Friday, April 10, 2015

Watercolour book review

I am a big lover of watercolor paint, as you may have noticed if you follow my blog😉
I think out of all the paint mediums this is definetely the most expressive medium for an artist to use. It really can do things on your paper that oil and acrylic just can't do. But that's another story...

Right from the start of creating my sketchbook entries, I have used watercolor paint, however recently I have been wanting to learn some more techniques, rather than just colour-in my sketches.
I decided to purchase a book by Jean Haines, called Colour & Light in watercolour.
I recieved exactly what I was looking for! This book is for people like me, who love loose expressive style watercolour. It's a style I have admired for a long time but never really had the courage to explore in fear that I would ruin a sketch in my book,something I really don't want to do as I paint on the back  of the pages as well.

The paintings in this book are so wonderful and so expiring. Not only does the author start with the basics such as the usual stuff like brushes, colour palette, paper etc, but she also has several step by step paintings to work along with, which really help understand the process she goes through.
To me her style of painting is so very more artistic than realism. 
A lot of the times you hear painters say they 'change the scene to suit a better composition, otherwise you may as well just frame the photograph',but to me this loose style of painting is even more exciting!
Here are a couple of images from the book that have inspired me to be fearless with my watercolour and enjoy happy mistakes.












Even though Jean keeps to the rules of watercolor, she discusses how when she begun she dreaded the frowned apon watermarks and runs, but now she can't wait for them to happen. She has developed her own style, kept some of what she learnt from the 'experts' and thrown some advise away. I love this woman! I don't know why there is a set of rules to paint by anyway. I think a true artist should just go for it - maybe just remembering the very basics....lol


So I am on a mission to add a little of Jean Haines style to my sketches. I still like my sketches a little more realistic but it has opened up a whole new way to paint.
Who inspired you in your sketchbooks? Do you have an artist you just adore? Leave me a comment

hugs Sonya
Xx




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