Unless you are one of the lucky ones and a natural artist, learning to draw and paint successfully is not the easiest of tasks. Many painters maintain that they are still learning after a lifetime of painting. That is what makes painting such a joy; become immersed and you will learn new skills and be more confident with each day.
This month’s issue focuses on how to simplify the painting process to help you to paint more fluently. Painting gardens and flowers en masse, for instance, can be a daunting task, but part one of Julie King’s watercolour series (pages 16 to 18) takes you through seven easy steps to making sense of design, light, colour, brushstrokes and application. Next month she will set a painting project from a photograph so practise this month’s exercises in readiness for the task to come.