Advancing in Watercolor Faneuil Hall Marketplace A little Perspective in the Rain ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR PERSPECTIVE 1
Recap In the previous weeks we have been learning to paint graded washes, work on trees and people that are part of the scene in the marketplace. Today we will look at a couple of subjects, one is perspective which will help us in drawing and painting buildings and structures, the second is using a muted palette and soft edges to paint a rainy day. In fact the weather cooperated and we have a light rain falling this morning A little perspective Since we are occasionally putting some architecture into our paintings a little understanding of perspective is helpful. It is a vast science but for our purposes a little goes a long way. Most of the angles we create for perspective are accomplished through our drawing so I will use my drawing of the north side of the Quincy Market to illustrate. One thing we have to be careful of when working with photos of architecture is that very often there is a big distortion in heights and angles. Professional photographers use special lenses that handle these sorts of challenges but for us we just need to know what to look for.. In the images that follow I will use my drawing and show you how a believable perspective was achieved ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR PERSPECTIVE 2
Lets look at the lines that contribute to the feeling of proper perspective. I emphasize feel here because we are eyeballing all of these angles and so getting a feel for it is crucial. The first line to recognize is you eye level. This can be the same, or different than the horizon. Usually if we are standing it is close. The eye level determines the line on which a vanishing point resides. The vanishing point is a presumption by us. It can be calculated precisely with the right tools We guesstimate. In this example I am using a common vanishing point for buildings on either side of the marketplace. The horizontal line represents my eye level and you can see it meets with most of the eyes of my figures. So this is also the way to line up figures on a flat surface. The angled lines refer to the roof and then the windows and store fronts. You will notice that the higher the line the steeper the descent because they all lead to the vanishing point. I am standing closer to the buildings on the left so the incline of these lines are steeper than the lines on the right side Have a look ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR PERSPECTIVE 3
Windows, facades, canopies all line up on these sorts of lines. To make such a line find the highest point of a canopy or a wall and connect this point to the vanishing point. These angles are what we try to get a feel for and believe me with some practice you will find them and start to use them with ease. How about the part of the buildings that are below my line of sight?? These lines rise to the vanishing point. See the example. Even the alignment of bricks and pavers line up in such a way. Look at the finished painting for an example So if you can determine your line of sight you have a big step forward in setting up this perspective. With repetition these things become automatic and you are then free of them. There are a couple of other tidbits I will point out that you may already know through observation One is that shapes that repeat such as the windows, will diminish in scale as they move away and the spaces between the windows will also diminish. Look for these things the next time you are working on a house or another building. These days the renderings are done by computer but I still see the watercolor done of the house I grew up in every time I visit my family. The painting was done by an architectural renderer in watercolor showing the clients (my parents) how their home would look finished and fully landscaped. It was a great selling tool and is still an excellent watercolor ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR PERSPECTIVE 4
In todays painting I am of course showing the marketplace so the buildings need some accuracy. I place the big domed building with clarity and carry a gray wash to the bottoms of the buildings. I make an effort to leave gaps in the wash for windows, umbrellas, and some random shapes. I finished the ground area with a warm gray a little lighter in tonality than the buildings. The sky is simply the white of the paper. This is common on sunless, rainy days. The shapes become flatter and more like silhouettes.next I paint a flat tree with a reference to green, but not a bright sunlit green this green is joined to the trucks of the tress and a beautiful shapes is created of the sky through the trees. The darker gray is carried into a kiosk and then its reflection, Look I put some simple windows along the lines we created earlier. This canopy is quite dark, no black but I don't want to paint it that dark because it will take over the painting and I will loose the softness of the rainy day. I paint it with a dark flat gray and then spray some water and watch the area lighten. This same dark is merged with the reflection to create a continuous dark shape This dark is extended into the figures and later on their reflections. ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR PERSPECTIVE 5
Well we have to populate the scene with figures - even on a rainy day there is life at the Marketplace! I try to get a simple variety of groups and a couple of solitary figures moving through the scene. A little family on the left is my focus point and I use some brighter colors and more personality in painting them Now the details the reflections - I choose to make hard edges on the reflections as opposed to soft edges. I guess it could be either way. After the reflections have dried I add simple broken lines to indicate the rows of brick. This enhances the feeling of perspective and also makes the reflections feel more transparent The painter uses these simple ideas of perspective rather loosely. Certainly no rulers of precise measures just a sense. Knowing what to look for in the field will get you working in the right direction and make the rendering of perspective easier. Rainy days are an excellent motif for the flowing softness of the watercolor medium. The water literally creates the sensation of wetness. Have fun ADVANCING IN WATERCOLOR PERSPECTIVE 6