I'll preface this blog right here by clarifying that this is my method of painting. I've not had much formal training and this is just what works for me. I work with 300g/m2 paper on a block. It is more expensive but I no longer need to stretch the paper to avoid buckling. I use Schmincke Horadam watercolours after using Winsor and Newton initially. Again - more expensive but the intensity of pigment is infinitely better.
Choosing a subject
This sounds really easy but I need to find something that I care about, that will make an effective painting, that I can achieve with my skill level, and that will work best in watercolour. I take a lot of reference photographs and most of these just don't capture what I saw when I took the photograph. Of the ones I like many have a lighting effect that I just don't think I have the skill to carry off - the light through trees, shafts of light through a window, evening or night light... I don't mind adapting a picture to create a better composiiton but I still marvel when I see works of art by other artists which really work but are based on fairly mundane subject matter. They edit really well and have much more confidence in their quality of line and the way they apply paint. Finally the watercolour medium works best with simplicity, few layers of translucent paint and the liquid appearance of washes. Many subjects will work better in acrylics, pen and ink, pastel or pencil - no need to swim against the tide.
2. Drawing
I like to work quickly and usually I don't spend enough time on drawing. This really matters when the subject is a portrait. With landscapes the drawing needs to be accurate from a perspective standpoint to be believable but no-one is going to check whether the petals on a flower really fell that way. The structure of the plant needs to be accurate though.
3. Initial washes and masking
I like to establish the basic palette and some broad areas of light and shade with some wet washes and to work that wet-on-wet for as long as I can. The effects created in this stage seem to really appeal to people when they give feedback. I like to use some materials to create interesting patterns and textures at this stage too - particularly salt. I can get away with some really odd colours at the wash stage that will create an interesting backdrop to the focal points too. I find myself adding more and more pigment to the wet areas to create depth of colour knowing it will be a lot lighter when it dries. The final stages as the washes are almost dry allow more detailed areas to be created without the sharp edges which can draw the eye way from where I want them to go - I can create distant hills, far away trees and soft clouds at this stage. Where the sky is a significant part of the painting I will create this separately to keep colours clean and ensure a clear separation from land. The final joy of this stage is the opportunitiy for happy accidents which create mystery and unexpected areas of interest. Of course some areas I need to keep paint free - and that is where masking fluid comes in. Against a brightly coloured background brilliant white paper can look stunning.
4. Lifting out (sometimes)
This technique can happen throughout the painting but it works particularly well at this stage. I use a dry brush, water and ktichen towel to significantly lighten parts of the wash. This is particularly good in creating wispy cloud at subtle light on rolling fields
5. Light layers
The next stages are the ones where detail is applied, typically wet on dry. to start adding the details in the painting. Professional artists will do value studies to establish exactly where these are going to go - with an ideal three values to avoid the painting going muddy. I have lots more layers than this but I find that I can do fewer the harder I concentrate on tones i.e. getting it right first time. I quite like this process because it looks a little like screen printing as each layer adds form and structure and its a bit of a leap of faith as you add each layer. When I am painting plein air I often apologise to passers by who must wonder what on earth I am doing (I almost want to ask them to come back in a couple of hours). I spend a little time gently softening edges were required using a damp brush and rewetting with spray if it is too dry.
6. Dark layers
This is where the definition of the image really comes together. I try and avoid black but I do like subjects with clear shadows. The shadows ground the subject and add form and interest to otherwise flat areas. I often step back from the painting and compare it with reference photos to check the darkest areas of the painting match what I was trying to achieve. I will add cold and warm pigment to the dark tones to try and add desired effects
7. Glazes and highlights
By the end of stage 6 there should be an accurate representation of the subject but I find it usually doesn't sparkle enough. I want the subject to pop off the page and the three-dimensional effect to be strong. I want the highlights to be lighter still and for them to be accentuated by pushing the background back. The highlights can be accentuated by adding white gouache or white gouache tinted with near pure watercolour pigment using a detail brush. Taking the edge off the white can be a crucial because that opaque brilliant white can be just too artificial otherwise and it really shows when it is dry - a bit like pure black can look in shadows. I will darken the surrounding background areas by adding a subtle watery glaze of blues and greys to push them back and to create subtle shadow. I also find that dark lines in the background passing behind an object and reappearing the other side help e.g. a leaf, a wave, a cloud, a fence, a stalk, a shadow. textures too can make a difference. In the image above there are various textures added, white gouache highlights and bluey glazes to make the image stand out).
8. Stop
Another crucial stage. I take regular photos throughout. I can view the cropped images as if they were the mounted final painting viewed from a distance. Its really easy to overwork watercolours. Of course if there are mistakes they need correcting and sometimes this step back shows drawing errors or colour balance problems. I am surprised just how forgiving watercolour can be - particularly with low pigment colours. A little patience and a gently hand can lift out quite a lot of unwanted paint. I find it much harder to colour match paint which is missing