Softened Edge Stroke

In the world of watercolor there are a million plus ways to apply pigments. Every artist has their own methods which helps to portrait and express their own style. The hardest part of learning to use watercolor is to learn to control the application of paint. Over the years I have spent teaching watercolor I developed some simple brush strokes with names to help simplify the process.

Here is a short video clip of how to create a Softened-edge Brush Stroke in watercolor. Click Here To View Video.

I hope this helps! Understanding the use of crisp and soft edges in important. A painting with only crisp edges will have an excitability and edginess to it that may not lend itself to the message of the finished product. Only soft, wet edges, creates an ethereal, whispy image. Using both soft and crisp edges can communicate depth, volume, atmosphere, personality in your work.

There are more video links and blog post lessons found on my Lessons Tab at the top of this page. Let me know if this helps! Thanks to those who have commented on my posts. I appreciate the feedback!

 

Happy and Blessed New Year 2012!

Happy New Year!

I have been spending the past few days cleaning out my studio, ridding myself of old things that I haven’t used and don’t need. It has been emotionally and physically challenging, but now I am nearing completion and I can see how big my space looks. I am feeling much more like being creative and productive in the new year. At least once a year I need to do what my mother used to call “spring cleaning”. It is so hard for me to get started, but once I am on a roll it is liberating!

Stay in touch and let me know of any lessons you may like to see. I can either post videos or printable lessons. I sincerely hope you all will have a blessed, healthy and happy new year in 2012.

 

As the Christmas celebrations draw near, I just wanted to wish you all a very merry, blessed Christmas.

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:9-12

For many this is a time of tradition, a holiday to take some time off work and spend with family and friends. For me, this is a season to celebrate what God has done for me. My life has changed so much for the better since I learned what the true meaning of Christmas is about. It is very personal, and precious. In a world full of hate, sarcasm, greed and selfishness, this is a season, for me, full of hope and promise.

“For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32

 

Workshop Adventure

What a fun day we spent painting together!!!

On December 10th I taught a workshop on my pouring watercolor on canvas technique. It was a small workshop and lots of fun. The day was just not long enough!

I had several canvases started so that my students could see the different stages of the process. They brought canvases, chose a project from many that I brought with me.

The first part of the workshop was showing the participants how to prepare the canvas for watercolor. A white absorbent ground is applied in several thin coats. This creates a paper-like surface on top of the canvas so that the watercolor will absorb slightly, but not lose any of its color potency.

Once the canvas is dried it is time to apply the drawing. Some students drew directly onto their canvas with a light graphite drawing. Others transferred drawings that I provided. Once the drawing is on a few areas can be shadowed with graphite, as this will help to hold the darker areas during the pouring process. The graphite has a tendency to lift and float away when the very wet pigments are applied.

With the drawing applied, we then added masking fluid to preserve any white areas on the canvas. This step will happen over and over during pouring process to save each “value step”. Again the canvas must be allowed to dry completely.

Here, Dawn is applying a first pour to one of her projects. The colors are dropped onto a very wet (with water) canvas. The colors are set next to one another so that delicate blends begin to take place, and we use primary color sets. My favorite combination is New Gamboge, Quinicridone Magenta, and French Ultramarine Blue. It’s important to only use transparent colors. Cadmiums, for instance, are chalky, and will have a tendency to lift quickly, look muddy and “powdery” after the pours.

Once the colors are applied on the very wet canvas, it is tipped and sprayed with a misting sprayer to control the flow and color intensity.

Each layer of wet colors creates a value range on the painting. When working in this technique, it is best not to worry about “literal” colors in the painting. Rather, the goal is to work toward developing correct value ranges to hold the shape and space in the piece.

Each time the piece is poured it must dry thoroughly. Then another layer of masking fluid is applied to the areas that need to be “saved” for the next pour. Simply put, the mask resists pigment. Once the pour is completely dry it is a bit easier to see the value that is created on the canvas. If an area should not get any darker, it is masked so that it will not accept any more color during the next pour.

You can see the photo reference and value drawing that Dawn is using to guide her through the painting. You can also see how the paint drips over the edges of the gallery-wrapped canvas, creating a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors around the edges so that framing is really not necessary.

Jean worked on several projects throughout the day.

Robin and Chelsey are using mask at this stage.

It was a fun day and I am looking forward to seeing the finished pieces! I will post some pictures of my work from the workshop soon also.

 

Brush Stroke to Soften an Edge in Watercolor

The Softened Edge Stroke

In watercolor it is sometimes challenging to be able to control soft and crisp edges. A painting with only crisp edges will look too structured and stiff. A painting with only soft edges may look too washed-out. A painting that contains both soft and crisp edges can convey mood, atmosphere, and detail.

So, how do you create a brush stroke with one soft edge, especially if you are layering this stroke over an existing wash that is already dry?

It’s all a matter of how wet or dry your paper is. Here is a link to my YouTube video that demonstrates how to create what I call a “Softened Edge Stroke”.

This link can also be found on my Lessons Tab above.

Click Here for Softened Edge Stroke Video – Enjoy!

 

Plein Aire Painting with Friends

I enjoyed a fun day at a local park in Indiatlantic near Melbourne the other day. I took both my oil and watercolor paints, but I ended up using the oils. It was fun to sketch directly on the canvas board and build the painting right on the scene. With watercolor I normally do much more planning, sketching and setting everything up before I even touch my paints. At least that is how I generally work with watercolor. It can be worked more loosely, but I my habit is to be more precise!

We were on the river side of the barrier island. There were lots of interesting scenes that caught my eye, including the bridge, lots of trees, boats and the lush green of a lovely Florida day. I finally settled on the gazebo with the tall palms stretching out behind it.

I had a yellow ochre color painted on the board before I arrived at the park. We started about 10 AM. I first walked around a bit with my friend Barbara, who is my plein aire painting buddy. We shot some photos, looked at possible compositions through our camera lenses and through cupped hands. It helps to “crop” the scene a bit to aid in viewing how the image might be composed on your canvas or paper.

Jim and Maryann, new friends I met through Barbara, were there as well. They sketched, Barbara worked in pastels and I worked in oils. The weather was beautiful, in the 70′s, sunny with just a faint breeze. I love painting days like this. It is such a joy to be in the fresh air and to push the paint around as I study the shapes, light and shadows before me.

We stayed for several hours then packed up for lunch time. I had some errands to run, but when I finally made it home I had to dig out the paint box and fiddle with the piece some more.

I was glad I remember to take a few shots of the scene. I just could not have remember the nuances and details of the line, values and colors without the photos. I did change the sky a bit when I came home and I edited things as they suited my taste through the progression of the piece.

This is the photo I worked from when I came home.

Here is the finished painting for what it is worth…

All in all it was a wonderful day.
Thanks for visiting. I’d love to hear from you!

 

How to Paint a Rose – Final Painting!

Okay, almost done with the rose!

As I looked at the overall painting, I wanted to add some more “punch” to the shadows of the rose petals. The more value ranges (dark to light), the more depth I can create to make it look truly three-dimensional.

I used some Perylene Maroon to add a touch of dark red to the deepest shadows of my flower. Now the light areas really “pop”!

I have a little philosophy that once I sign a painting I cannot add anything more to it. It works well to keep me from over-working a painting!

So, signed and complete – the finished Pink Rose!

Hope you enjoyed this lesson! Let me know what you think, and if there is another lesson you might like me to post.

 

How to Paint a Rose – Step No. 3

Ah, today the flower takes center stage as the supporting cast is brought in to play!

In nature, leaves on the same plant will bounce around in the light and have a multitude of colors. Some will look blue, some will look green, others will look yellow or brown! In order for the painting to represent nature, a variety of colors should be worked into the leaves. For the yellow-green areas I used a very watery mixture of New Gamboge and Permanent Sap Green. I applied it softly and thoughtfully, not completely filling in the outline, but carefully looking at the photo reference to tell me where to place the color and whether or not to create soft or crisp edges. The applications of paint here are really an under-painting for future glazes of color that will be gently layered over the tops of these pigments.

The blue is a very wet, wet, wet application of Pthalo blue. Be careful with this color – it is extremely intense! There should only be a hint of color and lots of water! Notice that some of the edges are softened with water. To review the YouTube video of the Softened Edge Stroke, click the Lessons tab at the top of this page.

I used Burnt Sienna to create the delicate red-brown edges of some of the leaves. Again, to keep it looking natural I did not apply this to every edge, only some. I also used Burnt Sienna to create an under-painting for the darker, cast shadows on the leaves.

Once all of the previous layers are dried completely, I can add glazes of green and yellow. I used several combinations of wet applications with New Gamboge, Permanent Sap Green and Hookers Green. Notice how the “brown” shadows become dark green when the green pigments are glazed on. Be careful not to stroke your brush over these areas too much, be gentle, or the previous layers will lift and create “mud”.

I applied these greens with very wet, gentle strokes. Then, dipping my brush into darker colors, I touched the darker colors into the wet areas to create very soft shadows. It is  important to let the pigment do what it wants to do here. Don’t try to control it too much.

Here is a detail shot of the bottom leaf. I think of butterfly kisses when I’m painting these areas. Just “tickle” the paper with your brush, using almost no pressure at all. Be thoughtful where the tip of your brush touches the wet areas with darker color, and let it blend on its own. You can tip the paper and allow gravity to move the pigment if you want it to move more. Don’t strive for “perfection”, but strive for “sparkle”.

Next post, the finished painting!

 

How to Paint a Rose – Step No. 2

We are working on painting a rose in watercolor.

Take a look at the previous post if you would like to see this lesson from the beginning.

I am working around the rose petals with tiny washes of three pigments, a yellow, a pink, and a cool red for the shadows.

I have to work around, and around so that one petal may dry before I paint the one right next to it. If the wet edges touch they will run together. Notice that there are cool (dark red, plum) and warm areas (light pink and golden). This is because when the light hits the different edges of the petals it bounces around and casts different hues – the lighter side, facing the light source, will have warmer colors including in the shadows, and the side that faces away from the light source will contain much cooler colors, not just darker colors. Understanding this helps to build a believable painting.

The rose is nearly completed at this point. Now that most of the petals are completed, I can see how the colors, values (lights and darks), and shapes work to create the illusion of a three-dimensional flower. Notice that I left tiny white areas at the tops of some of the petals. I want to leave these so that the edges between petals are shiny, clear and vivid. These little white areas help the painting to sparkle, and also help to set off the darker shadows just under the edges of the petal’s white edge.

In the next post I will start with the leaves around the flower! Let me know what you think, I love hearing from you!

 

How to Paint a Rose – Step No. 1

It has been quite a while since I posted a complete  lesson with the references available, so I thought this would be a fun lesson to do. This is a very small, simple painting with no background – great for beginners!

If you would like to purchase the drawing and reference photo for $5.00, please contact me or visit my etsy online shop and click on the ONLINE LESSON icon. Just let me know that you want the Rose Lesson. I will email the pdf file of the photo reference and the completed drawing to you. Then you can return to this blog entry via my Lessons Tab (a link at the top of this page) and view each step of the lesson and paint along!

To Begin: Using either graphite pencil scrubbed onto the back of the drawing or using a sheet of graphite transfer paper (do not use carbon paper!), transfer the drawing onto a small sheet of Arches watercolor paper, 140 lb. is fine. Eight by eight inches is a good size since this is a very small painting.

I used Quinicridone Magenta, New Gamboge and Permanent Alizarine Crimson for the starting pigments. If you haven’t viewed my YouTube links on brushwork, you can find them on the Lessons page tab above. Preview the brush work techniques, then give it a try on the flower.

I started with the petals. Using both the Pull-Push Stroke and the Softened Edge Stroke, I worked around the petals, avoiding edges that touched one another until they were dry. Looking for shadow areas, I applied the Alizarin Crimson, and added Quin Magenta and New Gamboge depending upon the color and light called for. Some areas of the petals have a white/blue spot where the light is striking them directly. These areas are softened with water only, no pigment is needed here as the white of the paper becomes the highlight. Moisture is needed, though to keep the edges soft.

You can see on the bottom rose petal here where I painted the Softened Edge Stroke. I applied very wet, fairly concentrated pigment, then rinsed my brush, dabbed it lightly on my blotter (paper toweling) and brushed clear water alongside and INTO the wet pigment that was just applied. Pushing the water from the white of the paper INTO the previous stroke creates a soft edged transition from light to dark. This stroke pushes the pigment particles to the darker side of the stroke and keeps the soft edge very smooth. It takes a little practice to master this one, but it is a very useful brush stroke.

I’ll be adding some more to this lesson very soon. Stay tuned!