Advancing in Watercolor Firenze from San Miniato al Monte Repeated Shapes - Patterns ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR REPEATING SHAPES AND LINES 1
Repeated shape and line We have been discussing how the artist sees this world, and how they begin to bring what the see to paper. Reducing the scene to a few large shapes and lines, refining these shapes for interest, and designing these shapes around a center of interest. In todays work I would like to look more closely at how shapes and lines work in the visual language to create a feeling of rhythm.. For example lets compare two distinct landscapes. A salt marsh and the rockies The Salt marsh is built up of subtle changes in horizontal lines the zig-zag through the landscape. Verticals are expressed through the occasional tree or reeds nearby The sky plays a big role in brining interest to the open space of the salt marsh. By contrast the rockies generally present rising stark shapes with jagged edges and strong diagonals. Stone and trees generally appear in these areas and add to the over all rhythm of rough contrasting shapes and directions these are only two of many examples of rhythms in nature Lines repeat, shapes repeat, colors and edges repeat. These repeats form a rhythm and are not only descriptive but create their own life and energy. ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR REPEATING SHAPES AND LINES 2
As our group sat on the steps of San Miniato al Monte we looked out on the city of Firenze - at first in awe of the city in the morning light. As I started to think about painting this I ran into a little problem All those tiled roofs below. It occurred to me to start with a pattern of stokes that allude to the rooftops, becoming larger and more defined as they came forward. So I devised a pattern to paint this complicated passage. This pattern would be entered around the Duomo and extend into the far hills. The Duomo and a few vertical towers wold break the pattern. I found that I began to think of the surrounding cypress and junior as patterned shapes - This mindset feed me from worrying about this building or that building, or this tree or that tree and would help keep me focused on the larger picture The sketch above shows a loose attempt at reducing the rooftops to a pattern, I established the general composition and the surrounding elements to create an interesting shape to the city itself I also focused on the direction of the shadows as I knew these would change or even disappear as the morning unfolded. ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR REPEATING SHAPES AND LINES 3
I start with a light wash of yellow ochre onto 140b rough paper. It is an important application as I create the shape of the city itself, I establish the position and scale of the Duomo - my center of interest, and establish the lines on which my pattern will fall. Next I paint the lower trees all in one go. I want to allude to the direction of light and the position of trees but with a wet into wet technique and soft edges I seldom use a green from the tube - rather I mix mine with can yellow, ult blue, and neutral tint - in the case of the trees in this painting I used more cad orange to get the hue that I wanted ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR REPEATING SHAPES AND LINES 4
I carry smaller trees into the edges of the city refining the shape of Firenze, and at the same time create depth. Next I create the backdrop of mountains and sky. Again I am determined to do this in one go - create soft edges on the mountain - a deep warm blue is achieved by starting with a bit of cad red into the sky followed by cobalt blue - allowing the lighter red to peek through now and then I also use this wash to define the dome of the Duomo and a few other tall The shape of the city is clear at this stage so I begin to place the b sienna on the Dome. It ia an interesting stage in the painting and I feel in looking back - I should try to finish the painting with fewer strakes ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR REPEATING SHAPES AND LINES 5
I continue now with the pattern of strokes creating the pattern of rooftops using a smaller brush and b sienna. I continue to build the patter focusing on a few buildings and giving them perhaps a little extra detail The pattern is complete now and I am adding the smaller darks to draw the eye to the Duomo and also to describe the morning light - it s intensity and direction. The painting is feeling balanced and while I am seeing the misfires I am basically happy that the plan has worked out. The dome needs the characteristic bright ribs an I add those with white paint mixed with a little yellow ochre. ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR REPEATING SHAPES AND LINES 6
The finished painting below - I believe that finding the shape to the city and the pattern to create the roof tops and trees helped me quite a bit in this painting I achieved a painting that has some good watercolor passages in the foreground and background and a lively tempo throughout. As I am putting some last touches into the painting I am already thinking of what I would do in the next version later now its time for lunch ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR REPEATING SHAPES AND LINES 7