Approach Strategies

After years of ruining painting starts with impatience and a lack of a real direction (the pleasure of painting was not quite enough!), I settled back and went back to my small sketch studies prior to painting.  Why? Doing a basic study(s) for a painting required a number of thought processes: composition and focal point, value related to composition, and overall strategy on how to approach the painting--where to start, what to emphasize, what kind of edges, what color contrasts, etc. Working through these questions does not lead to a 'memorized' painting or regimented approach.  The process helps the painter explore various ways to proceed with the painting knowing that things will change and shift.  At least there is a few key objectives set out as guides.

Composition and Focal Point. the focal point or center of interest is the "Aha" area of the painting--highlight and drama.  i make every effort to assemble this focal point into a cluster of shapes or shape-parts, not just one obvious shape, i.e. a tree or building. the focal point may have portions of the tree, sky and building in the cluster with othe parts of the tree, sky and building all parts of the background area.  Think clusters.  Once this has been represented in a number of sketches, i move on to the value relationships with composition.

Value Relationships with Composition. I put these in relationship because the value, light to dark relationship, structures and dramatizes the composition. Often, if the value patterns are not working for me, i go back and change the composition to assist the value patterns. I utilize Skip Lawrence's advice often, "Painting Light and Shadow" (North Light Books, Cincinnati, 1994), where he places the majority of values in the focal point or area and the remaining value in all other areas. (Hurts the brain doesn't it!). The key is simple: there is color change in local shapes and little or no value change; or, lots of value change at focal area and little color change.  If i am using three values, light/medium/dark (1,2,3), i can place the 1 and 3 at the focal area and everything else is a 2 value with lots of color change (local color, i.e. apple is red, leaf is green). Value contemplation and experimentation is critical for me in succeeding with a painting and i still struggle to make the value patterns clear and strong.

Cluster Painting. One of the early explorations is to decide on the cluster of shapes that will be included in early washes. Obviously, where are my whites (paper) that will be left alone; then, what shapes are clustered together for my merging washes, continually painting through the cluster and changing colors as needed for local color.  I may do the entire painting in lighter value merged washes without stopping; or, i may select a group of shapes and paint them and reserving others until later in the process.

More later, as i am off to Ocean Shores for a tsunami workshop, back next week. Keep painting. RK

Opaques

I received a few comments on the opaque watercolor trend and mixed media. Let me say that all are valid and challenging works of art. I did not receive any contrary comments but did want to emphasize my feelings: I love the transparency of watercolor. By adhering to pure transparent watercolor applications i challenge myself to resolve problems with white paper (as white) and get rich darks with watercolor pigment not other media. This is a personal choice driven only by my love of transparency, luminosity and the challenges of rich color etc. Enjoy. RK

Cleaning Palette

I am often asked what to do with the pigment in my pigment wells (the "bank" where you put your pigment gel, not the mixing area). Because i demonstrate in class, i leave the pigment in the wells if i am using them at least once or twice per week. At the end of a session, take a wet paper towel and wipe off the surface to remove other colors and stuff left over from your brush as you dip in to obtain pigment. I then almost always add new pigment when starting a demonstration unless it is more of a sketch--then i use the semi-dry pigment.  Bottom line: fresh pigment gel is the best way to go. Professional painters who are painting at least three times a week will clean out their pigment wells once per week (based on interviews with professionals such as Eric Weigardt and others). For students, i suggest cleaning the surface and using the older pigments as a base with new gel on top as a cost saving technique. RK

Mixed Media

I have just reviewed the American Watercolor Society's brochure on the 2011 Exhibit of watercolors with some disappointment. First, all of the work is truly excellent as the quality of the work is not in question.  What then? For me, and I express this individually as a dedicated transparent watercolor painter, I found the use of either acrylics, opaque watercolors including chinese white, etc. to be demeaning of the term transparent. Covering over a painting with Chinese White at the end of a painting is in my opinion careless, producing chalky and murky results. Again, the work is excellent and the watercolor medium is transparent and filled with light...so i find the AWS exhibit to be disappointing. the bottom line for me: if you want to be opaque and cover darks with lights, do acrylics or oils, not transparent watercolor.

Brushes

Finding comfortable brushes can be frustrating. Student grade brushes do not always equate in size to professional brushes of same number. I use a WN Scepter and Scepter Gold II series professional brushes, usually nos. 16, 14, and 18 if you can find it. I like the no. 16 for big work.

Brush Sizes

Students often ask me about the brush size they need to paint? The basic answer is simple: you need a brush that can carry water or a charge! a small brush cannot carry sufficient water for a larger or even medium size wash.  they are sufficient for detail and small areas toward the end of a painting.  a quality large brush, with a good tip that comes to a point, can cover lots of area and also provide enough detail in the point to do the job. remember that student grade brushes tend to ber smaller than the same number round professional brushes. i most often use a no. 18 round professional brush and then use a no. 12 or no. 10 professional brush for detail and follow-up work.

Color Complements

Color complements are in fact color opposites on the color wheel working together. They complement one another through a principle of contrast. Simply put, a color opposite is the primary or secondary without the remaining colors: red as a primary has blue and yellow remaining, i.e. green; purple, composed of red and blue, has yellow remaining, its opposite; blue to orange (red and yellow), red to green, yellow to purple.

these complements can be successful when used in adjacency near the center of interest; or, as i discuss here, as an overall color palette.  In the first situation, i may have a yellow as a part of my center of interest. as i wash the background from top to the center, i can start with a blue in the upper portion and gradually blend it to a redish purple as it nears the yellow in the center. in the second situation, as in the example attached, i can use a simple palette of two basic colors complimenting one another. I have struggled with too much color interfering with my value patterns and overall painting. As a solution, I limit my colors to a basic few, orange and blue, in a muted fashion.  Even though there are numerous colors in the "blue" and "orange" of "Caw-cous", the overall affect is a simple color complement. If in doubt about color selection, limit your palette and focus on a complementary approach.