| Here are some highlights from the current classes being offered so you have an idea of what we did this week in class. If you missed class, this may be helpful. If you are visiting town and want to take one of the classes, contact the studio at (802) 457-2020 to join us for the three hour session. Individual classes are $45 per class.
Wet on Wet on Cold Press with etching and glazes to form hard edges
Wet on Wet on hot press within three progressive shapes and details
Loose
Wet on Wet drawing with a brush on Cold Press.
USING LINE TO DEFINE EDGES
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LOST
AND FOUND EDGES IN WATERCOLOR Our first gathering gave us an opportunity to look at our palettes with fresh eyes. Through the exercise to the left on a quarter sheet of cold press watercolor paper, we were able to discover how our pigment and water balance and familiarity with paper conspires to make interesting edges! First, we explored a simple primary triad. Mine is in Sennelier colors including Lemon Yellow, Vermillion and Sennelier Blue (Pthalo Blue). After placing the three primaries in wet-on-wet shapes within the wheel, we then made a mixture of the secondary colors in a wet shape between them. Notice how pigments behave differently, some pushing others around as they settle on the paper? I was working on Fabriano Cold Press, which is a very soft sheet that allows for lots of bleed as it travels across the absorbent fibers of the paper. In the second exercise, we mixed a variety of solid blacks and painted wet on dry in clean "U" shapes. Not only were we trying to see how a mixture of complimentary colors such as Pthalo Green, Alizarin Crimson; Sennelier Blue and Vermillion and Sap Green and Vermillion would mix on the palette to create either warm or cool darks, we were noticing how they dried. Some colors end up with a "hue bias" once they have dried. Note that the first mixture has a slightly green caste, the second, a violet bias and the third an orange bias. If a dark has a particular bias, choosing to put its color opposite next to it can create a dynamic effect. With the "lost edge technique" of putting water in the shape and placing pigment on one side of it, we allowed the color to flow gradually to create a value difference as the color spread within the shape. Lastly, we looked at complex mixtures in "tree shapes" that show us a variety of natural greens and browns frequently used in landscape painting. First, we combined a yellow and red to make orange. Adding just the tiniest bit of green to that orange made a nice, clear brown in each of two cases. Notice how we practiced hard edges against soft edges? In the last
three, we practiced natural greens—yellow and blue combining to
make green and then adding the slightest bit of red to create those neutral
greens representing the "trunk" of the tree. For technical watercolor exercise, this week we practiced pigment-water balance in a variety of ways. First, we used the color Indigo to gradate into seven value tones including white. A color like Indigo has a strong "tinting strength" which allows it to progress through a variety of values. However, lighter colors like yellow or pale colors influenced with white have lower "tinting strength." In the next progression, we explored a series of seven different colors in our palette to see how they too progressed from light to dark. Note how intensity (brightness) in the case of Vermillion (and Cadmium Red as well) can often make a color appear to be out of sync with the gradation of value. These progressions when mixed together can create forms that appear to have a light source hitting them when combined in a single shape. In the next five biomorphic shapes, we mixed two colors in a wet shape by painting one color on one side and one color on the other. With a single stroke of water, allowing the two colors to "touch" creates a gentle edge of softness that provides a wonderful effect. A more challenging process is trying the "lost edge" on one color within a wet shape. Again, this can help a shape to appear to have a progression of value indicating a light source. In these five biomorphic shapes, we placed color wet-on-dry and then used a wet brush to loosen the flow of color to one side. Tipping the board back towards the edge of the paint helps create the gradual shading. In the final mixtures, we created a series of neutrals from combining various color mixtures. Any time more than one pigment is used in Shape Painting, challenges can occur. Mixtures have the habit of playing differently with water depending on their property. Note the irregular quality of the value shifts in these shapes? They can be quite beautiful, but often are unanticipated and sometimes judged harshly by the painter. In the final
practice, we saw how some of these techniques can be used to show a light
source on an imaginary building. Wet-on-wet techniques can be freeing or completely frustrating to a watercolorist. Mostly, this is because of the individual artist's personality more than the specific technique. Those willing to explore the vast and unfettered world of wet-on-wet work are usually adventurous and non-judgemental. Those feeling critical of the result are usually people who enjoy the illusion of control in their lives. Both can become excellent watercolorists with a little experience and courage. In the first painting, we experiemented using the back of some used watercolor paper. Notice how the colors bleed and blossom? This can provide the happy accident of a sun where you expected none as in this first painting. Once the three color, wet-on-wet painting dried thoroughly, layers of color provided both hard edges and soft for definition. Prior to allowing that first "ground" to dry, we etched lines into the painting with the back of our brushes. If staining colors are used first and allowed to dry thoroughly, there is less chance of blotching to occur. In the second painting, we worked on hot press—a terrifically smooth surface that provides unpredictable results when used wet-on-wet. Watercolor is always amazing in its ability to flow only to the edge of a wet shape. First, the shape for the sky plane was laid in. Three colors were applied with one simple stroke for each. Tipping and tilting the board allowed the color to run and dry at varying degrees to allow for this fresh beautiful approach. Once that dried, a land mass was created with four other colors: French Ultramarine, Gold Ochre, Sap Green and Quinacridone Gold. Finally, the ground plane was also laid in with a shape of water leaving a small white edge between these compositional features. In that final ground plane, lemon yellow, vermillion and Sennelier green mixed with lemon yellow were combined. Once all three shapes were completely dry, brush work in a series of dark colors with a round brush and rigger added the details to the entire scene. In this final
piece for the night, we set up a complex still life. The more complicated
the subject, often the better it is for the artist to play with wet-on-wet.
This allows you to generalize rather than tightening up on all the details.
The entire paper except for the upper right corner was wet and color was
added directly and fast. This enire painting took about fifteen minutes.
A spray bottle can be handy in keeping the surface wet and providing interesting
puddling here and there as you see in the lower surface of the painting.
Additional details can be added after the painting is completely dry. Color mixing can often proove challenging as well–orange and blue in a sunset can quickly puddle into a dull gray losing the fresh reflections of a setting sun. How can you maintain luminous glows behind blues without ending up with a green sky!? Properties of watercolor can provide help. For instance, while french ultramarine can provide the proper tinting strength to go from dark to light in a dramatically blue sky, cobalt blue with its liftable nature can be more manageable. Using Rose Madder Genuine can be so fragile that sometimes and thin layer of Permanent Alizarin or Permanent Rose can be better equipped to handle the glow. These two colors are staining and will stay put with repeated washes. Mixing glazes
of delicate liftable colors can provide the luminosity you're looking
for with no hard edges. Consider whether you want to work in glazes as
in the first example or in wet-on-wet as in the second. Reflections in
water are best acheived in the first wet-on-wet pass of color adding the
darks later on. HOMEWORK:
Make three small paintings (4” x 6” or 5” x 7”)
that are color studies of April skies. Use some of the techniques explored
in class to play with the edge quality. In this first pass, I am showing how edges blend between values. First, I layed in Aureolin to grasp the light in the piece, leaving distinct white areas for higher value. As I warmed it up with washes of Rose Madder Genuine in a few places, I transitioned into a bolder shadow color: French Ultramarine mixed with Cadmium Red. The Winsor Blue and Alizarin mixture offers and even darker contrast to begin to set the abstract shapes that provide darks. In class,
we did one painting with a very clear drawing from a photograph. In the
second painting of the same thing, I asked you to "just paint!"
No drawing to start with, simply mix colors and go after the essential
values to establish the painting. Notice how your approach changes. Do
you move more bravely to the darks? Are you willing to play with wet-on-wet
passages that transition areas within the composition. Watercolor is a
responsive medium. Try to allow things to happen rather than "color
in" the lines. Let space evolve. I will be working on this painting
over the week as well and will put up some variations as they develop.
Great class tonight! Thanks for all the good work. In class this week we tried four different approaches to how line can translate into form. Note in the four images of pears and still-life objects we approached the form through value and color in a varieties of styles. Watercolor used with limited water is referred to as "dry-brush." Dampening the brush after mixing a pigment rich amount of paint allows a fine brush to produce an elegant line under a practiced hand. The first piece is a contour line drawing with hatched paint strokes. In the second, aquarelle pencil is used to draw the entire image and water is used to join the lines into solid passages of soft edged paint. Pen and ink can offere a different focus on the drawing first: Note how hatching establishes value, so color is added lightly as a suggestion for the eye. The final piece was painted first and then line was drawn in to establish the light sources through thick and thin lines. I'll add images shortly, but I wanted to get a process up for you to contemplate as you face your portrait in a grid. Consider that the edges of your portrait provide interesting passages between hard and soft edges. To start, you may want to mix a basic skintone for white skin in the liftable colors or consider cadmium and cobalt blue as we did in class. Yellows and the white of the paper can provide light. First, wet the skin areas and build in color, value and temperature with the yellow, red and blue of your choice. Let dry. At this point, you should have a basic value shift within the ski. Next, provide the ancilary colors for hair and clothing, perhaps wet-in -wet as well. Once these two steps are dry, now let's come back and revisit the grid. Note how each of the nice rectangles have an "abstract" within each? See if you can glaze successively dark colors within shapes in these spaces to provide interesting passages. Use negative space to layer colors to create darks while allowing the lights to emerge. Note how my earrings reveal themselves in the painting posted. You can also have fun with saran wrap or salt on wet paper. We'll start our class next week with that and do some demos to show a bit more about this process. Try to have fun with expressive color on this—enjoy the painting of your self portrait and be expressive with color! Watercolors
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Compton ART • P. O. Box 162, Woodstock, VT 05091 • (802) 457-2020 • info@comptonart.net
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