Winter Barn 
A warm welcome to my Official Web Site. I do hope you enjoy viewing my paintings as much as i enjoy
ed painting them. My web site not only allows me to show you a selection of my work but also to try and offer some inspiration to all those amateur artists just starting out in what will be a great and rewarding adventure. Your new hobby will change the way you look at the world around you. You will become aware of the kaleidoscope of ever changing colour you once never noticed. Each painting session brings its own rewards, but more importantly each session should be FUN.
Peter Weston
A Selection of Contemporary Watercolour Paintings by Amateur Artist Peter Weston
Decide which Medium to use
As a self taught artist, th
e most important decision i had to make, when i first took up painting in May 2008 was deciding which medium to use. I tried out a number of different mediums and finaly decided Watercolour was the one for me, but being a complete novice i had not realised the many challenges and hurdles i would have to overcome to master this unforgiving medium. It's 
only when you grasp the basic techniques and your paintings start coming together that you see the finished product is something very, very special. Make no mistake the learning curve is steep but the rewards far out weigh the effort. Lots of practice, plenty of patience and a sheer determination to succeed are the key ingredients to Successful Watercolour Painting.
The Artist - Peter Weston
Choosing the right Paper
Most of my early paintings turned out a muddy mess and were confined to the rubbish bin, the muddying was caused by too much overworking on the paper, one reason for this i found was the 
actual Paper i was using, which i now know was too light in weight at 190g/m² (90lb), at this weight, water caused my paper to cockle and twist especially when using wet in wet techniques, very frustrating for a novice just starting out in Watercolour. I now use a medium/heavy weight paper Bockingford 300g/m² (140lb) - Rough or heavier if required, soaking and stretching with this weight of paper is not necessary and large amounts of water can be used with only a slight cockling of the paper which soon disappears once the final painting has dried.
This weight and texture of paper is ideal for painting Landscapes & Seascapes.
Developing your own Style
Since I started painting I have tried to work as an artist and painter in the English watercolour tradition. The two subjects I love to paint are landscapes and seascapes.
My personal style of painting has partially developed through studying the techniques of two modern masters of Watecolour Painting. Two British artists known around the world for the quality of their work and teaching methods they are Terry Harrison and Geoff Kersey. It is through studying their DVD's, Videos and reading many of their publications that my individual style you see today, has partially evolved.
Over time each artist will eventually develop his/her own style of painting, some will go for the new modern vibrant/abstract style of art, others take on the elaborate style of painting animals and buildings in explicit detail, while artists like myself have developed in a more Traditional and open English Watercolour style, all artists tend to find a level they feel comfortable with.
The best advice i can offer if you are just starting to paint is to let your own unique style of painting develop on your canvas as you progress, beleive me within a short period of time you will be showing the world what you have achieved.
To purchase any painting go to the "Purchase a Painting" page for buying instructions
Voted artist of the month October 2008 by visitors to the
Painting and Prints by British Artists web site
See the editors comments (marked in RED) or visit the web site using the link below
