Introduction to Watercolor, Exploration of the media

Unlike oil paints, gouache, acrylics and other paints, which are opaque, watercolor is a TRANSPARENT medium, which depends on layering to build up color texture.  The color, as it comes out of the tube, is a thick paste and not suitable for painting.  It is not fluid enough for painting successfully.  Water is the vehicle that when mixed with the paste carries the pigment and allows the artist to move color around the paper. The more water mixed into the pigment, the more transparent the wash and the fewer stroke marks.  The secret to watercolor is in layering transparent washes of color to build up color body and texture.

MIXING COLOR

Add a small amount of paste on your mixing tray.  Add two large drops of clean water.  Thoroughly mix.  Paint on a 1” x 1” square.  Now, using another brush, add two more drops of clean water to the same color puddle in your tray. Mix it thoroughly using the brush with which you painted the previous square. Paint on a second square.  Compare the results to appreciate how watercolor washes or glazes are created.  Continue until there is just a “hint” of color.  In pencil, record the number of drops of water per mix, two for the first, four for the second and so on. 

BRUSH STROKE

A paintbrush is NOT a pencil.  Hold your brush perpendicular to your paper or board.  Mix a generous potion of about 50% color.  (100% being pigment from the tube, 0% water.)

Brush stroke drill: Try each using 3 brushes, a large, medium and small brush.

1. KNEE STROKES.  Lock all other joints.  Shift your body weight at the knees as you stand and move the brush across the paper.  You should achieve large and positive lines of color.
2. UPPER ARM AND ELBOW ONLY.  Rotate upper arm and elbow only to produce controlled ARCS and broad radius strokes.
3. WRIST.  Twisting or revolving your wrist in a series of “flip-flop” movements will create definite rhythm.
4. FINGERS.   Pinching or twisting motion will create tight curves, the smallest texture and controlled in painting.

FOUR WAYS OF APPLYING WATERCOLOR TO PAPER

Skill as a watercolorist depends, in a large measure, on how well you can perform the following procedures.  If you are not successful on the first try, continue until you are satisfied.  As always, I will demonstrate these procedures in class and am available outside class to assist.

1. Dip your brush into water, load it with some pigment and apply the mixture directly to the paper using horizontal strokes.  This is referred to as a DRY WASH.
2. Draw a shape with your pencil (lightly).  Apply clear water to this shape with your brush.  Now quickly apply a wash of color directly into this wet “puddle”.  Notice that the color will only go into those areas that you have prepare with the clear water.  This is called a WET WASH.
3. For a GRADUATED WASH, run a band of color across the top of the paper.  Keep it as dark as possible (90%), but liquid.  Quickly rinse out the brush and apply clear water along the bottom edge of the color.  Make certain you are in the puddle of color and not in front as you will streak your wash if you get ahead of it.  Pull the color down the page.  Continue doing this until the color blends out to the white of the paper.
4. DRY BRUSH technique should be used sparingly.  To produce the effect, pick up color with a little water on your brush.  Now wipe most of the color in the brush on your towel.  Next apply some strokes to the surface on your paper, manipulating the brush to simulate the material or texture you are representing.

Value and Intensity in Watercolor

Intensity describes the purity of pigment. 

Value is the additive result of white and black, or light and lack of light. High value reflects more light energy whereas as low values send less.  In watercolor, you achieve a high value color NOT by adding white, rather by adding water to allow the light of the paper to show.  Adding white in watercolor will make a pastel, flat opaque color.  However, to decrease the value of a watercolor, we can add black.  If you want to decrease the value of a color, add ivory black (bluer black) for cooler colors and add lamp black (red black) for warmer colors.