IONE HARRISON ART

Sometimes the most valuable thing you can paint isn't a landscape or a flower. Sometimes it's simply a circle. The Japanese enso is a circle painted in one continuous brushstroke. Traditionally associated with Zen practice, it isn't intended to be perfect. In fact, the beauty often lies in its imperfections. Some circles are bold and confident. Some are hesitant. Some remain open rather than fully closed. Each one is simply a record of a single moment. This makes it a wonderf

If you’ve got an hour spare this week and you’re craving something calm, creative, and achievable, this simple watercolour landscape is a lovely place to begin. This is an easy watercolour exercise designed to help you practise water control, explore soft blends, and create a peaceful sky and landscape using just two colours. It’s ideal for beginners, but equally enjoyable if you’ve been painting for a while and want something gentle and expressive. Why Try This Simple Waterc

I’m currently on holiday in Brittany for the Easter break, and I’ve been completely inspired by the coastal light, especially around Mont Saint-Michel. The landscape here has a softness that feels almost dreamlike. At different times of day, the palette shifts from silver-grey to turquoise, deep navy blue, and warm, earthy gold. It’s the perfect inspiration for atmospheric watercolour painting, especially if you enjoy capturing light and mood. A Limited Colour Palette for Coa

Leaf using just 3 colours If you’ve ever wondered how to practise watercolour when time is limited, this simple tutorial will help. Many people tell me the same thing: “I’d love to improve my watercolour… but I only ever seem to have an hour.” The good news is this: one hour is more than enough to develop your watercolour skills — if you approach it with structure. Instead of wondering what to paint, or drifting between ideas, a simple routine allows you to practise with clar

Learn how to avoid muddy colours in watercolour painting with simple tips for clean mixes, bright washes, and glowing, vibrant results.

Simple, joyful ways to build confidence and creativity. Starting out in watercolour can feel overwhelming, but a few simple techniques will give you the confidence to explore and play. Here are five easy watercolour techniques to try at home. Wet on wet, salt, lifting out and splatter in action. 1. Wet-on-Wet Lightly dampen the paper with clean water, then drop in your paint. Watch as the colour blooms and blends beautifully. Perfect for skies and soft backgrounds. Blending d

Watercolour Starter Kit: The Basic Equipment You Really Need Are you keen to start painting with watercolours but feel overwhelmed by all the brushes, paints, and papers on the shelves? You’re not alone — there’s so much choice, it can feel confusing at first. The good news is that you don’t need loads of fancy materials to begin. In watercolour, less is more. With just a few high-quality essentials, you can create beautiful, luminous paintings and start learning with confide

Before I start almost any painting, I spend ten or fifteen minutes simply playing with water, colour and marks. These aren't finished paintings. They're warm-ups. Just as a musician plays scales before a concert, I find a few simple watercolour exercises help me relax, loosen up and reconnect with the joy of painting. Here are five of my favourites. wet on wet charging adding clean water with spray adding clean water with brush lifting out Equipment needed: 2 water pots, boar

One of the questions I'm often asked on workshops is: "How do you keep those lovely white sparkles in a watercolour painting?" There are several ways to do it, but one of my favourites is also one of the simplest—and cheapest. Instead of reaching for masking fluid, I often use an ordinary white candle. The wax creates a resist, preventing the paint from soaking into the paper. It's perfect for sparkling water, sunlight on waves, winter trees and anywhere you want to preserve

One of the things I love most about painting woodland is the way light dances through the trees. Rather than trying to paint every leaf and branch, I prefer to suggest the feeling of being in a forest using loose washes, texture and expressive mark-making. In this tutorial I'll show you how to combine wax resist, cling film, lifting off and sponging to create a vibrant woodland full of atmosphere. Even if you're fairly new to watercolour, these techniques are surprisingly sim