Sketching and Sketchbook Exhibition

I have been busy preparing for two exhibitions - the first opened on Tuesday night, and the other, the AWI annual exhibition, opens on the 10th June at Juniper Hall - more about that soon.

Chantal and Rooi hanging about :-)

The Sketching and Sketchbook Exhibition features a number of Urban Sketching artists with sketchbooks and framed sketches on display. It's a fabulous chance to peek into the precious sketchbooks of about 40 artists of various levels of experience and to buy framed sketches or larger works inspired by sketches.

It is at the Creative Space, 105 Abbot Road Dee Why. It is on until the 11th June.

I'll be doing an artist talk on the 6th June 2-4 about using sketchbooks in the process of creating published books.

Chris's canvas paintings made a great statement

Three of my paintings - Bo

Opening night.

I've exhibited a painting based on a sketch I did in Jindabyne  - the sketch is in a small Moleskine watercolour sketchbook A5. The painting is a half sheet watercolour, called 'Snow Gum'.

I have also exhibited two versions of paintings created from a sketch I did at the Shaolhaven River. 

On the right is Boyd's Rock Quartet, Shoalhaven River

(The software is playing up and I can't edit this post properly or add captions to the rest so sorry about the random layout!)

Below is the sketch on location - the water really was a remarkable gold as it reached the bank I was sitting on.

On the right is Boyd's Rock Quartet III, intended to really zoom in on the lovely group of rocks that Arthur Boyd painted over and over again. This is a full sheet of Arches watercolour paper.

I've also put in two studies from life - Shells and Jacaranda Pods, and a study of a Venetian Door. 

For more information click here. 

Council website here, 

Facebook page here.

Rembrandt Watercolours

Rembrandt watercolours are the professional range made by Royal Talens of Holland. I had only tried about 15 of the 80 colours shown on the colour chart until I was generously lent a brand new set of 48 by one of my students. Consequently most of these 53 colours shown are painted out from pan colours.

I love the Rembrandt soft pastels, which I have used for many years, so it was good to paint a large number of the professional watercolours at once. The student range is called Van Gogh.

They painted out nicely and I think it's a very no-fuss range. Great colours, a good choice of pigments, excellent earth colours and plenty of single pigment colours. While my plan was to show the full range of all brands, even though I am missing 27 from this range I decided to post them up anyway since there is not much available showing the Rembrandt colours. 

(updated June 2017)

September 2019 - I've created a new blog about Rembrandt watercolours here, based on their updated range.

Rembrandt set of 48 half pans.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Chinese White, Transparent titanium White (not shown), Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Permanent Lemon Yellow (not shown), Cadmium Yellow Light.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Azo Yellow Light (not shown), Cadmium Yellow Medium (not shown), Azo Yellow Medium, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Azo Yellow Deep (not shown)

Rembrandt Watercolour - Aureoline, Indian Yellow (not shown), Gamboge, Naples Yellow Deep (not shown), Naples Yellow Red (not shown).

Rembrandt Watercolour - Cadmium Orange, Permanent Orange (not shown), Vermilion, Cadmium Red Light, Permanent Red Light (not shown).

Rembrandt Watercolour - Cadmium Red Medium, Permanent Red Medium (not shown), Cadmium Red Deep, Permanent Red Deep, Permanent Red Light (not shown).

Rembrandt Watercolour - Madder Lake Deep (not shown, but PR83 so not recommended), Alizarin Crimson (not shown but also PR83 so not recommended), Permanent Madder Lake, Carmine, Quinacridone Rose.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Permanent Red Violet, Permanent Madder Purple (not shown), Cobalt Violet, Mauve, Permanent Blue Violet.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Ultramarine Violet (not shown), French Ultramarine, Ultramarine Deep, Cobalt Blue (Ultramarine) (not shown), Cobalt blue.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Cerulean Blue, Cerulean Blue (Phthalo) (not shown), Phthalo Blue Red, Phthalo Blue Green, Prussian Blue.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Indanthrene Blue, Indigo (not shown), Turquoise Blue, Bluish Green (not shown), Permanent Yellow Green (not shown).

Rembrandt Watercolour - Permanent Green, Emerald Green, Cobalt Green (I think this is actually made from PG19 but my sample was mis-labelled), Viridian, Phthalo Green.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Hooker Green Deep, Hooker Green Light (not shown), Sap Green, Olive Green (not shown), Green Earth (not shown).

Rembrandt Watercolour - Chromium Oxide Green, Yellow Ochre, Gold Ochre (not shown), Transparent Oxide Yellow, Raw Sienna.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Burnt Sienna, Transparent Red Oxide, Permanent Madder Brown, Light Oxide Red, Venetian Red.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Indian Red, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Transparent Oxide Brown, Sepia.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Vandyck Brown, Payne's Grey, Neutral Tine, Ivory Black, Lamp Black (not shown).

If you happen to have some of the missing Rembrandt colours and would like to send me a sample, please get in touch :-)

Use the search button to find other ranges of professional watercolour.

Old Holland Watercolour complete range

Old Holland goes back to 1664. Their website is really interesting to read :-)

Their current range of 168 watercolours includes 5 whites that I haven't tested -  Highlighting Titanium White (PW6), Tinting Zinc White (PW4), Transparent Chinese White (PW4), Opaque White and Mixed White (PW6).

The rest of the range is shown below. The full colour chart can be seen here and I have arranged these swatches in the same rather unusual order.

Old Holland are relatively expensive in Australia, especially for the pan colours so I haven't used many of the colours to paint with. I know that Golden Barok Red is a favourite of many, and the Ultramarine Deep and Cerulean Deep are some of the richest available. There are some gorgeous earth colours but also some multi pigment mixes. 

In some cases the website and the printed colour charts have noted different pigments so I have done my best to guess the best options.

The word 'lake' indicates a transparent glazing colour. 'Extra' means it is a traditional colour made from a lightfast pigment.

I always try to show each paint at it's best, but most of these are painted out from tiny dots of colour, sometimes not enough to build a strong wash. All the same, these would seem to be very light colours made largely with white.

Old Holland Watercolours - Old Holland Yellow Light, Old Holland Yellow Deep, Old Holland Yellow Medium, Brilliant Yellow Light, Brilliant Yellow.

 These first two are also tinted white hues painted from tiny dots.

Old Holland Watercolours - Brilliant Yellow Reddish, Naples Yellow Reddish Extra, Flesh Tint, Indian Yellow Green Lake Extra, Cobalt (Aureolin) Lake Extra.

 Scheveningen Yellow Light is a lovely rich primary yellow. The PY3 Scheveningen Yellow Lemon would be a nice cool option.

Old Holland Watercolours - Nickel titanium Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Scheveningen Yellow Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Light, Scheveningen Yellow Light.

 These are not quite true to real colour - the three on the right are slightly redder.

Old Holland Watercolours - Scheveningen Yellow Medium, Vermilion Extra, Scheveningen Red Scarlet, Cadmium Red Scarlet, Coral Orange.

 Oranges are always difficult to capture. These swatches are all a little more red than they appear here.

Old Holland Watercolours - Cadmium Orange, Scheveningen Orange, Cadmium Yellow Orange, Cadmium Yellow Extra Deep, Golden Barok Red.

 These are reasonable accurate in colour.

Old Holland Watercolours - Old Holland Red Gold Lake, Indian Yellow Brown Lake Extra, Indian Yellow Ornage LAke Extra, Gamboge Extra Lake, Cadmium Yellow Deep.

Old Holland Watercolours - Scheveningen Yellow Deep, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Old Holland Bright Red, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Red Medium.

Old Holland Watercolours - Scarlet Lake Extra, Cadmium Red Deep, Scheveningen Purple Brown, Cadmium Red Purple, Carmine Lake Extra.

Old Holland Watercolours - Alizarin Crimson Lake Extra, Madder (Crimson) Lake Deep Extra, Burgundy Wine Red, Scheveningen Red Deep, Madder (Geranium) Lake Light Extra.

Old Holland Watercolours - Scheveningen Red Light, Scheveningen Red Medium, Rose Dore Madder Lake Antique Extra, Old Holland Violet Grey (may also have PG18 in the mix), Old Holland Blue Violet.

Old Holland Watercolours - Dioxazine Violet, Ultramarine Violet, cobalt Violet Dark, Manganese Violet Blueness, Old Holland Bright Violet.

Old Holland Watercolours - Cobalt Violet Light, Manganese Violet Reddish, Scheveningen Violet, Ultramarine Red Pink, Royal Purple Lake.

Old Holland Watercolours - Old Holland Magenta, same colour as left, Magenta (Quinacridone), painted from a more generous sample), Scheveningen Rose Deep, ruby Lake, Brilliant Pink.

Old Holland Watercolours - Neutral Tint, Payne's Grey, Old Holland Blue Deep, Parisian (Prussian) Blue Extra.

Old Holland Watercolours - Old Holland Blue, Scheveningen Blue Deep, Blue Lake, Indigo Extra, Scheveningen Blue.

There are a number of beautiful cool blues - the Caribbean Blue and Cerulean Blue Deep in particular.

Old Holland Watercolours - Caribbean Blue, Cobalt Blue Turquoise, Cerulean Blue Deep, Cerulean Blue, Cerulean Blue Light.

PB33 - a lovely granulating cool blue pigment - was discontinued in 2017. Old Holland have added a new hue to their range made with PB35 + PB15 + PG50 + PV16 to replicate this colour.

Old Holland Watercolours - Manganese Blue Deep (old version - now a 4 pigment hue), Viridian Green Deep, Cobalt Green Deep, Cobalt Green Turquoise, Turquoise Blue Deep.

Old Holland Watercolours - Cobalt Blue Turquoise Light, Old Holland blue Grey, Scheveningen Blue Light, King's Blue Light, King's Blue Deep.

Old Holland Watercolours - Cobalt Blue, Old Holland Cyan Blue, Cobalt Blue Deep, French Ultramarine Light Extra, Ultramarine Blue.

The Old Holland Ultramarine Blue Deep is probably the most rich and granulating available. Manganese blue genuine may be difficult to find now as this pigment has been discontinued. The new hue is made from three pigments - PB35 + PB15 + PG50. Scheveningen Green Deep is of course 'phthalo green'.

Old Holland Watercolours - Ultramarine Blue Deep, Manganese Blue (original version, now a three pigment hue made with PB35, PB15 and PG50), Viridian Green Light, Cobalt Green, Scheveningen Green Deep.

Old Holland Watercolours - Scheveningen Green, Permanent Green Deep, emerald Green, Permanent Green Light, Old Holland Bright Green.

Old Holland Watercolours - Cadmium Green Deep, Cadmium Green Light, Cinnabar Green Light Extra, Old Holland Yellow Green, Old Holland Green Light.

Old Holland Watercolours - Permanent Green, Sap Green Lake Extra, Old Holland Golden Green, Raw Sienna Light, Italian Earth.

These are all very similar, it's not just the photo, but I rather like the PBr24 Naples Yellow Deep Extra. It's much nicer than most mixed Naples Yellow versions.

Old Holland Watercolours - Gold Ochre, Yellow Ochre Deep, Yellow Ochre Light, Mars Yellow, Naples Yellow Deep Extra.

Old Holland Watercolours - Naples Yellow Extra, Green Umber, Green Earth, Olive Green Dark, Hooker's Green Light Lake Extra.

Old Holland Watercolours - Hooker's Green Lake Deep Extra, Cinnabar Green Deep Extra, Chromium Oxide Green, Old Holland Golden Green Deep, Raw Sienna Deep.

Old Holland Watercolours - Brown Ochre Light, Old Holland Yellow Brown, Transparent Oxide Yellow Lake, Italian Brown Pink Lake, Transparent Oxide Red Lake.

Old Holland Watercolours - Mars Orange Red, Yellow Ochre Half Burnt, Yellow Ochre Burnt, Old Holland Light Red, Burnt Sienna.

Old Holland Watercolours - Red Ochre, English Red, Flesh Ochre, Venetian Red, Persian (Indian) Red.

Old Holland Watercolours - Old Holland Cold Grey, Scheveningen Warm Grey, Old Holland Warm Grey Light, Davy's Grey, Van Dyck Brown (Cassel) Extra.

Old Holland Watercolours - Sepia Extra, Old Holland Ochre, Raw Umber, Raw Umber - same paint, different batch, Burnt Umber.

Old Holland Watercolours - Deep Ochre, Warm Sepia Extra, Brown Ochre Deep, Red Umber, Mars Brown.

Old Holland Watercolours - Caput Mortuum Violet, Vine Black, Ivory Black Extra (PBk9), Scheveningen Intense Black (PBk7), Mars Black.

You can find the full range of many other brands on this blog - just use the search button.