Posts

10 steps to creating good lighting in your paintings

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  Hello, today I'm sharing 10 tips for creating light in painting. Let me know what you think in the comments below, and if you have any further tips to share with us. 1. Observe Real Light Sources  Begin by observing light in the real world. Notice how it interacts with different objects, the way it casts shadows, and the varying intensities it presents. This practice will deepen your understanding of light and enhance the realism in your paintings. 2. Utilize Reference Photos  Even when painting from imagination, reference photos are invaluable. They provide a clear example of how light behaves in various settings, helping you to replicate these effects in your own work. 3. Understand Colour Temperature    Light is not just about brightness; it's also about colour. Warm light, like sunlight, imparts different hues compared to cool light, such as moonlight. Integrating these temperature variations can add a new dimension of realism to your art. 4. Create a Focal Point with Lig

Unleashing Creativity: Exploring the New Derwent Inktense XL Blocks

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I've been thoroughly enjoying my first experience with the NEW Derwent Inktense XL Blocks. If you follow me on YouTube, you will know that I have used the standard size Inktense blocks for some time. The new blocks are the same colours and consistency, it’s the size that’s different. I was sceptical about there being enough difference with the standard size to make them worth investing in. However, I really do love this new size. Obviously, you get more quantity, so they will last longer. And they are much more robust for mark making, you can use the edges for drawing and the side of the block for laying down broad sweeps of colour. I have snapped quite a few of my standard blocks, but these XL blocks aren’t going to snap. Like the other Inktense in Derwent’s range, the colour dries permanently and you can layer and overlap the hues to build depth and interest in your artwork. I use them on mixed media paper and would recommend a good bright white paper to show off the vibrant colo

Watercolour Painting: The Dos and Don'ts for Beginners and Intermediates

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Watercolour painting is a beautiful and unique medium that allows for the creation of soft, ethereal, and vibrant artworks. However, it can be a challenging medium, and it's easy to make mistakes that can ruin a painting. In this blog post, we'll go over some of the dos and don'ts of watercolour painting that every beginner should know. Do: Experiment with Watercolour Techniques Watercolour painting offers endless possibilities when it comes to techniques, and it's essential to experiment with different techniques to find your style. Try techniques like wet-on-wet, dry brush, glazing, and salt to create unique effects. Don't be afraid to mix and match different techniques to achieve the desired effect. Don't: Use too much Water Water is a crucial component in watercolour painting, but too much water can lead to unwanted results. Using too much water can cause the paper to warp and the colours to bleed, leading to muddy colours and an uneven finish. It's esse

Creating distance in landscape painting

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These are notes on creating distance in landscape painting from a recent workshop that I taught. I have left them unedited including the practice warm-up instruction. I hope that you may find them useful:- " The main problem we encounter when painting and drawing is that we are attempting to create a 3D image on a 2D surface. There are several ways we can try to overcome this, using the elements and principles of design.  The first element we are going to consider is colour. It is very easy to confuse colour with tone. I often use the same colours throughout a painting, but by adding white, grey or black to it, the tone can be very different. We use the word tone very broadly to take us from our lightest lights to our darkest darks with many changes in between. However, to be technical, tone is really the addition of grey to your colour. Adding white creates a tint and adding black creates a shade. As we know, some colours recede, whilst others appear closer. Imagine sitting at th

Essential watercolour equipment for beginners

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Watercolour painting is a beautiful and rewarding art form that requires a few essential tools for beginners to get started. Whether you are a complete beginner or someone who is looking to upgrade your watercolour painting equipment, having the right tools can make a significant difference in the quality of your artwork. In this blog post, we will take a look at all the equipment beginners need for watercolour painting, including an explanation of watercolour paper types. Watercolour Paper Types: The first and most crucial tool that you need to start watercolour painting is paper. The quality of the paper you use can greatly affect the final outcome of your painting. There are three primary types of watercolour paper: cold-pressed, hot-pressed, and rough. Cold-pressed watercolour paper has a slightly textured surface that is neither too smooth nor too rough. It is the most popular type of paper and is suitable for most watercolour painting techniques. Hot-pressed watercolour paper has

Advantages of using soft-bodied acrylic paints (Liquitex)

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  Liquitex Soft Body Acrylic Paint is a high-quality paint that has been a favourite of artists for decades. I myself use it daily in my landscape paintings. This paint has a smooth consistency that allows for easy mixing and blending, making it ideal for artists who want to create a variety of effects in their paintings. In this blog post, we will explore the advantages of painting with Liquitex Soft Body Acrylic Paint. Versatility One of the biggest advantages of painting with Liquitex Soft Body Acrylic Paint is its versatility. This paint can be used on a variety of surfaces, including canvas, paper, wood, and more. It can be thinned with water to create a watercolour-like effect or used straight out of the tube for a thicker, more opaque finish. It can also be mixed with other mediums such as gel mediums, moulding pastes, or gesso for added texture and depth. Pigment Quality Liquitex Soft Body Acrylic Paints have a high pigment concentration, which means that the colours are bright

My experience of self-publishing - One year on

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For those of you that are thinking of self-publishing your own books, I thought that this update on my first year of self-publishing my poetry books may be helpful.  In the Summer of 2021, I completed my first book of landscape paintings and poetry "Colliding Contrasts". At that time I decided to have it printed myself by Inky Little Fingers and to sell it on my own website, at craft fairs and in local gift shops. I didn't choose Amazon KDP at that time as I was unsure of the colour print quality and wanted my artwork colours to display correctly. Since then, my book has sold consistently well, with local galleries selling it on an almost daily basis.  Late this Summer I published "Distraction in the minutiae" which is in black and white. As this was a short chapbook with no colour, I decided to give Amazon KDP a go. It was a very easy process to upload your book on the KDP site. I also opted to use KDP's cover creator, which was easy to use but has limited