These five watercolour paintings by great artists might surprise you. Although famous for painting in other mediums, these five great artists each surpassed themselves when it came to the medium of watercolour.
No. 1 – The Ancient of Days (1794) – William Blake
Recognised as one of the giants of the romantic period, Blake’s genius was appreciated by only a small circle of admirers, spending much of his life in poverty; too unworldly in his commercial dealings and too proud in his relations with clients to make himself rich – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ancient_of_Days .
As both a man and an artist, he was a visionary whose imaginative world was far more splendid and inspiring than anything he discovered in the real world.
Blake was an enthusiastic creator and was prolific as a painter, engraver, and draughtsman. As with The Ancient of Days, Blake often coloured a print that he had engraved many years earlier.
Used as an illustration for the poem Europe, Blake combined etching with hand-painted watercolour to create mythical, dreamlike visions. This particular image was inspired by a vision which he declared ‘hovered over his head at the top of the staircase’.
His work stands out because it focuses on imagination rather than reality.
No. 2 – The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons (1835) – JMW Turner
One of the greatest of all British artists, he was a masterclass in the “wet-on-wet” technique, painting this particular piece quickly to capture the chaos of the fire, using water to blend colors directly on the paper – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burning_of_the_Houses_of_Lords_and_Commons .
Despite being a prominent member of the Royal Academy, he remained unkempt and mean with money. A successful artist by the age of 30, Turner was fascinated by water and ships and travelled extensively in search of new, dramatic landscapes.
When he died at the age of 76, as well as this amazing watercolour painting, Blake left a legacy of over 20,000 pieces of art.
No. 3 – Fishing Boats on the Beach at Saites-Maries (1888) – Vincent Van Gogh
Possibly the most surprising artists to see under a heading of ‘watercolour paintings by great artists’, Van Gogh restricted his palette to a very few colours, but the effects he achieved are surprisingly varied – https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/collection/s0028v1962 .
Van Gogh particularly liked contrasting colours – red and green, or blue and orange – which accentuated each other when placed together; known technically as complementary colours. The Cafe Terrace at Night – also an 1888 painting – and Starry Night (1899) are also examples of Van Gogh’s restricted palette, using four basic colours for Starry Night, and just three colours for Cafe Terrace at Night.
While famous for oils, Van Gogh’s watercolours are vibrant and graphic. In this piece, he combined watercolour with ink reed pen lines. It is a perfect example of how to mix drawing with painting to create bold, structured compositions that pop right off the page.
No.4 – Mont Sainte-Victoire (c. 1900) – Paul Cézanne
Known as the father of modern art, Cézanne overlapped patches of watercolour rather than smoothly blending. He also applied oblong brushstrokes to give his paintings a distinctly woven appearance – https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435878 .
Mount Sainte-Victoire is a rugged mountain near his family home, and this area held strong emotional associations for the artists who, literally, died for his art. Cezanne caught a fatal chill in 1906 when he was caught out in a storm, whilst out painting.
No. 5 – The Mansard Roof (1923) – Edward Hopper
Hopper produced many watercolours in the 1920s, and here Hopper used watercolour to capture the sharp, distinct light of American architecture.
Hopper described Rocky Neck as the residential district where old sea captains had their houses. His shadows are crisp, contrasting with the softness usually associated with the medium – https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/objects/22909 .
Hopper’s interest in light was inspired by Impressionists whose work he saw in Paris after he made painting trips there in the early 1900s.
What can we learn from these watercolour paintings by great artists?
Whiter than white – Paul Cézanne knew better than any other that the brightest white is the page itself. Always plan your whites before you begin.
Confidence – Don’t be afraid to let the water move the pigment. The biggest lesson from the watercolour paintings by great artists is that they move with confidence.
Brush Up – Use the correct brush for your paintings. Van Gogh used fine brushes for his detail, whilst Turner used large mop brushes for dramatic skies. Using the correct brush will affect the style.
If these five watercolour paintings by great artists don’t provide you with enough inspiration, pop over here – https://katefletcherpaintings.co.uk/ontheeasel/ – for mor