Blog

Day 8

Paper: 140 lb Cold Press (Canson block)

Colors: Quinacridone Red, Raw Sienna, Cerulean Blue, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Red (Utrecht) New Gamboge, Hookers Green (Windsor Newton) Opera,(Holbein)

Today’s watercolor lesson was brought to you by the word “Texture.”  I was reading in James Gurneys blog that a synthetic flat is the perfect brush for creating a stroke that resembles grass. There is a farm nearby my home that would make the perfect subject to try this out.  I love this view of the farm in all seasons but especially the early fall when the light is beginning to shift to a cooler tone and the fields are yellow ocher.  I washed in the sky with cerulean blue and left the light warm areas white.  The darker part of the sky I washed in with quinacridone red on top of the blue.  As I came closer to the horizon I added yellow into the blue.  The field began as a flat wash of raw sienna then I charged the wash in the shadow areas with cerulean blue, quinacridone red and hooker green.  Next I painted the horizontal strip of buildings and trees.  With the sky and the foreground in place it was easy to judge the value and temperature of the buildings.  Now the fun began.  I loaded the one inch flat brush with colors on the palette, tapped in onto a paper towel and began to do short strokes in the foreground to resemble grass.  I became so enamored that I probably overdid it a bit, but it felt like having a new toy and I wanted to play with it. 

What I learned:

Dry brushing on top of a wash adds extra dimension in the foreground.

Techniques are good to learn but do not over do it. 

Do not set your tea cup next to your brush water.

"West 30 Farm" 6x9" can be yours!  To purchase for $100.00 click here

Workshop and Critique Session- Painting the Illusion of Depth and Air. March 23^rd-25^th Ann Arbor, MI

What really fascinates me in all subject matter and mediums is creating a sense of depth and air.  I love the illusion of creating something three-dimensional on a flat surface.  I have a workshop coming up in March that explores this concept using exercises and critique that will take your paintings from flat and boring to dimensional and wow.  For more information click here.