Presents
Tim Wilmot
Main Street Posara
Watercolour 15" x 22"
Our first day out and we ease into our painting with a simple scene of the main road in Posara, just up from the Watermill. Now, don't worry, It's a quiet road and we're painting normally on a Sunday so we only have to keep out of the way of the local church goers. So, a simple scene looking down the street and an exercise in perspective and composition, plus deciding whether to go portrait or landscape orientation.
Castle Steps Verrucola
Watercolour 15" x 22
This is a quiet little village with narrow streets and dominated by the castle. Here I focus on the steps - repetition can work well in the composition and also placement of shadows. And we also try to get figures into our painting to add more interest and a sense of scale.
Fivizzano Market Day
Watercolour 15" x 22"
Fivizzano Market Day is Tuesday - the morning offers an open air market spread around the Medici fountain in the centre of town. This was a plein air looking up towards the square and the church bell tower. I tend to not overdue the figures' legs if they're in deep shade. Just a hint of them.
Vernazza and the Cinque Terre
Watercolour 22" x 11"
Our day out visiting the beautiful coastal area of Cinque Terre with five very pretty seaside villages. Now you don't have to paint on this day - relax and do some sightseeing if you want to. I'll be painting as usual and will try and find a relaxing place to position myself with a lovely scene in front of us. So this is Vernazza, looking across the bay to the lovely buildings on the other side, some nice shadows crossing the scene, and some bed linen hanging out to dry.
Course dates
Course Completed
Profile
Watercolours
Tim Wilmot is an artist from Bristol in the South-west of the UK, specialising in vibrant watercolours, using tone and light to bring out the best in the medium. Tim, self-taught, paints in a loose, impressionistic style and, while having dabbled with portraits and still lifes, he is inexorably drawn to landscapes. He says: “I'm an outdoor person rather than an indoor person. For many years I’ve taken a sketch book on my travels and I quickly scribble scenes in a shorthand sort of way. Then, returning home, I recreate those memories with paint and brush. Watercolour is also an ideal medium for those quick impressions when you're limited in time.”
What about Tim’s style? He says: “I have been influenced by the styles of so many great watercolour artists, such as John Pike, Edward Wesson, John Yardley, Alvaro Castagnet and Joseph Zbukvic, but I have developed my own style over the years. When I look at other artists your aim is not to copy their style but to take elements of how they go about things and ‘make it your own’. So, use methods and techniques that you are comfortable with to deploy and use: there's no sense using masking fluid if you never get on with thae stuff!”
As well as an exciting artist, Tim is also an inspiring teacher. He demonstrates regularly in England and, amazingly has more than 15,000 followers of his demonstrations on YouTube. He is also a popular online painting tutor. He loves personal interaction with his students: “Every artist loves a bit or critique and feedback, and that's one of the key things I get out of a demo to a group of people. Everyone has something to say about a piece of work and that feedback is critical to development.”
Tim adds: “There are all sorts of reasons for coming on a painting holiday -- it might be to improve your drawing skills, loosen up your style, learn how to incorporate figures in a landscape -- and it's my job to try to find what your personal objectives are and help you achieve them. Oh and have fun with like-minded people on the way.”
Tim’s painting course at The Watermill
Every day we'll paint outside as much as possible and Tim will try to do two demos during the day. He says: “During the demos I’ll welcome questions, such as ‘Why did you choose that scene?’ ‘What brush are you using there?’ ‘What colour combination did you just use?’ and so on”.
After the demonstration, everyone can have a go at replicating that scene. Tim says: “I will be on hand to look over your shoulder and give some words of encouragement and try to give advice on what, in my opinion, does work and what doesn't. We can also have all our work displayed together and go through a brief critique and compare our experiences".
“If we're in the studio, no problem. There will be opportunity create some watercolour landscapes from some reference photos and we can do exercises on figure work, and getting things like cars or boats into the landscape.
“We all want to take away many things from our time at the Watermill and then the key is to IMPLEMENT at least one thing you have learnt.”
Praise from some of Tim’s previous students
“I'm quite impressed with how you transform a dull image into an impressionistic and beautiful study of light and shadow. You're great tutor!” - LN, USA
“I really like your loose style.” - KA, UK
“You really helped me. I can appreciate the effect of hard and soft edges that you achieve and the powerful change in tones you employ to achieve such great lighting effects. Many thanks.” - RK, India
“Like most, I struggle with too much detail. This will help me to "loosen up". I like how methodical you are and how you capture the light in your paintings. I also find it interesting how your figures are always walking towards the viewer. Seems like most watercolourists have them walking away from the viewer. I think your way brings your paintings to life.” - Andy, UK
“I can’t help being inspired by the careful and wonderfully measured strokes of a genius" - BT, UK
