Grahame Booth is a professional landscape watercolor artist and a Princeton Brush Ambassador. For this year’s World Watercolor Month, we wanted to highlight his watercolor journey and process. Learn more about Grahame and get a free watercolor landscape tutorial below!

What was your journey like to become an artist? What inspired you to start?

Unlike many other artists, I started very late when I was around 30. My mother-in-law went to an art class and asked me to drive her there one evening. I brought a book with me intending to read it during the class, but I never opened it. I was completely mesmerized by the teaching demonstration and thought "that looks easy". Well, that started me on my painting journey and I'm still trying to work out what the easy part is!

What does your art process look like?

I prefer to work in plein air or at least from a plein air pencil sketch. Of course, this is not always possible and like most artists I also use photographs. If the subject is a little unusual or complex, I will do a tonal sketch to begin. This is always useful in helping to simplify the subject and to choose the best aspect. I then do a pencil sketch on my watercolor paper and try to complete the painting in 60-90 minutes.

What are your creative inspirations?

My creative inspirations are almost all from other watercolor artists, famous and unknown. I am always inspired by the creative use of light. Good light and dark shapes will always be the first thing that attracts me to a subject. The actual subject is immaterial. Pretty subjects won't necessarily result in good paintings.

Why did you choose watercolor landscapes?

I suppose my choice of watercolor was largely accidental. That happened to be the medium used in that first class. That said, I truly believe that a great watercolor beats any other medium and I still paint only in watercolor. I paint landscapes in the widest sense. I suppose I paint everything other than portraits and botanical paintings.

What is your favorite watercolor technique to use for landscapes and why?

Allowing watercolor to do its own thing is often one of the most exciting and interesting parts of the painting. Allowing different colors to blend and run can create some of the most beautiful effects.

What is your favorite piece of watercolor advice to give to your students?

Paint wet. Very wet. Watercolor must flow and painting wet gives a decent length of time before the wash dries so there is less likelihood of creating muddy passages and awkward drying lines. Pay attention to edges. The variety of hard and soft edges will have a huge influence on the success or otherwise of the painting.

What are your Princeton Brushes of choice?

I love the Neptune and Aqua Elite range. They are without doubt the best synthetic brushes I have ever used and almost indistinguishable from natural hair. I particularly like the Aqua Elite quill. This is a large brush but with a beautiful fine tapering point and I can use it for probably 90% of my painting.

Follow along with Grahame to paint a watercolor landscape

Where can we find more of your work?

You can find my online courses and YouTube tutorials on my website or see more of my work on Instagram @grahameboothwatercolour

Thank you, Grahame for sharing your watercolor journey with us. Happy World Watercolor Month fellow painters! Check out our Instagram for special watercolor giveaways and inspiration this month.