2/3 My notes from the Watercolorist's Essential Notebook (section 1) - (Painting techniques, colour schemes)

This post was a little delayed, I've already made the notes, but things got hectic with my day-job and I didn't quite get around to consolidating my notes here until now- so, here we go!

Painting techniques. (p34)

1. The round brush: use your pinky finger as 'depth control' so you can control the width and quality of your strokes. Use the following exercise to build brush control:

1. Draw long, fine, continuous lines.
2. Vary your line width by changing the depth of the stroke, try to make branches and grass.
3. Make close parallel lines with additional varied widths.

2. Script + Rigger brushes: Former has free flow, spontaneity. Latter has consistent width, squared ends.

1. Twist the rigger brush as you finish a fine point.
2. Stop, start and change directions with both brushes.
3. Play with pressure, stroke direction.

3. Flat brush: Numerous practical exercises as follows:

1. Make circular marks of the same width by turning brush as rigid arm extension.
2. 'Single leaf' strokes- start narrow, push down and twist 90deg, pull back and twist 90deg.
3. Use arm and keep brush at same angle. Experiment with this.
4. Twist to vary width of stroke.
5. Parallel strokes with added wtist can build control.
6. Repeat step 5, make shorter strokes and add zigzag- now you're making waves!
7. Drag at an angle to get new texture in the stroke.
8. Dry brushing. (use brush with limited paint load)
9. Pat and scrub the paper to add texture.
10. Combine and play with steps 1-9. Have a try and enjoy!

4. Further painting information: (p43)Don't work wet-on-dry, it's not a 'paint by numbers' 

• Your paint will flow from the area of greater wetness to the area of lesser wetness. 
• High wetness to Low wetness. (Personal note: is this like cell osmosis? I think so)

5. Wash + Glaze 

• Wash = Large, thin areas of colour. Can be either flat colour or a colour grade.
• Glaze = A wash over a dried, painted surface.
• Glazing can add a mood, or focus/bring light out from dark areas. 
• Apply quickly with a large brush.
• Avoid overworking/disturbing the paint underneath.
• Use water to fade edges, you don't want hard edges.

Methods of application:

1. Wet surface with a spray bottle, then drop/pour liquid water colour onto it. Tilt the surface to direct the flow. Add further sprays to fade the edges.

2.a) Wet desired area completely. Immediately paint pigment along one edge, fade out with log strokes. Repeat as necessary, up/along the piece.

2.b) On dry paper, paint concentrated pigment along one edge. Dip brush in clean water, wipe off excess. Apply brush stroke adjacent to the first stroke of pigment. Dip brush again and repeat process up the canvas.

2.c)  Multiple steps:

• Prepare pigment in a concentrated puddle.
• Dry paper.
• Use water to paint a stroke of wetness on edge of area.
• Charge brush with water and a touch of pigment.
• Long strokes along wet edge.
• Add more pigment only. make a new edge further up.
• Repeat until complete.

TIPS: 

1. Stand, use your whole arm.
2. Large, flat brushes are good for this.
3. Prepare lots of pigment before.
4. Tilt the board for flow.
5. Sharp edges draw focus, soft edges hide themselves.
6. Remember, HIGH TO LOW. (osmosis.)
7. Bleed out wet colour with a damp brush. 
8. Follow the edge.
9. Don't go too far in.
10. To make sky, wet the paper first, then add colour.

6. Wet-in-Wet painting: (p48)

  Essentially it's a 3 step process. 

1. Wet the paper in some way (LOTS of tools and coverage options.)
   
2. Add paint.
3. Sustain/extend the process.

You should get the book for the full info, but here's a quick table to cover a few options for step 2.

 Wet by:                                    Paint by:                                    Result:                                            

Spraying.                                  Pouring                                     Expressive.

Brush (partial coverage.)          Flat brush/Sponge.                   Water/cloudy.

Shaped area.                              Brush when paper damp.         Big flowers!

Spraying.                                   Palette knife.                            Flower stems.                            

When attempting to sustain or extend the process, you can:

• Once paint begins to dry (lose its shine), we enter 'magic time'. This is a short duration stage that can give dramatic results, according to the author.
• We may extend the duration of this stage by adding paint or water.
• Recommend non-stain, transparent/semi transparent colours for this      
• A) Add water when paint is wet - you get foliage.
• B) Add water when paint is damp - you get patterns.
• C) For removing colour, ensure instrument is dried than the surface, but not bone-dry. After the shine dulls, we can push paint back. can also use A) and blot with a dry tissue.

 Wet-in-Wet style can give a piece "soft, nebulous passages of color" 

It can set a mood and a temperature, and can draw out focal points. 

It gives a 'suggestion of reality'- the viewer can fill in the blanks with their imagination, which is a good thing! 

7. Masking: (p54)

We use masking to preserve delicate white areas, add special background effects. But it shouldn't be used as a crutch! 

Masking fluid can be removed with a rubber cement pickup or by using lighter fluid (zippo etc.)

Can apply it in multiple passes for interesting effects/depth:

Mask > Dry > Wash > Dry > Mask > Dry > Wash > Dry > repeat ad nauseam. 

Can also use masking tape and a carefully applied craft knife for larger areas of masking. (hot air helps remove the tape later)

Mix techniques for best results. 

8. Negative painting:

•  Applied in stages, dry after each stage.
• The colour you paint around the shape will be the underlying colour for the next defined shape.
• Lightly pencil in shapes.
• Take your time.
• Fresher + more spontaneous than masking method.

See book for useful demos of rock and hill painting using this method.

9. Lines and Edges of shapes:

The line is a continuous mark that leads the eye through a piece- the edge of a shape or a boundary can also be a line.

Edges can express texture/feeling of an object.

Eye is drawn to anything that breaks the flow of the line- take care with branches, flower petals/valleys.

Try to pick good angles for edge details- gives readability.

10. Shape theory: p(79)

Shapes can suggest energy:

• Horizontal + vertical lines represent calm and stable. 
• Adding some uniform diagonals can add some energy.
• Using many angled lines adds high energy and movement.

We have combinations of Geometric (ordered/precision), Freeform (informal), Natural/organic and man-made objects. Mix and/or match for interesting compositions.

Shapes also have directional aspects, can guide the eye around the composition.

Repetition, patterns and rhythm are eye-catching, but can be boring if there's no variety.

Edges can be hard or soft. hard edges take priority and lead the eye, soft edges create a gate that allows free movement around the piece.

Diagonal lines can appear to suspend objects in space. Often used as hard edges against a soft background.

Values: Light/Dark, Tint/Shade, High key / Low key. Allows viewer to measure light levels falling on a subject. Light is ethereal, dark is strength, weight, solidarity, mystery, dignity or oppression if overused.

To make lighter, add water, to make darker, add black (or indigo, sepia, grey, but beware of muddy mix)

Contrast: We notice value contrasts before we notice colour contrasts. 

11. Different kinds of light (p86)

Sunlight/Sky Light - Changes with clouds/pollution/time. Casts clean blue shadows on sunny days, cool grey on dull days.

Translucent - Passes through semi-transparent objects, lights and warms.

Reflected - Bounce light, often warm in landscape, visible when striking a darker area, and picks up colour from reflected surface.

Local shadows - Shading on the object itself to show form, can mix local colour with blue and a touch of the complementary or grey colour. Darkened and dulled local colour.

Cast shadows - Similar to a local mix, but is more affected by sky light than reflected light, tends to be cooler. The darker shadow indicates a bright sun, and gets darker as it draws closer to the casting object.

To draw casting shadows, it helps to use one point perspective and treat the vanishing point as either the source or destination for the shadow. 

 

12. Seeing and recording Values (p90) 

Try making thumbnail sketches and following these steps:

1. Squint, identify light/medium/dark values but also determine value dominance to make sure it's readable, use artistic license to adjust the three values.
2. Lightly pencil in a general outline/contour lines, indicating large masses of Light/Medium/Dark.
3. 'Locate and record value shapes' - study and record shapes + location of contrasting values that intrude upon the large mass. Pay mind to edges, make changes now. Can mark light areas with an 'X' 
4. Add light/medium/dark values. For strong contrast locations, use lightest/darkest to draw the focus in. Play with values and edges using artistic license.
5. Reverse or rearrange values- choose the dominant value, can adjust to improve the composition.

There is a whole section on painting Light+Shadow on foliage (p92), but I'll skip it here. Very informative though.

13. Colour and the colour wheel (p94)

• Hue = Base colour.
• Purity/intensity = Saturation of a hue. Can mix in a complementary colour to reduce intensity and make greyer.
• Temperature = Warmth/coolness relative to other colours.

 

 Tips: in dark colour mixes, use transparent or semi-trans colours. Otherwise you'll muddy your mix, or lose vibrancy. Beware of Burnt Umber and Sepia! 

Resolve the colours for high/middle key, then go for the luminosity.

 

14. Palette setup (p97)

1. Warm + cool versions of each primary colour.
2. Add convenience colours so mixing time is reduced later.

Try to limit a palette at the beginning.

15. Colour harmony and Contrast:

Harmonious colours are analogous (adjacent on colour wheel), Contrasting complimentary colours are opposite on the colour wheel. 

It's easier to harmonize a limited palette.

Can choose one dominant colour for the mood, used in varying forms throughout, in mixes etc. Not just the focal contrast colour.

Can glaze a wash to unify a piece, can also pre-wash with a unifying colour like James Gurney.

16. Colour schemes (p100) Play with colour schemes to build expression!

• Monochromatic- one colour (hue) and various values.
• Analogous- 3-4 neighbouring colours, bright and clean
• Complementary- Opposite colours, value for extra contrast.
• Completmentary Analogous- Adds contrast to harmony of analogues, interesting range of greys.
• Triads- 3 Hues in a triangle relationship on the wheel, but high risk of 'Mud'. Harmony with 1 dominant colour mixed with other 2.
• Primary Triads- RGB. (cool and warm variations) can mix secondary colours.
• Secondary Triads- VOG, interesting greys when mixed.
• Intermediate Triads- R-O,Y-G, B-V and R-V, Y-O, B-G. Challenging and expressive.

17. Further colour mixing (p105)

For more brilliant colours, try to balance the temperatures of the mixes. 

 

18. Gradation- Gradual transition from one colour/value to another. It's very pleasing to look at. Can combine with pattern to create balance. 

Phew! That'll do for now, this book has really given me a lot to think about, and whilst there's quite a lot of waffle to get through, it all serves a purpose!

Thanks for reading, and come back again for part 3, plus some of my perspective experiments after recently discovering Superani publications and Kim Jung Gi!