Painting with watercolour is glorious

I saw a picture of a very regal looking grey cat, sitting in a lovely natural setting.  I was looking forward to drawing him. Sadly, I can't say I liked the finished painting. Ah well... another day, another cat.

It has to be said that even though I didn't love the painting I ended up making, I always love painting with watercolour.  The process of pushing paint over textured paper and watching pigments flow and mingle in the water is undeniably glorious.  You really have to try it.

Don't let the inner critic with her harsh judgement spoil the whole experience in the final moments. And if you can, try to let go of attachment to the results before you begin. Oddly enough, the less one cares about creating impressive output, the better it turns out.

Try it for yourself. (Please don't forget to let us know if it holds true for you!)

Cat no 7

I wanted to paint this cat as soon as I saw it. I love the playfulness - nice to see she is still in touch with her inner kitten.

It was hard to know when to stop when this one. After much fiddling and adjusting I finally made myself put the paintbrush down and declare it done. So this is it for Cat No 7.

Getting past the 'ugly' stage of a painting... or not

I painted my first cat today without my Crazy Cat class - which I am rather missing, to be honest.  Actually I also painted my second cat without Miriam's help. And the second is the one I am showing you. The first one is beyond redemption I fear.

All paintings go through an 'ugly' stage as we like to say. Usually you can get past this stage if you just persist. However, I think it is also wise to know when to quit. Let's call it letting go and moving on as opposed to quitting, shall we?

I used to think that moving beyond the ugly stage with a watercolour painting was impossible. In that regard acrylic is much more forgiving as the paint dries fast and is opaque, so it easily covers whatever it is placed on top of. Watercolour is transparent, and some colours stain so lifting out colour can be harder in some instances. Considerably more patience (or a hair dryer) may also be necessary as watercolour paint behaves differently on dry, damp and saturated paper. Not only do you need patience - you also need some experience to know how the paint will behave in each of those instances. The only way to gather that experience is to get on with making more paintings, whether they be good, bad or ugly.

I have learned that you can experiment, tinker and correct watercolour paintings far more than I once believed possible. But sometimes all you need to do is take a deep breath and find a new sheet of paper.

Ok, I know I have now made you more curious about the painting I 'let go of' than the one I posted up here. The question is... am I brave enough to show you....?

... oh alright... here it is.

Sigh.

Let's not speak of it again.

My last cat with Miriam

my last cat with Miriam arttally

Today I painted the fifth cat in Miriam's online art class Crazy Cats. This is Victor, a cute little tuxedo cat.

Victor is the final cat project in the class, which has been tremendous fun. I highly recommend it. That means tomorrow I am on my own, painting cats without Miriam's helpful tips.. I'm going to miss that!

Learning to draw is good for you

This is Redford. He is my fourth project in the Crazy Cats class with Miriam Schulman.

This project felt a little more daunting than the others, somehow. It felt like it required a lot more drawing. I procrastinated a fair bit before I started this painting, and I think it was mostly because of the drawing aspect. That's the thing with watercolour, isn't it? Most of the time you really need to be able to start with a decent sketch, so if you are uncomfortable drawing it makes watercolour painting really hard.

Funnily enough, the part I enjoyed the most with this painting was the drawing.  Having to spend a little more time on the sketch gave me a chance to remember that I really love the process of drawing.  It is one of the most relaxing creative pursuits I can think of. If you can stop worrying about how it is going to turn out, and surrender to the process of careful observation and mark making, time slips by.  You can escape the world for a moment and just be in the present, enjoying the tactile experience of marking textured paper with graphite.  Taking the time to appreciate lights and shadows, shapes and lines.

And then as an added bonus when you are done you get to splash colour and water all over it. Can't think of a better way to pass an hour or two...

Watercolour cat number 3

This is Tommy. He is watercolour cat no 3 in my series for the month. Tommy is the third project in the class I am taking - lots of fun!

I have two more cats to do following Miriam's step by step instructions and then I am on my own.

Painting white cats

Today, I am painting white cats.

Painting anything white with watercolour can be a little tricky. Essentially the idea is not to paint the white object, rather to paint its shadows, with the palest of greys and blues and purples. The last time I did this it was for daisies, and the whole thing got me quite philosophical.

Today Miriam is helping me again. This particular cat is Frosty. He (or she?) is the subject of the second project in the online class called Crazy Cats. Still haven't quite got the hang of the fine white whiskers... but I'm working on it!

New month, new series.... cats!

It's the start of a new month, so it's the start of a new series. This month is going to be all about cats. I am doing another class with Miriam Schulman over at the Inspiration Place, called Crazy Cats.

This month I am going to paint a daily cat in watercolour on 300gsm paper. I am going to miss painting flowers, but at least I get to paint eyes again this month - one of my favourite things!

If you are interested in taking Miriam's class, it starts out with some very well thought out drawing lessons using various drawing materials. Don't think cats are too hard to draw - Miriam makes it easy. The next part of the course involves drawing cats from reference photos and then painting them in watercolour. Step by step instructions for everything. Fun!

The last in the watercolour flower series

I couldn't resist my favourite colours for the last in the watercolour flower series. For these happy little wildflowers I was able to use my beloved turquoise and purple combination along with my favourite pinks and violets.  Throw in some cute white daisies and I could barely stop myself drawing some tiny fairies under the flowers.  Perhaps another day.

No 14 completes the watercolour flower series for the month.  Would you like to see them all together? Here they are...

In the meantime, I'm off to think about the new series starting tomorrow...

Watercolour flowers no 13 - Lilies

I have to be honest - this one is not my favourite painting in the series. One of my favourite flowers, yes, but not quite the painting I might have hoped for.

Yesterday I was feeling a touch of sadness to be moving on to a new series at the end of the month because I have loved painting these  watercolour flowers.  Today however, I am quite happy to change subject in a day or two! So perhaps that is the natural order of things restored.

Everything has its time.

Happy hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are such happy flowers I think. You can't help but love those big generous heads made up of an abundance of tiny simple flowers. I can't help but admire the versatility of a flower that can be pink, white, blue or anything in between. Perfect flowers as a painting subject and perfect cut flowers for a simple glass vase.

Learning to paint peonies in a vase

Peonies are so romantic, aren't they? I think I might love them even more than roses.  This painting is another one that is inspired by the lovely Miriam at the Inspiration Place.  It is from Miriam's Watercolour Secrets class. I loved her painting so  much it made me a little reluctant to attempt my own version. I needn't have worried. Peonies are so delightful it's hard not to enjoy painting them.  And Miriam makes the whole process seem very manageable - thanks, Miriam!

Watercolour flowers no 10

A lovely tropical hibiscus for the 10th in my watercolour flowers series for this month. I'm in a tropical mood because I am currently sunning myself on a beach holiday. Sun, sand and drinks with little umbrellas in them. Yes. That's the life!

Watercolour flower no 9 - Oriental Quince

A friend suggested that I should paint some oriental quince blossoms... what a lovely idea that was for my 9th watercolour flower in the series. And so much fun to paint!

Watercolour flowers no 8 - Pink Iris

I do love irises. In my mind they are always blue but I have recently learned that they come in all sorts of glorious colours. When I saw some that were pink, magenta and an almost deep aubergine purple I just had to paint them.

Painting white flowers can be a tricky business

Painting white flowers can present something of a challenge. White watercolour paint will just not do. Painting white flowers on white paper leaves you with little option but to paint them by not painting them at all. You have to paint the negative space around them leaving the untouched part of the paper to make the outline of the white flower.  Then you can improve its shape and form by adding in some shadows.

It's a fascinating idea to have the daisy represented more by the space it takes up and the shadows it casts than by its own form. It makes me wonder if that is a little like the way we live our lives. Our impact is felt by the space we take up, and the imprint we leave behind.  We can't help but be shaped by the way the world treats us. In equal measure, we leave our own mark on the world. Our environment and the people around us are changed by our presence. Hopefully for the better.

Occupy your space in the world proudly. Cast happy shadows. May the imprint you leave behind today be as joyful as the daisy's.

Should a beginner buy expensive paint?

 

I have to say I am loving my Schminke watercolour paints. I spent a long time pondering whether it really did make a difference using the 'artist quality' version of the paints as opposed to the 'student quality'.  It is always a rather tough call  when you are starting out.

When you know you are just learning it is hard to justify expensive paint. It is something of a widely held notion that you first 100 paintings are going to be rubbish - it is just something you have to work through. (Actually some say 500.... lets be gentle and start with 100). If you are interested in this idea, you might want to check out Lynn Whipple's rather charming short video on the matter.

Expecting a few dodgy paintings inevitably leads to some reluctance about splashing out on professional paint. However, doesn't a beginner need all the odds stacked in their favour? Such as paint that behaves the way it is supposed to? Glorious, vibrant colours?

So should a beginner buy expensive paint? There is is no easy answer to the dilemma. I think that the deciding factor within the available budget is whether the 'good' paint will inspire or inhibit you. If you will be happy to splash it about in your early experiments then I say go for it. But if it is going to make you even more critical of your early efforts and cause you to agonise over every brush stroke then it rather defeats the purpose. Sometimes it is easier to give yourself permission to be a beginner if you are not worrying about wasting supplies. (And by the way, if it is fun, it is not a waste, regardless of your opinion of the final output.)

The main thing is to get on with those paintings. Whether you use cheaper paint or professional quality paint doesn't really matter. It only matters that you give yourself the chance to paint yourself happy.

Mindfulness... the easy way

This morning I have spent the day surrounded by paint and paper and watercolour pencils and crayons. It is a glorious way to escape the world for a few hours and surrender completely to a joyful absorbing task. To me it is one of the easiest ways to practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness describes being fully present in the moment. Being aware of what is and accepting it without judgement.  Learning mindfulness helps us to find more balance in our lives through greater emotional equilibrium. We can learn to be less affected by the external environment. It can help us become more aware of our own negative thought patterns and enable us to replace them with more helpful ones. It can increase our effectiveness in our work and improve our relationships with other people.  Small wonder we hear about it so often and see it used by coaches, therapists and business people.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness. There is a short but helpful document from the Black Dog Institute that is a great starting point.  It suggests meditation, as well as practicing mindfulness during regular activities such as eating and walking.

My favourite way to practice is with some sort of happy creative activity. Choosing an activity that you do purely for the sake of recreation and allowing it to absorb your attention. Perhaps that is why it is easier. If it is a task you enjoy it draws your attention effortlessly rather than you having to try and consciously maintain your focus. I don't think it really matters what the activity is. Baking, knitting, drawing, painting or colouring in a colouring book. Its all good for you.

At last, something that is good for you that you can actually enjoy doing.

Watercolour poppies for beginners

Watercolour poppies for beginners

I found a really fun video on You Tube for today's watercolour flowers. Loose, happy poppies sitting on some grass painted with a straw - yes a straw!

Having access to so many ideas and techniques relating to whatever we want to learn is obviously brilliant. However, I am painfully aware that it is also something that stops us from taking action. It is very much easier to watch some one else paint than to get out all the supplies and have a go yourself. Especially if you suspect it will probably not turn out looking much like the one in the video. And of course, You Tube will then offer you all sorts of other similar videos to watch. Before you know it, you have spent the day watching lots of other people skillfully practicing something you wanted to do.

What a fascinating irony that the videos designed to teach us to paint something can also be the very thing stopping us from doing any actual painting ourselves. I fall prey to this all the time, but today I can say, (with a little less hypocrisy) switch off the video and get out your paints!

By the way, if you would like to paint along (or just watch and think about what it would be like to paint along..) here is the link to some watercolour poppy paintings for your viewing pleasure, including the one with the straw.

If you are a budding painter looking for a quick, manageable project, I think you will enjoy these watercolour poppies for beginners.  The video is a fun introduction to painting without a pencil sketch (be brave, you can do it!), painting wet in wet, and using some less conventional painting tools.

And if painting flowers in watercolour is your thing, how about painting these joyful hydrangeas?

This is an easy painting project for a beginner. Learn all my tips and tricks to loose expressive watercolour painting in this real time narrated video tutorial lesson.

( No drawing is required - I’ve done that for you! )

Click on the button above and start painting loose hydrangeas today!

More tulips - is there a better symbol of spring?

More tulips

More tulips this morning, because I can't help myself. The tulip festival starts here in Melbourne soon - can't wait!

This particular tulip festival has been going since 1954.  I'm not sure it gets any better than over half a million tulips nestled in the beautiful Dandenong ranges. The only thing to decide is when exactly to go... hmm Children's week? Food, wine and jazz week? Irish week?