If you have not been able to go back to the beginning of the blog for instructional guidance, here is an overall review to help you get some perspective on watercolor painting. Remember, there are many ways to approach painting so the following represents my approach, generally based on a direct method of painting (wet on dry) or wet charged brush onto dry paper. I also paint on hot press paper.
- selection of image (field sketches, photographs, still life, etc.)
- design of composition (small 2x4 or 3x5 sketches to examine and explore composition, keeping in mind value patterns; remember in every photo there are many compositions so just dont rely on photo
- center of interest and value patterns: with one or more compositions, begin exploring where to put the center of interest and how to dramatize that center with combinations of light and dark--we tend to use five values from light to dark--1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0; as a guide, the most value differences or contrasts occur in and around the center of interest with the background and supporting areas having less value contrast (they still have color variation)
- sketch out work on watercolor paper: this varies from small gestural or movement sketches by some artists, including no pencil sketch to detailed pencil drawings. I favor less than more as the more sketched shapes there are the more likely I am to get too detailed and fussy; on the other hand, many artists who use detailed pencil sketches may leave many pencil lines in the final to assist in shape definition.
- selecting color: i like to limit my palette and select a family of primaries according to the mood I am after: muted and subdued for opaque palette (cad red, yellow ochre, cerulean blue); and brighter more intense families for brighter moods (delicate and intense palettes: azo, cobalt, rose madder and pthalos, respectively); too many colors can ruin the painting and be confusing when applying. I like to work toward an overall temperature dominance and a color compliment or opposite relationship.
- remember to tilt the paper at least 30 degress to enable water to be affected by gravity
- tilt your palette to help keep muddiness away from mixing areas
- there is no one place to begin a painting: begin where you are most comfortable and likely places include the conventional top to bottom in light washes; at the center of interest (my preference); shape cluster by shape cluster (background, midground, foreground)--not my recommendation; at the edge and working in toward the center of interest, making immediate connections to edge of frame and center of interest.
- if i begin at the top and begin working down, i work in lighter values with lots of color change (local color) and do not worry about edges--as a matter of fact, i make most edges in this approach soft or blurred; then after drying, i begin to work at the center of interest, increasing value and brightness and hard and defined edges; finishing with key darks
- if i am beginning at the center of interest, i often begin with my brighter more intense mid values and darks, leaving the lighter values for background and support
- remember: most watercolors go through an "ugly" phase until the darks are put in to help define the center of interest and structure of painting.
- make sure you vary the edge conditions: lost and found or soft and hard where the hard is often backlit or high light contrast.
more later ron
