Ranson begins his book Watercolours (1993) with explaining how to work the different brushes he recommends: the hake, the flat, and the rigger. He recommends not using round brushes, because one tends to do so much fiddling when its possible to add so much detail. Then, he gives 7 vignettes for the reader to practice painting, along with recommending what colours and brushes to use.
So I begin.
The instructions are clear; the composition is already made; the colours are specified, and so are the brushes. It is easy to get started.
I paint on an area 10.2 cm high, so that I can glue the painting onto a can later if I want to.
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| Practice 1, Motive 1, Ranson’s seven vignettes for brush practice. |
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| Practice 2, Motive 1, Ranson’s seven vignettes for brush practice. |