Cart is empty WEEK 1
- Stretching paper
Materials; board, gum strip cut to length, a large bowl of water, a pot of water, kitchen paper, watercolour paper
Steps:
- soak 280gsm watercolour paper for 15-20 mins
- Lift from water picking up from one corner and allowing excess water to drip off
- Place on board make sure the paper is flat and there is space around the paper for the gum strip
- Dip gum strip into pot of water and run between fingers to ensure even coverage and removal of excess water
- Place carefully along one edge, overlapping the paper by approximately 1 cm
- Repeat along all edges
- Leave flat and allow to dry naturally for at least 2 hours
- Pansy painting using glazing
- lightly draw 4 overlapping circles in HB pencil
- Erase unwanted pencil lines
- Paint each area with Rose pink, leaving the centre unpainted, and dry
- Paint over each Pink area with Ultramarine and dry
- Paint a small Yellow triangle in the unpainted centre and dry
- Using a more saturated mix of ultramarine add details to the side and lower petals and leave to dry
- Glazing sampler card (optional)
- create a 7 columns of 7 squares – one in each of the 6 system colours using a single brush stroke
- Dry
- Working across the paper from paint over each column in with a row of each colour
- Hard & soft edges
- draw 6 circles using a pencil and a small cup to draw around
- Circle 1; paint a layer in one colour, dry, then add a crescent shape to one side in the same or a different colour, and leave to dry
- Circle 2; paint a layer in one colour, dry, then add a crescent shape to one side in the same or a different colour, While the paint is still wet use a little clear water along the inner edge to soften and blend it out
- Circle 3; paint a layer in one colour, dry, add clear water to the painted area and whilst wet drop another colour in at one edge, leave to dry
- Circle 4; paint the circle in one colour, While it is still wet add another colour to one edge, and leave it to dry
- Circle 5; paint clear water onto the surface of the circle, whilst wet add one colour to one half, and another colour to the other half so the colours meet, and leave to dry
- Circle 6; paint one colour over half of the circle, whilst still wet paint another colour up to the edge, so the colour meets, and leave to dry
WEEK 2
- Whites & highlights
- draw six circles using a pencil and a small cup
- Circle 1; paint in any colour leaving a small circle unpainted
- Circle 2; Add a small circle of masking fluid, allow to dry, paint the circle in any colour, leave to dry, and remove masking fluid by rubbing gently with an eraser or thumb
- Circle 3; Add a small square of washi tape, paint the circle in any colour, leave or dry, and remove the washi tape
- Circle 4; paint the circle in any colour, whilst still wet use a dry brush to lift an area of paint off
- Circle 5; paint the circle in any colour, whilst still wet dab it with a paper towel to lift the colour
- Circle 6; paint a circle in any colour, dry, using a wet brush wet a small area of the circle, dab with a paper towel to remove the paint, and repeat the process as desired
2. Approaches to preserving paper & details
- draw 7 basic leaf shapes in pencil
- Leaf 1; mix green and using wet on dry paint the leaf leaving a thin line unpainted in the centre of the leaf
- Leaf 2; repeat the process above, whilst wet drop other colours (yellows, blues & greens) onto the leaf
- Leaf 3; lightly draw veins (if desired), using wet on dry paint the areas around/between the veins
- Leaf 4; using masking fluid paint veins onto the leaf
- Leaf 5; paint leaf in a pale colour, dry, use masking fluid to paint veins, dry, paint leaf with darker shade(s)
- Leaf 6; paint the leaf and whilst wet use a dry brush to lift the paint, creating veins
- Leaf 7; paint the leaf and dry it, using clean water on a small round brush wet the area where you want to create veins and lift the paint with a paper towel. Repeat the process as needed.
3. Salt effects
- paint a square in one colour, whilst wet sprinkle table salt across the surface, level to dry
- Repeat the process, sprinkling sea salt on the sending square and clear water on the third
- Paint three more squares in a pale colour (yellow, pale green, pink), dry, then paint over one square at a time, whilst wet repeat the above processes – table salt on the first square, sea salt on the second, and water the third
3. Orange & leaves
- Lightly draw a circle and two basic leaf shapes
- (Optional) wet the background area with clear water and add shades of blue of choice, dry
- Paint the circle orange, using method choice for highlights, sprinkle with salt if desired, and leave to dry
- Paint leaves using process of choice, leave to dry
WEEK 3
- Monochrome study of still life (fruit)
- mix a grey colour either by mixing Cadmium red & Intense Blue or Pink, Lemon & Ultramarine
- Sketch the image from the reference photo using a pencil
- Gradually build up layers of grey to establish lights and darks, drying between layers
2. A short introduction to colour theory and tonal value. Plus a recap of methods and processes (highlights, blending, hard & soft edges, salt effects etc) to consider when painting our still life piece. We looked at some examples of watercolour paintings by other artists (see gallery below)
- Copyright note: please remember that when working from reference photos or images of other artists’ work that they own the copyright belongs to the artist/photographer. Whilst copying and using reference images is an acceptable part of learning and practising, any work produced directly from other people’s work cannot be sold, exhibited or shared as your own.
3. Still life painting on stretched paper
- Sketch still life picture from the reference picture (left) or use inspiration from examples shared (see gallery at the bottom of page)
- Select the processes desired for your painting, building up layers of wet on dry or wet on wet to develop colour, tone and depth in your painting
- This is about exploring the techniques and seeing what works for you – take risks to help you discover the ways you prefer to work, embrace happy accidents and learn from parts that turn out less well
- Don’t be too quick to judge your work. If you’re unsure about something have a break and allow it to dry
