Helen Parry Watercolour Artist

watercolour sketch

Hawthorn Berries – watercolour sketch #81

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Hawthorn Berries watercolour painting, capturing the bright red berries

Hawthorn berries are the subject of my watercolour sketch today. Their vibrant red berries really draw the eye amongst the rusty brown branches of the hedges. Luckily I’m a Shropshire artist, living rurally, so I only had to go out into the garden, to draw these luscious berries before the birds consumed them. Also the gorgeous berries start to darken after awhile and I wanted to paint them before their vibrance was lost.

watercolour hawthorn berries by Helen Parry
Hawthorn berries watercolour work in progress by Helen Parry

 

Painting hawthorn berries watercolour outdoors just as the rain starts

So originally I planned to paint the hawthorn berries in situ. Therefore I managed to set up a makeshift table, by turning an empty old plant pot holder upside down. I placed the materials I needed on top, such as jam jars of water, paint brushes, sketch pad and paints. As usual I used my small old rickety wooden chair to sit on.

Firstly I looked for a branch with a good ratio of berries to leaves. Then by observing the berries I sketched them onto the paper with a pencil. The initial drawing looked too busy, leaves and berries had become entwined. Therefore using the erasure I removed some of the leaves and berries.

Just as I finished the pencil layout the wind picked up and then the rain started. The rain was driving at me and no umbrella would have stood the winds. So I quickly abandoned my painting set up and retreated to the studio.

watercolour hawthorn berries work in progress by Helen Parry
Hawthorn berries watercolour work in progress stage 2 by Helen Parry

 

Hawthorn berries watercolour painting in the studio

I like to paint my watercolour sketches outdoors, but sometimes the weather is too harsh and I end up completing the original watercolour paintings in the studio. I clipped a small section of the hawthorn branch to help me in painting the colourful watercolour.

First I created four palette mixes from my three primary watercolour colours, a red, green, orange/brown and dark brown mix. I used one small watercolour brush to paint the watercolour sketch.

Observations of the hawthorn berries and leaves

Being a watercolour artist means I use a process of adding layers of watercolour washes. As each layer dries I add another layer of paint. Each time I am building the depth of colour of watercolour paint. On observation I noticed the leaves had darker edges on their serated tips and the leaves were starting to turn an orange/ brown colour. I tried to capture this is the hawthorn berries watercolour.

I noticed how the berries are usually in pairs and they either spray upwards or curl downwards. Also the thin stems on the berries turn from brown to red as they reach the red berry. Hopefully my watercolour paintings reflect all that I observe.

Watercolour painting of Hawthorn Berries completed

I painted several layers of watercolour washes to the hawthorn berries painting. Each time waiting for the layers to dry before adding more. It took patience and time to complete the Hawthorn berries watercolour sketch. I call it a watercolour sketch, because it is an individual study of one subject, on a small scale. There is still lots of detail within my watercolour sketches and the subjects I paint vary from bird watercolours to botanical paintings.

The final hawthorn berries watercolour painting. All original watercolour sketches are available to buy ready-framed from my shop.

watercolour of hawthorn berries by Helen Parry
Hawthorn Berries watercolour by Helen Parry

Great Tit – watercolour sketch #80

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Great Tit watercolour – reassuring presence in the garden

The Great Tit is the one bird I can count on seeing in the garden. They are never far from a bird feeder and when all other birds have dispersed, the Great Tit will still be flitting around the lawn or in the hedges. They are not easily spooked by my presence and generally stay near as I refill the bird feeders.

Helen Parry Watercolour Artist -Great Tit
Great Tit watercolour by Helen Parry

 

Painting fine detail with watercolour

I mixed three palettes for the Great Tit watercolour, a yellow mix, a blue mix and a black mix. I started painting with the blue mix first. Applying pale blue watercolour washes on the beak, the back, the tail and the wing. I also applied this mix to the legs and feet of the Great Tit.

Next I painted the first layers of yellow watercolour to the chest of the Great Tit. These first washes were applied with the larger of the two brushes you can see in the image above.

For the fine detail I used the smaller brush, applying short brushstrokes of the yellow mix to the chest. The short brushstrokes help to give texture and feather movement to the Great Tit. I also used the yellow mix on the back of the bird.

Then I used the blue mix on the back of the bird to give the effect of a green tinge to the feathers on the back of the bird. I created thin lines of blue along the wings and tail of the Great Tit. Next I used a paler mix of the black, creating a grey colour, to paint short brushstrokes on the the chest and back of the bird. Also I painted the rim the bird was clinging to.

 

Using a mixed black watercolour

I had created my own black mix from transparent watercolour pigments. I had to keep mixing and working the mix so it would bind together. Then I used the small brush to create tiny black brushstrokes across the head of the Great Tit. I wanted the underlying paper to show through the brushstrokes, this adds depth to the black paint.

I used the black mix for the eye, leaving an area of white paper. Then the wings, legs and feet were outlined with the small watercolour brush. I added feather texture and movement to the white cheek of the Great Tit, by painting short brushstrokes with the black mix.

No white paint, the paper is the white

All the white areas of the bird are the paper, areas I have left unpainted. I don’t use white paint, I think I achieve a softer look to the painting by using the paper as the white.

 

Pale Pink Tulip – watercolour sketch #79

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Pale Pink Tulip – watercolour painting in the garden

I began painting the Pale Pink Tulip in between watercolour washes of the Yellow Tulip watercolour #77. I’ve written a blog about painting the Yellow Tulip too. I had already set up my painting equipment (in the garden) to paint the yellow tulip. So it made sense to make the most of the warm dry day and paint a few different tulips. I painted smooth wet washes of watercolour on the tulips, so as one painting dried I spent the time painting wet washes on another tulip painting.

Helen Parry Watercolour Artist -Pale Pink Tulip
Pale Pink Tulip watercolour By Helen Parry

 

Painting the curve of the petals

The Pale Pink Tulip had subtle tones of pink, ranging from a warm reddish tone through to a colder blue purple tone. To find the balance between the tones, I started painting the pale pink mid tones first. I applied very wet washes and gave the layers time to dry before adding another layer. I wanted the petals to have a smooth subtle change of colour, so patiently built up the pale washes of colour.

Some areas of the Pale Pink Tulip were left with just the first layers of wash. These became my highlighted areas on the petals. Then I added a deeper pink mix to the outer petals.

As the layers built, I left areas on the middle and edges of the petals with fewer layers of paint. The areas with light washes became the highlighted areas of the petals. Painting is all about creating an illusion of 3D within a 2D format. So the highlights on the left petal, follow the outline shape of the petal. The highlights have helped to create the illusion of a curve in the petals.

giclee print of pale pink tulip flower
Pale Pink Tulip giclee print

 

Adding warmer and cooler tones of colour

Next I added a cooler blue wash to the base, the tips and the edges of the petals. All the time I painted I was constantly observing the Pale Pink Tulip. Then I used a stronger pink watercolour with a warmer tone of colour. The warmer pink mix was applied to the larger central areas of the petals. The cluster of petals just seen at the top of the tulip were also painted with the warmer pink mix.

There are a lot of layers of watercolour on the Pale Pink Tulip, giving the flower a subtle range of pink hues and definition to the shape of the petals.

Finally I used the green mix for the stem of the Tulip. I applied several layers of green mix watercolour to the stem, for a smooth effect.

 

Coal Tit – watercolour sketch #78

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Coal Tit – the Speedy Gonzales of the bird feeder

The Coal Tit is a regular visitor to the bird feeder, but no sooner does he appear, than he disappears. He is so speedy, quickly collecting the food in his beak and flying off to the hedge. Unlike the other birds he doesn’t eat at the bird feeder.

He soon returns to the feeder to collect more food and flies off again. I can only assume he is passing the food on, or storing it somewhere. He moves so quickly that, for reference, I’ve had to rely on one of my photos of him, for this watercolour.

Helen Parry Watercolour Artist -Coal Tit
Coal Tit watercolour painting by Helen Parry

Speedy bird and Speedy Artist

The Coal Tit watercolour has a depth of colours, giving the bird texture and movement. To achieve this fine detail there are hundreds and hundreds of brushstrokes of watercolour paint.

I use small sable watercolour brushes to create a fine feather effect. I work quickly, speedy just like the Coal Tit. No time is wasted and I keep adding layers upon layers of brushstrokes of watercolour.

Sable watercolour brushes

I have various sizes of professional sable watercolour brushes. I find the sable brushes hold a lot of water, so I can paint lots of brushstrokes, before going back to the palette. The brushes can paint broad strokes or thin pinpoints. They offer me a lot of control when painting with watercolours.

The sable brushes last a long time too, if you clean them after every use. They are the tools of the trade, so they have to be looked after.

watercolour painting of Coal Tit bird
Coal Tit fine art Giclée print by Helen Parry

 No white paint, just paper

There is no white paint on the Coal Tit. All the white areas of the bird are the paper I have left unpainted.

Before I begin to paint, I have to already know which areas are going to be white. Therefore as I paint I make sure I leave these areas unpainted. There will be a few short brushstroke markings in the white areas to suggest feather movement. Also there are small areas of white (the unpainted paper) around the eye and beak.

I have to be very careful not to paint the small white areas of paper. If I paint them I cannot get the whiteness of the paper back.

It may be speedy, but it’s a perfectly formed Coal Tit.

 

 

Narcissus Poeticus – watercolour sketch #73

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Narcissus Poeticus (Poet’s Daffodil) on Lyth Hill

Narcissus Poeticus is a gorgeous daffodil, that caught my eye on a wander over Lyth Hill. Lyth Hill is a popular walk, with stunning panoramic views of the surrounding Shropshire Hills. Views of the Wrekin, Wenlock Edge, Lawley Hill, Caer Caradoc, Hope Bowdler, Long Mynd, Stiperstones, Earl’s Hill and Pontesford Hill. Have I mentioned enough!?!

Helen Parry Watercolour Artist -Narcissus Poeticus
Narcissus Poeticus watercolour by Helen Parry

 

Mary Webb Shropshire author and Lyth Hill resident

It is also where the well known author Mary Webb lived and wrote Gone to Earth, inspired by the gorgeous surrounding Shropshire Hills. The Lyth Hill view is the opposing view, we see from our studio. So I felt right at home, walking along Lyth Hill. I originally went to sketch out landscape views. It was a warm sunny day, rare for this time of year, so I decided to make the most of the sunlight and sketched lots.

While there I also looked for individual subjects that might work as smaller paintings. I came across the Narcissus Poeticus sprouting from the verge along the muddy lane. The muddy lane lies along the ridge. We have a muddy lane too.

All palette mixes created from three primary colours

I created five watercolour palette mixes for the Narcissus Poeticus painting. All the colours were mixed from three transparent primary watercolours (red, yellow and blue). I prefer to mix my own colours and it’s a lot cheaper and easier with a limited range of paints. I use professional artist pigments, heavyweight papers and sable brushes.

The Narcissus Poeticus flower heads are very white with a vibrant yellow corona, with vivid orange frills. I painted the coronas first, using the yellow wash, leaving areas in the centre of the daffodils for the stamens. More layers of yellow wash were applied, to create a stronger colour.

Next I used the vibrant orange mix to paint the edges of the Narcissus Poeticus corona. Again as each layer dried I added another layer, to create depth of colour. Then using the brown mix I painted the tops of the stems. I then used the green mix to paint the stems and to paint around the stamens and the base of the coronas.

watercolour painting close up of narcissus poeticus flowers
Narcissus Poeticus watercolour close up – the paper is the white paint

How to paint white without using white watercolour paint

When you are painting white, without white paint, you are painting everything but the white. Therefore you are observing the shapes of the petals, do they concave or convex, do they fold or bend. Next you observe the shadows lying across the petals and where the shadows are darker. Do the shadows have a warm yellow tone or a colder blue tone?

Sometimes painting is more about observing than painting. Don’t be in a rush to paint where you need to leave areas of white. If you make a mistake, you won’t be able to undo it.

I used a grey mix with a slight blue tone for painting the white petals. I started with the Narcissus Poeticus flowerhead on the left, so I didn’t work over the petals. Most of the shadows were in lines from the centre of the flower to the petal edge. I built the layers of grey wash slowly, constantly observing the petals. Some petals had short shadow lines from the edges of the petals. I added more washes where I felt the shadows were stronger.

Mary Webb (author and poet)

It seemed only fitting to paint the Narcissus Poeticus on Lyth Hill as a tribute to Mary Webb, for her wonderful books and poems depicting nature. Narcissus Poeticus is also known as the Poet’s Daffodil.

 

Song Thrush – watercolour sketch #72

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Song Thrush – painting their distinctive markings (Turdus philomelos)

Song Thrush a regular visitor to the garden, its distinctive markings making it instantly recognisable. The Song Thrush is smaller than the Mistle Thrush , which we also see in the garden. I usually hear the repeated Song of the bird, before I see it on the lawn in front of the studio. They are usually searching for snails and when they find one, they hop onto an old tree stump. Then they hold the snail in their beak and smash it against the stump. They are soon rewarded.

When there is a Song Thrush about, I usually see a Blackbird nearby as well. I have no idea why, but it seems to happen every time.

Song Thrush watercolour sketch by Helen Parry
Song Thrush watercolour by Helen Parry

 

Three primary watercolour mixes to paint the Song Thrush

All the colours I use are created from primary transparent watercolours (red, yellow and blue) For this painting I used three palette watercolour mixes, a yellow, a green and a brown watercolour mix. I used two sable watercolour brushes as well.

First I painted yellow washes on the bird’s head, on the chest area, nearest the wing and finally the wing. I added several layers of yellow washes for a stronger tone. I let each layer dry before adding another.

Then I used the brown mix as a pale wash to paint the legs and feet of the bird. Then using the smaller brush I used the brown to paint short brushstrokes on the head, the back and the tail of the bird. The short brushstrokes gave movement to the birds feathers.

Next I created a darker brown mix using the pale brown palette mix. I used the darker mix to paint more definition around the eye and across the tail of the Song Thrush. Then using the same mix I painted the outline of the beak and the distinctive triangular markings on the chest of the Song Thrush.

Final stages of the painting

Next I used the dark brown mix to add more colour to the wing and then I used it to paint the shadows on the wings, tail and the chest. Using the smaller brush I created paint lines around the legs and feet for definition. I also painted the eye with a dry brush of brown, leaving a dot unpainted to highlight the eye.

Then I used the green mix to paint the branch. I added several layers, waiting for each layer to dry, before adding the next. When the final green wash had dried I added short brushstrokes of brown to create bark texture on the branch.

Finally I turned the dark brown mix into a red tone brown mix. I used this to add warmth to the wing and the head of the Song Thrush.