Watercolor
Of all the types of painting, watercolor is probably the most misunderstood and intimidating. With a little knowledge and good supplies, even a beginning art student can create beautiful watercolor paintings.
The most important thing you can do to be a successful watercolor artist is to buy quality paper. Good brushes and quality paint make a difference, but you can't achieve a great painting without the right paper.
Table Set Up
1. Tilt paper at a 30 degree angle
2. Use two water containers (one for clean water and one for washing out brush)
3. Paper towels
4. Paint Palette
Watercolor Facts
http://www.watercolorpaintingandprojects.com/basics/properties.html
Of all the types of painting, watercolor is probably the most misunderstood and intimidating. With a little knowledge and good supplies, even a beginning art student can create beautiful watercolor paintings.
The most important thing you can do to be a successful watercolor artist is to buy quality paper. Good brushes and quality paint make a difference, but you can't achieve a great painting without the right paper.
Table Set Up
1. Tilt paper at a 30 degree angle
2. Use two water containers (one for clean water and one for washing out brush)
3. Paper towels
4. Paint Palette
- must be white
- arrange colors according to the color wheel (put earth & neutral colors together)
- wet colors each time you start
Watercolor Facts
http://www.watercolorpaintingandprojects.com/basics/properties.html
- The whites that you see in watercolor are the paper
- The color dries lighter then when it is wet.
- The paint will dry too quickly in hot and dry conditions.
- Paint will dry much slower in humid conditions.
Watercolor Paint Qualities
Watercolor is considered the purest of all paints because it is almost pure pigment giving it to have a luminescent quality. Each color has 1 of the following qualities.
Watercolor is considered the purest of all paints because it is almost pure pigment giving it to have a luminescent quality. Each color has 1 of the following qualities.
- Transparent - See through (best for layering, seem to have an inner glow, user friendly)
- Opaque - Not see through (Covers in one coat, dry more solid, more saturated color. beautiful unmixed, they don’t mix well & can turn muddy and ugly)
- Staining - Discolors, can’t be lifted off the paper (Soak in to the paper)
- Non-Staining - Can be lifted from the paper or lightened (Sit on top of the paper)
- Granular - appears mottled and grainy (great for texture)
Watercolor Brushes
Watercolor brushes can be made with natural or synthetic bristles. Natural brushes generally last longer, hold more paint, but are more expensive. Synthetic brushes are more cost effective, but don't last as long and hold less paint. Waterolor brushes are soft. The best brushes are called Kolinsky Sables and are made from the tail of a mink found in Kolinsky, Russia. These brushes can be expensive, but will last forever if you take care of them. There are other types of Sable brushes that are more cost effective, but still have good qualities. Brush Types
Write the terms and definitions below in your sketchbook Round- For the most basic & varied brush strokes, best all around Flat - For rectangle shapes, & wet color laid over dry color (glaze) Mop - Used to soak up water & for blending Fan - used for blending and grass Rigger - used for fine lines, like tree branches Filbert - used for fat strokes Hake - used for large washes |
ttp://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2014/ 07/kolinsky-sable- brushes-banned.html
http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2014 /07/kolinsky-sable-brushes-banned.html
http://fineartblogger.com/types-of-watercolor-brushes/
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Watercolor Paper
Watercolor paper is made from cotton or linen fibers rather than wood pulp like most paper. This makes the paper super absorbent so manufactors add sizing so that the paint floats around the paper initially before it is abosorbed. Sizing is a water resistent substance generally made from cellulose.
Terms
Archival or PH Neutral - Paper made slightly alkaline or with a neutral pH so that it will not yellow and turn brittle with age.
Sizing - A chemical added to control a papers absorbency. It keeps the paper from totally absorbing paint so you can create sharp edges.
Tooth -The surface feel of paper. The more tooth a paper has the rougher it feels to the touch.
Texture
The number indicates how much a ream or 500 sheets of the paper weighs. The higher the number, the higher the quality, and the more it cost
Watercolor Techniques Basics
1. Mix your own blacks rather than using black watercolor. Black straight from the tube comes out flat while a mixed black has a rich depth.
2. Paint light colors to dark colors
3. Do not over mix colors on your palette. Let them blend subtly on your paper.
4. Watercolor dries lighter
5. Do not combine more than two colors to prevent muddy colors.
6. Primaries are most brilliant / Secondaries are less brilliant/ Tertiaries are least brilliant
7. Less water, more control
Write the bolded terms and definitions below in your sketchbook
HOLDING - refers to area of white paper that are left during the painting process. This is used rather than painting an are white since white watercolor isn’t used. There are four ways to hold the white in your paper (See examples below)o edit.
Watercolor paper is made from cotton or linen fibers rather than wood pulp like most paper. This makes the paper super absorbent so manufactors add sizing so that the paint floats around the paper initially before it is abosorbed. Sizing is a water resistent substance generally made from cellulose.
Terms
Archival or PH Neutral - Paper made slightly alkaline or with a neutral pH so that it will not yellow and turn brittle with age.
Sizing - A chemical added to control a papers absorbency. It keeps the paper from totally absorbing paint so you can create sharp edges.
Tooth -The surface feel of paper. The more tooth a paper has the rougher it feels to the touch.
Texture
- Hot Pressed - Smooth paper
- Cold Pressed - Semi-textured paper
- Rough - Textured paper
The number indicates how much a ream or 500 sheets of the paper weighs. The higher the number, the higher the quality, and the more it cost
- 90 lb. - Student grade paper that is very low quality and buckles with paint
- 140 lb. - Minimum weight to achieve good results
- 300 lb. - High quality paper with a lot of cotton fibers (usually expensive)
Watercolor Techniques Basics
1. Mix your own blacks rather than using black watercolor. Black straight from the tube comes out flat while a mixed black has a rich depth.
2. Paint light colors to dark colors
3. Do not over mix colors on your palette. Let them blend subtly on your paper.
4. Watercolor dries lighter
5. Do not combine more than two colors to prevent muddy colors.
6. Primaries are most brilliant / Secondaries are less brilliant/ Tertiaries are least brilliant
7. Less water, more control
Write the bolded terms and definitions below in your sketchbook
HOLDING - refers to area of white paper that are left during the painting process. This is used rather than painting an are white since white watercolor isn’t used. There are four ways to hold the white in your paper (See examples below)o edit.
Leave the White Liquid Mask Masking Tape Scraping
- Free, no materials -Great for details -Good for Straight Edges -Last Resort
- Hard to do details - Can ruin brushes -May tear paper -Rips fibers
-Expensive - Not good for details - Looks different
- Free, no materials -Great for details -Good for Straight Edges -Last Resort
- Hard to do details - Can ruin brushes -May tear paper -Rips fibers
-Expensive - Not good for details - Looks different
LIGHT VALUES http://www.artistdaily.com/blogs/artist-daily/light-dark-color-schemes
CREATING LIGHT VALUES - To create values in watercolor, water is added to the paint to lighten it. White watercolor is not used to lighten colors, because is dulls the intensity of the color. |
LIFTING
https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/07/wet-in-wet-watercolor/ LIFTING - Removing or lightening watercolor paint. This works on dry or wet paint. Lift wet paint with a clean brush. Use a wet brush to lift dry paint. Paper towels can be used to soak up wet paint. Staining colors may leave a light stain on paper. |
WET IN WET
http://www.dalvaro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Viktoria-Prischedko-Watercolor-Landscape-3.jpg WET IN WET - Putting wet paint into wet water. Spread water in an area on your paper. Dip your brush in paint and tip it into the wet area allowing it to spread. |
GLAZING https://www.theartleague.org/blog/2014/03/06/two-day-workshop-glazing-in-watercolor/
GLAZING - Painting over a dry layer of color with a second transparent color to intensify the color. |
EVEN WASH (SKY) http://www.artinstructionblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/watercolor-roses-demonstration-3.jpg
EVEN WASH (SKY) - Paint even horizontal brush stokes in a large area keeping the color as uniform as possible |
GRADUATED WASH (SKY) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeqDYL-U7e4
GRADUATED WASH - A color that fades as it moves down the paper. Paint the darkest value at the top, dilute the brush with water and gradually fade the color to a lighter value. There is almost be no color at the bottom. |
SEA SALT https://www.creativeenrichment-md.com/hands-on-art-watercolors/
SEA SALT - Sprinkle sea salt into wet paint and allow to dry. The salt will draw the color to it and leave speckles of color when brushed off. |
RUBBING ALCOHOL https://evelynflint1.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/week-24-rubbing-alcohol-1-nb.jpg
RUBBING ALCOHOL - Sprinkling rubbing alcohol into wet watercolor creates a uneven, interesting effect. Use the 91% solution and not the more common 70% for the best results. |
DRY BRUSH https://www.meetup.com/seoulart/events/68800702/?_cookie-check=5pXS5UGFEIGn0y7J
DRY BRUSH - Dragging the tip of a mostly dry brush across the paper. Remove most of the water from the brush before dipping it in the color & then brush it across newspaper or paper towels. |
SPONGE - https://paintingdemos.com/experimenting-with-postcards/
SPONGE - Dip a small piece of sponge into watercolor and use it to print things like tree leaves or clouds. SGRAFFITO https://watercolorpainting.com/scrafittostamped/
SGRAFFITO - Use a knife, sharp blade or sandpaper to scratch the paper surface to create texture. You have ‘damaged’ the surface of the paper and it’ll be very absorbent (porous) if you paint on it again SPLATTER https://watercolorpainting.com/splatterspray/6/
SPLATTER - Flicking paint on to the paper surface creating tiny marks. Mix a puddle of color. Lighter values don't work well. Dip a paintbrush (old toothbrush) into the color. Gently tap the brush on your finger or use your thumb to slide across the bristle to flick the paint. Splattering on a dry surface creates defined splatter while splattering into wet paint softens the splatter. |
PLASTIC WRAP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9oxqZD0JGI
PLASTIC OR BUBBLE WRAP - Crumple up plastic wrap and press into wet paint to create texture. Place bubble wrap into wet paint and allow to sit for awhile. BLOOMING - https://angelafehr.com/2013/11/13/a-video-demonstration-cornflowers-and-complementary-colours/
BLOOMING - Mixing 2 colors on very wet paper. Touch the paint into the water and it will blend and spread. It can also be manipulated with a paint brush. |
BLOTTING http://anniestrack.blogspot.com/2013/10/step-by-step-how-to-paint-beach_8.html
BLOTTING - Use a paper towel to blot areas of wet paint. This is great for adding texture, shapes, or absorbing paint that is too dark or in unwanted areas. PULLING http://blog.rumahproject.com/2016/11/20/20-watercolor-techniques-every-artist-should-know/
PULLING - Dragging a clean wet paint brush through a saturated puddle of color. As you pull the brush, the color will fade out as it moves away. This is a great way to create gradation for a 3 dimensional look. |