Watercolour portraits

To attempt portraits in watercolour is not for the faint hearted! Watercolour is a notoriously difficult medium to work in, and is, in comparison to other media, fairly unforgiving. Whatever technique one is using, whether it be wet into wet or a more considered approach, careful planning is required if your painting is to be a success

The above sketch was done in about one hour using a wet into wet technique. No preliminary drawing was done. Although initially it looked chaotic to the group I was demonstrating to, I was, even at the earliest stage, planning and allowing for my highlights to be preserved. If things go wrong there is still the possibility of lifting out with a sponge or tissue.

The same approach was used in this sketch. Having established the position of the features I started to build up the depth of tone. At various points I dried the painting and went in with a dry brush technique, as in the eyes.

The above was a preliminary sketch I did for a more finished portrait. Again this was completed in less than an hour.

“Mary.” A portrait in watercolours.
This more finished portrait took considerably longer, requiring as it did layer upon layer of transparent glazes to achieve the detail I wanted.
I find watercolour the most amazing medium and one which offers a luminosity and delicacy unrivalled by others.
In a later blog I will demonstrate a watercolour portrait from start to finish and will describe the materials, techniques and colour mixes I use.

Painting a landscape in gouache 1

Gouache is one of my favourite mediums, particularly for painting out of doors. It dries rapidly, yet is still water soluble if you wish to go back into it and make alterations. It has a soft chalky quality about it , French chalk having been added to the pigments in their production.
As a result , it is a very forgiving medium allowing one to proceed with the minimum of planning, to easily make amendments and to paint light over dark.
In this particular painting I am working on Bockingford watercolour board and using Winsor and Newton designers gouache.

With a large hog’s hair brush I have very rapidly blocked in the general composition, the sweep of the river, the distant hills and indicated the position of the trees in the foreground. It has taken around 30 minutes for this initial stage of the painting.