BARRY HERNIMAN: Presentation to Ludlow Art Society Members. March 2002.

Barry Herniman Watercolour 1
Bary Herniman Watercolour 2

Aysgarth Falls.

Bary Herniman Watercolour 2

Barry demonstrated a watercolour of a view of the River Wye. His method is first to make a tonal sketch to record the light and dark areas in the composition. A simplified tonal rendering will help fix the main elements of the composition. Colour notes need to be added to the sketch. Photographs can also be used to supplement the colour notes. The tonal sketch is then used to work out the composition on the watercolour paper.

For his demonstration Barry used an A2 Schoellershammer Watercolour Block. The composition had been lightly drawn in pencil with some light parts blocked out with masking fluid. Barry then laid down the broad tonal washes onto dampened paper. Darker tones were added wet in wet and sometimes primary colours were mixed on the paper rather than in the palette.

It is essential that the first broad washes are competely dry before the next stage-Barry used a hair dryer to hasten drying. The masking fluid was then rubbed off and the final washes applied. These final touches were added quite loosely sometimes to lightly sprayed areas to create diffuse edges sometimes the paint was splattered from the brush for textural effect.