I am looking for a softer approach to my painting and so I am testing different techniques. In this nude study the paper was very wet when I applied the watercolour pigment. The fact it spread like crazy is exactly why I love this medium.
Tag: aquarelle
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Sketching my emotions Nr.5
I could do a better job sketching this series but to be honest I like the freshness of a first attempt. It’s really interesting capturing emotions with watercolour.
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Winter doodle
I was just playing around. Lights and darks. The darks dominate, and cool colours too. It’s fun not putting pressure on oneself, just playing like a kid – no stress. Learn by doodling. 😉
Click the thumbnail if you would like to see a larger image.
I have no wish to compete with photographic images. When I paint a nude from a photo as in this case I want to find my own way of expressing the feelings I have towards the subject. If I just tried to copy the image on my computer screen it would be just so uninteresting and also demoralising because the original photograph will always be best. I know there are super-realists out there who would disagree with me. There is no wrongs or rights, for me it’s just a personal quest to find a form of expression.
Reclining nude 36 x 26 cm
To see the full-sized image please click the thumbnail below.
As I write this it is minus 10 outside. Summer feels very far away right now. Thankfully I am an artist and can recreate the memories of the long magical days we experienced while sailing in the Stockholm archipelago last year. We sailed for a month, most nights we slept in a different natural harbour. This painting at Fjärdlång was created in the studio from a photo I had taken. I maybe act like a squirrel, I take photos all summer then store them for the winter months when I am starved of adventure and sketching outdoors.
If you would like to view the full-sized image please click the thumbnail below.
Inspired by my summer watercolour sketch above, I am sending original watercolours to my supporters today. A patron who contributes $5 or more each month is entitled to one. There is other stuff on offer too, for just $1 there’s the weekly vlog and very soon – exclusive watercolour videos on Patreon.com only.
Join the Meldrum Art Supporters Club 
https://www.patreon.com/meldrumart
Last Sunday I spent a lovely afternoon with my friends at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts. The weather was truly awful outside so it was so nice to socialise indoors in these Covid-times. My approach for this sketch was not to try and achieve a perfect likeness of the sculpture but to practice my watercolour tonal skills. I will return another day and try and catch her likeness. 
Konstakademien 
Konstakademien 
Sketch by Meldrum
We sailed for the whole month of July this year. It was windy almost everyday and it was important to find some good protection for the evening. Ironically the winds usually died down but it was not guaranteed. This watercolour is the view from Sadelöga, NE of Utö in the Stockholm Archipelago.
I originally painted a small sketch of this scene from the cockpit of the boat, now that it is the season to paint in the studio I decided to have a go at a large version. It’s 70 x 50 cm in format, I haven’t painted this big for a year at least. I really enjoyed the challenge and I am happy enough with the result.
I have a few tubes of paint that I basically don’t really like and have been trying to use up for years. Antwerp Blue, for example. I took the opportunity to use it for the sea and I used Neutral Tint over it to try and calm it down. Like I said before, I am satisfied with the final result but I will be happy to see the end of that tube of 37ml Antwerp Blue.
Reference 1 
Reference 2 
The original sketch 
Aquarelle 
View from Sadelöga
This watercolour has got a great response on social media, I am very happy about that. Personally I think it is one of my better sketches. The scene was very complicated to begin with and so decoding it and getting it down on paper was a real challenge. A challenge that I really enjoyed. The weather was warm and sunny too, a wonderful day, I have a clear memory of it because of this sketch. I can’t rest on past success though, today I will paint another watercolour and try and improve my skills, every brush stroke should be beautiful.
Kungsträgården sketch 18 x 13 cm
Click the thumbnail below for the full-sized image.
