Rose study...
A rose study and demonstration while painting in watercolor class the other day. I recommend to concentrate on all interesting shadows to suggest the volume, keep colors clean and luminous in the light parts, mixing only two transparent colors together as a maximum. As soon a color turn a little grey you ad the third color when using primary colors. If you need to darken a color you might have to take darker primaries. Also, try to make color changes when applying the color on the paper, it will look richer this way in my opinion.
Your students are very lucky to have the benefit of your expertise about color mixing! I think that was one of the things that I found so frustrating about trying to paint with watercolor. You really have to spend time getting to know how those colors will affect each other, and add the variable of water in there... it's a lot to figure out! You make it seem easy though. This piece is so well done, and certainly portrays that depth that you talked about.
ReplyDeleteIt is so beautiful! I love how delicate your watercolors are. I have to try your color technique. I started to try it on a painting but it still looks heavy:
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Thank you Katherine, and I agree their is a lot to figure but slowly and surely things get absorbed with practice. Since I'm teaching and therefore thinking of what I'm really doing when painting I learn myself a lot.
ReplyDeleteScott, thanks a lot again. I hope you'll figure out what disturbs you with the crab. You need to have enough paint/water in the brush-on the paper so that pigments can float a bit before settle themselves on the paper. Also avoid mixing on the palette, but I see you already let pigments mix by themselves on the paper (legs)
Your crab is really very nice!!