When you think of watercolour painting what usually springs to mind is care... precision... and little finicky brushes. However, as master artist and tutor Frank Walters began today's Secrets of Landscapes in Watercolour workshop, it was clear his aim was to stop us from being over cautious and precise and to teach us to develop a fast and loose watercolour style.
We were each given a dramatic image of a Scottish loch as a reference photo. Frank gave demos at every stage, and we started by being shown wet in wet technique to create our skies. When we went back to our tables to try it, it was not as easy as it sounded, but Frank explained that there is no wrong way in art - even what you see as a mistake can be a blessing - and he encouraged us to feel free and paint in a liberated style in our work. He showed us how to compose and assess where the light is coming from, using warm and cool colours to balance.
We stopped halfway through the day for the most delicious 2 course lunch which featured a very tasty macaroni and cheese with salad.
Back to work, and again, simplicity was the key word of the workshop. Working out what was important in the composition, seeing where the light comes from and just 'making marks' on our paper, we all learned so much about watercolour today - and we created some pretty amazing masterpieces to take home.
Big thank you to everyone who came today, and especially to Frank Walters for making it so much fun.
Comentarios