AMANDA BRETT WATERCOLOUR ARTIST
  • Watercolour News
  • SHOP New Original Paintings
    • SHOP Heart Air Balloons
    • Shop Fine Art Prints
  • Tuition
    • Watercolour Magic on Youtube
    • FAQs
    • Video Lessons
    • PaintBox Tips featured posts
    • Feedback & Photos
    • For Beginners
    • Plein Air Supplies
    • NEW!! Weekly Watercolour Classes
  • Home
    • Contact
    • About Me >
      • More About Me & Watercolour
      • What I See
      • Studio
      • Italy 2023
  • Join My Insider's List
Picture

PaintBox Tip #16 Stop Waiting!!

12/1/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
​"I keep wanting to get photos of those sheds, but always seems to be wrong time of day,  wrong tide or wrong weather for stopping. Or... we use the road on the other side of the estuary!"

This is what happens if you paint photo realism or you are too dependent on photos - you're probably sunk because you are waiting for ideas to happen.

Ideas don't just happen - artists, scientists, engineers, poets, musicians MAKE IDEAS HAPPEN.

We don't have time to wait.

The ugly truth? No matter how long you wait, you will never get your perceived "perfect photo"
the weather will be crap, the light will be wrong - whatever! This is really just another form of procrastination.

There's 2 solutions:
  1. stop and paint or sketch anyway
  2. take the crappy photos when you are there - from 50 angles, zoom in, zoom out - what we really need is resources and reference shapes. 
Set your camera to hi-res.
when you get your horrible photos home, pick out the ones with the stuff you need and start doodling and sketching on a big sheet of paper.

make lists. Sketching is an idea generator.

ciao cari pittori xx

Picture
Watercolour Classes start Feb 8, 2022 JOIN HERE

​Original Art for sale

Limited Edition Fine Art Prints

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
I discovered this scene on a road-trip to Wellington. For a few minutes it had great light, then it was gone. but not only that I couldn't zoom my camera in enough, I'd been driving all day and hadn't found my accommodation yet. no where to sit and soak up the ambiance so a little walk around the bay and a few quick snaps. Photos were terrible but quite a bit of information once I zoomed in. 
I've seen many paintings of this scene and thought - wow, how boring - everything straight and lined up - how dull. What can i do to make this more exciting and engaging? I spent quite a lot of time doodling and playing and getting my head in the game!

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    PaintBox Tips, secrets, random thoughts,
    scribblings & doodlings on art, my life as an artist who teaches, writes, travels, muses and paints!

    Picture
    Poetry in watercolour is made in the freedom of the here and now. Amanda Brett
    Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working - Pablo Picasso
    Picture
    There are no mistakes in watercolour, just some extra surprises!!
    Amanda Brett

    Categories

    All
    Beginners
    Brushes
    Brush Miles
    Care
    Colour
    Colour Mixing
    Composition
    Conquering Fear
    Design
    Doodling
    En Plein Air
    Excitement
    Finishing
    Idea Generator
    Ideas
    Immersion
    Inspiration
    JOURNEY
    Learn
    Paint
    Palette
    Perfect
    Photos
    Pigments
    Planning
    Play
    PROCESS
    Procrastination
    Professional
    Realism
    Resources
    Secret
    Sketch
    Sketchbook
    Style
    Subject Selection
    Transparent
    Voice
    Watercolour Paper
    Wet In Wet
    Wet-in-wet

    What my readers and viewers have to say
    Your emails are so informative! I must confess I've watched a couple of your demos from beginning to end, and it makes me want to watercolor!!! I've only ever painted with oil or acrylics and haven't know how to begin with WC. Your content is excellent! 
    Susan VN
    Hi Amanda
    Thank you for your tips. They inspired me to practise and I realised I haven’t been loading the brush properly. I learnt about adding more paint, and not water, to washes. In today’s tips I like the idea of painting with purpose. Your tips are very helpful. I very much appreciate receiving them. Elizabeth
    Hi Amanda I enjoyed your post and generous tips. Looked up Dan Burt I begin to see that you can colour any subject to give it pizazz so long as the tone and form is correct Certainly adding value now to my attempts Thanks heaps Annie
    Yes very wise words. Agree with not fussing and agree with comments about good quality paint. Well written and inspirational as always. Cheers Janet xxxx

    Archives

    February 2025
    January 2025
    July 2023
    June 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022

    Copyright © 2022 All images and text on Amanda's blog and website are the 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.

Amanda Brett - Watercolour Artist

​
Shop    |     Events & Shows     |      About Me       |     Classes     |      Paintbox Tips    |     Subscribe      |    Contact
​
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.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

Watercolour Painting Holiday Workshop
Lucca Italy May 2024, read more and book online

Watercolour Magic with Amanda on Youtube

Video Lessons
​
Watercolour Weekly Classes
Auckland New Zealand

Beginners One Day Watercolour Workshops 
Auckland New Zealand
​
​​View all workshops and classes
  • Watercolour News
  • SHOP New Original Paintings
    • SHOP Heart Air Balloons
    • Shop Fine Art Prints
  • Tuition
    • Watercolour Magic on Youtube
    • FAQs
    • Video Lessons
    • PaintBox Tips featured posts
    • Feedback & Photos
    • For Beginners
    • Plein Air Supplies
    • NEW!! Weekly Watercolour Classes
  • Home
    • Contact
    • About Me >
      • More About Me & Watercolour
      • What I See
      • Studio
      • Italy 2023
  • Join My Insider's List