Beginner artists think fine detail and perfection, is important to prove they are good artists!
A5 Watercolour by Ada Fagan:
This is an imaginary scene:
Knowing house scenes are popular because it symbolizes comfort and security, I placed some houses in a prominent position in the composition.
How the painting was done:
I did not use liquid masking to secure the place and shapes of the houses.
- Instead working stage by stage, I started painting from the top, painting the sky first and then working down through the painting.
- Some stages, I stopped and allowed the painting to dry somewhat, before going on.
- When I got close to where the houses should be I worked around the possible shape of the rooftops. This takes imagination and previous know of what type of houses I intended to paint.
- And sometimes there is a slip of your brush and you have to think quickly what you should do with the mistake. That requires imagination again.
In this method of painting, you need courage and optimism in the face of any mistakes. To do that treat the painting as an adventure into the unknown and enjoy the trip.
What also helps is simple compositions.
What is difficult is trying to fit in all that fussy detailed stuff you thought should be in the picture.
Simplicity creates beauty:
To simplify the composition, blend and blur big open areas.
The soft merging of colours creates atmospheric dimension and an exciting emotional impact.
And the contrast at the main point of interest pulls the whole painting together.