New Artist - 2016__

White gouache (an opaque water-based paint)

commonly makes an appearance in my work.

I find that it greatly expands the versatility of

watercolour and allows me to push a painting

further than I can with watercolour alone.

I like to work with a combination of transparent

and opaque colour and in this respect it is a

technique more akin to oil painting, allowing

for complex layering.

This detail shows well the ‘happy accidents‘ that

can happen on the paper while I am working

quickly, painting wet into wet. Effects like this

show how suitable a water-based paint is for

painting the sea – painting water with water

provides a powerful equivalent.

Following the rules of aerial perspective which
state that areas closer to the viewer will be
warmer in colour and have more tonal contrast,
I place a wash of a red into the foreground.

Watercolours with gouache

Step 4. Layering with gouache

Step 6. Happy accidents

Step 5

A wash of warm colour

in the foreground helps

create depth in the

perspective

Rather than cover up

your ’accidents’, work

with them and your

painting will have

a natural feel.