How to: extra-terrestrial worlds with Winsor & Newton watercolour

Posted by Cass Art Staff on 24th Dec 2021

Follow our staff artist Alana Francis as she demonstrates the interstellar possibilities of watercolour. Combining the exquisite nature of Winsor & Newton watercolour with Cass Art surface and lino printing, follow along and create your own mixed media solar system today.

What you'll need:

Winsor and Newton Professional Watercolour Half Pan Set of 24

Cass Art Jumbo Watercolour pad

Cass Art set of white synthetic brushes

Essdee Lino Printing Kit or Cass Art Acrylic Paint

Step 1

If you're working with lino, take a compass or use a Jakar circle template and draw a circle on the lino then carefully cut it out with your lino tool.

Top tips for lino cutting: be careful the blades are very sharp! Move the blade away from you and work slowly to take away the layers.

Alternative Step 1

If you don't have a lino printing kit not to worry! You can use Cass Art Acrylic

Step 2 - Lino cut

Roll your Essdee ink into the tray until you get a slight tacky texture, roll onto your lino cut and press the Cass Art Watercolour paper onto the top - use the brayer included in the lino cut kit and press the paper down onto the lino in small circular motions.

Slowly reveal your print by pulling the paper up at one corner, be careful not to smudge the edges! Now wait for your ink or paint to dry, it needs to be fully dry so with acrylic at least a few hours and with lino ink.

Step 3

Now it's time to add the watercolour and bring your planet to life.

I use a combination of wet on wet and wet on dry for the planets texture, try not to focus too much on a plan and let the colours bleed into one another. Use a combination of bright pinks, purples and blues for an intense sci-fi effect.

You can also use a single colour, changing the intensity with the amount of water within the circle. The below example is only using a Payne's Grey half pan, moving the paint on the surface of the paper.