Paul Riley
runs residential courses from his home and studios in south Devon. For more information email [email protected]
Telephone 01803 722 352 or visit www.coombefarmstudios.com
Watercolour portraiture is tricky enough at the best of times; adding hands is an added frisson to say the least. My first serious painting was, in fact, a self-portrait. I was about ten years old. It was exhibited at a mixed show on Richmond Hill Terrace, and I was so proud! My mother was an illustrator and a Slade-trained portraitist in oils. It was she who taught me the basics and was my sternest critic. Back then I worked in oils which wasn’t usual for someone my age. When I finally attended art college oils, and then acrylics, dominated. There was practically no watercolour work being done and certainly not portraiture.
Back to basics
For successful watercolour portraiture one needs to understand the physiognomy of the head, by which I mean its underlying structure. This requires knowledge of the
