Demonstration on – 'Wet on wet' watercolour techniques.

Tuesday 7th July, 2009-07-17

Wow, what a fantastic turnout! Sue Smalkowski sure knows how to draw in a crowd. (No pun intended) It was a cold day outside, but as people rolled in to learn some watercolour tricks, the Coach House soon filled with warmth and inspiration.

Sue has an Advanced Diploma in Fine Arts and has exhibited as well as won numerous prizes for her works in watercolours and oils. The latest major exhibition she was selected to exhibit in was ‘Personal Journeys: 40 yrs of abstract art by Australian women artists’.

Sue has no secrets and loves to share her passion for painting. Whenever working wet into wet, always make sure you mix all of your colours with clean water before you start painting. It is also a good idea to have scrap piece of the same watercolour paper to test your colours before starting your masterpiece, not a disaster piece. Draw out what you wish to paint with lead pencil (2B), wet 1” wash brush and brush over the entire paper. (It is best to use either a watercolour block or pre-stretched at least 300gsm paper). Add a little paint around your subject matter, holding the board on a slight angle, making sure the paint doesn’t run into the subject. If your paper is as wet as it should be, the water will go to work for you. When you have placed two colours here and there, dry off with a hair dryer or set aside to dry naturally. Wet paper down again and introduce another two complementary colours to background and then dry off again. Always re-evaluate as you may need to soften or perhaps darken certain areas. Work from the outside to the centre of the subject.

If your paper curls slightly, don’t panic as this causes the paint to puddle and adds to the effect.

A good brush is worth investing in. Sue uses Squirrel mop, this is great for fine detail as well as broader brush work. Being a natural soft hair, the pigment and water are drawn into the belly of the brush and loads up more than the likes of a synthetic. (Try to avoid brushes made in China as they tend to lose hair and shape).

If you make a colour too strong, wet brush with clean water and move it around to disperse the paint even further. This is also a good idea to eliminate hard lines which may appear.

Prussian blue makes beautiful greens. Try mixing with a little aureolin or cadmium yellow.  To darken up add a little burnt sienna.

-Renee Lever