Painting on Location with Alan Reed

Painting on location is at the heart of Alan's work. Working directly in front of the subject forces quick decisions about light, colour and composition, and that immediacy is what gives his watercolours their fluid, atmospheric feel. Alan has specialised in watercolour for over 40 years and has practised drawing from observation for many years through regular life drawing, so these films show a lifetime of practice condensed into a few minutes.

What you will see in the videos

• Dunstanburgh Castle: the ruined castle on the coast north of Craster, a classic subject for painting on location
• Seaton Sluice: the small harbour on the coast just north of Whitley Bay
• Todi, Umbria: a hilltop town in central Italy, where Alan also leads painting holidays in the region
• Perugia: the historic streets of Umbria's capital
• Arabian dhows: the traditional wooden sailing boats of the Gulf, a subject Alan returns to from his time painting in Oman

Tips you can take from watching

As you watch, notice how a busy scene is simplified before the first wash goes down, and how colour is allowed to run and blend rather than being overworked. These ideas are the same principles he teaches in his private painting lessons and on his painting holidays in Italy, where painting on location is part of every day.

From sketch to finished painting

Several of the places Alan has filmed himself painting on location, including Dunstanburgh, Seaton Sluice, Todi and the dhows at Sur, also appear in his original paintings and drawings. Alan's work has been recognised with The Artist's Prize in the Royal Watercolour Society Competition, and you can browse his original paintings online or see them in person at the studio and gallery in Ponteland by appointment on 01661 820626.