I just returned from all my painting getaways of the summer--one to Montana which was somewhat successful and one to New Mexico which was better, largely because I am starting to get a better grip on watercolors for sketch and also some compositional things I have been reading about but need to be practiced.
1. First, paint sketches SMALL. I have been taking a big sheet (15x11) and ruling it into six smaller rectangle which does away with the problem of "what to put there" in that vast space. For a beginner, it makes things easier to control because the space is easily filled and also lends itself to sketches of small things, like flowers much better. And more control means less frustration.
2. I have found high quality half pans to be better than the tubes of paint which, when you are on the go and must move quickly, are more convenient and more easily transported since they are less messy. There are problems with the little blocks: they can get dirty easier and it is a bit harder to get concentrated color. But the contamination can be taken care of by paper towels and care and the color by using less water and layering colors.
3.Use much less water. Water can be used to great affect, especially when trying to make a mist or a cloud in a hazy, for example, but should be used with care. Having a paper towel handy to help with excess BEFORE putting brush to paper really helps with control. Again, this also controls FRUSTRATION!
4.Don't necessarily use the colors that are in front of you. Simplify the palette, intensify the shadows. I was doing this solely on value until my last trip, when I discovered the value of complimentary colors. After all, when it is on the wall of my studio, no one is going to say, "But the colors of that sunset were gray and purple not orange and blue!" It is a fallicy to be hemmed in by people who judge your work primarily on how well you copied what you saw. Form is most important in illusion and contrast is what gives form. Go for CONTRAST.
5. Remember that things in the back are smaller and less well defined than things in the front.
6. Make your focal points in sharply defined relief as well as highlighted by color. In other words, SHARPEN the focus of the points you want the eye to travel on. The rest can be fuzzy and not as detailed, but the best composition can be ruined by not showing the viewer what it is he is supposed to be looking at.
7. Finally, Simplify!!!! You really don' t need all those leaves on that tree to get the idea across.
I'd say that's a pretty good list for a summer. If I am sharing this with anyone out there, may your days be filled with light, and your mind be lost in color!
1. First, paint sketches SMALL. I have been taking a big sheet (15x11) and ruling it into six smaller rectangle which does away with the problem of "what to put there" in that vast space. For a beginner, it makes things easier to control because the space is easily filled and also lends itself to sketches of small things, like flowers much better. And more control means less frustration.
2. I have found high quality half pans to be better than the tubes of paint which, when you are on the go and must move quickly, are more convenient and more easily transported since they are less messy. There are problems with the little blocks: they can get dirty easier and it is a bit harder to get concentrated color. But the contamination can be taken care of by paper towels and care and the color by using less water and layering colors.
3.Use much less water. Water can be used to great affect, especially when trying to make a mist or a cloud in a hazy, for example, but should be used with care. Having a paper towel handy to help with excess BEFORE putting brush to paper really helps with control. Again, this also controls FRUSTRATION!
4.Don't necessarily use the colors that are in front of you. Simplify the palette, intensify the shadows. I was doing this solely on value until my last trip, when I discovered the value of complimentary colors. After all, when it is on the wall of my studio, no one is going to say, "But the colors of that sunset were gray and purple not orange and blue!" It is a fallicy to be hemmed in by people who judge your work primarily on how well you copied what you saw. Form is most important in illusion and contrast is what gives form. Go for CONTRAST.
5. Remember that things in the back are smaller and less well defined than things in the front.
6. Make your focal points in sharply defined relief as well as highlighted by color. In other words, SHARPEN the focus of the points you want the eye to travel on. The rest can be fuzzy and not as detailed, but the best composition can be ruined by not showing the viewer what it is he is supposed to be looking at.
7. Finally, Simplify!!!! You really don' t need all those leaves on that tree to get the idea across.
I'd say that's a pretty good list for a summer. If I am sharing this with anyone out there, may your days be filled with light, and your mind be lost in color!
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