FOLLOW your instincts
JEAN HAINES shows you how dividing a complex underwater subject into simple shapes and staying playful with your materials can result in lively, instinctive paintings
When creating and allowing our inner artist to shine, using our imagination in combination with real subjects can be invaluable. The ability to follow our instincts, placing colour or detail where we feel it is needed, will come over time. Time and practice – and the longing to create animals in watercolour – will get you there. Have faith in your ability and think of learning new techniques as a fascinating adventure that will never have an ending.
When we first set out to paint, we can look at a complex scene like this and feel daunted. It is the sense of adventure that will help us to reach our goal of becoming a great artist.
I love painting so much that I wish I had the same number of limbs as an octopus, so that I could hold a paintbrush in each one. Imagine the number of paintings I could create then, and the fun I would have! Painting makes me feel so happy, and I really love sharing my passion with you.
I enjoy experimenting and making my own pigments and granulation fluid. For this step-by-step demonstration, I have combined my own homemade granulation fluid with neat pigment. Pigment as a powder in its raw form can be purchased online from either specialist art suppliers or directly from manufacturers. You can, of course, follow this demonstration using any watercolour shades that you prefer.
I began by creating the first circle of the tentacle using Red Ochre artist pigment combined with my homemade granulation fluid, which consists of a few drops of rust ink added to powdered pigment (I make my own rust ink by filling a jar with old nails, topping it up with vinegar and letting it develop). As I worked along the tentacle, I added Phthalo Blue Turquoise. I created this colour selection exercise using circular movements with my brush and lifted colour in places to form varying shades for the tentacles. Working on scraps of paper prior to working on a complete painting is a great way to get to know your subject. I kept my colour choice simple and depended on the pigment’s interaction with water to give me a unique result.