Black Swans on rough paper 30x30
Colours: Perylene Green, Aliz Crimson, dirt from the palette, turquoise for the water which
is less bright as the dark was so wet it melded into it!
Watercolour Worksheets through Lockdown 2020
During this phase of 'Lockdown', my regular students asked for some motivation and tips.
So I decided to do worksheets as a way of passing on a few tips, some which they already know, and some may be new to them. Whatever, they are my way of working and may be of interest to others. Some have specific techniques, others are just how I executed paintings and some are from specific request from the students.
Please be aware that there are many ways ‘to skin a rabbit’, and these merely show how I go about things!
I have spent many years studying and learning from a variety of people and have tried to develop my own methods, absorbing all I can from others who are generous enough to share their tips. This is an ongoing process as I strive to improve my use of watercolour about which I am passionate!
I also read avidly, mainly The Artist and The Art of Watercolour, both of which are full of advice and wonderful work.
I hope you enjoy the worksheets and take from them what you want. Just play!
The file icon (or the main picture) for each will enable a download of my worksheet as a pdf file.
Water Colour Lockdown 2020 Worksheet 2
Bantams
Paper: Saunders Waterford, rough, 20x14
Colours: Windsor Blue, green shade, Burnt
Sienna, Winsor orange, Liz Crimson and a bit
of yellow and cad red.
I used a flat 1” brush most of the time and a
small mop for some of the texture
Water Colour Lockdown 2020 Worksheet 3
Landscape
Paper: 42x50 Two Rivers paper, rough
Colours: French Ultramarine, Burnt sienna, YOchre and a Daniel Smith Venetian red for a change!
Perylene Green came in at the end as did a touch of orange
This was from a walk in the New Forest
and I came across these 3 trees. I did a
sketch on the spot, which as you see
varies from the photo quite a lot!
Water Colour Lockdown 2020 Worksheet 4
Skies
Just walking around and looking at the watercolours on our walls (not mine!) there are so many
different skies. Colours vary, clouds and mood are all dictated by the sky. My favourite large
watercolour does not have any sky painted, it is just the white of the paper. We read it as as sky
because of where it is!
Water Colour Lockdown 2020 Worksheet 5
Landscapes again
Following on from the skies, I worked on 2 separate landscapes, both from sketches I did in the
New Forest. This is how I built them. Note how different the photos look. They help with definition
but it is always a good idea to work from a sketch, even if
you do a sketch from a photo. Then only use the photo as
reference, not to copy.
Water Colour Lockdown 2020 Worksheet 6
The Water Barrier - Cyclamen
This is so useful for anything where you want to keep edges soft.
The trick is to add clear water to your page and take the paint to the water, not the other way!
I have chosen a cyclamen to paint. It is infact a false one - silk perhaps! It was in the bathroom
and I thought, why not!!
Water Colour Lockdown 2020 Worksheet 7
Masking Fluid - Fritillaries
Here is an example of my using it. Following on from the cyclamen of the last worksheet where I
used the water barrier as a way of preserving the white edges, here I apply masking and when
dry, cover the page with a full wash, knowing with confidence, some whites will be preserved.
Water Colour Lockdown 2020 Worksheet 8
Putting People in your Painting
Colours; Burnt sienna, Ultramarine Blue, Y Ochre, Winsor Purple, Orange and a touch of lemon
and sap for the grass
All done with a flat brush - good for the angles.