paulallentaylor.com

WATERCOLOR DEMONSTRATION

Harbor View 30" x 18"

Painted on D-Arches 140lb CP Watercolor paper

Slide 1: As with many or most of my paintings, I begin with a sketch, my design or "roadmap" to what will hopefully be a successful painting. This sketch has two important features...actually three. One being that it is a specific scale of the finished painting. The sheet is 30" x 18", cut down from a 30" x 22" full sheet. The sketch is drawn within a rectangle that is 1/4 the scale of the final size. That makes the sketch in my sketchbook 7-1/2 x 4-1/2. I have then placed a grid over the sketch, dividing each edge into 3rds. I conversely divide my watercolor sheets edges into 3rds, those being 10 and 6. (resulting in 9 squares 10 x 6)

Within that rectangle is where I design the painting. I use the grid lines for other means as well. The two horizontal lines are used for approximate horizon lines, never in the center, or midway on the sheet vertically. The two vertical lines cross the two horizontal lines. Where they intersect, I place my center of interest. This makes certain to have different distances from the four edges of the paper to my major shape, or center if interest.

Finally, I use a value pattern to establish my darks and lights. In this sketch, I am attempting to use the DARK FOREGROUND, LIGHT MIDGROUND AND MID BACKGROUND pattern. Many of my paintings are done with the large mid value field, with a dark shape overlapped with smaller lights, or the reverse of the light and dark shapes, but still a large mid value field. I transfer the drawing to the watercolor paper by using the simple grid as a guide.

My drawing tools are graphite pencil, gray scale brush tip/nib markers and a dark fine point liner pen. I use a Strathmore Sketchpad, 9 x 12 spiral bound.

Slide 2: I begin as I do with all my paintings by wetting the paper well on BOTH sides. Thoroughly soak it, but not too much. The corners should "flop" back down when lifted and released. Note: I draw on the paper first, then wet it.

Let's paint.

Here, I have applied an initial wash over the water, sky and "future dark areas", which make for a cleaner final look. I don't cut around those objects that I can paint over with darker colors, for example, a lighthouse where the top is black, I run the sky over it, as the black covers the blue cleanly.

I had to lift some extra water with paper towels to control the edges of the buildings when painting the sky. This is getting control of the watercolor in specific areas by drying just that "zone". If it still doesn't hold, dry the paper more, take water out of the brush or flip the painting so the sky is on the bottom.

Slide 3: I added in the greens of the grass, which should appear sunlit, and also distant trees. Note the different colors at work in the background. That's VARIETY, and it's entertaining. I have painted the distant shore of the harbor, and now that the blue wash is dry enough, I start the dark foreground shape. Make sure you have "mucho" paint in your pallet here. There is a lot to cover, and we need it strong in value. I mixed the darks with Burnt Sienna, Prussian Blue, Hookers Green and Raw Sienna. I even think thereπs some red tossed in. I scrape some cracks in the dock boards with a jack knife. I saved the window, as it will be lighter later and I need transparent windows for a "see through".

Slide 5: There isn't much to finishing the painting. The inside window is painted, but I have to remember to show the shoreline through the glass. As you can see, the two boats have come to life complete with weeds hanging on the anchor lines. The buildings are now standing on pilings. I painted the area under them a light brown, or Raw Sienna, allowing that to dry. Then, using negative painting, I reveal the posts and joists that hold the buildings up. Some are darker than others, and they have cast shadows as well. Add them for more realism. Dark shapes with variety of color are added along with reflections of the boats. Cast shadows are completed for the buildings and the road. Some power poles, stairways, and other incidental objects complete the picture.

So that's it. Harbor View, 30" x 18" complete.

Let me know what you think, and if you wish to know more, well, that's where a workshop comes in.