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.
Watercolor: Sky, Water and Rocks - Putting it All Together
Week 1
Now that we have gone over some of the basics or skies, water and rocks we are going to put them all together to paint the photo I took from Pelican Cove. It is a simple image and if we break it down in stages it will be easy. Watercolor requires patience and that is where most beginners have their problems so step by step, no shortcuts.
First step was to get the sketch of the rocks and horizon line on my paper. Use a pencil that is dark enough to see without you pressing down too hard on the paper such as either a #2B or #3B. You want your sketch dark enough to see after a couple of washes but not so dark that it is noticeable when your painting is finished.
Next, I used a masking fluid on dry paper to protect the white tops of the rocks. Then I wet the paper along the top coast line where the foam would be then used the masking fluid in that area letting the masking fuzz out along the edges. Be sure to use enough masking to cover the area, too little and it may not protect the paper or be difficult to get off. I repeated that process along the bottom of the foreground rocks.
Then I let it dry completely before working in that area.
While I was waiting for the masking to dry, I added my sky.
First I wet the sky area with water then added ultramarine blue across the top and helped it down the page with a damp clean brush, just like we did in the studies.
I then turned the paper upside down and added a line of some orange/red I had on my palette and let that run down into the blue. Remember that your paper needs to be wet for this to work and watch it as it blends and moves, turning as necessary to get the blend you want. Lay it flat when you like the blend and let it dry.
When the masking was dry around the rocks, I under painted the rocks with a light wast of yellow, orange, sienna and touches of blue. starting with the yellow and oranges along the top or the rocks or where the rocks were dry on the shore, the sienna and blue were where the rocks were wet and darker. You can work wet into wet by first wetting the area or wet as you go with the paint (wet on dry). Let this dry.
The last thing we did for the day was to get our first wash of color for the water and this will work best if you dampen the paper with water first. Use a big brush to wet you paper and even when adding the color to this step because you want to work quickly enough to get the colors on while the paper is wet. Put away your tiny brushes for now.
While your paper is wet, I started at the horizon with my ultramarine blue and as I moved down the paper I added greens, lavenders and if you have other blues like cobalt, thalo or cerulean, you can add those as well just be sure that you water them down so they aren't too intense or dark. Streak them on and let the water on the paper and gravity do most of the work (you should have the top of your paper elevated anyway). Paint right over the masked area to be sure that you are getting the washes everywhere where it should be. then let it dry.
This is where we stopped for the day, we will continue with this painting next time. Keep painting and I will see you in class.
Watercolor: Water and Rocks
I was a bit delinquent last week and didn't get the blog done for the water demo we had in the Watercolor Plus class and my Monday watercolor class just did water so this post will cover both the water demo and the rock demo to get us caught up
Water: The basics
The first thing we learned was how to use dry brush to create the impression of water with light sparkling off it. This technique can be use by its self or on top of other light washes. This is also a good technique for creating old wood or hair or grasses so it is not just for water.
The key to this is in its name: Dry brush.
You need to be sure that after you rinse your brush to squeeze the excess water out with your paper towel before you load your brush with paint and again to squeeze at the base of the brush after you load it to get out the excess you might have picked up with the paint and also to gently spread the bristles apart to have splits along the edge.
When you apply it to the paper, use very light pressure on your brush to get the effect you see above. The harder the pressure on your brush the more paint will come off.
The second method we used was wet into wet. First I wet the paper so the paint would move as I put it on, next I added a series of light washes and it wasn't just blue. I used my ultramarine blue, sap green, purple and even burnt sienna where the shore would be because water isn't just blue, look at the photo below to see how many colors are visible when you stop to look at water and if you were there, you would see even more, a photo just doesn't see what our eyes see.
Let the wet of the paper along with a slight elevation of the top of your paper help you blend your colors using long horizontal strokes and try to avoid stripes, add in some extra water if you need to.
Look at the different colors of blue, the lavenders, there are some reds from the kelp below and greens near the shore. Don't be afraid to add these colors to your water when you are painting it will make your water look more real.
I also did another one trying to do a more active type of water but it really didn't look much different than the one above so I'm not including that here, though if I wanted to I could change the one above from calm to turbulent if I wanted to, it is all in the brush strokes.
There are many ways to paint water these are just a couple of examples, look in magazines or other artists' work to see how they handle water and find what works for you.
Rocks!
I have decided to use another photo I took from the same area I too the above image because it is simple and covers everything we have been doing in class: Sky, water and rocks. so for the rock demo I used the rocks from the scene we will be painting.
Concentrating on a part of a subject that may give you problems when you are doing the actual painting, is a good way to learn about your subject. Doing a study or doing sketches helps you familiarize yourself with the thing you might otherwise see as a problem, so this is just a study for the larger painting.
First I sketched in my rocks with a #4B pencil. I used the #4B so it could be seen by the class normally I use a #2 so the line are minimized at the finish of a painting.
While I did include some of the smaller rocks, I didn't sketch in everything because I can do that with my brush as I am painting, this is just to remind me where the rocks go.
This is actually taken after the second wash the first wash with that very light tan color made with sienna and blue (burnt umber will also work) and was a very light tint I put OVER ALL THE ROCKS. I did not just paint the light areas (I did leave some white at the top) all the rocks and all their parts had this first wash.
The second wash was the same colors just a bit darker and this is where I started differentiating between rocks. Starting where I knew the shadows to be on each rock, I tapped the color in.
Close-up of the rocks. See how it is darker in the shadow areas? Also notice all the texture, that is from my tapping in the color. As I worked to the light side I added water to my brush instead of paint to help lighten the color. I also painted around areas i wanted to leave the lighter color.
I put on at least 4 layers of wash, each time starting in the shadow area with a slightly darker color (add more blue rather than the sienna so your shadows look cool) and leaving parts of the previous washes to create a sense of light and to make shapes in your rocks.
As you can see I used the layers of wash to create more than the original rocks I had sketched in. Just by adding shadow shapes, I could carve out more rocks or create holes in the rocks or cracks. I also took my liner brush to add some smaller cracks.
Now we are going to put it all together and we will be painting the scene below.
Keep painting and I will see you in class.
Watercolor Skies - Week 1
Note to the Monday Watercolor Class: We will be doing similar things when we meet in our class, I will edit this post with any new or improved examples next week. Be sure to review what I am doing in the Wednesday class, I don't want to have to repeat myself for each class. thanks.
In our first Watercolor Plus class where we were all painting we went over painting skies, not just to learn how to paint skies but to experiment with the paint to see how it works under various conditions. It may seem like a simple lesson but it is a very important one.
One of the key elements of this lesson it learning how gravity helps you. It is always helpful to have at least a slight angle to your paper so the paint will move down the paper, if it is laying flat, the water just pools up and doesn't do anything and could cause a problem with areas that dry faster than others. It doesn't take much, like a roll of tape under the top of your tablet or support is enough help the paint move and help you as you paint.
I was working on a large sheet of paper and divided it in to several sections to show different techniques.
This first technique I started by wetting the whole area with just water before I added color, this is called WET INTO WET - wet paint onto wet paper.
I used just my ultramarine blue starting at the top painting it across with crisscross strokes and down a couple of inches. I rinsed my brush and with just water (the brush was damp not dripping) I went back into the bottom of the color I just put down and painted across the paper with the water. Rinse and repeat as many times as you want. I came down 3 or 4 inches in this manner then with a very wet brush hit the bottom of the color and let the paint run into the wet paper below. You can see how left to its own devices the watercolor will blend and disperse quite nicely on its own.
The clouds were added later after the blue had dried using a combination of lifting with a brush and adding color to the dry paper. That funny little cloud with the dark center is what happens when you scrub too much and damage the paper, there is no recovery from the damage.
The next sample was started the same way. first wet the paper completely, then start at the top with the blue the move the blue down the paper using just water. You can always go back up into the darker blue and add more if it seems to be getting a bit too pale just remember to go back up into the dark area to add it then continue with water to move it.
WHILE THE PAINT IS STILL WET take a paper towel or a tissue, wad up a part of it and press it to the paper making cloud shapes. Look at the towel after a few dabs you may need to move to a cleaner spot on the towel. This is called LIFTING and can be done with a paper towel/tissue, brush, sponge even a Q-Tip for small areas and is very useful in an assortment of situations.
This next technique is called a GRADED WASH. The blue was also a graded wash using just one color and water, this time we will be using several.
I turned my paper upside down to start and wet the area of paper I was going to be working. At the now top I added cad. yellow light across the bottom letting it run down, then picked up some cad. orange with a bit of water and added this new color just to the bottom of the yellow, it should overlap just a bit. I did the same with the next color either napthol red or cad. red light and I lit that run to about midway of the area helping with just water if it seemed a bit slow. When I got the paint where I wanted it, I flipped the paper back over so that now becomes the bottom again.
The paper still needs to be wet so if it has dried a bit, go over it with just water before starting the next sequence of colors.
I started at the top with the ultramarine blue, and painted it down about a quarter of the way, because someone asked about using other blues, the next color I used was cerulean blue rather than just water but you can use just water at this point. I over lapped the bottom of the UM blue with the cerulean blue then moved the cerulean down to meet the red with just water. Watch the water on your brush you want a damp brush not a runny one or you will get drips. Let the watercolor finish painting this for you.
The clouds were added using color (a weak red so it looked pink and yellow) to a still damp sky so the paint would create "blooms" as it touched the drying paper.
Up to this point we have been working on wet paper when we added color but you can work WET ON DRY and using a combination of lifting or softening edges with a damp brush.
I used my UM blue and water at the top on dry paper, as I painted I suggested some rough cloud shapes. I rinsed my brush and with just water went along the edge of the painted area with the damp brush to soften the edge and hope for a bloom. I think I talked too much and the paper dried too fast because I wasn't getting the look I wanted so I took a bit more water on my brush and moved the paint around a bit more and even lifted with a paper towel (Left side). You need to understand that each paper will work just a bit different from other papers because of the way they were manufactured also the weather will affect the way the paper works, if the humidity is high it may work great, too low and you are fighting it, that is watercolor and you need to be aware of it.
This last one I was back to wet into wet starting with the blue but to make the white cloud tops I just used water to make the shapes of the clouds. You might have to turn the paper upside down so it doesn't just run down the paper, that is the fun of watercolor is turning the paper to make the paint move in a certain direction. In the still damp white part of the clouds I added a gray color, the "tornado" was made by forcing a drip to run into the red area that was already drying.
You are only limited by the limits you put on yourself. My best advise to you is to experiment and play with the watercolor and watch what they do. The more you understand about how watercolor works the better relationship you get with the medium so you work together, watercolor is the only medium I know I can say this about because at times it does act like it has a mind of its own if you can determine what it might do in a certain situation, you can use that to your advantage, if you try to control the watercolor and not know what it is going to do, you will lose the battle. So play, experiment and observe as you paint and remember: It is just a piece of paper, no one dies, you life does not depend on that one piece of paper so relax, learn and enjoy.
Keep painting and I will see you in class.
Watercolor Plus - Leaves and Berries Week 2
This week's class was more of the same for the most part and also starting to flesh out the details of the leaves.
I added yet another wash of color to the background with just my ultramarine blue to deepen the color and make it look like more shadows, but each time I do one of these layers I leave more areas unpainted to create more leaves deep in the bush. I can also leave what looks like stems or twigs just by leaving them unpainted.
If I have time in our next class I will do more washes to get very dark shadows in certain places especially around the subject.
Here you can see how each wash I put down I left leaf shapes by painting around the shape. Sometimes if you look at your brush strokes, you will see that there may already be the suggestion of a leaf, just paint around it.
This week I also started working on detailing leaves and putting a second coat of color on the berries.
The leaves are now being positive painted as opposed to the negative painting we have been doing. Look at the photograph to see where the leaves have highlights and shadows, for instance the leaf in the lower front center of this example is coming towards you to the back part is coming from a darker place into a lighter place as it comes towards the viewer, Start at the base of the leaf with your blue wash where it will be the darkest, come up about a third with that color, rinse your brush and pull some of that color about to the half way point the use a wash of yellow or sap green and yellow to create the brighter tip of the leaf. You will do similar things on each leaf but you will have to look to see where the shadows are, just look at the photo first before you start painting.
The berries are something you will need to decided yourself as to the color. The actual plant had reddish to purplish berries but you can make them all red if you want, it is up to you. Just look at the photo for the highlights and shadows and paint accordingly.
We have one last class and I do hope to get this a bit more finished before we end our class for the year. At least I hope to give you enough information so if you want to finish up at home over the break you can. This was just an exercise on layering and negative painting, I do hope that you have learned a bit about how important this is to the watercolor painter, if you can, please try to get down to the National Watercolor Society's International Exhibit before Dec. 17th, and look at how watercolor is used, see if you can see where these techniques have been used to get a better understanding of where you can go with watercolor. Keep painting and I will see you in class.
Watercolor Project: Fall Proposal Week 7
I still have a few things that need to be done but essentially, I could call it finished at this point in time.
My goal in the last class we to get the "mood" of the painting the way I wanted and to get the richness of color I wanted.
The shadows got another wash of blue and the bright area around the ring box got another wash of napthol red and orange.
I also brightened some of the ends of leaves with color.
These are the things you need to do on your paintings. Look for those things that need more color or more shadow or places that need to be toned down, all the little things that YOU want to do to finish your own paintings.
I put in the ring using a very light gray which is my standard mix of ultramarine blue and a tiny bit of sienna, should be on the blue side, them make sure you add plenty of water so it looks more like silver of white gold than a dark gray. leave the top of where the diamond is paper white as well at the highlight on the top of the ring itself. there needs to be more of a shadow on the box which I will try to get to in our last class.
I need to put in some curly sticks in the back part of the bouquet and I will show you how you can use opaque watercolor, something I don't usually use, but it will work for this. I am also going to do something else to my painting to make the ring stand out a bit more, so I hope you can come and stay for the whole class.
This coming class will be the last class for the semester and the year I hope that you have learned something about how to handle similar colors and how to create leaves out of nothing. Keep painting and I will see you in class.
