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Umber Path

The contents page

The sketchbook

Every article so far, newest first. Each page has been written for somebody with a small paint box and an afternoon, and each lists its outside sources in the text.

  1. Paul Sandby Munn watercolour of a golden cornfield with stooks and a harvester, a farmhouse and tall trees behind

    Burnt sienna

    Can you sit and sketch anywhere in the UK countryside?

    Rights of way, access land and private fields across the four nations, for painters.

  2. Francis Towne view of Exeter from Exwick, with russet trees close by and a pale, hazy city and hills far off

    Ultramarine

    Why do distant hills look blue, and how do you paint them?

    Why far ridges fade, and four dials to turn when you paint them, back to front.

  3. Grey wash drawing by William Pars of tall trees in a woodland glade, built from a few clear tones

    Sepia

    How do you plan a landscape with thumbnail sketches?

    A ten-minute routine that makes the big decisions before you touch the paint.

  4. Painting of a stony river bed in full summer, with many different greens in the banks of trees behind the water

    Sap green

    How do you mix natural greens for landscape watercolour?

    Blue, yellow and a third colour to calm them down. Recipes, plus a chart to paint.

  5. Girtin watercolour of a Yorkshire village street with a horse and cart at a ford, painted in thin, warm browns

    Yellow ochre

    What weight of watercolour paper should a beginner buy?

    The gsm numbers decoded, plus surfaces, cotton and the question of stretching.

  6. Open page of a Turner sketchbook with a single broad band of blue wash under streaks of purple cloud on cream paper

    Raw umber

    What do you actually need to start watercolour sketching outdoors?

    Six colours, one brush, a block of paper. What goes in the bag and what stays at home.