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[Tags: Art Auction Saturday, Artwork, landscapes, miniature painting, watercolor painting
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Archive for the ‘Artwork Project 4’ Category
Art Auction Saturday
Saturday, February 27th, 2010Watercolor Demo - Lilacs in Bloom Part 2
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Note: Double Click the above images for a closer look.
Once you have your preliminary steps complete - value sketch, color study and your drawing has been transferred onto your watercolor paper - you’re ready to start painting.
This painting is about the size of a business card (small). I find it great fun painting in a small format and it is amazing just how much information you can include in such a small space. I’ve learned a great deal from painting in a small format as I’m more willing to try new things. The worst case scenario is tossing out a small bit of paper and the best case scenario is a fine miniature painting. Painting small suits my style and helps to release my creative energy while having fun.
I started the painting process here by applying masking fluid to the picket fence and lilac blossoms. Masking fluid is a liquid that, once applied and dry, can be painted over and then easily removed later and is used to save areas you want left white - or as in this case left light so I can apply other crisp and vibrant colors later.
Once the masking fluid was completely dry I applied my washes over the top, as you can see in the above photo on the right. Using masking fluid to “save your whites” allows smooth and flowing washes to be applied instead of attempting to paint around the fence and lilac blossoms, in which case you’d lose that spontaneous watercolor washing effect.
I then continued the actual painting process by laying in a “sky” wash while referring to my color study for the combination of colors that I determined would work best. A second wash to the foreground using permanent lemon yellow finished my first coat in the glazing process.
[Note: Watercolor glazing is a technique where you apply one layer of color over the next - letting each layer dry completely before applying the next.]
Watercolor Demo - Lilacs in Bloom Part 1
Monday, February 22nd, 2010-
- Warning! Don't shortcut the process! Always do a value sketch and color study.
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- Reference Photo & Sketch
Note: Double Click the above images for a closer look.
Tom and I went for a “road trip” yesterday and I could feel spring is just around the corner. While it was cold and there was still snow on the ground I could smell spring and, of course, my other gauge of spring - the roadkill count - seems to indicate the same thing. Yesterday’s roadkill count - one skunk, one tan unidentifiable furry thing and one squirrel - we’re close!
Though we haven’t had our usual snow fall amounts it has been a very cold winter season and I’m ready for warmer temperatures. With all that spring thinking in mind I’ve decided to paint a miniature watercolor painting (about 2.5 inches x 3 inches) - Lilacs in Bloom - and share my painting process with you. So get your paper, pencil and brushes to follow along!
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The very first step in any creative process is to find something that inspires you. I’ve painted this house before in all its “lilac glory.” It’s a place I drive past from time-to-time on my commute to work. Since that photograph was taken - years and years ago - I’ve never seen those lilacs in such full bloom and vibrant bloom. What a treat and I’m glad I had my camera. As you can see in the above photograph (right) I took several shots and have them taped together, providing a panoramic view of the old house, picket fences, laundry on the line and, of course, the lilacs. Beautiful. I’m inspired. Time to get going.
Thankfully I stopped myself before plunging right into the painting process thereby skipping two essential steps, i.e., a value sketch and color study. Your value sketch and color study will provide a “road map” to be used along with your reference photo, still life or a scene you are painting en plein air. These preliminary steps will help you find design problems before you begin the final painting and help give you confidence in mixing just the right color.
I always keep my value sketch and color study small (no matter what size my painting will be) in order to avoid getting fussy during these first steps of the painting process. Additionally, I’ll draw a “frame” for both the value sketch and color study to define the edges of my painting (See Right Photo). These edges can also provide checkpoints as you draw, i.e., positioning the horizon line, checking architectural angles, etc.
After you’re completely satisfied with your value sketch and color study you’ll need to transfer your drawing (contour lines only) onto the watercolor paper. I use a kneaded eraser to correct mistakes as it doesn’t seem to deface the surface of my watercolor paper. Finally, when you have a drawing you are satisfied with it’s time to PAINT! (Stop back on Wednesday to see how the painting progresses.)
Artwork Project 4 - FINAL
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
Artwork Project 4 - Miller's Farm No. 2 FINAL
I’ve finally finished “Miller’s Farm No. 2.” Though it doesn’t translate 100 percent accurately online (the colors are a bit more intense than the original painting), this piece (in some cases) came out better than my first attempt. The sky washes are fresher and less overworked. Unfortunately, I overworked the shadows in the snow and was forced to use this “bleed proof white” that I discovered. I will typically try to “save the whites” and not resort to using either Chinese white or this bleed proof white, but I’d already committed so much time to this piece that I didn’t want to abandon the painting altogether. Another lesson learned - (more…)
Artwork Project 4 - Stage 2
Thursday, March 19th, 2009Artwork Project 4 - Stage 2
Washes
Back to Artwork Project 4 - I haven’t been doing much watercolor painting over the last week or so, but that’s okay. There will be times when other things need to take priority and I don’t want to rush forward without being prepared or having enough time. That could only lead to disaster and frustration.
The process I am using for this painting is much like the process used in Artwork Project 1. Once the value sketch and color studies are complete, a line drawing needs to be prepared. If your subject is complicated, I would suggest doing a line drawing in your sketchbook (actual size), then transfer the drawing using either a light box or carbon paper. With this painting, since the subject is pretty simple, I haven’t prepared a line drawing, but sketched the scene directly onto the watercolor paper.
If you experience a misstep while sketching directly onto your watercolor paper and need to erase, I would suggest using a Pentel Clic eraser to make corrections. This eraser ROCKS as it does not destroy the surface of your watercolor paper. Erase gently in any case to minimize the effects of erasing.
Once your sketch is completed, I would suggest walking away for a bit and coming back. A fresh eye will detect perspective or composition problems you may have missed because you were so engrossed in your artwork.
The watercolor wash you see above is the beginning stage of the effect I am hoping to achieve - a sunrise/sunset glowing effect. The wash you see above was done in two stages - the first stage using cadmium yellow light and then drying completely. The second wash over the first using permanent rose then drying completely.
Miller's Farm - Detail
While the second wash was still wet, I dropped in a combination of ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson and burnt sienna to create the distant trees. That color combination is my favorite for producing the winter trees seen at a distance. Varying the amount of each color gives a variety of tones. I’ve gone ahead and painted in shadows on the houses and snow as well as laying in the initial barn red. My style for this type of piece is building layer upon layer - called glazing. I’d better get painting so I’m prepared to share more progress! Any questions?
Artwork Project 4 - Stage 1
Thursday, March 12th, 2009
Value Sketch & Color Study #1 in Preparation for Painting Miller's Farm
I think I’ll give you a day or two to digest the “Gum Spitter,” by focusing on art for a bit. I want to get you thinking about the painting process today as I prepare to repaint the Miller’s Farm. The farmhouse burned to the ground recently, so I feel committed to painting this scene in a successful way. Step one is the Value Sketch (top-left). I find it’s best to do a small value sketch (2″ x 3″ or so) making it easier to do a quick study with few details while focusing on just your pattern of darks and lights. As you can see I’ve drawn a rectangle to determine the parameters of the piece and have used B Series Pencils to lay in my values. B Series Pencils are soft and capable of producing very dark values.
The second image you see (above) is one of two color studies I’ve done to prepare for this painting. Color Study #1 has a more monochromatic color scheme. I’ve also taken the time to produce color swatches below the study, taking notes so I’ll know just what colors were mixed to produce a certain hue, i.e., for the snow I’ll be using cerulean, cobalt and permanent rose (mixed and layered).
The color study you see below (Color Study #2) uses a wider range of colors, creating more drama. I think I’ll paint it both ways. Now that the plan is set, I’ll do a line drawing, actual size and then transfer the image onto the watercolor paper or (in this case) do my sketching directly on my watercolor paper. I’m planning to include a person walking their dog, so I’ll need to do a few studies in order to create shapes that say, “man walking his dog.” These figures will not have a great deal of detail since they are being viewed from a distance. I’ll share those sketches with you soon. Stay tuned for more progress.
Color Study #2