and interest is created by the movement
of the water over the slippery surface.Painting partnership
I enjoy watching what watercolour has
to teach me and even though I have been
painting for decades, there is still much to
learn if I am prepared to stop and look.
First, I need to slow the painting process
so I have a chance to see what the
medium has done with my efforts. The
paint rarely does exactly what I want it
to and it is impossible to see clearly what
I have achieved until it has dried. Most
amazing of all is that sometimes it is vastly
better than my intentions. Being able to
harness these magical happenings and
not paint them out to fit my initial vision
is a most difficult challenge when painting
in this medium.
I need to remember how to bring the
pace of this medium back to suit how fast
or slow I work. This revolves around edge
control. If I let the paper dry completely
I can re-wet and start repainting as if I
were starting from scratch. I do not have
to be caught with a surface that has dried
faster here than there and when I make a
mark, one side of it is perfect but the
other is too harsh, because the paper has
become too dry. Allowing the paper to
dry completely helps the pigment to settle
on the surface and when it is re-wet it will
not release and float if your touch is light.
To test the dryness, the paper should not
be cold and damp to your touch. Even if
you cannot move the paint on the surface,
if it feels cool to the touch, there will be a
residual wetness under the surface that
will be disturbed immediately more water
is added. To glaze or re-wet successfully
to continue painting, the paper must be
completely dry then you can do anything
with the painting.
I have shown you a glimpse of the
things I love about working with
watercolour, but this is just the tip of a
very large iceberg that reveals my endless
fascination with this medium and how
I can take the best from it.
If you have not tried watercolour, forget
everything you know, and play with it.
You may just finish up as intrigued with
the medium as I am. LPhttp://www.painters-online.co.uk JUNE 2017 31
EvHales
To find out about Ev, her work and
painting holidays, visit http://www.evhales.com
or email [email protected]. Tap into
her teaching resources at http://www.evhales
tuition.com or join her monthly e-
newsletter to be kept informed of new
releases, exhibitions and trips.Cliff Reflections, watercolour on Hot-Pressed paper, 10x 91 ⁄ 2 in. (25x24cm). This Hot-Pressed
surface is ultimately suited to the more tranquil mood of this image. Most of the edges are
softened except for the cliff. I chose smooth paper to enhance this quiet mood as I played
with layers of clouds rather than wind swept clouds and reflections in the water rather
than waves or fast-flowing water. I chose a surface to enhance the story that I wanted
my painting to tell. The paper choice can be the key selection for a painting.tStorm coming in the Pilbara, watercolour
on Yupo, 6x6in. (15x15cm). This is the
ultimate slippery surface where the paint
just floats until the water evaporates, as this
surface is impenetrable. I love the energy
that results from the paint sliding around.
It is not a surface for the faint hearted,
because the water is in control.tLP06 28-31 Hales_Layout 1 05/04/2017 13:23 Page 31