By Artists & Illustrators | Wed 4th May 2016
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The popular art tutor reveals her guidelines for creative painting
1 DO YOUR ‘STRETCHES’
Every morning, I set aside three pieces of paper and do a warm-up exercise on each to lay down colour. I tell myself I can apply any two colours to each piece of paper, but then I can’t use those colours again for the rest of the week. When Friday comes, it can become quite difficult because you’ve used all the colours in your usual palette – but that’s when it gets exciting and challenging.
2 INVEST IN DECENT PAPER
If you have good quality paper with a nice weight, you can paint on both sides, which you can’t do with cheap paper. I tend to use Saunders Waterford rough-surface watercolour paper for my gallery work because that suits my style. When I’m teaching, I recommend that students use Bockingford NOT-surface watercolour paper because you can’t beat it for creating fresh-looking studies.
3 DON’T SWEAT THESMALL STUFF!
You’ll find you’re more relaxed when you’re not worrying about detail.To begin, try wetting paper and drop colour on it without even thinking about what the subject will be. Then look at the results and think about what subject would appeal. I feel more alive doing it this way. Once you’ve picked a subject, however, try to create a focal point and make it perfect. For example, if you’re painting a dog, paint the nose or eye and take time to ensure it is spot on. You can then work loosely, section by section, and let the colour bleed outwards.
4 EXPAND YOUR PALETTE
Over the years, I’ve been using more vibrant colours because I grew sick of sticking to the same palette. When I moved to Hong Kong, I really developed as an artist – I was painting red and orange skies and it was as though a veil was lifting off my eyes and I was seeing things in a new way for the first time. My biggest tip for anyone who’s apprehensive about trying new colours is to buy Daniel Smith’s Cascade Green, drop a little onto wet paper and let it dry – you’ll be amazed by the colours and gorgeous patterns it will make without you even touching it. You should always be prepared to try something new – well, you wouldn’t wear the same shirt every day for the next 12 months, would you?
5 LOAD YOUR BRUSHES
When I was studying in Asia,I found my western brushes didn’t do what I wanted them to. I began using a lot more water and I needed a brush that loaded well – the barrel on my regular size 12 simply wasn’t wide enough. Now, it’s not so much howI apply the colour, but how I release the water that makes such a huge difference to my paintings.
6 PAINT FOR YOURSELF
Make sure you paint something you love and in a style you love. I would never paint a subject just because a gallery had requested it – you can fall into a trap otherwise. Professional artists often come to my workshops because they’ve lost their enthusiasm or they feel like they’re churning out repetitive work. There isn’t a lot of advice out there for artists who haven’t got to where they want to go. Similarly, don’t believe that painting loose is the ‘in thing’ with watercolour. The only ‘in thing’ is good art. Do what suits you and what makes you happy. Don’t do something to please someone else; let the paint please you.
7 EMBRACE YOUR MISTAKES
I’d love to say that the more you paint, the fewer mistakes you make but everyone has off days. Sometimes I use too much detail because I don’t want to put the brush down. If you feel that you’ve gone too far, start again with a fresh piece of paper. If you do this while you have the disaster fresh in your mind, you tend to avoid repeating your mistakes.
Jean Haines’ World of Watercolour is published by Search Press, RRP £19.99. www.jeanhaines.com
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