Kerrie Woodhouse's Blog, page 9

What is a Chocolate Box Painting? (and is it Bad Art?)

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Ever heard the term chocolate box painting and wondered what it meant?

Let me explain the term and I’ll give you my thoughts on whether or not this bad, low brow art  because, obviously, I won’t be able to help myself.

How to Paint a Girl on a Swing in Loose Expressive Watercolour

A little girl on a swing is one of the most joyful images of childhood I can think of - a perfect subject for a loose expressive watercolour painting.

As attractive a painting subject as this is I do realise just how intimidating it can be to contemplate incorporating a figure into your painting.

Let me convince you that is more approachable than you might think.

(And keep reading to find out how you can paint a girl on a swing with me doing most of the hard parts for you…

How to Simplify a Photo for Painting

Colourful interesting scenes beg you to paint them but are often intimidatingly complex - unless you know how to simplify a photo for painting!

 












































 

I have 3 tips to share that will have you confidently painting stunning scenes like this flower garden.

And yes - there is a vid...

Line and Wash Watercolour Technique

Line and wash is a watercolour technique that combines a line drawing with a watercolour painting. Since a lot of the structure of the painting is established by the line drawing itself, often all that is needed from the paint is a little wash of colour - hence the name, line and wash.

Let me show you the sort of effects you can get with line and wash watercolour techniques - yes, there are videos!

Painting Palm Trees in Watercolor (7 Helpful Tips )

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Are you considering painting palm trees in watercolor?

Great idea!

Here are 7 helpful tips to make the painting easy.

   

Palm trees are an ideal subject for a watercolor painting in many ways, especially if you take a loose approach.

So fitting, dont you think?

I mean, what says calm, relaxed me-time more than a laid back tropical vibe and a...

Good Reasons To Paint (why painting makes you happier )

Feeling happier is one of a long list of good reasons to paint.

   

Sometimes those of us who feel a creative urge have a tendency to question the benefits of painting. We wonder if it is an indulgent waste of time, but I want to assure you that painting is a great hobby for very many reasons, and none of these depend on artistic skill.

In fact I have come to realise that painting can make you happier even if you dont get as far as actually doing the painting part.

No really, let me...

3 Sketchbook Tips for a Fun and Effective Sketchbook Practice

I want to share my top three sketchbook tips for building an effective sketchbook practice that is so much fun you don't even realise you are learning.

Having a sketchbook practice allows you to flex your creative muscles and benefit from the soul feeding relaxation benefits of creativity while building your drawing and painting skills.

   

Too often we have a sketchbook but dont seem to get around to using it. These 3 tips should help you solve that issue and get drawing!

Tip 1 - Choose...

How to Fix a Bad Watercolor Painting

I bet youve heard that you cant fix watercolor mistakes. Thats just not true - in fact I want to show you how I fix an entire bad watercolor painting. Ill even show you my bad painting (yes - theres a video of my bad painting at the end of this article

Watercolour Portrait - Sketchbook Tutorial

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Painting portraits is both rewarding and daunting can you relate?

If learning to paint watercolour portraits is something you would like to try, keep reading because I have some tips and resources for you as well as a real time sketchbook tutorial video to share with you.

   

I was going to title this post

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Watching...

Is it Okay to Have Visible Pencil Lines in a Watercolour Painting?

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A new watercolour artist asked me recently if it is okay that the pencil lines show through her finished watercolour painting. Like most questions beginners have - there is so much more to this deceptively simple question.

The short answer is yes - its definitely okay to have visible pencil lines in your finished watercolour painting. (Look for some...