Follow Your Instincts

Jean Haines shows you how dividing a complex underwater subject into simple shapes and staying playful with your materials can result in lively, instinctive paintings

- By Jean Haines

When creating and allowing our inner artist to shine, using our imagination in combination with real subjects can be invaluable. The ability to follow our instincts, placing colour or detail where we feel it is needed, will come over time. Time and practice – and the longing to create animals in watercolor – will get you there. Have faith in your ability and think of learning new techniques as a fascinating adventure that will never have an ending.

When we first set out to paint, we can look at a complex scene like this and feel daunting. It is the sense of adventure that will help us to reach our goal of becoming a great artist.

I love painting so much that I wish I had the same number of limbs as an octopus, so that I could hold a paintbrush in each one. Imagine the number of paintings I could create then, and the fun I would have! Painting makes me feel so happy, and I really love sharing my passion with you.

I enjoy experimenting and making my own pigments and granulation fluid. For this step-by-step demonstration, I have combined my own homemade granulation fluid with neat pigment. Pigment as a powder in its raw form can be purchased online from either specialist art suppliers or directly from manufacturers. You can, of course, follow this demonstration using any watercolour shades that you prefer.