Category Archives: painting

Tree Paintings Watercolours

Watercolours are a versatile medium, they don’t have to be wishy washy. They can be bold with bright sunlight dappling the forest or calm, serene.  Two of my personal favourite tree paintings These  are two of my favourite watercolour tree paintings. Very different from each other one so very tranquil,  the other with shadows &Continue reading “Tree Paintings Watercolours”

Green Earth, Prussian Blue and Burnt Umber: Making your own paints

Creating your own unique recipes for color mixes… using your imagination as you blend new tones and shades together. It is so fun. And its not difficult. You don’t have to be a ‘paint manufacturer’ to do it either. You just need a few ingredients and of course the appropriate dust mask. Its a wonderfullyContinue reading “Green Earth, Prussian Blue and Burnt Umber: Making your own paints”

Cerulean and Prussian Blue Pair Up

Power house Prussian  blue and sensitive cerulean team up beautifully together in landscapes, still life or abstract paintings.  Lights and Darks contrast perfectly on the full sheet,  22 x 30 inch cotton rag watercolor paper.         Prussian Blue   Prussian blue pb27 is a very intense strong dark midnight blue with aContinue reading “Cerulean and Prussian Blue Pair Up”

Judicious Texture II 2015

Where does texture and detail belong?   When to stop painting!?  How to avoid fiddling?  It is a matter of simply reminding yourself as you are painting, there are 3 main areas to your composition. Background, Middleground and Foreground. 3 Main Textural Areas:  Background, Middleground, Foreground   Each of these areas is to be handledContinue reading “Judicious Texture II 2015”

Imagination is the beginning of creation

George Bernard Shaw’s brilliant quote, “Imagination is the Beginning of Creation”  is one I love. Calvin Coolidge said, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.” Both persistence and imagination have been my ‘co helpers’ as I paint and create for over two decades.     Imagination and Creation   Imagination, creation, inspirationContinue reading “Imagination is the beginning of creation”

Light and Shade: Tonal Values for Successful Paintings

Whether you’re painting in pastels, watercolours, oils, acrylics, mixed media the single most crucial aspect for more successful artwork is Tonal Values. Making sure that you first observe and see those variations in tone is key in order to then be able to obtain those tones on your painting. The tricks I use to seeContinue reading “Light and Shade: Tonal Values for Successful Paintings”

Painting Foregrounds: Perspective Tips

Depth and perspective in paintings can be tricky at first for beginners. But it gets a lot easier when you know and follow a couple of logical and simple tips and guidelines.         Simplify The Subject   Break it up into simplified segments. Divide the scene into divisions of Background, Middleground andContinue reading “Painting Foregrounds: Perspective Tips”