Painting with Carol

I always use a backing board when I am painting. A backing board is a board to which you will tape the watercolour paper so it will need to be larger all the way round than the paper.

The size of the board will depend on the size of your painting - it can be made from hardboard, masonite, plywood or any such wood. When I paint I tend to use quite a lot of water, for my washes, which is a technique called wet-into-wet. Watercolour paper tends to buckle, especially if you use a light weight paper and this is why I recommend using 300 gsm (the grammage or weight of the paper is now universally measured in grams per square metre).

If you are using a light weight paper, however, you will need stretch the paper. The best way to do this is to soak the paper overnight in a bath of water, hold the paper upright to let most of the water run off, then tape or even staple to the board. The paper will shrink; but when dries it will pull tight, which will make it durable and workable.

Caring for your brushes is so important. I am still using brushes that I bought ten years ago simply because I look after them.

It is important that you only ever use your watercolour brushes for watercolours. Make sure that your brushes are cleaned properly after you have finished painting. Rinse them in clean water, preferably under a running tap. If you are washing them in a container of clean water, make sure that you are gentle and don’t hit the ferrule (the metal ring at the end of the brush) or you are likely to break off the hairs. Squeeze the water from the brush, making sure you shape the hairs back into a point. If you find the paint is difficult to remove, try using Jo Sonja’s Brush Soap and Conditioner. I find it the best but you could also use a cake of soap. When carrying brushes from place to place, roll them carefully in a tea towel or something similar. I have a paint brush roll that I bought from The Art Scene but you can buy similar products from other art supply stores.

Whether you subscribe to the thinking “you are only as good as your tools” or “a good workman never blames his tools” one thing is certain: a good quality brush will make your life sooo much easier.

Unfortunately, good brushes cost a lot. I mostly use Raphael, a large round sable brush that can cost hundreds of dollars. When I teach at workshops, as I have done for many years, I am asked for a list of requirements for the students to buy, and I often don’t include it in the list as I know, for first time painters, the cost of brushes would be just too expensive. But cheap brushes just won’t hold the paint and you will also find it is difficult for a cheap brush to also hold its ‘point’. So why not ask a loved one for a brush for a birthday present?

The brushes I most often use are:

• Raphael round brushes - No.7, No.4, No.3
• I also use a squirrel mix oval wash brush for my washes

…all of which I buy from Art Basics.

If you are on a budget as most of us are, you could try Rekab - a specially designed blend of pure sable hair and synthetic. The blend ensures a strong tip which is ideal for detail work. There are also many other cheaper watercolour brushes around, choices include brushes that are made from other animal hair or synthetic. Most art suppliers will recommend watercolour brushes for you to use.

When painting with watercolours it is so important to use clean water at all times. I think the reason is obvious, as any colour at all in the water will stain the paper or even change the intended colour.

I mostly use a double sided container that I bought in the days when I was painting Folk Art. I use one side for washing out my brush and the other side for painting. But you don’t even need a special container. Two containers will do - one for washing your brushes, the other to dip clean brushes into as you paint.

It is important to choose the right sort of palette - the paints should be separated from each other this will then stop the contamination of the colours mixing together in that grey-brown goop that’s often (quite rightly) called “mud”.

Nobody wants a muddy mess so a well-designed palette is a must - one with a series of wells and a flat area for mixing the paint. There are many available these days and you don’t have to spend a fortune - they can often be bought in two dollar shops! I suggest that you have more than one palette, though, as watercolours can be used over and over by just adding water. It seems a shame to me, to wash expensive paint away.

Watercolour papers are offered in a perplexing variety of sizes, weights, textures and prices. There are a number of good quality brands available. I mostly use Arches, however Whatman, Fabriano, Saunders Waterford and so on are all very good papers. I think you should experiment yourself, as it depends on what you are going to paint. You will find that professional-quality watercolour paper is expensive, but I think it is certainly worth it. Watercolour paper comes in a variety of surfaces so you should choose the right surface.

There are three textures available:

• rough
• hot-pressed
• cold-pressed.

Rough paper has the most ‘tooth’ - ridges on the paper - and if I am painting landscapes, this is the paper I use. For instance, if I am painting water I will use the side of my brush. The paint then adheres to the elevations and will leave sparkles on the surface of the water. However, like everything it takes practice to achieve this effect.

I use hot-pressed paper if I am painting fine detailed work as it has a smooth surface.

Cold-pressed is ideal for beginners as it has enough tooth for repeated washes but it’s texture will still allow you to create sparkle in your painting. I mostly use cold-pressed paper.

Then there’s the weight of the paper. I mostly use 300 gsm; professional watercolour paper can come in different weights, as little as 70 or 90 gsm. I have found, though, that the lighter the paper the more you are likely to have trouble with it warping if you are new to painting. The weight is determined by a ream which is usually 500 sheets. A standard size sheet of paper is 22 x 30 inches.

I could write pages about paper! I haven’t even got into stretching the paper or anything like that. Sometimes the best way to learn is to try it out and if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment here.

Happy brush strokes!

If you have not painted with watercolours before it can be a bit daunting - so much has been written about “what not to do”. My aim is to make watercolours simple, (to take the mystery out of it all). I think that if your first painting is a success, you will certainly want to continue painting.

Choose a simple subject, a single flower such as a daisy from your garden is perfect. If you are unable to sketch, take a photo and have it enlarged, then trace it. I will discuss the various types of watercolour paper to use and how to transfer the subject to the paper in an upcoming post.

Have fun, that is what painting is all about!

Georgina,( my daughter) tells me in order for my blog to work I have to continually update it, so my new years resolution is to try and keep it updated.

I am trying to make my blog entertaining, however I would also like to help fellow painters, by giving a few helpful hints on painting, this way maybe we could even paint a project together. Maybe other painters would also like to add their thoughts. Let me know what you think of the idea, or maybe you have some other ideas?

When you have a new brush, it may take some time to train it. It usually takes me about a week of solid painting. Do yourself a favour and buy a good brush to begin with - something like a Raphael. I always feel you’re only as good as the brush you’re painting with and if you use a pure sable brush, you don’t have to train it because it automatically does what it’s supposed to. The size of the painting will affect the size of the brush, obviously. I use a number 3 normally.

I have just returned from a very successful painting tour of Victoria. I taught in Bendigo, Brewster, Geelong, Melbourne and Rosewood. It was the perfect time to go as all the spring and summer flowers are in full bloom - whatever did we do before digital cameras? I have posted some pictures on Flickr but I have also pasted them in here so you can find them easily.