I was reading a book by David Attenborough this morning and he mentions that only 3% of the wildflower meadows of England remain. I find this utterly tragic. But today I’m going to paint a relaxation exercise based on the notion of a field or meadow full of a large variety of blooms. One of […]
Relax in a Wildflower Meadow Read More »
I’ve got a new hobby! To my surprise I have started a Junk Journal. And what fun it has turned out to be. Why I haven’t done this before I can’t think. It combines everything I’m interested in – paper crafts, sewing, painting, decoupage, collage, and many other crafts – so I’m painting a little
Dragonflies for your Junk Journal Read More »
Paint this little fishing village harbour scene complete with boats and lighthouse in your Etchr sketchbook. Using A. Gallo paints and a Sakura Micron pen you can make up your own details to reflect your own experience of villages like this. Let’s go paint! What’s more delightful than hanging out by the water, and gazing
Watercolor Fishing Harbor Scene Read More »
Here’s a sweet meditative and relaxing warm-up exercise for you to achieve two things – practice watercolor techniques and create a little gift in the form of these Simple Olive Leaf Bookmarks! All you need is your watercolor set, a brush and a fineliner. Plus half an hour of your time and away you go!
Simple Olive Leaf Bookmarks Read More »
Some days it’s hard to raise a smile, let alone a chuckle! But if you can manage to find a paintbrush and stir your stumps as they say in the navy, then you can get your mood to lift and you might even laugh out loud! These pretty butterflies with their simple embroidery-styled embellishments are
A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies! Read More »
This month we are running a series of tutorials to help you beat the blues and create. What better to lift your spirits than a little bird – or two, or three … So today I’m going to feature the Imperfectly Perfect Circle Birds. You’ve heard the expression “I can’t draw a straight line” and
#Paint a Bird a Day Series Read More »
If a quick floral is what you are looking for then look no further than these flowers, made simply and without stress to create a stylish image ideal for a greetings card, bookmark and more. The great thing about these flowers is they are totally undemanding and unthreatening. All you need to do is pick
Turning Circles into Roses Read More »
Sometimes we just don’t want to paint anything particular. For example, we have kids to entertain and couldn’t possibly concentrate on a proper painting. Or we have a headache, or it’s just one of those days. This is when a Galaxy of Abstraction comes to the rescue! This painting can be as much or as
A Galaxy of Abstraction Read More »
Along with flowers, birds are top of most watercolorists lists of favorite subjects to paint. And the way to paint them ranges all the way from literally painting every feather on a bird (not my style!) to loose impressionistic renditions of the “essence of bird!” I prefer the essence of bird approach and I also
Three More Wet-in-Wet Birds Read More »
Feel like painting something truly messy and scruffy today? Here is my Ronald Searle inspired cat painting tutorial to help you explore the real essence of cat with watercolor, ink and dip pen! Today’s painting emerged from a week of exploring cats and their characters with paint, pencil, pen and paper. Come along and see
Paint Scruffy Cats in Watercolor and Ink Read More »
Today we went for a walk along the road outside our property and saw that June had arrived in the shape of a little cloud of poppies! Couldn’t resist taking a photo or two, and my iPhone 13 did an amazing job of making them look like a work of art! Of course I couldn’t
How to Paint Loose Watercolor and Ink Poppies Read More »
Most of us used to doodle when we were on the phone – perhaps that is less common now that you can speak literally for hours on end whilst doing something else at the same time. But all of us know the pleasure of just playing with a pen or pencil and seeing what happens!
How to Paint Cute Whimsical Love Birds in Watercolor Read More »
Simple Circles for a Creative Afternoon! Would you like to paint something, but you don’t know what? Are you brand new to painting and don’t know where to start? Or would you like your picture to be simple, easy and full of joy? Then why not simply rely on simple basic shapes – for example
Blast the Creative Blues with Circles! Read More »
The eyes have it! Start your whimsical animals with the big googly eyes all the best cute animals have and let your imagination run riot! Get started in whimsy with this easy beginner-friendly tutorial showing you some of the tricks you need to know to get a light and airy feel in your paintings. The
How to Paint Cute Whimsical Birds in Watercolor Read More »
Pretty Sweet Peas are everyone’s favorite, whether you’re a gardener, flower arranger or artist, and as well as being beautiful they have a lovely scent. In fact, in French they are called Pois de Senteur or “scented peas”. So today I’ve picked three colors – Cobalt Blue, Permanent Rose and Sap Green, along with my
How to Paint and Draw Sweet Peas Read More »
If you’ve always hesitated over painting chickens, why not give these super-easy hens a whirl? Starting with nothing more than a watermelon slice shape, you can add the details that make the chicken a hen. When you read a book or watch a video on beginning watercolor the advice given is often “do NOT use
Three Whimsical Hens and a Surprise Read More »
Today I’m painting a little flock of butterflies with a romantic mood, using my set of six granulating Primatek colors, and the set of six QOR Introductory Colors as well. I am painting wet in wet on a 100% cellulose paper, Etival by Clairefontaine, and I am using Sennelier Walnut ink with a dip pen
Embellished Butterflies – Never Give Up! Read More »
Today I’m painting three whimsical birds with a vintage feel, using a few colors selected from two sets of Daniel Smith watercolor tubes – the set of six granulating Primatek colors, and the set of six Jean Haines All That Shimmers iridescent colors. I am painting wet in wet on a 100% cellulose paper, Etival
Whimsical Watercolor Birds Read More »
