In our latest weekend art challenge, we invited students to explore the mesmerising world of watercolour painting. With its delicate, translucent nature, watercolour has the power to evoke emotions and capture fleeting moments.
We received some beautiful paintings this week and we were particularly impressed by Benedicte’s painting, showcased as our featured image. Benedicte skilfully employed the candle technique to preserve whites as he painted over it. This is an excellent idea and if our students would like to give this a go, here are some techniques you can try.
- Wax Application: Before applying the watercolour wash, make sure to lightly rub the candle wax onto the areas you wish to preserve. Be cautious not to apply too much pressure, as it can damage the paper.
- Timing is Key: Timing plays a crucial role in the candle technique. Apply the wax and let it dry completely before proceeding with the watercolour wash. This ensures that the wax effectively resists the paint.
- Layering Techniques: Experiment with different layering techniques to add complexity to your artwork. You can apply the wax on top of the dried watercolour wash and then repeat the process to build up multiple layers of wax and paint.
We would like to thank all of the students who took part in the challenge. We were very impressed with the quality of the work that was submitted. We hope that you will all continue to practice and improve your skills, not only on your coursework… but with our challenges too.
There will be another challenge tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Justin Robinson
Nina Phillips
In this painting, I rubbed some candle onto the paper on areas I wanted to keep white.
Benedicte
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