Watercolor Class Project: Magnolia Week 3
I think I have gotten both the Monday and Wednesday classes up to equal with each other, there are still things in both projects that we need to finish but really, not that much, it may only take a week or two - for me - to finish but I don't want anyone in either class to feel rushed. Take your time because if you try to make watercolor do something it doesn't want to do, you will not be happy with the results.
I am going to post the paintings from each class with a brief description in the post, if you need more detail scroll back to the previous post. I am very happy with what everyone is doing, when you are new to something it is always a challenge and watercolor has it's own challenges, keep up the good work, it will eventually make sense.
This is from the Monday class where we started adding shadows to the flower with a light lavender (ultramarine blue with tiny touches of purple and burnt sienna with lots of water). Be sure that the color is light, use layers of the light wash to darken shadows.
This is from the Wednesday class where we worked on basing the shadows in on the stems and branches along with adding the reddish color for the new growth.
Close-up of Monday's petals. I also went into the background with a blue-grey wash to darken the background and sharpen up the edges of my flower. I did this to both the Monday and Wednesday projects where I thought I needed it. I first wet a large area where I wanted the wash then just dropped the color in and let the watercolor do the work. By not trying to paint the area but just drop in the paint by touching the brush to the paper, I don't run the risk of disturbing the colors already there and create mud, a problem many of you had.
Again the Monday version with an area I added some more dark. By adding a darker color, it makes the light colors stand out, light and dark are values, all colors have various values from light to dark it is using the contrast between the light and the dark that creates depth and form, not the color or hue.
This is two layers of light lavender I used for the shadows on the Wednesday branches and twigs. I also used that color to suggest some of the scar marks (roundish circles on the branches) to suggest detail. We have more work to do but it is coming right along.
Both classes do the best you canto get your paintings to this stage as we will continue on. I will see you in class.
Spring 2018 Watercolor Class Project: Magnolia Week 2
In both classes we are doing the same project so I will have photos from both classes here. Apparently, I should review what I did in Monday's class before class on Wednesday because I did branches in one and flower in the other so don't panic if your painting doesn't look like what I post here, we will go over what I covered in class no matter what.
This is from the Monday class. I started working on the stems adding shadows and detail. The shadows were blue, purple and a little sienna and water to make it lighter. I also added in the center of the flower using an orange yellow mix and the end of my angle brush to make the stamens. Here I did not save the green center.
This is from the Wednesday class. We took off the masking and under painted the stems with a very light grey (ultramarine blue and sienna with lots of water). Then we started adding shadows to our flower petals using a mix or ultramarine blue and a tiny touch of purple to make a lavender color.
Monday: When I added the shadows and some of the texture of the stems I was making a slightly rounded stroke that followed the shape of the stem, same when I added the green or the sienna. I lightly blended the colors with just a damp brush so they didn't have any hard lines.
Have your reference photo in front of you so you can see where the shadows need to go. The first wash you did last week is now the highlight for the stems, do not lose all that light because it will be hard to get it back.
This is from the Wednesday class but it shows the under painting for the new growth and bud. Sienna with a touch of either napthol or alizarin and water to lighten for the new growth and yellow with sienna to under paint the whole bud then add sienna with blue into the wet paint on the shadowed side.
This is from Monday where I have used basically the same colors around the bud but just a bit stronger mix leaving some of the lighter under painting for the highlight side.
This is from the Wednesday class. We added shadows to the flower petals. The mix was blue,a touch of purple (you can use alizarin if you want) and water though most of the water was added on the paper to create a graded color. Start where is is the darkest with your color like the top petal with a turn back, add it part way down then rinse your brush and most the color down following the shape of the shadow you see in the photo. On some of the petals the shadow is very light so add water to an edge of your mix to make a lighter color then go to the paper. The photo is your best guide for your light and dark areas so have it in front of you, not in your tote.
This is a close up of the curled back petal on the bottom with another petal underneath. It was very confused in the photo so this is my best guess as to what is going on with it. Notice that this petal is in complete shadow so it is much darker than any of the other petals except for 3 little dots of light.
This is where I left off in both classes. What I didn't cover in you class I will cover next time so I may not have much of a post next time so you may need to reference this post if you need help.
One thing I think I need to do on both paintings is to add some darker areas to my background and make both of them a bit tamer, I will do that next time, until then, keep painting and I will see you in class.
Spring 2018 Watercolor Project: Magnolia Week 1
This semester both the Monday and Wednesday classes will be doing the same project, I will post photos from both classes so you can see the differences and the similarities. The beginning Wednesday class may take a bit longer to do than the Monday class but no one will be left behind.
I was asked about negative space last semester so I was looking for something with simple yet interesting negative space so my students could see and - hopefully - start to understand what negative space is and it's importance in a painting. Basically, negative space is the area around an object, in this case it is the background that you see through the branches and behind the flower but that is not the only negative space as you will see as we progress, it is just the most obvious.
We started out by putting the design on our paper. While it is okay to draw directly on the watercolor paper you need to remember that the surface of the paper can get damaged by erasing and once damaged, there is nothing you can do. It is better to work out your design on drawing paper then transfer that drawing by either using transfer paper (graphite paper) or using a light box.
In the Monday class we did mask out the flower and branches with masking fluid - the blue stuff on the one petal from Wednesday's class (see next image) - before we started painting, then wet everything around it with water then dropped color into the wet areas. When it dried, we removed the masking.
In the Wednesday class we wet areas as we went dropping color into each wet space. To mask or not to mask is up to the artist, I usually will use masking if I have small areas I want to protect or a background I want some continuity across the paper, however, it is important to know how to do both.
I do want you to note that my backgrounds are similar but different, they both look like they are in a swamp and that is because I am painting vertically so you can see what I am doing, while you may not want to paint vertically it is always good to have your paper elevated on one end so the paint moves otherwise it will just sit the and do nothing. Let gravity help you paint your picture.
In the Monday class we got a bit further and I added a very light wash of color to the branches, even those branches that look white towards the top have a light wash of color. Remember that we work from light to dark and the lightest thing on this painting will be parts of the flower (yes, only parts) so the flower will stand out when we are done, everything else needs to be darker.
Also, another thing to remember: Watercolor dries lighter so you end up doing layer or washes of color to get darker and richer values and colors. I may have to add a layer or two of wash over areas of the background depending on what I see as the painting develops.
Wednesday class I will go over how to paint the branches when I see you next so you do not need to paint them until then if you don't want to.
Keep painting and I will see you in class.
