Watercolor and Ink Scape Paintings
Objectives:
· Demonstrate skill with watercolor techniques, specifically washes
· Draw and paint a “scape” (sea, land, city) that has meaning to you
· Learn the power of line to define and add detail such as texture
Suggested Procedure:
1. Stretch your watercolor paper and allow it to dry.
2. Practice watercolor techniques (below) in sketchbook or on watercolor scrap paper. *turn in please*
3. Sketch your scape from a photograph or in plein air (outdoors, on site) onto your watercolor paper. Use a hard pencil and keep lines light—only draw what you need to.
4. Mix up your values (or colors) on a palette.
5. If you desire a natural blending of the colors, dampen an area of your work before you paint on it.
If you want more control, leave the paper dry as you add your paint.
6. Begin adding washes of values or color. Remember if you do not want the colors to bleed and blend, you must wait until and area is completely dry before adding the next layer of medium.
7. Once you have the colors and/or values rendered how you want, decide where you should add ink work to define specific areas. Use line (hatching) and dots (stippling to add texture or additional values.
Watercolor Terms
Wet on Wet – Adding watercolor to an area of the paper that is damp or wet
Wet on Dry – Adding watercolor to an area of the paper that is completely dry
Wash - Broad area of paint applied with few or no value changes
Graded Wash (Gradient) – Broad area of paint that gradually changes value
Variegated Wash (gradient) - Broad area of paint that gradually changes color
Masking – Using tape or making liquid to “seal off” an area that will remain white
Salt and Saran Wrap – Using these kitchen goodies to create interesting textures in damp watercolor
Other Terms
Stippling – creating value using dots
Hatching and Crosshatching – creating value using lines (parallel or crossing)
Plein air – creating art in the outdoors, on site
Atmospheric Perspective - The perception of depth in nature can be enhanced by the appearance of atmospheric haze. It is achieved by using less
focus, along with bluer, lighter, and duller hues for the distant spaces and objects depicted in a picture.