Artiste Botanique
All the time I get people asking me questions that start with “This is probably a stupid question, but can you tell me…” The stupid questions are actually the essential ones that we really need answers to. Please don’t hesitate to send them in… I would love to hear from you.
If like me you do a lot of erasing before you can be happy with a drawing, then drawing straight on watercolour paper is not really an option. Because botanical painting is cut to white, any trace of erasing, smudging, or marking on the paper will stand out and completely ruin the feeling of freshness… Continue reading How to transfer a drawing
Hello everyone, I thought it was time to write an update on the Fabriano Artistico paper situation. Unfortunately, for the moment, the report is that there is nothing much to report on the paper front. The October earthquake in Italy hit the Pioraco Mill and the roof collapsed, damaging some of the machinery. Fortunately nobody… Continue reading Update on Fabriano Artistico paper – 1st February 2017
This is a question that I am asked a lot: is it better to use tubes or pans to build your watercolour palette? As usual, the answer is never quite straightforward and it really depends on how you use your watercolours the most. Do you paint large or small? Do you travel a lot, especially… Continue reading Watercolour pans vs. tubes
This question comes from Stella, who was at my West Dean course in September: What exactly is the difference between transparent and opaque paints and how does it affect my paintings? The answer is that transparent paints let the light through to the underlying paper while the opaque paints reflect the light, effectively blocking it… Continue reading Transparent vs opaque colours
On the 12th of July there was an intriguing meeting at the top of a spiral staircase, at the R.K. Burt (paper suppliers) warehouse in London: a handful of botanical artists, the boss Mr Burt himself, as well as Giuseppe and Chiara, marketing directors from the Fabriano mill. The aim of the meeting was for… Continue reading What DID happen to the Fabriano Artistico paper?
Sandrine Maugy 