Watercolour

Discover why ARIA FAWN loved using watercolour ground to create a unique surface for her vibrant painting, packed with intricate details

Years ago I discovered watercolour ground, and it completely changed how I paint. The way it enables you to create such wonderful textures and vibrant colours instantly hooked me in.

You can utilise so many of these techniques on watercolour paper as well, though I encourage you to give watercolour ground a go as it’s a truly unique experience. It takes a bit of patience and getting used to, so be sure to approach your work with an open mind and take joy in playing with the paint. On top of the new techniques that watercolour ground opens up, I also love to mix in gold leaf, metallic pigments and gouache to create highlights.

For this workshop, I wanted to paint a version of a fox that I used to know in person. She’d make regular visits to an old cabin that my greatgrandmother built. Much of my art uses animals as metaphors for the human experience. I believe that the art of silence and listening is one of the most important skills we can learn, and what better an animal to have express this quality than that of nature’s most quiet and clever observer: the fox.