Although watercolour painting appeared in China as early as the beginning of the second century, transparent watercolours were only used in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. Even then, they did not receive the attention they deserved — European artists mainly preferred to paint in oils. This attitude finally changed at the end of the 19th century, when masters such as Paul Cézanne, Maurice Prendergast and Wassily Kandinsky took up watercolour painting. Watercolour is still considered the most difficult technique in painting — we tell you about contemporary watercolourists who have mastered it to perfection and learned to create works of incredible beauty.
Prafull Sawant
Artist Praful Savant grew up in a family of renowned Indian artists and decided to follow in his parents‘ footsteps. After graduating from a prestigious art school in Mumbai, he travelled the world and participated in international competitions and exhibitions, quickly becoming famous. In his works, Praful depicts the bustling cities of India with their dry air, hot sun and rich colours. The slightly dusty landscapes easily transport viewers to the distant streets of Delhi and captivate them at first glance — so if you’ve never been to India, after seeing his paintings, you’ll definitely want to go.
Blanca Alvarez
The cheerful and airy watercolours of Blanca Alvarez from Malaga are a riot of elements and colours and unique colour combinations. She paints her native Spain — streets, houses, courtyards, the raging sea, lighthouses and poppy fields. Watching the artist’s interviews or seminars, it becomes clear how easy-going and open she is — just like her work: ‘When I paint, I am happy. When I paint, I want to dance and sing.’ Alvarez believes that art should bring happiness to both the artist and the viewer.
Liu Yi
The works of Chinese watercolour artist Liu Yi have won numerous prestigious awards, are sold at Sotheby’s auctions and are kept at the National Museum of China as national treasures. „Watercolour painting is a brilliant art form with a touch of randomness. It reveals the artist’s general skills as well as their degree of mastery in controlling the paints. I have been fascinated by its charm and depth for many years,“ says the artist. In his paintings, he depicts the streets and gardens of his beloved Shanghai, floral still lifes and ballerinas (the future artist studied ballet as a child) — it is the latter that have brought him the most fame.
Eudes Correia
Eudis Correia is a self-taught artist from Brazil who moved to Lisbon. He began his career in his youth, working as a graphic designer and illustrator, but over time he fell so in love with watercolour that he began to devote almost all his time and attention to it. He continues to do so to this day. The main characters in Correia’s paintings are ordinary people: city dwellers and tourists, children and adults. The artist clearly notes the individual characteristics of each person and easily transfers them to paper. Eudis Correia is hugely popular around the world and often holds seminars in various European cities. www.eudescorreia.com
Inky Leaves
The real name of this British artist is Jess Shepard, but she is known to the world under the pseudonym Inky Leaves, which translates from English as ‘ink leaves.’ Leaves is a botanical illustrator whose drawings are distinguished by their high level of detail. The artist has loved plants since childhood. She even went on to study botany at the University of Plymouth and then taxonomy at the University of Edinburgh. The knowledge she gained helps her understand plant physiology and genetics. The artist believes that without this, she would never have been able to feel plants so deeply. According to Jess herself, in the process of working on an illustration, she tries to become a plant — even before the brush touches the paper, she spends a long time observing her ‘models’ and tries to capture all the subtleties.
