In Seville , Spain the Winter is starting to reveal itself as some trees lose their leaves and the famous Orange trees of Seville bear fruit. Not yet Orange but green skinned, small and hard they will gently grow throughout Winter and before fully ripened, bloom white and yellow flowers to adorn the beautiful streets of Seville.Come January they are ripe and full, falling on the unwitting heads of passers by.
Despite Winter, Seville still offers a multitude of interesting subjects full of rich color for artists. Not too cold to venture out into “Aire libre” early in the Morning and spend the day painting. An excellent time of year for the watercolorist to work unhindered by a burning Summer sun that would normally require rapid work to avoid the washes from drying too quickly and even becoming bleached.
The photos show Eric Davis working in the area of Santa Cruz. Eric is local artist who has lived and worked in Seville for many years. His knowledge of the city is intimate. The paintings he has done could almost be taken as a mosaic of the city. He has painted every known place and many not so well known corners that offer themselves up to an artist.
Eric’s modus operandi is simple ; “hard work and get up early to catch the light”. Setting out just after dawn, Watercolor Pad under arm and a shoulder bag full of brushes, pencils a decent tray of watercolors he’s ready to search out his first motiv. Heading for the “Puente de San Telmo” he decides on the thoroughly painted ” Puente de Isabela” or The Triana Bridge. To paint this particular bridge you must either stand on the banks of the River Guadalquivir and take your position or use the opposite bridge as your point.
From the road there are too many palm trees obstructing the view. Eric told me that he worked the painting up and was able to retain the mixture of the occassional Morning cloud and the rising sun reflecting off the clouds. There was still enough deep shadow at this time of day to allow for some really delicate color contrasts in the foliage. Green and brown Bull Rushes below the trees along the riverside creating a great opportunity to strengthen the perspective.
Working with Watercolors is always a delicate operation and requires a lot of practice and skill. Working with washes to build up the color intensity, at the same time always attempting to make the whole painting gel together. The final result should be a vibrant, colorful flow of line and color that when applied correctly won’t fade and lose the strong but subtle expression that Watercolors offer the artist.
Eric Davis uses various Watercolor brands but ensures me that he believes in the idea that it’s better to have good quality materials in the studio. Brushes, paints and paper or canvas are the tools we use. Why not make sure they are top notch.Then just concentrate on the work instead of flapping about with a brush where the hairs keep falling out or Watercolor that doesn’t really deliver the goods as expected.
Eric Davis begins a new Watercolor in C/Mateos Gago
Notice the position of his easel; It’s essential that you position the work surface fairly flat
with enough tilt to allow the Watercolor to “move” slightly on the paper.
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Books on Watercolor techniques
Charles Reid’s Watercolor Secrets
Incredible Light and Texture in Watercolor
Chinese Watercolor Techniques
If you’re ever in Spain and would like to contact Eric Davis about his Work, then call or email him;
0034-661225840
0034-954 210 761
email: davisericw@yahoo.com
Artists always seem to attract attention
Airbrush from Scratch by Rapael Schnepf
