I spend a lot of time studying fine art watercolour artists who are doing some of the most incredible work you’re ever likely to see. When I was just starting out, my wife bought me a ‘Masterclass’ with this lady I have never heard of. I had no idea who she was or what she did. But after a quick Google, I was smitten with Amanda Hyatt.
Why do I like her work? If you watch the video above, you’ll see how loose she is with applying the paint. Her touch is exquisite, her ability to capture the impression and light in a place is something akin to a magician for me. I took away a couple of really key points from her workshop that has stuck with me ever since, and you’ll probably see them in my work if you know what to look for.
- Never clean your palette, it’s a recipe for disaster. Now, from a fine art perspective, I agree. Being able to shift colours to warm or cool while keeping them unsaturated is incredibly useful if you’re trying to capture realism. But for illustration, especially in kids books, sometimes you need that pop of a pure, clean colour. So whilst this advice is incredibly useful and insightful, something that would take years to learn, sometimes it’s OK to ignore it, as long as you’ve got a good reason.
- Glazing is magical and a perfect way to tie elements of a painting together. I learned so much from watching Amanda glaze paintings. Her deep understanding of the transparency of the paints she’s using is evident in every stroke. The way she slaps on Ultramarine over completely dry passages of work is shocking to witness but she knows exactly what she’s doing.
The results are stunning. Watch the video below to see how she does it.
I think attending art workshops is a great way to witness different painting techniques. In the end, it’s not about copying these masters, trying to mimic everything that they do so you can ‘paint like them’. It’s really about getting a flash of inspiration and learning just a couple of things that have a deep influence on the way you continue your own art practice.