Mark Begbie from Canada shares his favorite watercolor palette and techniques:

Here’s a Q&A with Mark:

Waarom maak je kunst?
I have always been creative and there is a part of me that cries out for some creativity, some color. Life is busy and art my time-out where it’s just me, my materials and the piece I’m working on, like a cocoon.

Hoe lang schilder je al?
Since an early age, with my older brother’s materials and guidance. Then again in university as part of my studies, but I’ve been taking it more seriously and painting more regularly over the past 6 years.

Heb je een formele kunstopleiding gevolgd?
I studied Architecture at the University in Johannesburg and part of my studies was architectural drawing, sketching and presentation. That was my first introduction to watercolor. After that I have been self-taught through online training, demos and connecting and learning from like-minded artists.

Ben je een professioneel kunstenaar of een hobbyist?
I paint for pleasure first as a hobbyist. Most of my works go to friends and family.

Wat inspireert je?
I am inspired by my environment, my travels, architecture, design and color. I look to and connect with artists who think outside the box and extend their creativity beyond the medium or materials.

Naar wat voor muziek luister je tijdens het schilderen?
All kinds, from 80’s hits to the new and esoteric. Sometimes jazz, sometimes instrumental – it all seems to connect with the moment, the environment and the painting.

Heb je een mentor gehad?
I don’t have a mentor but I follow many artists who are on the same artistic journey as me, including many of the DANIEL SMITH Brand Ambassadors.

Schildert u elke dag?
While I strive to paint every day, I at least sketch every day. I will work on some pieces over many days or weeks, painting for 1 or 2 hours a day is sometimes what I can fit in to my schedule. I try to keep a healthy balance but also try to capture the moments of inspiration before they go.

Schildert u één stuk tegelijk of werkt u aan meerdere tegelijk?
I usually get excited about a concept and that gives me energy to start a piece and I usually complete that piece before moving to the next one. But sometimes I revisit a piece after a week or two and might work on it some more.

Maak je eerst een concepttekening?
Yes, I do color studies and sketch out the composition. Then a rough practice piece to see the harmony of the paint and paper.

Schildert u liever in een atelier of in de buitenlucht?
I paint in my studio.

Hoeveel basiskleuren gebruikt u?
I use about 30 core colors, with many more supplementary colors. Out of that I usually choose about 6 colors for a painting, to keep the color harmony of the piece.

Buisjes, pannen of stokjes?
I use all 3 – mostly pans for the detail works, and sticks and tubes for the abstract pieces.

Wanneer weet je dat je werkstuk af is?
When the harmony of the piece comes together and the painting tells you when to stop. But I do occasionally stop too early (to avoid overdoing the piece), so I will leave it for 1 day or 2 and revisit it with fresh eyes. Then I will finish it up or leave as-is.

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Doe elke week online met ons mee via Zoom of Facebook voor een Een persoonlijk gesprek met John Cogley (Daniel Smith, eigenaar en CEO) samen met gastartiesten van over de hele wereld. Op donderdag (14:00 uur Pacific Time) licht John verschillende kenmerken van onze producten toe en beantwoordt hij uw vragen. Op vrijdag (10:30 uur Pacific Time) deelt een gastartiest een demonstratie met zijn of haar favoriete tips en technieken. Klik hier voor de Zoom-links van de komende week..

Als u dat prettiger vindt, kunt u onze website bezoeken. Facebook Kijk live op de pagina tijdens de show. Herhalingen zijn te bekijken op Facebook of YouTube. De traditionele español is beschikbaar – selecteer het kanaal in español en Zoom.