How to: water colors

Oh, boy. Big, multi-part question. I'm sure there are online resources/ books, but I'll give you some off-the-top of my head responses from my own experience:

Get really good paper. Heavier is better -- Strathmore is a good brand. Cold-press, at least 90 pounds.

It depends somewhat on what kind of area you are talking about in terms of mixing colors etc. Take sky as an example. I would first mix up a goodly amount (I know, highly imprecise) of the color I want to use. Then I would put down water (just water) over the area that will be colored. Then I'll start on one side, or more typically for sky on the top (since sky gradations tend to be top to bottom) and the color will bleed because of the water already there. This all has to be done quickly to keep things fluid, without striations.

If you put some color down and let it dry, you can later mix other colors into it a bit without the original outline getting completely obscured. (Though with good thick paper and some energetic brushing you usually can "erase" something.)

This is all different for watercolor than for oils. With oils, you have much much more time to blend things seamlessly, and you can put layers down that will completely obscure underlying layers, or at least leave only a hint. I like to use watercolors for quick, fluid effects, really good for nature. Like, with a leaf -- first outline the leaf in pencil (very light.) Then mix up some green. Then put some water (or very light green) in the leaf shape, and then lay on some of the green you want. The color will flow and pool so that there is a sharp line at the edge, and then soft gradations in the middle. I love that stuff.

Keep asking specific questions and I'll do my best to answer. (Watercolors are my medium -- erstwhile art major.)

Here is one of my watercolors, which contradicts every piece of advice I've given so far... (Took forever, lots of layering.)

Soz - that's amazing! I didn't know you painted. That is juat gorgeous.

Wow, I haven't been patient enough. Also, I didn't lay water down first. So, you have to do one section, let it dry and then do abuting sections. Ok.... I wonder if I should start over. I got the tree down great, the rest is clumpy. And, the earth is just brown. Maybe I'll try to scan it.

Thanks for the advice!

Will it work.......?
watercolor

Hi there,

The tree is great. Really good basis for the painting. I like how it looks backlit by the moon.

What kind of paper did you use? That looks to me like more "normal" paper... the good stuff makes all the difference, really.

I personally have a bias for penciling outlines -- it virtually disappears when you start painting, and gives you a good guide so that you can paint more spontaneously (which is always a goal in watercolor.) You can go right up to the line (like the tree), let it dry, then go right up to the line from the other side (the sky.)

For skies, it's always fun to see where the differences are -- even in the darkest night sky, it tends to be lighter near the horizon, darker the higher you go. You can do lots of nice blending that will give it depth.

You don't have to lay down the water first, that's mostly for lighter colors. The main thing is to just make sure that one area doesn't dry before you start blending it into the next. You can quickly lay out a very diluted version of the color you want to use, for example, and then dab on the darker parts.

This is pretty scattershot -- only have a minute. But if you play around with some of these effects on good paper (I'll toss out another trick -- sprinkle salt on something when it's still wet. Great for stars) I bet you'll get some wonderful stuff.

The paper is good, it's cold pressed, 140 LB, watercolor paper by canson.

Salt, eh....? Sounds fun. I always wondered how to do stars. I dunno if I could pull off that tree again, I'm often a one-shot wonder. I watch the night sky too to see the light change. Of course, I often forget what I saw when it comes time to paint.

I just started and love the medium. I'm OK at drawing, but with regular paints, get carried away and lose the ethereal look and get the kindergarten look.

Watercolors has changed this for me. I'm pretty decent at drawing with the colored pencils. Then, I go back and add little pencil slashes of varying colors, and darker areas for shading...blacks and browns or darker colors of the object. I leave bits of white sometimes.

Then, carefully with the water. My husband has one in for framing. Two earthen pots with small tree-shaped plants on an interior sill. The focal point is the pots. The colors and shading went together so well.

The thing I like is the magical way the painting defines itself with the water.

So soothing to do.

I've thought about mixing colors, as you discuss here, but I think my hand would be too heavy.

I love to leave the fine outline of the pencil, too. Making me want to go start another.

Oh yeah, I did use a light colored pencil sketch for the birch picture.

I love the look of birch. I imagine it lends itself well to watercolor. Thanks for the idea.

k, is your pencil sketch still under the water colour?

Sure Lash, it really does do well in watercolors.

Beth - yeah, why?

curiousity

It was lightly sketched, I dunno if you can even still see it....

Sozobe, you painting is superb.

Sozobe

Your work is very impressive. Such a talent.

seaglass

Thanks, folks!

That was done a looooooooong time ago, though, and I haven't done any serious painting in probably 10 years. I do lots of handmade cards and such, but would love to get back to "real" painting. Maybe when the kiddo's in kindergarten... People have told me to just go ahead and do it, but my method of painting isn't compatible with my current lifestyle. I get completely absorbed and lose all sensibility of time, hunger, etc... that doesn't go well with keeping tabs on a VERY active two-year-old. I've tried to do it in fits and starts, as time allows, and that SO doesn't work. Cards, yes, but nothing more ambitious.

Anyway, I'm taking pottery classes which have been great. (Reminds me, I said I'd post some of the Christmas gifts I made.) It's 2 hours a week of uninterrupted, focused creativity, and I love it.

littlek, thanks for getting me thinking about this stuff again, and would love to see the results of your further experiments.

Good paper is always a "good thing." I used to get so down on myself re: watercolor until I realized I was painting on cheap paper. I now use 140 cold press, usually Arches. Heavier paper will suck up the paint and take away the transparency of the work. The key is to keep a light hand. Light layers of paint reflect the light better than one color and remember water is the basis for the technique. Some tricks I use involve salt (let it dry completely before brushing it off) and sometimes I use a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol. You can get some really nice effects with the use of alcohol. If my painting looks too heavy, I sometimes put the whole thing under the faucet and turn on the water. Remember you can always pull color off the paper when its wet with a dry brush. When my hyperactive rugrats were young, I kept my painting to small pieces. When my youngest was 5, we worked on a large oil painting together. When he was 18, he gave me an easel for my birthday and said, "we're all grown up now Mom. Get to work." Ain't that love!

Soz - I took a pottery class last winter. It was fun! I know what you mean about the right-brain focus zone. It took me a couple hours to unfocus or refocus after I finished the painting. And it was a quick painting at that.

Kayla - the whole thing under water, eh? I guess if you have the good paper that works ok. What a wonderful son you have.