Many painters who are just starting out think they have to purchase a wide selection of pigments to create believable paintings. I understand this impulse, as any art supply store is like a candy shop to me, too. This practice, however, is unnecessary, expensive, and actually leads to confusion and frustration when mixing colours.

Use three primary pigments.

I encourage all my students to start with just three primary paints (red, yellow, blue) and learn how to mix a huge array of colours from them. These primaries combine to make secondary colours (orange, green, purple) and neutral colours (black, grey, tan). It is a very useful skill to master, and all my paintings are created using this strategy.

You don’t have to use the same primary pigments for every painting, so if you own many tubes of paint already, don’t despair. Try out different combinations and you will discover lots of interesting permutations.

Use complementary colours to dull, darken, or neutralize a colour mixture.

When starting to learn about colour mixing, I find it helpful to create a six-section colour wheel, containing three primary (P) and three secondary (S) colours (see photo below). A secondary colour is created by mixing equal parts of the two adjacent primary colours.

The colours opposite each other on the wheel are called complementary colours. I have restated them in the chart below the colour wheel, listing complementary pairs: red/green, yellow/purple, and blue/orange.

The power of these complements is that you can mix them to create innumerable variations of the initial six colours on the wheel.

For example, if a yellow mixture is too intense, you can dull it by adding a small amount of complementary purple.

If a green mixture is too light, you can darken it by adding the complement, which is red.

When a mixture gets too brown (think of this as ‘dirty’ orange), you can neutralize it by adding the complement (blue), to produce a greyer mixture.

If you want to mix dark grey or black, use equal strengths of any complementary pair and very little water.

As with any valuable skill, it takes practice to become comfortable with colour mixing from primaries. There is no shortcut to ‘putting miles on your brush.’ Eventually, which pigments to choose when moderating a mixture will become instinctive.

Make a colour test swatch prior to painting.

I always do colour tests before I start a new painting. I select the three primaries I think will work, mix tiny amounts of the actual colours I need for a given subject, and try them out on scraps of watercolour paper. If I have trouble mixing a certain colour, I substitute another primary colour and do the tests again until all the mixtures work. Then I create a permanent record (shown below) of the pigments I will use on the painting.

Each square of the chart above lists the subject of a painting, the three or four pigments used, and small swatches of the actual colour mixtures I developed for the painting. This is a valuable reference to keep, in the event your painting process is interrupted for a few weeks or more, or if you want to recreate a specific colour scheme years later.

Learn the characteristics of your paints.

Watercolour paints have useful properties in addition to their colour.

Granular pigments, such as French Ultramarine or Burnt Sienna, produce dull, speckled washes that are perfect for paintings of barn board or rusty metal.

Many pigments are staining (meaning the colour cannot be removed once it is dry), but if you mix them with a non-staining pigment, such as Cobalt Blue, the resulting mixture is removable.

Combining opaque and transparent pigments can produce duller mixtures, so stick to one type or the other if you want brilliant mixtures.

Some traditional pigments, such as Alizarin Crimson, are prone to fading, so you should use Permanent Alizarin Crimson instead.

As you experiment with new paints and learn their unique characteristics, this knowledge increases your repertoire of colour mixing skills. Keep a written record of the combinations that excite you. Experiment and have fun.

This excerpt from Watercolour Toolbox: Essentials for Painting Success is reprinted with permission of the publisher. For more details visit www.watercolourtoolbox.com.

To illustrate the tremendous colour range that primary colours allow, I painted the eleven watercolour images shown below as various class demonstrations, using just Permanent Alizarin Crimson, New Gamboge, and Antwerp Blue (Winsor & Newton paints).

By creating mixtures using only one red, one blue and one yellow pigment, the actual colours of your painting are more likely to harmonize, rather than clash.

This excerpt from Watercolour Toolbox: Essentials for Painting Success is reprinted with permission of the publisher. For more details visit www.watercolourtoolbox.com.

Shopping at your local art supply outlet, or online art store, can be overwhelming.Here are the main items I use and recommend to my students, in order of importance.

Paper:

I use acid free, artist quality, watercolour paper in the 300 lb. weight, bright white or natural in colour, with a cold pressed finish.

‘Cold pressed’ refers to how the paper is made. ‘Hot pressed’ paper is compressed with heat to make it very smooth. Cold pressed paper is compressed without heat, making it slightly more textured and absorbent, which means you have more time to move the paint around before the paper dries. Hot pressed paper, being less absorbent, dries faster so you have to work quickly, but the paper allows for easier lifting of dried paint from its surface.

I mostly use cold pressed Arches paper in 22 x 30” sheets, which I cut to size. The thick paper dries slowly, does not buckle when wet, and can be painted on both sides, so I prefer it to 140 lb. paper. I use the front and back sides of the paper interchangeably, as they both have good texture. If there is a manufacturer’s watermark, I use the side with the more subtle mark. Avoid student grade paper.

If you choose to use 140 lb. paper, it will buckle when wet, but can be pressed flat after you have finished your painting. When your painting has dried for several days, turn it over and spray the back lightly with clean water. On a flat table, sandwich the damp watercolour paper between two sheets of blotting paper. Next, lay a heavy board that is larger than your painting over top. (You can pile heavy books on top of the board if you need more weight to compress the sandwich.) Leave this ‘press’ alone for at least two days. When you remove your painting, it will be perfectly flat and immediately should be matted or framed to keep it flat.

Brushes:

Sable/synthetic blends work best for me; my favourite is Winsor & Newton Sceptre Gold II Sable/Synthetic series. I suggest you start with the following brushes:
One - half-inch flat, for mixing colours and for painting straight objects such as buildings;
One - one-inch to one-and-a-half inch flat, for applying washes to larger areas;
Two #12 rounds with sharp points, for general paint application and detail work;
One fine synthetic rigger brush and a calligraphy pen with a fine nib, for applying masking fluid or extremely fine lines of paint.

Paint:

Choose artist quality watercolour paints in primary colours. My favourite paint brand is MaimeriBlu (M) but I have had good results with Winsor & Newton (WN) as well. I prefer transparent mixtures, so avoid opaque pigments such as those containing cadmium.

Choose any three primary pigments:
A strong, clear yellow, such as Permanent Yellow Lemon (M) or New Gamboge (WN).
A deep red, such as Primary Red Magenta (M) or Permanent Alizarin Crimson (WN).
A brilliant, deep blue such as Primary Blue Cyan (M) or Antwerp Blue (WN).

(Most starter kits use student grade paints and some colours you will seldom use, so I don’t consider them a wise choice.)

Watercolour Palette:

Use a paint palette with deep paint wells and large flat areas for colour mixing. My favourite is a Robert E. Wood palette, which comes with a lid.

Liquid Frisket:

This product is applied to watercolour paper, temporarily, as a waterproof coating, keeping water and paint away from the masked area. Frisket is applied in liquid form and dries to a rubber-like film that preserves the white paper while you paint the surrounding area.

I recommend Pebeo Drawing Gum, as the consistency works well with a calligraphy pen nib and the grey colour shows up clearly on white watercolour paper. Coloured frisket, or drawing gum, does stain the watercolour paper slightly, so I only use it to protect intricate details.

I try not to leave masking on the paper for more than a few weeks, and never expose masked paper to heat (such as from a hair dryer or the interior of a car on a warm day). Heat or the passage of time both cause the mask to adhere to the paper, making removal difficult—if not impossible. Frisket is removed with a frisket eraser.

Support:

Using masking tape, attach watercolour paper by all four edges to a board made from foam core, hardboard, corrugated plastic or heavy corrugated cardboard. If using a paper-coated support, protect one side of it with packing tape or adhesive plastic shelf liner, so the board will not be scarred when the masking tape is removed.

I do not soak my watercolour paper prior to taping it to the board, as soaking removes some of the sizing and causes paint to adhere to the paper more quickly. Since 300 lb. paper does not warp when wet, soaking and stretching is superfluous.

Other supplies:

Frisket eraser, small bar of hand soap in a container, large water bucket for rinsing brushes (minimum two quart size), masking tape one-inch wide, empty shoebox or large box of facial tissues (used to prop up your painting support at a comfortable angle), HB or 2B pencil, white eraser, small scraps of watercolour paper for colour testing, absorbent cotton rags (old T-shirt pieces work well), and a toothbrush with stiff bristles (for spattering paint or masking fluid, and cleaning the palette mixing area).

This painting was created on 300 lb Arches cold pressed paper,

using five pigments (3 blues, 1 red, 1 yellow).

This excerpt from Watercolour Toolbox: Essentials for Painting Success is reprinted with permission of the publisher. For more details visit www.watercolourtoolbox.com.

People often say they have heard (or experienced) that watercolour is the most difficult painting medium to control. I have found that the unpredictability of watercolour is precisely what keeps me interested in working in this medium.

I love that feeling of engaging in a partnership with my watercolour materials—paint, paper, water, and brush. I control the paint application, to a certain extent, and the materials provide the ‘serendipity factor’. Amusingly, having tried acrylic painting again recently, I soon became frustrated with the static nature of the medium—the paint just ‘sat there’ on the canvas, exactly where I placed it. Watercolour has motion.

When I started out as a painter, I found it extremely helpful to have other artist-instructors show me how to work in watercolour. I understand the learning curve can be very steep and it is easy to become discouraged. However, given helpful advice and time to practice, I believe anyone can learn how to enjoy the adventure of a partnership with watercolour.

Over the next few months in my blog, I will share with you typical painting challenges most of my students experience and some simple solutions that involve equipment and materials. Stay tuned...

This excerpt from Watercolour Toolbox: Essentials for Painting Success is reprinted with permission of the publisher. For more details visit www.watercolourtoolbox.com.

Yesterday I learned how to do something really fun, cool, useful and easy - make a short (30 second) video using the free version of Animoto.com and post it to YouTube.

The seminar was hosted by the Writers' Community of Durham Region at Trent University in Oshawa and taught by Rich Helms.

Animoto is very user-friendly. You just have to upload a couple of images, type in the text for each slide, choose a background theme, and select the music you like. It's amazing to play with, like PowerPoint on steroids, and you can change the slide order, add or delete images and text, try different music and another presentation style.

And if you want to make longer videos, Animoto has very reasonable monthly or annual fees.

Check out my first two videos and let me know what you think:

When I create a custom painting for a client, the package includes a coffee table style storybook, telling how the painting came to be. Having this permanent art journal allows the client to revisit the creative journey at any time. I am pleased to share with you the story of my latest commission.

Last spring, a new client asked me to create a portrait of their home, as a surprise for her husband's 50th birthday. She came to my studio to discuss size, season, time frame and budget. Then she and I visited her home and decided on this view for the painting. 

She asked me to do a summer scene, when her garden would be in bloom, and to include certain elements in the painting, such as their three pets, and her husband's favourite truck. I took photos then and agreed to return for more photos in August.

In September, I drew a small concept sketch on graph paper to make sure the verticals were straight.

Once the client approved this concept, I made a full size layout drawing showing more details, such as the cats in the window and the dog on the front porch.

After approval, I traced the sketch onto watercolour paper, using a sheet of graphite paper to make the transfer. I used a ruler to make all the straight lines.

Masking fluid was applied temporarily to all areas that needed to stay white during the painting process.

I painted practice skies on scraps of watercolour paper, so I could choose the right combination of blues for the painting. Then I chose the other paints I thought would work and made colour tests to ensure I could mix all the colours I needed for the painting.

The sky wash was applied and allowed to dry overnight, and then I added the first layer of greenery.

I added window interiors, roof colours and a warm yellow wash on the front face of the home.

Using two mixtures, I painted the brick surfaces to look mottled. When dry, I added shadows under the eaves and porch.

After that layer dried overnight, I removed the masking fluid with a crepe eraser.

Below is the completed painting '180 Roseborough', watercolour 13 x 16.5".

With the storybook designed and ordered, I met the client at the framing gallery to select mats and molding. The framed painting and accompanying storybook were delivered to the client in time for the big birthday in November.  I do love a happy ending...

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to receive studio news updates or notice of upcoming painting classes.

While we were traveling around the Great Lakes in our RV last month, I created this painting based on a photo I took while visiting my Mom in B.C. on an earlier trip.

In the photo below, I have started with a pencil sketch on 300 lb watercolour paper and masked out the flower and leaves with Pebeo Masking Gum. I like the fact that it is dark enough to show up against the paper, allowing for better application accuracy.

Once the mask was fully dry, I used Indigo paint on the shadowed crevices between the stones. When dry, I spattered a fine spray of masking gum over the whole painting (using a tooth brush and a pot scraper), to preserve fine white dots in the stones. Then I spattered on a fine spray of Indigo paint and let everything dry overnight.

The next day, I gently wet the entire painting with clear water using a soft, natural hair brush, to disturb the Indigo spatter as little as possible. I gently dropped in muted mixtures of Indigo, Burnt Sienna, Primary Red and Aureolin (yellow). I waited about a minute for absorption and evaporation to reduce the wetness of the wash, then sprinkled table salt sparingly over the entire painting. I let the painting dry overnight.

After brushing off the dry, dirty salt, with my pot scraper and fingers, I erased the masking fluid with a crepe eraser, revealing white paper underneath. Some of my pencil lines disappeared in the erasure process, so I redrew them where necessary.

On dry paper, I painted each leaf and the stem, using mixtures of Indigo, Sap Green and Aureolin.

I completed painting the leaves, then defined the petals using Primary Red, Burnt Sienna and a touch of Indigo. A few shadowed areas and white dots were darkened where needed, to complete 'Hyacinth and Drystone', watercolour, 12 x 9". Let me know what you think, or if you have any questions about this demo. I would love to hear from you.

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to receive studio news updates or notice of upcoming painting classes.

Have you tried to paint with watercolour and found it challenging? Do you know someone who always wanted to try it but never made the time?

I'm here to help. My wrote my first art instruction book, Watercolour Toolbox, to help readers over the 'rough spots' of painting, so they get to the fun part of creativity faster and with less expense than they ever thought possible.

To appeal to those of you who don't paint but do enjoy art and are curious about its execution, my book is illustrated with forty of my original watercolours, and with step-by-step photo demonstrations of eight paintings.

To order your autographed copy of Watercolour Toolbox, click here.

For information on upcoming book signings and art shows, click here.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I subscribe to Artsy Shark, an art marketing blog that often has excellent posts. Here is one for artists who show their art at summer festivals.

When I'm at the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival this August I will be sure to put this advice to good use. I hope you find it helpful as well.

Selling Art With Confidence