Gearing Up for Creativation+: From the Archive, Our Most Popular Post!

 As you know, the events of 2020 made us rethink how we can gather safely. Lots of in-person events that Dynasty and FM Brush Company regularly attend were cancelled. Although we missed seeing you in person last year, we look forward to interacting with you safely at virtual events this year! First up is Creativation+, a combined online event with AFCI Creativation and NAMTA taking place next week March 15-19, 2021. 

As we lead up to Creativation+, we have been giving some of our favorite blog posts an "encore." Originally posted in 2013, this painting tutorial with Dynasty Brand Specialist Annie Strack is hands down our most popular blog entry. Here, Annie shares her techniques while using our Faux Squirrel brushes. 

Here’s a little beach painting that I did today, using only one brush – my #20 Faux Squirrel from Dynasty. That might sound like a big brush to use on a painting that is only 8x10, but this brush holds a fine point which enables me to paint small details while it holds lots of water and pigment.

The first step of this painting was to sketch in the horizon line and the water lines, and apply masking fluid to the area that I wanted to preserve white for the surf. Then I painted the sky wet into wet, using indigo and Payne’s grey to depict a stormy sky.

While it was still wet, I used a paper towel to blot out some clouds and then used my finger to drag some of the paint between the horizon and the clouds at a slight angle, to give the impression of wind-blown rain.

After the sky is dry, I began to paint the water using the same colors as I used for the sky. To help give it the look of stormy weather, I apply the paint unevenly to give the water a choppy effect.

In some areas I added even more indigo, especially around the masking fluid so that I would have strong contrasts of values that would direct the focus of the composition through the painting.

While the water area is still damp, I paint the beach area with sepia and yellow ochre, and distant hill with hookers green, ochre, sepia, and indigo. I let the colors mix and mingle on the wet paper to create the grayed-down impression of a distant green hill, and let a little of the color run and blend into the water and sand area to soften the edges.

When the entire painting has dried I removed the masking fluid to reveal the white surf of the waves, and I use a little indigo to soften and break up a few of the spots that are too starkly white.

And finally, here is my finished painting of a beach in the rain. Any day at the beach is a good day. Even if it’s raining.

To learn more about watercolor painting, you can take a workshop with Annie or find her teaching online classes with Artists Network. Here is just a sample of Annie's teaching, from her most recent DVD, "Painting Seascapes in Watercolor".


For more brush information, check out the Dynasty Brush website.