Debbie Blackburn
Debbie Blackburn demonstrated a watercolour on canvas.
Debbie is a Johannesburg-based professional artist in the mediums of watercolour, acrylic, ink and mixed-media. Her expressive-figurative artworks have been exhibited in South Africa and globally. She has also been honoured with a number of local and international awards.
Her formal art education includes the Johannesburg College of Art and the Johannesburg Art Foundation. In addition to her artwork, she also has a background in commercial and portrait photography.
Aside from portrait commissions, Debbie’s preferred subject matter includes landscapes, seascapes, water reflections, flowers and wild animals. She also loves the expressive freedom of abstract painting. She is a dedicated artist who is constantly evolving and has spent countless hours honing her craft and experimenting with different mediums and techniques.
“Painting on watercolour canvas can be very challenging, and daunting, but the results are so, so exciting and textural.” says Debbie.
During this two-hour demonstration, Debbie will demonstrate the actual painting techniques, methods and tools she uses in her watercolour paintings on watercolour canvas. She will also share the frustrations and joys she has experienced with this challenging watercolour surface.
Additional Notes:
- I lifted the orangey colour on the right-hand side. I wasn’t happy with the colour, nor the depth of tone. Intentional lifting is easy on watercolour canvas and I wiped away the paint I didn’t want with a damp kitchen cloth.
- I added another layer to give depth – on the kettle and the mug. A second layer can only be done when the canvas is 100% bone-dry. Even then, one has to use an almost dry brush, to prevent the first layer from lifting. Personally, I recommend doing one layer and, whilst the paint is still wet, dab in darker tones to create depth.
- I added some texture and emphasis with Aquarelle pencil.
- I sprayed two layers of fixative on the painting to prevent the paint from lifting. Thereafter, I sprayed another two layers of matte waterproof varnish to protect the painting.