I am using a Filbert brush to press or pat lightly the paint on, make sure you don’t have too much on your brush. I have made a dark green more of ultra marine and less of cadmium yellow when mixing together. Applying on dry paper over the lighter shades to create a textural effect. Then change your brush and stick with the same colour, use a Japanese mop squirrel hair brush and apply light, drags of dark green downward strokes. See how the contrasts work and stand back to always observe what you are creating.

I am using my sable hair brush and I am applying a green. I push the watercolour paint onto the paper and also I have put a tiny amount of washing up liquid into my water. As you can see you get a totally different effect.

I am using a Japanese mop squirrel hair brush and I have made a background shade of ultra marine, cadmium yellow hue and tiny amount of permanent rose. I apply on wet paper some markings of suggestive tree shapes.

I am using my sable hair brush and have made different shades of green as I keep mixing the cadmium yellow hue into the ultra marine with a small amount of permanent rose. I apply in areas by pushing the paint on around and in between the pink and purple flower patterns.

I am using my Japanese mop squirrel hair brush and I am going back over the previous shapes on wet paper. I also make a purple colour by mixing ultra marine into the pink so you have a variation of rhododendron colours, again use the tip of your brush and touch the paper lightly to create your shapes.

I am placing the colour green that I have made on wet paper and applying around the flower patterns. Keep working expressively and quickly. I mixed more cadmium yellow hue into the previous shade which was ultra marine tiny amount of permanent rose.

I am using my Japanese mop squirrel hair brush and keep applying the pink and purple shades for the rhododendron flowers. Make sure the paper is wet, work spontaneously and feel the shapes and colours.

For the first wash I am using a cadmium yellow and applying over wet paper with a Chinese hake brush. Use your brush flat and sweep the paint, starting at the top all the way across and keep repeating.

I will be showing you a series of step by step watercolour techniques in the Art garden studio. I am using a three colour technique the first colour is cadmium yellow wash, make sure you use a high quality watercolour paper. I am using bockingford 425 gsm 200 lb rough textured. Nice size sheet and wet the paper all over and apply wet on wet strips of yellow, use the Chinese hake or a flat natural haired brush.

I am using my Japanese mop squirrel hair brush and have made a pink with all three colours just use a small amount of cadmium yellow hue and ultra marine. I apply on wet paper and lightly drop the paint on using the point of the brush. See how the shapes move and become ethereal. Place methodically and be relaxed, enjoy this experience of seeing the patterns of the pigments.

I am using my Chinese hake brush which is wonderful for expressive sweeps of wet on wet colour washes. Make sure the paper is wet and mix in permanent rose to the previous cadmium yellow wash. Then apply using the brush flat and horizontal brushstrokes all the way across. Work all the way down the paper horizontally.
If you would like to book an watercolour art lesson with me in the “Art garden studio” for an hour or two. I charge £20 per hour all art materials are included. I also do an Allday art experience which is from 11 am - 4pm with lunch, refreshments and art materials are included in the price £90. If you would like to come with one other person for half a day that’s 3 hrs of tuition I charge £55 free art materials. Email me [email protected] to enquire 🧑🏻‍🎨🙌🙏
We are based in Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP78AR UK.

I am creating the patterns on the beach using a Chinese brush and the colour is a dark brown that I have made with the three colours, phthalo blue, primary red and yellow ochre. I have spiked out the brush and press lightly. I also use a tapping technique by tapping the brush with paint in.

I am using a Chinese hake and applying a slate grey over the sea to bring out more depth. Use the brush in a zigzag movement. .Make sure the paper is moist and tip the paper across to create a natural movement. Apply some phthalo blue watered down and sweep across in areas

I am using my handmade Chinese brush for the little markings on the beach. I have mixed phthalo blue, yellow ochre and tiny amount of primary red. Apply over the moist and dry areas of the beach where the tide is coming in. It’s suggestive so don’t over do it less is more.

I am using my Chinese brush and I have made a caramel colour mixing yellow ochre, small amount of primary red and phthalo blue mix all together. Then apply tiny speckles by lightly touching the paper with the tip of brush, you could spike the brush out by dividing the bristles then press the paint into brush. Make sure the paper is damp. This effect will give a wonderful effect to the beach. Be careful when applying not to flick the brush upwards, be delicate, light touches. This will help as not to speckle the sky.

I am using my filbert brush made of hogs hair and I press the dark brown colour I have made mixing all three colours and tap the brush by resting it on the edge of the table, then pressing the stem of the press. You can also tap with your index finger applying pressure to release the paint. Make sure your paper is moist.

I am using my Chinese brush and applying some detail of the beach on wet paper. I use an earth tone mixing all three colours and apply light pressure slightly dragging the brush across. Keep watching how I do this and then practice on a spare scrap of paper if you need to before you apply on the painting.

In am using a pointed Chinese brush and I have made a brown with the three colours which is primary red, phthalo blue and yellow ochre. The paper must be wet and spike your brush out press the paint into the brush and press light touches in areas of the beach. Then tip the paper, lay flat and a filbert brush is also great for pressing paint onto wet on wet washes.

I am using my Chinese brush and the paper is wet. I have mixed yellow ochre into the red and phthalo blue to achieve a beige colour. Drizzle with light touches and be relaxed in your approach when creating the brushstrokes for the beach.

Keep going over once more using a Chinese hake and your movement is a zig zag pattern for the tide coming in over the beach. The paper must be wet, use all three colours to make a grey and tip the paper across to watch the patterns whoosh across.

I am using my Chinese brush and have wet the paper where I have gone over using a yellow ochre watered down. I sweep in with expressive light brushstrokes all the way down the paper. Don’t think to much about how you paint this, let your brush flow with positivity.

I am using a Chinese hake and have mixed all three colours to make a grey. I apply over the previous wet washes and then tip the paper across to see the drifting tide coming over the beach.

I have applied another wash of muted turquoise slightly darker on wet paper, then tip the paper across and downwards. Watch how the pigments feather slightly and then lay flat. I find this wet on wet process very exciting and satisfying.

I have mixed the red, phthalo blue and yellow ochre together to make a muted turquoise for the tide coming in. I apply over wet paper with a Chinese hake, sweeping across and all the way down the paper. Think about the tide moving in across the beach and keep your brush flowing, with loose brushstrokes.

This is how I colour mix in watercolour. I am using a three colour technique and I am mixing primary red and phthalo blue together for the next colour I will use. I also like mixing my paint on a tin plate.