Global Gallery

Fruit Display

Here's what our assignment was: <br /> <br /> Wet/Dry Method of Watercolor Painting<br /> <br /> There are many ways to develop a watercolor painting: What I am about to explain contains a number of variables. Pick and choose from the following descriptions as you develop your confidence. Remember to attempt to work "spontaneously" as you explore this media with the intention to retain the highlights from the beginning. If you are unable to do this lay in the opacity of a lighter or white color as detail in the end of the painting. Establish your lights first followed by darker tones around your lights. Let the colors run at times. Play the lights against the darks as you paint and frequently squint to check how well your contrasts are developing. Experiment with your values (tints and tones) as you work to create volume and a depth of field. Remember that you can create grays and browns through mixing variables of your three primaries. Try not to rely on black and be careful of thalo blue as they can both take over.<br /> <br /> Begin with a preliminary sketch of your composition directly on your water color paper in a soft raw sienna or, on a separate piece of paper to develop your composition first and then transfer it onto the watercolor paper. (An alternative approach, as demonstrated last night, is to let the forms "randomly " emerge and change as you paint. I encourage you to experiment with this method but not for your final painting - Project #6.<br /> <br /> Prepare watercolor paper on a board (on the green drawing tables, angled slightly or at home on a light-weight board.) Use a wide masking tape (preferably a 2" tape) or a special watercolor tape available at most art stores which you wet before applying to an already wet paper. Secure with tape around the paper (either on wet or dry paper.) Consider what colors and tones you will be using and develop your palette in separate troughs or, if working on a completely wet paper you can mix the colors directly on the paper as you paint. Proceed to apply your first layer of color i.e. light washes (consider the soft distance to the sharpness of the figurative<br /> elements) and then let the painting completely dry or, proceed to complete the painting in one wet session. Should you choose to let the painting dry and then begin a second and more overlays, a quick way to dry the paper is to use a hair dryer. (Be careful to apply broad continuous strokes rather than concentrating on one area only as it will permanently buckle the paper. (When the painting is complete and if the paper doesn't lay flat, put it in a book or under a board with weights evenly placed on top,<br /> overnight.)<br /> <br /> Should you plan to proceed once you have established your ground and the paper is dry, wet more specific areas (figure) with clear water followed by applying 'transparent washes' in complimentary contrasting colors, filling in only partially the same 'wet' areas as a way to create volume. (You learned how to do this with pencil in the drawing component using<br /> values.) Shadows are always cool. Shadows can be created by laying a wash of red or blue as a tone over a yellow, etc.<br /> <br /> Try to surrender into letting your brush dance and enjoy yourself. Don't let your inhibitions get in the way. The subject matter is what determines the method.<br />

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