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 …

Pine Forest Globes

Pine Forest Globes

Reading Time: 2 minutesWhile in Hebden Bridge the other week I picked up a copy of Painting Calm by Inga Buividavice – an interesting book of watercolour ideas and techniques. In there was this globe idea which I have played with and expanded upon. I’ve chosen distinct pairs …

Hebden, Todmorden and Wallace Seymour

Hebden, Todmorden and Wallace Seymour

Reading Time: 6 minutesFor something to do, this last week, we decided to go over the Hebden Bridge – the archetypal day out in West Yorkshire. Of course the climate-changed English Weather being what it is after a lovely hot Monday (which was actually quite beneficial to get …

En Plein Air

En Plein Air

Reading Time: 3 minutesI have finally manage to do something I have been meaning to do for a while, and actually get out and do some painting outdoors, or “En Plein Air” as they like to call it. I recently made a pocket set – a literally pocket …

The Finest Green (making a similar sort of mess as Percy…)

The Finest Green (making a similar sort of mess as Percy…)

Reading Time: 7 minutesAfter a bit of a flurry of pigment buying, I have got to the point I have enough different pigments to have a bit of a go at making my own colours, to slightly more defined recipes than before. Though as weill be seen, it’s …

Woodland Paths and Welsh Rocks

Woodland Paths and Welsh Rocks

Reading Time: 3 minutesFor what is essentially a fairly unassuming little path, the track that I walked up past The Lizard nature reserve in Wymondham has seen quite a bit of artistic action and has now prompted me to take on a few similar scenes. So after the …

Kendal Lane c.2008

Kendal Lane c.2008

Reading Time: 2 minutesWhile I tend to wait until I am at least part way through a set or project, I thought I would put this up now. This is an idea I want to explore further, based on my Backstreets and Rooftops photographic project from some years …

Verdigris

Verdigris

Reading Time: 4 minutesA long time ago I decided to try and make verdigris. Verdigris is the common and historical name to for a number of salts of copper and acetic acid, or more simply copper acetate. Salts which could be characterised as copper acetate have a number …

Rosa Watercolours

Rosa Watercolours

Reading Time: 4 minutesI have been meaning to try out Rosa Watercolours for a while, in my general quest/obsession to try every colour or preparation on the planet. Rosa are a Ukranian brand, with a good reputation. They are also very inexpensive, and lets face it buying Ukranian …

West End, Colourmen and The Turner Appreciation Society

West End, Colourmen and The Turner Appreciation Society

Reading Time: 4 minutesLondon, day 2. The general itinery seemed to split itself into West End, East End, and today we head off towards Covent Garden and the west end shops. I have enduring memories of visiting Covent Garden Market as a child, though my last quick visit …

Reduction to colours

Reduction to colours

Reading Time: < 1 minuteJust a very quick one today. I am not quite sure how these came about, other than just splashing colour about, but I decided to have a very quick play with reducing a scene, in this case stubble burning, down to basic colours and shapes. …