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Posted
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Syd's advice is spot on - the best place to learn is either in a group or, as is the case for me, by watching others and seeing how they work - observation is king.
Short of this David - if you've no objections you might find it helpful if one of us posted a step by step watercolour sketch of your folly explaining the process adopted. Of course we would all approach it differently but it might help in some way. if you feel this might be useful just say so - and if so I suppose I am volunteering but if anyone else wants to have a go I'm happy to stand aside
Posted
That should be interesting Michael and I will have a go at the vast Salisbury one in watercolour, but it won't be today, too busy on other projects but will try for tomorrow, I will post it on the same NEW WIP page that Michael will set up, as there has been a bit of confusion over this. Basically, for each new WIP subject that an artist is demonstrating, a new page needs to be set up, and not tag on to someone else's WIP as has happened to me this morning.
Posted
Whoops! Sorry Alan that might have been me. Will try and resurrect the situation.
DavidG4YVM, that's certainly a decent start with wet in wet and recession captured. Don't worry about the spire, certainly at that distance. Try and use some yellows in the greens, are you mixing the greens or have them in tube/pans?
Posted
A) This is the right place, the watercolour forum, for this particular topic. So feel free on that front.
B) Hookers is a difficult green - in watercolour, it's often mixed with a touch of black; I'd suggest viridian or pthalo green as being easier to get on with if you're using it as a mixer. Or various blues with yellow - eg, Cerulean plus Lemon for a bright sunny green; cobalt and lemon for something a bit weaker; Ultramarine or Pthalo for darker, more sombre greens mixed with a variety of yellows - try them out on a bit of paper, labelling them so you can remember what you used. A tiny touch of red in your greens sometimes adds to their subtlety as well.
C) Coming along nicely!
Posted
It was I who suggested the Ron Ranson book, I have read it many times and was written by Ranson for beginners in watercolour, It starts with simple basic exercises as in 'how to apply a graduated wash etc, also a section on perspective and light.
Ron has indeed perfected this method, and he started from virtual scratch having no clue at all about art, these are not my words, but his, and he does show examples of his early pre-Hake work, which Ron himself agrees is dreadful. He started from scratch and with his tremendous marketing skills, started teaching courses from his home in the Wye Valley. It's not absolutely necessary to follow every step by the book so to speak, and you don't have to use a Hake, but for the beginner this is a really useful book.
I'm not getting away from the fact that it will still be useful to start with simple projects, as has been said earlier, but the book will not do any harm to digest.<div class="__IE11CLEANUP__">
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Posted
Hello David, this will be my last post on this thread, but you are welcome to contact me again as you already have privately.
It has developed into a points scoring match, and I for one have much more pressing and important things to be getting on with, and I am talking about serious art projects that I am both developing and currently working on, and do not wish to continue along these current lines.
As an artist, you will be looking for painting as an outlet to excite and stimulate you, I have made suggestions and I know that you will take some of these on board, We artist's, no matter what advice we are given, will invariably do our own thing, that's the nature of the beast if you like, and you should do what you want to do, and this way your mind and skills will develop. So what if you turn out a load of rubbish to start with, we all did at one time or another, I still do at times, all your wasting is a bit of paper, big deal, just go for it, practice daily, and don't allow yourself to get too bogged down with everything that you are being told, it could be soul destroying, It would for me.
I know that your Ron Ranson book is on its way, and I am confident that you will learn from it, millions have, but make your own decision, you must be so confused at all this conflicting advice.
My final advice to you is to just get your workstation set up, sit yourself down, flip through whatever you have at hand for inspiration and throw yourself into it, regardless of any outside influence, and jolly good luck to you, I do see some talent in your work, but of course it needs much work from you, hands on painting, not writing, in order to improve.
Posted
I read the Ranson book a good many years ago - I don't have it now, lost in a house-move or probably sold to facilitate same. I do remember it though, and like his videos it was aimed at beginners; there are a few demos of his online, put on YouTube by an American gent who meant well, but unfortunately keeps asking a now elderly Ron some rather silly questions - however, the technique is shown; and you also have Steve Cronin's work on YouTube, which employs the hake exclusively with the occasional use of the rigger and credit card, and he is prolific but a beginner, in a sense, himself - in that he still uses student quality colours, and basic hake techniques. He saws the end off the hake's long handle, for reasons of comfort I suppose.
The hake is not for everybody, but that's partly because many who try it have first of all become used to traditional brushes which don't work the same way. As you really haven't had time to get into those habits, you may find it works for you. I use it, not exclusively, and find that it's fine if you don't try painting with it sopping wet - it just won't work at all,other than to wet the paper, if it's not wrung out and brought to a chisel edge. You soon get the hang of it, and I'd be perfectly happy to suggest to any beginner that they have a go with it, even if crustier watercolourists say it's the devil's own invention. It also has the advantage of being incredibly cheap compared to sables, or the Sceptre Gold and Dalon ranges, which have already been suggested to you, and are good brushes.
If you want YouTube demos - it isn't necessary that you look exclusively at beginners' films by the way: you'll learn also from more advanced ones, if only what to aim at - then try these two for very different techniques: Arnold Lowrey, and Alan Owen (whom I've suggested before): you're not going to get either of them showing the most simple things - boring to do and also to watch so far as I'm concerned - but you will find basic techniques employed for more expansive subjects. So, Cronin for the hake; a couple of Ron Ranson interview-type videos if they're still up there; Arnold Lowrey for the big, expansive watercolours, Alan Owen for his demos aimed at beginners like you and incidentally always prepared to answer questions. Go and play.
Posted
Yes, on the whole so do I - although Steve uses a much darker palette of colours (and his butcher's tray palette is just about the dirtiest I've ever seen: I don't know how he gets colour from it!). Just wondering about the shapes you speak of, ie made with the brush - any flat brush is going to make distinctive chisel-y shapes, including Lowrey's (Arnold's, that is) Sceptre Gold flat; or come to that, my Dalon 3/4" - you tend to see these as shorthand marks, representing river banks etc; and if you're not careful you end up with square-topped foliage too; I've done that.... I quite like visible brush-marks though, usually, whatever the medium. Some really don't..... it's all about personal taste, though. (The shape I don't like is made with the fan - I use fan brushes quite often, but not to make all the blessed tree tops look just the same, which I see again and again - there's a certain tutor who is largely responsible for that.... good painter generally, but I wish he'd go easy on that very predictable touch.)
True also that you don't see many watercolour demos using the hake - I'll while away the hours before toddling off the bed seeing if I can find any more; I get the impression you're not keen on the brush, Syd, but - I think it has its place. Wouldn't want to use it all the time, though.
Posted
No, you're right, there's virtually nothing. I seem to remember Alan Owen did a demo with the hake, though (and I think he's online at the moment, so perhaps he'll look in and tell us).
PS-
I've found his video, and he also recommends those interested in painting with the hake take a look at the work of Dave Usher, on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UxzJ3fmkSQ
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by RobertJones