Anyone Can Paint

Create sensational art in oils, acrylics, and watercolours

Barrington Barber

• Publisher: Arcturus
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9781398802162
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art Techniques

It's true - anyone can paint! Even if you have seldom done so before, it's never too late to pick up a brush and have a go. In this book, professional artist and inspirational teacher Barrington Barber demonstrates step-by-step methods of painting in watercolours, acrylics and oils. He explores the use of colour and shows how the different techniques and effects of each medium can be applied to a range of subjects, including still lifes, landscapes, portraits and buildings.Finished artworks in each medium give an idea of the results that can be achieved, and examples of composition, technique and style show how famous artists have evolved their own painting methods. Through practice, and by following the guidance in this book, you will hopefully discover the enjoyment and fulfilment that can be found in learning how to paint. • step-by-step tuition
• beautiful examples
• suitable for beginners and improving artists

1 Watercolours

In this chapter we shall look at watercolours. These are the most simple and ancient method of painting as they are simply pigment mixed with water in varying quantities to get the colours and tones required. Also included here are gouache paints, which are watercolours with a higher density of pigment and an added white pigment such as chalk, making them opaque. This means that you can paint over other colours easily, something that isn’t possible with traditional watercolour.

Preparation and equipment

One of the advantages of watercolour is that the materials and equipment you need are very straightforward. The basics are easily found in any art supplies shop and, although you can buy various mediums to add to watercolour to give different effects, they aren’t necessary to make a painting; a jar of tap water will see you through.

Choosing your watercolours

If you just want to find out whether you might enjoy painting in watercolour or not, your best plan is to buy a small box with a few colours to get you started – they won’t go to waste if you want to take it more seriously. However, if you know from the outset that watercolour painting is for you, a large box of paints such as the one shown here is ideal. As you can see, it not only has the palettes in the lid, but also a second range of palettes which slot into the opposite side of the box. This is useful when you are painting for any length of time and want to mix a number of colours. The palettes clip back over the paint pans like an extra lid when the box is closed.

My favourite watercolour box is the St Petersburg White Nights set, which has 36 colours, all of them very intense. I find this quality avoids me having to pile on the paint, which in this medium is not ideal since you always need to let the white of the paper shine through the colour to give the liveliness that will enhance your work. However, most reputable manufacturers of art materials produce good standard boxes. Always go for the range described as artists’ quality, since the cheaper ranges have less pigment in proportion to binders and fillers and produce an inferior result.

When you have exhausted a colour in your paintbox you can buy a replacement tablet, known as a pan, or half pan, depending on the size. All you need to do is unwrap it and slot it into place. Pans vary in price, since some pigments are more expensive than others because of the rarity of the material from which they are made.

Watercolour tubes

Watercolour paints are also sold in tubes, which you may find especially useful for colours you use in large quantities. You can squeeze out the exact amount you want and dilute it. Tubes have the advantage that there’s less likelihood of mixing too little for a wash, which is often the case with pans in inexperienced hands.

There are two sizes of tube – a regular one of about 8ml (0.27 US fl oz) which will be sufficient for most of your needs, and a larger tube of 21ml (0.71 US fl oz).

Gouache, also known as body colour, is a more substantial water-based paint that has greater covering power, making it useful when you want to obscure one colour with another. It can be used with traditional watercolour in various ways (see page 32).

Colours

The vast amount of colours available can be confusing for a beginner. As you become more experienced you’ll discover which are most suitable for your own style and subject, but to start you off here’s a range of colours that will allow you to paint most subjects. It is always good to start working with a limited palette until you are more familiar with the medium.

Yellows

Cadmium Yellow Light: a very good basic strong yellow, which can be used widely

Gamboge: a darker tone, useful for times when you require less brightness in the yellow

Lemon Yellow: a slightly more acid colour that works well in combination with greens and blues

Reds and oranges

Cadmium Red Pale: a strong, clear red which has an intense glow

Alizarin Crimson: a rich, darker red with a bit of blue in it

Vermilion: an orange-red, again quite intense, which tends to look less strident against green

Cadmium Orange: a strong orange

Colours

Blues

Ultramarine: a strong, intense blue which dilutes very beautifully to warm greyish tints

Prussian Blue: a greenish-blue, very powerful in tone and intensity

Cerulean: the lightest of this trio, very good for summery skies and warmlooking seascapes

Greens

Emerald Green: an intense mid-green colour, which in landscapes is best diluted quite a lot

Sap Green: a very useful colour for most vegetation; it’s easy to vary it with colour mixing

Viridian: a blue-tinted green that translates well into more distant greenery in landscape painting; it’s also useful for beefing up darker tones of vegetation

Hooker’s Green Dark: a deep, rich green, very good for warm, strong vegetation colour

Browns

Burnt Sienna: the ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1 Watercolours
• 2 Acrylics
• 3 Oils
• 4 Composition, Technique & Style
• Copyright