Accent Color
Complementary Accent Color The use of a complementary accent color is a simple rule to keep in mind when you start to plan the color arrangement in your paintings. It is a powerful tool to add impact to your paintings. For a complementary accent color to have the necessary impact, the painting should be of an analogous nature (using a group of adjacent colors from a small band of the color wheel). The accent color is the complementary to the overall color of the analogous group. onsider the atmosphere you wish to convey with your painting and select your dominant analogous group with that in mind. The weathered patina of an ancient facade would suit a warm red ! orange ! yellow dominant arrangement whereas an evening landscape or fleet of fishing boats would be more suited to dominant cool blue ! greens. This is a simple system s ystem and always yields good results.
"imple color wheel mi#ed from $uinacridone %old, &hthalo 'lue, ltramarine 'lue, &ermanent ose and *li+arin rimson
* range range of analogous %reens contrasting contrasting with a small amount of ool ed ed
ur first accent color group uses an analogous group which includes all the greens from blue!green through to yellow!green. They are contrasted with their complementary cool red.
-unedin louds / -unedin louds uses a range of greens stretching into blue and contrast this with a small patch of red at the focal point.
*cross the 'ay * similar color arrangement is used in this painting. The roofs on these waterfront buildings are a rich magenta, given more impact by the surrounding mass or blue!green.
0arm 1ellows, 'rowns and ranges contrasted with a small amount of complementary blue * warm analogous group from red through to yellow!orange was chosen to portray the rusty e#terior of this old truck. * small area of blue above the front wheel and on the sign behind the cab relieve the overall warmth and reinforce the focal point.
Tow Truck
*n analogous group from cool red to orange are contrasted here with a small amount of green. * group of warm colors stretching from *li+arin rimson through to a dirty orange form our analogous group here. ur color wheel shows the saturated colors, but adjacent compound colors plus tints and shades of all our chosen analogous group can also be used.
&ink "hutters
0arm pinks, reds and oranges in this old door and weathered wall are contrasted with a small amount of &hthalo blue!green in the glass window panes. The wall and door are a mi# of compound and saturated colors within our analogous group.
'lues from ltramarine through to &hthalo contrast here with complementary orange ur analogous group here range from ltramarine through obalt to &hthalo 'lue. The contrasting warm orange is a mi#ture of $uinacridone %old and *li+arin rimson washed over with some &ermanent ose.
esting Trawlers
Color Definitions Saturated Colors are all the pure colors found around the outside of the color wheel. They are either primary colors or a mi#ture of no more than two primaries. 2 red, orange, red!orange etc. Compound Colors are a mi#ture containing all three primaries 2 all the browns, ochre3s, khakis etc. Analogous Colors are any group of colors adjacent to one another on the color wheel 2 red, red!orange, orange. Complementary Colors are colors opposite one another on the color wheel 2 ed and %reen or 'lue and range.
The ne#t painting you do, try not to be too influenced by the colors of your subject. Instead, decide on an analogous group that suit the subject, then inject a small amount of the color opposite this group on the color wheel to fire up your center of interest. It3s a simple formula giving great results.
*uthor4 5ohn 6ovett
Brush Techniques
0e are going to investigate some e#ercises and 'rush Techni7ues to help train your brushes to do e#actly what you want them to do. &aint brushes are a little like the family pet 2 they re7uire lots of tr aining if they are to do all the things you would like them to. Straight Line Rigger Brush Techniques It3s a scary feeling when you finally get to the end of that big full sheet marine painting and you have to face up to putting in the masts and rigging. *ll that good work can be ruined with a few wobbly lines.
se your little finger as a guide for straight, confident lines.
This is where a well trained rigger brush can make all the difference. lean, fine, confident lines can mean the difference between success and failure. "o practice this e#ercise to train your rigger brush to make nice straight confident lines. •
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8old your brush perpendicular to the paper "tand so you make the stroke across in front of you. From left to right if you are right handed (right to left if left handed) -ecide where the line will start and finish. &ut the ti p of your brush down on the starting point, move 7uickly and smoothly to the finish point, stop, then lift your brush off. 9ake the brush stroke with a big sweeping movement from the shoulder -on3t move your wrist and don3t flick your brush off at the end of the stroke 2 you will teach it bad habits:
TIP You can keep your little finger on the paper as a guide while you make the line. This stops the up and down movement of the bristles and keeps the line even.
se the back of an old painting or a sheet of cartridge paper 2 as long as it3s flat with no creases or bumps, the paper 7uality doesn3t m atter. Dragging Straight Brush Lines *nother trick you can teach a rigger brush is to make a nice straight line by dragging. The secret to this brush techni7ue is to let the brush do the work. 6oad it with paint, lay the bristles on the paper at the start of the line and drag it steadily towards you. 1ou may have to turn your painting around to do this. -on3t put any downward pressure on the brush. esting the end of the handle on your finger is the best method. If the brush tends to slip off a small piece of blue tak or masking tape around the end of the brush will stop it.
6et the brush rest lightly on your finger then drag it towards you without any downward pressure.
Brush Techniques For Flat Even Washes In this e#ercise we are going to teach our 8ake 'rush to take some of the responsibility for a nice even wash. 0e will put down a wash in the usual way then, with a dry 8ake 'rush go over the wash and even it out.
9ove the brush 7uickly and lightly in all directions. The best way to practice this is on the back of, or over the top of an old painting. 9i# up a wash and put it over an area of the painting, then, before it starts to dry use your 8ake brush to lightly feather over the surface. ;eep the brush dry by rubbing it on an old dry towel after every few strokes. The idea is to even out the distribution of pigment and water. se 7uick short strokes, back and forth in all directions
* piece of old towel is handy for keeping your 8ake dry This brush techni7ue works well on graded washes too, smoothing out the gradation from pigment to damp paper.
Controlle Release With !ne "nch !ne Stro#e Brush ow its time to work on our larger flat brushes. This is an e#cellent brush techni7ue for over painting te#ture. The idea is to drag the brush and gradually lower the handle until the brush stops releasing paint. This is usually the point where the handle is almost parallel to the paper.
0ith the handle almost parallel to the paper the brush starts to make interesting, fractured marks. nce you find this spot subtly lifting and lowering the brush controls how much paint is released. 1ou will find you can leave a trail of broken, fractured paint that is just
perfect for the te#ture of weathered timber, stippled tree trunks or the shimmery effect of light bouncing off water. 1our flat brushes will have no trouble learning this trick.
Brush Techniques for Accurate Splashes To get loose, random marks into a painting it is hard to beat splashing the paint on with a brush. It sounds like a simple operation but can become ver y messy with an untrained brush. The secret is in the action. 'ring the brush down and stop it abruptly without flicking. *ny back flip will cause uncontrolled splashes to go everywhere. *void banging it on another brush or your hand, down and stop is the best method. nce you have made the splash, rinse and dry off the brush then adjust the intensity of the spots by carefully blotting some of them up.
$uickly down and stop. The best way to train your brush to do this successfully is to draw some <==mm circles on a sheet of newspaper and practice until your brush can direct the splashes accurately into a <==mm area
o matter how hard you try, there are some brushes you just can3t tame, but like those little shaggy dogs that always seem to find trouble, they seem to be the ones you love the most.
This painting shows a number of different brush techni7ues. -ragging lines and sweeping lines are used in the vertical trees. The foreground is punctuated with controlled splashes and a hake brush was used to smooth out overwashes on either side.
The detail in these old weather boards shows controlled release using a <> flat brush and ltramarine 'lue. The broken te#ture created by this t ype of stroke is ideal for these interesting old surfaces.
Brush Techniques For Applying a Watercolor Wash The techni7ue used to cover an area of paper with watercolor is called a wash. It can be flat and even or graded in tone. The best brush to use is a <> flat brush. It is easier to get an even wash on stretched paper, but gentle use of a dry hake brush, immediately after the wash is applied, will even out the pigment and moisture, giving a smooth finish on un?stretched paper.
@ach successive stroke picks up the bead of the stroke above. To apply a wash first mi# some paint and water to the re7uired strength. 'efore applying the mi#ture completely wet the paper with clean water. n a gently sloping board, start at the top with a strip of your mi#ed color from one side of the paper to the other. 0hile this band of paint is still wet, reload your brush with more of your mi#ture and run another band across, just connecting with the bead formed at the bottom of the previous band. 9ake sure the paper is completely covered. epeat this process until the re7uired area is covered. -on3t be tempted to go back and fiddle with what you have done, but keep an eye on any pooling of moisture along the bottom edge of the wash and soak it up with the tip of a damp brush. TIP If your wash looks a little uneven don!t worry and don!t be tempted to go back and fiddle once it starts to dry. As a wash dries it settles and evens out.
$rae Wash * graded wash is done in a similar way to a flat wash, only the mi#ture is gradually diluted as you progress down the wash. * graded wash can also be applied vertically on each side of a painting, leaving a band of light to concentrate attention at the center of interest. To apply a graded wash to either side of a dry painting it is best to turn the painting around and work from the bottom up, diluting the wash as you progress. -on3t be too vigorous, the underlying paint is easily disturbed, so gently does i t. These washes can be done carefully with a bristle brush or, for a safer option a mop brush or a large one stroke or flat taklon.
%raded side washes are best applied from the bottom up with the painting rotated to make it easy
*fter this painting was thoroughly dry a graded side wash of cool grey was applied to either side, leaving a band of light through the focal point.
%ariegate Washes *s well as flat and graded washes we can also use varied, uneven washes in our paintings. These are best applied to wet paper and varied tones and colors of mi#ed pigments are dropped on to produce the wash. The best brush for these is a mop brush loaded with paint. The paint can be brushed on or s7uee+ed out of the brush for a more random effect.
This wash was applied to wet paper with varied mi#es of pigment. o attempt was made to smooth it out 2 the natural running and bleeding are what give it character. &ote Boo# Brush E'ercises *fter a couple of weeks practice with these e#ercises, you will find your control and confidence will increase noticeably. The important thing is not to revert to your old cautious approach, but to carry what you have developed into your painting 2 nice crisp, confident lines put down 7uickly and deliberately. It might seem frightening at first, but once you get the hang of it you wont look back. These brush techni7ues will become part of the way you paint. These e#ercises don3t take long 2 ten to fifteen minutes every couple of days for a couple of weeks will see a big improvement. 1ou can use any sort of paper, but for the fine lines you will need the paper to be flat. It is also a good opportunity to get rid of those old tubes of foul colored paint that fill the forgotten corners of your paint bo#.
The first e#ercise is to gain confidence and control with a rigger brush (or any fine brush for that matter). The secret is to4 •
8old your brush perpendicular to the paper
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se your little finger as a guide, sweeping it along the paper
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If you are right handed start from the left and sweep across to the right (vice versa if left handed)
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9ove your arm from the shoulder
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;eep your wrist and fingers fi#ed
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9ove the brush in a single sweep, keeping it perpendicular
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"top at the end of the line then lift the brush off (don3t sweep it off in a flicking motion)
The same e#ercise can be done with a larger bristle brush without using your little finger as a guide. 'ig confident strokes, kept under control from start to finish.
If you have a hard laminated work table, mi#ing a little soap with your paint will enable you to paint straight onto the table. This allows you to make big sweeping marks, wipe them off with a damp cloth then start over again.
To make these big sweeping lines your shoulder and elbow do all the moving 2 wrist and fingers stay fi#ed.
*nother good e#ercise for straight line control is to use your rigger brush and draw lots of s7uare spirals. oncentrate on making 7uick, tight parallel lines by moving your shoulder and elbow, not fingers and wrist. 0atch what you are doing and correct the line direction each time you spiral around the s7uare. -o some in a clockwise direction and some in an anti clockwise direction and remember to keep the brush perpendicular to the paper.
The ne#t e#ercise involves freehand circles with your rigger brush. *gain, keep the brush perpendicular to the paper and make big arm movements, not small wrist and finger movements. The circles are built up in four or five revolutions 2 each one further correcting the shape of the circle. -o some in a clockwise direction and some in an anticlockwise direction. The same e#ercise can be done on a larger scale with your bristle brush. -oing e#ercises like this might seem unimportant and a bit of a waste of time when all you really want to do is paint, but it is a definite shortcut to the confidence twenty years of painting will produce.
This old tractor was painted mainly with a rough
9any of the marks in this painting were applied with a < inch and a
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*uthor4 5ohn 6ovett
(o) to *i' Colors 0hether you paint with watercolor, acrylic, gouache or any other pigment type for that matter, how to mi# colors is a fundamental skill. 9i#ing pure saturated colors (those containing only two primary colors) re7uires a palette of two sets of primary colors. •
* warm and a cool red
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* warm and a cool 1ellow
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* warm and a cool blue.
0e can then use the primary colors that lean towards the secondary we are mi#ing, thus keeping traces of the third unwanted primary out of the mi#ture.
sing two of each primary avoids the problem of contaminating our secondary mi#tures with the third primary. eg. 9i#ing green from 6emon 1ellow and &hthalo 'lue means our green wont contain red. If we were to mi# green using ltramarine 'lue or admium 1ellow the resulting color would contain traces of red and not be a pure saturated green.
sually we don3t work with pure, saturated colors but an understanding of how to mi# colors to achieve pure clean saturated hues helps even when most of our work employs compound colors (colors containing traces of the three primaries) *ccurately mi#ing colors colors is nowhere near as difficult difficult as you would imagine. "ure "ure it re7uires a little practice, but it is a skill that can be 7uickly mastered. 9i#ing colors re7uires a simple understanding of the color wheel 2 wheel 2 most mi#ing involves pulling a color away from its present hue. To To do this re7uires the addition of its complementary or opposite color. *ll you really need to remember are three complmentary combinations •
ed?%reen
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1ellow?Ciolet
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'lue?range
If a mi#ture is leaning too much toward any of these si# hues, simply add a little of the appropriate complementary then reassess. (o) to *i' Colors * simple e#ample
To mi# this color we first have to decide which color or hue it is closest to. For this color blue is about the closest.
0e start with a patch of ltramarine, but because the color we are after is not a pure, saturated blue we must add a little of its opposite or complementary 2 orange
0e will add *li+arin rimson and admium 1ellow 1ellow to make the blue less saturated. *dding the *li+arin *li+arin makes the mi#ture very dark. 0e can add some white white to make the tonal adjustment before adding the admium 1ellow.
The addition of Titanium white has moved the mi#ture close to the correct tone but the color is now leaning towards purple. To To neutralise the mi#ture further re7uires the complementary of purple 2 yellow
* small amount of admium 1ellow 1ellow neutralises neutralises (or desaturates) the color giving giving us a slightly darker tone of the blue!grey we are after
* little more white and we have our color. color. This This demonstration was done done with oil paint to show the effect of white. To do the same with watercolor, once the color is correct it is just a matter of adding more water to dilute the mi# and allow more white paper to show through. o matter what pigment is used to mi# colors, the transfer of tube pigments to mi#ing palette should be done in small incriments, gradually easing the mi#ture towards the re7uired color.
(o) to *i' Colors + &ote,oo# E'ercises These e#ercises will not only improve our control of tone and sharpen our color mi#ing, but also improve our brush control. To To get the most out of the e#ercises, keep these little s7uares as precise and accurate as possible. *aterials 'rush 2 Flat olors 2 ltramarine 'lue, &hthalo 'lue, Indian 1ellow ellow,, 'urnt "ienna, *li+arin rimson Tonal Steps ontrolling tone, with watercolor, is simply a matter of adding water to lighten the tone. 0ith *crylic, il or %ouache adding white to the mi#ture is the easiest way to lighten the tone. This e#ercise is a great great way to discover e#actly how much much water or white paint is necessary to produce the tone re7uired.
-raw a series of seven adjoining s7uares with a hard pencil so the lines l ines are barely visible. 0hat we want to do is paint a gradation of tones from black on the left to white on the right. It I t sounds easy, but but we want the tonal steps between each s7uare to appear e7ual. 9ake a dark mi#ture m i#ture of ltramarine 'lue and 'urnt "ienna. ;eep it as neutral as possible 2 not tending towards to wards blue or towards 'urnt "ienna. "tart with the dark end of the scale. nless you are using oil paint, let each s7uare dry before moving on to the ne#t. 0atch as the paint dries, you will find it becomes lighter in tone. This must be taken into account as you paint each s7uare. 1ou will probably find you need to do this e#ercise three or four times before you can get an even gradation from start to finish.
* flat brush lets you make nice s7uare corners and straight straight even lines. Turn Turn you paper around so you use the tip of your brush for the straight lines and corners.
*i'ing Color $raation *ll the saturated colors appear appear around the outside of the color wheel. "aturated colors are either primary colors or a mi#ture of no more than two primaries. ompound colors are a mi#ture of three primary colors, they are all the browns, ;hakis, and earth colors
olors directly opposite one another on this
For this e#ercise we are going to mi# a gradation of compound colors. 0e will go from one side of the color wheel to the other, between two saturated, complementary (or opposite) colors. *gain, we want the gradation to be as even as possible across seven steps.
This graduation takes us from red 2 orange (Indian 1ellow and *li+arin rimson) in e7ual color changes to green 2 blue (&hthalo 'lue). 9i# up enough *li+arin rimson and Indian 1ellow to complete the e#ercise before you start. This will ensure consistent color. The middle s7uare should be as neutral as possible with warm colors on the left and cool colors on the right.
"mpact Through Contrast an Saturation
For this e#ercise we are going to draw up a grid of small s7uares and create a design using various mi#tures of a pair of complementary colors. 0e want to achieve a feeling of depth in our design. 0e will do this by using lighter, cooler, less saturated colors to recede and warmer, more saturated colours to come forward. 0e will also establish a center of interest in our design by positioning the most saturated colors and greatest tonal contrast in the appropriate place. I have used 1ellow ! Ciolet as my complementary pair but you can use any pair of complementary colors you like.
*llow one color to dominate. In this e#ample the dominant violet recedes and the contrasting saturated yellow jumps forward. The strong tonal contrast between the dark violet s7uare and the pale yellow s7uare immediately draw attention, establishing a center of interest. The saturated yellow s7uares in this area help to reinforce the center of interest o matter what you like to paint, pure design e#periments like these free you from the influence of a subject. This lets you concentrate on the abstract nature of composition and design, which is, after all, the foundation for any successful painting.
Color *atching For this e#ercise we will cut out D flat colored s7uares from old maga+ines, paste them in our note book then draw si# similar si+ed empty s7uares beside them. In these empty s7uares we will try mi#ing colors to match our cut out colored s7uares.
-o this e#ercise five of si# times and you will have no trouble successfully mi#ing any color
Color *i'ing Tips •
8ave plenty of paint s7uee+ed onto your palette
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add small amounts of paint when adjusting your mi#ture
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-ark mi#tures of watercolor are easier to achieve if you avoid rinsing your brush between colors To match color re7uires the correct tone (lightness or darkness) as well as the correct color 9i#ing practice improves your ability to notice subtle influences making up a color
*uthor4 5ohn 6ovett
*i'ing an Applying -aint In this section we will go right back to the basics and look at the steps involved in mi#ing colors and applying paint. From a few varied tubes of color to the infinite variety of tones and colors re7uired to make a painting. Squee.ing !ut -aint Fresh paint is best, so s7uee+e out what you think will be enough for the painting you are working on. sing a watercolor palette with sloping sides on the wells allows you to s7uee+e the paint out at the top of the slope. *ll the mud and debris caused by mi#ing and dipping runs into the bottom of the well, leaving your paint reasonably clean. This sludge that accumulates at the bottom of the wells can be used to mi# all those interesting browns greys and earth colours you will often use. -on3t be frugal with your paint, always have plenty in your palette. There is nothing more difficult and frustrating than trying to mi# colors from tiny little specks of watercolor. -on3t worry if you s7uee+e out too much, it can always be used later. @ven though fresh paint is nicer to use, dry watercolor and gouache paint can be dampened and reused years after it has been s7uee+ed out.
"7uee+e the watercolor paint onto the top of the slope in your palette well
*i'ing Colors an Applying -aint + From Well to -alette *lways use a wet brush to transfer your paint from the well to the mi#ing area of the palette. If the paint has just been s7uee+ed out your brush need only be damp. If the paint has dried out you will need a fair amount of water and 7uite a bit of friction to dissolve enough to mi# strong colors. If you have old left over paint on your palette it is a good idea to give it a light spray with water ten minutes before you start painting. This will soften the pigment and make mi#ing much easier.
se a damp brush to move fresh paint from the well to the mi#ing area of your palette
se a fairly wet brush to dissolve and move older, dry paint to the m i#ing area of your palette.
*i'ing Colors on the -alette 0etting an area on the palette before mi#ing helps the paint dissolve with out sticking to the palette. I usually transfer the first color to the mi#ing area and stir it around until it has completely and evenly dissolved. I then dip directly into what ever other color has to be added, then stir that in. I rarely wash my brush out between colors, it only
dilutes the mi#ture and tends to make the painting pale and insipid. -uring the course of a painting the colors become slightly contaminated with one another. n the rare occasion when a pure unpolluted color is re7uired, a wipe over with a clean damp brush usually e#poses fresh paint.
Transfer paint from the well to the palette and stir until it is thoroughly dissolved. This process of mi#ing watercolor usually re7uires much dipping and adjusting until the correct combination appears on the palette. The secret is to gradually add small amounts until you arrive at the correct color. 'e very cautious with strong staining colours like &hthalo 'lue, 0indsor ed, &russian 'lue etc. * big brush full of any of these will completely overpower any mi#ture.
For color intensity mi#ing one color into another is best done without rinsing the brush between paint wells.
nce you are happy with the color, the tone or value of that colour can then be considered. The tone is simply the lightness or darkness of the color. 0ith watercolor I always tend to mi# a darker, more concentrated tone than I need. 6ightening the tone is done by adding a little water. This can be done on the palette, but I will often put a slightly darker mi#ture than re7uired onto the paper then 7uickly spread it out with a clean, damp brush. -ainting Water "ome people like to paint with crystal clear water and even keep a separate container to rinse out brushes. I find a container of moderately dirty water does just as good a job as clean water. 0ater has to be pretty dirty to have a noticeable influence on the colors you mi#. "ince most of the time we are using compound colours (containing all three primaries) dirty water is not a problem. If you are doing a watercolor wash of pure &ermanent ose or *ureolin for instance, then clean water is more important, but for general painting, if you can3t see the bottom it3s probably time to change it.
olor is transferred from the palette to the paper in different ways depending on the desired effect. For a broad watercolor wash the paper is wet first then a large pool of paint and water is mi#ed and evenly applied to the wet surface. *s this dries the wash will tend to lighten and even itself out. *i'ing Colors an Applying -aint + Application Techniques Dropping "n olors are often adjusted or mi#ed directly on the paper. This is done by the process of dropping in. * color is applied to the painting and while it is still very wet another color is mi#ed on the palette and Edropped into the first color. It is a great way to add some life to a dull, uninteresting area.
-ropping in color produces interesting variations and gradations that can3t be made by mi#ing the colors on the palette. Wet "n Wet "imilar to dropping in is the wet in wet techni7ue . 8ere a wash is applied and while it is still very wet another color is painted into it. The resulting edges are soft and blurred. It is e#cellent for painting distant trees or mountains.
0et in wet produces interesting soft edges and i s a great techni7ue for pushing things back into the distance. Softening Eges "imilar in appearance to wet in wet are softened or feathered edges. This is a techni7ue applied to the edge of any flat area of wet paint. se a clean, damp brush and run it along the wet edge allowing the paint to bleed out into this damp area.
* single stroke with a damp brush is all that is needed to soften an edge.
Dry Brush *lmost the opposite to wet in wet is the process known as dry brush. The techni7ue is applied to dry paper with a damp brush loaded with pigment. The process is simple, color is mi#ed on the palette in the usual way then, before transferring the brush to the paper, e#cess moisture is removed. 0iping the brush lightly on an old towel is ideal for this. The brush is held flat, almost parallel to the paper, and the paint is applied with the side of the bristles rather than the tip. This techni7ue will produce a random, fractured mark, picking up the te#ture of the paper. It is a good techni7ue for painting foliage or applying te#ture to your painting.
-ry brush gives interesting random shapes and te#tures. Splashing
"plashing paint onto the paper will give you interesting random marks impossible to consciously apply. 1our will need a big brush saturated with a fairly dilute mi#ture of the desired color. The best way to apply the paint and maintain control is with a 7uick downward movement stopping suddenly without flicking. If you are nervous about splattering paint all over your painting, tear a suitable si+ed hole in a piece of scrap paper and place it on the painting, e#posing only the area you wish to splatter.
afe To keep this painting interesting, most of the techni7ues described here are employed in varying degrees. The soft marks under the figures and the ltramarine
'lue beside the bottom awning were painted wet in wet. The shift in color in the awnings and in the green sign are the result of dropping in colors. The underlying dirty yellow washes and the mauve patch under the upstairs window have all had their edges softened with a damp brush. There are patches of dry brush in amongst the figures and in the striped green upstairs blind. 9ost paintings incorporate a combination of these paint application techni7ues. * painting done completely wet in wet would look all soft and fluffy and need some hard edges to give it interest. * painting using only dry brush or hard edges would be busy and difficult to look at without the relief of a few soft edges. In your ne#t painting, keep in mind these techni7ues, and stop and think occasionally, E0hat is the best way to achieve the effect I am afterG *uthor4 5ohn 6ovett
-ainting Fine Lines 0ear and tear on our brushes is something that slowly sneaks up on us, particularly with fine riggers and sable brushes. &ainting fine lines with less than perfect brushes is a difficult, if not impossible task. That hair thin line they used to produce with ease when new, slowly becomes thicker, heavier and clumsier. The impact on our work is obvious and detrimental. This week I threw out all my rigger brushes and replaced them with new ones 2 something I do every few months. They are ine#pensive and the difference is ama+ing. It is easy to overlook the importance of those beautiful fine lines threaded through our paintings. 0ithout them our work tends to look course and lacking in detail 2 something like comparing a retina display with a TC from the
The difference between a new rigger and one a fe w months old is obvious when they are side by side. These are Taklon fibre riggers. The brand doesn3t seem to matter. I buy cheap ones and change them regularly. -ainting Fine Lines )ith -en an "n# Ink lines are another way to introduce fine sharp lines into your work. The best nib is the simple old writing nib 2 nothing fancy and no chisel tip. * new nib takes a couple of months to wear in. The tip gets polished to the angle you hold the pen. *fter a while it will free up and not bite into the paper. The nibs also become more fle#ible and responsive over time, so unlike the rigger, the older your nib the better, provided you look after it.
*a#ing Fine Lines )ith a Charcoal -encil -on3t overlook pencils when it comes to fine crisp lines. The secret is to keep them sharpened to a long sharp point. The best way to do this is with a craft knife and a careful stroke that just shaves off the wood and misses the core
nce the core is e#posed, gentle sanding on a piece of sandpaper will make a fine point. 8ard pencils will hold a point for a long time. This charcoal pencil needs constant attention to keep it producing nice fine lines.. -ainting Fine Lines )ith *as#ing Flui 9asking fluid can make brutal heavy lines if not applied carefully. I use a similar pen to the one I use for ink and put it on in microscopically thin lines.
It seems, no matter how finely you apply the masking fluid, it will still protect the paper. Thick lines of masking fluid can be blatant and hard edged, making them difficult to tie into your painting. ;eeping them fine like this makes them easier to incorporate.
*s well as adding clarity to your paintings, painting fine lines can adjust and correct details. This group of windows are fairly rough and loose. To get them looking aligned and correct re7uires just a few lines to s7uare them up and realign them.
The fact that the initial marks were loose and imperfect adds character to the windows, but because of the fine lines, they appear solid and correct.
The fine lines in this painting give it a feeling of accuracy and detail even though it is loose and suggested. Fine rigger lines, pen lines and thin charcoal pencil marks create the impression of intricate detail
This closeup shows the interesting variation in line 7ualit y. "ome of the vertical lines on the veranda were applied with a
This painting is built up with loose layered washes to create an indistinct suggestion of the subject. &ainting fine lines with a rigger brush brings all the details into focus without the ambiguous nature of the initial shapes being lost.
Fine rigger lines suggest detail in what is a loose arrangement of shapes.
The appearance of architectural accuracy in this painting is a result of the fine lines that define and correct the loose collection of shapes.
This inaccurate suggestion, adjusted by fine, precise lines, creates a more interesting interpretation of the subject than carefully rendering every aspect of the painting. It is often the contrast between accuracy and looseness that makes a painting interesting. onsider the impact of a variety of fine crisp lines in the ne#t painting you do. *dd some intricate detail and thin correcting lines to up the resolution of your painting. 'efore you start though, sharpen your pencils and e#amine your rigger brush 2 it could be time for a new one: *uthor4 5ohn 6ovett
Te'ture Techniques
In past articles we have looked at Te#ture Techni7ues using collage and %esso with watercolor washes to create physical te#tures in our paintings. This article will focus on creating visual te#ture. Cisual te#ture is the illusion of te#ture brought about by the manipulation of paint. &hysical te#ture is the three dimensional build up of the paper surface to physically alter its te#ture. &hysical te#ture you can actually run your hand over and feel. Cisual te#ture can only be seen, not felt.
ur subject for this e#ercise is this old stone wall with its weathered door and window. The simple geometric composition and limited color range make an ideal subject for e#perimenting with te#ture.
*ATER"ALS 'rushes4 <> flat,
Flat,
JA liner or rigger,
ld 'ristle 'rush
&aper4
Dra)ing 'eing such a simple subject there is no need to rearrange things with thumbnail sketches. 0e can draw straight onto our paper with a brown pastel pencil. There is
no need for too much detail a few simple outlines, but be careful where you place things. *void lines through the centre of your painting and try not to cut shapes in half.
The lines of a pastel pencil will slowly dissolve during the course of the painting. *ny marks that are left behind are lightfast and can remain as part of the finished work.
First Wash "tart by mi#ing up some $uinacridone %old, 'urnt "ienna and a little Indigo. 0e want a dirty yellow!grey 2 slop it on roughly then, while it is wet, vary the mi#ture on your palette slightly and drop some of this into the wash.
The first wash is just a rough under wash to build the te#tures onto. Try to vary the tone and color slightly.
se your old bristle brush for a rough unpredictable finish on your first wash. A some color The big door is a mi#ture of *li+arin rimson and $uinacridone %old. &ut it in after the first wash has dried. 0hile the door is still wet the shadow on the left can be dropped in with a mi#ture of ltramarine and 'urnt "ienna. The same mi# of ltramarine and 'urnt "ienna can be used for the upper windows.
These geometric shapes are best applied with your <> flat brush
Suggesting etail se a combination of rigger lines and fine random marks made with your bristle brush to define some of the stones. *s you apply the lines soften some of them with your damp <> flat brush. nce these lines dry use your <> flat brush to put some colour variation into the stone shapes. 6et the wall dry then use your flat brush to paint some detail into the window. -raw lightly into our original shape with a hard lead pencil to make the job of picking out the detail easier. se ltramarine and 'urnt "ienna to paint the detail.
-on3t cover the whole wall with detailed stones. *llow them to disappear towards the top right and bottom left to hold attention around the door and window.
The suggestion of boards in the door can be made with a mi#ture of ltramarine and 'urnt "ienna, dragged in with the rough, parted tip of your old bristle brush. The marks e#tending below the door can be lifted off with a damp <> flat brush before they completely dry.
Te'ture Techniques /sing "n# Lines 6et everything dry again then use your pen and ink to define some of the main stones. &ut the ink on and 7uickly spray it with a fine mist of water to get those nice feathery te#tures. -etail can be added to the distant wall with your rigger brush and a mi#ture of ltramarine and 'urnt "ienna. 0hile you are using this mi#ture, put some more strength into the stones in the main building.
The spidery marks of sprayed ink suggest the weathered surface of stone around the centre of interest. Spray an Spatter Te'ture Techniques nce everything dries some more te#ture can be added b y spraying paint onto some of the stones. 9i# up a dark grey and use the bristles of your <> flat brush to spray on a fine te#ture . -on3t over do it, the idea is to get variation into the stones to make them interesting.
* piece of scrap paper with a hole cut the shape of a stone makes the splattering a safer e#ercise. !paque %ariation 'efore we get started with the %ouache a dark wash of Indigo can be used to push the distant building further back. ow it3s time to have fun with some opa7ue mi#tures of %ouache. n a separate palette s7uee+e out some 0hite %ouache and a small amount of ltramarine 'lue, $uinacridone %old and 'urnt "ienna. 0e are going to m i# a variety of warm pinks to add more variety to the stones in the wall. "ome cooler grey can also be splashed in and washed loosely over the top of the wall and foreground stones. *gain be careful not to over do it. 5ust enough to add more variety.
*im for as much variety as possible in your stones 2 si+e, shape, color, tone and te#ture.
Final $reen Contrast The final step is to put some more interest around the door. "plash on a mi# of $uinacridone %old and Indigo to suggest a small bush. 0 hile the paint is still wet, soften some of the edges with your <> brush. 0et the paper on the opposite side of the door and drop in a small amount of green to balance the main bush.
ur finished painting has the appearance of an interesting variety of te#tures while remaining completely flat and two dimensional.
An evening in $enoa In this painting a combination of 0atercolor, %ouache, ink and pencil were used to conjure up the te#tures of the old city of %enoa seen through the ha+e of twilight and &rosecco.
Stones an Shutters This painting e#plores the geometric te#tures of "iena with a combination of 0atercolor, %ouache, ink and pencil lines. * variety of te#ture techni7ues are used here to create the brick, timber and wrought iron te#tures of the city.
*uthor4 5ohn 6ovett
Watercolor Details Little Things 0e always think of watercolor as big wet washes, lost and found edges and atmospheric gla+es. It3s all these things, but watercolor details have a huge impact on the finished work 2 all those tiny punctuating marks that catch attention and coa# the eye around the painting. %et these right and the painting comes to life.
Watercolor Details nce the structure of the painting is established with big brushes and broad washes, fine rigger lines are used to add watercolor details and give clarity and resolution to what you are saying. In this demonstration a couple of br oad, simple washes 7uickly cover most of the paper. * variety of darks suggest trees and bushes along the river bank. -istant mountains are suggested, then over all this the fine lines of detail are threaded.
Finished &ainting 2 a combination of big simple washes, interesting shapes and fine watercolor details make this simple subject work well as a painting.
Thum,nail S#etch
* rough and very simple thumbnail sketch establishes the underlying tonal arrangement. 9ake these thumbnail sketches 7uick and simple, and keep the shape in the same proportions as your painting will be.
The thumbnail sketch is transferred, as econo mically as possible, to our paper with a charcoal pencil. 'road washes of dirty yellow ($uinacridone %old, French ltramarine 'lue and &ermanent *li+arin rimson) cover all but the sky and river. 0hile this wash is still wet, more pigment is dropped in to vary the tone. * simple wash of obalt 'lue is put through the sky.
The initial bush shapes are applied roughly with a
The distant mountains are a mi#ture of French ltramarine 'lue, &ermanent *li+arin rimson and a little $uinacridone %old to ease off the purpleness. The top edge of the mountains are softened in a couple of places with a damp brush. *fter the mountains dry, the overlapping bushes can be strengthened and a pale wash of obalt 'lue worked across the foreground. This should bring us to a point where we can start punctuating the shapes with our fine rigger lines.
Rigger Brush Details
"tarting with the darker lines, the idea is to lead the eye up from the foreground to the focal point where the fence, bushes and creek intersect.
The lines must be kept fine, crisp and confident. The best way is to hold your rigger brush
perpendicular to the paper and make 7uick, definite strokes. The important thing is to vary the thickness, spacing, angle and tone of the lines. Treat the fence in a similar way 2 variation being the key point.
nce the dark strokes are dry they can be e#tended across the dark shapes of the bushes with some white gouache warmed slightly with a dirty yellow. emember to vary the thickness, spacing and angles.
The impression of fine detail created by these few lines adds a lot of interest to the painting while coa#ing the eye up to the focal point. %raded washes in from either side and up across the foreground hold attention around the focal point. 0hile these washes are still damp cool grey spots are dropped in to suggest the soft stippled foreground te#ture. The intense ltramarine in some of the shadows is pure ltramarine gouache applied to dampened paper. It3s a good idea, when you get to the final stages of a painting, to consider the effect of some fine, well placed calligraphic lines. These watercolor details can make all the difference to the final impact of your painting.
*uthor4 5ohn 6ovett
WATERC!L!R TREES Foliage Demonstration 0 -art 1
Part 1: Background Washes Part 2 Foliage This is a quick, simple little exercise that provides practice in applying paint, handling edges and controlling ashes! "ll important skills #or painting atercolor trees! $t is not intended to produce great orks o# art %ut it&s easy and #un, and produces satis#ying results! 'nce you gain con#idence ith these latercolor tree exercises try adding to and varying them to produce more interesting paintings
MATERIALS Brushes 1( #lat Taklon )2 *igger 2( +ake Paper 1- sheet .//gsm "rches
Paint $ndian 0ello Burnt ienna *ose adder "li3arin 4rimson 5ltramarine Blue 4o%alt Blue Phthalo Blue
Be#ore e tackle the atercolor tree, e ill put in a simple ash %ackground! Begin ith a stretched 16 or 1- sheet o# paper 7$ used "rches .//gsm rough here8! ix up a solution o# *ose adder or Permanent rose 9 a %lo% o# paint 12 the si3e o# a pea mixed into a%out a desert spoon #ull o# ater ill give the right concentration! Wet the paper and apply the ash in a hori3ontal %and a third o# the ay up #rom the %ottom! Feather out the top and %ottom o# the %and ith a +ake %rush or similar large so#t %rush 7see picture %elo8 on&t make your ash too dark! $t ill eventually %e the so#t pale sky %ehind the tree trunks!
Be#ore starting this step, make sure your #irst ash has dried out completely; This might seem cra3y %ecause e are going to et the top hal# o# the paper ith clean ater again %e#ore applying the 4o%alt Blue! $# the #irst ash is even slightly damp, the next ash ill distur% it and cause all sorts o# strange %lotches! "pply the 4o%alt ash to #reshly dampened paper #rom the top don, gradually diluting the mixture as as you progress don the paper! By the time you reach the pink ash the 4o%alt ash should %e almost pure ater While the ash is still et ork #rom the %ottom up ith a dry +ake %rush! 5se quick, light, hori3ontal strokes to even out any %rush marks or %lemishes!
Part 2 : Foliage
WATERC!L!R TREES Foliage Demonstration 0 -art 2
Part 1: Background Washes Part 2 Foliage
Be#ore e start, remem%er, the secret to success#ul atercolor trees is variation!
"pply the paint in a random, #ractured shape to the dry paper! 5se your 1( #lat %rush 7or even a large orn out old %ristle %rush8 >eep the %rush almost parallel to the paper and use a scru%%ing action ith the side o# the %rush to get those rough, =agged edges 9 don&t %e tidy and don(t %e care#ul! While the paint is still et, thoroughly ash your %rush and dry it slightly! *un your damp %rush once around some o# the hard edges to so#ten them slightly
+ere you can see the variation in the treatment o# the edges! The #eathered edge on the %ottom o# the main clump as made %y running a damp %rush so#tly over the et hard edge and letting it %leed out! "im #or variation in the edges 9 hard, so#t, sharp, lost!
