Paint without a plan
The title of this post is a bit misleading - as there’s usually always a “plan” when I go to paint something. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say, “paint without a drawing”. Typically in watercolor, you’re always laying in the composition with a pencil first. Since watercolor can be so unforgiving, you want to give yourself every chance of success - so an accurate drawing is essential.
However, I’ve been enjoying the process of painting without a preliminary sketch. And it’s quite wonderful!
Here’s a painting of one of my trusty watercolor brushes - a Winsor and Newton Series 7.
Watercolor on paper, 5.5 × 8 inches
This painting was done without any drawing underneath - and I painted this all in one go (without letting it dry, etc).
I find that when I do this, there are more spontaneous brush-marks and more ‘life’ to the painting. Sometimes this also increases the failure rate of a painting, but I like taking that chance because I think the beauty that can be achieved is worth it.
Unexpected color mixing, blooms and diffuse edges, prevent you from making things “too perfect” or “too clean”.
Anyway, I’d recommend painting some of your watercolors without sketching first - even if it’s just a quick exercise to loosen up. You might be surprised with the results.
You can also watch a video of this painting on my Instagram below.
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