In this latest Arty Tips video, I explore a more experimental and intuitive approach to watercolour painting, inspired by the aerial views of coastlines and the natural patterns of the earth.
Rather than beginning with a detailed drawing, I started by pouring diluted watercolour across large sheets of paper and allowing the paint to move freely, creating organic shapes, textures and flowing edges. This allowed the paint to “find” its own landscape.
As the paintings dried, I looked for forms within them: rugged headlands, shifting tides, estuaries and coastal inlets emerged almost accidentally from the abstract washes. I then worked back into selected areas, adding small white waves around the edges of the land to suggest movement and scale.
One of the most interesting techniques used in this piece is ‘scrim’ (cheesecloth in USA), which created delicate tributary-like patterns flowing towards the sea.
Finally, I added a tiny boat into the composition. At first glance the painting appears abstract, but this small detail gives the viewer a sense of scale and a focal point of discovery. Once noticed, the painting begins to transform into something recognisable, an imagined aerial landscape shaped by water and movement.
This video is ideal for anyone interested in:
experimental watercolour techniques
loose and expressive painting
abstract landscape inspiration
pouring techniques in watercolour
painting oceans and coastlines
creating texture with scrim
intuitive painting processes
I hope it encourages you to loosen up, trust the flow of the paint, and allow unexpected landscapes to emerge naturally.