials for watercolour painting

t

Landscape, sepia monochrome, 7^12 ⁄x11in. (19x28cm)

t