The husband never asked about the contents of the box. He just thought that it was something from a personal feminine ... But then one day the old woman fell ill. When she became very ill, she asked her husband to bring that box to her in the hospital, as it was time to reveal the secret.
The old man came home, found the box and opened it. Inside were 2 knitted dolls and a thick bundle of money - 95 thousand dollars!
But why? How?! - he could not come to his senses, dumbfounded by such a huge amount.
Before we got married, - the old woman said to her surprised husband, - my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage. It was that I never argued with my husband. She advised me every time I get angry with you to sit silently and crochet one doll.
The old man was touched - there were only two dolls in the box. For all 50 years life together she only got mad at him twice. He hugged his wife and kissed her.
But where did the money come from? he wondered.
Ah, this? - answered the wife. - This is the money I earned from selling dolls.
Anything can be painted with watercolor realistic portrait to imagined alien worlds. To many, watercolor seems to be a complex artistic tool. But all you really need to learn how to paint with watercolor is just to start. We have selected 11 tips for you, thanks to which you will become 11 steps closer to comprehending the art of watercolor painting.
1. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty!
If you've never painted before, it's time to get down to business. Open the album, create interesting textures and watercolor stains so as not to freeze in front of a white sheet. Start from them in search of a plot. Colored pages can be bright and exciting or create a calm, melancholy mood. Color or texture may suggest the next step - or maybe you can't wait to draw without them.
Illustration from the book The World of Watercolor.
2. Find your watercolor paper
The result of the work largely depends on the quality of the watercolor paper. Go to a bookstore and pick out 5-10 different sheets of watercolor paper to try out. Be sure to make notes on each sheet (type, weight of paper and the results of working with it). A suitable paper weight for beginners is 300 g/m2, some professionals prefer 600 g/m2. There are other types of watercolor paper, such as NOT paper and paper with a rough texture, or cold pressed paper.
3. Use professional paint
Even novice artists should purchase professional watercolor paints. Unlike cheap counterparts artistic paints beautifully lay down and spread on paper.
“I prefer tubes over cuvettes: firstly, you don’t have to wait until the paint softens and becomes usable, and secondly, it’s easier to create rich dark mixtures with tube paint.”Billy Showell
It is true that artistic paints are more expensive, but they will also last longer. They are better bred and therefore not consumed so quickly.
Advice. Test new colors and more art materials as often as possible. Experiment. Don't become a hostage to one habit
4. Observe and consider before taking up the brush
Before drawing, study the structure of the object. Take a look at it as if you were seeing it for the first time, carefully consider, take notes, sketch, get comfortable with textures and details that you never paid attention to. For example, watch the spiral arrangement of the leaves or the whorls along the veins of the stem.
You get a double benefit from drawing plants - first you meditate, looking at it, and then you get real pleasure from drawing. Isn't it wonderful? @miftvorchestvo
Try to mentally break down what you see. Select the main shapes. See how they overlap. Imagine the landscape as a stage setting. Pay attention to what is closest, what is farthest.
5. Learn to mix colors
Try mixing colors to see what shades you can achieve with your paint set. Mix two colors first, then add a third to them. Experiment!
You will love to create such beautiful colors and variations of shades and tones, the number of them is almost inexhaustible.
Focus on yourself. You can make either very realistic drawings or very non-trivial ones. Your task is to collect paints whose properties you will know, which will allow you to create the desired shades with a guaranteed good result.
By mixing pure pigments, you can create cool, warm, or greyish versions of a single color. Illustration from the book "Song of Color"
6. Start with economical expression
If you are making pencil sketches or sketches, you can diversify your watercolor drawings by making accents. It is not necessary to color the entire page; sometimes a few successful brush strokes create the most powerful effect.
Careless dotted strokes in watercolor in sketches are the signature style of Felix Scheinberger. Illustration from the book "Watercolor Sketching"
7. Use liquid watercolor primer
A liquid watercolor primer is applied to the paper before work begins and makes it easy to remove dried paint if necessary. This is especially important when working with intense or persistent pigments: you can not be afraid to “smudge” the paper in the highlight area. Before using it, practice in a sketchbook, as the surface for drawing will be quite slippery.
To remove paint from those areas where it was not needed (inadvertently went beyond the edges or you need to make highlights) - just wash off the paint with a clean, dampened brush or sponge.
8. Learn the art of glazing
Glaze artists call the technique of obtaining deep iridescent colors by applying translucent paints on top of the main one. The glazing technique is a great way to convey the finest color range. Paints are superimposed very delicately, layer by layer, and after drying, the details of the last layer are worked out.
Illustration from the book "Song of Color"
9. Dry brush technique
This technique can be used to paint animal fur or small hairs on fruits like kiwis.
Pick up the paint on the brush, remove the excess with a napkin. Straighten the brush hairs. Apply the paint to a dry surface previously painted in the background color. Work in small strokes in one direction, simulating the hairs on the surface.
Kiwi in the technique of dry brush. Illustration from the book
To get the desired result when working with paints, you need to have the right tools. Of course, you don't have to buy expensive art supplies, but I still don't recommend using bad watercolor or paper that isn't suitable for it.
Here is a list of the basic things you will need to start your creative journey:
- brushes: my favorite ones are with artificial sable. They have an acceptable cost, and they are in no way inferior in quality. You may need brushes of different sizes. I advise you to buy round brushes number 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, as well as one or two large ones, so that you have plenty to choose from.
- Palette: Choose a palette that has enough space to place and mix colors together.
- Paints: My favorite is Winsor & Newton, but there are many others good brands. If you do not want to pay a lot, remember that manufacturers often create two types of paints - for beginners and for professionals. The Cotman series from Winsor & Newton is for beginners, while Artist is for professionals. Despite the fact that the series for beginners is cheaper, they are still of high quality. If you want to save money, but still get acceptable quality, buy Russian paints "White Nights".
- Water banks: I usually have at least two - in one my dirty brushes, the other I use to mix colors.
- Paper: choose between semi-smooth (cold pressed) and smooth (hot pressed). Hot pressing paper has more smooth surface, and the paint falls on it differently. I use semi-smooth because I like a hard texture and I think watercolor looks interesting on it.
- White gouache: white watercolor usually too transparent, and almost invisible. I prefer to do the final strokes and glare of light with white gouache.
2. Start with a sketch
Regardless of whether you came up with a drawing yourself or copy it, I advise you to always start with a sketch. I like to draw ballpoint pen on newsprint – a stiff texture allows ideas to flow freely, and I don't worry too much about mistakes.
At the top, I've attached some examples from my children's book Pickle: The Little Bird Who Doesn't Tweet! First, I make a rough sketch with a blue pencil. I draw the same line several times, trying to find correct forms that complement the story.
If there are too many lines and it becomes difficult to make out them, then I simply turn to another page. As soon as I like one of the sketches, I circle everything with a black ballpoint pen.
3. Study in color
I often create sketches in color before I start working on the painting itself. To pick up correct colors, the sketch must be drawn on watercolor paper. Let it be small, for example 10x15 cm or less.
The sketch doesn't have to be perfect. On the contrary, take note of how colors draw attention and how you can make the picture more interesting with the help of light and shadow. The purpose of the study is to understand what impression the final picture should make.
Despite the fact that "Pickle" is a book in in electronic format, I really wanted it to retain the feel of a classic children's picture book like Peter Rabbit, but also modern and funny.
To achieve this, I added subtle subtle lines and textures to the paintings. And in order to make "Pickle" look even more relevant, I used not only modern visual references, but also a brighter and more saturated color scheme than those in classic illustrations.
4. Preparing paint and paper
There is a common misconception that you must use the same scale for the final painting that you selected for the study. Of course, then the painting will look exactly like the sketch, but it's still best to start with clean painting supplies and a clean palette. This will avoid dullness and uncontrollability of the paint.
And don't forget to wash all accessories regularly as soon as they get too dirty. This will help keep the colors clean and saturated.
You don't have to worry about the paper shrinking if you're drawing in a sketchbook, but be sure to secure the paper of the final painting. You can either stretch it yourself or buy a watercolor block that is already stretched.
Thin line in pencil
After all this, you can finally make a sketch. Draw very thin lines so that you can paint over them later. Unless, of course, you have plans to make them visible.
People often ask if I use any methods to transfer the sketch to the paper of the final painting. Actually, I just redraw it by hand. That's when I usually finalize it and add the finishing touches.
5. Watercolor is a multifaceted medium
There is a common misconception that painting with watercolors is about constantly worrying about how much water is on the brush. Many people think that if they use more water, then the paint will behave as it should.
In fact, it's not like that. It is better to pay attention to how quickly the water evaporates from the paper. You must take the weather and humidity into account when drawing. And also, of course, the characteristics of the paper itself, how strong its absorbency is.
If you are painting on a dry sunny day, then use more water. And if you paint, for example, at a waterfall, then an excessive amount of water on the brushes can create a risk of color spreading. And in general, it is better to add new layers of paint in a timely manner, taking into account the moisture level of the paper.
One of the interesting things about watercolor is that you can paint with little or no water at all to create a "dry" effect or to convey the look of an oil painting. Watercolor is really capable of a lot.
6. Where to start
You can find many watercolor techniques and tutorials on websites and books. But I would like to tell you how to perceive the big picture. There are many theories about how to get started with watercolor painting. One of the most popular methods is from light to dark. Although I do not think that you should be constrained by any rules - I have seen how artists create amazing pictures starting from the darkest to the lightest.
I usually start with what I like the most, like the Pickle bird, and then move on to secondary characters. And after all this, I add the background color with a large brush.
I advise you not to worry if the paint does not lay down as you want, or comes out of the edges. On the contrary, it is worth taking it as one of the most interesting aspects of watercolor painting. You can achieve cool and unexpected effects at any time.
Usually, after I apply the background colors, the paper gets wet, so I let it dry before thinking about the details. And this time I really control how the paint spreads.
I almost always leave the space for decorative details empty until the very end, because I use them to refine the composition or direct the reader's attention to a certain place. That's why I don't want to accidentally highlight them too much.
In my children's book, the characters spend most of their time in nature, so I usually leave leaves, plants, and flowers for last, even though they are an important part of the composition. I want them to emphasize the drawing in the same way as the storyline itself.
7. Experiment
There are no rules, there are only tools! As in any other art form, there are many methods in painting. Experiment and learn new techniques that will complement your drawing style. You can use white, you can scrape the surface of the paper, you can apply a lot of paint. Most importantly - have fun!
If you are interested in my painting process, you can watch a speed-up video of how I drew the picture below from start to finish. The video is three minutes long, but in real time it took me seven hours:
Drawing a schoolgirl in mixed media. Watercolor + colored pencils. Video
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Watercolor is often called the most naughty, most capricious paint. It is difficult to work with it, it is difficult to store it, it is unpredictable and requires maximum concentration from the artist. But those who managed to conquer and tame it know the secret of creating truly amazing works, looking at which you ask the only question: “Who did they sell their soul to draw like that?”
website invites you to a gallery of truly atmospheric, bright and talented works. This is exactly what modern Art who is not ashamed to confess his love.
The emotional realism of Steve Hanks
The faces of people in most of the artist's paintings are darkened or turned to the side. This is done in order to express emotions and for the body to "speak". “I have always tried to show the world only the positive moments of life. I hope that my work brings joy, peace and comfort to the life of the viewer,” says Hanks.
Rainy watercolor Lin Ching Che
Talented artist Lin Ching-Che is 27 years old. He is inspired fall rain. Cloudy city streets cause the guy not longing and despondency, but a desire to pick up a brush. Lin Ching Che paints watercolor paintings. With colorful water, it sings of the rainy beauty of megacities.
Boiling fantasy of Arush Votsmush
Under the pseudonym Arush Votsmush, a talented artist from Sevastopol Alexander Shumtsov is hiding. The artist says this about his paintings: “I am not trying to prove anything to anyone with my work. First of all, I enjoy. It is pure creativity drug. Or a pure life - without doping. It's just a miracle."
The charm of Paris in the works of Thierry Duval
Paris-born artist Thierry Duval has traveled extensively. Hence the presence of entire series of paintings on a “geographical basis”. Nevertheless, the author's favorite place was and remains Paris. The lion's share of works is dedicated to the city of lovers. He has his own own equipment multi-layer watercolor application, which allows you to create paintings with almost hyper-realistic detail.
Evening Calm by Joseph Zbukvic
Australian today Croatian origin Joseph Zbukvic is considered one of the pillars of watercolor painting throughout the world. The artist fell in love with watercolor literally from the first stroke, he was struck by the innocence and individuality of this technique.
Secrets of the East through the eyes of Myo Wing Ong
The artist Myoe Win Aung devoted all his work to his native Burma, its everyday life and holidays, lay people and monks, towns and cities. This world is calm, dressed in gentle tones, mysterious and slightly pensive, like the smile of Buddha.
Incredible watercolor by Joe Francis Dowden
English artist Joe Francis Dowden paints hyper-realistic watercolors. And he believes that everyone can do it, you just need to know the secrets of technology. The secret of his inspiration is extremely simple: "Throw away watercolor textbooks and get lost in a real forest."
The Magic of Ballet by Liu Yi
The watercolors of this Chinese artist can be safely called art about art. After all, his favorite topic is the images of people who are directly related to him - for example, ballerinas or classical musicians. The way they are presented in the paintings is peculiar: people seem to emerge from a thin haze, emotional and very characteristic. To some extent, they echo the images of ballerinas. french artist Edgar Degas.
We will deal with one of the most common difficulties - how to avoid dirt in watercolor.
I think some of the tips I will give will be useful not only for watercolorists. They are common to painting in general.
So, we want watercolor painting to be thin, delicate, ringing, transparent. It is the transparency and purity of color that often captivate in this technique.
However, sometimes we are disappointed - despite our best efforts, the watercolor becomes gray and nondescript, and the more we try to correct it and add brightness to the color, the more dirt appears in it. Familiar?
Before answering the question how to prevent dirt in your picture, you need to understand what is generally considered "dirt".
Grey colour?
Looking at this study, we can hardly say that the watercolor is dirty here. The color in it is restrained, gray, but, you see, it does not cause a feeling of dirt.
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So the gray color in the picture is not bad at all?
Why do we consider the appearance of gray color in the work as dirt? After all, the gray color itself is not at all dirty, but very picturesque.
After looking at the works of subscribers who sent their watercolors as an example of “dirty”, I made the first conclusion:
“Dirty” is when the gray color appears where it was not expected.
Here is an example. We planned to draw red flowers. They painted green grass, and red flowers on top. Due to the transparency of watercolor green color shines through red, and the flowers are no longer red, but gray-brown-crimson. Dirt? Dirt.
But the second picture in the example above gives us another insight:
“Dirty” is also a failure, cloudiness, blurryness, lack of contrast.
In both examples, there is no use of gray. And the causes of dirt, in fact, lie not in the use of complex colors, but in a completely different area.
And there can be many more such reasons.
In the paragraphs below, I tried to collect all the possible options for the appearance of dirt when painting with watercolors and give advice on how to avoid them.
USE QUALITY MATERIALS IN PAINTING WITH WATERCOLOR
Looking at the first example (and this is a real picture that was sent to me to analyze the flaws in watercolor), we can immediately say that the reason for the dirt here is thin paper, which is not suitable for drawing with water-based paints.
It gets wet, warps, goes in waves and “spools”.
Do not use ordinary printer paper or thin landscape paper for watercolor painting!
Many artists in general will assure you that you can only paint with watercolors on special paper 100% cotton.
I'm not so categorical. Cellulose paper marked “for watercolor” is quite suitable, and even paper for drawing. The main thing is that it should not be thin. See that the paper weight is at least 170 gsm.
For beginners, I also do not recommend watercolor paper such as “shell”, “canvas”, “linen”. This hot-pressed paper from Goznak is often found in folders and gluing. However, for those who are still poorly versed in watercolor technique, this paper will be difficult.
Secondly, the quality of your work will depend on the colors. Avoid paint sets that in their own way appearance whitish, with pastel shades. They will give haze in batches.
MAINTAIN THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE WATERCOLOR LAYERS
The two examples below show us a bright and juicy, but opaque painting, more like gouache than watercolor:
Remember that through a layer of paint in watercolor, the paper should shine through.
And this does not mean that the colors should be pale, light!
Even the black color in a watercolor painting can be transparent, while remaining rich and deep.
Look at the examples above. In the first case, the black color of the cat seems muddy and dirty to us, and in the second case, the dark black areas of the picture continue to be voiced.
The difference here is precisely in the thickness of the paint layer, its density and opacity.
DO NOT MIX WATERCOLOR WITH WHITE
Even if there is white in your paint set, this does not mean that they need to be mixed with other colors or applied in a large layer in order to get a light shade.
Paper plays the role of white in watercolor. To get a light shade, we simply dilute the paint with water.
Look at the examples below. The use of white makes the watercolor cloudy and opaque. And as a result - dirty.
Of course, as with any rule, there are exceptions. There are pigments that already contain white. And there are artists who deliberately mix white into the shade. (For example, Miguel Linares. An article about his technique)
But using white, you have to understand what you are doing and why, and be able to compensate for the opacity of the layer with contrast.
Therefore, in watercolor painting for beginners, I recommend forgetting about white.
USE COATING PAINTS CAREFULLY
Covering colors include yellow, orange, iron oxide red, cerruleum and other shades.
Before use, be sure to pass them through the palette and dilute with water, because. they are more dense than the rest, taken on a brush. And, unwittingly, you will bring a covering layer into the picture.
remember, that in watercolor it is impossible to achieve sonorous brightness due to the density of the layer.
To make yellow glow, be bright, it must be put in a transparent layer!
In most cases, layer density = opacity = dirt.
DO NOT WRITE LIGHT ON DARK
If you paint with watercolor in layers, apply one shade to another, then go from light to dark.
First paint all the light and distant areas, and then gradually go to foreground and darker shades.
In the version when the shades are equal in lightness, first write with opaque paints, then with transparent ones.
For example, to stretch the sky from a warm shade near the horizon to a cold one at the top, first lay ocher, and then pour in a shade of blue into it.
Why exactly?
because yellow shades, as mentioned above, are more opaque, and if they are placed on top of transparent and dark ones, they create an opaque cloudy layer.
Put warm light shades in the first layer, then you can get a transparent structure.
6
DO NOT MIX A LARGE NUMBER OF COLORS IN ONE BATCH
We have already found out that gray can be sonorous and beautiful.
It becomes ugly and dirty when it loses its transparency.
Remember, the more paints you mix, the more different pigments that make up them are involved in the batch. And the less likely you are to get a more sonorous and transparent color.
Based on this,
ADVICE! How to paint with watercolor without dirt:
1. Take 2 containers with water (for washing the brush and for adding water to the paint solution). Keep your water clean and change it often. Indeed, in watercolor, water is 90% of the content. And if it is dirty, then this color is mixed with the shade on the brush.
2. Know your colors. When opening a new set, save the labels with the names and color in the colors in the order they appear in the box. Keep this sign next to the paint box.
So you will always hit the brush in desired color without catching random shades in the batch.
3. Wash Your Brushes Periodically cold water with soap to remove the pigment lingering on the pile.
4. Try to get the right shade using a minimum number of colors
5. The more layers, the duller the color; if you want to write juicy and loudly, then write a la prima, in one layer.
Workshop “Peculiarities of color science in watercolor”
will answer the questions of mixing colors that may arise when working with watercolors!
Learn the basics of watercolor painting with a popular course
“The Taming of Watercolor”