1. Great paper

Experiment with different paper surfaces, HP, Not and Rough. Each one has a different feel on its surface and will be great for different styles of watercolour (see above)

2. Great textures

Expensive sable brushes are wonderful,  but don’t discard that beaten up old brush that has lost its sharp point – it can be great for dragging across rough paper to give a broken texture  for trees

3. Great palette

Build up a small limited palette of a few colours that work well together for the style of work that you do. But do occasionally add a different and unexpected colour to a painting to give your work a pop of something new

Across Lackford Reeds by Penny Newman

4. Great locations

Get outside to observe and paint. It can lead to work that has a vitality and immediacy which is very difficult to do inside from a photo of a scene

5. Great connections

Enjoy the friendships and the connections that you make through your art. Our online Facebook group is a great way to connect with other SEAW artists which will be encouraging and lead to new ideas for your art work. We have a monthly competition too!

 

Do you have 5 tips for great watercolours which you could share with our readers? Drop me a message and we can put your tips online!