Art Demonstration
A
watercolour painting stage by stage
Our starting point is an image which attracts our
artistic
eye. A
painter trains
himself continually to 
look
out for possible inspiration - it may be a
cloud pattern, an old boot in a cupboard, the curve of a thigh. In this
case it is a landscape scene of the new pond on Wimbledon Common: a
spot which I love. You can see, in the photograph, the image which
attracted me. But the
purpose of art is not to reproduce reality. That is the role of the
illustrator - an honourable craft which should not to be confused with
art. Art requires the transformation of the image
through the sensibilities of the artist. The result is essenitally
unique because human beings are essentially unique.
Oriental painters, I am told, contemplate the image to be drawn during
the long process of grinding their ink. But my method is to make little
sketches, as an active way of exploring the picture and allowing my
subconscious to get working on it. I can practise with different
compositions, and even try it out upside down. At the conscious level I
became very aware of the fork in the main tree; it takes us with
upright arms into the sky. You will see from the sketches how I have
explored this detail a little more closely.
Believe it or not, the main creative
stage is
now over. All that is
left is the
skill I can muster to express the picture on the page. To be sure, the
exploration and transformation will be developed and modified by the
painting process, but the fundamental direction is already set.
For this painting I will use Bockingford 140 lbs Not stretched paper. I
make no claims for it other than I am used to it, find it serviceable,
and see no reason to change. ('Not' is the name used for a paper with a
moderately rough surface.)
[A warning note. Every artist develops his own way of doing things. A
demonstration like this is not a 'how-to' instruction but merely the
way I do things. Pick what you find useful, discard what you do not
need,]
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