In the third of four articles on loosening up in watercolour, Tom Shepherd turns our attention to materials, mind-set and painting language
The first two articles in this series have looked at how to visualise your subject as simple shapes and how to assign each shape with a tonal value, light and shadow, with the intention of encouraging a different way of observing, so that we are painting shapes, rather than things, leading to a more painterly result. This foundational structure gives us the creative freedom to play with our colours, washes and brush marks and the way we use a brush and pigment to create shapes is the focus of this article.
Understanding your brushes
Since we are going to be using our brushes to create shapes, it is crucial that we become skilled with them, taking the time to practise, play and explore. Each of my brushes has a personality of its own. Some are soft and floppy yet hold buckets of water, others are much firmer, with varying degrees of springiness and capacity. Some come to a fine point with a huge reservoir of water, others are blunt, and so on. I even have a selection of scruffy old brushes, each one perfect in the right context.
Given equal quality, no brush is better than another. But you should take the time to understand your brushes – what they can and can’t do, their characteristics, abilities and limitations. Obviously the more time you spend painting, the better you will understand your brushes, but taking time to just play on scraps of paper is surprisingly beneficial.
Paint consistency
Understanding paint consistency is the most crucial key to watercolour. It is the variable that separates this medium from all the others. Shapes, composition, tones, edges, even the majority of colour mixing, is applicable across all media, but the way watercolour feels and behaves is completely unique. Getting to know how your pigment and water feels on your palette, how it behaves coming out of your brush, and then how it interacts with the level of wetness on your page is essential, but it’s also where the excitement and joy of watercolour lies, and it’s that attitude we should always have at the forefront of our minds. As I’ve mentioned before, a hands-off approach is so important to watercolour, so don’t fiddle!
Paint consistency is tricky to explain, and theories abound, but the only way you will truly understand is to practise and paint. You need to build up your brush miles so that you develop your muscle memory. Practice and play, yes, but with a specific focus in mind.
There are some guideposts to help you along the
