11 best watercolors of our time and their paintings: "Watercolors cannot be tamed, they must be circled like a wild horse "

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Today, watercolor is a very popular technique; many eminent painters are passionate about it, elevating it to the rank of high art. International festivals and exhibitions, expositions in museums and galleries - the spirit of watercolors is everywhere. In our publication, we will present you the best modern representatives of this technique, who managed to master it perfectly and learn how to create works of incredible beauty.

And before we start our sightseeing tour of the galleries of world-famous watercolorists, I would like to say that this technique in the visual arts is quite young, and also that watercolor is still considered the most complex technique in painting.

A few curious facts about watercolor

Surely many readers will be surprised that the watercolor technique appeared much later than oil painting. The first mentions of this technique as a means of painting date back to the early 19th century. Nevertheless, the prototype of watercolors has been known since the times of ancient China, ancient Egypt and the countries of the ancient world. These were more ancient water-soluble paints - sepia, Chinese ink, slavkarmine, which had a denser and more opaque consistency.

Watercolors became similar to modern ones in quality and properties only in the 15th century, but in the form in which they are used now, they began to be used only at the turn of the 18-19th century. ornaments, miniatures and capital letters were made. And also this amazing paint was used by artists in the development of future paintings as an underpainting, in sketches and sketches.

The charm of cityscapes in watercolors by Indian artist Prafull Sawant

Prafull Sawant is considered one of the world's leading realists. The watercolor painter was born and raised in a family of famous Indian artists, and his father and older brother were his first teachers and mentors. Subsequently, Prafull Sawant graduated from the famous Mumbai Art School. After graduation, he visited Rome, Paris, Florence, traveled a lot around the world, participated in competitions and exhibitions of watercolor painters both in India and far beyond its borders.

The unique author's style of the artist was undoubtedly greatly influenced by the study of the painting of old European masters, with which he met in museums and galleries in Rome, Paris and Florence. By the way, in addition to watercolors, Praful also works with gouache, acrylic and oil paints. However, preference is still given to translucent delicate watercolors. The artist often works in the open air to be as close as possible to the source of inspiration.

His unique style of criticism is characterized by a skillful fusion of portrait, landscape and modern architectural forms. It is this style that helps the artist to tell about his native India and local people. Slightly "dusty" landscapes easily transport the viewer to the distant streets of Delhi and fascinate at first sight.

Praful Savant is a laureate of dozens of international and national awards in the USA, Australia and India. On his account - over 100 exhibitions around the world, more than 50 international professional awards, victories in prestigious competitions. The artist shares the secrets of his skill, giving numerous master classes in many cities of the world.

Joe Francis Dowden's Incredible Landscapes

Artist Joe Francis Dowden was born in 1958 in England. He began his professional career as an artist in 1982. Dowden is best known for his watercolor landscapes, which are so hyper-realistic that they look like photographs. Over the years of his creative career, the artist has released a number of educational books and videos, in which he shares his professional experience. In addition, Joe Dowden often conducts painting workshops in various countries. By the way, in 2014, similar events were held in Russia.

As an experienced watercolorist, Dowden advises novice artists to try not to oversimplify the technique, but rather to complicate it as much as possible. His multi-layered watercolors delight the public with unforgettable delight.

And yet, conducting master classes, he strongly recommends that his followers draw not the landscape itself, but the light:

The magic of ballet in watercolor by Liu Yi

Chinese watercolor artist Liu Yi was born in Shanghai, China. He also graduated from the East China Normal University (art department) and started teaching at the Shanghai College of Art and Design. Now he is a well-known master of watercolor throughout the world, is a member of the Association of Chinese Artists and is a member of the Society of Watercolorists.

This talented Chinese painter's watercolors are often referred to as art about art. And all because the favorite subject of Liu Yi is ballet and theater. The heroes of his watercolors are refined images of ballerinas and classical musicians, the inner world and mood of which the artist skillfully conveyed to the viewer with the help of delicate translucent paint. Their images seem to emerge from the dark haze, emotional and very characteristic. To some extent, they have something in common with the images of the ballerinas of the French artist Edgar Degas.

The Chinese artist's amazingly graceful watercolors have won numerous awards, including the highest award at the Seventh National Fine Arts Exhibition and China's highest award at the Watercolor Painting Exhibition. For many years, Liu Yi's paintings have been sold at Sotheby's and are kept in the National Museum of China as a national treasure.

Live watercolors by Turkish artist Rukie Garip

Rukie Garip was born in 1964 in Bartin, Turkey. In 1985 she graduated from the faculty of painting and graphic design of Gazi University (Gazi Universitesi), lived in Ankara, worked in the field of graphic design. A couple of years later, having decided to start creative, she founded a ceramic workshop. But the artist somehow did not work out with ceramics.

Since the 1990s, Rukie moved to a teaching position as an art teacher at a school, where she worked for 20 years. Only after retiring, she revealed her incredible creative potential and became a professional artist. She currently lives in her hometown of Bartin and paints stunning watercolors in her own workshop.

- this is how Rukie Garip says about his work.

P. S

Of course, it is impossible to place all the outstanding world-famous watercolor masters within the framework of a small article, but if you wish, you can, following the links after each overview photo, independently travel through the galleries of the outstanding watercolors of our time and learn a lot of interesting things about them.

Joseph Zbukvic

“Watercolor cannot be controlled or tamed. It must be circled like a wild horse”, - this is how the outstanding Australian artist with Croatian roots Joseph Zbukvich once spoke about his relationship with watercolors. Perhaps, after 40 years of successful creative activity, it can be stated that the obstinate "horse" succumbed to him. And now his name is forever inscribed in the history of modern art in golden letters.

You can see a delightful gallery of the artist's works in our publication: City streets and countryside expanse in the warm watercolors of a Croatian artist.

Thierry Duval

You can see the gallery of works by the French artist Thierry Duval in our publication: The charm of spring cities: gentle watercolors of the most romantic places in Europe.

Mary Whyte

For a delightful gallery of Mary White watercolor portraits, check out our post: Original watercolor portraits of the artist who “paints with her heart”.

John Salminen

You can see the gallery of works by artist John Salminen in our publication: The charm of cityscapes in watercolors by the American artist John Salminen.

Steve Hanks

For a delightful gallery of plot works by the American watercolorist, see our publication: Emotionally realistic watercolors by Steve Hanks, from which the soul becomes warmer.

Eric Christensen

See the gallery of wine watercolors and read the amazing story of Eric Christensen's formation as an artist, in our publication: As a self-taught artist, he became a famous master of "wine still life", having invented a new watercolor technique.

Just think - and this is all the same ordinary watercolor, familiar to everyone from childhood … And the fact that in the hands of a real master this paint works incredible miracles is an indisputable fact.