2020-08-01 Artists & Illustrators

44 Artists & Illustrators

HOW I PAINT

windows. Light pouring in casts

shadows and the dark recesses are

difficult to paint. It is necessary to

know when to stop the painting from

becoming too dark. To progress, I left

all the light areas either as white paper

or covered with a thin wash. Tones

were built up gradually and the painting

was pulled together with body colour

highlights. Details always go in last.

MATERIAL CHOICES

As I am not a colourist, I have a very

limited palette. I am a tonalist, relying

on the light and contrasts. I abhor

primary colours unless they are very

subdued and knocked back with a

base colour. My typical watercolour

palette is Burnt Sienna, Sepia,

Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue,

Perylene Green, Alizarin Crimson,

Indian Yellow, Indigo and Black, with

a white gouache added. If I absolutely

have to, I will use Lemon Yellow,

Viridian, Turquoise or Purple.

I would happily paint with boot

polish, mustard or toothpaste to

create a painting but don’t worry,

I don’t. It’s all about the piece of art

produced instead of just a painting.

I use different brushes for different

strokes and make every brushstroke

matter. It’s like a bag of golf clubs:

you can’t putt with a wood (well you

could, but the groundsman may not

appreciate it). I use hakes for the

initial washes and oil painters’ fan

bristle brushes for foliage. These can

be used for grass, bushes, trees and,

when turned on their side, zen-like

brushstrokes to indicate bare trees in

winter snow scenes and whitewater

waves in the sea.

My other brushes are mops,

riggers, filberts, flat synthetics and

round synthetics. An expensive set

of brushes won’t make you a better

painter, just as an expensive set of

BOTTOM RIGHT
Diwali Parade,
watercolour on
p a p e r, 74x 5 4 c m

BELOW Whitstable,
watercolour on
paper, 64x54cm