Tag: watercolor

Watercolor techniques improve as time passes

No Comments

The following are the most popular watercolor techniques that have been developed by the artist themselves:

1. Wash Technique
It was developed by Albrecht Durer, a German artist. It permits overlapping layers of highly diluted pigments to a more refined level. It started in the early 16th century. In the 18th century, wash became the vehicle for color and the whiteness of the paper is reserved for highlight purposes.

2. Aquarelle Technique
It was mastered and developed by John Cotman and J.M.V Turner, both English artists. Aquarelle technique is more concentrated on thin washes.

3. Watercolor Technique with oil and acrylic based paint
It started at around 19th and 20th century. It dilutes oil paint with solvent to give a washy thinness. It is the newest watercolor technique that is used nowadays by some artists around the world. It also allows the paint to flow freely over the painting surface. Most schools around the world are more concentrated on teaching this technique to their students. Pablo Picasso and John Miro mastered this technique.

Watercolor techniques are combined with reiteration of the themes and styles developed. Many artists never stop to experiment on new2 materials and forms of expression. The watercolor technique will be chosen by the artists themselves. It is important because they are the ones who know what technique is applicable for their masterpiece. Amateur artists may also attend workshops in order to learn more about these techniques.

Watercolor techniques improve as time passes. Several ways are used in order to create a new set of development. With the help of these new improvements, several artists nowadays are getting more inspired to create watercolor paintings. Even the younger children try it out for themselves.

Watercolor brings a different vibrant to paintings creating a surreal approach to the eyes of its audience. Using the watercolor techniques, paintings became more interesting and relaxing to see. It shows the creativity of the artists in the whole world. It gives a new dimension for the artists to showcase their talent. With their watercolor paintings, many people are filled with joy and inspiration.

Watercolor techniques are ways to create a masterpiece. It’s in the hands of the artist to use it evenly on the paper with its chosen theme. If effectively done, the artist will surely create a majestic piece of art that can be enjoyed by its audience. Indeed, using the watercolors, such artists can create and express themselves better with their paintings. It is a medium that can easily be used by everyone that enjoys and loves painting.

With the help of these medium, people can divulge themselves to a new innovation in art. With the help of the watercolor, it moves freely in the hands of the artists.

Categories: Watercolour Tags: Tags: , , ,

Watercolour is a Challenging Medium

No Comments

Watercolor painting can pose challenges different from other mediums.

watercolour pour

For example, watercolor is a transparent medium making it unique when compared to other mediums that are opaque. To address this, the following are the watercolor basic painting techniques developed and used over the years and which no watercolor artist can do without.

 

Dry Brush

the dry brush technique is good for creating textured surfaces. Samples of dry brush technique are often seen in watercolor paintings of tree barks, rocks, twigs, foliage etc. creating a visibly dominant textures. Dry brush painting relies on painting with a brush that is just about moist and often charged with a thick paint. The dominance or the subtlety of the effect will depend also on the grade and quality of the paper used and the angle and stroke applied.

Lifting Wet Watercolor

The tools to use when applying this technique are soft tissue paper, sponges, paper towels, or brushes. Lifting is a negative painting tool where instead of applying color, you diminish the color that is applied. It creates a dreamy effect and is widely used when painting clouds where the paint, while still wet is dubbed with the absorbent tool to create the image desired. Twisting is done to create more texture in the paint that is left on the paper as well as scrubbing. When doing the actions though, especially when scrubbing, care must be observed that the paper underneath is not damaged.

Lifting Dry Watercolor

One of the greatest challenges in watercolor painting is its being a transparent medium which makes it very difficult to remove or blot out. Once it is in the paper and dries, removing the paint is difficult if not impossible. Painting over will hide it partially. Just the same, sometimes a pigment has to be lifted from the artwork and for lifting dry watercolor, what is normally used are acrylic brushes or sponges. To lift the dry pigment, the sponge or the brush is cleaned thoroughly with clean water and applied very carefully to the surface. The process is repeated until manageable tinge of color remains.

 

Other tools used are razors, sandpapers, penknives, and sometimes X-acto blades. All of which are destructive. Blades are used but then the texture of the artwork is altered. In skilled hands highlights will be created when using a blade but as mentioned it is a risky process.

flow watercolor

Wet in Wet

It is another watercolor basic painting technique where the paper is brushed wet before applying pigments. This technique produces a very different texture and appearance that is unique only to watercolor paintings. For more watercolour tips, go to https://artisgreat.ca/watercolour-tips-for-painters

Watercolour Tips for Painters

No Comments

Following are some tips to improve your Watercolour painting which you may or may not have thought of as you develop your watercolour skills.

paper
  1. Paper quality

There are different kinds and grades of watercolor and watercolor paper, each has its own consistency and behaves differently. The quality of the watercolor painting is heavily influenced by the grade of paper that the painting is on. This is more pronounced when applying the techniques such as wet in wet and dry color lifting. Texture grade are also important consideration when applying a dry brush technique. The rule of the thumb when choosing a watercolor paper is that the more expensive and popular the brand used, the easier the work becomes for the artist because of the consistency and the high quality of materials that are used.

 

flow watercolor

 

2. Working fast

There are a variety of effects that could be taken advantage when working fast. First, to regulate the paint flow will not allow the artist to rest until a particular aspect of the work is finished. The effects that are obtainable in working fast allows for better blending and mixing of colors that could never be done when the paint is allowed to thicken let alone dry. The same goes for color dominance, and the production of feathery, rugged edged and dreamy textures that only a watercolor could produce. Watercolor is not an easy medium to work on. But for those who will or have learned to regulate the flow of the paint, the wetness inherent to watercolor painting is actually a good control device.

 

3. Light fastness

Light fastness is also a major consideration when you want the painting preserved. Watercolor pigments have acquired a reputation for impermanence because unlike oil and acrylic that has protective binders, watercolors are painted directly on paper and is exposed. Because of this, that pigments do not retain its color and its brilliance overtime. Today though, major improvements have been done to retain lightfast watercolors which is indicated by a manufacturers numerical rating printed in the tube or the packaging.

The main reason that excellent watercolor paintings are considered less in value than oil or acrylic is its previous inability to hold its color. Today though, technological improvements are achieved for watercolor pigments that in fact, watercolor paintings with high light fastness rating painted on archival paper holds it colors and brilliance longer than oils and acrylics.

4. Tube or Pan

Choose tube. It is more difficult to achieve very dense color when you use a dry watercolor from a pan. It is also easier to keep raw colors in tubes. Minor difference but it counts for coming with very good, well preserved and well-defined colors. Other than that, there is no visible difference between a tube color and those that comes from pans.

 

5. Scumbling

While the preceding watercolor painting tips are relatively new, scumbling dates back to the practice of watercolor application in the 19th century. Otherwise known as dragging or crumbling the color, scumbling is loading a moist brush with large amounts of color and dragging the tuft lightly along the paper to produce different textures and are typically used by watercolorists with more advanced brush handling skills.

Categories: Watercolour Tags: Tags: , , , , ,