46 Watercolor artist | AUGUST 2019
blue, then I’ll take a warm color, like
an orange, over the top to subdue it,
and vice versa.” He may be seeking an
eff ect that looks “real,” but he never
wants the color control to look as
though it’s been turned too high.
Paper, too, plays a part in the eff ect
McEwan wants to achieve. If it’s a
painting that involves a lot of detail,
he might choose Fabriano for its
smoothness. It will enable him to
create the textures he wants and to
apply diff erent types of washes. He
also uses a lot of plant-based papers
and khadi, an Indian handmade paper.
“I quite like the fact that each piece of
paper has its own personality.”WORKING ON
TWO LEVELS
To observe one of McEwan’s paintings
is to be taken on a journey across its
surface. He considers composition
and compositional devices as key.RIGHT
Shroud of Qingdao
(watercolor on
paper, 20½ x40¾ )BELOW
Out of Sync
(watercolor on
paper, 9x6)Painting
the Blues
“I particularly like manganese/
cerulean blue; it pops up in a lot of
my paintings. I don’t know what it
is about it that appeals to me, but
if I see anything with that color in it,
I have to paint it. And because I’m
attuned to it, I see it everywhere.”
—Angus McEwan