Category: watercolour

Joni

This is another commission from Joni, my second in two days. It’s exciting to get commissions but definitely a little anxiety-inducing too because I want clients to like what I produce for them. But I know I need to have a thick skin if I’m to make work to order. So I’m telling myself the most important thing is to do what I do – if people are commissioning me it’s because they like my work.

I painted this in a Laloran sketchbook with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished it with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Joni’s dog

This is a commission that I received through Sktchy. Commissions are always a double-edged sword for me; there’s the thrill that someone wants to pay me to paint a portrait for them, but then there’s the pressure of having to live up to their expectations, to produce something “good”, worth what they are paying.

The way it works on Sktchy is that the artist receives a request to draw a particular photo, which you can then accept or decline. When I saw this photo my first instinct was to decline because the thought of painting a curly haired dog filled me with fear. But, of course, I didn’t, because I love a good challenge – and I’m so glad I didn’t. This dog is a beauty and painting it was such a pleasure. I had to work hard to figure out how to paint that curly hair but I worked it out and I’m so happy with the finished portrait.

I painted Joni’s dog in a Laloran sketchbook with Zecchi watercolours and finished it with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Haley

I’m working hard at a more minimal approach to watercolour, trying for a “less is more” result. I’m so happy with this portrait of Haley because this is close to what I want. There’s none of the horrible overworking I’ve been guilty of a lot recently. I feel like I’m getting better at gauging when to stop, though I think I could (should) have added a last layer of yellow tone here.

I painted this is my Laloran sketchbook with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished it with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Wael

Playing with line over my watercolour in this portrait of Sktchy muse Wael and struggling to get my drawings finished in time this week as I find myself obsessing over British politics. But I tore myself away from Twitter and drew. I worked this in a Laloran sketchbook with Zecchi watercolours and Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Lana

Worked really hard at not overworking this one after a whole series of overworked watercolours. Very happy that I managed to keep the colour in this portrait of Sktchy muse Lana simple.

I worked this in a Hannehmühle Nostalgie sketchbook with Zecchi watercolours and Polychromos coloured pencils.

Isabelle

I made such a mess overworking my watercolour in this portrait of Sktchy muse Isabelle – it’s slightly improved by working over it with coloured pencils. It’s also my contribution to this week’s Old School Sktchy WAX challenge on the theme “Fall”.

Bethany

Such a lovely face but some difficult light and shadows to capture here. Didn’t manage it with watercolour alone so I worked over the top with coloured pencil to add more definition. I was using my usual Zecchi watercolours in a Laloran sketchbook and Polychromos coloured pencils.

Giada

I have an ongoing problem with placement of portraits on the page. Giada’s portrait today is a case in point. I always start drawing with the eyes. I thought I had placed the eye far enough across the page to fit in the whole head but by the time I got to drawing the hair (pretty much the end of the portrait) it was clear I was wrong. And I’m much too lazy to start again at that point.

It also left me with the problem of what to do with all the space on the left hand side of the page. I did think initially of making a pattern out of the letters painted on Giada’s cheek, but I don’t know what they say and I didn’t want to be rude or disrespectful by writing them incorrectly or changing their meaning by writing them into a pattern. So I dug out my huge collection of washi tape and Japanese stickers and found a sticker that matched the mood of the portrait and used that to fill the space.

I painted this in a Laloran sketchbook with Zecchi watercolours and finished it with coloured pencils.

New Paint

I am so in love with Zecchi watercolours. I found the Zecchi shop on a trip to Florence a couple of years ago, bought some of their handmade watercolours and haven’t wanted to use anything else since. So once a year or so I place a new order and stock up. The paints aren’t expensive- €4 or €5 a half-pan – but the shipping is (€15.50 to the UK from Italy by Fedex) which is why I only order occasionally and I make sure I stock up well.  

But the joy of opening this little box is priceless. Especially this time because I ran out of Ultramarine Blue Light three weeks ago and Zecchi were closed for August! 

And yes, this time I splurged and bought entirely unnecessary half pans of silver and gold to play with.

If you want to half a look around the wonders of the Zecchi website you will find them here – http://www.zecchi.it/ Click on the 🇬🇧 at the top to translate the site into English.

Tara

I used Zecchi watercolours with some coloured pencils over the top for my portrait of Sktchy muse Tara.