AMANDA BRETT WATERCOLOUR ARTIST
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​Paintbox Tips, secrets, thoughts, scribblings
and doodles on art, ​my life as an artist,
​travels and musings!! 

Abstract Watermedia Workshop - Watershed - June 2019

15/6/2019

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Abstract Watermedia Workshop Notes (June, Watershed Essex UK)

think and plan ahead
think about the shapes you love, if abstract is new to you, you might have to go on an adventure of discovery first. What is your subject? When you're oohing and aahing, you know you've hit a jackpot!! Articulating what you like is just the beginning, could be deep and meaningful, or, just as important, because you like it (say yes!!).

kitsch - twee - cliche - are our enemies!!

Stylish, sophisticated abstracts are difficult to design

make a list of the shapes you want to have fun with, then in a pinch, you've got some ready made inspiration.

Watercolours are richer for having an underpainting, wet-in-wet soft edged. light to mid-value - think of blocking in. A cruciform is an interesting abstract underpainting which lends itself to abstraction.

When designing and sketching, think of style and good taste, BUZZ word is sophistication. sketching helps you to understand the possibilities.

How can you repeat your shapes?

My style is crooked, nasty, loose, rough - what's yours?

Limited palette, let them blend to create more colours, however, think:
Dominant
Non-Dominant
Accent

maybe a split complementary palette, start with a favourite zinger and add two neutral complementaries

match to other watermedia tools

ALSO:
BIG, Medium, small = variety - EVERY inch should be different from every other inch.

Nothing equal, no circles, no squares, no straight lines, NOTHING DULL!

think about mark making tools to experiment with: sticks, corks, clingfilm, stencils etc.

Do not fixed perceived mistakes, let them happen, they add charm and character. Further, "fixing" them often leaves nasty traces.

Practice a shape, repeat 20 times, fill up a sheet of sketch paper then paint it 50 times - try to paint it with one brush stroke.

remember contour drawing, don't left the pencil, try it with your brush too!! be messy and enjoy the interesting marks and surprises!!

while still damp, use your squirter to create lost and found edges and let the drips run!!

use spatter to create texture and move colour around.

ciao i mie belle amiche!!
​Amanda

Come paint with me in Italy
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La Signora dei Fiori

10/5/2019

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A wee sketch (see below) while having ANOTHER coffee waiting for L'agenzia di viaggi to open. I raced home in the rain all excited to paint. 

Some of my favourite wee passages and what you can see in my painting this morning in Lucca:
  1. that super-rich dark background really makes the flowers and foliage pop out. This background is a dark rich purply black, i also splashed in some white and burnt sienna also some phthalo green (italian green) and the same crimson red of the flowers. Some areas are super dark and some are lightened with a drip or two of water. The umbrella is a light-value dirty, earthy yellow - a complement to the dark purply black background.
  2. I love calligraphy and one of the best things about watercolour is the opportunity to have a little play. there are several elements of calligraphy in the "la signora dei fiori" dark value calligraphy street lamp inside the Palazzo, some branches and twigs and dots of red flowers.
  3. the "lady" with the green bag has become a balding man with wispy grey hair.
  4. detail on the flower lady - there is almost none apart from her hair and some green earrings.
  5. there is a gorgeous wee spider bloom amongst the terracotta pots on the left - it looks like a dried branch.
  6. on the left some light value greenery that blends into the background, gives the painting some depth with layering and overlapping
  7. i'm thinking about adding a broom
  8. i'm super happy with the dry brush scumble on the dark under-side of the umbrella

​sorry about my shadow on the pics :(
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Secret #1 I love watching paint dry!

2/2/2019

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Amanda Brett Watercolour Artist abstract still-life 3030 WIPStill Life abstract WIP - what next?
One of the reasons I love watercolour painting is the speed at which I can achieve a painting. If and when I'm clever, I can have a painting today! It took me a long time to get to this point - I've been painting watercolour close to 25 years - it's not an overnight process!!

A huge obstacle for watercolour newbies is allowing the watercolour to have it's way. There's a saying "before I paint, I'm in control, once I put that brush down the watercolour takes over". The secret is, until you let go and stop trying to control the uncontrollable, watercolor, as it should be painted, will be difficult for you.

Embrace "mistakes" and "accidents", runs and bleeds and allow the painting to speak to you and tell you what it wants. 
Have another read of my webpage "About Me" and note the last sentence - "I love watching paint dry!"

Stop fiddling and controlling and start watching what the paint does, you'll start to notice the really cool effects and passages - watercolours will paint themselves if we let them and they'll certainly do it much better than we can!

When we're painting watercolour it's also time to stop and smell the roses! 

The scary secret is, you might not get the results you wanted or expected and you certainly might not know what to do next - that's the shock of it!! Use your artist's sense of composition, value structure and design to decide next steps - does it need more darks or lights? are the shapes correct? is it balanced and unified, etc etc.

Make a cuppa and watch the paint dry!!

ciao i miei belli amici!!
​Amanda

Come paint with me in Italy
Watercolour for Beginners - Auckland New Zealand
Weekly Classes - Auckland New Zealand
En Plein Air - One Day Workshops




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Secret #2 Paint what should be there

14/1/2019

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Amanda Brett WAtercolour Artist Riwakaa bit bland, needs a couple of people walking a dog or a couple of blokes looking at a map - where's the best fishing spot?
I've been listening to lots of podcasts from artists who love painting en plein air like I do - the interesting thing is, I come from the school of painting what should be there but most of the artists I've been listening to seem very focussed on determining the exact shade of colour (temp and hue) and the exact value of each shape and finding the right scene/subject.

When I discover a scene/subject to paint, I can guarantee you I will feel the need, rightly or wrongly, to shift some things around (lamp posts are never in the right place), and change colours and values to suit my idea. I have 2 thoughts about this, firstly, I am NEVER going to find the perfect scene so I might as well get down and dirty right now.  Secondly, I am an artist, it's my job to make whatever it is beautiful and meaningful and tell my story through paint.

Imagine how many hours I would lose just by simply wandering around looking for the right scene/subject? Most often I have 2-3 hours to paint on location, I better make it snappy. Don't get me wrong I deliberately go to places that I know will please me (crusty, rusty and horrible are the key words here) and I do like it when someone chooses for me and gives me a challenge - its all too easy to fall into the trap of painting the same things over and over.

Back to WHAT SHOULD BE THERE. So what should be there? well that's up to you to develop your skills of observation and your sense of good taste and design. While in Raglan NZ recently, I went to paint the orange dinghy - how disappointing ... i could barely tell it was orange ... back in the day it positively glowed and reflected into the bay, not only that, the fab building behind it doesn't exist!! My biggest problem is I believe my own press ... I really remember the house being an architectural wonder but I think i painted it that way many years ago and the painting is stuck in my memory!! So I decided to paint the old Dairy Factory behind the nasty building, it's obscured from every vantage point so I'm going to have to make it up, there will be ladders and brooms and mops and buckets, maybe a bloke walking by with a fishing rod. What i really need to consider is how important is the Dairy Factory and if i decide it's very important then i will have to decide what elements I will need to help me communicate "Dairy Factory" without getting naff or kitsch!! 

The secret message today is, use the scene/subject/photo as your inspiration, not something to be copied faithfully, just because it's there doesn't make it right for a work of art, if they brought back bell bottoms would you wear them? Give your artistic license a whirl!!

ciao i miei belli amici!!
​Amanda

Come paint with me in Italy
Watercolour for Beginners - Auckland New Zealand
Weekly Classes - Auckland New Zealand
En Plein Air - One Day Workshops

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Secret #3 Chopin, clunkers and badly shaped pears

16/11/2018

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it saddens me that so many people are so creatively blocked.

this is really a telling-off post, so if you are a bit delicate better go and read something else.

Many people come to my workshops and classes and are totally soul destroyed that their painting hasn't worked out.

How do you think i feel when i paint a clunker and have nothing to sell?? how do I put food on the table then McDuff? mamma mia!! What happens when I paint something really fab and it still doesn't sell?? mamma-flipping mia!!

Students invest heavily in a one day workshop and expect to come out with a masterpiece, or they say "I'll see how the day goes and if I paint something really good then I will come to your classes". Erk - hello?

They make up all these weird rules, goals and stories that are really just blocking their creativity and maybe even their lives.

Come on people, time to straighten up - life's not meant to be easy, I'll bet you don't expect to play chopin if you haven't played the piano before. So why is this any different?

I discovered why this morning, and that's why I am sad. I am sad because then you don't have to put any effort in and if you don't put effort in you don't have to face the reality that maybe you are not as creative as you thought you wanted to be.

The truth is, creativity takes effort and hard work - paintings, sculptures, poems don't just miracle themselves. A true artist works at their skill, develops their ideas, studies and thinks, reworks when things go pear-shaped: creativity takes intellect, creativity takes guts. The not-so secret is creatives are disciplined and have thick skin and are regular failures.

I'm sad you are too scared to have a go.
I'm sad you are too scared to work at it in case you fail.

I challenge you to be kind to yourself and have a go and fail and pick yourself and have another go!!
​
:(

Amanda

Come paint with me in Italy
Watercolour for Beginners - Auckland New Zealand
Weekly Classes - Auckland New Zealand
En Plein Air - One Day Workshops


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Paintbox Tip #12, Finishing a plein air painting

5/11/2018

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Do I have to finish my painting on site for it to be classed as en plein air? When is a plein air piece 'en plein air' and when does it become a studio piece? 

I reckon if a work is substantially created on location, let's say 95%, then it is an en plein air painting. To add a couple of additional marks when you return to your studio does not make your painting/sketch a studio piece, it just means you know how to finish a painting or you had to pack up quick to get away from the approaching storm. At the end of the day it really only matters if you are entering en plein air competitions and then you'll be on site in the thick of it.

It seems there are too many rules and regulations about art and creating, it seems to me that most of these 'rules' are handed to us from either 150 years ago or by some 'expert' who is not a painter! To be a creative is to not be bound by other people's 'rules'. 

For example, for me, it does not make sense to go back to the same place for several days running to complete a painting - I certainly would not be able to do that in NZ (4 seasons in one day - and fairly unpredictable unless mid-winter and then you know it's going to be rainy or stormy!). Further, I want to push my skill as a watercolour painter and develop my creativity and thinking, watercolour is fast and immediate, i want to take advantage of that while I can.

For me, en plein air is all about getting to know a scene/subject, understanding it's essence and getting a sketch down and dirty as quick as possible. I give myself 1.5 hours - after this time, light and atmospheric conditions have changed substantially and only provide a new set of facts that are likely irrelevant to my current work. My plein air sketches provide me with detailed notes so I can create a finessed studio painting, sometimes my plein air works are good enough to sell, sometimes not - so be it - do it again!

​My methodology is to scope out the scene, sit and observe the light and shapes from my selected spot, create/design a couple of thumbnail value sketches, take a mental snapshot and get stuck in. A painting buddy pointed out to me recently that I don't refer to the actual scene very much after that except for a few detail reminders. For me it's all about the essence of the scene, and certainly, sometimes I wonder who made me paint in that particular locale - it's all their fault!! :)

Please remember these are 'rules' i have set for my myself and you don't have to follow them blindly - they might not work for you/your current style/medium/whatever. I think this is where students get caught up, rule #10181614172930 works for X and X swears by this rule and may insist their students follow it too (when a tutor start telling their students there is only one way and it's their way or the highway, choose the highway!) Remember, there are no magic bullets - you might have to forge on and create your own methodologies - experiment and have fun!!

ciao bei pittori xx

Amanda

Come paint with me in Italy
Watercolour for Beginners - Auckland New Zealand
Weekly Classes - Auckland New Zealand
En Plein Air - One Day Workshops

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Paintbox Tip #10 - Colour mixing in watercolour

28/8/2018

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Amanda Brett Watercolour Artist dark blob
You probably know this - colour mixing in watercolour is vastly different from other mediums. There are several reasons for this, including the fluidity of the medium - water; the watercolour paper; sizing; the pigments; and, the white of the paper. 

To explore colour mixing with water further, water is used to lighten and deepen values and saturates. The more used, the lighter the value; The opposite is also true, the less water used, the stronger the colour, saturation and value. Although there are many ways to paint a watercolour, a process for the beginner watercolour painter to live by is to start your paintings with more water and less pigment, subsequent washes should have less water and more pigment until your final marks are virtually paint straight from the tube!

In addition to using water, the colour we have that's not a colour is the white of the paper. In transparent washes, light travels through the paint to the paper and bounces back and helps to optically lighten values, this is also the reason we use a white palette and not a coloured palette. 

Professional grade watercolour paper is not actually paper at all; Exhibition quality 'paper' is made from cotton rag, versus student papers which are made from wood pulp. Exhibition papers are archival meaning they are acid free and, providing they are kept thoughtfully (not under the bed), in a dry, cool environment, away from direct sunlight they will be perfect for a LONG time!! Framed paintings should be hung away from direct sunlight just like any other artwork in any other medium.

I have to admit I am not an expert on watercolour paper sizing (i'm not much into the science - I just want to paint, so I'm not going to pretend), what I do know is that the sizing helps to keep the paint on the surface of the paper thereby helping to retain your painting's brilliance, lustre and transparency. A good quality paper will be sized to it's core not just on the surface. This means that, from a colour mixing perspective, different papers work differently and will allow the pigment and water to work differently. 
​​
Although black and white pigments are manufactured, typically, we do not use a black for dark value washes, nor a white to lighten. My reasons for not using black as a wash is because I find it exceedingly boring. For me watercolour is about poetry, there is no poetry in black!!  Watercolour painting is about creating beauty and light and life, as Delacroix said 'Colour is the fruit of life'. I encourage you to step outside and find a dark area and observe the light bouncing around and colours reflecting, treat watercolor as an adventure. I prefer to make my own darks, creating areas of light and dark, warm and cool, opaque and transparent - so much more interesting!! If you are desperate, paint a black painting and get it out of your system! Apart from that, most blacks are created using a kiln firing process and seem to be very sooty, my eyeliner is the only black near me!! I have to admit I LOVE white gouache, I slap it in to darks (with restraint, sometimes not!) just for the fun of it. I also love white marks in a watercolor painting, however, white watercolour and gouache is not so pretty when used as a wash (and unnecessary!) proceed with caution.

There is vast range of watercolour pigments available falling into 4 main categories: transparent, opaque, earth and staining. Many of the pigments are made from natural minerals and due to these natural qualities, react and bounce off each other, quite fun to watch and experiment with.

To give yourself the best shot at painting watercolour, be kind to yourself and buy a set of transparent primaries in a professional grade of paints, however I recommend you seek advice from a specialist watercolour artist before purchasing. 

For a beginner watercolour painter, I recommend just four pigments - get used to them and understand how they work together - do resist the urge to splurge - you will have more fun with a limited palette!! The pigments I suggest are artist quality tube paints, Permanent Alizarin crimson, phthalo blue (or french ultramarine), Indian yellow (or new gamboge) and burnt sienna. The most useful tool you can make for yourself is a colour wheel made from your own pigments. Just choose any yellow, blue and red then mix a purple, orange and green - complimentaries - yellow is opposite purple, green is opposite red and orange is opposite blue.

This is important because the colour wheel, for example, will show you the complementary colour to neutralise a bright/saturate pigment eg neutralise or dull a yellow by adding a touch of purple or it will help you decide which colours to charge into a luscious apple's shadow and which colour to choose to make one colour stand out from another. From these pigments you make a gorgeous silvery (or warm) greys, a luscious rich lively black and a myriad of other colours just with 4 pigments!! You can progress this by mixing a light value colour wheel and then a dark value wheel just by altering the amount of water on your brush.

Colour charging is exciting and frightening all at the same time - while the paper is damp, and without washing your brush, load up another colour and simply 'charge', ( ie slop, slap or drop) this new colour into or next to, the original colour. With watercolour, fewer brush strokes are definitely more, this also works for colour mixing on your paper. When charging in colour use ONE brush stroke - every additional brush stroke is another step toward opaque, 'dead' colour and lost luminosity.

Due to its transparency (even opaque pigments are quite transparent) glazing can be used to modify a value or temperature or simply mix colours. Glazing is washing over a previously painted area, use a soft bristled brush to ensure previous layers are not disturbed. For example, if there was an orange car in the distance but it's too bright and taking over, you could knock it back to the distance by glazing a wash of a blue (or purply-blue) over the orange, its not necessary to be neat just wash over everything that's intended to be in the distance, soften off an edge here or there and you're done! 
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Colours can also be mixed onto dry paper with wet brush/paint (aka wet into dry). Place colours beside each other and catch the bead from the previous mark, the secret is not to touch the same mark again, just keep catching the bead of the previous mark until you get where you're going.

One of the main advantages of watercolour is wet-into-wet painting. For amazing blends of colour, soak a piece of watercolour paper in a 'bath' for no more than 5 minutes, let the drips run off and place the wet paper onto marine ply or gatorboard. The paper will stay wet for sometime and you will be able to paint until it is dry.

Watercolour is the oldest known painting medium - the sistine chapel fresco is a type of watercolour! Think of painting watercolour with a feather - that's all it needs - a gentle touch!!

happy painting miei cari amici xx
Amanda


Come paint with me in Italy
Watercolour for Beginners - Auckland New Zealand
Weekly Classes - Auckland New Zealand
En Plein Air - One Day Workshops


© 2020 copyright Amanda Brett, all rights reserved

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Auckland Viaduct Studio Greys - AWARDED 1st PRIZE

30/5/2018

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Amanda Brett Watercolour Artist, Auckland Viaduct studio greys AWARDED 1st prize by Watercolour New Zealand and Gordon Harris Art Supplies. AVAILABLE email me
Thrilled to say Auckland Viaduct studio greys has been awarded 1st prize by Watercolour New Zealand and Gordon Harris Art Supplies.

I had painted the same subject en plein air the previous day and was dissatisfied with the result, I was, however, inspired to create the scene with a new composition and a different mix of greys.

As I am a heavy handed painter and struggle with light values and greys, more practice required!!


I started with a loose thumbnail value sketch, then applied a loose simplified sketch to my watercolour paper.
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Painting in an en plein air style ie, top down, I started with varying mixes of greys (phthalocyanine blue, alizarin crimson and burnt sienna); warmer hues gradating into cooler and sometimes painting with clean water, all this around planned whites.

​Once the shine had left the paper I splashed in some some light value spatter and continued to paint stronger washes of colour - that is, less water more paint with each successive shape created. Parts of the “office” and fishing boat were painted with colour straight from the tube. I painted in some dark people and also scrubbed out some lighter value shapes.


The paper was still quite damp which allowed me the freedom of soft edges and more spatter. I also started to add accents of raw sienna, cerulean blue and splashes of white gouache.

I get totally absorbed in negative painting - the worse you do it the better, some soft edges, plus some bleeding - squirting water and when close to dry, some final hard edges. I added some calligraphy marks to seal the deal.

For international and local workshops and classes www.amandabrett.net

ciao cari amici xx
Amanda

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Negative painting for the watercolourist - Paint Box Tip #7

23/5/2018

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the real purpose of negative painting in watercolour painting is to build depth and volume with a full range of values.
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Using the white paper, we build a watercolour painting from light to dark - there really is a limit to how much one can paint “positively”, in other words subject shapes. This method becomes dissatisfying as we realise the limitations of painting only in “positives” or faced with a compositional error.

The problem many of my students face with negative painting is simply the technical terminology, they are put off because they think that a technique with a technical label must be difficult when really, the terminology was created to simplify the description and process.

A good way to start painting negatively is to choose a simple “repeating” subject, for example foliage. Create a small pencil drawing with your repeating shapes and “wash” in a light value, all over but working around whites and light value shapes (see figure 1).

next using value #2 or 3, work around your light values shapes with a slightly darker value, then, another darker value around 1, 2, 3 and 4 and so on - e ecco!!

A key element is to use edge variety as you go, soften some edges with your kneadable eraser and let some darker values “spill” into your light values.

OK now it's time to break out your watercolour paper, create a quick “nasty” sketch of some sort of repeating pattern and follow the same process using a mid or dark value pigment and diluting to create lighter values as you usually would. Progressively increase the amount of pigment on your brush and reduce the amount of water. For example, if you are using a natural bristle brush, you might only need 1 "brushful" of water for the whole doings.

Avoid temptation to leave hard edges all through your painting and let spatter and soft edges work their magic for you - even with your pencil sketch. Of course you can alter values where necessary by either lightening or darkening a value.

Have another go with a non repeating pattern and then change to a limited palette of 3 or 4 colours.

let me know how you get on, email me here with questions!!

ciao cari amici!!​ xx
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Amanda Brett Watercolour Artist Auckland viaduct studio greys
detail from "Auckland Viaduct" studio greys awarded 1st prize by Watercolour New Zealand and Gordon Harris Art Supplies

​Painting Holiday Workshops in Italy

Watercolour Classes

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The Secret of 5 Big Shapes - value sketching demonstration en plein air - Paintbox tip #6

2/5/2018

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Ciao a tutti!!

​I'm back in Lucca, my home away from home, preparing for my watercolour painting holiday workshops. This morning I set out to surprise my dear Lucchese friends and while we chat over coffee I became overwhelmed with a huge wave of "I must paint right now!". Not quite organised for plein air painting, a quick value sketch on site will help me understand and remember shapes and values, what I see and prepare me to paint in my studio. 

My non-secret strategy works for any subject, any style and is relevant to design principles from any school of thought.

​I've mapped out some processes to help you get started on your own plein air sketches.

Once I select my subject, I use a soft pencil with a seriously sharp point (I sharpen my pencil several times during my sketching process), I sketch a light "frame" - the size of a credit card - remember this is a value sketch to understand the darks, lights and shapes, you can create a masterpiece sketch later, this small study is purely for the purpose of getting to paint quickly - my key thoughts are:
  1. quick
  2. nasty
  3. dirty
  4. loose
  5. and rough!!
  6. :)

Sketching AND painting!!

Next I lightly mark in a grid of thirds vertically and horizontally, each intersection is an optimal focal area.

I'm thinking 5 big shapes - no detail at this point - so, for my subject today, my 5 big shapes are:
  1. the sky
  2. the roof as one big shape
  3. front of the building
  4. foreground
  5. porta (doorway or entrance) della Piazza del'anfiteatro
  6. oooops, i forgot an umbrella or 2!!

I used my pencil to measure angles - always have a new pencil on hand, it's hard to measure angles with a stubby!!

Now that we have 5 (6) big shapes, first rule of thumb is to forgive yourself for blunders you are about to make, say it out loud "this is the way I want it!!" :) tomorrow you'll do another version and it will be different again because you'll be a different person tomorrow with a different view and a greater skill-set.

2nd rule is to think BIG, Medium, small - in other words VARIETY is the spice of life!

3rd rule is to make INTERESTING shapes - no squares nor circles, odd shapes are best and no shape the same size next to each other, this is more interesting for you as an artist and also for your viewers and collectors - always something new to look at and wonder "why did she do that?"

There's a lot to think about and we've barely got started!! mamma mia!!

While we're here lets block in a light value tone around white areas just to get our heads in the game.

Build up your sketch by giving each shape a darker tone from the shape next to it, it's a good idea to have shapes overlapping so use your eraser to steal back lights/shapes where you need to.

Consider leaving "WRONG" marks, don't erase them, they add character  -  PLUS, I don't know about you, if I erase a wrong mark I can almost guarantee I will make the same wrong mark again!! I think that's why I got to the point of not erasing and I have come to enjoy the marks that make a sketch full of character and life.

While I'm sketching I'm positioning darks against lights and lights against darks, especially in the focal area, then I can think about possible detail shapes ... 5 for a small sketch, 7 is stretching it for this size - thinking silhouette shapes only!! To satisfy my itchy fingers I often make a list of goodies to add to my painting later. In this case its pot plants, tables and chairs and people, copper downpipes, chimneys, electrical wiring, pigeons, bicycles, signage etc, etc.

I hope you enjoy sketching value studies, with practice you will get better and quicker. I'd love to hear how you get on!!

cari amici!! xx
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Amanda Brett watercolour artist, Piazza del'anfiteatro, Lucca Italy en plein air sketch 1
Amanda Brett watercolour artist, Piazza del'anfiteatro, Lucca Italy en plein air sketch 1
Amanda Brett watercolour artist, Piazza del'anfiteatro, Lucca Italy en plein air sketch 1
Amanda Brett watercolour artist, Piazza del'anfiteatro, Lucca Italy en plein air sketch 1ture

Painting Holiday Workshops in Italy

Watercolour Classes

Beginner's Workshop

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Paintbox Tip #3 simple silhouette sketching!!

27/1/2018

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If you want a little heads up before you head to a new art class or maybe a little refresher if you've had a break from painting and drawing, have a look at my short video, Paintbox Tip #3 simple silhouette sketching!

grab a plain white cup and saucer and have a go at drawing the cup to start with, don't worry if you think it's not right, do it again and again!! most artists draw/paint same subject over and over and over!! We should too!!

draw cup and saucer from different angles and different heights but keep everything quite small - on your paper, cup should be no more than half the size of the actual!!

the really cool thing about pencil sketching for watercolour painters is the similarity of process - painting/sketching from light to dark and building up layers of value to describe form and light!!
      
ciao ciao cari amici!
x
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Finish every painting!! Paintbox Tip #8

23/1/2018

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When I go back to an unfinished painting I often have a wee panic.
​First of all, I don't want to work on this painting again - I'm over it and I've got a superb new idea and I just want to get going on that!
As a professional artist - my only source of income, this attitude is a BIG problem. Every creative moment, every piece of watercolour paper,  every brush load of paint is wasted if I don't finish. Time is money!!
To get myself back in the mode, I re-create my thumbnail sketches, review my reference images, notes and hopefully I'm on fire again!!
BUT, what if that fire doesn't return? When the buzz is gone, my smile fades and panic returns.
This is when I need to kick my artist's discipline into gear and make myself finish.
Here's my secret process for finishing every painting:
  1. I spend 5 minutes reviewing the artwork to-date and write a critique. what do i like? what do i not like? is my focal point/area speaking out loudly? if not what does it need for that happen?
  2. I also write a 'shopping list' of actions. I remind myself of my motivation and inspiration for this piece, my observations, inspiration, process ideas, thumbnails and design concepts.
  3. Then, I work through design principles to ensure I've covered enough bases to create an emotive, atmospheric painting.
    ie, 
    COLOUR does the colour create passage around the painting? can you label your dominant colour/value? the non-dominant colour/value and the accent colour/value? if not make it happen.
    VALUE I mentioned value above but to give you another example, are your darks dark enough? if not do you need to add a super dark? 
    EDGES is there a good variety of edges? hard, rough and soft? 
    SHAPES do your shapes need extra work? 
    SPACE is there are good balance of shapes and space? To repeat, a dominant shape, a non-dominant shape and an accent shape (aka big medium small)? 
    TEXTURE/DETAIL enough detail, too much detail? does it look finished?
  4. My FOCAL AREA might need some help to speak loudly? possibly less work in the background and more detail in the focal area.
​When all else fails, turn the timer on for 5 minutes!! giving yourself just 5 minutes will force adrenaline to flow and force you to make decisions without procrastination. It will force you to focus on the process and not worry about the next step, in other words, just do it!!
You've probably heard me say this before ... there is more learning value in finishing a painting than starting yet another painting you can't finish. A lot of it is in your initial preparation, the notes you make, the stories you tell yourself about your motivation and why you were originally inspired by the scene / concept.
It seems to me that, most often, a painting that is difficult to finish has been started prematurely. Remember, less planning = big problems; more planning means fewer and smaller problems to solve.

happy painting!!
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Painting Holiday Workshops in Italy

Watercolour Classes

Beginner's Workshop
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very happy with the result so far, i stopped to let my students get stuck in. a little critique:
  1. man on right is too big
  2. I've got a left painting and a right painting - yikes!!
  3. very happy with my two gossipy guys on the left.
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I made my man on the right smaller, added some more detail marks and a light value land mass across the river to join up the left and right sides. I also added more dots and dashes to indicate boat repair paraphernalia.​


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​Opera, painting and aperitivi!!

18/1/2018

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My next watercolour painting holiday workshop in Lucca Italy is planned for next May (I have to say I can't wait to get back to Lucca!!).

I thought you would like to know about a typical day painting with me in Lucca on my painting holiday workshop.

The day starts with a traditional Italian colazione of coffee and pastries along with with the lovely breakfast at your luxury B&B - Yum!!

We meet at our painting spot for the day at 9am and start with some observation time getting to know the area, understanding the light and dark, shapes and colours and selecting a subject. We'll work up some quick thumbnail sketch designs and then I will demonstrate a painting from start to finish (or nearly finished!). My demonstrations include discussions of a theory and as I paint, I explain what I am doing and why I am doing it at that time. For example, wet paper versus dry, palette selection, values and the order in which I am laying them down etc. I will discuss and demonstrate everything from composition, saving white paper, building darker values, various brush techniques, design elements, negative painting, edge variety, charging color, and much more. 

I love questions while I'm demonstrating - remember, there is no such thing as a dumb question! I allow photographs of the demonstration paintings to be taken as they evolve as long as it is understand that I DO NOT allow filming of any kind, including with cell phone or tablets.

By this time you will be ready for a quick lunch and when you return you will start on your own painting, I will assist you as you need, discussing or demonstrating as required. The afternoon is yours and I am happy for you to paint from the resources you create or from my demonstration. It is totally up to you to paint something of your choice in any size or style that you wish. I find students are more productive when they are painting something that they are passionate about.

It is daunting to be painting amongst a new group in a new location, you'll make mistakes when trying something new like we all do; it really levels the playing field between the new student to watercolors and the experienced painter; learning something new often requires a lot of trial and error; making mistakes is just part of the learning process. I always like to remind everyone that you don't go to a workshop to paint a masterpiece; you go to a workshop to learn how to paint a masterpiece or learn a new style. During the afternoon painting sessions I will attend to each student in turn, I might make a suggestion or two about your painting to help you along, if i don't make suggestion its because I can see you're making some amazing discoveries by yourself and i don't want to interfere or stop your flow. I prefer not to touch your painting so, If you want to see something demonstrated, I will ask you for a piece of scrap watercolour paper on which I can show you a specific technique.
 
There is so much to show and demonstrate about watercolor that it is impossible to cover everything in a one, two or five day workshop. To make sure that I cover as much as I possibly can, with some workshops, I will usually do a small quick demonstration later in the afternoon. These little demos are usually exercise pieces that show specific ways to paint something such as shadows, window reflections, people, trees and many more. It's always optional if students want to watch the demo or continue to work on their painting. 

My workshops are designed to be very informative and fun. The only requirement that I put on those who attend is a willingness to learn and the courage to try new things.
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Depending on the time, availability and weather, we'll explore one of the amazing historical sights of Lucca, a short siesta then it's time to dress for Italian Aperitivi and on to one of my favourite ristorante in Lucca for a traditional Lucchese cena!! An evening walk around the sights of Lucca and a gelato or a trip to the Opera will finish the day!!

Book online

ciao ciao cari amici!!
ci vediamo a prossimo anno!!
Amanda xx
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Secret #1​ How to load your watercolour brush with rich, juicy paint

9/1/2018

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It seems to me that students struggle with loading their brushes with enough colour and water. Their watercolour paintings look dry and overworked and seem to have a "scrubby" look. See my Paintbox Tip #1 to see how to load your natural bristle brushes with good juicy, rich paint!
Copyright 2009-2018 All images and text on Amanda's blog and website are the legal property of Amanda Brett and may not be reproduced without express permission, thanks for respecting my art and creativity.
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Paintbox Tip #2 - Palette Selection - How to choose interesting colours for your next magnum opus!!

8/1/2018

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A lot of my students ask me how to choose a palette. Specifically "How do you pick interesting colours for a painting?"

There is much science and theory on choosing a palette, for example a primary palette, tertiary triad, split complementary or harmonious triad - the list goes on! Proprietary Colour Wheels are great BUT they're not based on watercolour pigments/colours we can buy, they're printed using four (or 6) colour process based on commercial primary printing colours cyan, magenta, yellow and black. In addition, a true colour wheel is made up of primary colours that are neither warm nor cool but neutral.

I have to admit I don't have a secret palette selecting trick, my palette is based on the pigments rather than "colours". Hence, I'm more interested in what my pigments will do together, how they mix together (can i make a great, interesting dark), how they react to water, paper and each other. See my youtube video below.

For example I could go and buy lemon yellow and Paynes grey. Unfortunately for lemon yellow and Paynes grey, they are 2 pigments I like least, lemon yellow is too cold and too opaque, not a good mixer, and Paynes grey dries about 50% lighter than one expects - too unpredictable for me! 

My faves for a long time have been transparent watercolour pigments and then I throw in some goodies at the end.

So when you ask me "what colours?", my first answer will be "what have you got and what can you do with them?"  I often select 3 primaries, or a version of 3 primaries and make a colour wheel, it doesn't matter which 3 colours/pigments, all one needs is a version of a red, blue and yellow. It could be burnt sienna for the yellow, prussian blue and quinacridone magenta, the point is what new colour combinations will you be able to create?

Another question for the painter to pose is what kind of mood or story do you want to tell? For example, a dark winter's day or a happy summer day?

For the non-realist painter "What colour do i feel like painting today? do i want a pink painting or a blue painting?" the answers spin off from there, if a pink painting one could either choose a complementary green or harmonious colours red orange yellow and then an accent of purple or green.

What colours do you like? Head down to your local art gallery and spend a few minutes actively searching for colour combinations, whether you like the painting or not, is a good exercise in palette selection and most importantly, discovering your own likes and dislikes.

let me know how you get on - leave a comment!! :)

ciao ciao
Amanda
x

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Watercolour Myths Paintbox Tip #4

4/9/2017

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The cool thing about Watercolour is that it is mostly not too difficult to fix.

I know, I know, everyone says how it is the most difficult medium but truthfully, everything new is difficult and the myth sayers I've met are the ones who can't paint (watercolour) and have given up.

The main issue most beginners in watercolour painting have is determining what the problem actually is!!

Sometimes there actually isn't a problem but we've got to that dreadful middle stage and don't know what to do next. If you definitely have an issue to solve, read on McDuff!!

If you decide the composition or design is a problem, redraw a value study of the corrected composition on spare paper and re-work the improved version into the painting. Yes - that's right paint over it, you might need more paint!

Could you draw/paint it better? Practice drawing the shape you require on spare paper, then practice painting the shape/colours etc on some spare watercolour paper. Wet the offending area, sponge out problem shape/area carefully and re-draw and paint.

A shape is not quite right - I've solved this problem in my paintings in 6 or 7 different ways. Here's a couple you can try (1) wedge a dark tone next to the problem area correcting the shape, (2) stencil lift to correct the shape or (3) soften an offending edge with a damp sponge.

What watercolour problems cannot be fixed? The most difficult actual watercolour problem I have found is too much opaque pigment mixed too much on the palette and then stirred up too much on the paper - too dead!

Sometimes a stencil-lifted highlight will work or you could try adding more detail to another part of the painting to draw attention away from the offending area or carefully glaze a transparent complementary colour over the problem area to knock it back.

Always try to push yourself to finish every painting whether you've decided it will be a 'good' painting or not. The truth is, you might not be able to fix a work you've deemed irretrievable but the effort of trying will teach you more about watercolour/painting/process than starting yet another painting that you'll struggle to complete. Further, if you've already deemed the painting a failure, you really can't make it any worse - keep at it!!

check out my Paintbox Tips for more watercolour help!!

happy painting!!
Amanda


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Copyright 2020 All images and text on Amanda's blog and website are the legal property of Amanda Brett and may not be reproduced without express permission, thanks for respecting my art and creativity.

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Plein Air Secrets - Paintbox tip #5

4/9/2017

 
Amanda Brett artistIt's amazing who I meet when I'm out painting!!
There’s nothing easy about painting watercolour en plein air but, for me, it is an exhilarating and fun experience.    
 
My early attempts, however, were difficult and my paintings absolutely atrocious! It seemed to take me forever to get to grips with this new style of painting in the great outdoors.
 
Without realising, I was faithfully following the 80/20 rule, 80% observation 20% drawing /painting. Later it dawned on me this rule does not apply to painting watercolour en plein air - I was trying to follow a guideline for the constant situation of studio/observational drawing from life.
 
When painting in the field, from the time you select your subject to your end-game, the painter has about 1-1.5 hours, 2 hours at most, to capture the subject before light and atmospheric conditions change too much. No mean feat but, if you practice, you will improve every time.
 
Another element to consider is the subject. My first attempts at painting  en plein air  were with groups of artists who love painting landscapes. For me, it was a big problem. Although I love good quality landscape paintings, I’m not interested in painting them myself. I’m a city girl afterall, I’m attuned to light and shadows bouncing around architecture and the people who inhabit amazing spaces. Just think of Lisa Douglas (Eva Gabor) and you'll have hit your nail on the head!
 
I often tell my students to slow their painting process down but in the case of painting watercolour en plein air, I’m going to contradict myself and tell you to speed up! Speed up so you catch the light and changing conditions. Give yourself 5 minutes, and only 5 minutes, to take photos and sketch 1 or 2 value thumbnails and most importantly, take a mental snapshot. Make your memory work for you and, even if you think your result is "wrong", your work will be formed of the essence of your subject. Perfetto!! What a great excuse to go out and paint it again!! Your next work at the same scene will include different features and details and the next different again. 

My personal strategy is to map the subject onto my watercolour paper with a 5 minute sketch and then not refer to the actual scene again. I am painting my interpretation of the scene not a photograph. Changing light and shadows become mighty confusing and create confusing paintings.
 
Learn the tools you need to assist you:
  • Perspective drawing using a pencil to measure angles.
  • create 5 minute value thumbnail sketches.
  • Develop your composition skills.
  • Learn to understand the relationships within your painting.
  • Most importantly have fun and remind yourself that painting en plein air is a great sketching tool for studio work.
 
 x
Amanda​

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    Amanda Brett Watercolour Artist

    Paintbox Tips, secrets, thoughts, scribblings and doodles on art, my life as an artist, travels and musings!! www.amandabrett.net

    ​Copyright 2018 All images and text on Amanda's blog and website are the legal property of Amanda Brett and may not be reproduced without express permission, thanks for respecting my art and creativity.

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Amanda Brett - Watercolour Artist

Quality Guarantee: All my watercolours are painted with only modern professional grade watercolour paints on Museum exhibition grade watercolour papers, they are extremely lightfast and will become a family heirloom and passed down to subsequent generations. If​ properly cared for, watercolour paintings will last as long, if not longer, than oil paintings. I only paint on 100% cotton rag paper, mostly Arches and Fabriano, and frame to conservation standard with acid free materials.
Copyright © 2021 All images and text on Amanda's blog and website are the legal property of Amanda Brett and may not be reproduced without express permission from Amanda Brett or her authorised agent. Thank you for respecting her art and the livelihood of all artists.
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