Loose and Expressive

The most common question I get from my students is "How do I loosen up my watercolor paintings?" There is no single answer to this question because it is a process that can be learned through several steps and practices. Starting with how you look at your subject, next a loose drawing where some areas are only suggested, followed by painting techniques that show the artist at work.

Next week I will be announcing my brand new exciting workshop "The Art Of Painting Loose: Free Up Your Painting" which will be offered ONLINE. This will be a continuation of my one-day workshops that I started last year. Each topic is independent of the others so you do not need to have taken the previous ones.

This cityscape is my idea of a loose painting and I also use these techniques for other subjects like flowers, landscapes and still lifes. It is an unusual composition with the focal point, the people and traffic, located near the bottom. The buildings drop down on them like the walls of a canyon and add an interesting rhythm and mood. Loose does not mean sloppy - you still need a strong composition, interesting arrangement of shapes and values, and areas that invite the viewer to make decisions.

Look for the brochure and dates of this loose painting workshop in next Sundays email. Happy Painting! Dennis