Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Follow a Watercolor

kenny

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
33,668
Okay okay, Missdebby suggested I also do a thread like hers so don't kill me for copying her idea. :errrr:
I haven't painted in years but my SO commanded me, practically at gunpoint, to get back into it.
If I commit to this thread I cannot procrastinate or wimp out. :tongue:

He comissioned me (no pay BTW :angryfire: ) to paint a watercolor for a dear friend of his who is moving away in two weeks.
She told him her favorite flower is gladiola so I bought some with soft colors and took some pics.
I lit it to emphasize that wonderful yellow-green in the throat of the flower.

Which do you like better, the one-flower or the two-flower version?

Picture 2.png
 
I like the two flower more because it seems like there are more 'lines' and 'curves' to work with and it's also more visually appealing to me.


Can't wait to see your work!
 
I vote for the one flower version and I can't wait to see the finished product.
 
Two flowers look more like a gladiola to me.
 
I love glads-they're so pretty! I vote for the 2 glad version.
 
I like both, but the first one screams Georgia O'Keefe to me. So the two flowers, please :bigsmile: but either would be gorgeous.
 
LittleGreyKitten said:
I like both, but the first one screams Georgia O'Keefe to me. So the two flowers, please :bigsmile: but either would be gorgeous.
Click to expand...


I hear you, but fear of similarity doesn't enter my mind.

It's not her fault O'Keefe had a good eye. :naughty: :lol:
 
kenny said:
LittleGreyKitten said:
I like both, but the first one screams Georgia O'Keefe to me. So the two flowers, please :bigsmile: but either would be gorgeous.
Click to expand...


I hear you, but I try to ignore fear of similarity.

It's not my fault O'Keefe had a good eye. :naughty: :lol:
Click to expand...

Heh, I know what you mean. Also, the lighting is much more dramatic, so that helps. And of course you can always say you were "inspired by", if it comes out similar! ;)) Learned that trick pretty good, if nothing else, in art skool. Haha. (In all seriousness though, I suspect once it is not just a reference photo but an actual piece of artwork, the similarity will be much less.)
 
kenny said:
He comissioned me (no pay BTW :angryfire: ) quote]

I'm sure there'll be some sort of payment :naughty: ;))

I would go with the two flowers too.
Click to expand...
 
The torture chamber:




The most important arteest supply is in the glass on the right. :lickout:

setup800.jpg

stuff.png
 
In school we made these color reference charts.
Start with a supply of 12 colors.
Write the name of the same 12 colors along the top and the side of the chart.
Mix colors and paint.
Each box a mixture that results from approx 2/3 the color on top and 1/3 the color on the left side.



Place your pic on the chart to find the closest color.
You rarely nail it but it gives you a great starting point.

colours.png

786.png
 
Ah I like the torture chamber.

I see you went with the single flower
 
I vote for single flower :love:
 
I'm glad to see you're painting again Kenny, you're too talented not to...I haven't commented on your work in the other thread, but it is outstanding...Your torture chamber isn't too bad, at least you have some liquid refreshment and a cute birdie for company!
 
Autumnovember said:
I see you went with the single flower
Click to expand...

Not for sure.
I'm just at the testing stage.

I experiment on scraps of WC paper to discover what color mixes and techniques work best.

Unlike with many other media, you can't fix anything with watercolor. ;(
You can't erase or lift the paint.
You can't paint over mistakes since watercolor is transparent.

Ideally your brush would pass over one place on the paper only once with just the right amount of paint and when the paper was prepared by having just the right amount of moistness at the moment you apply the pigment.
Too wet and it will run and bleed and clot. :knockout:
Too dry and it will not flow.

The paper, even fine French Arches paper like I use, is delicate and will be damage by scrubbing or repeated working of the paint.

It's important to be pretty sure what you are going to do will work before you commit to doing it on the real painting.
 
kenny said:
Autumnovember said:
I see you went with the single flower
Click to expand...

Not for sure.
I'm just at the testing stage.

I experiment on scraps of WC paper to discover what color mixes and techniques work best.

You can't fix anything with watercolor. ;(
You can't erase or lift the paint.
The paper, even the finest French Arches paper, is delicate and will be damage by scrubbing.
You can't paint over mistakes since watercolor is transparent.

It's important to be pretty sure what you are going to do will work before you commit to doing it on the real painting.
Click to expand...


ahhh...very smart, makes complete sense.

Are there some other threads lingering around with your work? If so, I'd like to stalk the thread!

Can't wait to see how it turns out, Kenny.
 
Autumnovember said:
My favorite was the glass door knob...so much detail, love it.
Click to expand...

The torture chamber demands it. :Up_to_something:

Thanx.
 
Very cool, seeing your set up. The color charts look pretty handy. I always wing it with oils, but with watercolors, I could see that you pretty much can't without driving yourself batty. (My Costa Rican uncle, Max Rojas, actually supports himself and his family as an artist and watercolor is primarily his medium too... I think you need a lot of confidence to work with watercolors!)

I love the delicate lavenders in your gladiola.
 
LGK, supporting yourself with art is quite an accomplishment.
He must be very very good.

I think the biggest challenge in this piece will be anywhere it gradually fades from yellow to purple.
Being opposites mixing them will make mud.
Gradual fading/blending opposites together is always nerve wracking.
I'll have to let the yellow dry before applying any purple near it.
Then when adding the purples no scrubbing which may agitate and cause the dried yellow to dissolve lift, mix and turn the magic juxtaposition of these two colors into pond scum.

That is a part of the painting I should do early because if it is ruined then zillions of hours won't go out the window.

I think I'm going with the single flower.
I'll be using a block of 100% cotton 14" x 20" 140 lb Arches cold pressed watercolor paper.
Normally I'd stretch a sheet of paper onto a plywood board, but I don't have time now.
With watercolor you can just use a loose piece of paper, unless it's very thick, because it will warp too much when wet.
A watercolor block is like a pad of paper but with all four edges sealed with rubbery stuff so the paper stays flat when wet.
http://www.cheapjoes.com/art-supply...-block-lb-cold-pressed-quot-x-quot-sheets.asp

I start with cleaning the sizing off the paper with a clean sponge; if you leave sizing there the paint won't flow well.
Then let it dry and do a very loose drawing with HB pencil.
When finished I may or may not erase the pencil lines.

dwg22.jpg
 
I like the double.... Can't wait to see the finished product! Those flowers are lovely! :appl:
 
I love seeing your setup Kenny! I'm going to show this thread to my teenage daughter who'll be taking both drawing and watercolor classes at the Art League nearby. She's passionate about art and I know she'll find this very interesting - we both will!

Can I ask what you're drinking? Is it one of the Trader Joe's specials?
 
Kenny
Your setup is awesome!!!
What brand of watercolor do you use?
 
Very cool, Kenny! And I vote for the one-flower version. Of course, I'm a HUUUUUUGE Georgia O'Keeffe fan! ;))
 
kenny said:
...

Normally I'd stretch a sheet of paper onto a plywood board, but I don't have time now.
With watercolor you can just use a loose piece of paper, unless it's very thick, because it will warp too much when wet.
...
Click to expand...

I'm an idiot.
I should have written, "With watercolor you cannot just use a loose piece of paper"

I was drinking 2-Buck Chuck, Shiraz. :sun:

I use Windsor Newton Artist watercolor from tubes.
It is the most expensive, but for good reason.
Try to buy the best brushes, paint and paper you can.
Good supplies get out of the way and let the ideas flow better; watercolor is hard enough without brushes that won't hold much paint or come to a point or are too floppy or stiff, pigments that are not permanent, or paper that doesn't do as it's told.
... and you never know, you may just paint something important.




I just squirt out a lot onto my pallet and let it dry.
It never spoils and you just spray on water to reactivate it.
On that rare instance when you need very intense color just squeeze some out fresh from the tube.

I use a John Pike pallet.
It is rigid enough to not flop around like those thin ones and won't chip like those porcelain ones.
It also has a cover to keep dust out and provide another large mixing surface.
If I have three paintings going I'll have 3 pallets since the exact color mixes remaining on the pallet can be time-saving after taking a break.

712.png

711.png

717.png
 
Kenny

Thanks! I use the same brand, and was wondering so that maybe I can create a similar color pallet. Did you do it on canvas or poster board or?


ETA this is also the same brand I use for my oils as well. I find their products to be consistent in quality.
 
dragonfly411 said:
Kenny

Thanks! I use the same brand, and was wondering so that maybe I can create a similar color pallet. Did you do it on canvas or poster board or?
Click to expand...

I painted the two color reference charts on 300 lb Arches cold pressed watercolor paper.
It is heavy and rigid enough that you don't have to stretch it.
Even heavier paper would be nicer, but more expensive.
I would not use canvas or poster board.
It may take the paint differently or look different.

Above I only described making the chart on the left where the paint is mixed wet before application.
The other chart (on the right) is very different.
The wet-mixing one on the left tells you what it looks like when you mix the two colors wet, but the one on the right tells you what they look like with the "stained glass" effect.
The pure second color is applied only after the first pure color is dry.

To make the "dry mixing" chart on the right you paint continuous vertical lines of the color named on the top.
Let that dry, bone dry.
Then you paint continuous horizontal lines of the color named on the left.
Don't scrub, try to do it with minimum strokes with a large good flat 1 inch brush that is fully loaded with paint.
You do not want to rewet, lift and mix any of that dry first color.

Knowing when to wet-mix or dry mix (layer) is important if you are trying to nail a certain look.
Experiment on scrap paper.

These two techniques (wet or dry mixing) can result the same two colors looking very different.
Making the dry chart also shows the relative transparency vs. opacity of each color.
Alizarin Crimson is very transparent.
The Cadmium colors are relatively opaque.

Next some colors, when mixed wet, react chemically and physically with each other in surprising ways.
Some colors, like yellow ochre, tend to produce a produce tiny particles of color that in one application can offer nice texture but in another application may not appear smooth and soft enough.

Some ratios are very sensitive like cobalt blue and burnt sienna.
When balanced just right they produce a lovely neutral gray for clouds.
When the balance is just a touch off the mix swerves aggressively towards blue or brown.
It can be quite maddening mixing this grey for a large sky.

I realize all these details can seem excessively neurotic but watercolor does have a mind of it's own.
Getting the result you want is hard.
The more things you can bring under control the more you will get the results you want.
 
Kenny - you are my new guru.
 
Guruvy Baby.

ap.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top