My Watercolour Diary

"Sailing Home" watercolour painting

2009-07-03T14:18:00.001-07:00

I made this one up as I went along. Unfortunately I forgot to put in the reflections for the boat and house. Oh well, never mind! I'm trying to develop a rougher, more loose style. Perhaps I should have put a boat on the foreground beach.

I'm still waiting for my Bob Ross starter kit to arrive so I'll have to plough on with watercolours until then. I'm quite looking forward to trying oils.

"Snow Tracks" winter scene watercolour painting

2009-06-29T03:23:00.000-07:00

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With the current hot weather getting me all hot and bothered I thought a nice little winter scene would help cool me down. To be honest, I actually prefer winter to summer. I don't really mind the early dark nights and I like to look at the stars.

This one came from a Ron Ranson book. The bottom of the sky is a Raw Sienna / Lemon Yellow mix with Ultramarine at the top. The clouds are a mixture of Paynes Grey and Alizarin Crimson.

I love to paint wide expanses of land where you can see for miles. In hindsight, I think a little figure by the gate may have enhanced it slightly.

I never did any painting yesterday. You can blame Xbox Live for that. It's so easy to get distracted!

Tuscany in watercolour

2009-06-24T08:02:00.001-07:00

Such a beautiful part of the world Tuscany, I'd love to go there one day. I've managed to keep the foreground uncluttered for a change. It's so easy to overdo it.

Looking at the blogs of all these oil painters, I think I'll have to invest in some oils soon and finally have a go. I've only ever painted in watercolours before, mainly because it's so cheap to set up.

Must dash, I'm off to the International Food Fair in Brum for dinner!

Driftwood clock I made

2009-06-23T04:11:00.000-07:00

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I thought I'd just put this on here for the hell of it. This is a driftwood clock I made recently. Every time my dad visits the coast he goes beachcombing for driftwood and anything else the tide has washed in. You can see some of his stuff if you scroll to the bottom of this page.

I made this clock from some pieces I found drying out in his greenhouse. The wood is simply nailed together and then it's just simply a hole through the middle for the clock movement I bought cheap on eBay. I'm hoping to sell them at the car boot alongside some paintings.

Ossaia, Italy in watercolour and Bob Ross DVD

2009-06-23T01:47:00.000-07:00

I finally managed to get hold of a Bob Ross DVD from my LoveFilm subscription - I was only on the waiting list 12 months! I have to say though it was well worth the wait. I've never tried oils before but he makes it look ridiculously easy. He's also one of the nicest blokes I've ever seen. Such a shame he passed away so early.

This painting I found in a book. I have to admit I've never been to Italy. To be honest though, it actually reminds me of Somerset. The hill could be Brent Knoll. All that's missing is the dirty great M5 motorway running alongside! I'll be in that neck of the woods soon, scampering around Brean Down. I may take some paintings with me to the Brean car boot and see what happens.

"Flooded Fields" watercolour painting

2009-06-18T03:29:00.000-07:00

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Yet another painting that I copied from a book - I really must get out there and start painting from real life rather than books and photos all the time. I'm off to Brean for 2 weeks in August and must take the opportunity to get plenty of sketches of the Somerset coast and countryside.

I quite like the sky in this one and the distant trees though I'm still not happy with middle distance trees with plenty of branches showing and little foliage. I find it a lot easier painting summer trees, putting in plenty of foliage first and then using a rigger for the branches in the gaps. I suppose I need to study tree shapes a lot more and stop shying away from them.

Is it worth trying to sell paintings at the car boot sale?

2009-06-16T04:15:00.000-07:00

To date I've only sold my paintings on eBay and frankly, as with anything else you try and sell on eBay, you only get the bare minimum price for anything. At a car boot I thought if I sold them unframed to keep the price down, and just had them in mounts then I might just get enough cash to make it worthwhile.

Anyway, with the summer fast approaching and the blue skies hopefully here to stay I may just give it a bash and see what happens.

This watercolour I made up as I went along. To be honest, I made a complete hash of the original sky and so rewet it and started again. It's meant to represent somewhere in the Lake District though really could be anywhere.

Crummock Water watercolour painting

2009-06-11T14:24:00.001-07:00

I painted this from a photograph kindly sent to me by Keith Tilley.

A winters morning in watercolour

2009-06-11T03:59:00.000-07:00

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I filmed myself painting this one. You can see it at my YouTube channel.

Watercolour painting "Winter Farm Track"

2009-06-10T03:58:00.000-07:00

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The sky here is my usual Raw Sienna wash with some Ultramarine blue visible through the clouds. The only thing I did different here was to take out some more clouds with a scrunched up tissue just above the horizon.

I think one of the easiest ways of ruining a painting is simply overworking it. One of best pieces of advice I heard was don't paint over a previously painted area unless you have a specific reason for doing so. Every stroke of your brush should count for something. The temptation to do too much can sometimes be overwhelming.

Winter on the Farm watercolour painting

2009-06-09T04:33:00.000-07:00

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I painted this from a watercolour book I bought on Amazon. I think the artist was Gerald Green. I love winter scenes.

It's amazing what just a few strokes of a brush can suggest. I'm really not one for detail, I don't have the patience. Most of my paintings take me about 30 minutes. I prefer to paint fast and loose.

In many of my winter paintings I try to limit myself to just 3 colours - Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber and Ultramarine. A limited palette lends itself towards a more harmonious painting.

Snow scenes offer a wonderful opportunity for counterchange - light against dark. The most obvious use here was to make the trees behind the farm as dark as possible to emphasize the white of the snow on the roofs.

"Stormy Sky" watercolour painting

2009-06-08T04:33:00.000-07:00

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After wetting the whole paper with a weak Raw Sienna wash I brushed in some Ultramarine where the sky breaks through the clouds. The storm clouds were put in with a mix of Alizarin Crimson and Paynes Grey.

The distant hills were put in with the same cloud mix just before the sky had dried. The trees behind the house were mainly made up of Lemon Yellow and Paynes Grey.

The foreground rocks were scraped in with a credit card after brushing in some dark colours.

Watercolour painting "Passing Yacht"

2009-06-03T03:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite places to paint is the Lake District. This is one I made up and could really be anywhere in the Lakes.

I've tried to put in some foreground reeds using a fairly dry hake brush and flicking up with just the tip. I prefer this method at the moment to using the rigger and doing each reed individually. They tend to look slightly more realistic. The lighter coloured grasses I put in with the finger nail.

Rather than 2 or 3 tiny distant yachts I'm trying just 1 slightly closer and bigger boat at the moment. I don't know if it improves it or not but it seems to be the little things that makes up a buyers mind whether to purchase or not. It probably doesn't make the slightest difference!

Sailing in Scotland watercolour painting

2009-06-02T01:12:00.000-07:00

Got back from Cornwall the weekend and frankly the sooner I can get back there the better. Birmingham just doesn't cut the mustard for me anymore!

This simple composition came off the top of my head. I've called it "Sailing in Scotland" though really it could be anywhere!

It's smaller than what I normally do, measuring 6" x 4". This was to take advantage of some cheap but decent looking frames I bought in Costco. Hopefully I can sell them alongside my unframed paintings on eBay.

"Evening in the Bay" watercolour painting

2009-05-22T02:53:00.000-07:00

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I painted this watercolour last night. For the sky I used a photograph for reference I had taken a few months previously from my bedroom window. It's always useful to carry your camera with you wherever you go. You never know when something may catch your eye and come in useful further down the line.

Having done the sky, the landscape I just made up as I went along. I'd have to say this type of scene is probably my favourite one to paint. I love estuaries and waterways and being by the sea. Adding a lone yacht offers not only a focal point, but also a chance to fantasize of sailing the ocean waves.

Well that's it now for a week. I'm off to Cornwall tonight for a break. Back soon.

Winter on the River Wye watercolour painting

2009-05-21T03:21:00.000-07:00

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This nice little composition I found on the Ron Ranson website. It's a cosy little corner of the River Wye set in winter.

I've tried to get a little variation in the tree by using some neat dollops of Raw Sienna. I much prefer using fresh watercolour paint straight out of the tube but the problem is I use a lot more paint. What I tend to do as a compromise is squeeze the paint into rectangular shapes on my palette and then leave it to dry. It's then like having extra large pans to get lots of rich colour on your brushes.

I've used a limited palette of just Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue.

Art and St Ives

2009-05-20T04:26:00.000-07:00

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What a magnificent view! This was the view from our flat the last time we stayed in St Ives in Easter. The weather was mixed but that did nothing to spoil the glorious panoramic view from our door step.

I must remember to take my little watercolour travel bag this time and try to capture some of the character of the place.

As well as the Tate, there are something like 60 galleries scattered amongst the narrow cobbled streets.

Sunset in Hawes watercolour painting

2009-05-20T03:23:00.000-07:00

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Well hopefully the rain has eased off for a while now. I'm off to St Ives Saturday and can't wait. I'll post a photo of where we stayed Easter in St Ives later, the views were magnificent.

Back to the painting, this is one I did last night once the Panoramio gremlins had gone. I must say I'm getting very much into this Panoramio site. Stuck in the middle of Birmingham I don't get to see many glorious vistas of lakes and mountains. Anyone with a similar problem and in need of inspiration, I'd recommend a look. They've got photos from all around the world, it's like having the whole planet at your fingertips.

This painting was from a photo of a sunset in Hawes in Yorkshire. It's a little different to what I normally do but to be honest I can't decide whether I like it or not. It's OK but doesn't really convey the drama from the photo. In saying that, I've only been painting 3 years and may be asking a little too much of myself.

Painting trees for me seems to be hit and miss. It can be frustrating when you mean to leave gaps in the foliage where you can see the twigs and branches but end up with a solid block of colour and an unrealistic looking tree.

Anyway, must dash and find something else to paint!

East Laroch, Highland, Scotland watercolour painting

2009-05-19T03:41:00.000-07:00

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I only used 3 colours for this painting - Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber and Ultramarine. I really like limiting the palette this way, getting a moody looking image with harmonious colour throughout.

The foreground rocks were put in with a few quick scrapes of a credit card.

I'd love to be the sailor in the distance. I can never resist having a lone boat on the horizon.

It's crossed my mind recently to hire a motorhome and tour around the Scottish Highlands, though I'm not sure the rest of the household would have the patience to endure all the driving. It may turn into a future solo pursuit.

Watercolour painting of Beckermonds, North Yorkshire

2009-05-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

I found this lovely photo of Beckermonds in North Yorkshire on Panoramio and couldn't resist doing a watercolour.

The old stone walls have great character, I must get up there one day.

Watercolour Painting Towards Screes from Wasdale Head

2009-05-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

I've never been to this part of the Lake District but from the photo I saw on Google Maps I just had to have a go at it.

Many of my paintings of the last few weeks have been of either Lake District or Scotland.

I've never been to Scotland but I intend to rectify that someday soon.

Boathouse at Pooley Bridge, Ullswater

2009-04-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

I like the way the boat house blends into the background.

I did it with a dry 3/4 flat brush and took the paint off rather than put it in.

I've done this technique rarely though it seems to work well I think.

Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe Watercolour Painting

2009-04-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

This was painted from a photograph taken by donaldw

I love these old Scottish castles by the lochs.

I think though maybe I should have got a little more of the reflections of the mountains into the water.

"Early Sailor" Watercolour Painting

2009-04-26T11:16:00.001-07:00

This one came straight off the top of my head.

It's a simple composition, the temptation often is to do too much.

I quite like the variation in colour amongst the trees and unfussed nature of the water.

Friars Crag Derwent Water Watercolour Painting

2009-04-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

I painted this from a photograph by Jeff Coates I found on Panoramio. Basically I'm a sucker for anything with water in it.

I visited Keswick a couple of years ago and stood not a million miles from this spot.

It really it a lovely town Keswick, well worth another visit someday soon I think!