Painting Holidays in France with Adam Cope :: Paintings by Adam Cope

Prochaines Expositions

Watercolours 2

Watercolours 1

'Vers La Gironde.' Watercolour. 42 x 36 cm

'Plantou -Sunset I' Arches. 47 x 36 cm

'Albas 1 ' (view over the Lot Valley), Quarter sheet Arches Rough 300 gms. 28 x 38 cm

'Albas 2' (view over the Lot Valley), Quarter sheet Arches Rough 300 gms. 28 x 38 cm

click here for more watercolours of the Dordogne River - cliquer ici pour voir plus des aquarelles de la Dordogne

'Le Vieux Pont' . Watercolour. 46 x 35 cm.

'Portail, Chateau de Beduer' 28 x 38 cm

'Figs 2' , Lana 220GMS. 24 x 32 cm

'Sauvignon' Watercolour Arches Rough 300 gms .Quater imperial. 28 x 38 cm

' The Last of the Stragglers.' Watercolour . 50 x 40 cm

'Sunflowers VI' 24 x 32 cm

'14 Juilliet' 28 x 38 cm

'Self 3' - Detail . 24 x 32cm

'Self 6' - Detail . 24 x 32cm

WHAT IS TRANSPARENT WATERCOLOUR?

Definitions can be troublesome.

Interesting that paint manufacturers & merchants use a different set of defintions to those of art societies etc.

The debate between transparent & opaque watercolour has been going on for centuries.

You can read about it in the nineteenth century, especially in England, where the use of new, improved binders & vechiles (increased soulbility) plus new artistic visions made one school of usage of watercolour go transparent because it could go WET. Really wet. Wet washes.

For me, I think an important dividing line is transparent/opaque. You do occassionally see artists describing work as 'transparent watercolour'. It's precisely the transparency that appeals to me because it's the solubility & wetness made visible.

It's also rather difficult. Transparency, as in the political sense of the word, means that you have nothing to hide. You can't cover over your mistakes.

But what of opaque pigments? For instance, bismuth yellow is a fabulous 21 century pigmen. Great for the bright yellow of pollen on stamens, very opaque, flows beautifully. However for a real understanding about opaque/transparent, it is necessary to know the point at which maximum saturation of colour is achieved in watercolour. For instance if you use it straight out of the tube, it dries really rather dull. It needs to be diluted to become alve, as it were, i.e. to be WET to be transparent to be colourful. Whilst acrylics & tempera are wonderful medii in their own right, they don't have watercolour's magical transformation upon dilution. Just add water... WATER + COLOUR!

Learn to Paint in Watercolours on a watercolour course in South West France with Adam Cope

*All levels including absolute beinners.

*Suitable for experienced watercolourists.

* Inspiring venue.

* Adam Cope - Qualified teacher, running workshops for ten years.

Click on the palette below for more info