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www.davidbellamy.co.uk I hadn’t really taken much notice of watercolour sticks until I was asked if I’d like to try them. I was more than happy with my Daniel Smith watercolour box of half-pans for outdoor sketching so, slightly sceptical, I set off along a trail beside the Garreg-ddu reservoir in the Elan Valley with a few watercolour sticks in my rucksack. After a while I found a spot (above right) where sunlight beautifully illuminated the crags across the valley and the foreground birches provided a colourful autumn framework. Once I began working with the sticks I became entranced by the intensity of the gorgeous colours. Soon I was enjoying myself too much in the sunshine, and over-elaborated the lower crags in the distance. I often find that a little discomfort while sketching helps to progress the sketch much faster and avoid such over-working.
How do the sticks compare with a box of half-pans? When drawing directly onto the paper you can achieve some really strong darks instantly as in the cottage scene (right), and even though some marks may show through after washing over with water, they can suggest a sense of dynamism and movement. You can create interesting texture by laying on a colour smoothly with a brush then, once that has dried, rub over it with a watercolour stick with a medium to darkish tone, such as quinacridone sienna, a feature that is not so easy with traditional paints. Allow some of the original colour to show through and, if you do it on a NOT surface, it works really well.