I'm a watercolorist and one of your biggest fans :-) so I was delighted to watch you paint in watercolor. You haven't painted in watercolor in years? You'd never know it! Great video--- thanks!
I too have been following you for years and really appreciate your generosity in offering these short tutorials. I use watercolour as a medium when I travel and find that it results in great memories that are fast and useful for future work.
Thanks Ian to show your work in WC. It is marvelous soft,fresh and bright.Thanks again and hope you will demonstrate your wc when you find the chance to do so. Live long👍👍❤️
Thanks for another well-done, clearly communicated demonstration. I'm a watercolor person, but composition applies to any art form. That's what I get from your videos. Watching you watercolor the way you paint with oils was fun to see. :-) Thank you for your great advice and knowledge!
what a great gift. I like the straight on approach with direct on color versus washes. that helped me tremendously in knowing how i am going to tackle my next plein air event. THANKS!
HI Mark, it just seems easier to me to paint it directly. I suppose if I did watercolor all the time I'd more washes and get into all that . All the best.
Interesting, your technique of pulling your painting together by painting shapes is like painting by number but the watercolor by its nature gives color variation to the shapes as the water dries and deposits the pigment unevenly.
This was a great lesson and really helpful to see your approach to using watercolors in the field and studio. Thanks also for sharing a couple of your father’s watercolors, So delightful to see. ❤️🎄
What a nice gift just before Christmas! Thank you Ian! Very useful video and a lovely painting! Have a nice week, I find myself very fortunate to have discovered you chanel in 2021, a great chance to explore a whole new world of creativity and hope in the pandemic.Thank you for posting a video each week this last year, your talent gives us hope
That makes me very happy to hear Joanne. Thank you for the nice comment and it is my pleasure to create these videos. And I will continue to do so! Thank you and happy holidays to you and your family
All of my watercolor sat unused until I saw a James Gurney video where he used the white gouache with the watercolor paint. It gives you a lot of flexibility and solves some of the issues with watercolors. Since that's what I can bring to work, that's what most of my work has been in for the past couple years. Both you and James have been excellent teachers and continue to inspire me to try to improve. Thanks again, this video was fantastic!
Hi Ian, he's really good with gouache. Is it all gouache or just the white. Not sure. But boy does he have a steady hand. Delighted you are enjoying the videos. All the best.
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition He usually does all gouache and uses casein for the underpainting, but he's got a number of watercolor and white gouache plein air videos. It's a very minimal kit to carry. And I believe you have quite a steady hand! I'm always impressed by those horizontal strokes you do when blocking things in.
Be it oil or watercolour, the videos are always instructive and the results reveal years of practice. I am so pleased you said that you had not really touched watercolour for decades and now use it chiefly for travel and on the spot studies. It’s advantages are clear, simple to use and transport, especially if flying. In 2015 I took all my oil equipment by car down to Narbonne in SW France. The numerous wind farms in the area showed why oil painting on a canvas was impossible and I fell back on watercolour and pads. I am happy to use it outside and when working out colour scheme or approaches on 3”x4” studies. You can run off half a dozen in a few minutes. I changed to oils for three reasons. I found it difficult to achieve intensity of colour or indeed uniformity of colour especially on a 22”x30” sheet. Secondly, watercolour always dries lighter than when it is mixed, hence the comments by people asking you to achieve dark tones. The third reason being it is the most difficult skill to master, it is so easy for it to go out of control (though that can lead to happy accidents!). I noticed you counselled care when reaching boundaries and in softening edges. Oils by contrast as much more forgiving and you can scratch out mistakes or wipe out everything if needed. As with so many things in life we have to weigh up the positive and negative characteristics of each medium. Watercolour can be glorious and very practical if space and materials need to be minimal. Often I think we have the mistaken belief that it must be easy because it was how we began painting as a child. As we can see, looking at your painting and also especially your father’s work - watercolour can take a lifetime to master.
I believe, for those of us that choose the medium, that the 'difficult to master' quality of WC is one of the most intreaging draws. It truly is a collaboration, a dance, between artist, pigment, paper, water and environment - and all of the possible ratios and combos therein. And those exquisite bits of gorgeous and happy accidents that take place while our backs are turned during the the drying process . . . ah, the very stuff that keeps us engaged.
@@paintlady2268 Having a hairdryer helps as well! Everything you say is true and well founded and many will be attracted to the medium and others like me move on and use it for specific tasks. We are lucky to have the options.
Hi Ian, there seems to be this idea that one starts in watercolor and "graduates" to oils. But I'm with you, I think watercolor is the medium of the masters. Hard. To do well. For me as a sketch medium it's great. But the big full sheet washes is beyond me. I mean I guess I could learn but I find oils so much more enticing. All the best for the holidays.
You see that is the thing I haven't the experience to do (particularly when 15,000-20,000 people are about the watch the video!) But I get the idea of the thrill. And what you say of the dance. I kept a pretty tight rein on all that in my painting.
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition It helps not to have two left feet! I guess any medium can be open to a dance like approach. The first summer school attended led to the tutor’s comment that I applied oil paint as if I was using emulsion paint on a wall! Harsh but true, but home decorating was the form of painting I was most familiar with. I have made progress since and learning all the time. The Tuesday are the day of the week I most look forward to - every good wish for Christmas and New Year.
I have really concentrated on painting shapes ,rather then the whole . It seems to be transforming my whole process and my approaching my paintings . Thank you so much for your Artist Wisdom 🎨😉👍🏼
It would be great to see you do a few more watercolour sketches down the track, as you get back into it. Potentially a fast track development and hopefully a few difficult patches get sorted.
I'm not sure I am going to get back into it. I sort of did it because of popular demand. But if I could figure out a way to film it, horizontal, it might be interesting to see as a plein air video. All the best.
One of the most important keys from this video is that your drawing has to be VERY, VERY good if you're doing watercolor. I believe that skill applies to oils as well. Happy Holidays, Ian. Be safe.
You should look at Charles Reid watercolour paintings his drawings are very loose with spectacular results, I trained as a natural history illustrator and now I have gone the opposite to the realistic tight precise under drawings we were encouraged to do which I now dislike 🙏
HI Michelle, I"ve seem a Charles Reid demo and I find his approach completely complexing. Can't figure what he is doing until hey look at that there's a figure! I don't have anywhere near the confidence to do that in watercolor. But I like it to look at.
Hi Hannah, You can't paint oils on top of watercolor because will leach into the paper over time and destroy it. You could maybe find a gesso to size the paper and try a watercolor on that (might be a pretty weird surface for watercolor) then you could paint the oils on top of the watercolor. I just used watercolor in my painting in the video. No oils. My very best wishes to you also for Christmas and the New Year.
Can't quite make out how you made the gray in the upper right side. It wasn't gray when you first layed it in and then it changes and then in final it seems it was there from the start. I've had your book for over ten years now and am huge fan of the centrality of composition to good graphic art This watercolor demo pulled together several threads thaat have been gnawing at my craw . Mostly about painting order: light to dark or dark to light. Looking forward to your classes. Best for the Holidays. Thank you David
Thanks so much David. I mixed that top left color with phthalo green and alizarin and ultramarine blue and yellow ochre. Delighted you enjoy the videos, All the best to you for the holidays as well.
Thank you so much for the watercolour video. I have been trying the things you suggested in a previous exchange of comments, so it was really helpful to see it all come together here. I would have liked to have seen more of the final stages, as the transformation from the end of the demonstration to the finished painting was spectacular. You casually mentioned a bit of softening the edges etc., which is exactly the kind of insight that can make the difference. Your finished painting showed very subtle textures and no hard edges or water backruns. Obviously, after 40 years without painting in watercolour you still have the magic touch. Your father's painting was also very beautiful, it would be great to see some more of his work - perhaps as a feature on another watercolour video to highlight your particular focus on composition, shapes, simplifying and value contrast. Yeah, I know there are plenty of watercolour specialist videos out there, I've watched hundreds of them, but few presenters are able to demonstrate and articulate so well the artistic process in terms of feeling and approach.
Thanks so much Mark. I'm delighted you found the video useful. That stage from the I guess block in to the finished painting would be interesting but it is hard to film. Lots of just looking for a while then a few marks. Then looking some more. But you're right it was a big shift from one to the other. All the best.
Traveling to Italy for a month, soon. Mirrorless camera and two lenses. Journal/Sketchbook pen, graphite, minimal primary, secondary colors. Trying to stay light. Watercolor may the better color option. TY
I wish you did more videos on watercolor, that would be so helpful. I’m not an oil painter but I find your teaching style very helpful so I watch anyway but watercolor is really my medium.
Dear Ian. I notice on your wall there are many drawing that often change from week to week which look fabulous. I wonder if you could talk about drawing and how you choose subjects eg photos or life. And your own practise and philosophy about drawing. Thank you so much Jan
Hi Mr. Roberts, Would you please tell me the name of your father? I was very impressed by the two examples that you showed us. I have looked all over the internet, to no avail. Thank you.
That is fabulous you explain it so well and it's giving me the confidence to start painting I am looking around for a scene I want to paint As soon as I find it I will sit down with this video and give it my best shot My paints and brushes ready to go Thank you so much Have lovely day Lynda
It's not really that I don't care I just don't have the experience to understand how to lay in large washes. It takes practice. But glad you liked it anyway. All the best.
It's great to see you approach to painting with watercolor! I've only painted in watercolor and watch your channel to learn more about composition. Thanks so much! This was a very interesting video!
Very enjoyable to watch and while watching I learned to paint in ‘segments’ as opposed to large washes. I do watercolor instead of oil and I initially thought this would be watercolors used as if they were oils. Obviously, not correct. Your way of handling this medium was an eye opener for me. Thank you.
Excellent. When I travel (usually during the winter) I also use watercolor and ink for sketching in a mix media journal. It is much easier than taking an easel and tubes of paint. I also do much more art than I would if I carried all the gear I use for plein air.
you whisper WHEN TALKING AS YOU WORK. Then you return your volume when looking at the camera. I've turned the volume up as high as it goes (both on the laptop and also on the video itself). some of us (older) have slight hearing loss, but even when I use my hearing aids, it's not loud enough. Thank You for your attention.
Hi Garrie, I may be muttering while I work (which is very likely) but if so I'm not intending it as something you are supposed to hear. I'll watch out for it though when I am actually wanting you to hear what I am saying and make sure the volume level is good. Thanks for letting me know. All the best.
Thanks again Ian. Last year I switched from watercolour to oils. You reminded me that I should be taking my little WN w/colour travel kit with me when I am out and about. So simple, yet effective.
Glad you liked it Lisa. That finishing goes on for a while and just one thing then another catches my attention. It would be a slow process to film and watch. But useful I grant you if I could figure out how to do it.
Urban Skerching is a HUGE a trend for artists. We are out on location all over the world. There is probably a chapter/group near you! I am in San Francisco and we have over 4000 members.
As you know Ian, I exclusively paint with water colors - both on Canson paper and canvas. Of course, the latter can be quite challenging, given the fact that canvas tends to be porous especially when water is put on it. Resulting in voids and white spaces. However, I have somehow found a way to overcome that and would like to share a painting of "watercolor on canvas". It is a colorful bull which, some fortune tellers in rural India, use as a gimmick to prophesy the future of gullible folks!! Based on an auditory cue, the bull nods affirmatively whenever the bull-owner wants to convey a positive answer to a question that is posed to the bull. I, of course, got fascinated for the color element of the whole scene, and not anything else.
I thought you rushed us through your father's wc. Using wc as a travel sketch medium became a studio piece which was wonderful and I structure,however the pencil drawing was carefully worked and would have taken some time, and the painting if done pleinair would
Thank you for this great lesson, Ian! Your approach on oil to watercolor just opened a bunch of new possibilities i that I’ll try. I am beginner in watercolor and I’ll be learning is building up your values using washes rather than going by shapes. Thank you again!!
I thought it would be a good travel choice for the terrain here but I can't use it. Not my way but you did a fine job. I'm sure many watercolourists will love this tutorial. Merry Christmas to you and your family! Stay safe and hold fast.
I enjoyed doing that watercolor. But I have to say I"m not thinking I need to do any more. My very best wishes to you as well for Christmas and the New Year.
Sorry Ian! As a great admirer of your composition concepts you did this almost completely dry. as if it was still oil. Loosen up and make some flowing, liquid washes. Let the paint go free!
Hi Robert, I just don't know how to do that. If I did watercolor for awhile I'm sure I'd catch on. I'll say, as well, knowing 15,000 to 20,000 people are likely to be watching has a way of breeding caution. maybe next time! All the best.
Hi Harry, there are definitely different degrees of finish for any painting. Just because it is plein air and you are travelling doesn't mean it has to be done quickly. Of course there may be considerations, like you have someone waiting for you to finish. If I only had 15 minutes I would probably do most of it with pencil and maybe just wash in a couple of larger shapes, OR get those water soluble pencils. They draw like a pencil but with one brush you can dissolve them into washes. Then when it's dry you redraw a few things a bit more precisely (the washes tend to blend everything). That would be a fast simple travel medium. Hope that's helpful. All the best
Thank you Ian for another great instructional video. I love painting with oil but recently my attention has been directed to watercolour. With each and everyone of your videos I learn a lot. Thank you for this lovely holiday gift. Merry christmas and happy new year to you and yours.
Very inspirational and well-presented, as always Ian! Thanks for another year of great teaching. Did you alter the lighting in the studio? The skin tones in the video looked improved in this one.
Glad you liked it Dale. Actually I got a new phone and the settings were off and I had to do all kinds of manipulation when I edited it. But I've got the settings right now I think.
Oh wow Ian, that's just divine. I love watercolouring and I'm so glad you decided to use this medium today to show us. More watercolours from you please in the near future.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I’ve been watching and re-watching your videos for last year and half, and I always enjoy watching you paint but this was delightful! As I use watercolor and really appreciate seeing your technique! Lovely holiday gift!
I always learn something new from your weekly videos. Thank you. As an acrylic painter, I would be interested in any knowledge you could share about the acrylic painting process.
Hi Michael, I grid the photo (or use a gridded viewfinder live) and grid the paper or canvas. That is the main tool I use to get the drawing down the way I want it.
Hi Rainer, glad you liked it. I went out and bought Utrecht watercolors in tubes because they were pretty inexpensive. As I say I do'n't do watercolors very often.
Very nice watercolour but yes, washes in this medium can be interesting. You may know this, but Emily Carr used watercolour when she went into the coastal wilds of B.C. I saw an exhibit of them. They were large but only an echo of her fabulous paintings.
HI Catherine, I'm sure I've seen some of those watercolors in books but as you say it is the oils that really grab me. And I agree with you someone that really knows what they are doing with watercolor can do wonderful things with washes. But like everything it is a question of practice and I just don't know how to do it well.
Thank you so much for this. I admire your work and lessons and have learned so many basic points from your lessons. My preferred medium is watercolour, so I have been thinking I could not apply your painting techniques to my watercolour paper, but thankfully you proved me wrong. As always, Tuesdays and your lessons are so important to my growth as an artist.
Hi Ian, happy new year, and thanks for yet another great demo and tutorial. If you do watercolor again, can you give us some views on how you mix your palette and density of colors? Thanks in advance.
So glad you posted this. I'm a relatively new oil painter who started following you a couple of months ago. Just picked up watercolors to try exactly for the travel convenience. I've Learned from you.
hello Ian . thank you for the instruction. One question not related to art. Your videos are not interupted by adverts, I wonder do you ( does one ) have to pay to not have adverts interupting as I was thinking of uploading some videos. Thank you !
Hi Brian, I turn all the monetization off except ads after the video which means no one will watch them and also I don't make any money. But I can't imagine anything more annoying than having ads appear before and during the video. So you don't pay to not have them, you just don't make any money. I think you have to get to some number like a 100 videos uploaded and 4000 subscribers before you can monetize your channel. Not sure but something like that.
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition Many thanks for your reply Ian. I don't think I'll ever get that many videos done , I learn languages in my retirement and just thought of posting some advice for others. Have a great Christmas and New Year. Already looking forward to the next live video ! Take care !
This is how I started painting! Got inspired by Marco buccie and started taking my watercolors with me everywhere. It's amazing to see how on location painting really challenges you and grows you.
Thank you!! This was somehow very liberating for me. I love watercolors and I would like to sketch outside but I often struggle because like I sometimes say, I see things like a drawer or an oil painter sees. I don't see any big washes in a landscape or a bouquet of flowers. This is hard to describe, even more because English is not my native language. Anyway, your wonderful painting resonated strongly with me. I did not just like it, I loved it. Subscribed. Greetings from Finland!
Well since I don't do watercolor really how you think in terms of big washes doesn't resonant with me either. I'm sure I could learn it I guess if I wanted to do them more often. But for plein air work I think you can be simpler about it. Delighted you subscribed. All the best.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy New Year hopefully sans COVID!! Thank you for the gift of your videos and live chats. I hope you know how many of us appreciate your time and sharing your talents with us.
I'm a watercolor artist and enjoyed this demo very much. My style is completely different with big juicy washes, big brushes and wet in wet. That being said your technique is very calming and instructive. I usually have a watercolor kit with me for sketching except now that it's winter in WI the water freezes so plein air is out of the question. Also I was drooling over the WN tin palette you have. It's vintage and I collect vintage tins for display in my studio.....some I use too. Thanks so much....I've learned a lot from all your videos.
Hi Paula, I suppose I would feel more confident to do big washes if I used watercolor more often. But I'm glad what I did do was helpful. Delighted you enjoy the videos.
Hi Ian ! I absolutely enjoyed this ! I was amazed by the result as having said you have not used water colour for so long it did not show that at all !! 😁infact it turned out beautifully ! Well, I knew it would !! 🤗! I love your work and enjoy watching you paint so passionately ! Thank you once again and I wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2022. I look forward to seeing you on RUclips soon ! Warmest regards Lorraine 🤗🎨🎄
I was fascinated (as do mainly watercolour) to watch you 'blocking in' quite strongly rather than building up the colour washes. As always, your approach and style make it look so leisurely and natural - I keep learning so much from your amazing videos. (PS have had my identical W&N tin the last 40+ years too!) All the best to you and Anne for the festive season.
Hi Richard, if I did watercolor more often I suspect my technique would change. I'm delighted you enjoy the videos and all the best for the holidays as well.
Thanks kindly for this watercolor demo. I paint with watercolor. Your help with composition has improved my paintings immensely, even though I’m still learning techniques. Now to incorporate more shapes. Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Cheers!
Do I even need to say it Ian? You make it look so easy. I tried watercolor in school, but could never master it to my satisfaction. Watercolor paintings have always seemed too. . .soft, fluffy or delicate. Your painting came out quite substantial---very beautiful with all those multitude of greens. I would have liked to see your Dad's two paintings for a bit longer, they looked so interesting! Best part of my Tuesday, thanks Ian.
Delighted you enjoyed it Evan. I think a lot of people do watercolor and have that feeling, that they are too washy and do density of values. So that's why I did the demo.
I also do only watercolor and some goache. It's interesting to watch how you handle the brush, so different from my method. You use a flat brush, I use round most often. It seems flat works well as a shape maker. Thanks for doing watercolor. Got me all excited! Merry Christmas 🎄
Hi Ian, Peter and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching your video today. We discovered you during the early days of Covid. Your videos have been a real source of comfort during the days of lockdown. As time has moved on we look forward to Tuesday and your video. Peter is a watercolour painter - I am a real novice, and use watercolours but am trying oils! I just wanted to say thank you so much for your wisdom and teaching. We have both books and Peter very much values 'Creative Authenticity'. A Happy Christmas to you and Ann. Thank you again. Helen
Thanks for this video. I have a tiny watercolor pan and sketch journal in all my important places. One in my car, one in my dry bag for kayaking, and one on my desk for grab and go. I have many completed journals that are sketches made while waiting. Dr office, labs, standing in lines, sitting on a river bank, tucked up in the marsh reeds, and sitting at the auto shop. It is a quick and easy way to capture life and create visual diaries. The Aqua paint brush makes it easier. And it only takes 3 things which fits in my pocket or purse.
Fantastic! I have been toting watercolors around with me on trips for years and looking back on through my sketchbooks always brings me good memories of the places I have visitied. Thank you for sharing, I will apply your approach to just paint like I am using my oils, instead of worrying so much about making "washes."
I would love to see more of your dad’s paintings ❤
I'm so glad you like his work.
I'm a watercolorist and one of your biggest fans :-) so I was delighted to watch you paint in watercolor. You haven't painted in watercolor in years? You'd never know it! Great video--- thanks!
I wanted to say the exact same thing ))
I think Ian could do any media expertly!
Thanks so much Jane. I appreciate your saying that.
Thank you Elnura.
I appreciate the vote of confidence. Thank you.
I like in all your tutorials you are so precise and not reading the information from teleprompter. Your insightful advice much appreciated.
I too have been following you for years and really appreciate your generosity in offering these short tutorials. I use watercolour as a medium when I travel and find that it results in great memories that are fast and useful for future work.
Thanks Ian to show your work in WC. It is marvelous soft,fresh and bright.Thanks again and hope you will demonstrate
your wc when you find the chance to do so. Live long👍👍❤️
Thank you Resham! Glad you liked it
Thats awesome, I have been thinking of watercolour for studies and thisnhas inspired me to het into it 😉
Good luck with it Bert. All the best.
Thanks for another well-done, clearly communicated demonstration. I'm a watercolor person, but composition applies to any art form. That's what I get from your videos. Watching you watercolor the way you paint with oils was fun to see. :-) Thank you for your great advice and knowledge!
Glad it was helpful and that you enjoyed it KJ. Thanks so much
Thank you, Ian. I have seen all your programs, but I liked this very much, because I also paint watercolor and oil.
That's great Jorge. Glad you found it helpful.
Watercolors! Yay!!! You're amazingly talented in every medium. Loved watching this, thank you Ian!!
what a great gift. I like the straight on approach with direct on color versus washes. that helped me tremendously in knowing how i am going to tackle my next plein air event. THANKS!
HI Mark, it just seems easier to me to paint it directly. I suppose if I did watercolor all the time I'd more washes and get into all that . All the best.
Great video! Thank you and Happy New Year!
Interesting, your technique of pulling your painting together by painting shapes is like painting by number but the watercolor by its nature gives color variation to the shapes as the water dries and deposits the pigment unevenly.
Hi Susan, I don't do watercolor so just use it pretty much the same way I do oils. Hence none of the real qualities of watercolor.
This was a great lesson and really helpful to see your approach to using watercolors in the field and studio. Thanks also for sharing a couple of your father’s watercolors, So delightful to see. ❤️🎄
You're very welcome! Glad you liked them. All the best Joyce
What a nice gift just before Christmas! Thank you Ian! Very useful video and a lovely painting! Have a nice week, I find myself very fortunate to have discovered you chanel in 2021, a great chance to explore a whole new world of creativity and hope in the pandemic.Thank you for posting a video each week this last year, your talent gives us hope
That makes me very happy to hear Joanne. Thank you for the nice comment and it is my pleasure to create these videos. And I will continue to do so! Thank you and happy holidays to you and your family
Thank you!
You're welcome Maureen.
All of my watercolor sat unused until I saw a James Gurney video where he used the white gouache with the watercolor paint. It gives you a lot of flexibility and solves some of the issues with watercolors. Since that's what I can bring to work, that's what most of my work has been in for the past couple years. Both you and James have been excellent teachers and continue to inspire me to try to improve. Thanks again, this video was fantastic!
Hi Ian, he's really good with gouache. Is it all gouache or just the white. Not sure. But boy does he have a steady hand. Delighted you are enjoying the videos. All the best.
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition He usually does all gouache and uses casein for the underpainting, but he's got a number of watercolor and white gouache plein air videos. It's a very minimal kit to carry.
And I believe you have quite a steady hand! I'm always impressed by those horizontal strokes you do when blocking things in.
Thanks for this. Very inspiring!
You are so welcome Anne
Be it oil or watercolour, the videos are always instructive and the results reveal years of practice. I am so pleased you said that you had not really touched watercolour for decades and now use it chiefly for travel and on the spot studies. It’s advantages are clear, simple to use and transport, especially if flying. In 2015 I took all my oil equipment by car down to Narbonne in SW France. The numerous wind farms in the area showed why oil painting on a canvas was impossible and I fell back on watercolour and pads. I am happy to use it outside and when working out colour scheme or approaches on 3”x4” studies. You can run off half a dozen in a few minutes. I changed to oils for three reasons. I found it difficult to achieve intensity of colour or indeed uniformity of colour especially on a 22”x30” sheet. Secondly, watercolour always dries lighter than when it is mixed, hence the comments by people asking you to achieve dark tones. The third reason being it is the most difficult skill to master, it is so easy for it to go out of control (though that can lead to happy accidents!). I noticed you counselled care when reaching boundaries and in softening edges. Oils by contrast as much more forgiving and you can scratch out mistakes or wipe out everything if needed. As with so many things in life we have to weigh up the positive and negative characteristics of each medium. Watercolour can be glorious and very practical if space and materials need to be minimal. Often I think we have the mistaken belief that it must be easy because it was how we began painting as a child. As we can see, looking at your painting and also especially your father’s work - watercolour can take a lifetime to master.
I believe, for those of us that choose the medium, that the 'difficult to master' quality of WC is one of the most intreaging draws. It truly is a collaboration, a dance, between artist, pigment, paper, water and environment - and all of the possible ratios and combos therein. And those exquisite bits of gorgeous and happy accidents that take place while our backs are turned during the the drying process . . . ah, the very stuff that keeps us engaged.
@@paintlady2268 Having a hairdryer helps as well! Everything you say is true and well founded and many will be attracted to the medium and others like me move on and use it for specific tasks. We are lucky to have the options.
Hi Ian, there seems to be this idea that one starts in watercolor and "graduates" to oils. But I'm with you, I think watercolor is the medium of the masters. Hard. To do well. For me as a sketch medium it's great. But the big full sheet washes is beyond me. I mean I guess I could learn but I find oils so much more enticing. All the best for the holidays.
You see that is the thing I haven't the experience to do (particularly when 15,000-20,000 people are about the watch the video!) But I get the idea of the thrill. And what you say of the dance. I kept a pretty tight rein on all that in my painting.
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition It helps not to have two left feet! I guess any medium can be open to a dance like approach. The first summer school attended led to the tutor’s comment that I applied oil paint as if I was using emulsion paint on a wall! Harsh but true, but home decorating was the form of painting I was most familiar with. I have made progress since and learning all the time. The Tuesday are the day of the week I most look forward to - every good wish for Christmas and New Year.
Great as always! Thanks Ian, Happy Holidays!
You are so welcome! Happy holidays David
I have really concentrated on painting shapes ,rather then the whole .
It seems to be transforming my whole process and my approaching my paintings .
Thank you so much for your Artist Wisdom 🎨😉👍🏼
Wonderful! That makes me very happy to hear Dave.
It would be great to see you do a few more watercolour sketches down the track, as you get back into it. Potentially a fast track development and hopefully a few difficult patches get sorted.
I'm not sure I am going to get back into it. I sort of did it because of popular demand. But if I could figure out a way to film it, horizontal, it might be interesting to see as a plein air video. All the best.
One of the most important keys from this video is that your drawing has to be VERY, VERY good if you're doing watercolor. I believe that skill applies to oils as well. Happy Holidays, Ian. Be safe.
You should look at Charles Reid watercolour paintings his drawings are very loose with spectacular results, I trained as a natural history illustrator and now I have gone the opposite to the realistic tight precise under drawings we were encouraged to do which I now dislike 🙏
HI Michelle, I"ve seem a Charles Reid demo and I find his approach completely complexing. Can't figure what he is doing until hey look at that there's a figure! I don't have anywhere near the confidence to do that in watercolor. But I like it to look at.
Hi Hannah, You can't paint oils on top of watercolor because will leach into the paper over time and destroy it. You could maybe find a gesso to size the paper and try a watercolor on that (might be a pretty weird surface for watercolor) then you could paint the oils on top of the watercolor. I just used watercolor in my painting in the video. No oils. My very best wishes to you also for Christmas and the New Year.
LOVE your dad's paintings! Thanks for sharing and giving WC some air time.
You are most welcome Janet.
Can't quite make out how you made the gray in the upper right side. It wasn't gray when you first layed it in and then it changes and then in final it seems it was there from the start.
I've had your book for over ten years now and am huge fan of the centrality of composition to good graphic art This watercolor demo pulled together several threads thaat have been gnawing at my craw . Mostly about painting order: light to dark or dark to light. Looking forward to your classes. Best for the Holidays. Thank you David
Thanks so much David. I mixed that top left color with phthalo green and alizarin and ultramarine blue and yellow ochre. Delighted you enjoy the videos, All the best to you for the holidays as well.
Thank you so much for the watercolour video. I have been trying the things you suggested in a previous exchange of comments, so it was really helpful to see it all come together here.
I would have liked to have seen more of the final stages, as the transformation from the end of the demonstration to the finished painting was spectacular. You casually mentioned a bit of softening the edges etc., which is exactly the kind of insight that can make the difference. Your finished painting showed very subtle textures and no hard edges or water backruns. Obviously, after 40 years without painting in watercolour you still have the magic touch. Your father's painting was also very beautiful, it would be great to see some more of his work - perhaps as a feature on another watercolour video to highlight your particular focus on composition, shapes, simplifying and value contrast.
Yeah, I know there are plenty of watercolour specialist videos out there, I've watched hundreds of them, but few presenters are able to demonstrate and articulate so well the artistic process in terms of feeling and approach.
Thanks so much Mark. I'm delighted you found the video useful. That stage from the I guess block in to the finished painting would be interesting but it is hard to film. Lots of just looking for a while then a few marks. Then looking some more. But you're right it was a big shift from one to the other. All the best.
Your dad's watercolors are amazing
Thanks so much.
Traveling to Italy for a month, soon. Mirrorless camera and two lenses. Journal/Sketchbook pen, graphite, minimal primary, secondary colors. Trying to stay light. Watercolor may the better color option. TY
I wish you did more videos on watercolor, that would be so helpful. I’m not an oil painter but I find your teaching style very helpful so I watch anyway but watercolor is really my medium.
Dear Ian. I notice on your wall there are many drawing that often change from week to week which look fabulous. I wonder if you could talk about drawing and how you choose subjects eg photos or life. And your own practise and philosophy about drawing. Thank you so much Jan
Hi Mr. Roberts, Would you please tell me the name of your father? I was very impressed by the two examples that you showed us. I have looked all over the internet, to no avail. Thank you.
That is fabulous
you explain it so well and it's giving me the confidence to start painting
I am looking around for a scene I want to paint
As soon as I find it
I will sit down with this video and give it my best shot
My paints and brushes ready to go
Thank you so much
Have lovely day
Lynda
It’s strange to not care about the properties of your tools 🤔 great work anyway tho.
It's not really that I don't care I just don't have the experience to understand how to lay in large washes. It takes practice. But glad you liked it anyway. All the best.
It's great to see you approach to painting with watercolor! I've only painted in watercolor and watch your channel to learn more about composition. Thanks so much! This was a very interesting video!
Glad you enjoyed it Michele.
Very enjoyable to watch and while watching I learned to paint in ‘segments’ as opposed to large washes. I do watercolor instead of oil and I initially thought this would be watercolors used as if they were oils. Obviously, not correct. Your way of handling this medium was an eye opener for me. Thank you.
Hi Robert, delighted you found it helpful. All the best.
Enjoyed this very much. I would say more but do you really read these comments when I am 1 year behind? Thank you sincerely Ian
Thank you Ian for this lovely video. Wishing you and your family happy holidays.
Happy holidays to you Kamlesh! Thank you
Do you find it easy to mix your secondary colors or should I add them to my limited palette that I use? And that is red, yellow, blue and burnt umber.
Tomorrow weather permitting its watercolour pleinair at a local park havnt done this for years watching your video has inspired and thankyou
Excellent. When I travel (usually during the winter) I also use watercolor and ink for sketching in a mix media journal. It is much easier than taking an easel and tubes of paint. I also do much more art than I would if I carried all the gear I use for plein air.
It's true the set up can slow you down with oils. Watercolor is great for travel. All the best Charles.
Hello Ian.... it looks sooo simple when you do it!!! Thank you so much....😊
Thank you so much for this. Learnt something new about how to use shapes in watercolour
you whisper WHEN TALKING AS YOU WORK. Then you return your volume when looking at the camera. I've turned the volume up as
high as it goes (both on the laptop and also on the video itself). some of us (older) have slight hearing loss, but even when I use my
hearing aids, it's not loud enough. Thank You for your attention.
Hi Garrie, I may be muttering while I work (which is very likely) but if so I'm not intending it as something you are supposed to hear. I'll watch out for it though when I am actually wanting you to hear what I am saying and make sure the volume level is good. Thanks for letting me know. All the best.
Thanks again Ian. Last year I switched from watercolour to oils. You reminded me that I should be taking my little WN w/colour travel kit with me when I am out and about. So simple, yet effective.
Glad I could help. Thank you Sue!
Lovely watercolor Ian! Looking forward to more. Would have liked to see how you finished the watercolor in the studio.
Glad you liked it Lisa. That finishing goes on for a while and just one thing then another catches my attention. It would be a slow process to film and watch. But useful I grant you if I could figure out how to do it.
Urban Skerching is a HUGE a trend for artists. We are out on location all over the world. There is probably a chapter/group near you! I am in San Francisco and we have over 4000 members.
Hi Eileen, I'll have to look into it more. I don't tend to draw or paint my own city which is sort of a shame. All the best for 2022
PS I am glad you used water colour that's what I like best
Some questions did you work wet on wet or wet on dry ? what kind of paper did you use ?
As you know Ian, I exclusively paint with water colors - both on Canson paper and canvas. Of course, the latter can be quite challenging, given the fact that canvas tends to be porous especially when water is put on it. Resulting in voids and white spaces. However, I have somehow found a way to overcome that and would like to share a painting of "watercolor on canvas". It is a colorful bull which, some fortune tellers in rural India, use as a gimmick to prophesy the future of gullible folks!! Based on an auditory cue, the bull nods affirmatively whenever the bull-owner wants to convey a positive answer to a question that is posed to the bull. I, of course, got fascinated for the color element of the whole scene, and not anything else.
HI Krishnan I saw the email. Will respond there. All the best.
I thought you rushed us through your father's wc. Using wc as a travel sketch medium became a studio piece which was wonderful and I structure,however the pencil drawing was carefully worked and would have taken some time, and the painting if done pleinair would
See above.
Thank you for this great lesson, Ian! Your approach on oil to watercolor just opened a bunch of new possibilities i that I’ll try. I am beginner in watercolor and I’ll be learning is building up your values using washes rather than going by shapes. Thank you again!!
Glad you found it helpful Rudy.
I thought it would be a good travel choice for the terrain here but I can't use it. Not my way but you did a fine job. I'm sure many watercolourists will love this tutorial. Merry Christmas to you and your family! Stay safe and hold fast.
I enjoyed doing that watercolor. But I have to say I"m not thinking I need to do any more. My very best wishes to you as well for Christmas and the New Year.
Happy Holidays !! Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful gift of teaching...
You are most welcome Carol and all the best for the holidays as well.
Sorry Ian! As a great admirer of your composition concepts you did this almost completely dry. as if it was still oil. Loosen up and make some flowing, liquid washes. Let the paint go free!
Hi Robert, I just don't know how to do that. If I did watercolor for awhile I'm sure I'd catch on. I'll say, as well, knowing 15,000 to 20,000 people are likely to be watching has a way of breeding caution. maybe next time! All the best.
I love you teaching videos. Thank you!
Wow Ian. Loved this. Watercolor scares me....havent tried it since high school.. I did buy some guache to try . Merry Christmas
Glad you liked it Greg. Very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
broth,cool job- see you on my side-))
Thank you so much!
have also taken a while. I'm thinking of a travel sketch process that would take 15 minutes or so .Any suggestions?
Hi Harry, there are definitely different degrees of finish for any painting. Just because it is plein air and you are travelling doesn't mean it has to be done quickly. Of course there may be considerations, like you have someone waiting for you to finish. If I only had 15 minutes I would probably do most of it with pencil and maybe just wash in a couple of larger shapes, OR get those water soluble pencils. They draw like a pencil but with one brush you can dissolve them into washes. Then when it's dry you redraw a few things a bit more precisely (the washes tend to blend everything). That would be a fast simple travel medium. Hope that's helpful. All the best
Thank you Ian for another great instructional video. I love painting with oil but recently my attention has been directed to watercolour. With each and everyone of your videos I learn a lot. Thank you for this lovely holiday gift. Merry christmas and happy new year to you and yours.
Glad you enjoyed the video Marie and all the very best for Christmas and the New Year to you as well.
Very inspirational and well-presented, as always Ian! Thanks for another year of great teaching. Did you alter the lighting in the studio? The skin tones in the video looked improved in this one.
Glad you liked it Dale. Actually I got a new phone and the settings were off and I had to do all kinds of manipulation when I edited it. But I've got the settings right now I think.
Thanks you for the wunderful video.
I wish you an wunderful chrismas-time
Thanks Cindy and all the best for Christmas as well.
Oh wow Ian, that's just divine. I love watercolouring and I'm so glad you decided to use this medium today to show us. More watercolours from you please in the near future.
Glad you liked it and found it helpful. All the best.
Merry Christmas, Ian. I hope that this holiday season finds you overwhelmed with joy.
My very best wishes to you as well for Christmas and the New Year.
I realised that I cant upload any picture here. So I will share that painting to your mail ID, as I often do,. Thanks.
I saw your painting Krishnan. All the best.
Enjoyed video immensely. Was nice to see WC used in that fashion- shape by shape. Merry Christmas
Thank you William. Delighted you liked it and Merry Christmas
I paint in acylics but this was great to watch. Thank you! Merry Christmas!
Glad it was helpful Beverly. All the best for 2022.
Your clarity and confidence is inspirational, thanks again Ian. If you're doing requests, how about a gouache sketch for comparison?
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I’ve been watching and re-watching your videos for last year and half, and I always enjoy watching you paint but this was delightful! As I use watercolor and really appreciate seeing your technique! Lovely holiday gift!
Oh my word you make it look so easy. Many thanks
I always learn something new from your weekly videos. Thank you. As an acrylic painter, I would be interested in any knowledge you could share about the acrylic painting process.
Would like to see a video of your making the sketch that preceded the application of paint.
Hi Michael, I grid the photo (or use a gridded viewfinder live) and grid the paper or canvas. That is the main tool I use to get the drawing down the way I want it.
Thanks for this great video. Btw, which paints did you use?
Hi Rainer, glad you liked it. I went out and bought Utrecht watercolors in tubes because they were pretty inexpensive. As I say I do'n't do watercolors very often.
Very nice watercolour but yes, washes in this medium can be interesting. You may know this, but Emily Carr used watercolour when she went into the coastal wilds of B.C. I saw an exhibit of them. They were large but only an echo of her fabulous paintings.
HI Catherine, I'm sure I've seen some of those watercolors in books but as you say it is the oils that really grab me. And I agree with you someone that really knows what they are doing with watercolor can do wonderful things with washes. But like everything it is a question of practice and I just don't know how to do it well.
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition it takes a lot of practice. I think it’s better to master one medium.
Thank you so much for this. I admire your work and lessons and have learned so many basic points from your lessons. My preferred medium is watercolour, so I have been thinking I could not apply your painting techniques to my watercolour paper, but thankfully you proved me wrong. As always, Tuesdays and your lessons are so important to my growth as an artist.
Hi Ian, happy new year, and thanks for yet another great demo and tutorial. If you do watercolor again, can you give us some views on how you mix your palette and density of colors? Thanks in advance.
I loved that you dedicated this episode to watercolour…🙏🎄🎨🙏
That's great Franco. Glad you liked it.
So glad you posted this. I'm a relatively new oil painter who started following you a couple of months ago. Just picked up watercolors to try exactly for the travel convenience.
I've Learned from you.
You are so welcome Mike. Delighted the videos are helping. Enjoy the painting process!
More watercolors!!! Please????❤️❤️❤️
This is inspiring! I've just started sketching outdoors everyday. I'm going to add some watercolor to my art pack. Thank you!
hello Ian . thank you for the instruction. One question not related to art. Your videos are not interupted by adverts, I wonder do you ( does one ) have to pay to not have adverts interupting as I was thinking of uploading some videos. Thank you !
Hi Brian, I turn all the monetization off except ads after the video which means no one will watch them and also I don't make any money. But I can't imagine anything more annoying than having ads appear before and during the video. So you don't pay to not have them, you just don't make any money. I think you have to get to some number like a 100 videos uploaded and 4000 subscribers before you can monetize your channel. Not sure but something like that.
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition Many thanks for your reply Ian. I don't think I'll ever get that many videos done , I learn languages in my retirement and just thought of posting some advice for others. Have a great Christmas and New Year. Already looking forward to the next live video ! Take care !
Pretty good for a guy who says he doesn't paint in watercolors!
Thanks Englehard.
This is how I started painting! Got inspired by Marco buccie and started taking my watercolors with me everywhere. It's amazing to see how on location painting really challenges you and grows you.
HI Drake, that is so true. Painting from life, and outdoors, focusses your attention on what is important.
Great result, thank you.
Thank you Ian, for sharing this great idea and showing us how it is done.
You are so welcome Priscilla
I would love to see how you turned the sketch into studio painting. That was pretty impressive.
What a beautiful watercolor!!!!!!
So good to see the sequence that you adopt!
Jako sam srecna sto ste moj ucitelj. Zelim vam sve najbolje u zivotu.
Hi Natasha, I"m hoping that says you enjoyed the video. Glad you liked it and all the best.
Ian did you do that entire painting wet on wet? Just careful with your edges?
No, that's the thing I don't like about watercolor. All the sitting around waiting for sections to dry before painting near last shape.
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition lol me too. I pretty much use it the way you do. But I’m very impatient.
Thank you!! This was somehow very liberating for me. I love watercolors and I would like to sketch outside but I often struggle because like I sometimes say, I see things like a drawer or an oil painter sees. I don't see any big washes in a landscape or a bouquet of flowers.
This is hard to describe, even more because English is not my native language. Anyway, your wonderful painting resonated strongly with me. I did not just like it, I loved it. Subscribed.
Greetings from Finland!
Well since I don't do watercolor really how you think in terms of big washes doesn't resonant with me either. I'm sure I could learn it I guess if I wanted to do them more often. But for plein air work I think you can be simpler about it. Delighted you subscribed. All the best.
Agree with Jane carrol, Thank you!
You are so welcome!
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy New Year hopefully sans COVID!! Thank you for the gift of your videos and live chats. I hope you know how many of us appreciate your time and sharing your talents with us.
All the best to you as well for Christmas Margo and delighted you are enjoying the videos.
I'm a watercolor artist and enjoyed this demo very much. My style is completely different with big juicy washes, big brushes and wet in wet. That being said your technique is very calming and instructive. I usually have a watercolor kit with me for sketching except now that it's winter in WI the water freezes so plein air is out of the question. Also I was drooling over the WN tin palette you have. It's vintage and I collect vintage tins for display in my studio.....some I use too. Thanks so much....I've learned a lot from all your videos.
Hi Paula, I suppose I would feel more confident to do big washes if I used watercolor more often. But I'm glad what I did do was helpful. Delighted you enjoy the videos.
Hi Ian ! I absolutely enjoyed this ! I was amazed by the result as having said you have not used water colour for so long it did not show that at all !! 😁infact it turned out beautifully ! Well, I knew it would !! 🤗! I love your work and enjoy watching you paint so passionately ! Thank you once again and I wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2022. I look forward to seeing you on RUclips soon ! Warmest regards
Lorraine 🤗🎨🎄
HI Lorraine, delighted you enjoyed the video and painting. All the best.
I was fascinated (as do mainly watercolour) to watch you 'blocking in' quite strongly rather than building up the colour washes. As always, your approach and style make it look so leisurely and natural - I keep learning so much from your amazing videos. (PS have had my identical W&N tin the last 40+ years too!) All the best to you and Anne for the festive season.
Hi Richard, if I did watercolor more often I suspect my technique would change. I'm delighted you enjoy the videos and all the best for the holidays as well.
Thanks kindly for this watercolor demo. I paint with watercolor. Your help with composition has improved my paintings immensely, even though I’m still learning techniques. Now to incorporate more shapes. Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Cheers!
You are so welcome! Thank you Norma. Glad it helped
Do I even need to say it Ian? You make it look so easy. I tried watercolor in school, but could never master it to my satisfaction. Watercolor paintings have always seemed too. . .soft, fluffy or delicate. Your painting came out quite substantial---very beautiful with all those multitude of greens. I would have liked to see your Dad's two paintings for a bit longer, they looked so interesting! Best part of my Tuesday, thanks Ian.
Delighted you enjoyed it Evan. I think a lot of people do watercolor and have that feeling, that they are too washy and do density of values. So that's why I did the demo.
I also do only watercolor and some goache. It's interesting to watch how you handle the brush, so different from my method. You use a flat brush, I use round most often. It seems flat works well as a shape maker. Thanks for doing watercolor. Got me all excited! Merry Christmas 🎄
Delighted you enjoyed it and all the best for Christmas.
Hi Ian, Peter and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching your video today. We discovered you during the early days of Covid. Your videos have been a real source of comfort during the days of lockdown. As time has moved on we look forward to Tuesday and your video. Peter is a watercolour painter - I am a real novice, and use watercolours but am trying oils! I just wanted to say thank you so much for your wisdom and teaching. We have both books and Peter very much values 'Creative Authenticity'. A Happy Christmas to you and Ann. Thank you again. Helen
So nice of you to let me know Helen. Delighted you and Peter have found the videos useful. My very best wishes to you both for Christmas and New Year.
Thanks for this video. I have a tiny watercolor pan and sketch journal in all my important places. One in my car, one in my dry bag for kayaking, and one on my desk for grab and go. I have many completed journals that are sketches made while waiting. Dr office, labs, standing in lines, sitting on a river bank, tucked up in the marsh reeds, and sitting at the auto shop. It is a quick and easy way to capture life and create visual diaries. The Aqua paint brush makes it easier. And it only takes 3 things which fits in my pocket or purse.
Hi Jacqui, I think that is the secret isn't it, having the materials at hand. My wife uses the ipad for that now and can work anywhere.
Fantastic! I have been toting watercolors around with me on trips for years and looking back on through my sketchbooks always brings me good memories of the places I have visitied. Thank you for sharing, I will apply your approach to just paint like I am using my oils, instead of worrying so much about making "washes."
HI Leslie, if I did watercolor more often I might use them differently. But watercolor is a good travel medium. All the best.