There’s a lot of confusion about underpainting in watercolour. It’s somewhat similar to underpainting, or blocking-in, in other mediums. In other words, blocking-in colours strategically (or playing it wild to leave strategy at the door!). I have 2 processes for underpainting:

1. An abstract wet-in-wet which gives me a gorgeous soft-edged mysterious layer of colour.
2. A wet-in-wet loosey-goosey layer of strategically placed light to mid-values around whites (yes you have to know where you want them to be).

The trick is to paint the next layer of values whilst leaving some of the whites and some of the first wash showing. Even if your important values get a little lost, they will be retrievable if you use good quality watercolour paper and paint.

There’s another idea to consider:
You can keep painting into it while it’s wet/damp, especially if you start with paper wet on both sides. Most watercolour painters are reluctant to paint into wet or damp but, personally, I find this the most fun, rewarding and absorbing element of watercolour. Just use less water and havie a play with placing values to tell your story. Like me, you might need to change your brush to accommodate the amount of water you need so you can avoid blooms where you don’t want them.

I map my painting out and consider my process before I start. For example, I need to know where to place the yellow for a lemon if I want a yellow lemon (my next lemon with be pink!!). I stick with transparent colours and leave opaque and granulating pigments for later, this way I know that everything will work together nicely. Having said this, one of my students pulled out an old painting with a French Ultramarine background. She overpainted with reds and yellows – I was so pleased that she made it work – fearless – excellent - ‘nuff said!!

Be prepared for your painting to develop a life of its and to throw caution to the win. Stop and think, create a new strategy if need be.

Underpainting in watercolour can enhance your colours making them stronger, richer and more exciting. Soft-edged background shapes add depth, volume and mystery. Totally delicious!!

By this time your painting is probably dry (or you need a break!) and your painting will be ready for some calligraphy detail marks with some lovely rich colour straight from the tube – can't beat it!

Give your painting a final check – does your painting say what you want it to say? The cool thing is you don’t have to decide right now!! But do consider if it looks balanced, is it pleasing? Is there anything annoying you? I just discovered a problem area in a painting I thought I had resolved – so annoyed as I deliberately added “the problem” thinking I was so clever! Prop your painting upside down so you can see when you are walking past, this will give you a better understanding of the composition and structure, if it looks right upside down it will be right in its frame!!
 
let me know what you think in the comments below!!

A key issue for any artist is creating a focal point.

Have you ever asked yourself "Where should I start?" or "What's my story?"

This is where your story is and where you want your viewers to look. Everything else is background.

There are many ways to achieve this, my favourite is to divide my painting surface into thirds vertically and horizontally, aka the golden section, then use one of intersections for my focal point. This means that (unless your painting is square) your focal point will be unequal distance from any edge of your substrate, creating a discordance, a little bit of a shock – why isn’t it equal? It just feels like the natural spot!

Many students ask me “where should I start?”. It doesn’t really matter except that, especially for beginners, a good place to start your painting is at the place that’s most exciting for you, the thing that got you interested, then build a background around it. This ensures you keep the background in the background and your focal area is full of exciting stuff and further, you’re enjoying what piqued your interest to start with.

A focal point is also discussed as “your story”. Again I’m often asked “what do they mean, what is my story?”  It doesn't have to be anything deep, dark and meaningful unless that's what you want to communicate. Your story is a description of what inspired you to paint:
Eg I like the way the light hit the tablecloth and refracted through a glass of drinking water, making a super bright highlight on a pear and beautiful light and shadow shapes that danced over the folds of a tea towel.

Write this in your sketch/notebook with your sketches, to keep your memory alive. This is a good habit for several reasons, but first of all, it aids your thinking processes; further, it’s your evidence of originality and your body of work and even more, galleries may ask you for descriptions; when stressed over preparing for shows the last thing you want to do is have to write descriptors – your early writings hold the key to your original inspiration.

Along with your drawings, sketches and composition thumbnails, it is a good idea to write a list of accompaniments so you’re not stuck for ideas and feel forced to finish without having thought through thoroughly (crikey!) before you started.

For example a table top painting might also include a vase and flowers, a suggestion of a chair, bottle of tomato sauce, a lemon and a spoon. In the background: light though a window, painting on the wall, books on a bookshelf and a table lamp. Once you have given your focal area a good start you can then move on to painting other areas of the painting and adjust and balance the painting later.

It really all comes down to planning and understanding what you want to paint and why. Asking yourself these questions will help you to get to the heart of the matter quickly, help you to focus your concentration and get to picking up that brush sooner!!

do feel free to comment or ask a question!

ciao cari pittori!!

Some thoughts on drawing!
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Drawing skills are essential. Your painting will improve out of sight just by spending 10-20 minutes observational drawing every day.

Shapes must be good - note I didn't say "perfect". "Good" can also mean interesting, unique or beautiful.

Design your artwork with design principles in mind.

Accomplished drawers/designers/artists can and do paint without drawing on their paper BUT 99.9% will have mapped out their design idea as a sketch first and will have spent much time studying and researching and planning – they’ve possibly painted a similar subject 500 times before – they know it well but have found a new intriguing “thing”.

Some watercolour tutors disagree with this, it shows in their work.

Drawing can become a 5-minute exercise in order to create a good painting (oil, acrylic, watercolour, sculpture, pastel), it doesn't matter the medium, art is art.

"Wrong" marks are full of character and shouldn't be erased (unless they're really annoying and stuck in your head then have at it!).

It takes skill and practice - draw every day, start simple, start small.

An eraser is not an essential tool but your sharpening device is.

There are many different purposes for drawing, some for me are:

• thumbnail design sketch
• thumbnail value sketch
• observational study
• full, formal, value drawing/design
• a map onto my watercolour paper

The word "perfect" must be stricken from your vocabulary - it is meaningless because it can't be articulated, is subjective and stops us from doing what we really want to do!

Please comment and ask me questions and let me know how you're getting on!!