Demonstration: Drawing and sketching in preparation for painting – Paul Weaver

Paul Weaver is a full-time artist, tutor and demonstrator, based in Bristol, UK. His primary inspirations are light and atmospheric effects. Townscapes, markets and the bustle of the city are favourite subjects, as well as landscape, marine and coastal scenes. He currently specialises in watercolour, but also enjoys working in oil, acrylic and line and wash.

Paul will discuss the importance of regular sketching and drawing and how it plays a vital role in the creative process, covering pencil, pen and charcoal techniques. Sketching and drawing is a way of engaging with a subject and honing one’s visual awareness. It is a way of understanding form, depth, perspective, proportion, texture, light and shade in visual terms. It is a way of gathering reference and testing compositions for potential paintings. Paul will demonstrate his way of working, using pencil, pen or charcoal, then progressing to line and wash.

His workshop the following day will give the opportunity to put these ideas into action, and if the weather is good enough there will be the chance to get outside and sketch from life then return to the studio to develop the work.

Paul is proud to be a fully elected member of the Pure Watercolour Society. He has exhibited successfully for many years and won several awards. He is a regular contributor to ‘The Artist’ magazine and demonstrator for St Cuthbert’s Mill and Ken Bromley Art Supplies.

​An award-winning artist, Paul demonstrates and runs workshops for many art groups across the country, as well as tutoring painting holidays in the UK and abroad.