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Archive by category "Watercolour"

Art Through Symbols: Fire

We are drawn to flame like moths by our innate survival instincts – but we are mesmerised by fire far beyond its simple ability to light our way, cook our meals, or warm our bodies. The ember embodies the spark of new life, and the inferno the destruction of another, with ideas on communication, foolishness and power found in between. The Art Through Symbols series explores the interpretation of symbols throughout art history – be they cultural, religious, folkloric, or personal. Each article analyses a series of artworks before detailing an art-making tutorial inspired by the symbol for you to try. Art Through Symbols: Fire Interpreting Fire “A great fire burns within me, but no one stops to warm themselves at it, and passers-by only see a wisp of smoke.” – Vincent Van Gogh The elemental force of fire can be essential for our survival, but it is also one of the greatest threats to it. From a purely aesthetic perspective, the dramatic lighting conditions brought by flame in a darkened room have inspired countless artists to render in chiaroscuro. The motif of a single candle carries a more romantic, calming, or reflective feeling than the …

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Wet-on-wet Techniques for Watercolour, Gouache, and Ink

In this article, I define the wet-on-wet technique for water-based media by looking at examples of it used throughout art history beyond the infamous ‘Golden Age’ of watercolour painting in 18th to 19th-century Britain. I then give demonstrations and practical advice for applying the wet-on-wet technique with watercolours, gouache, and ink with a variety of effects to your own paintings. Articles in the Painting Techniques Series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them. Wet-on-wet Techniques for Watercolour, Gouache, and Ink Definition: The wet-on-wet technique is the application of water-based media to an already wet artwork or surface. The technique can refer to an entire sheet of paper that the artist has washed over with clean water, a specific shape that the artist has wetted with water for the paint to bleed into and fill, or a wet watercolour painting that the artist continues to add to before the first wet layer has dried. When multiple colours are added to the same wet surface, they’re able to bleed, disperse, and mingle together. What is the Effect of Wet-on-wet with Watercolours, Ink and Gouache? The wet-on-wet technique …

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Inside the Sketchbook of Katie Moody

Katie Moody is a mixed media artist based on the south coast of England. Her work takes a joyful approach to absorbing the world around her, favouring playfulness and experimentation over the pursuit of perfection. In this article, she discusses the vastly important role sketchbooks play for her as an artist, the broad range of materials she uses, and how her intuitive approach leads to finished pieces within her sketchbooks. Inside the Sketchbook of Katie Moody I have so many sketchbooks on the go! I fill them all with a variety of subjects rather than ones with specific themes, though I do love the idea of seeing the progression more clearly that way. They are very mixed, and I reach for them based on media and size. There are some I know work better with wet mediums, with paper that holds up to the amount of layers and materials I throw at it. Others work better with thicker paint layers or dry materials. Most have smooth hot-pressed paper, which I love for brush pens. Sometimes I just want something small that’s easy to carry when I’m drawing outside. I have many half-filled sketchbooks, but they’ll get …

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Artist Insights: Richard Ayodeji Ikhide

Richard Ayodeji Ikhide is a London-based artist, who works with large-scale watercolours and drawing. He visited Jackson’s Studio to discuss his practice, and how he seeks the intangible qualities of the human experience through movement and colour in his work. Artist Insights: Richard Ayodeji Ikhide Contents 0:00 “I’m trying to dispel these hierarchies within painting.” 0:10 “The marks I’m making are quite intuitive.” 1:12 Introduction 1:30 “Having lived half of my life back home in Lagos, and then living half of my life in England, you get this amalgamation of different experiences.” 3:14 “My approach to painting with watercolours is unconventional.” 4:04 “There’s a long history of sequences and sequential narrative, which has evolved into forms like film, animation, and video games.” 5:26 “For me, drawing is largely about problem solving.” 6:56 “There’s something amazing about a squirrel brush on hot press paper – the way it moves and glides across the surface is like a chef’s kiss. It’s just incredible.” 8:50 “There is no mysticism behind the way the piece takes shape.” 9:09 “That pure joy of making a line, or painting, or using colour, you get lost in the flow of the process.” 10:40 “You’re …

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