Acrylic Experiments

Acrylic Experiments

Reading Time: 4 minutesI have always had a bit of a journey with acrylics. While it has been around in use by artists since the 1960s, Hockney being a key early adopter, I do not recall it really being about in the 80s and early 90s when I 

Schmincke Limited Signature Editions

Schmincke Limited Signature Editions

Reading Time: 3 minutesSchminke have released a set of limited edition watercolours, developed and produced in collaboration with various artists. I’d thought about ordering some of these, but generally tried to behave slightly, until they appeared in Fred Aldous, when I was in town shepherding my child about 

Breckland, and Other Loose Watercolours

Breckland, and Other Loose Watercolours

Reading Time: 3 minutesI mentioned the other day about the balance I am trying to achieve between a loose and slightly impressionistic style, and the more formal traditional watercolour – something that at the moment is a key part of developing my practice. Here’s some of the other 

Wallace Seymour and The Holy Grail

Wallace Seymour and The Holy Grail

Reading Time: 4 minutesOk, so this sounds like some weird Monty Python extrapolation, and I guess I am being a little abstract here, but hey, that’s my brain. As is very obvious, I have developed a bit of an obsession with sourcing the weirdest and wonderfullest, or perhaps 

A Few Landscapes

A Few Landscapes

Reading Time: 4 minutesThis is a bit of a round up really, of various landscape pictures I have been playing with over the last year. I’m thinking quite a lot at the moment about my style, my practice – I have a deep love for detailed, “realistic” (insofar 

Primatek, Revisited

Primatek, Revisited

Reading Time: 4 minutesAfter the small set of Daniel Smith Primatek Watercolours I received for Christmas a couple of years ago, I have slowly collected a few more from this range. I am very much still in two minds about these. There is increasing muttering that these are 

Dhow, Or Dipping Lug

Dhow, Or Dipping Lug

Reading Time: < 1 minuteIt’s been a bit quiet here for a few reasons, the run up to Christmas, focussing on renovating my studio, and also the fact that my beloved Epson V500 has died, leaving me without a decent scanner and unable to scan much of what I 

Building Palletes Part 1 – Primary Triads

Building Palletes Part 1 – Primary Triads

Reading Time: 12 minutesThis is the first in a series of posts, leading up to a display and discussion of the various palletes (of which there are many) that I have acquired, put together and use in my watercolour practice. Both for the purposes of adding my opinions 

Floating Landscapes

Floating Landscapes

Reading Time: 2 minutesJust a little window into an idea I have been working on, an idea of very simple, virtually monochrome landscapes, taking influences from Japanese aesthetics, and my search for minimalism in watercolour. I am trying to get to grips with how I want this to 

A Somewhat Psychedelic Seascape, in watercolour

A Somewhat Psychedelic Seascape, in watercolour

Reading Time: < 1 minuteA very long time ago I got out the paints for the first time in ages, and painted “A Somewhat Psychedelic Seascape” – a slightly random and virulent acrylic on canvas. This last week I revisited this in watercolour. This was a bit of fun 

Jacksons Paper

Jacksons Paper

Reading Time: 3 minutesI’ve just spent an absolute tonne of money on paper… While you can create impressive artwork on and with anything, it is certainly the case that for certain techniques, having good quality watercolour paper can make a lot of difference. Three of my favourites are 

A. Gallo – YInMn Blue

A. Gallo – YInMn Blue

Reading Time: 6 minutesIn my quest to try every weird and wonderful pigment under the sun, I have of course had my eyes set on acquiring some YInMn Blue (PB86). For those who don’t know, YInMin Blue (also known as Oregon Blue, or Mas Blue) is a relatively