AMANDA BRETT WATERCOLOUR ARTIST
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PaintBox Tips​

PaintBox Tip #102 Don’t give up on a sketch that’s gone wrong!

4/6/2022

4 Comments

 
Sketching is how I get my buzz to paint a scene, especially if I’m not enthralled with a scene or feeling a bit out of sorts (jetlagged, just plain tired or moody - mamma mia!)

We all do it … sometimes our sketches are not right, sometimes we have to do the wrong version to get to the right version. The wrong version helps us to see.

This is especially true if you’re working on a new subject. A new subject may require some intense study and you may have to sketch it several times to really start to understand it. A sunny day is a brilliant opportunity because you’ll see more detail, more shadows that highlight the lights and help you understand the shapes. In architecture (and every subject) it’s a good idea to focus on a small area (see John Ruskin’s sketches of Lucca, little studies of the shapes of the rooflines, monuments, decorations) and gradually increase the subject area. This can lead an artist to an intense passion for a subject lasting many years, the challenge can be totally absorbing. Everytime we sketch (paint, write music/lyrics, sculpt, poeticise, pontificate etc) we see new elements and make surprising discoveries.

Measuring the relationships is how we learn – how high is this compared to that? How wide? Is it a square or a rectangle? How acute is the angle? how dark does it have to be to make another shape understandable? How light? and all the steps between

Try not to give up on a sketch, start with light marks and 5 big shapes. Once everything’s in position add values, light to start with then build up to a very dark dark.

This one is still not a very good sketch but I’ve learned how the shapes work together (or not!) and their relationship to each other. Maybe I’ll come back and have another go, maybe I’ll just get stuck in and paint it now!


non ferma cari amici!!
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PS I often say to students an eraser is an unnecessary tool but i really needed it with this sketch!!
I love light poetic pencil marks - especially wrong ones - they add character and pad out a little - in other words don't be neat and tidy, leave what you have deemed as wrong and let them show.

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4 Comments
Rosie
5/6/2022 15:27:33

Funny that this is the subject I opened today because I got a sketch ‘wrong’ this morning. It was on watercolour paper so I decided to just use it as a thing to practise layers and colour and texture on. And in the end it isn’t that bad - and I can see lots of other things I could have done. I love paint sketching of a Sunday morning wehn I can listen to documentaries at the same time. Bliss!

Reply
Amanda Brett link
16/7/2022 22:18:36

oh gosh was it very different from your original concept? Oh well, 2 painting ideas - excellent!! have fun!! a

Reply
Elaine Houlton
6/6/2022 13:49:22

Dear Amanda, opened your last paintbox tip this morning, thought I would say I love getting them, and then I remembered you would now be in Lucca, OMG. And it also dawned on me that it has been 4 years since I joined you in Lucca in 2018!!! Since then my sketching has improved hugely, my watercolour is progressing 🙄😂 but hey what else have I got to do with my life. Have a happy week, I have lovely memories and photos of the holiday there. And I love getting your emails and paintbox tips. Thank you and thank you for your Joie de Vivre
Cheers Elaine from Perth

Reply
Amanda Brett link
16/7/2022 22:21:06

thanks so much Elaine, yes 4 years ago!! such a great workshop - we were a great team!! lol!! What's your favourite subject these days? cheers a xxx

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    Poetry in watercolour is made in the freedom of the here and now. Amanda Brett

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Copyright © 2022 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.
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. ALL art of ANY medium should be hung away from direct sunlight. 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.
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  • Painting Holiday Italy 2024
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  • Home
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  • Tuition
    • Painting Holiday Italy 2024 >
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