Practice Paper

I read an interesting online discussion this week.  The topic was the brand of paper to use for watercolour practice.

For those who like to practice watercolour painting regularly and are reluctant to pay a lot for watercolour paper, the cost of paper can add up?  Do you consider buying cheaper paper? Many from the online discussion recommended buying cheaper paper.
 
What are some of the better options?

• use the other side of any painting you don't like
• find an economical practice paper such as Fabriano Watercolour 280gm 130 lb paper which is cheaper that Fabriano Artistico 140lb.
• use paper from a good manufacturer and cut down the full sheet  to 1/4's and 1/8's and that you can paint on both sides makes it affordable. 
• Search for sales on paper.

Some people believe that practicing on cheaper paper, like Strathmore. In my opinion, paper is most important watercolour tool. When starting out you may use a good brand of student paints like Cotman, but don't skimp on the paper.

In the end you don't want to develop techniques based on cheap paper. You just end up having to un-learn them when you decide to paint on good paper.
 
You would only be setting yourself up for a lot of frustration by practicing on anything other than quality watercolour paper. For one thing, when you try to apply what you learned on a different surface in the future, the result will be different and you'll have to re-learn the skill or technique all over again.

This weeks artistic find is Tim Saternow.

Have a great

Danielle

Do you worry about the Lightfastness and Permanency of Watercolours?

Creating a watercolour painting takes some time and energy. Surely you don’t want your creations to fade, discolor, or otherwise deteriorate. While there are some things you can do such as not displaying your watercolours in the full sun and choice of products (ex. paper and framing), there are some choices you can make that relate to the use of pigments.

Some pigments fade for a variety of reasons - exposure to light is the main one, but acids and alkalis will damage many pigments. However, the prime consideration is the light-fastness of the pigments used in producing the paint. 

Ideally we should try to used those paints whose pigments are rated good or excellent in light-fastness. The information is normally found on the label of paint tubes. However, it’s not always easy to read because the print is too small and its often displayed in “code”.

Winsor & Newton has an easy reference chart online to indicate the lightfastness and permanency and the colour pigment(s) used.

Although paint manufacturers provide this information on their website, it is normally found when looking at individual colours. Let me know if you find a table similar to the W&N one, that is easy to use as a reference tool.

I was disheartened when I found out that one of my favourite colour is one of the few colours that is only “moderately durable”. That colour is Rose Madder Genuine from W&N.  What colour do you use instead for pink flowers? 

Here is a link to some additional information on lightfastness. It may be a bit dated, but remains interesting to read.  If you like the technical aspects of paint, focuss on the pigment ingredient number (e.x. cobalt blue - PB28) section.http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/pigmt6.html#lightfast

Today's art find is suggested by DragonGirl (from Art Tutor) and is Allan Kirk.

Have a great week,
Danielle

Does planning curb creativity in art?

 

An Art Tutor members asked if art can succeed without planning when relying only on creativity. Can one produce great art without organization, taking conscious action steps, big and small, with consistency?    

Many agree that great compositions, which are at the source of most great paintings, don’t just happen by accident. They take planning, patience, and a knowledge of all the visual elements at your disposal. The great thing is, no matter how much or how little talent you have, you’ll always be able to improve your art by sketching out a good composition before you begin.  

Creating means generating new ideas, visualizing, looking ahead, considering the possibilities. Planning and evaluating means analyzing and judging, picking apart ideas and sorting them into piles of good and bad, useful and useless.

Most people evaluate too soon and too often, and therefore create less. In order to create more and better ideas, you must separate creation from planning, coming up with lots of ideas first, then judging their worth later.

This a big problem in any field where there are lots of gurus who tell you their secrets of success. It’s wise to listen, but unwise to follow without question.

Some of the most successful people in the world did what others told them would never work. They knew something about their own idea that even the gurus didn’t know.

Every path to success is different. Therefore, although planning is always encouraged, I suspect that some artists have great instincts for composition, so they spend very little time planning and use their creativity to provide the other half of the equation in order to produce beautiful art.

However, I have seen many painting where is was apparent that no planning occurred and the painting did not keep the eye or focus within the painting or lacked a centre of interest to attract the viewer.

Since planning is always recommended it is also important to recognize that there are different levels of planning and that some level of planning increases the changes of an artist’s success

Whatever approach you favor, paintings are about communications. Like all types of communications, some planning is required if the message is to be received as intended.

Creativity and planning are not at odds; they both complement each other well. So to answer the question, I do not believe that planning curbs creativity in art. What do you think? You can leave comments below.

Today's artist find is Steven Hileman:

I like the colour harmony in this painting.

Have a great weekend.
Danielle

 

Don't you love painting rocks

It’s common to see rocks in landscapes. Rocks are fun to paint because they can be formed using a variety of methods.

But first, you must draw your rocks. When you sketch them, pay attention to the different shapes and angles.  If we don't pay attention, they may end up all looking the same.

One common method to paint rocks is to first lay in a wet in wet layer of watercolor, using the largest brush you comfortably can for the size of your work. Mix the colours that you want use for the rocks and vary the tones for interest. Remember to keep the warmest colours for the rocks in the foreground. After applying colour, you can blot it with a tissue to created blotchy effects. Once dry, add the shadows and any details. One way to finish a rock is to apply a bit of drybrush work using a darker colour.

Other techniques to suggest texture on rocks include:

• using a sponge to create the blotchy effects. This can be applied early or late in the process. When applied late in the process, I would suggest that the paint not be to dark to create a contrast that doesn't look natural.
• splattering paint using brush or toothbrush. This technique is normally used last.
• dropping a few drops of salt in the wet wash. The effect will soften with subsequent layers of paint.
• scraping with credit card when paint is still wet
• once the paint is dry, use a utility knife to scrape highlights and texture.

Roland Lee has an interesting step by step demo on how to paint rocks in the southwest United States. When you get to that web page (link above), click on the large image to start the demo. Here is one of Roland's paintings.  He paints mostly scenes with rocks. Here is one of them.

 

Have a great week

Danielle