Beryl Appleby

• Water when shown with land MUST BE horizontal. Water does not flow uphill !
  
  
• To show direction of water, brush strokes can provide intimation of where the water is flowing.
  
  
• Water is transparent therefore will reflect surrounding colours and images.
  
  
• Reflections are usually darker but not always sharp.
  
  
• If water shows movement then any shadows, images will not be straight.
  
  
• Water can give unusual effects ie. Atmospheric effects.
  
  
• To keep highlights crisp, use masking fluid (removable) or candle wax (resist).
  
  
• To make highlights balance, use of dark tones will help.
  
  
• Moving water requires more thought.
  
  
• Waves have a structure.
  
  
• Ripples, the colours are darker in the foreground.
  
  
• Water can distort images, ie. Flower stems in a vase.
  
  
• Painting techniques will add to the illusion of water, i.e. dry brush.

Masking

• When using masking fluid always use an old brush to apply the fluid but dip it first in washing up liquid. This prevents the masking fluid from rising up the ferrule and splaying out the bristles or hairs. Wash the brush in warm water then in soapy water followed by a clean rinse.
  
  
• Failing that you can use the following:
  • A colour shaper - this has a silicone tip which makes the removal of masking fluid easy when it hardens.
  • A ruling pen - which has the advantage of being able to control the width of line. Again removal of masking fluid is easy when it hardens.
  • A cocktail stick - which will hold a certain amount of masking fluid but tends to cut into the paper.
  • A dip pen - this can produce very fine lines but does tend to clog and therefore needs to be cleaned frequently.
  • An old toothbrush - this will produce a lovely spatter but be careful and make sure that you wear old clothing as it will spatter everywhere !!

   

General

• When working on a painting remember to keep a spare piece of paper under you hand to catch drips and to prevent the grease from your hand marking the paper.
  
  
• If time prevents you from completing a large wash soften the edge of the paint before it dries to prevent a hard edge. Place the rest of your paint into an empty film canister to use at a later date.
  
  
• Always have plenty of tissues to hand. There is nothing worse that having to find tissues and then finding your paint has dried in the meantime.
  
  
• Testing colour on a spare bit of paper can be very useful because you can view the colour against the thing you are painting.
  
  
• In watercolour painting fine detail can be put in with a water-soluble pencil.
  
  
• If you need to paint many hairs on a stem or on an animal use a chisel brush, dip in paint and then splay out the hairs on the brush . You can then paint many fine hairs in one go.
  
  
• It may be obvious to some but if you are right handed start on the left side of the paper . You will not smudge previously painted paper. Work from left to right and top to bottom. If you have to work over previously painted paper put a clean sheet of paper over your work to protect from spills and from greasy hands. Work the opposite way if you are left handed.
  
  

• When painting in hot weather make sure that you have to hand a small spray handy. This can be used to moisten your paper so that the paint will flow and also for you so that it can help to keep you cooler ! These sprays are available at most large high street chains of chemists and are known as travel spray bottles.

• I also use a brush that has a cartridge that can be filled with water or water-colour and use this for instant blending where necessary.

• There is also a blending medium especially for water colour. A few drops added to your water will help to slow down the evaporation rate and therefore aid blending and the flow of the water-colour. Blending times will vary, due to the amount of water. You can add the blending medium directly to your mixed colour. This will give you maximum blending time.

Colour Mixing

Change you palette with the seasons. In Spring:

• An ideal colour for spring bulb leaf green is a mixture of Terra Verte and Colbolt Blue. This is ideal for the foliage of Daffodils, Crocus, Snowdrops and Tulips.
  
  
• Keep spring greens bright and light.
  
  
• Be aware that not all deciduous trees are green in spring. Some are copper, pink or lemon yellow as they start into growth.