The atmospheric panorama in the Kullu and neighbouring valleys is well-suited to the watercolour medium. The air quality, though far from pristine with particulate matter held in a state of suspended animation for days or even weeks on end, allows for beautiful washy blue and purple mountain ranges at the end of the valley in many scenes, wonderfully suited to glazes of the transparent hues, cobalt blue, aureolin yellow and rose madder genuine. But more of that later.

Let's get out the watercolour paper and get down to preparing the ground for some great landscape paintings. Speaking of paper, I recommend using only 100% cotton rag paper. A cheaper paper (containing wood fibre or with machine made textures) will just not give you the quality of surface, nor the archival resilience, that a pure cotton paper such as Arches or Fabriano will give you. Furthermore, the absorptive nature of the paper and how long they hold their glazes of water or pigment is vital to good quality watercolour painting. Treat yourself! You won't regret it.

I use Arches (French-made) watercolour paper, cold-pressed, rough and hot-pressed paper (depending on the subject matter). I prefer the 140 lb. paper though have been getting rather spoiled lately with even thicker paper (300 lb) that does not require stretching. I do stretch my paper as I prefer a non-responsive surface, in terms of buckling and warping. I soak the paper for a few minutes in water and then staple it down onto a masonite board that is at least 1/2 inch thick so as to ensure that it does not warp on me.

This is my current studio setup using my oil painting easel to perch my board with the stretched watercolour paper. This allows for adjustment of the angle of slope of the artwork which is helpful in being able to control washes and change to gravitational pull on the pigment as it is setting into the paper. This setup is a work in progress.

Let's talk about paint brands. I use Windsor and Newton watercolours because I know and trust their pigments, the colours, the quality and the consistency. There are many other good brands out there but it is good to be consistent in what you use so that you know what colour you are getting when you reach for a tube of paint. Beware of the studio quality paints that say, for instance Cobalt blue hue, or alizarin crimson hue. The use of the term 'hue' means that another component has been added to simulate the colour specified. However the quality of the pigment is often sacrificed and you can never be sure of the pigment's qualities.

Let's talk Pigment Quality

Study this chart. There is a lot to be learned!

Watercolour pigments can be grouped into three main categories: transparent, sedimentary (or opaque) and staining. Why is this important? Staining pigments grip the surface of the paper and are difficult to lift, perfect for final touches and the darker side of mixes. Transparent pigments are wonderful for glazes and atmospheric washes and they are easily lifted off with water, a scrub brush and a mopping towel. Sedimentary pigments are good for texture, for single washes and for rich, saturated colours.

See if your paint supply contains the pigments in this chart and let's talk about how to go about using the quality of the pigments in your palette for creating successful paintings.

In the meantime, let me leave you with this painting of the Kullu Valley from Diyar. This was painted in the field in about 2 hours. Note the use of transparent glazes of cobalt blue and rose madder in the distance with some burnt sienna applied to the right distant hills.

The burnt sienna and rose madder genuine also show up in the foreground fields. Richer winsor greens and cadmium reds were applied to the wet-in-wet trees in the middle distance and foreground left with viridian used for the lighter trees scattered on the periphery of the fields.

This study gives you an idea of how transparent watercolour paints can be used to create atmospheric perspective in landscapes.

Let's talk again soon. In the meantime, enjoy your painting, be reckless but have faith that you can pull it off. Check back in later for some more tips. 

The atmospheric panorama in the Kullu and neighbouring valleys is well-suited to the watercolour medium. The air quality, though far from pristine with particulate matter held in a state of suspended animation for days or even weeks on end, allows for beautiful washy blue and purple mountain ranges at the end of the valley in many scenes, wonderfully suited to glazes of the transparent hues, cobalt blue, aureolin yellow and rose madder genuine. But more of that later.

Let's get out the watercolour paper and get down to preparing the ground for some great landscape paintings. Speaking of paper, I recommend using only 100% cotton rag paper. A cheaper paper (containing wood fibre or with machine made textures) will just not give you the quality of surface, nor the archival resilience, that a pure cotton paper such as Arches or Fabriano will give you. Furthermore, the absorptive nature of the paper and how long they hold their glazes of water or pigment is vital to good quality watercolour painting. Treat yourself! You won't regret it.

I use Arches (French-made) watercolour paper, cold-pressed, rough and hot-pressed paper (depending on the subject matter). I prefer the 140 lb. paper though have been getting rather spoiled lately with even thicker paper (300 lb) that does not require stretching. I do stretch my paper as I prefer a non-responsive surface, in terms of buckling and warping. I soak the paper for a few minutes in water and then staple it down onto a masonite board that is at least 1/2 inch thick so as to ensure that it does not warp on me.

This is my current studio setup using my oil painting easel to perch my board with the stretched watercolour paper. This allows for adjustment of the angle of slope of the artwork which is helpful in being able to control washes and change to gravitational pull on the pigment as it is setting into the paper. This setup is a work in progress.

Let's talk about paint brands. I use Windsor and Newton watercolours because I know and trust their pigments, the colours, the quality and the consistency. There are many other good brands out there but it is good to be consistent in what you use so that you know what colour you are getting when you reach for a tube of paint. Beware of the studio quality paints that say, for instance Cobalt blue hue, or alizarin crimson hue. The use of the term 'hue' means that another component has been added to simulate the colour specified. However the quality of the pigment is often sacrificed and you can never be sure of the pigment's qualities.

Let's talk Pigment Quality

Study this chart. There is a lot to be learned!

Watercolour pigments can be grouped into three main categories: transparent, sedimentary (or opaque) and staining. Why is this important? Staining pigments grip the surface of the paper and are difficult to lift, perfect for final touches and the darker side of mixes. Transparent pigments are wonderful for glazes and atmospheric washes and they are easily lifted off with water, a scrub brush and a mopping towel. Sedimentary pigments are good for texture, for single washes and for rich, saturated colours.

See if your paint supply contains the pigments in this chart and let's talk about how to go about using the quality of the pigments in your palette for creating successful paintings.

In the meantime, let me leave you with this painting of the Kullu Valley from Diyar. This was painted in the field in about 2 hours. Note the use of transparent glazes of cobalt blue and rose madder in the distance with some burnt sienna applied to the right distant hills.

The burnt sienna and rose madder genuine also show up in the foreground fields. Richer winsor greens and cadmium reds were applied to the wet-in-wet trees in the middle distance and foreground left with viridian used for the lighter trees scattered on the periphery of the fields.

This study gives you an idea of how transparent watercolour paints can be used to create atmospheric perspective in landscapes.

Let's talk again soon. In the meantime, enjoy your painting, be reckless but have faith that you can pull it off. Check back in later for some more tips. 

The atmospheric panorama in the Kullu and neighbouring valleys is well-suited to the watercolour medium. The air quality, though far from pristine with particulate matter held in a state of suspended animation for days or even weeks on end, allows for beautiful washy blue and purple mountain ranges at the end of the valley in many scenes, wonderfully suited to glazes of the transparent hues, cobalt blue, aureolin yellow and rose madder genuine. But more of that later.

Let's get out the watercolour paper and get down to preparing the ground for some great landscape paintings. Speaking of paper, I recommend using only 100% cotton rag paper. A cheaper paper (containing wood fibre or with machine made textures) will just not give you the quality of surface, nor the archival resilience, that a pure cotton paper such as Arches or Fabriano will give you. Furthermore, the absorptive nature of the paper and how long they hold their glazes of water or pigment is vital to good quality watercolour painting. Treat yourself! You won't regret it.

I use Arches (French-made) watercolour paper, cold-pressed, rough and hot-pressed paper (depending on the subject matter). I prefer the 140 lb. paper though have been getting rather spoiled lately with even thicker paper (300 lb) that does not require stretching. I do stretch my paper as I prefer a non-responsive surface, in terms of buckling and warping. I soak the paper for a few minutes in water and then staple it down onto a masonite board that is at least 1/2 inch thick so as to ensure that it does not warp on me.

This is my current studio setup using my oil painting easel to perch my board with the stretched watercolour paper. This allows for adjustment of the angle of slope of the artwork which is helpful in being able to control washes and change to gravitational pull on the pigment as it is setting into the paper. This setup is a work in progress.

Let's talk about paint brands. I use Windsor and Newton watercolours because I know and trust their pigments, the colours, the quality and the consistency. There are many other good brands out there but it is good to be consistent in what you use so that you know what colour you are getting when you reach for a tube of paint. Beware of the studio quality paints that say, for instance Cobalt blue hue, or alizarin crimson hue. The use of the term 'hue' means that another component has been added to simulate the colour specified. However the quality of the pigment is often sacrificed and you can never be sure of the pigment's qualities.

Let's talk Pigment Quality

Study this chart. There is a lot to be learned!

Watercolour pigments can be grouped into three main categories: transparent, sedimentary (or opaque) and staining. Why is this important? Staining pigments grip the surface of the paper and are difficult to lift, perfect for final touches and the darker side of mixes. Transparent pigments are wonderful for glazes and atmospheric washes and they are easily lifted off with water, a scrub brush and a mopping towel. Sedimentary pigments are good for texture, for single washes and for rich, saturated colours.

See if your paint supply contains the pigments in this chart and let's talk about how to go about using the quality of the pigments in your palette for creating successful paintings.

In the meantime, let me leave you with this painting of the Kullu Valley from Diyar. This was painted in the field in about 2 hours. Note the use of transparent glazes of cobalt blue and rose madder in the distance with some burnt sienna applied to the right distant hills.

The burnt sienna and rose madder genuine also show up in the foreground fields. Richer winsor greens and cadmium reds were applied to the wet-in-wet trees in the middle distance and foreground left with viridian used for the lighter trees scattered on the periphery of the fields.

This study gives you an idea of how transparent watercolour paints can be used to create atmospheric perspective in landscapes.

Let's talk again soon. In the meantime, enjoy your painting, be reckless but have faith that you can pull it off. Check back in later for some more tips. 

The atmospheric panorama in the Kullu and neighbouring valleys is well-suited to the watercolour medium. The air quality, though far from pristine with particulate matter held in a state of suspended animation for days or even weeks on end, allows for beautiful washy blue and purple mountain ranges at the end of the valley in many scenes, wonderfully suited to glazes of the transparent hues, cobalt blue, aureolin yellow and rose madder genuine. But more of that later.

Let's get out the watercolour paper and get down to preparing the ground for some great landscape paintings. Speaking of paper, I recommend using only 100% cotton rag paper. A cheaper paper (containing wood fibre or with machine made textures) will just not give you the quality of surface, nor the archival resilience, that a pure cotton paper such as Arches or Fabriano will give you. Furthermore, the absorptive nature of the paper and how long they hold their glazes of water or pigment is vital to good quality watercolour painting. Treat yourself! You won't regret it.

I use Arches (French-made) watercolour paper, cold-pressed, rough and hot-pressed paper (depending on the subject matter). I prefer the 140 lb. paper though have been getting rather spoiled lately with even thicker paper (300 lb) that does not require stretching. I do stretch my paper as I prefer a non-responsive surface, in terms of buckling and warping. I soak the paper for a few minutes in water and then staple it down onto a masonite board that is at least 1/2 inch thick so as to ensure that it does not warp on me.

This is my current studio setup using my oil painting easel to perch my board with the stretched watercolour paper. This allows for adjustment of the angle of slope of the artwork which is helpful in being able to control washes and change to gravitational pull on the pigment as it is setting into the paper. This setup is a work in progress.

Let's talk about paint brands. I use Windsor and Newton watercolours because I know and trust their pigments, the colours, the quality and the consistency. There are many other good brands out there but it is good to be consistent in what you use so that you know what colour you are getting when you reach for a tube of paint. Beware of the studio quality paints that say, for instance Cobalt blue hue, or alizarin crimson hue. The use of the term 'hue' means that another component has been added to simulate the colour specified. However the quality of the pigment is often sacrificed and you can never be sure of the pigment's qualities.

Let's talk Pigment Quality

Study this chart. There is a lot to be learned!

Watercolour pigments can be grouped into three main categories: transparent, sedimentary (or opaque) and staining. Why is this important? Staining pigments grip the surface of the paper and are difficult to lift, perfect for final touches and the darker side of mixes. Transparent pigments are wonderful for glazes and atmospheric washes and they are easily lifted off with water, a scrub brush and a mopping towel. Sedimentary pigments are good for texture, for single washes and for rich, saturated colours.

See if your paint supply contains the pigments in this chart and let's talk about how to go about using the quality of the pigments in your palette for creating successful paintings.

In the meantime, let me leave you with this painting of the Kullu Valley from Diyar. This was painted in the field in about 2 hours. Note the use of transparent glazes of cobalt blue and rose madder in the distance with some burnt sienna applied to the right distant hills.

The burnt sienna and rose madder genuine also show up in the foreground fields. Richer winsor greens and cadmium reds were applied to the wet-in-wet trees in the middle distance and foreground left with viridian used for the lighter trees scattered on the periphery of the fields.

This study gives you an idea of how transparent watercolour paints can be used to create atmospheric perspective in landscapes.

Let's talk again soon. In the meantime, enjoy your painting, be reckless but have faith that you can pull it off. Check back in later for some more tips.