copyright please consider the images available for your own

Copyright please consider the images available for your own use, please do not resell them.


You will find here a quick resource for tipsand techniques, images and templates tomake life a bit easier if you want to developyour techniques. The images templates canbe used for acrylic, watercolour and silkpaintings, just print them off to the size youneed and trace them off. You can use a lightbox if you have one or just put the image upto the window and secure with a bit of tapeand trace through onto paper.

This is designed to get you going as quickly aspossible with a few tips and techniques to helpyou along the way. It is also a useful resourcefor inspiration and to give you some alternativesto consider. Feel free to use and copy allimages for your own use 95% are taken by meand the remaining few are copyright free.

InspirationArt is for everyone it enriches our environment.Watercolour, acrylic and graphite mediumsnever cease to give great pleasure. My head isfull of ideas which seem to keep coming themore I paint, draw or sculpt. It seems that themore the doors open the more I see. Art is aform of communication which is received inmany ways, encourages different reactions andchanges/enriches in some way our world. Fromgraphics which give strong identity such as flagsand logos or a more subtle or sensualapproach, it is a journey which is taken indifferent ways by the artist and the receiveralike.

Ideas come from all angles, your environment,things you see, hear, smell, the texture, colour,light around you keep an open mind. Contrastand compliments, modern contemporary ormore traditional, the greatness of art is the

ability to open up to inspirations. Monet sawinspiration in water lilies and Andy Warhol insoup cans, Picasso in bicycle parts, it can come

lucky enough to live on Exmoor this place hasa wealth of subjects which push all the buttonsfor me. You only have to lookout of the windowor take a short journey to be part of thisbeautiful place. Art has given me the ability toappreciate my surroundings and I believe art,architecture etc. benefits areas which without itwould be a grey flat place. For me the mostimportant thing I have learned is to stop andlook. I look at the world around me with neweyes and am learning all the time.

Monet, Warhol and Picasso, inspiration comes fromunexpected places

Welcome to theRuralworking book of ArtTips & TechniquesImages and templates touse for your paintings andsilk paintings


PaintAll paint uses the same pigment, the medium(for oil, acrylic or watercolour) is what gives thecolour its characteristics. Oil paint takes a longtime to dry, it's can be a bit messy but itproduces subtle shadings and handlesbeautifully. Acrylic dries very quickly (don't leaveyour brushes out of water for long it will finishthem off.) Gouache, an opaque watercolour.Watercolour is easily portable and dries quickly.It has a beautiful translucent quality which usesthe white of the paper to create light areas.There are two types, student and artist quality.Student quality is cheaper but does not carry asmuch pigment, however, some professionalartists use it and swear it produces just as gooda colour as the artist quality. Watercolourcomes in tubes (easy to use and easy to mixlarge quantities for washes), and pans (easy totransport and you can start work straight away).

WatercolourWatercolour painting is very rewarding. It hasit’s good points and bad like most mediums.Good: it dries quickly which means you can geton and paint, it gives beautiful rich colourswhich mix and mingle in different and interestingways. It can be bold yet sensitive and theimages produced can be truly spectacular. Thebad side? It can be quite unforgiving if youmake a mistake or change your mind. You canlift the colour out if you are careful, dampen thearea and blot it with kitchen towel or lift out witha damp brush if you need to you can put thepiece under a slow running tap and carefully“ease” the colour of with a soft brush. If thecolour is a staining colour this will be particularlydifficult. Some paints stain and some grain.Check the manufacturers chart to see which.Experiment by mixing them and see how theylook when dry. To make a colour lighter addwater or add white. If you add white you loosethe glow of the paper underneath. To darken,

add increasing strengths of the complimentarycolour. You can add black but this flattens thecolour. The more colours you mix, the morelikely you are to get “mud”. A good rule is stickto two colours (three at a push) to mix anothercolour. To get grey mix red blue and yellow.Note that burn sienna works well to get a grey (itis red and yellow). Mix this with blue, it makessome nice greys.

Work from light to dark and keep the papershowing through to create light or white areas.Watercolour dries much paler than it seemswhen wet, if in doubt try out your colour on ascrap of paper before committing to thepainting. Very often it helps to think through howyou are going to approach your work, think forsay, 80% of the time and do for 20%. Imagineeach wash put on in layers how are you goingto achieve the effect you want from as fewlayers as possible. In a way, less is more, if youcan make as few marks as possible yourpainting will have a unique freshness.

Allow the white paper to shine through

AcrylicPainting in acrylic is similar to oils but it driesvery quickly. You can buy mediums which slowthe drying speed and aid flow and transparency.There are many types including matt and gloss.Acrylic can be used on most surfaces but notshiny or greasy surfaces such as glass. Use itdiluted and it acts like watercolour, use it thicklyand you can almost mould the paint into 3dshapes. The colours are very strong andvibrant. Clean your brushes immediately afteruse as once the acrylic has dried you cannotremove it.


QualityGet the best quality paint, brushes and paperyou can afford. You will notice a difference assoon as you use them.

Colour Wheel and colour mixingThe colour wheel is a useful tool. It helps whenmixing and deciding on which colours to use.For example, complimentary colours are theopposite ones on the colour wheel and ifpainting shadows, the shadow can be done inthe complimentary colour to the object castingthe shadow, ie a terracotta pot casts a

blue/purple shadow.

Primary andsecondary coloursPrimary colours are socalled because you cannotmix them from othercolours. The primarycolours are red, yellow

and blue and secondary (colours created fromtwo primary colours) are orange, green andviolet. Red + yellow = orange, red + blue =violet, blue + yellow = green. Tertiary coloursare colours created from a combination ofprimary and secondary, ie a blueish green orreddish violet. Blues, violets and greens arecool (make things recede) and reds, orangesand yellows are warm (make things comeforward and stand out). Complimentary colours(opposite in the colour wheel) look greattogether, take a look at red and green or blueand orange or violet and yellow. Colours

adjacent in thewheel work well.

SelectivePaletteUsing as fewcolours as possiblea limited palettecreates a harmonyin the painting. It isamazing howmany colours youcan mix from justhalf a dozen.


PaperPaper comes in different weights and sizes. Thelighter in weight the paper the more likely it is tobuckle when wet. Heavier papers do not needstretching. It comes in pads, blocks and sheets.There are three categories:

Rough (most texture with peaks and hollows inthe paper, this is useful if you want to painttexture like sparkles on water).

Hot pressed has a smooth surface which issuitable for, say, delicate flower painting.

Cold pressed. Not so textured as rough, this isthe most commonly used.

BrushesMany types on the market, sable being the mostexpensive. Sable brushes hold a good quantityof paint and come to a fine point which meansyou can “draw” with the brush for longer periodsof time.

A “12” size brush is about 30mm long and a size“0” brush is about 5mm long the higher thenumber the larger the brush. A basic selectionof brushes will get you going, perhaps a 12, 8and 2, a rigger and a larger flat brush. Mopbrushes size 4 upwards are useful for layingwashes.

Look after your brushes and they can last alifetime. After use, clean them right up to theferrule (the metal casing) and leave themstanding in a cup brush upwards. Sable, rollgently in soap then rinse. After washing shapethe hair back into place.

The brush on the left is a “0” then a rigger (used forlong thin lines) on up to a mop (2nd rt) and lastly apastry brush!

Mediums and fluidsGum arabic, use with water to increasetransparency and luster of the paint. Ox gall,and glycerine are wetting agents which meansthe washes will stay wet longer.

Masking fluid when used (and left to drycompletely) will enable you to preserve areas ofwhite paper. When the paint is dry you canremove the fluid and the preserved area liesunderneath. Watch out, masking fluid will ruinyour brushes so either clean the brushimmediately in soapy water after use or use anold brush. Don't leave the fluid on for two longas it can sometimes lift the surface of the paperwhen you remove it.

Bits and piecesCreate interesting effects by putting on colourwith sponges, pushing scrunched up cling filminto paint and placing it on your image letting itdry, splatter paint from an old toothbrush (usefulfor texture such as sea foam), use pieces oftwig sharpened to a point to use like a dip pen.

Salt when sprinkled onto a wash will draw in thepaint around it and when dry will createinteresting effects. Sand, string…. the list is upto your imagination.


Creating texture is fun and results can often givepleasant surprises

Negative shapesA negative shape is the area around thesubject. It can assist your work greatly if youtake a look at those negative shapes andconcentrate on their tone and accuracy.

The red area is thenegative shape

Watercolour WashesTo achieve an even wash make a good quantityof colour more than you need as it's difficult tomix exactly the same colour again. You canwork wet into wet or wet onto dry.

Wet into wet: hold your board at a slight angleso the paint flows downward. Wet the paperwith a sponge or brush in the area where youwant the wash. Fill your brush with colour andwork smoothly back and forth, getting a brushfull of colour as you need it. Work as quickly asyou can so you can pick up the paint from thebottom of each brushstroke. If this has time tobegin to dry you will see a hard edge. When yousee a ridge of colour building up at the bottomcarefully remove with a damp brush. Don't betempted to go back over it it always seems tocreate a “cauliflower” shape of paint which ishard to remove.

Wet onto dry: Work in the same way as wet intowet. Make a good quantity of colour to ensurecoverage. A few drops of ox gall will give abetter flow and evenness of tone. If you can usea big a brush as possible it will make your lifeeasier I use good quality 1.5 inch flat pastrybrush. To create a graded wash dilute the paintas you move down the paper.

Dry brushA useful technique to create texture in a paintingsuch as bark or the surface of the sea. Loadyour brush with a little colour and dab off theexcess onto kitchen paper. Drag the brush overthe paper evenly and watch the paper sparklethrough from below. This works well on roughpaper.

Dry brushtechniquethe edge ofthe paper isused fortesting colours


SketchingTo get a good smooth shape with yoursketching, try a "dummy run" with the pencilstroke before you make a mark. If possible,move your paper to fit your body, turning thepaper round as needed. If outside, make a noteof the direction of the light and the position ofthe shadows. Sketching with graphite pencil,charcoal, conte crayon, watercolour pencils givedifferent and interesting effects. A putty rubberis useful to remove marks accurately and notdamage the surface of the paper too much.

Charcoal and Conte crayon

A selection of pencils and pens, a watercolourpencil, water soluble graphite, charcoal, sketchinggraphite pencil and three pens, black size 5, blacksize 1 and sepia coloured size 5. These pens aresuitable for line work and are waterproof.

Pen and Ink on watercolour

ReflectionsAn object which is upright in water has areflection of the same length and the reflectionof an object which is leaning away from theviewer appears shorter. Reflections of lightobjects are always a little darker. Reflectionsobey the rules of perspective, they recede intothe distance and appear smaller and moreclosely spaced.

Sky and cloudsThe colour of the sky is often reflected in theclouds. When you look at a sky the horizon ispaler. Clouds have shadows. Cumulus cloudsare fluffy and white, the tops tend to have asharp edge and a flat bottom. Cirrus are streakyand layered, cumulus thunderstorm. As cloudsrecede they become paler and smaller and arestill subject to the rules of perspective.

Clouds grow smaller as they recede


This picture could be used, crop the bottom third

Composition

Cut two "L" shapes in a piece ofcard and use them to make apicture finder. Hold the cards up atarms length and move them in andout and up and down till you arehappy with the image shownwithin. I use card with a light anddark side which, when flippedover, will assist when consideringthe colour of the mount.

If you have people or things moving in your picture consider whether you want them moving intothe image this is more pleasing to the eye than if they are moving out of it. Consider where thehorizon line is, usually one third up or down the page. Things bang in the middle of the page canlook unnatural.

The first image is the one shot, the second has been cropped with the subject walking out of frame and thethird cropped to show the subject more clearly. The background is fussy but this can be altered.

The boats image on the left has some potential but it needed to be cropped, then components moved toimprove the composition. The multi coloured dingies were what caught my eye.


Place you focal point somewhere near these blueareas the rule of thirds applies.

A balanced composition can also be achieved ifyou divide the image into thirds, two vertical andtwo horizontal lines equally spaced on the page.Where the lines meet is a good place to putyour focal point.

Golden Section

1 Draw a square.2 Draw a line from themidpoint of the side of the squareto the opposite corner as theradius, construct an arc that willdefine the extent of the new rectangle3 Using the endpoints of the arc, completethe rectangle.

This is theproportionrecognized sinceantiquity as theGolden Section.In nature this rulecrops up againand again. Theinside of a snailsshell follows thisprinciple itcreates balance.

Scale up an imagePlace your original image at the bottom left on apiece of paper and draw a line diagonally acrossthe page from corner to corner. Draw a lineacross the page from the bottom left corner ofyour image to the top right corner of the largesheet. Where the line meets the edge of thepaper draw a vertical line down and horizontalline across. The new size will be an exactproportion of the original.

Enlarging an image using drawn squares andenlarging a page from one corner to the other

You can also draw vertical and horizontal lineson the original (or tracing paper) and scale upthe measurements and reproduce the squareson another piece of paper. When you studywhat is in each square on the original it is easierto transpose those marks onto the larger work.


Image of St. Ives with strong perspective and tone

ToneIf you have scanned your work or taken a photo,take a look at it in black and white (alongside acopy of the colour original if possible). This is avery effective way of judging tone. If in doubt,take a look at it upsidedown. The brainautomatically fills in areas if it recognises theshape or subject. When upsidedown, you willnotice any errors or negative shapes which mayneed attention. Looking at your painting in amirror also has the same effect.

PerspectiveThere are two kinds, linear and aerial. Linearthe further away the item is smaller it is. Aeriallighter tones make things recede and darkertones bring them forward. In a landscape thedistance is often a grey/blue which is a coolcolour and things nearby are often warmer andricher in colour. A vanishing point is the centralpoint where, if you are looking straight ahead ofyou, the lines converge on the horizon.

To find your eye level hold a pencil horizontallyat arms length in front of your eyes. Take a journey through a painting with a starting

point and an end point


Taking a JourneyThe composition should invite the eye into theimage, to take a journey round it and end up atthe desired place. You can add and take awaycomponents in a picture to achieve this. Artistshave been using the “Z” shape to achieve this.Take a look at the image below, the fence stopsthe eye entering the picture, there is also afence post which dominates the scene. Thepicture on the right of the pathway takes the eyestraight through the picture without taking thejourney round it.

When is it finished?If in doubt, stop. Step back and take a look,maybe leave it a few days or weeks then

go back to it. Don't ever think it's not goodenough, often with a fresh eye things lookdifferent. If you find yourself fiddling there’s agood chance it’s finished.

Last but not leastTake a look at your picture with a mount roundit, it makes all the difference. A mount is usuallyin a colour which compliments the painting andthe bottom part of the mount is slightly widerthan the top, left and right hand sides. This isbecause if all the sides were the same theimage would look like it's "dropping out" of thebottom of the frame. Note how the image ispainted on the sides of the box canvass asshown in the image below.

Above: The frame can change thecharacteristics of the painting from ornate (left),simple and plain (centre) and more modern(right). Suitable for watercolours or acrylics.

Left: Canvas box frame suitable for acrylics.

The fence blocks the eye and the path takes the viewer straight through the picture.


TemplatesUse these templates freely. To resize theimages copy them and paste into your softwarepackage or print print off and photocopy them.


Scenes around the Westcountry


Shows and livestock and wildlife


Thank you for more images go to www.ruralworking.co.uk

copyright please consider the images available for your own

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