I did a demo at the Norfolk Watercolour circle on Sat 1st June 13. I wanted to show them how to get darks into their paintings. Quite often when you see amateur watercolorists who paint and draw quite well, but I am left with the feeling that the painting his 1/2 an hour short of finished.
The darks are missing. If you squint at a tree or under a bush you will see some very dark tones. This is what I am after in my paintings.
I completed the painting below in three colours only,  Cobalt Blue Light Red and Raw Sienna.
I didnt put any darks in the painting and completed it under an hour, as my demo.
 I added some white on the masts and boats as highlights that I lost during painting.

Here is another attempt at one of my favourite scenes. Southwold Harbour.
I took 3 photos during painting process,
I tried to really get some dark darks into the painting.

I used Arches 300lb paper and drew the image in pencil first. All the large areas of white are the paper showing through and not white paint. The darks are a mixture of Ultramarine blue, light red and alizarin crimson. Using these three colours I can get as close to black as needs be!

Been busy last few days doing an acrylic mural in local school. Quite enjoyed it, something completely different. It features characters from a book "Were going on a bear hunt" by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury.
This is the image its 2 meters x 1.5, on board.

It needs about 2 hours more work to bring the characters forward in the painting

4th Meeting of Urban Sketchers Norwich yesterday indoors at the Castle Mall, Norwich.
My effort is the burger king watercolour.
Also visit;
http://urbansketchersnorwich.wordpress.com
http://www.flickr.com/groups/urbansketchersnorwich/

Hi all,
Here are 5 of the completed paintings for the Wymondham show. Some distortion to perspectives as pics were taken on iphone. Colours have come out great  however.

Been busy recently doing some drawing to prepare for forthcoming exhibition. Wymondham Rotary club have a group show each year in the spring. I will enter 6 paintings. I have done 8 drawings and will start painting this week.
I have got an oil painting lesson this week with John Shave on Tues.
Did this practice painting yesterday in oils.
I squared up the photo and canvas and the black pen shows thru the oil!
A mistake not to be repeated.
Its St Stephens Church in middle of Norwich in recent snowy conditions.

We had the 3rd meeting of Norwich Urban Sketchers at the Sainsbury Centre for visual arts on Sunday 20th Jan.
We have had some decent snow fall recently and more was forecast for Sunday afternoon.
We started at 1pm and by 3.45pm the snow started to fall so we called it a day and abandoned ship.

 7 brave souls ventured out.