Thursday, November 20, 2008

Ah-Ha!



The radishes video was a two-parter by Lori Andrews
Watercolor Painting Demonstration by Lori Andrews

Watercolor Painting Demo Part II Radishes By Lori Andrews

I've been trying to paint watercolors the same as acrylics or oils and it has caused me a lot of frustration. Watercolors are a very different animal.

After watching this video, I understood that watercolors flow on rather than get stroked on. I also finally saw that you have to paint a part and let it dry, then paint another part and let it dry. THEN you go back and put in detail.

I was trying to put in details while the paint was still wet and the detail disappeared. I would put on more and more and more paint, and they still disappeared. I was about to pull my hair out.

After this video I "got it". Watercolors have a sense of direction of their own. They flow here and yon, depositing pigment where they will. You don't get to choose. If you try to make them do what you want you will lose and make a big mess.

New philosophy: Glob on water, glob on paint, sit back, watch magic happen.

3 comments:

LostInColor said...

Isn't this what I told you on the phone??? ;)

Monette Satterfield said...

Yes - that's one of the tricks to WC! I, more often than I like to admit, have to say to myself (outloud even) "get away from it."

Watercolor is better when it's fresher :)

Anonymous said...

That's what I learned in school and sometimes I can get it to work. Most of the time though, it makes my head hurt — all that banging it on the desk.

I hated watercolors until I got a "waterbrush". The barrel is a reservoir for water and when you squeeze the barrel, the water soaks the brush. It took some getting used to, but I don't use regular brushes much at all anymore.

And yeah, the whole getting away from it is always a challenge.

Good luck with it.
K