The shapes of the values are different from the shapes of the things.
The secret to wet on wet is regulating the amount of water and pigment on your brush in relation to the amount of water in the paper.
In coming across one of my student’s works in an unexpected setting, I was delighted to see she had incorporated a number of ideas I consider essential for a good watercolor.
This started me wondering which are the techniques I really expect students of mine to use. Or which are the ones when not used disappoint me?And I could see that, yes, there are certain hallmarks I consider important.
In the next few Technique Corners I am going to outline them.
Not particularly in order of importance we will start with Keep the Color Moving.
An intriguing idea came to me while reading Gish Jen’s The Girl at the Baggage Claim. Jen attempts to shed some light on the differences, which often lead to misunderstandings, between Eastern (Asian) culture and Western (Europe/America). Her goal was to come to a synthesis between the two.
I would like to share with you how this past weekend some of my students developed their own synthesis of focus with background.
This is the season you may be giving paintings as gifts. Whether you are selling your work or sharing it with loved ones, let me ask you: How are you documenting it for posterity? Don’t laugh…
As summer winds down, many see their days beginning to free up and want to return to more watercolor painting. Often the where to start and what am I going to do questions cause you to keep putting it off.
Instead, see if you can choose a simple subject and do a small sketch-painting to get you back to painting — each day or most days.
Victorian Gentleman Awaits Interested Party….. We aren’t buying this one but it is based on a house that is about 7 blocks from the one on which we’ve made an offer.
Update: It is never over until the fat lady sings… Mother’s Day found an email with a document attached that terminated our contract with our buyer. We are back on the market. And the house in Anacortes went to the […]
Sorry for the long gap… I started this post in January but life got in the way. Let’s take a look at the steps to wet blending and make sure we understand how to avoid the pitfalls that cause unsucessful cases of wet blending.
Let’s continue with ways we use wet blending. I would suggest that you practice the February 22 lesson until it comes easily and then move on to others way we wet blend.
It is time buy an amaryllis bulb, follow the planting directions and start drawing. That’s right — draw it once all wrinkled and apparently lifeless. Watch it and draw it next as the green begins to expand, and date the page. A day or two later draw it again. Pretty soon you will want to draw it every day. Change tools, change angles. It is a grand way to still keep your hand in drawing during the busy holidays.