Experimental Flowers in Watercolour E-Book

Ann Blockley

• Herausgeber: Batsford
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 85

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Well-known watercolour painter Ann Blockley presents flowers through a variety of interpretations, from traditional to unconventional in both technique and concept. In this exciting new book she really pushes the boundaries of watercolour, showing how to paint a stunning range of flowers throughout the seasons. Everyone loves to paint flowers in spring and summer but Ann inspires you to paint dramatic seedheads, foliage, fruit and berries in winter, as well as the more traditional flowers and blossoms. She also demonstrates how to create exciting textures by using collage materials like glitter, sequins, salt and gold paint. Divided by seasons into four sections, Experimental Flowers in Watercolour is a practical and inspirational book aimed at the more experienced flower painter who wishes to take their painting to the next level.

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Ann Blockley, one of the UK's best-loved watercolour painters, spent a whole year experimenting with new interpretations of one of her favorite subjects: flowers. This exquisite book, packed with practical information and inspirational images, forms a fascinating recors of this immensely fruitful artistic journey.

Throughout the book, the author presents flowers through a huge variety of interpretations, from traditional to unconventional in both technique and concept. Along the way, she really pushes the boundaries of watercolour, showing how to paint a stunning range of flowers throughout the seasons, from delicate snowdrops in spring through the colourful abundance of summer and the rich tones of autumn to dramatic seedheads and teasels in winter. Also included is an inspiring section on painting flowers within the landscape.

As well as experinmenting with the range of subject matter, the author explores different techniques and approaches, demonstrating how to create exciting textures by using collage materials such as glitter, sequins and torn paper, and unusual substances such as salt and metallic paints.

This beautiful book is a practcal and inspirational guide thart is aimed at the more experienced flower painter who would like to take their painting to the next level.

Ann Blockley is a well-known and successful watercolour painter and teacher. She is the author of five bestselling practical art books. Ann runs her own very popular watercolour courses, has made a DVD of her painting techniques and regularly writes for Leisure Painter and The Artist magazines.

Contents

Introduction

Experimental flowers in watercolour

Paint experiments

Watercolour and mixed media

Surface textures

Spring

Exploratory sketches

Finding inspiration

Getting started

Playing with ideas

Backgrounds

A fresh look at composition

Creative mark-making

Challenging yellows

Using the white of the paper

Working spontaneously

Exploring watercolour

Experimenting with shapes

Capturing the essence

Choosing a format

Summer

Exploring a theme

Being original

Expressive leaves

Interpreting your subject

Avoiding the literal

Starting with collage

Choosing your subject

Developing ideas

Moving on

Telling a story

The decorative approach

Working from life

Creating drama

Emphasis and echoes

Looking for abstract qualities

Experimental flower centres

Using paper collage

Autumn and Winter

Vibrant colour

Paint textures

Leaving something to the imagination

Finding your own style

Hedgerow tangles

Torn and cut paper edges

Working creatively

Shapes and pattern

Using a restrained palette

Coloured drawings

Tonal values

Working with gesso

Winter skeletons

Finding a fresh approach

Food for thought

Flowers in the landscape

Index

Blowing in the Wind

55 × 55.5cm (21½ × 21¾in)

Introduction

With their incredible variety of colour, form and pattern, flowers make wonderful subjects. My aim in this book is to find creative and up-to-date ways to describe this popular subject matter. I look at the abstract qualities of flowers and interpret these in painterly experiments that stretch the boundaries of watercolour beyond its traditional image. I also hope to encourage and inspire you, through my personal creative journey, to discover your own expressive style, exploring the importance of moving on with your work and developing as an artist.

Experimental flowers in watercolour

When I embarked on this book I had not planned a title, although I knew that it would involve flowers and watercolour. I decided simply to begin painting and see what developed. I soon realized that I was not content just repeating ideas that I had used before. Being an artist of integrity is an evolutionary process that involves constantly reassessing your work. Although I had my own idiosyncratic style, I needed a change and wanted to try painting in a more contemporary way. Even if I ultimately reverted to my usual methods, I felt that my work would be strengthened and refreshed by the challenge.

Like many artists, I am often beset by self-doubt and I knew that this journey might be a struggle. I was not sure how to find a new direction so I decided to spend a whole floral year experimenting with watercolour, flowers and ideas. My artistic journey became the underlying theme of the book and the title, Experimental Flowers in Watercolour, thus emerged.

My experiments combined familiar watercolour techniques with mixed media, different surfaces and collage. I also wanted to push boundaries in other directions, not just with the medium but also by edging away from painting only traditional representations and by finding ways to be more thought-provoking. I therefore explored ideas that would help me to look at subjects in a more progressive, imaginative and abstract way.

Primroses and Hellebores 27 × 30cm (10½ × 12in) I began the year painting within my comfort zone, experimenting with watercolour in a fairly loose way but in a representational style. This painting is a typical example. There is nothing wrong with it, but I can do this sort of work without any effort and I needed a change and a challenge, if only for a while.

Through the seasons

As I began the project in spring, I decided to arrange the book by season to split it into manageable chapters. These largely follow the sequence in which the paintings were made, as subjects appeared in my garden and the surrounding countryside. Throughout the year I revisited old themes in order to evaluate my progress, but as the months passed, I added an increasing number of new techniques and concepts to my repertoire. By the end of the year I was bursting with fresh ideas and ready to start applying some of the discoveries I had made to other subjects.

I have written this book in the form of a personal artistic journey. My aim is that, by sharing with you my thoughts, frustrations and achievements, you will be encouraged to be adventurous with your own experiments and develop your work in new and exciting directions.

Frosted Rosehips (detail) By winter I was experimenting with many new ideas in my work. Some of these were based on techniques such as collage, some were to do with the medium or surface that I used, and, most importantly, I was beginning to look at my subjects in a different way and express myself in a more quirky, up-to-date fashion. See page 112 for the full painting.

Paint experiments Here is a selection of my watercolour experiments. They were made as preliminary colour sketches or loosening-up exercises before starting a painting, as I tried out different techniques to describe particular flower qualities.

Paint experiments

At the start of every painting session I loosen up with paint experiments. Playing with watercolour and surfaces to discover fabulous textures, edge values and marks is an endlessly fascinating process, which I view as being as important as making a finished picture to put in a frame. When faced with a blank piece of paper and a potential subject it is easy to feel confused by all the possible interpretations. To get creativity flowing, build confidence and firm up ideas it is essential to start by playing with paint.

Preliminary exercises

My first exercises may simply take the form of splodges or doodles to explore different colour combinations. Colour plays such an important role in a picture, especially when painting flowers, that it is absolutely essential to try out options before starting every painting. Within my explorations I also experiment with marks or textures, using a variety of techniques. I look for methods and combinations of media that best describe the characteristic of the flower that I have seen or the interpretation that I have imagined. Before I progress to a more planned composition I aim to loosen up both mentally and physically as this will be reflected in the painting. I describe my trial splodges as paint experiments, but although subsequent paintings may be more polished, they too are still part of an ongoing process of experimentation, not a finished product.

Watercolour and mixed media

In this book I look at ways of pushing the traditional boundaries of watercolour as well as enjoying the flowing translucency of the medium. The great thing about experimenting is that there are no rules. Ingredients such as salt or granulation medium can be added to watercolour to alter its character, and washes can be broken into textures by adding clingfilm or bubble wrap to the wet paint surface. Paint can be applied not only with brushes but also with a palette knife, toothbrush, roller or bits of card. Conventional rules about layering and allowing paint to dry can be ignored in favour of splashes, dribbles and backruns, manipulating paint, and rinsing away areas of colour with water.

Combining different media

Throughout the book I will be showing you my experiments with other media added either underneath or on top of the watercolour, including acrylics, gouache, acrylic inks, gold and silver inks, iridescent medium, wax crayon and oil pastel. The potential combinations of mixed media and the ways of applying them are endless.

Experiments Before I begin any painting I experiment with different media and methods. It is more important to me to find exciting marks and colours than it is to be entirely faithful to a subject. Methods include the use of clingfilm, salt, granulation medium, ink and washing out in conjunction with loosely applied watercolour washes.

Experiments All the experiments shown here have been made on basic watercolour-paper surfaces that have been altered by the addition of other media or collage. Methods include the use of paper collage, glass-bead gel, tissue paper and gesso with oil pastel or gold paint on top, and scrim with coarsely applied gesso.

Surface textures

Many of the paintings in this book have been done on Saunders Waterford, Bockingford or Whatman watercolour papers in their various weights and using Not, Rough and Smooth surface types. Sometimes I distressed or changed the surfaces by scratching them with a scalpel, and cutting or tearing out shapes and holes, either to create surface texture or for the paint to sink into.

I also created my own varied surfaces by applying gesso or texture paste to different papers or mountboard with a palette knife, roller or stiff brush. You can add things to the gesso, such as tissue paper or sand, or use ready-made texture gels. Collages can be made using different types of papers and other materials, applied with PVA glue and then sealed with gesso, if necessary, before paint is put on top.

Blossom and Lilac Time 30 × 38cm (12 × 15in)