Selecting Correct Colours for Subjects

.Colour Selection for painting Iris.

Winsor & Newton Watercolour Shades

Choosing the right colour for a subject can be difficult for the new artist. At times it can be a problem for the professionals too!  Diving into any painting without taking time out to choose the right colour beforehand can lead to unrealistic and disastrous results.  Whilst my work has a loose style if I am painting florals or portraits, for example, I need to use the right colours to give a feeling of "truth" behind each new piece.

There are many watercolour products available with confusing lists of shades. But some colours I simply cannot live without.  So how do I choose colour for my subjects? A wonderful tip is to hold tubes of colour next to the real subject and compare the colour on the bands of the tube, finding one as close as possible to it.

Winsor Violet by Winsor &Newton is perfect for painting Iris!

I also liked Winsor & Newton shades of Ultramarine Violet and I have found if I add a touch of French Ultramarine Blue to either shade I gain an added extra sense of drama.

Taking  time to think before you even pick up a brush to start painting is as important as your brushwork. And it saves so much time knowing that the shades you are working with are correct right from the start.

So, match your watercolour pigments to a subject before you  pick those brushes up!

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Spring Flowers: Winsor & Newton Watercolours

"Softness of Spring"

Winsor & Newton Shades

I had a wonderful email  recently asking me how I knew when to use soft or hard edges in a watercolour. I must confess I seem to use this technique naturally now ,without even thinking, and maybe thats' a great stage to be at as an artist. For some reason my brushes automatically seem to guide my hand and as well as my thinking process while a painting develops. Which doesn't really help anyone very much if they would like to know the answer to the question!

There are so many explanations on how to use soft and hard edges but for me it is a matter of balance in a composition. Too many hard edges give the feeling of a painting created from a preliminary sketch, often with all the detail showing. But too many soft edges can sometimes lead to an abstract effect where the viewer of the finished piece cannot even tell what the subject is.

If you look at the above painting of Spring flowers you can easily see how  several  petals merge into the background and also into each other as  the flowers meet.  The soft edges give a superb illusion of movement  whereas the hard edges let you know where the petals are.

My artists tip is to aim to lose part of your subject at the early stage of a painting. As the painting develops the minute you can tell what the subject is without any further definition , stop! Don't worry about adding every single detail or outline. Be brave enough to just paint what is necessary to tell the story and have fun experimenting.

All of my Spring watercolours will be in 2014 exhibitions. I will share details shortly.