Let me know if you are going to try any of these backgrounds. To improve your drawing watch THIS next: Drawing Tutorial (AVOID these 10 Beginners' Mistakes!) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-X9sF9kEFeNk.html
I laughed out loud when you suggested that people consider your martial arts training! I've watched and enjoyed many of your videos so far -- so well paced, with great demonstrations and clear, full explanations -- but this humour was a delightful bonus. Thanks!
The thing I like most about your videos is that the majority are teaching techniques. When I only have a little while to paint trying different techniques is a great way of learning. I love your wet I wet poppy background. So simple but you have done it beautifully
Hi Michele, All of the backgrounds are lovely, and useful, but the masking tape shaping is my favorite. I'll be trying that one first. Thank you-again-for these helpful tutorials.
Thank you! This video was a 'eureka' moment for me; I've seen various painting with exquisite background and I struggled with the same techniques. Your video was exactly what I needed to improve background work, and I have ideas as to how to achieve them.
Thanks for generously sharing these techniques with us. BTW, I'm a Canadian French speaker and your pronunciation of "gouache" is perfect, in fact, as perfect as the background you've created.
I am definitely going to have a try with each one of these techniques for backgrounds in my future paintings. Thanks for sharing this wonderful video with us.
I am sure I will try the first. I did sign up for your watercolor tips since I have been pondering whether I want to use them. Thank you again for your inspirations and tutelage
I love the watercolour pencil and then the matte of the gouche. But then.... I love all the techniques thank you. Ive been watching your video that suggests practice paintings with a purpose and I am going to do little paintings specifically to try the backgrounds. Then hopefully I'll be a bit prepared for a bigger painting. Your flowers are beautiful.
Still waiting for salt/water to dry in the sun (I bought Himalyan salt, so some is pink/brown and also gives a different result. Adding the water on top of salt helps it to do an affect, thanks. Tried the masking tape, works great since it was wet around and on top so easy to pull off (ripped a bit). Think I would use that for an abstract project, since tearing is so random. Love your art, your flowers are so beautiful and realistic (have NOT mastered that in the least..still practicing!) Thanks for all you do to inspire, teach and just be a lovely human being!!
Thank you so much, Jil! :-) Interested to see the Himalayan salt results. Do you have Facebook? If so, join my Facebook group "In The Studio with Michele" and let us see! :-)
The masking tape is very interesting. You included some good hints about rubbing the tape on cloth and removing at an angle, which are helpful. As always keeping the edges wet to keep from getting hard edges, was interesting; the salt technique was pretty also. It was good to learn that “goo….aaah…..ssshhhh” was developed for graphic art; makes sense. You have taught me so much. Liked the ….”Don’t mess with me or I will fight you; and you will lose”……….HaHaHa Recently, I have tried painting with two brushes: one with my pigment and one with plain water for the wet edges. Haven’t gotten confused yet, but that’s always a worry.
I liked the poppy and the salt one. They are all amazing really. I am sure that your lovely flowers are a good place to start. I hope to get started practicing each technique next week.
Thank-you Michele I liked the first 2 best and thought your tips were very helpful . Also you answered my question "Can you use wet into wet technique on top of a light background". Also enjoyed the tips with salt sprinkles.
Thank you Michelle for so much helpful stuff - you really make it possible to progress. Have you done anything on metallic paints? What do you think of them and how should they be used?
I just found your RU-vid and very happy that I found it. After Covid keeping everyone separated, I have finally returned to a drawing class. I have benefited greatly from your videos on drawing. I also am returning to watercolor and will definitely be trying your backgrounds. Thanks so much from a loyal follower from the Great Lakes area of the US.
Oh Michele, as soon as I saw that poppy I knew that I had to take your watercolour pencils course. Then I saw the daisy! Wow!! And the bluebells, then the geranium…*sigh* so beautiful! I loved the background techniques you showed us here and I think I’m going to give them all a try. Thank you for another wonderful video ❤️
I loved the finished daisy the best but I am itching to try the salt as well. Yet again thank you Michele, for the time and effort you put in to encourage beginners like myself. You are very appreciated 💝
Loved this Michele! I struggle with backgrounds a lot and this really gave me a lot of techniques to try and make my backgrounds more interesting. The daisy was my favorite but I loved them all. Very helpful! ( By the way....love your British accent😀 and lovely nail color!)
Thank you for this tutorial. I had never thought about using masking tape for background details. Such a useful thing to know. I am going to have such fun trying this technique.
Thank you so much again, Michelle- brilliant as always! 🌞 My favourite, was the ground part of the bluebell painting, and the sky behind the poppy! ❤ Stunning! 🎨 I will try them all - but those in perticular. 🌿 Hugs from Sweden! 🇸🇪
I loved this tutorial! And I definitely think what you’re doing is wet into wet. At minute 12:30, at the end of the first stage of the daisy background, I’d like to try adding table salt as I paint around the yellow and blue dots to try to make the flowers in the background form themselves. I wonder if it will work… This was really fun. Thank you. 💙🌵
Please tell me what salt you used. I find table salt to be too fine for most applications. I’ve tried Kosher salt flakes with better success, but your chunky salt takes things to a whole new level. This is a GREAT video - thanks, as always!
Hi Michelle. I love your work and youre incredible as an educator as well! I wanted to ask your personal opinion on something... As far as watercolors (of course always having 2 waters to draw from; clean and dirty) ... Whats your thoughts on using tap water vs distilled? Do you feel distilled is necessary? Does it make a difference in longevity ? Thanks so much! - Desiree
Hi Starr, Some people say that they notice a difference in using distilled water. I myself just use water out of the tap and haven't come across any issues that I can see and I'm in a pretty hard water area.
Stunning techniques Michele, and great video as always. Just what I needed after one hell of a day/night, leaving Trev in A & E. Thank you so much for your commitment, hard work, and support. You're a star ⭐🙏💕
Are you only wetting the paper at the starting area and then applying paint to dry paper as you work around, or are you just not showing the clear water wetting as you work around?
The former. Just water to start then only paint. I would add water if I were doing a soft edged vignette but here I don't need to, it would just dilute the paint.
It wouldn't draw the moisture in and would likely dissolve slightly making the paper vunerable to insect/mould. You can use sand or small pebbles if you want an alternative, but you won't I crystallisation, it.can leave interesting marks though!
Since the pandemic I no longer teach regularly, I have taught privately, workshops and courses for many years, as well as demonstrations and talks for art shops, art clubs and societies. I do have a couple of one day courses in Suffolk UK coming up (details on my website), but Covid unfortunately ended my weekly classes.
I try Julie, with some success in more recent videos. On the older ones you can slow down the speed in the settings and you will barely notice, but it makes it easier. I am naturally hyperactive :-)
