7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
1/28
InstructionsNotice dutilisation
AnleitungsheftLibro de instrucciones
Libretto distruzioni
instructiefolder
S I N C E 1 7 6 6
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
2/28
The Reeves Oil Colour Studio Set is theideal first step for the beginner to
discover the delights of the worldsmost versatile painting medium. Thetubes have been carefully selected to
form a palette from which all the mostfrequently used colours can be mixed.It is very important that the beginnershould become experienced at colour
mixing from a basic palette, and not beconfused by the huge number of
colours that can be available.Every artist has an individual style, butthere are certain rules of painting thatthe beginner should follow in order toachieve worthwhile results. If you are
new to painting the following tips maybe useful.
THE NATURE OF OIL COLOUR
Unlike watercolour, oil colour can be used
opaquely -- in other words, a light colouris capable of covering over a darker
colour, if applied thickly enough.
This means that oil colour is more
forgiving than watercolour, because the
artist can rectify mistakes and change
areas of a picture that are not successful.
Some artists apply the colour so thickly
that pictures have a three dimensional
quality, and often a palette knife is used,rather than a brush. Oil colour can also
be used thinly, by mixing it with a
medium, and it is possible to create thin,
translucent glazes, as a watercolourist
would. Unlike watercolour however, oil
colour can remain wet for a considerable
time, depending on the properties of
individual colours and how thickly they
were applied. This enables the artist to
blend and rework areas of the picture atleisure. This versatility has ensured that
oil colour has become the most widely
used medium in the history of art.
PREPARATION
Oil colour is very concentrated, and can
damage clothing and furniture. Wear old
clothes and roll up your sleeves. Have a
couple of old rags ready, and a bottle ofwhite spirit to remove stains and to clean
brushes.
Try to work in natural light as artificial
light can affect your perception of colours.
An easel is advisable for oil painting so
that you can apply the colour without
catching your arms on the wet art board.
Failing this, prop the board up on a table
against the wall, or similar, at a height
that is convenient for your posture.
A bamboo stick with a padded cloth end,
known as a "mahl" stick, is useful as a
support to steady your painting arm. Hold
it in your other hand and prop it against a
dry area or edge of the canvas or board.
A mahl stick is necessary because often
you will not be able to rest your wrist on
any areas that are still wet, as you would
with a watercolour painting attached to adrawing board. These can be purchased
from an art shop, or you can make one
yourself quite easily.
1
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
3/28
COLOUR MIXING
Before you begin painting it is best to
practise a few basic exercises. Firstly,
squeeze out a small quantity of the colours
you wish to use onto the palette. Pour a
small amount of the oil painting medium into
an old saucer, or similar, and use abrushload to thin the colour when required.
The colour often remains useable for several
days.
Use a scrap piece of card, and try a few
brush-strokes with each brush, to see how
very differently they perform. The square-
ended one is for blocking in larger areas,
whereas the bullet-ended one is better
suited to small areas of detail.
Knowing how to mix colours and how much
paint to use can only come with experience
and experimentation. Red, Yellow, and Blue
are called the Primary Colours. This means
they cannot be mixed from other colours.
Your set of colours can be mixed to form a
comprehensive range, but remember that
sometimes it may be necessary to mix 3 or
even 4 colours to achieve a result.
As a very basic guide remember that;
red + green = brown
red + yellow = orange
red + blue = purple
blue + yellow = green
blue + green = turquoise
Once you have achieved the correct colour,
you must then achieve the correct tone (or
shade) i.e. the strength of the colour.
Remember that black is not the only way of
darkening a colour. It can make colours look
dirty. Try experimenting with browns and
blues. They darken colours in very different
ways to black. Conversely, try lightening
colours with yellow or white, or a
combination of the two. It is advisable to
make notes to remind you how to achievevarious colour mixes.
Finally there are no shortcuts to
learning about colour mixing.
2
It is inevitable that you will make
mistakes, but some of them may be
happy ones!
COMPOSITION
Choosing subject matter is a very
personal thing. If you are inexperienced,
avoid complex compositions, you will
become frustrated and abandon the
picture! It is better to tackle a simple
scene and do it well.
Before committing yourself to paper,
consider the scene from different angles
and distances until you settle on the best
viewpoint. Work out which section of the
scene you are going to paint and then
lightly, with a soft pencil sketch out thebasic lines of the composition. Do not
concern yourself with too much detail at
this stage. Correct any mistakes with a
soft putty eraser to avoid tearing the
paper surface, and never use an eraser
on wet paper.
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
4/28
1
Simple tonal sketch of the
composition in diluted yellowochre and brown. Allow to dry. The
artist has made a feature of the
dramatic sky by keeping the horizon
line low in the composition. The farm
building provides a useful focal point.
2The sky area is blocked in withthicker paint applied with thesquare ended brush. A basic mix of
blue & white is used for the sky and
yellow and white for the clouds. The
darker areas of sky are created by
mixing the blue with a touch of
crimson to make purple, and applied
on top of the existing blue sky, once it
has dried. Areas of white are also
added into the clouds to create
highlights. Remember gouache dries
quickly. Here the artist has applied
the paint in an impressionist way,
adding layer on layer with no attempt
to blend colours together whilst wet.
The basic underpaint of the path and
grass areas is blocked in with mid
green and cream.
3
The background trees are created
by adding blue with the green mix,
giving the impression of distance. The
basic underpaint of the farm buildings
and large tree is added. (Its
advisable to allow the sky to dry
before adding tree detail).
4More layers of tone have beenadded and the picture is now atfull strength. The medium allows both
dark and light areas of detail to bepainted on top of the undercoat, as
shown clearly in the foreground
grassy area. As a general rule,
undercoat layers should be thin, with
the consistency of the paint
increasing for the top layers. Areas of
detail have now been added to the
farmhouse and the large tree. The
paint has been scraped on sparselyto create the broken texture of the
trees leaves. Finishing touches are
added with a small brush. The picture
is impressionist in style, so no
attempt has been made to paint
individual leaves or blades of grass
etc.
PAINTING
Whether you are painting a still-life, a figure or a landscape the same rules apply. The
pictures opposite show how a painting is built up in stages.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Oil paintings are traditionally framed without glass and window mounts, though there is no
reason to prevent you using these methods. When the picture is dry to the touch, you can
apply a thin coat of retouching varnish (available from artist supply shops). This will
restore the intensity of the colour. Proper picture varnish should not be applied for six
months
CARE OF EQUIPMENT
Never stand brushes upside down in cleaning jars. This ruins the bristles. Always
thoroughly clean brushes in soap and water at the end of the day and restore their shapebefore putting them away. Do not contaminate the purity of your paints by dipping brushes
into them, or by using the wrong tops. Always use the palette for mixing. Make sure the
tops are firmly screwed onto the tubes to avoid drying out.
3
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
5/28
1
2
3
4
4
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
6/28
10
+ =
+ =
+ =
+ =
+ =
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
7/28
S I N C E 1 7 6 6
Oasis Art and Craft Products, Kidderminster, DY11 7JN, England.
Made under licence for Reeves in China. Reeves and the Greyhound device are trademarks of
ColArt Fine Art & Graphics Limited, England.
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
8/28
InstructionsNotice dutilisation
AnleitungsheftLibro de instrucciones
Libretto distruzioni
instructiefolder
S I N C E 1 7 6 6
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
9/28
The Reeves Watercolour StudioSet is the ideal first step for the
beginner to discover the delightsof the world's best loved painting
medium. The set of 8 tubes hasbeen carefully selected to form apalette from which all the mostfrequently used colours can be
mixed.
It is very important that thebeginner should become
experienced at colour mixingfrom a basic palette, and not be
confused by the huge number ofcolours that can be available.
Every artist has an individualstyle, but there are certain rules of
painting which the beginnershould follow in order to achieve
worthwhile results. If you are newto painting the following tips may
be useful.
THE NATURE OF WATERCOLOUR
Watercolour paint is translucent and is
used thinly, allowing the white of the
paper to show through. Because the
colour is not opaque, it is not capable of
covering up mistakes, and a light colour
can't be painted over a dark colour.
The colour is lightened by adding water,
so to achieve, for example, pink, you
must dilute red until the correct shade of
pink is created. A traditional
watercolourist would seldom use white
paint, except for small areas of detail, as
it makes colours look impure and chalky.
Because mistakes are often difficult to
rectify, the watercolour artist must plan
the picture carefully and work in amethodical way. It is usual to begin with
the lightest areas and work through to the
darkest in a logical sequence.
PREPARATION
The watercolour paper supplied is
mounted onto board, so it doesn't need
to be stretched. Unmounted papers are
often soaked, taped to a drawing board
and allowed to dry to prevent them from
buckling when painted on.
The work surface should be as flat as
possible to prevent the paint from
running. It is a good idea to have a plastic
or disposable table cloth, a jar of clean
water and a kitchen roll for wipingbrushes. If you are indoors, make sure
you have enough have enough natural
light to the front or side of you.
1
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
10/28
COMPOSITION
Choosing subject matter is a very
personal thing. If you are inexperienced,
avoid complex compositions. you will
become frustrated and abandon the
picture! It is better to tackle a simple
scene and do it well.
Before committing yourself to paper,
consider the scene from different angles
and distances until you settle on the best
view point. Work out which section of the
scene you are going to paint and then
lightly, with a soft pencil sketch out the
basic lines of the composition. Do not
concern yourself with too much detail at
this stage. Correct any mistakes with asoft putty eraser to avoid tearing the
paper surface, and never use an eraser
on wet paper.
COLOUR MIXING
Before you begin a painting it is best to
practise a few basic exercises. Firstly try
painting a flat wash. To best achieve a
flat wash of colour, make sure you have
mixed enough paint in the palette to cover
the area. Apply smoothly and quickly with
a large well-loaded brush. Test the colour
strength on a scrap of paper first.
Colour mixing can only come with
experience and experimentation. Red,
Yellow and Blue are called the primary
colours. This means they cannot be mixed
from other colours. Your set of 8 colours
can be mixed together to create a
comprehensive range, but remember thatsometimes it may be necessary to mix 3
or even 4 colours to achieve a result.
As a very basic guide remember that;
red + green = brown
red + yellow = orange
red + blue = purple
blue + yellow = green
blue + green = turquoise
Once you have achieved the correct
colour, you must then achieve the correct
tone [ or shade ] i.e. The strength of the
colour. Remember, more paint -less water
for a strong colour. More water - less
paint for a pale colour. When darkening a
colour you may need to add other coloursto it. Black is not the only darkening
colour. It can often make colours look
dirty. Try experimenting with browns and
blues. They darken colours in very
different ways to black. It is advisable to
make notes to remind you how you
achieved various colour mixes.
2
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
11/28
1
Simple sketch of the
composition. The artist hasmade a feature of the dramatic sky
by keeping the horizon line low in
the composition. The farm building
provides a useful focal point.
2The palest areas of the pictureare washed in with a large, well-loaded brush. The sky can be
dabbed with crunched-up tissue tocreate realistic cloud effects. Allow
areas to dry before butting up to
other areas or the paint will bleed.
Surplus paint can be removed with
the corner of a piece of tissue or a
dry paint brush. Work smoothly and
quickly with as large a brush as
possible.
3The next darkest tones areapplied when the first layersare dry. [sometimes an artist will
lay a wash on top of a damp wash
to allow the colours to run. This is
especially good for skies and
water]. If you need to soften or
blend an edge, run a clean, slightlydamp brush along the edge of the
wash while it's still damp. Here the
artist has overlaid different blues
and pale yellow in the sky to add
interest.
4More layers of tone have beenadded and the picture is now atfull strength. Small areas of detail
in the farm-house contrast against
the openness of the fields and sky.
The trees to the right of the farm
are created by dabbing the brush
almost dry. The paint is scraped on
sparsely to create a broken texture,
rather than using a wash. This is
called Dry Brush Technique.Finishing touches are added with a
small brush. No attempt is made to
paint individual blades of grass,
etc. Traditional watercolour needs
to be painted in an impressionist
style to retain its freshness.
PAINTING
Whether you are painting a still-life , a figure or a landscape the same rules apply. The
pictures opposite show how a traditional watercolour is built up in stages.
FINISHING TOUCHESWatercolours are traditionally framed under glass, with a bevel -cut card mount , unlike oil
paintings. The mount stops the glass touching the picture and causing damage. Most
professional artists allow a small margin on their paper rather than painting to the edge.
This is useful for testing colours prior to painting, and also helps the framer to site the
mount. Mount cutters and mitre saws can be purchased from artist suppliers if you wish
to make your own frames.
CARE OF EQUIPMENT
Never stand brushes upright in water- jars. This ruins the bristles. Always thoroughly clean
brushes in soap and water at the end of the day and restore their shape before puttingthem away. Do not contaminate the purity of your paints by dipping brushes into them, or
by using the wrong tops. Always use the palette for mixing. Make sure the tops are firmly
screwed onto the tubes to avoid drying out.
3
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
12/28
1
2
3
4
4
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
13/28
10
+ =
+ =
+ =
+ =
+ =
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
14/28
S I N C E 1 7 6 6
Oasis Art and Craft Products, Kidderminster, DY11 7JN, England.
Made under licence for Reeves in China. Reeves and the Greyhound device are trademarks of
ColArt Fine Art & Graphics Limited, England.
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
15/28
InstructionsNotice dutilisation
AnleitungsheftLibro de instrucciones
Libretto distruzioni
instructiefolder
S I N C E 1 7 6 6
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
16/28
The Reeves Acrylic Studio Set isthe ideal first step for the
beginner to discover the delightsof this exciting medium, which
has revolutionised the world ofart. The tubes have been carefullyselected to form a palette fromwhich all the most frequently
used colours can be mixed.
It is very important that thebeginner should become
experienced at colour mixingfrom a basic palette, and not be
confused by the huge number ofcolours that can be available.
Every artist has an individualstyle, but there are certain rules ofpainting that the beginner should
follow in order to achieveworthwhile results. If you are newto painting the following tips may
be useful.
THE NATURE OF ACRYLIC COLOUR
Acrylic colour was created to imitate the
qualities of oil colour, but eliminate theproblems of lengthy drying times and the
need for specialist mediums and brush
cleaners. It is a water-based medium
which can be used as an oil colour
substitute or, by diluting the colour thinly
it is possible to create translucent glazes
in the manner of watercolour. Unlike
watercolour, however, acrylic dries quickly
to a tough finish that is no longer water-
soluble, so great care must be taken thatbrushes are cleaned promptly.
Acrylic colour can be used opaquely in
other words, a light colour is capable of
covering over a darker colour, which is
useful for rectifying mistakes. Like oil
colour, it can be applied very thickly to
create textured paintings, and it is this
versatility and practicality that has been
so attractive to many modern artists,such as David Hockney, who now often
uses acrylic colour in preference to oil
colour.
PREPARATION
Acrylic colour is hard to remove when dry,so wear old clothing and use a disposable
tablecloth. You will also need an old rag
or a kitchen roll, and a large jar of water
for cleaning brushes.
If you are indoors, make sure you have
enough natural light to the front or side of
you.
Acrylic colour dries quite quickly, so only
squeeze out small quantities of colour ata time. Unlike watercolour, the colour
cannot be re-activated once it has
become hard.
1
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
17/28
COMPOSITION
Choosing subject matter is a very
personal thing. If you are inexperienced,
avoid complex compositions, you will
become frustrated and abandon the
picture! It is better to tackle a simple
scene and do it well.
Before committing yourself to paper,
consider the scene from different angles
and distances until you settle on the best
viewpoint. Work out which section of the
scene you are going to paint and then
lightly, with a soft pencil sketch out the
basic lines of the composition. Do not
concern yourself with too much detail at
this stage. Correct any mistakes with asoft putty eraser to avoid tearing the
paper surface, and never use an eraser
on wet paper.
COLOUR MIXING
Knowing how to mix colours and how
much paint to use can only come with
experience and experimentation. Red,
Yellow, and Blue are called the Primary
Colours. This means they cannot be
mixed from other colours. Your set ofcolours can be mixed to form a
comprehensive range, but remember that
sometimes it may be necessary to mix 3
or even 4 colours to achieve a result.
As a very basic guide remember that;
red + green = brown
red + yellow = orange
red + blue = purple
blue + yellow = green
blue + green = turquoise
Once you have achieved the correct
colour, you must then achieve the correct
tone (or shade) i.e. the strength of the
colour. Remember that black is not the
only way of darkening a colour. It canmake colours look dirty. Try experimenting
with browns and blues. They darken
colours in very different ways to black.
Conversely, try lightening colours with
yellow or white, or a combination of the
two. It is advisable to make notes to
remind you how to achieve various colour
mixes.
Experiment on a piece of scrap board by
trying to accurately mix the colours of
objects around you. Always mix the
colours thoroughly. Try both supplied
brushes. They will make very different
types of mark on the board.
Add water to the mix to thin the colour.
Remember that Acrylic is capable of being
used thinly like watercolour or opaquely
like oil colour.
Finally there are no shortcuts to learningabout colour mixing. It is inevitable that
you will make mistakes, but some of
them may be happy ones!
2
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
18/28
1
Simple tonal sketch of the
composition in diluted yellowochre and brown. Allow to dry. The
artist has made a feature of the
dramatic sky by keeping the horizon
line low in the composition. The
farm building provides a useful focal
point.
2
The sky area is blocked in with
thicker paint applied with thesquare ended brush. A basic mix of
blue & white is used for the sky and
yellow and white for the clouds. The
darker areas of sky are created by
mixing the blue with a touch of
crimson to make purple, and
applied while the other areas of sky
are still wet. Areas of white are also
blended into the clouds to createhighlights. The basic underpaint of
the path and grass areas is blocked
in with mid green and cream.
3The background trees arecreated by adding blue with thegreen mix, giving the impression of
distance. The basic underpaint of
the farm buildings and large tree is
added. (Its advisable to allow the
sky to dry before adding tree
detail).
4More layers of tone have beenadded and the picture is now atfull strength. The medium allows
both dark and light areas of detail
to be painted on top of the
undercoat, as shown clearly in the
foreground grassy area. As a
general rule, undercoat layers
should be thin, with the consistency
of the paint increasing for the top
layers. Areas of detail have now
been added to the farmhouse and
the large tree. The paint has been
scraped on sparsely to create thebroken texture of the trees leaves.
Finishing touches are added with a
small brush. The picture is
impressionist in style, so no
attempt has been made to paint
individual leaves or blades of grass
etc.
PAINTING
Whether you are painting a still-life, a figure or a landscape the same rules apply. The
pictures opposite show how a painting is built up in stages.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Acrylic paintings can be framed under glass like watercolours, or without glass in the style
of oil paintings, depending on your personal preference. If you choose glass, it is advisable
to also use a card window-mount, which will prevent the glass pressing against the picture
and causing damage.
CARE OF EQUIPMENT
Acrylic colour must never be allowed to dry on a brush, as water becomes ineffective once
the colour has dried. Never stand brushes upright in water jars. This ruins the bristles.
Always thoroughly clean brushes in soap and water at the end of the day and restore theirshape before putting them away. Do not contaminate the purity of your paints by dipping
brushes into them, or by using the wrong tops. Always use the palette for mixing. Make
sure the tops are firmly screwed onto the tubes to avoid drying out.
3
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
19/28
1
2
3
4
4
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
20/28
+ =
+ = + =
+ =
+ =
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
21/28
S I N C E 1 7 6 6
Oasis Art and Craft Products, Kidderminster, DY11 7JN, England.
Made under licence for Reeves in China. Reeves and the Greyhound device are trademarks of
ColArt Fine Art & Graphics Limited, England.
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
22/28
InstructionsNotice dutilisation
AnleitungsheftLibro de instrucciones
Libretto distruzioni
instructiefolder
S I N C E 1 7 6 6
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
23/28
The Reeves Gouache Studio Set isthe ideal first step for the
beginner to discover the delightsof this popular and versatile
painting medium. The tubes havebeen carefully selected to form apalette from which all the mostfrequently used colours can be
mixed.
It is very important that thebeginner should become
experienced at colour mixingfrom a basic palette, and not be
confused by the huge number ofcolours that can be available.
Every artist has an individualstyle, but there are certain rules ofpainting that the beginner should
follow in order to achieveworthwhile results. If you are newto painting the following tips may
be useful.
THE NATURE OF GOUACHE COLOUR
Gouache is a water soluble paint which is
favoured by designers because of its
ability to create beautifully even areas of
bright colour without streaking.
It is not to be confused with watercolour,
though both are water-based media.
Watercolour should be used thinly and
transparently, but Gouache should be
applied in opaque washes, very much in
the style of oil colour. Like oil colour, it is
capable of covering over other colours,
which is useful for correcting mistakes orlightening areas.
Gouache is a very practical medium
brushes are easily cleaned with water,
which is also used to thin the colour.
The technique of painting is broadly
similar to that of oil and acylic colour, but
it does not stay wet enough to blend
colours in a painting. Instead, areas are
often butted together using a techniquesimilar to that of paint by numbers.
Gouache is also not suitable for applying
very thickly to create texture.
PREPARATION
The board supplied is ready to be painted
on. It should be kept as flat as possibleto prevent the colour from running. It is a
good idea to have a plastic or disposable
table cloth, a jar of clean water and a
kitchen roll for wiping brushes.
If you are indoors, make sure you have
enough natural light to the front or side of
you.
Gouache dries quite quickly, so only
squeeze out small quantities of colour ata time. Unlike watercolour, the colour
cannot be re-activated once it has
become hard.
1
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
24/28
capable of being used thinly like
watercolour or opaquely like oil colour.
Finally there are no shortcuts to learning
about colour mixing. It is inevitable that
you will make mistakes, but some of them
may be happy ones!
COMPOSITIONChoosing subject matter is a very
personal thing. If you are inexperienced,
avoid complex compositions, you will
become frustrated and abandon the
picture! It is better to tackle a simple
scene and do it well.
Before committing yourself to paper,
consider the scene from different angles
and distances until you settle on the bestviewpoint. Work out which section of the
scene you are going to paint and then
lightly, with a soft pencil sketch out the
basic lines of the composition. Do not
concern yourself with too much detail at
this stage. Correct any mistakes with a
soft putty eraser to avoid tearing the
paper surface, and never use an eraser
on wet paper.
COLOUR MIXINGBefore you begin painting it is best to
practise a few basic exercises. Firstly try
painting a flat wash. To best achieve a flat
wash of colour, make sure you have mixed
enough colour on the palette to cover the
area. The consistency of the colour shouldnot be thick, but not watery either.
Apply smoothly and quickly with a large, well
loaded brush. Test the colour strength on a
scrap of paper first.
Knowing how to mix colours and how much
paint to use can only come with experience
and experimentation. Red, Yellow, and Blue
are called the Primary Colours. This means
they cannot be mixed from other colours.
Your set of colours can be mixed to form acomprehensive range, but remember that
sometimes it may be necessary to mix 3 or
even 4 colours to achieve a result.
As a very basic guide remember that;
red + green = brown
red + yellow = orange
red + blue = purple
blue + yellow = green
blue + green = turquoise
Once you have achieved the correct colour,
you must then achieve the correct tone (or
shade) i.e. the strength of the colour.
Remember that black is not the only way of
darkening a colour. It can make colours look
dirty. Try experimenting with browns and
blues. They darken colours in very different
ways to black. Conversely, try lightening
colours with yellow or white, or a
combination of the two. It is advisable to
make notes to remind you how to achieve
various colour mixes.
Experiment on a piece of scrap board by
trying to accurately mix the colours of
objects around you. Always mix the colours
thoroughly. Try both supplied brushes. They
will make very different types of mark on theboard.
Add water to the mix to thin the colour.
Remember that Gouache is
2
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
25/28
1
Simple tonal sketch of the
composition in diluted yellowochre and brown. Allow to dry. The
artist has made a feature of the
dramatic sky by keeping the horizon
line low in the composition. The farm
building provides a useful focal point.
2The sky area is blocked in withthicker paint applied with thesquare ended brush. A basic mix of
blue & white is used for the sky and
yellow and white for the clouds. The
darker areas of sky are created by
mixing the blue with a touch of
crimson to make purple, and applied
on top of the existing blue sky, once it
has dried. Areas of white are also
added into the clouds to create
highlights. Remember gouache dries
quickly. Here the artist has applied
the paint in an impressionist way,
adding layer on layer with no attempt
to blend colours together whilst wet.
The basic underpaint of the path and
grass areas is blocked in with mid
green and cream.
3
The background trees are created
by adding blue with the green mix,
giving the impression of distance. The
basic underpaint of the farm buildings
and large tree is added. (Its
advisable to allow the sky to dry
before adding tree detail).
4More layers of tone have beenadded and the picture is now atfull strength. The medium allows both
dark and light areas of detail to bepainted on top of the undercoat, as
shown clearly in the foreground
grassy area. As a general rule,
undercoat layers should be thin, with
the consistency of the paint
increasing for the top layers. Areas of
detail have now been added to the
farmhouse and the large tree. The
paint has been scraped on sparselyto create the broken texture of the
trees leaves. Finishing touches are
added with a small brush. The picture
is impressionist in style, so no
attempt has been made to paint
individual leaves or blades of grass
etc.
PAINTING
Whether you are painting a still-life, a figure or a landscape the same rules apply. The
pictures opposite show how a painting is built up in stages.
FINISHING TOUCHESGouache paintings are traditionally framed under glass, with a bevel-cut card mount, unlike
oil paintings. The mount stops the glass touching the picture and causing damage. Most
professional artists allow a small margin on their paper rather than painting to the edge.
This is useful for testing colours prior to painting, and also helps the framer to site the
mount. Mount cutters and mitre saws can be purchased from artist suppliers if you wish
to make your own frames.
CARE OF EQUIPMENT
Never stand brushes upright in water jars. This ruins the bristles. Always thoroughly clean
brushes in soap and water at the end of the day and restore their shape before puttingthem away. Do not contaminate the purity of your paints by dipping brushes into them, or
by using the wrong tops. Always use the palette for mixing. Make sure the tops are firmly
screwed onto the tubes to avoid drying out.
3
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
26/28
1
2
3
4
4
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
27/28
10
+ =
+ =
+ =
+ =
+ =
7/29/2019 REEVES Painting
28/28
S I N C E 1 7 6 6
Oasis Art and Craft Products, Kidderminster, DY11 7JN, England.
f R C R G f