Kerrie Woodhouse's Blog, page 11

Watercolor Pumpkin Tutorial

Of all the possible painting subjects fruit and vegetables rank very high for me. Would you like to paint a watercolor pumpkin with me?

Simple and colourful, pumpkins are  also a most forgiving painting subject. A perfect opportunity for a quick tutorial I think!

   

Since they are natural rather than machine made, pumpkins have lumps and bumps and imperfections. They are round but not necessarily perfectly symmetrical. So you can just relax and paint with abandon knowing that if you don’t...

How to Paint Brusho Flowers - step by step ink and wash

What is Brusho?

Brusho is a very exciting form of watercolour. It is highly pigmented dry powder that is very versatile. 

   

If you are brand new to Brusho then this post will introduce you to four basic Brusho techniques to use in art journals, card marking and watercolour painting. 

How to paint Flowers with Brusho

This month I decided to paint hanging baskets of flowers using Brusho watercolour. I am also using a pen to give myself a simple line drawing to start off with.

Want to follow along?

This video shows you m...

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How to use Brusho Crystals

What are Brusho Watercolour Crystals?

Brusho is watercolour ink in powdered form. The very fine powdered watercolour comes in little white tubs in a range of vibrant colours.

   

The highly pigmented Brusho watercolour crystals are acid free and non-toxic. They are transparent and unpredictable - much like watercolour but even more surprising as you really never know what you are going to get.

Delightful. (See for yourself in the video later in this post)

My favourite colours are those that con...

The Three Wise Monkeys Story (or are they frogs?....)

This month I have been painting a series of adorable garden ornaments - frogs! Their whimsical joy really makes me smile and I hope they do the same for you.

My favourite among them is the the frog version of the the three wise monkeys.

   The Three Wise Monkeys Story

I am always rather fascinated by a motif like the three wise monkeys that has endured for so long and in so many forms. These three monkeys were first seen in a 17th century carving by Hidari Jingoro...

What is an Art Collaboration and Should You Participate in One?

What is an art collaboration?

An art collaboration is a single art piece or project completed by multiple artists, all making a contribution to the same art piece.

So Much Fun. 

Getting involved in an art collaboration is a great way to shake up your art practice. If you are feeling a little creatively stuck, find yourself procrastinating in your lonely studio and struggling to make art, then an art collaboration might be just what you need.

   Benefits of art collaborationsMotivation

There is...

Fun watercolor technique - use plastic wrap to paint flowers (+ make negative painting easier)

If you are looking for a fun watercolor technique to jazz up your flower painting, this one uses a supply you probably already have in your kitchen - plastic wrap!

Plastic wrap (or cling film as we call it, please forgive me for using these terms interchangeably) can be used in the base layer of your watercolor painting. Once it is dry you can build on the organic random shapes it creates to do some negative painting - another very useful watercolor technique.

   

I find that flowers are a gre...

Painting Hydrangeas in Watercolor (and a story about why we paint)

Painting Hydrangeas in Watercolor

This month I have been painting hydrangeas in watercolor. I adore hydrangeas so I am quite surprised that in the very many monthly series I have painted so far I haven't created a  watercolor hydrangeas series before.

Actually the last hydrangea painting I did was in about five years ago, and I remember it being one of the first that I was actually quite happy with.

Would you like to see it?

 

Watercolour Flowers - Hydrangeas (Watercolour on Paper “9 x 12”) Thi...

The best painting size for beginners (7 big reasons to paint small paintings)

If you are a beginner painter, no doubt you have asked yourself the question,

What is the best painting size for beginners?

The right answer to that question, I believe, is the size you are most likely to actually paint.

   

Now I'll have to admit that the idea of throwing paint at an enormous canvas or creating magnificent flourishes on a large scale wall mural sound like the ultimate in liberating creative expression.

I’m sure they are and in my head it always seems better than in reality. Cur...

9 Ways to Transfer your Drawing for Watercolor Painting

So you have your nice thick piece of watercolour paper in front of you, and a nice drawing of the thing you would like to paint. No drawing? Perhaps you have a reference photo. Either way the problem now is how to transfer the drawing for watercolour painting?

   

The good news is… you have options.

Psst.. by the way.. Are you wishing you had some done for you line drawings that you could get started painting straight away? I've got some for you!

   

Watercolour paper is a very special thing....

Drawing for watercolor painting - what is an underdrawing and do you need one?

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you buy something we may possibly get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

What is an underdrawing?

An underdrawing is the preparatory drawing on your watercolor paper that begins the painting process. This initial drawing places your subject on the page and defines where all the elements of the painting are going to be.

   Ok, so what is a preparatory drawing then?

To my mind, an underdrawing is a type of preparatory drawin...