Advancing with Watercolor

Transcription

1 Advancing with Watercolor Working with Edges New Snow ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR - EDGES 1

2 Introduction When we are beginning with watercolor we tend to paint all of our shapes with hard edges - it is the way we can exercise the most control. Occasionally accidentally our shapes run into each other and behold we are now looking at shapes with lost and found edges. This creates an interesting effect - the sensation of atmosphere in our painting - with a tangible quality to it. This tangible quality can be exaggerated or minimized to create mood in our paintings. Edges effect the mood For me mood is a vary important result in my painting. I try to think about the mood I want to project and that helps me to look for the visual indicators in my subject and also think about how I will maximize them in my painting. Mood is an interesting phenomena. If considered in your painting it can have a powerful effect on your audience. Mood is the result of many parts. Shape, tonal values, color and yes edges. These combine in a painting (intentional or accidental) to make the mood more or less tangible. Types of edges The types of edges are basically 4. Smooth edges, Soft edges, rough edges, and lost and found edges. There are many artists who paint all of the shapes with smooth edges - the result is something like a jig saw puzzle. One shape next to another shape. The edges meet it a very static way. More sophisticated painting employs a variety of edges. Thinking about your use of edges in your paintings will add depth and nuance to your paintings. Thinking about this as you form your watercolor plan will show you a proper sequence which will allow you to take full advantage of these different types of edges. This is because each type of edge requires a different state of dryness in the paper and a different state of dampness in the brush. How we create these types of edges We create these 4 types of edges with yes 4 different techniques. Lets examine them and practice them here. We will use a pine tree to demonstrate all Smooth edges: These are created by applying a brush fully loaded to dry paper. This is the way most of us start painting with watercolors. Lets create some examples by painting ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR - EDGES 2

3 a Pine tree. This method is comfortable because we are in control - no real surprises here. A recognizable pine tree but does it interact with the atmosphere??? 2 - Soft edges. Soft edges are created by using a loaded brush into a very wet area. This technique is called wet into wet and as the description implies the paper and brush are very wet. This technique is ideal suited to creating atmospheres and very soft shapes. As you can tel with the Pine tree. 3 -There is a variation of this technique which we call dry into wet. This time we work into a wet area but our brush is not loaded but rather dry. As a result the brush acts more like a sponge depositing color and absorbing water. The form is much more readable and still the edges are all soft. The atmosphere is truly reacting with the tree 4 - Rough edges are created by using a dry brush onto dry paper. In fact the rougher the paper the better this technique works. While working with this technique you will hear and feel your brush scraping the dry ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR - EDGES 3

4 paper. The result is broken marks which can be left alone to imply a texture such as a rock surface or some rough surfaces or can be added to with more strokes such as I have done with the pine tree. Lost and found edges are realized when the smooth edges of a shape hit a wet area and dissolves only to be revealed again at a dry area. To achieve this technique we spot wet the area we are painting leaving some dry areas and create our shapes into this partially wet area. The result creates the illusion that the very atmosphere is moving in and out of our object. We will use this technique extensively in our rainy day painting All methods are worth knowing and using in our watercolors. I would practice these examples to get a sense of the wetness in your brush and on the paper. Then look at the material you are trying to paint - clouds, sparkling water, shadows which of these techniques works best. Another thing to ponder as you are thinking about the quality of the edges in your painting is which technique works best for the mood you are trying to project? A bright sunny day, a misty foggy day - the edges you create will go a great way in creating mood Winter Day, Lincoln Homestead Here are 2 images the first is the photo form the location - notice this photo was shot during the fall season. Next to it is an image done in black and white interpreting what the scene might look like with a new layer of snow. To do this I first zoomed in and made the ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR - EDGES 4

5 house a little closer and the trees a little taller - I imagined the fields, the roof tops, and the road to be covered with snow and so white. The sunlight is very similar to our picture as evidenced in the shadows. The forest behind is pushed back with the two columns of smoke rising from the chimneys ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR - EDGES 5

6 I start by drawing with yellow ochre and a round sable brush. I am finding that my paintings come out more fluently when I start with a brush. It helps me to establish the important lines and volumes accurately and quickly. In this stage the ground and road and house have been established. Next I make a stroke based approach to the trees behind the house. I use b sienna and cobalt generously - mixing on the page. I want some rough edges at the end of my trees and so I let the pigment almost expire in the brush and then drag whats left to create the tops and extensions of the trees. Within the trees I am working wet into wet and so there are a lot of softer edges. ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR - EDGES 6

7 Once I am satisfied with the background of trees I move to the house - with only burnt sienna - defining the white of the roof and working wet onto dry paper to create sharp hard edges More will be done to the house later but for now i move below to the snow banks and shadows on the road. I proceed the deep cobalt blue shadow with a stroke of clean water and then paint the blue right into that giving the snowbank a wonderful soft edge. Not only does this edge counter all the rough and hard edges used above but it communicates new fallen snow. ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR - EDGES 7

8 The majority of the work is done and I can see the finished painting emerging. I want to extend the dark shape lower into the painting and I do this by painting fence posts along the top of the snow bank which I just painted Next I glaze some light yellow ochre into the right side of the sky and finish on the left side with a pale cobalt blue. You can see this more clearly by comparing this image with the one just below. This small adjustment goes a long way to make the whites in the painting feel whiter Some final details - eyes for the house and eye brows as well - hahaha These past additions have all been focused on my center of interest ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR - EDGES 8

9 Lets add one more element which is some white with a bit of yellow to create rising smoke from the chimneys. This last part is a little tricky and I have failed at it before. The white tends to dry very pale so I use it right out of the tube. Its a bold move after coming this far in the painting but I fancy it will work. In reviewing the piece I am pleased with the overall mood and the sensation of new snow, I think we had a good demonstration of the different types of edges we can use in watercolor and how they work together to give us the impression of newly fallen snow. ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR - EDGES 9