Approaches to painting

Approaches to Painting

Sorry I have been absent. Have been working on a new book with Routledge Press, Oxford UK, entitled "Urban Design: the composition of complexity" being released in July 2011.  If you are interested in design composition, check it out.

Back to painting. There are many approaches to painting. Years ago in a workshop with Eric Weigardt in Ocean Park, Washington, I told Eric that I had a crisis of approach, having taught watercolor for years and found myself confused as to what approach to use.  He laughed and understood and said: "start where you are the most comfortable". and of course it worked.  Some standard ways of approaching watercolor include: top to bottom; light to dark, painting shadow shapes first, starting with the darks, and starting at the center of interest.

They all work and I now find myself begining at the center of interest to see if i can initiate some drama with key contrasts. If i can then the rest of the painting is easier to resolve.  a few tips at the center of interest: the principle of contrast is a good place to start--color opposites such as a purple next to a yellow; value contrast: the more value contrasts at the center; bright and muted colors; hard and soft edge combinations. in most cases leaving strong whites at the center can draw the eye of the observer, strengthened by value contrasts.

i use merging and mixing colors on the paper a lot as i am a fan of Charles Reid in that regard. I paint differently and enjoy the freshness of merging colors on the paper, getting variety in the very first washes.

if you are a beginning painter, i suggest you approach your work by applying the lighter local colors (apple is red, sky is blue) first, dry, then work your mid values and bright mid values into the painting, dry, then key darks. remember that to achieve bright colors i need to put them on white paper, not over another color.

more later and I am back. Enjoy and keep painting.
Ron