Made on Thursday, August 23, 2016
Yesterday I've decided to test myself with my old abandoned watercolors :D!
Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Watercolours Box (Winsor&Newton)
Fabriano smooth papers (110 g/m^2)
Clairefontaine cartridge paper (160 g/m^2)
Various brushes, flat and round
Extra like glass of water, paper towel, plastic plate as palette XD
Searching inspiration on YouTube
Searching on YouTube some videos about the basics, I was struck by «Beginner Watercolor Exercises Part 3~ Wash Techniques» by TheWittyGrittyPaperCo.
After experimenting with some random strokes (on the left), I’ve tested the techniques illustrated in the video by Meredith.
By moving from the upper left to the right, we have:
I like the idea to keep the space constrained into the squares because I have to remember that I need to load the brush more or less paying attention to THAT space!
I need to do a lot of these :D!
Mine result is not so good and beautiful as the outcome of Meredith :/ but I really love the technique! I need more experimentation!
I like it! I know that it isn't the exaltation of watercolors at all xD and that it looks more like to acrilycs or gouache but I would like to explore this technique because I think that it could be very interesting (after knowing more the media, obvious! :D)
It looks awful!! I think that the dry should have been even more dry :S
Very beautiful (not mine, eh!)..this is really nice to see; I think that it could be use everytime in WC paintings to create beautiful shades and amazing combinations!
From «Watercolor Workshop»: Varying strokes
After I was taking the book «Watercolor Workshop» by Glynis Barnes-Mellish and made some strokes trying to change the angles of holding the brush, its inclination and the pressure. She made 16 different strokes...and I did the same...maybe not exactly the same XD!
I like all these ways to use the brush and I think they're very useful to make different textures to rendering many materials, element of the nature (wave, tree's foliages, grass, ...)
I'm quite happy with the outcome :D and, at that time, I was a little bit more conscious about the connection between brush, water and color...I feel like I become more familiar with wc...cool =D!
From «Watercolor Workshop»: Attempting some flowers
After getting more familiar, the author suggest to use some of the strokes just learned to create the flowers and its trunk.
I decided to make no skecth: at my poor level, making no sketch it's like a shot in the dark :D because it makes me feel more secure to have "a guide" :D but this time I needed FREEDOM bacause my intention was to explore this media as freely as I could :D so...No skecth! I was reading to jump...totally improvisating :D!
First I was using a #10 brush but I was (obviously!) experimenting some difficulties in dominating the colors and mixing them...but then I (literally!!!) discover the #0 brush and it was the first attempt with it in my life! I used it to go over the first painted layer (almost dried yet) and I was amazed at seeing how wonderful were the layers one over the other.
I experimented with colors, I mixed them crazily in the palette, just to trying different combinations! I also added some "details" (or something like this xD) to give to the leaves a more materic texture and then I tried to paint the flowers...I was surprised by myself because I never thought to be able to paint this (poor!) way "on the fly"...incredible! :D
Obviously, it's not a masterpiece :D and I don't think I can exhibit this piece in a museum :D but I loved this improvisation or, better, the way I did it ^_^
From «Watercolor Workshop»: Attempting the penguin
The flowers painted before were in a page in which there was also a little cute penguin :D...how could I resist temptation to paint it?
I think that - in the book - white color was used to get the body of the penguin (maybe it's only an impressione :D!); I decided to don't use the white color as pure color (just for now) and to use the white of the paper to get the white for the body; as in the "Flowers", here we go: no sketch!
I experimented the colors and I was trying to get the same (?) colors I saw in the book.
I tried to accentuate the yellow color on the penguin's face and to sketch roughly the feet. I also tried to work in negative.
I found very hard to get the right color, or better: the color I wanted, using watercolors...but I like the way I could improvise with the brush detail and, next times, I hope I will better render the fur of the penguin!
Not bad...:D
I need more practice...and more practice! But this "WC Workshop" was very funny...and I think that I will improve (I hope!)
- Color theory (in general and for WC in particular)
- Take some textures (fur, grass, brick, .. ..) and trying to rendering them by strokes
