Watercolour painting can be very relaxing. I recommend it. I have come to realise that what I tend to do, is to identify patterns in the subject I want to paint. I spend some time with the image before I start. The image nearly always means something to me, a happy memory, a trip, or a holiday. But to convert the image or memory into a watercolour painting takes some thought.
Yes, we must paint from light to dark and try to preserve the white of the paper where it is needed, we need to draw the outlines, but we also need to identify patterns. Once we see the patterns in the image we can start to paint. This is where the mindfulness comes in.
Nothing is really random. Everything follows a pattern. We can’t always see it, but it’s there. Look closely, and take your time. One great thing about painting is that you start to look at things differently.
For example, when painting buildings, these obviously follow a pattern. Take the brick or stone wall of a building, we look and take note of the pattern. We outline the area to be painted, lay on a light wash, and then, having identified the pattern, we can dispense with the reference photo and paint the pattern. We don’t need to refer continuously to the image. We don’t need to paint every brick in the wall.
There is a pattern in everything. Winter trees. Outline the area of the tree – identify the pattern, paint the pattern. If you look at trees you will notice that the branches get progressively smaller and more numerous as they move away from the trunk. The smaller, furthest out ones tend to droop downwards, Once you start painting, you can dispense with the reference photo and fill in the pattern. Summer trees, you don’t need to paint each and every individual leaf. Grass, the same. Water – you can’t paint water as it is constantly moving. If you try to replicate a photograph, it is likely to turn out lifeless. Sit and watch the motion of the sea, the patterns become apparent after a while, paint the pattern.
