Greg paints in a strong, loose and colourful way and his paintings contain elements of sound design and draftmanship and a crisp, direct technique. In this film he starts off with an initial session of techniques in his studio in Melbourne. He then demonstrates his method of painting, choosing views along the coast near his home.
The second part of the film sees him travelling to France where he paints a street scene and harbour in the picturesque port of Honfleur in Northern France.
LEISURE PAINTER - February 2008
Review by Theodora Wilcox
Spontaneous watercolours
With his sunny Australian accent, and boundless enthusiasm, acclaimed watercolour artist Greg Allen, is a pleasure to learn from. In his latest film, A World of Watercolour, he starts by showing us what makes his medium special. He rapidly lays on colour, showing a range of techniques all on one sheet of paper. He then goes back and explains how these effects were achieved; using dampened paper to create softer finishes, or painting directly onto a dry surface to ensure a crisp edge. He moves from the mark making to create three- dimensional forms, showing how quickly damp paper can pull colour round to create the illusion of a three- dimensional cylinder or sphere. It is almost like magic! It’s a lively and engaging start.
Over the course of the film, Greg completes four demonstrations. The first is a beach scene at Sandringham, outside Melbourne. Although not a particularly sunny day, he creates a painting that is full of contrast and colour. The second demonstration is again in Sandringham, but this time a more intimate view of a pathway running through sunlit trees. He shows how he creates bold sketches to first decide on his composition, and then how to lay in the main shapes and tonal values. Being a hot day, he needs lots of water, washing in colour, and then lifting out highlights with a flick of his fingernail.
The second half of the film moves to Honfleur in France. He zooms in on a section of the harbour, flanked by interesting buildings and set against the light. This provides the opportunity to learn how Greg so successfully captures water. Finally, he finds a characterful backstreet where he can explore the relationships of shapes within the historic architecture, accompanied by an organ recital in a nearby church!
By merit of planning carefully and keeping things simple, Greg’s work always looks fresh and spontaneous. His aim is to help the viewer see the world through the eyes of a watercolour artist, which in Greg’s case, are twinkling ones!
THE ARTIST - April 2007
For Greg Allen, one of Australia’s most accomplished artists, watercolour must be fluid and free. That is when the true characteristics of the medium are revealed, he advises, and by this means it is possible to build up wonderfully convincing effects of light and mood. In A World of Watercolour we meet Greg in his studio in Melbourne, where he starts by showing us the materials he uses as well as demonstrating various exercises to test the distinctive qualities of watercolour, whether applied wet-in-wet or wet-on-dry.
With the essentials explained, Greg is ready to find interesting subjects to paint outside, and his first trip is along the coast to Sandringham, near Melbourne, where he paints a view of the bay and a pathway to the beach. His method is confident and direct, working with freely applied washes and marks developed from a sound initial drawing and astute observation. Everything is clearly explained and there is much to gain from watching his deft approach.
In the second part of the film he visits Honfleur in northern France, where he paints two more wonderfully loose and atmospheric watercolours. “It‘s all about light and seizing the moment,” he says. He makes it look so easy!
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Greg paints in a strong, loose and colourful way and his paintings contain elements of sound design and draftmanship and a crisp, direct technique. In this film he starts off with an initial session of techniques in his studio in Melbourne. He then demonstrates his method of painting, choosing views along the coast near his home.
