Watercolours With Life: Building Up a Painting : Gladioli in Watercolour

Tuesday, 9 August 2016

Building Up a Painting : Gladioli in Watercolour

Gladioli appearing in the creative process of painting in watercolour

I find artists on my workshops are often too timid to go into a painting with strong colour but it is the drama from adding bold contrasts which can often make a painting leap into life. Yesterday I started a painting of gladioli. This is a totally new subject to me and I am loving the exploration of finding the best way to paint these flowers.

Yesterdays approach was to find the starting shapes and work around them. I must confess I am enjoying the freshness from my initial painting stage but when I looked at it this morning I was disappointed. In my imagination this is not what I envisaged. I wanted more excitement. Maybe I shouldn't listen to that inner voice telling me " go on on, go in stronger" but I believe we have nothing to lose by adding darks and more interesting washes and backgrounds to a work in progress. We can only learn from what doesn't or does work. It isn't dangerous unless you worry about losing the painting which I don't. I honestly believe if I hadn't taken so many risks with pieces over the years I wouldn't be as in love or as evolved in my art as I am. And I am happily still learning.

So this morning I leapt into this piece again with reckless abandon. I added washy colour mixes in between where the main flowers are and I allowed some sections to hint at where other blooms could be in the background.

I am much happier now.

In the next stage I will taking time to add definition to make these flowers look more recognisable as gladioli and then the piece should be finished.

This is so much fun.

Artists Tips:

Do paint new subjects as often as possible.

Do experiment with colour combinations and washes.

Don't treat each painting as though it is too precious to learn from.

Grow.

Grow your skills by constantly trying new colour combinations, try exciting new techniques and discover new ideas for painting material.

And smile!

Yesterdays gladioli painting at stage one.

Before the darks were added.

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The Artist Magazine : Book Review

Jean Haines' Atmospheric Watercolours

"The book is nothing less than a paean to the wet in wet technique. If that's your thing, prepare to be amazed. Jean Haines credits Jean Louis Morelle, and in many ways this book is the sequel to Morelle's remarkable, but very technical work, showing the wealth of creative possibilities the technique offers. A lot of the images are barely recognisable and yet you instinctively know what they are. I wish I knew how, because this is impressionism taken to its logical conclusion and reminiscent of some of the later work by JMW Turner. You will have to take it from me that "First signs of a face appearing magically from a first wash of watercolour" is pure alchemy. This is an extraordinary book."

"Amazing Ways With Watercolour:" Fastest Selling DVD!

"Amazing Ways With Watercolour" from Town House Films is the fastest selling DVD with the company to date! Record breaking pre-orders for this much awaited film saw requests for copies flooding in from all over the world. A wonderful introduction into working with watercolour minus the use of a preliminary sketch this DVD removes the fear, stress or pressure from worry about how to use watercolour. Instead the focus is on having fun, enjoying vibrant colour combinations and allowing the medium to create the subjects with just a little help from the artist. A really exciting new DVD to own. Whilst the DVD sold out in the first few months since its' release due to popularity it is now in stock and available directly from Town House Films.

http://www.townhousefilms.co.uk

How To Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour

"How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour" Jeans first book was launched at the Mall Galleries in 2010 at the SWA Society for Women Artists Annual Exhibition. Many copies have been sold world wide. It is available on Amazon.com, Search Press, SAA Society for All Artists and Ken Bromley.

"This book is a wonderful introduction into Jeans' way of working and gives an insight into her way of thinking and approach to a large variety of subjects. All painted minus the use of a preliminary sketch."