Exploring Different Media: Watercolour, Graphite, and Printmaking

One of the pleasures of making art is working with different media, each offering something distinct. I enjoy moving between watercolour, graphite, and printmaking—each has its own character, rewards and challenges.

The Appeal of Watercolour

Watercolour is immediate and fluid. It’s easy to set up, relatively inexpensive, and the colours have a vibrancy that sets it apart from other media. What makes watercolour special is its translucency, allowing light to pass through the layers and create depth.

There’s also a problem-solving element—you have to think ahead, working from light to dark and preserving areas of white space. Some see it as an unforgiving medium, but it doesn’t have to be and I enjoy the sponataneity. There’s room for play—experimenting with salt, clingfilm or even a feather to create texture. Tilting the board then watching the paint move across the paper is part of the pleasure.

The Simplicity of Graphite

Graphite is ideal for sketching on the go. Whether at a café, by the sea or travelling, all I need is a sketchbook and a few good pencils. Recently, I’ve been using water-soluble graphite, which allows me to add soft washes with a little water. It’s a simple way to give sketches a more painterly quality. For example, the Purple Lighthouse.

I like working with different marks—cross-hatching for texture, smudging with a finger for softer skies or using my thumb to create a more even surface. It’s an intuitive way of drawing, letting the subject emerge through layering and shading. For example, the Parasol.

The Possibilities of Printmaking

I came to printmaking through an autumn course and was immediately drawn to its versatility. A single image can be reworked in many ways—changing colours, layering textures or scaling up a design. My first experiments were with monoprints, using found objects like feathers and lace. Later, I moved into screen printing, adapting watercolour paintings into bold, graphic prints.

One of my favourite prints is an oak tree design, originally a black-and-white watercolour, which I developed into versions in pink, orange, plum and navy. There’s something satisfying about taking an original painting and seeing how it can evolve through printmaking.

Each medium offers something different—watercolour for its fluidity, graphite for its directness and printmaking for its scope to experiment. I enjoy working across them all, seeing how each influences the other and building on the original works.

Do you have a favourite medium? Let me know in the comments.