Hello everyone, and welcome back to the new year! How’s it treating you so far? Not too badly, I hope. It’s been very snowy over here, with lots of rain earlier last week, but it’s warming up slightly, which can only be the sign that spring is slowly but surely on its way. Have you got any painting done yet? If yes, then great stuff! The new year is always the perfect time to seek out new artistic inspiration. If not, absolutely no worries – what better time to start than in January?
It was great to see so many of you for the first live broadcast of 2025, which was a little ‘Winter Fox.’ I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did, especially when we finished with a toasty little fox, all curled up in the snow – perfect for this time of year.
This week’s live broadcast is on tonight at 8pm GMT. So dust off your paintbrushes and get yourselves over there if you’d like to paint along. Tonight’s subject is ‘Blue Days,’ and you can watch the broadcast by following the link here: https://loosewatercolours.com/live-broadcast/
Now if you’d like some watercolour practice this week, why not get yourselves over to loosewatercolours.com, where there’s a new tutorial available for you to try out? It’s called ‘Trio in Blue,’ and it takes a simple approach to the style by only using limited colours. So it’s a slight challenge, but not too difficult, so don’t worry at all! It’s a lot of fun, so why not give it a go? You can find it by following the link here: loosewatercolours.com
And if you’re a Patreon member, then you’re in luck, because there’s another tutorial available if you want some more things to paint! ‘Christmas Jumpers’ is a fun, whimsical tutorial featuring two furry friends, who look very snug in their Christmas getup. This tutorial uses the Wash & Line technique, which adds another aspect to the painting by layering both watercolour and ink to create the dramatic finished effect. You can paint along by following the link here: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgeesonloosewatercolours
Watercolour Basics #8: Blending
This week, we’re back to our scheduled programming with our Beginners’ Tips & Techniques series. The subject for this week is… (drumroll please!) blending! Blending is a vital part of the loose watercolour process, but it can be a little difficult to master, especially if you’re just starting out on your watercolour journey. So why not watch the short help video below and practice your skills?
Just a quick question for you all… which painting do you like best? I’m trying to get a sense of which paintings you all like, because I’d like to make tutorials that you all enjoy, and the easiest way to find that out is to – well – ask you. So vote below! Which one of these watercolours is your favourite?
If you’ve made painting one of your new year’s resolutions in 2025, why not start your year out right with your very own set of the Loose Gang? They’re all tucked up tight in bed, ready to post – and it’s the perfect way to get all of the brushes you need to really make your paintings pop right off the page! You can treat yourselves to a set here: https://loosewatercolours.com/product/the-loose-gang/
That’s all from me this week folks, as the live broadcast for this week is on shortly and I fancy a cup of tea before we kick off. As usual, though, there’s an exclusive post featured at the end of this Substack for all of you paid subscribers – after all, it’s your generosity that helps keep this Substack running, so this is my way of saying an enormous thank you. I hope you all enjoy painting along to ‘Single Loose Floral!’
I’ll see some of you for the live broadcast, but I’ll be back in your inboxes very soon! Until then, though, it’s goodbye from me, and have a great week. And of course, happy painting!