Water Water Color

I just realized the other day as I was cleaning up and getting ready for the semester break that I hadn't posted a finished version of the watercolor landscape that we did, so here it is.

Finals Week Schedule

Sooooooo many of you have been asking me about what we are doing during finals.
On one hand I'm glad you are interested and looking ahead, on the other hand, chilax! Don't stress out so much. For real.

But since you ARE interested, you can find the school's finals shedule HERE.
Unless you are old - read, a senior, you've never had all of your h.s. classes all on one day, and that's what will happen on Monday the 19th ... but the rest of the week is on the above link, too.

Watercolor Landscape Step(s) 5 - ???

note that this example is still not finished, 

though all the steps for finishing the image, I think, are explained below

So there's a lot happening today that you need to be aware of, but I'm loading it on so I can give only reminders next week and (hopefully) you'll be done with demos/notes for this project.

1) Buildings
     color: brown, purple, orange
     technique: wet on dry
     Really we're just finishing these structures. There is a fence in front of the buildings on the right that
     we need to add, and there is some deck work (???) around the lighthouse up towards the windows.
     This is the color you want to use for that.
     Also, don't forget to add chimneys and such - you could use this color, or the same color as the
     shadows from before (blue + black).

2) Rocks - 1st and 2nd layer (see example below)
     Rocks on ground area above water & below the buildings - in the brown area. Really, we're, again,
     just looking for some texture there. Aim for variety of value, brushstrokes, and, slightly, color.
     color: orange, brown, black
     technique: wet on dry

     Rocks in water - this is the second layer on these, using the same color but with a darker value
     color: blue, black
     technique: wet on dry

3) Grassy Hill - below buildings (see example below)
     color: blue, green
     technique: wet on dry
     see notes for brownish rocks above and treat this entire strip in a similar manner while continuing
     to aim for VARIETY

4) Iceplant/Grass (see example below)
     There are two areas here, which should be defined by the difference in color you've already laid
     down - this is where you used salt texture.
     There is the greenish blue area and the greenish brown area.
     Greenish blue
     color: green, blue, yellow
     technique: wet on dry and dry on dry
     Greenish brown
     color: green, brown, yellow
     technique: wet on dry and dry on dry
     make sure you are working from top to bottom in these areas and allowing for slight variations in
     density of value and texture

5) Water
     color: blue, green, purple
     technique: wet on wet/dry
     Again, not aiming for homogenous color or technique, we just don't want the ocean to look flat.
     Really the only thing you have to be careful of is the horizon line and where you are going around
     your rocks. But definitely paint right up to these areas so that it looks like the water is going
     around and behind the rocks.

Counting Chickens???

I'm not normally one to count on things before there is definitive news on the subject as I don't want to get anyone too excited, but as The Discovery Machine is now available in print, and we officially have the wheels in motion for a France/Spain field trip set for April 2013, I thought I'd let you know the newest things I'm excited about.
First, Colleen has had an offer to buy the piece she has hanging as part of the newest installment of art in the guidance office;

and Second, I am meeting with a local resident on Monday the 12th to discuss having the department do some art for a local winery.
Should be very cool, and of course I'll keep you posted.

Mark Your Calendars

The 2013 annual Art in the Council Chambers opening reception is officially announced for January 19th, 2013 from 6-8pm.

I'll be sending out more info once second semester starts, but as usual, we'll be filling up that space below the library with a buncha cool oil paintings.

Watercolor Landscape Step "4"

Today is about a multitude of smaller steps as we have finished most of the "big" stuff.
Remember, watercolor is about layering and going from big areas with light value and little detail and progressively working towards smaller and darker and more detailed areas.

This is the order I did mine in today:

1) Shadows/Windows of buildings - including lighthouse
     color: blue/black
     technique: wet on dry

2) Rocks in water - layer 1
     color blue/black/purple/brown/orange
     technique: wet on dry

3) Trees - layer 2
     color: blue/green/black
     technique: wet on dry
     remember to not cover all of what you put on previously, we are aiming for a textured/dappled effect

4) Ground - layer 3
     color: I didn't mix these to be homogenous, but used brown/purple/black/orange
     technique: splatter
     make sure to cover your water area, and everything above that, so the splatter only goes where the
     sand/dirt and grass areas will be

5) Rooftops
     color: red/orange/brown
     technique: wet on dry
     do the top of the lighthouse as well ... and wait until the shadows are dry BEFORE attempting this

As always, test your value and color on scrap paper in the back of your study drawing book.


    

In Print, In Hand

Pretty stoked that the author brought by a physical copy for me yesterday.
Props again to Joleen and Ariel for having their work published here.

Don't Step On The Fetus

Good times in Art 2.

Lino Lino

Looking forward to what this will look like with ink on paper.

Watercolor Landscape Step "3"

Now that you have the first layer of ground and the rubber cement on the water dry, it's time to move on to an additional layer.


Again, mix up more paint than you think you need for all areas and get ready.


Water, layer 1:
Color: Blue, hint of green, hint of blue
Technique: Combination of wet on wet and wet on dry
Take your brush and brush a small amount of water on the water area of the painting. Don't worry about covering it all or anything like that. Then begin adding your color. I'm pretty loose with this and the only thing I really worry about is the horizon line and where the water meets the ground. Other than that, it's all pretty blendy and just me trying to avoid letting the brush strokes be too obvious.


Did I mention that you need to test out your color/value before you start?
I guess I didn't need to because you know you ALWAYS do that before you begin with watercolor, right?
Right.
Good.


And remember, this is layer one on the water, so don't let the value be too dark.


Ground, layer 2:
Lower portion of ground/iceplant
Color: Green, brown, yellow, smalllllleesssttt hint of orange
Technique: wet on dry and salt
(if you are super super super careful you can do wet on wet, but I'd probably call it more like damp on wet - you really don't want a lot of water here, it shouldn't look the same as the sky).
With a medium-ish size brush begin painting your brown/green on around where the sandy/dirt areas are.
While the paint is still wet !!! sprinkle salt on the area.


Yes, you need to have your salt ready to go BEFORE adding your paint.


Upper portion of grass/iceplant
Color: Green, blue, yellow, brown
Technique: wet on dry (or wet on damp, see above)
Get your paint on being careful not to cover where the brown rocks go just above the water (below the buildings).
While you're at it, get a loose layer of color on where the trees will go.

You can very gently take the masking tape off of the lighthouse, too.
Careful not to rip the paper!

Watercolor Landscape Step "2"

After having the image sketched out; after the addition of masking tape to where the lighthouse will go; after adding rubber cement to where the whitest parts of the waves will go; do the following:

Sky, mix up a healthy amount of blue with a hint of yellow and green in it, testing your color and value, of course. With a BIG brush and clean water, get the entire sky portion of the paper wet - not soaking, but wet all the same, and then, working quickly, use that same big brush to apply your sky color to the paper.
Aim for big paint strokes and evenness.
Wet on wet helps with the even application, and since there is tape over the lighthouse, you don't have to avoid that area ... Just paint right over it.

Ground, mix up a large portion of brown and yellow.
With your big brush, use the same wet on wet technique to cover all of the ground.
As you can see in the pic, the ground below the lighthouse and the foreground all need to be covered.

Note that the color you test out on your acrap
scrap paper will be lighter on your actual painting because of the wet on wet technique - which has the same effect as adding just slightly more water to the pigment.

"Art"

UCSC at its finest.