Hello 👋🏻 first post for me on your new forum! Very excited to learn more and see others work and potentially new tutorials in the future!

I’ve been learning to paint for a little over a year now and have always found Oliver‘s work so inspirational. I’ve completed a number of tutorials from various watercolour artists over the past year and a bit, but certainly feel that my aspirational ‘style’ (something which no doubt comes after years of painting), fits more closely with the works of Oliver and also Geoff Kersey another of my favourite artists who has some excellent learning tutorials.

What I like the most about Oliver’s (and Geoff’s) work is the detail (or suggestion of detail) and translucency that you both encourage, a lightness and freshness to the approach which always, to me, feels more appealing. An outcome which speaks of memories and felt experiences. Whilst I admire other artists who focus on making ‘large connecting shapes’ or focussing on tonal values first, I always struggle to replicate these approaches and the final result whilst appealing seems to lack the fine detail present in those works I love.

This tutorial of Studland Bay, whilst difficult for me (I struggled with the colour mixing of a limited palette and was obviously too strong in my washes and also had a number of errors throughout), turned out OK and I am still pleased with the final outcome.

What I find incredible when watching Oliver paint though, is the ease with which it comes together, especially the graduated washes (mine always appear to be too dry, no bead and too strong in pigment!).

For a learning experience it is still valuable and more importantly immensely enjoyable.

Happy painting everyone.

Rupert