Exercise: Adding line to watercolour

Enjoyed the exercise, felt I could be  a lot looser in my application of the paint given that any linear marks I added after the paint had dried would help to to reinforce better define the subject matter.


Pencil used here mainly to show the sides/sections of the bananas

Water colour pencil used here when the paper still slightly damp, given feeling that each object has been outlined by a thick felt tip pen.. not sure why I selected a purple pencil.

Biro used in this painting, again mainly to highlight the sides of the bananas

Pen and ink used in this sketch, probably my favourite out of the four studies

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Exercise: Tones in several layers

In this simple still life painting I am building up the tonal contrasts using multiple layers of the same watercolour mix.  I think tonal range achieved here is greater than the painting performed in the single layer exercise. This is due to the fact that you are assessing then painting when dry before deciding if and where to apply anther layer of the same wash.

In this painting I think the tonal values of the cups is more consistent, and am happy with the way the scissors have turned out given that I was using a large brush focusing on tones rater than detail.  Will not mention the quality of the ellipses used when drawing the cups...bottom of cup in foreground not to clever, but wider ellipse of the top of this cup helps give the picture depth.

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Exercise: Tones from a single layer

In this exercise I am applying the tones paint in single mixing up the watercolour before applying it to the paper, the hardest part is knowing whether the watercolour will leave you with the tones you wanted once dried.  Knowing that watercolour dries lighter I still find it hard to judge how lighter the dried paint will be.

In the following simple still life I think the cups have been defined successfully relying more on the change in tones than the quality of the drawing. There is a sense of depth and direction of the light source in this picture.

Left hand cup could do with some darker tones to match the other cups and not sure that the chair slats behind the cups reflect any form could possibly read as stripped wall paper...either way I think they help the composition.

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Exercise: Dramatic interiors

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2

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Exercise: Pencil and watercolour

In the this exercise I have done two version of the same still life, both initially drawn in pencil but one being painted carefully following the pencil mark and the second painted using the pencil mark as a rough guide.

I found the pencil marks helpful in terms of knowing exactly where I was to apply the paint, though if I am honest feel I prefer to go straight to the paint brush, that said I have only used watercolour as a wash for colouring in pen and ink drawings in the past.

I think given the simplicity of the subject matter I think the more expressive looser painting style adds more interest to the painting.

The pencil marks are lightly rendered and are not an obvious addition to the finished paintings. Pen and ink be and more obvious way of making linear marks a stronger feature in the painting.. perhaps too strong if you are producing a work that had a lot of detail underling pencil may allow you to hint at this details with out the need to paint it in using watercolour (slightly harder)

I certainly felt more pleasure painting the the version were your not obliged to stick to the drawing, and for that reason feel these paintings are more successful.

Exercise: Quick watercolour studies

In the exercise I am painting in quick succession the same still life, simple arrangement of fruit.  In this exercise I was initially concerned with the tonal values up as the still life was directly under the light source the tonal contrast where not that exciting, some shadow at the base of the fruit where it sat on the table surface.  I experiment with the  colours in the shadow, sometimes using paynes grey the main element and in other sketches switching to blue and or purple.

Though I did not use a pencil to define the object before painting I found myself drawing the shapes out first with a brush before applying any washes in sketch number  4 I purposely avoided doing this though did at a few details after the main patches of colour had been put down.

Most of the paintings show signs of the wet in wet approach, possibly due to the nature the exercise (quick sketches). I particularly like the way the colours of the objects have bled into the table (number 3)

A problem with all of the sketches is depth of colour, still need to gauge how much lighter the colour will appear once it has dried.  

Composition wise I like number 4 and there are also some interesting wet in wet patterns in his sketch.

I think the sketches could have been improve by taking more time to consider the lighting and having an obvious focal point highlighted darker tones and or more detail.

Assignment 1

For this assignment I went for Imaginary landscape or dreamscape

Started with thumb nails sketches, drawing them until I had something that I would be happy to work up into a painting.

In the following set of thumb nails the last picture is the one I will work with and combines elements that I like from other sketches, e.g., the ploughed field in front of a house and the lone tree in the foreground in this last sketch I am also think about the tonal values.

Small painting were I am working out what techniques to add in.

Ist painting keeping true to my initial sketch. Elements of this paint I like and there are those that I don't e.g., the  tree in the foreground.. tonally the drawing look a bit flat neither lights or darks dominate. Tree behind house helps to define the roof line but is possibly to dark as it is in the mid-ground...or I need to darken up the objects in the ground.

Another painting focusing on the ploughed field and trying to had more strength to the tones and colours

Still not entirely happy with this one, OK with the ploughed field (few wax resist marks used here) but feel the 1st one is better. Just need to workout what  it is I don't like about the bottom right hand corner. 

Third attempt. I am making sure that the foreground is dark and warmer, red dropped into the dark wash in the foreground. Again sticking with the ploughed field on the left this time using masking fluid to suggest the frost in the furrows of the plough marks. Once the ploughed field area was try I added a shadow at the bottom given which could be cast by the clouds above (to big to be cast be a tree out of scene), here I am thinking of John Nash's  Earth Sky...does the title reference which looks to me like to shadow or the fact that the painting could be read as cloud formation (especially if turned upside down). Anyway happy with how this shadow sits on the underlying paint marks.

Stuck with the cling film technique for the sky, but this time I lifted out patches of the the wash before applying the cling film, the marks added interest but because of the lightness of the was are not to intrusive. Later add a cloud in a red (it is an imagined landscape) and purposely had running in diagonal towards the buildings. The building are the least successful part of the picture to me should have used a different colour to define the detail and possibly left the white of the paper to indicate some highlights along the roof line.

Didn't like the tree in the 1st picture and looking back at my thumb nail sketch I didn't have the  tree extending up beyond the mid-ground... I think that is where I went wrong... building and tree fighting to be the focal point possibly.

Research Point 1

In researching how artist use watercolours I have come across two artist who's work I like.

The portrait work of Charles Reid, his style is loose and his choice of colours are more about composition and the balance of warm and cool colours rather than that going for something more naturalistic.  However the you tube videos of his demos that I was able to find don't include any of the alternative techniques (non-brush) that we have come across...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV-eGeB5R3Q

The second artist that better represents experimental techniques is John Blockley, his uses bold earthy colours washing back the paint from the surface

Other artists that have in my view do not have a traditional approach or perhaps do not produce the sort of work I  immediately think of when considering watercolours.

Ann Blockley (John's daughter),  Flowers using the alternative techniques covered in the first section of this course
Shirley Trevena, bright colours still life with abstract (cubist?)  qualities
Jean Haines,  Balance of detailed and unresolved areas of the painting


In the following study I am trying to use add some of techniques and an thinking of leaving areas of the painting unresolved (left hand side of face)

Exercise: Other tools for watercolour

Small seascape produced with one colour using a sponge to lift out the shape of the clouds

Other methods of lifting off the watercolour explored,  scrunched up sheet of kitchen roll (left hand sided) and cotton bud on the right hand side

Clingfilm placed on a wash of wet coloured paints and left to try for a while, so the paint is dry before the clingfilm is removed. A surprising intricate pattern is left and the in some places the marks have a polished/ varnished quality as a result of the paint drying against the clingfilm.

Salt. sprinkle along the bottom of three colour washes, interestingly ( I believe the wash were of the same consistency) the bleeds/blooms are more pronounced on the red wash and less so on the paynes grey wash (left hand side).  One grain of salt accidentally fell at the top of the red wash giving a sort of misty sunrise/sunset effect.

Sketch using the salt technique (roses) and the wax resist technique,flesh on faces, before blue wash applied.

Sketch of lady built up of applying watercolour wet in wet, for me one of the most satisfying qualities of the medium.

Sketch of an old man's face drawing in the wrinkles with the end of the paint brush whilst the water colour is still wet

Exercise: Using various brushes

In this exercise I am am using non-watercolour specific brush in conjunction with the lift off technique

In this painting I have used a toothbrush to make the marks, and when finished whilst still wet, I have laid a sheet of kitchen roll on the left hand side an pressed lightly as if using blotting paper. I am left with slightly faded version of patterns on the right hand side.

In the final part of the exercise the sheet of paper was soaked in water before I made rectangle marks on it using a sponge the lift off here rather than just fading the mark has also locked it in place by lifting off not only the watercolour put also any excess water.  On the right hand side the water colour has continued  to bleed/spread into the surrounding paper so that the marks bare little resemblance to those that were initially placed on the paper.


Tooth brush

Paint brush

Sponge

Exercise: Unusual brush marks

In this exercise I am looking beyond my newly purchased water colour paint brushes to other brushes that could be used to good effect. Initial hunt round the house produced a paint brush, a tooth brush and a thistle

Quick sketch produced with these "brushes",using the stem of the thistle for some of the more linear marks

Exercises: Techniques

In this exercise I am using masking fluid to block the watercolour, this method other more control than the wax allowing you to block-out very small detail.

The masking fluid works very will and produces a more defined line between the masked and painted area where they meet. With the wax method you are saying I do not want to lay down any paint in this area with the masking fluid once removed you are free to paint on the once covered area with no adverse effect, even if it is just softening boundary of the painted and unpainted area.

One thing to watch put for is the watercolour pools on the masking fluid taking a lot longer to dry than the paint on the paper ... need to be careful when removing the masking fluid that you don't end-up with any undesired smudges.



Masking fluid on paper

Masking fluid on colour ground

Masking fluid line drawing

Exercise: Line with wax

In this exercise, similar to the first exercise using wax resist technique, I drew a simple picture of a tree directly on to the paper and and a  drawing of a tree on a coloured ground which is then painted in a second colour.

Wax drawing on paper

Wax drawing on coloured ground

Drawings done using the same method but substituting the wax for an oil pastel which also repels the watercolour

In the following pictures I have used was or pink oil pastel to define the lighter area of the heads

Exercise: Mixed-colour washes

In this exercise I have combined washes of blue, orange and blue + orange on the same sheet.
Initially using a large brush and then using a sponge (sort you would use for washing up). With the sponge the wash is more consistent and depending on the size of the sponge quicker to apply.


Brush

Sponge

Exercises: Reserved shapes from resists

Not sure my wife will be happy when she finds out I have sliced up one of here scent candles for my scratch and sniff art work.

Difficult to see where you have placed the wax marks, remind me of blind contour drawing. The wax successfully blocks the paper from picking up the watercolour, when the wax is placed on a painted ground you have to make sure the paint is completely dry otherwise the outcome is the same, the area covered by the wax does not pick-up the subsequently applied watercolour.

As far as I can tell there is little you could do to remove the wax once applied, so if you are using this technique in a painting you would need have a sure view of the final picture / end result you are after. Having said that watercolour doesn't allow for alterations in the way other painting mediums do.


Wax on paper

Wax on painted ground

Exercise: Tonally graded washes

In this exercise, I am trying to reduce the colour in a smooth progression as I place the wash on the paper, the wash should appear as one patch of watercolour trying to avoid any signs of  switching between each mixture of  watercolour.

In my first attempt I think there is too much of a contrast between the initial,middle and end areas of water colour. In such a case I may resort to running the paper under the tap to correct the areas I am not happy with.

Exercise: Plain washes

In this exercise I am practising adding a even wash across a sheet of paper. I think I was successful, however this may been due to the fact that I used a faint wash. Once wash was dried I painted a red triangle in a stronger (more paint) watercolour mix, this was is not as even but has left little evidence of the underlying green wash.

As the underlying wash was  completely dry there is no bleeding / blending around the outer edge of the triangle, the form is crisp as if I had painted it on to a plain (no underlying wash) sheet of paper.

Depending on your colour choices the dried wash does not appear to impact the application of paint on top of this, painting detail on a wash should not be a concern.

Exercise: Fish and leaves

In this exercise we had to paint simple shapes with a minimum amount of detail and brush strokes as possible being  mindful of the shapes that seemed to work better than others.

I found it harder to achieve satisfactory result with each fish that I painted than I did with the leaves, perhaps you can get away with more random marks when painting a leaf.

Tried to keep the brush will loaded with paint, felt this stops me fiddling, if I pause for to long adding the bottom fin to the fish I may end up depositing more paint than I want.

In the second part of the exercise I decided to stick with the fish shapes, better able to judge in my view whether shape is successful or not, certainly happier with the fish shapes produce second time around... getting better with practice and some therapeutic about painting the same shape again and again.

When attempting to wash off the fish shapes I was surprised how difficult it was to remove the paint, the shapes remained visible although slightly faded despite putting the painting under a running tap and at the same time rubbing into the shapes with a paint brush.

The end result, I am left with a faded shapes which have kept their original form. Painting fresh fish shapes on to the same painting give a sense of depth, with faded fish in the background, this work better on the side of the painting that includes the wash, possibly because the wash helps with the feeling that the fish are swimming in water.