Watercolor Workshop IIpdf

LViZgXdadg

Workshop II

SIMPLE STEPS TO SUCCESS

LViZgXdadg
Ldg`h]de
LViZgXdadg
Ldg`h]de
<anc^h7VgcZh"BZaa^h]
LONDON, NEW YORK, MELBOURNE,
Contents
MUNICH, DELHI
Senior Editor Angela Wilkes

Senior Art Editor Mandy Earey
Production Editor Sharon McGoldrick
Managing Editor Julie Oughton
Managing Art Editor Christine Keilty
Production Controller Louise Minihane
US Editor Meg Leder
Photography Andy Crawford Introduction 6
Produced for Dorling Kindersley by
Sands Publishing Solutions
Project Editors Sylvia & David Tombesi-Walton
Starting Points 10
Project Art Editor Simon Murrell Materials 12
First American Edition, 2007 Making choices 14
Published in the United States by Color 16
DK Publishing Tone 18
375 Hudson Street
New York, New York 10014 Composition 20
07 08 09 10 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Landscapes 22
PD187–May 2007
Copyright © 2007 Dorling Kindersley Limited Introduction 24
All rights reserved Gallery 26
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved 1 French vineyard 28
above, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
2 Golden Gate Bridge 32
transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, 3 Boats on a lake 38
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise),
without the prior written permission of both the
copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited.
A catalog record for this book

is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN: 978-0-7566-2857-4
DK books are available at special discounts when

purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums,
fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact:
DK Publishing Special Markets, 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014 or [email protected].
Color reproduction by Wyndeham Prepress, London

Printed and bound in China by
Hung Hing Offset Printing Company Ltd
Discover more at
www.dk.com
Still Life 46 Interiors 98
Introduction 48 Introduction 100
Gallery 50 Gallery 102
4 Garden table 52 10 Cloisters 104
5 Jug with lilacs 58 11 Cottage kitchen 108
6 Baskets of fruit 64 12 Diner 114
People and Animals 72

Introduction 74 Glossary 122
Gallery 76 Index 126
7 Ganges bathers 78 Acknowledgments 128
8 Nude 84
9 Girl with rabbit 90
Introduction | 7
Introduction
Painting in watercolor is one of the most
exhilarating and rewarding areas of picture-making.
The translucent qualities of the pigments give your
work a luminous glow, and watercolor is very flexible,
equally suited to loose, fluid sketches of landscapes
and technically accurate botanical studies. It really
comes into its own, however, when you work with
total artistic freedom. You can blend the colors in
a way that simply isn’t possible with other types of
paint, due to the leisurely pace at which watercolors
dry on paper. You can continue mixing colors after
you have applied them, composing with the paint in
a spontaneous way, or leave each layer of paint to
dry before adding more color. If you are prepared to
experiment a little and take advantage of this fluidity,
you can produce vibrant and expressive paintings.
8 | INTRODUCTION
Improving your skills There are several ways to plan your paintings, and here
In this book you will learn how to build upon the you can find out how sketches and photographs – or a
skills that you have already acquired. By now you combination of the two – can provide a starting point
probably have a good grounding in basic techniques, for your work. You can also find out what to consider
such as how to apply washes and build up layers of when composing your paintings. If you plan your work
color. You will also know about tone, perspective, carefully and have a good idea of what your picture
and creating focal points. Now you can take this should look like from the start, there is less chance
knowledge further, learning how to apply basic of making mistakes while painting. Although you can
principles to new situations, adapt techniques to suit correct mistakes in watercolor, significant alterations
your needs, and create more complex pictures. This reduce your chances of producing a fresh, luminous
can only be achieved with some careful planning piece of work. This would be a shame, since the
from the outset, and this is where this book starts. vibrancy of watercolor is what makes it so appealing.
Introduction | 9
Successful painting The projects in this book are grouped into landscapes,
The aim of this book is to help you improve your still life, people and animals, and interiors, and the
watercolor skills so that you can create successful learning points in each section demonstrate how
pictures regardless of what you are painting or how best to approach the unique aspects of each subject.
much time you have. While the guidelines and Of course, there is always more than one way to
principles are common to all forms of painting, they interpret something, so it helps to understand the
are particularly pertinent to watercolors. Because subject you have chosen. To inspire you, each chapter
watercolors are translucent, you need to learn how includes a gallery of paintings by old masters and
to build up a painting from the lightest to the darkest contemporary artists, showing how they have
tones with minimal corrections. As you grow in interpreted a particular theme. Your fascination with
confidence and work faster, you will have greater scope your subject will be reflected in your work and will
to express yourself freely and experiment with the paint. help you to produce fresh and innovative paintings.
Starting Points
12 | STARTING POINTS
Materials
The most important materials for a watercolorist are a small number of brushes, but it is wise to buy the
paints, brushes, and paper. Paint can be bought either best you can afford. Choice of paper is a far more
in tubes of fluid pigment or in solid blocks called fluid affair, since you may well use different types,
pans. You can create a vast range of effects with just depending on the subject you are tackling.
PAINT
As you become more experienced with your
watercolor work, it is normal to want to expand
your palette of colors. You should always buy the
best-quality paints you can afford. However,
cheaper paints may allow you more creative
freedom and permit you to experiment more
readily. Worrying about wasting your art materials
is a disadvantage when you are trying to paint
without restraint. An important consideration,
though, is that the more costly artists’ colors
offer greater control and stability in mixing. These
paints are also more transparent than students’
colors, making for more luminous pictures.
CHARTING COLORS
Often when you buy a palette of artist-quality a good idea to make your own color chart.
paints, it will come with a sheet illustrating how Take a piece of watercolor paper – ideally the type
the paints look on paper. In most cases, this will you use most often – and paint a small gradated
be a printed slip, and it is worth bearing in mind swatch of each color in the palette, remembering
that the colors on it may not be as accurate a to label each one as you go. This will serve as an
representation as you would like. It is therefore invaluable reference in your work.
Brilliant pink Cadmium red Burnt sienna Emerald green Sap green Cobalt blue Violet gray Dioxazine
light mauve
Cadmium red Light red Burnt umber Cadmium Viridian Manganese French Windsor violet
yellow blue ultramarine
Alizarin Cadmium Gamboge Raw sienna Turquoise Cerulean blue Prussian White
crimson orange blue
Materials | 13
BRUSHES
Whatever type of brushes you buy, it is vital that
they have a good point and hold their shape.
They should also hold plenty of paint. Your choice
1/
2 in (12.5 mm) flat
of brush types includes sable, synthetic, and sable/
synthetic blends. The most expensive type – and
the best – is the sable, but the other two types Larger flat brushes
have been created with the intention of are best used for
replicating the traditional brush. applying washes.
No. 5 round 1 in (25 mm) flat
No. 9 round
This softer round

brush is ideal for
blending.
No. 9 round
with squirrel hair
No. 14 round 2 in (50 mm) hake
PAPER SURFACE
Your choice of paper surface will be influenced
by the type of painting you wish to do. A very
smooth, hot-pressed paper allows for a great deal
of fine linear detail and precision. A cold-pressed,
or Not, paper is the most versatile – it tolerates a
good level of intricate detail and offers great
fluidity. A paper with a rough surface is the most
accommodating for producing textures and free-
flowing inspirational pictures.
The smoothness of
this aubergine is
created through
the use of a hot-
pressed paper.
The pitted surface

of this rough paper
has broken up the
painted wash.
Making choices
For watercolor work, it is very important to plan in full watercolors that look improvised have actually been
detail what you are going to do in the painting. meticulously planned. The amount of planning you
Although allowing a picture to develop as you go choose to do may depend on your experience and
is very liberating, an unplanned work is likely to be confidence, but there are some choices that can help
unstructured and muddled. Most loosely painted you know what to expect from your work.
CHOOSING A SUBJECT
Finding a subject to paint is always successful if color or topic – that excite you. Having strong
you start with things you like or to which you are feelings about a subject will immediately lead
sympathetic, or that contain elements – such as you toward knowing how to portray it.
Watercolor is so flexible that it

is a suitable medium for any subject
matter – from the energy of people
in action, to the calm of a still life.
Once you have chosen your subject
and before starting to paint, you
will often need to create reference
material, since it may not be possible
to keep the actual subject exactly
as you want to portray it.
SKETCHBOOKS
One helpful way to plan your painting is to make tested by the old masters. Indeed, one of the key
detailed sketches of your subject beforehand. benefits of working in this way is that it helps you
These days, many painters turn to photography get a feel for the subject you are sketching, which
to capture their source material, but there is no is vital when it comes to putting your brush to
reason why you cannot use the methods tried and paper later, especially so in watercolor.
Making choices | 15
WORKING FROM PHOTOGRAPHS

The key to making successful paintings from the subject in many different ways and from
photographic reference is to take as many more than one angle, where possible. The photos
photographs as possible. It is the easiest way to add together to reconstruct the scene in your
get reference for a subject for painting and is mind. This way, you will stimulate your memory
essential if it’s a subject you won’t see again. and create a more evocative painting than trying
Use the viewfinder of the camera to observe to recreate the scene from just one photograph.
A wide variety of photographs

helps eliminate the elements
that don’t work for a painting, as
well as highlighting aspects and
angles that do.
This sheep was

chosen as a focus
for the painting.
Experimenting with the various aspects of the sheep

allows you to eliminate some of the photos. Even so, these
discarded images gave you useful background information
and more choice when composing your painting.
Sheep In the final painting,

the sheep have been
positioned to create the best
visual effect rather than
where they were actually
standing in the photos.
Color
It is essential to become familiar with the qualities mixing and avoid buying paints you don’t need. By
and characteristics of your paints. By making a record initially restricting the number of colors you use, you
of the combinations from your palette and how the will find it easier to memorize their properties. Most
colors work with each other, you will speed up your pictures work best with only a limited palette.
COLOR RELATIONSHIPS
The primary colors are the three colors that this is the color created by mixing the other two
cannot be made or created from any others. They primary colors. For example, the complementary
are red, yellow, and blue. Mixing any two primary color for red is green (yellow + blue). Tertiary
colors creates a secondary color, of which there are colors are formed when mixing a primary color
three: green, violet, and orange. Each primary with a secondary color. Examples include yellow-
color also has a complementary “secondary” color; green, red-orange, and blue-violet.
Red
Area of color
(primary)
shade Red-violet Red-orange
(tertiary) (tertiary)
Orange
Violet
(secondary)
(secondary)
Area of
pure color
Yellow-
Blue-violet orange
Blue Yellow
(primary) (primary)
Yellow-
Blue-green green
Green
(secondary)
Color tint area

Color | 17
COLORS THAT WORK TOGETHER

The chart below shows color relationships and in the palette, blended on the paper, or layered is
pigments in action. Get to know the paints you vital to successful watercolor painting. Not all
use, and find out how they interact with one reds and blues make a vibrant violet, and not all
another: how they behave when mixed together yellows and reds combine to make a pure orange.
BUILDING UP COLOR
When French ultramarine is layered over cobalt A varied wash of cadmium yellow merged into The transparent alizarin crimson pigment
blue, the colors remain separate. emerald green makes an opaque yellow-green. spreads easily when added to cadmium yellow.
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS
Cadmium yellow and Windsor violet are pure Viridian perfectly enhances slightly neutral mauves, Pure blue and orange combine to create a
complementaries, making each more vibrant. while a pure green would be too overpowering. harmonious and vibrant color scheme.
RESTRICTING COLOR
Mixing color on the paper produces a variety of Combine just a small amount of pure color with Create glowing shadows by mixing transparent
luminous and varied grays. limited complementary colors to add excitement. pigments such as raw sienna and Windsor violet.
COLOR FOR PERSPECTIVE

The use of gradation to produce depth and Pale, cool colors create
unity is highly suited to watercolor because a sense of distance.
water-soluble paint lends itself to blending so
easily. Gradation of size and direction produces
linear perspective. Gradation of color (from
warm to cool) and tone (from dark to light) The middle ground is
made up of a mix of cool
produces aerial perspective. and warm colors.
Warm colors, such as reds

and browns, bring
Aerial perspective The gradation of color, an area forward in the
from warm to cool, has produced depth and composition.
aerial perspective in the scene.
Tone
Despite being the primary feature in any painting, variation in tone, however, can destroy a picture’s
tone is also the least understood element. Tone unity. Consider carefully where to place the areas of
controls the whole surface area of a picture, while at maximum contrast. The lightest and darkest tones
the same time highlighting areas of focus. Too much should be located at the heart of interest and focus.
LIGHT AND DARK

Tone is a relative concept, based on the
interaction between different shades. As such,
the greatest variety of tone is seen in paintings
that use only a limited number of colors.
Without intelligent use of tone, a painting will
lack focus and depth. Furthermore, if a picture
is made up of colors of a similar tone, the
end result will be a dull image.
The lightest tones

are in the face, arms,
and chair back.
Davina In this painting, the strong tonal

contrast from the very bright light source
creates an image that is striking and
powerful. The subtlety in the midtones
supports this strong focus.
Background
tones are close Dark tones are Tonally close bright
in contrast. blocked together to colors unify to create
frame the picture. movement.
CONTRAST AND ALTERNATION

By placing dark and light tones together
throughout a picture, the whole work will have
clarity. How light or dark these tones are will vary
according to where they are placed in the painting
and the amount of contrast and tonal difference
needed. The area of greatest tonal contrast is the
point of focus, so the difference between tones
should be less marked elsewhere.
Geese Key to the design of this painting are the

Flower market, Lucca Visual swathes of light and dark that divide it into areas of
excitement has been created in interest. The alternation in the work – from the very
this picture through the contrast dark wing shapes at the edges of the picture, to the
between bright colors and lighter, similarly toned colors at the center – has
muted cool colors. produced drama and tension.
Tone | 19
FOCAL POINT
A strong focal point is an essential element of should be placed next to each other only where
any good painting, and it should immediately you want to focus attention. Here, the focal
draw the eye to the main area of interest. In any points are the the male dancer’s face and his
image, the point where the lightest and darkest partner’s hair. Notice how the tones used around
tones meet is the focal point. The lightest and those areas are restricted; this is done so as not
darkest tones may be used elsewhere, but they to detract attention from the focal point.
Movement of the
figures is suggested
by the swirl of
neutral colors.
The lightest and

darkest tones meet at
the man’s face and
woman’s hair, focusing
attention there.
Darks in the
background suggest
form without vying
for attention.
Ballet dancers
A definite area of
focus has been
created in this
painting at the only
point where the
lightest and darkest
tones meet at full
contrast. This produces
a relationship between
the dancers. All the
other marks are less
sharp, suggesting
movement, and the
close tones create a
strong design over
the whole picture.
Composition
Once you have decided on a subject, you must plan chance to fully consider, and reconsider, your
the composition. Having made studies or thought approach to the painting. This will make things clearer
about the emotions urging you to make a painting, it for you and help you decide what design will show
is then necessary to determine a layout. This is your the subject matter or scene to its best advantage.
STUDIES
Doing sketches and small color studies allows this reason, your studies should be executed
you to see how different compositions and color quickly and freely, to open up a variety of
schemes work. This is a wonderful way to emotional responses. These studies can then
concentrate your thoughts and make decisions be used as the foundation for your painting,
about how the painting will eventually look. For along with more detailed reference.
Pencil studies can be quick observations that capture Color studies are a way to make simple
movement and change. There is no need to worry about notes on changes in light or atmospheric
being too precise or accurate with such sketches. conditions while experimenting with colors.
Gondola scene Both of the studies

above have their merits and could
be worked up into a full painting.
Grand Canal The final composition

is a close-up of the gondola. This
makes it possible to show some of
the boat’s intricate details and
makes the gondolier an integral part
of the painting. This powerful image
utilizes the majestic beauty of the
gondola, while the paddle halts the
viewer’s focus, drawing attention
toward the buildings on the canal.
Composition | 21
GRADATION
Visual interest can be added to a painting linear perspective. A simple but effective way to
through the use of gradation. Any progression draw the viewer’s attention to a specific point in
from dark to light will cause the eye to follow it, a picture is to break the gradation. This will halt
while gradation of size and direction produces the eye’s movement at that point.
The lighter tones create

a sense of distance.
The viewer’s eye is drawn

to the warm colors of the
horizon line.
Elements in the
foreground are painted
in darker tones.
Linear perspective Here, size and direction Broken watercolor The way the posts break the
gradation, from dark to light, creates linear gradation at the water’s edge halts the eye’s
perspective, moving the posts into the distance. movement along the row, focusing attention there.
DIRECTION
The element of direction can have an incredible though, the subject will allow you to impose a
effect on a painting’s feel, yet it is very often direction on it. This means that you will have
forgotten or ignored as we allow the subject to both control over the work and a distinct effect
dictate the dominant direction. Sometimes, on the finished work’s character.
The vertical appearance of this study gives a The diagonal lines in this study imply movement This study has moved even further round to
sense of balance, formality, and observation. and action – from left to right, from the maximize the horizontal lines of the jetty and
The vertical lines in the water counter the foreground to the bridge. The diagonal pathway bridge. Calmness, stability, and composure are
structured look of the buildings. then moves from the right bank to the buildings. suggested by the buildings and trees.
Landscapes
“A sense of scale
lies at the heart of every
successful landscape.”
24 | LANDSCAPES
Landscapes
Perspective is often the first thought that comes of perspective is in defining scale within a picture.
to mind on hearing the word “landscape” in art – And through the use of scale, you can also create
trees disappearing into the distance through vast drama in a scene, highlighting the relationships
rolling fields, for example. One of the chief uses between small and large elements.
MOOD AND DRAMA

The simplest way to create mood in a landscape picture, the lower third is the dominant part.
is probably through the use of dominance. Select The inclusion of the boat on the lake plays two
your main area of interest and bring it forward key roles: not only does it add to the mood of
in the painting by using darker tones. In this the piece, but it also creates a sense of scale.
There is no defined area within the picture here, With the picture now in two unequal parts, the The darker foreground here and the addition of the
and all the surface is equal in tone. top part is dominant, with its stronger tones. boat have made the lower third the dominant area.
GRADED TONES
Within a painting, gradation – the
use of graded tones of one color –
produces both perspective and unity. The bright yellow
This technique works particularly leaves add visual
well with watercolor because water- interest.
soluble paint lends itself to blending.
Gradation – of tone, from dark to
light; and of color, from warm to cool
– creates aerial perspective.
Use gradation to add interest and The pale yellow-green
movement to a shape; a progression in the middle ground
links the foreground
in tone from dark to light will lead
to the sky.
your eye into a painting.
Graded tones of green create a sense of

perspective in this painting. The darker tones
in the foreground indicate that this area is Deep yellow-greens
closer to the viewer, whereas paler colors continue the color
are used to convey distance. The grass that is scheme into the
farthest away is paler in both tone and color. foreground.
Introduction | 25
PERSPECTIVE AND SCALE

Gradation of size is used to create a sense of
perspective in this picture. By painting two objects
of similar dimensions at different sizes, you create
a sense of distance between them. Colors and
tones are also graded in this picture, to add even
greater depth to the scene. The varying sizes of the
legs of this hut, as well
as the use of light and dark
tones next to each other,
halts the viewer’s attention
The pure blues A cool blue is used for at this point. It is this part
used in the hut the sky, helping to push of the painting that grounds
create focus. it into the distance. the whole scene.
Bamboo huts This painting is completely harmonious

thanks to the use of various shades of blue that unite This graded lilac shadow helps
all the areas. The different sizes and angles of the huts create a sense of distance between
produce a rhythm and pathway across the whole picture. the viewer and the first hut.
26 | LANDSCAPES
Watercolor paints suit landscapes perfectly, because they

Gallery evoke the mood and atmosphere of an environment so well.
Marshland
farmhouse
This painting of a dramatic
sky at sunset is the perfect
example of how bold
watercolors can be. The colors
have been worked
wet-in-wet to portray the
emotional and sensational
landscape setting of a
turbulent dusk. Emile Nolde
Lakeside in autumn
Green and red in close
relationship work well here
and link all the positive and
negative spaces, giving the
painting both balance and
unity. Phyllis McDowell
Logging House, Italy

Bright yellow has been used beneath all the colors in this
painting to create a feeling of early evening and a low, setting
sun. The shadows have been kept warm and long to suggest
the time of day. Glynis Barnes-Mellish
Gallery | 27
Sennen Cove
Gradation of color unifies
the whole of this seascape,
producing a marvelous sense of
calm and balance. The size of
the rocks adds interest to the
foreground and a sense
of scale to the whole picture.
Carole Robson
Upnor Castle, Kent

Radial lines in the sky lead to a vast depth and
feeling of distance in this seascape. The horizon
line is then broken by the details of the boats,
halting the attention there, while the figures add
further interest and scale to the foreground.
J. M. W. Turner
Street market, India

The colors in this painting have been used both
to define depth and space and to suggest bustling
activity in this busy square. While bright colors are
used at the rear of the setting, they are not as strong
as those in the foreground. Glynis Barnes-Mellish
28 | LANDSCAPES
EQUIPMENT
1 French vineyard • Rough paper
• Brushes: No. 5, No. 12,
1 in (25 mm) flat, hake,
In this landscape, the strong chromatic dominance of the sunset sky creates squirrel
• Cadmium yellow, French
drama and excitement. All the other tones are subordinate in both saturation ultramarine, alizarin
and contrast. The addition of dark tones breaks up the vast expanse of green and crimson, lilac, cadmium
orange, cobalt blue,
gives definition to the bushes in the immediate foreground. The darker separating Prussian blue, burnt
umber, raw sienna, burnt
line across the center of the painting prevents the perspective of the vines from sienna, cadmium red
dominating the composition and defines a second field. Meanwhile, the dark
tone of the trees on the left helps draw your eye toward the farmhouse. TECHNIQUES
• Chromatic gradation
• Dry brushwork
The paper should have lost its wet
sheen before you start painting
but not be completely dry.
“The wet-in-wet wash

can give soft shapes
and interesting
chromatic variations.”
1 2
Turn the paper upside down to paint the sky; this will prevent Continue adding color to the sky, rotating the paper
drips. Brush clean water over the sky with the hake brush. as necessary so that the colors run into one another in
Apply cadmium yellow and a purple mix of alizarin crimson and places. Create the undersides of the clouds by dabbing
French ultramarine with horizontal strokes of the No. 12 brush. at the sky with dry tissue paper. Leave to dry.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

1 French vineyard | 29
3 4
Create clouds by dragging a dry brush Paint the horizon line with
loaded with cadmium yellow onto pure cobalt blue to create a
the dry paper. This is the drybrush cooler feel. Add a little of the
technique. Give the clouds a soft stronger Prussian blue to the
edge with lilac on the squirrel brush. center of the horizon to create
Paint cadmium orange over some of shade beneath the trees.
the cadmium yellow to add warmth.
5 6
Use a mix of cadmium yellow and Prussian blue for the Add water to the brighter greens with the squirrel brush to
brighter greens at each side of the center part of the picture. dilute the colors and bring them further down the paper.
Make a stronger mix of this blend (with more Prussian blue) This creates the impression of the vines in the foreground
for the lower, foreground elements. Use the No. 12 brush. of the picture area.
30 | LANDSCAPES
7 8
Use a French ultramarine and burnt umber mix for the mud Using a flat brush, apply a mix of Prussian blue and
tracks, and alizarin crimson and raw sienna for the gray-brown cadmium yellow in horizontal strokes to create the vines on
foreground earth. Use a Prussian blue and cadmium yellow the left and right of the picture. Add detail to the vines
mix for the foreground vines, and add burnt sienna highlights. using a cadmium yellow wash, pushing the pigment away.
DIRECTING THE FLOW
Don’t be afraid to take the paper in

hand and turn it around in various
different directions if the paint is
flowing where you don’t want it to go.
9 10 11
Create the line of trees on the Paint the houses with the gray- Use pure Prussian blue for the
horizon with a green mix of Prussian brown mix from Step 7, and the trees behind the houses and in the
blue and cadmium yellow. Soften roof on the left with cadmium right-hand background. Darken
the trees with a mix of alizarin red to complement all the green. the foreground vines with the mix
crimson and French ultramarine, Add details on the houses with of Prussian blue and cadmium
using the No. 12 brush. burnt sienna and a little of the yellow. Add more cadmium yellow
purple mix on the No. 5 brush. to the mix for the foreground.
1 French vineyard | 31
12 13
Mix cadmium yellow, alizarin Paint shadows in the vines with
crimson, and French ultramarine a fine brush and burnt umber. French vineyard
to make a caramel color for the Brighten the roof with a The wet-in-wet technique has produced
tracks. Use the Prussian blue and cadmium yellow and cadmium red extremely strong coloring in this sunset.
cadmium yellow mix to paint a mix. Tone down the tracks with This is supported with muted colors in the
separator to split the similar tones dabs of caramel; add horizontal rest of the painting to describe the
of the two fields on the right. track marks in burnt umber. low light of the fading sun.
32 | LANDSCAPES
EQUIPMENT
2 Golden Gate Bridge • Rough paper
No. 12, 1/2 in (12.5 mm)
This painting owes its impact to the sheer scale of the subject. The important and 1 in (25 mm) flat
• Cobalt blue, French
thing here is to make sure that the rocks in the foreground are large enough to ultramarine, Old
act as a counterpoint to the bridge. If you make them too small, the bridge in Holland bright violet,
cadmium yellow, burnt
the distance will look unbalanced, as if sitting in a puddle. The dominant size sienna, cadmium red,
Windsor violet, viridian,
and uneven groupings of the rocks establish a solid structural setting for the light red
sweeping arch of the bridge, which divides the composition and creates a
strong diagonal that leads your eye into the distance. TECHNIQUES
• Dry brushwork for
texture and movement
1 2
Paint the sky and water with a cobalt blue wash using the 1 in (25 mm) Wait until the blue wash is quite
brush. Work your way carefully around the bridge on the right-hand side. dry, then use the wet 1/2 in (12.5 mm)
Add some French ultramarine at the top of the sky with broad strokes, brush to lift out the color from
using the same brush. This will turn the flat wash into a varied wash. the bridge tower.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

2 Golden Gate Bridge | 33
3 4
Drybrush the outline of the mountains with Old Holland Paint the bridge towers with
bright violet using the No. 9 brush. Add cadmium yellow pure cadmium red using the
to the mountainsides. Use a French ultramarine and burnt No. 5 brush. Use the paint
sienna mix for the darker areas. Blend in the colors. when it’s quite dry so that it
breaks up on the rough surface
of the paper. Use the tip of the
1 in (25 mm) brush for the
struts around the bridge arch.
5 6
Use pure cadmium red on the tip of both the 1/2 in (12.5 Paint the area underneath the arch on the right of the
mm) brush and the 1 in (25 mm) one. Alternate the brushes scene with cobalt blue. Add French ultramarine on top of the
as required for the different sizes of lines in the bridge’s cadmium red of the bridge to suggest darker, shaded areas.
supporting structure and suspension wires. Work it into the distance to create a pleasing lilac.
34 | LANDSCAPES
7 8
Make a beige by mixing Create the shadows at the
Old Holland bright violet foot of the hills in the distance
and cadmium yellow, and with French ultramarine.
use this color to paint the Using the No. 9 brush, paint
concrete towers on either side the water coming in from the
of the arch and the stone left with a stronger blue, such
structure on the right-hand as pure cobalt blue, which
side. Let the paper’s rough has a sour tinge to it.
texture create a craggy look.
“Avoid going into

tight, intricate details
on the bridge.”
9 10
Start creating the rocks on the right-hand side of the picture Paint the beach at the center of the scene with
by painting them with French ultramarine using the No. 9 brush. a sandy mix of burnt sienna and Windsor violet.
Then use the 1 in (25 mm) brush to blend some cadmium red Use a gray-brown burnt sienna and French
into the rocky shoreline. ultramarine mix for the beach in the foreground.
2 Golden Gate Bridge | 35
11 12
Use a cadmium red and French ultramarine mix on the 1/2 in Paint some pure cadmium red around
(12.5 mm) brush for the cross-bracing. Add shadows the inner arch of the bridge. Lift out
to the side of the concrete pillars by the arch with French some lines of paint from the sky with the 1
ultramarine using the No. 5 brush. in (25 mm) brush to render the cables.
14
Create a mottled effect on
the rocks by drybrushing
them with a strong mix of
burnt sienna and French
13
Make a mix of Windsor violet and ultramarine, using the
cobalt blue to paint the base of No. 12 brush. Use the
the mountains on the left-hand sandy mix from Step 10
side. Then blend this color up for the top of the rocks and
into the mountains using the 1 in to warm the lower right-
(25 mm) brush. hand corner of the scene.
36 | LANDSCAPES
SETTING THE SCENE

Remember to link the shapes of all
the rocks and their shadows to create
a natural feel. This will help emphasize
the scale of the foreground and create
a vast environment in which to set the
structure of the bridge.
15
Apply a bright blue mix of
cobalt blue and Windsor
violet to create shadows on
the rocks in the center and
on the left. Use pure cobalt
16
blue for the shadow of the Lift out some color from the
rock at the back jutting out of rocks with a damp No. 5 brush.
the water. Create a seaweed Add texture to the water with a
mix of viridian and French mix of Windsor blue and French
ultramarine to relieve the ultramarine on the 1/2 in (12.5
blue a little and create the mm) brush, and paint the swirly
impression of lichen. foam with cobalt blue.
19
Apply a dark bluish mix of
French ultramarine and light
red to the dark areas and
shadows of the horizontals under
the arch, using the No. 5 brush.
Golden Gate Bridge

17 18
Paint the sand between the Tidy up the shadows with the
rocks with the sandy mix from No. 5 brush. Use the gray-brown The Golden Gate Bridge is such a
Step 10. Use the gray-brown mix for the pile of sand below the powerful, dominant subject that the rest of
mix of burnt sienna and French concrete structure on the right. the painting has been structured around it.
ultramarine to render the sand Use the seaweed mix from Step The blues in the painting have been kept
on the lower left-hand side of 15 for the area where the rocks pure to complement the orange-red of the
the scene, between the rocks. sink into the sand. bridge and make it stand out.
38 | LANDSCAPES
EQUIPMENT
3 Boats on a lake • Rough paper
No. 9, No. 12, 1/2 in (12.5
In this painting, gradation is used to create the impression of distance and calm. mm) and 1 in (25 mm)
flat, squirrel, sable
The sky’s smooth transition from dark (warm) to light (cool) guides the eye down • French ultramarine,
to the horizon line and helps to suggest distance. Color and tonal gradation cobalt blue, cerulean
blue, raw sienna, sap
continue in the trees and foliage, as well as on the water’s surface. The vertical green, burnt umber,
Windsor violet,
tree trunks and posts interrupt the color transition, while the limited use of red cadmium orange,
and orange abruptly captures the attention, separating and balancing the graded emerald green,
cadmium yellow,
areas. The pure white divides the foreground and focuses interest on the near boat. cadmium red
TECHNIQUES
• Dry brushwork
• Splattering
2
Apply a cooler blue, such as
cerulean blue, at the horizon line to
1
Wet the paper with water on a clean create the impression of distance.
brush. Apply a French ultramarine graded Paint the lake with cobalt blue, and
wash at the top of the picture area with use the warmer French ultramarine
the 1 in (25 mm) flat brush. Use cobalt to pick out the division between the
blue for the horizon line. Lift out color two boats, as well as for the water
with a dry tissue to create clouds. on the side of the boat on the left.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

3 Boats on a lake | 39
3 4
Using the No. 12 round brush, paint in a stronger layer Use the same brush to apply strokes of raw sienna. This
of cobalt blue just above the cerulean blue horizon line staining pigment will provide a glow running through the
to create the shape of the mountains in the far distance. middle of the painting. Raw sienna is yellow, but when
Allow this layer to dry before continuing. used straight on wet and mixed with blue, it turns green.
5 6
Paint the banks of the Use a dry brush to
lake with sap green on the mix sap green and raw
No. 12 brush. With the 1 sienna. Use the drybrush
in (25 mm) brush, sweep technique to paint in
sap green and raw sienna rough foliage: dragging
on the right-hand side, your brush over the dry
creating the bottom of the paper’s surface will
boat by painting around produce broken marks.
it. This technique is
called negative painting.
40 | LANDSCAPES
7
Paint in the trees on the left with a mix of sap green and
cobalt blue. Use the No. 12 and the 1 in (25 mm) brushes
for the edges of the trees.
8
Use the dry brushwork technique for rendering the foliage
of the trees. Paint the leaves with the No. 5 brush and a
“Use color and tonal mix of burnt umber and French ultramarine.
gradation to create
unity and drama.”
9 10
With the No. 12 brush, add some Windsor violet to the area Mix Windsor violet and raw sienna for the inside of the
above the boat on the right. Paint the hulls of the two boats boat on the right, and raw sienna with a little sap green for
using a mix of Windsor violet and burnt umber for the one the one on the left. Create water reflections in the boat
on the right, and pure Windsor violet for the one on the left. with French ultramarine and the No. 5 and No. 6 brushes.
11
Paint Windsor violet into the French ultramarine to make a
rich purple. Use the drybrush technique to negative paint
the trees. Use the squirrel brush to avoid hard edges, and
aim for a “theater drape” effect on each side of the picture.
12 13
Strengthen the greens in the background. Use a mix of sap Use a mauve mix of Windsor violet and French
green, raw sienna, and French ultramarine for the trees. ultramarine at the side and bottom of the left-hand boat.
Suggest the riverbank with burnt umber. Add burnt umber Soften and gradate it with the sable brush. Use the same
to the rich purple to paint the edge of the left-hand boat. mix to strengthen the color between the two boats.
42 | LANDSCAPES
14
Paint the boats’ hulls with
a cadmium orange and raw
sienna mix, working the
colors with a No. 5 brush.
Use a warm mix of sap green
and cadmium orange on the
No. 12 brush for the grass
and weeds. Take the squirrel
brush and splatter water on
the right to dilute the wash.
15
Paint the shadows of the boats
with a sap green, cadmium
orange, and burnt umber mix.
Use a French ultramarine,
burnt umber, and sap green
mix for the boats’ reflections.
Add raw sienna, emerald
green, and more sap green
to the mix for the grasses.
16
Paint the mooring post with pure cadmium orange on the
squirrel brush, bringing it forward from the water on the
left. Mix cadmium orange and sap green for the darker
foliage on the left, working wet-in-wet, and add cadmium
yellow. Add detail to the buildings with cadmium yellow,
and use pure cadmium red for the houses.
PERSPECTIVE EFFECT
By using stronger colors in the
foreground and more muted colors
in the distance, it is possible to create
the impression of perspective. In
this painting, the effect is like that
of the inside of a drum, or barrel,
with the top and bottom of the work
comprising the elements that are
closest to the viewer, and the horizon
line, in the center of the painting, the
part that seems farthest away.
17
To create the reflections of the sky in the water,
apply cobalt blue with horizontal strokes of the
No. 12 brush. Bring the right-hand side forward
with the rich-purple mix.
44 | LANDSCAPES
18 19
Define the outer edges of the boats with a mix of Create shadows around the boats with a mix of French
Windsor violet and burnt sienna, using the No. 5 brush. ultramarine, Windsor violet, and burnt sienna. Use a sap
Use cadmium orange for their bases. Mix sap green and green, burnt umber, and burnt sienna mix for the edge
burnt umber to strengthen the area between the boats. of the bank, and a little cadmium yellow for highlights.
20 21
Paint the inside of the left-hand boat with a mix For the reflection of the tree on the water, apply a mix
of burnt sienna and Windsor violet. Apply pure of sap green and burnt umber with a No. 5 brush. Use
burnt sienna with the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) flat brush a mix of Windsor violet and burnt umber for the horizon
to bring some elements forward. line between the tree and its reflection.
22
Use the sap green and burnt umber
mix for the foliage of the tree on the
right. Put in any final details, such as
on the horizon, with the No. 12 brush,
which you can also use to brighten up
any colors that require it.
Boats on a lake
The graded color scheme, using a subtle variation
of different blues, unifies the whole picture area in
this painting, producing a harmonious, calm scene.
This common blue component makes it easier for
the viewer’s eye to move through the composition.
Still Life
“Take time to consider the

beauty of small things.”
48 | STILL LIFE
Still life
One of the advantages of still-life painting is that still-life painting, look at how the shapes relate to
the subjects stay still. This is great when working each other, and try to see the movement and direction
with watercolor, since you can let the painting within the grouped objects. Your painting need not
develop without feeling rushed. When starting a be stilted just because the subject is stationary.
LINKING SHAPES
The directions through a painting can have a interesting scene. By deciding on a dominant
great effect on the mood evoked in a viewer. direction, you can shape the composition, and
Sometimes a subject will allow you to impose a once you have decided on the composition, you
direction on it, linking elements to form a more can move elements to fit better into the design.
Potted plants and watering

can In this study of a charming
little corner of a garden, the
structure of the wall has
produced a strong diagonal
direction. In the illustration
on the right, however, you
can see how this direction
is counterbalanced by the
positions of the pots.
The flowerpots on The large pot is linked

top of the wall create to the watering can
an inward line. for focus.
FLOWING RHYTHM
The shapes, colors, patterns, and lines used in a
painting produce a visual pathway through it. This
is known as rhythm, and it is an essential element
of a well-structured composition. Rhythm keeps
the eye moving and stops your work from being
stilted and boring. A visual pathway can also be
used to control the viewer’s eye movements,
directing them to a key point in the picture.
The spiral creates

a pathway through
both figures.
Cupids This subject is set against a

plain background, so the painting
needs a strong sense of rhythm. In
creating this work, it was important to
choose an angle that best showed the
connection and unity between the two
figures. The red line defines the rhythm
that links the legs to the heads, arms,
and faces of the cherubs.
Introduction | 49
USE OF COLOR
The simpler the subject, the greater the need
to make the painting strong. Composition is of
prime importance, but in a picture with very little
actual structure, you can use color to great effect.
In this painting, careful attention has been paid to
the pattern and design within the blooms, while the
red tulip contrasts with the dominant yellow tulips
to create a visually dynamic study.
The visual pathways are directed around the painting so

The red tulip The yellow that the viewer’s eye cannot wander off the edges. Each time
attracts the flowerheads are you follow a direction, you are forced to linger awhile in one
viewer’s attention. linked together. area before moving off along another track.
Tulips With such simple subject matter, it is important to create visual interest
within the design. This has been achieved by directing the eye through each
bloom with a soft, lyrical rhythm. The rhythm is halted at the edges by a strong
diagonal on the right of the painting and a contrasting color on the left.
50 | STILL LIFE
Still-life subjects can be found all around you, and watercolor is a

Gallery fluid and flexible enough medium to be able to handle them all.
Composting quinces
This found-object subject,
a compost heap, has given
rise to a vibrant still life. The
color scheme of bright reds and
vivid oranges against submissive
pale green makes this a striking
composition. Carole Robson
Harebells and
poppies
The close-up detail of the
flowers in this painting has
contributed to a vibrant,
powerful work of loosely
handled color. The background
has been ignored to keep the
focus on the large red poppies.
Emile Nolde
Study in white
Initially, this seems to be quite a simple picture of two
mugs and a tube of paint. However, the shadows of the
napkins have been painted in an abstract manner, lending
strength to the whole composition. These shadows give the
painting direction and rhythm. Sara Ward
Gallery | 51
Lavender
A small found subject in the corner of the garden
led to a lively study of a flowerpot with lavender.
The colors of the plant have been grouped
together from yellow to green and blue,
energetically lifting away from the calm, warm
tones of the brick wall. Glynis Barnes-Mellish
Orchids Black hollyhock

Flowers offer the opportunity This painting uses the wet-
to use a full range of in-wet technique to great
watercolors. The side lighting effect in rendering the
has perfectly described the flowers, resulting in a soft,
delicate, papery petals, while velvety appearance. The
the strong dark tones in the reds and purples are
background help focus intensified by the use of
attention on the light and the complementary greens in the
reflections of the glass vase. stem and the background.
Glynis Barnes-Mellish Carole Robson
52 | STILL LIFE
EQUIPMENT
4 Garden table • Rough paper
No. 9, No. 12, 1/2 in (12.5
Interlocking shapes and contours are used to create the underlying structure mm) and 1 in (25 mm)
flat, squirrel
of this painting, uniting the various elements of the picture and creating a • Cerulean blue,
sense of rhythm. The recurring shape here is the ellipse, which always has to cadmium yellow, French
ultramarine, gamboge,
be drawn accurately so that it doesn’t attract attention for the wrong reasons. emerald green, alizarin
crimson, Old Holland
Ellipses don’t need to be rigid – just balanced, so that they look like circles brilliant pink, Windsor
seen from an angle. To check that both sides of an ellipse are the same, try violet, light red,
cadmium orange,
looking at it from different viewpoints: this will expose any unevenness. cadmium red, burnt
umber, burnt sienna,
viridian
TECHNIQUES
• Wet on dry
• Dry brushwork
1 2
Start with a unifying cerulean blue wash, using the 1 in Use gamboge on the No. 12 brush for the sunny side of the
(25 mm) brush. Draw in some of the key lines with one pots. Apply emerald green in one stroke to the shears’
stroke. Paint over the background with a mix of cadmium handles and the seed packet. For the gloves, use an alizarin
yellow and a little French ultramarine to make it green. crimson and Old Holland brilliant pink mix, and blend it in.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

4 Garden table | 53
3 4
Paint alizarin crimson at each side of the shears to give a lilac Mix light red with a tiny amount of French ultramarine for
shadow. For the gloves, blend in a mix of alizarin crimson and the small pot on the top right of the picture. Use this same
Windsor violet with the squirrel brush. Add creases and mix for the insides of the two small pots. Blend cadmium
detail with pure alizarin crimson, using the No. 9 brush. orange into the yellow on the rim of the small, top-right pot.
5 6
Use a light red and cadmium orange mix inside the upper- Use the mix of light red and cadmium orange for the left
left pot. While it is still wet, paint over it with cerulean side and inside of the pot on the right. Mix cadmium red
blue, then add spots of the light red and cadmium orange and cadmium orange for the ellipse of the largest pot in the
mix, using the tip of the No. 9 brush. centre. Add cerulean blue to the edges of the central pots.
54 | STILL LIFE
8
Paint the front of the
table with the gamboge
and French ultramarine
mix, this time using the
1 in (25 mm) brush.
The result is different
7
Use the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush to from that achieved in
apply a mix of gamboge and French Step 7 because the
ultramarine to the area between underlying color is
the pot on the left and those in the different. Blend with
center. Paint the shadows on the the No. 12 brush. Use
shears’ handles using the same mix burnt umber, on the
and brush. Define the trowel handle No. 8 brush, to bring
with a mix of gamboge forward the upper and
and alizarin crimson. lower edges of the table.
9 10
Apply pure French ultramarine to the shears’ blades, and Use light red on the 1 in (25 mm) brush for highlights
burnt umber to the lower edge of the top blade. Use cadmium both outside and inside of selected pots. Blend with
orange, on the No. 5 brush, around the bolt, and a mix of the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush. Apply a cadmium orange and
French ultramarine and burnt sienna for the bolt and spring. cadmium red mix to the exteriors of the central pots.
4 Garden table | 55
11 12
Mix gamboge and light red for the bulbs on the right. Paint the dark grass at the bottom with a viridian and
Paint over the blue on the seed packets on the right with burnt umber mix, using the 1 in (25 mm) brush. Use
cadmium red. Use the French ultramarine and burnt Windsor violet for the table legs. Add an emerald green
sienna mix for the seam of the thumb on the glove. and cadmium yellow mix to the upper background.
RETOUCHING
When retouching areas of
a painting, such as these
pots, it is easy to overdo it.
To make the pots look old,
it is important to create
the right feel without
overworking them.
13 14
Age the central pots with a mix of burnt sienna, light red, Darken the edges of the shears with a burnt umber and
and cadmium orange. Ground the right pot with a French French ultramarine mix. Use French ultramarine, on
ultramarine and Windsor violet mix around the base. the tip of the No. 8 brush, to separate the pots from
Darken the top pot with a Windsor violet and light red mix. theshears. Add viridian to the shears’ handles.
56 | STILL LIFE
15
Create a shadow to the right of the
glove by applying broad strokes of
French ultramarine with the 1/2 in (12.5
mm) brush.
16
Paint the inside of the large left-hand
pot with a mix of light red and French
“Separate two areas of ultramarine, using the 1 in (25 mm) brush.
Once it has dried, lighten the edge of the
similar tone by making them base. Add the same mix to the inner wall of
the same pot, sweeping it around with the
1
/2 in (25mm) brush. Inside the right-hand
different in color.” pot, use Windsor violet on the No. 5 brush.
17
Add the finishing touches across the
painting. Add in a little emerald green
on the shears’ handles, near the bolt.
Define the hole in the trowel handle with
the emerald green and cadmium yellow
mix, using the No. 5 brush. Apply burnt
umber to the trowel handle. Tidy up the
ellipses, such as the top lip of the central
pot, with Windsor violet.
Garden table
Circles and ovals are always pleasing to look at
because they are such simple shapes. The pivotal
point of this painting is the small pot shown as a
full circle. All the other pots form interconnecting
ellipses supporting the central pot.
58 | STILL LIFE
EQUIPMENT
5 Jug with lilacs • Cold-pressed paper
No. 12, 1/2 in (12.5 mm)
At first glance, this subject looks complicated, but the secret is to find a and 1 in (25 mm) flat,
squirrel
common factor: an initial wash of cadmium yellow establishes the tonal • Cadmium yellow, Old
structure and unites the different elements of the picture. It is easier to paint Holland bright violet,
cerulean blue, Old
around the few petals in full light, which need to remain white, if you use a Holland green, Hooker’s
green, alizarin crimson,
wax resist. This will give you free rein to mix the colors directly on the paper, burnt umber, raw
so that you can keep them luminous but well blended. Creating a harmonious umber, French
ultramarine, light red
range of tones will stop the flowers from looking too formal or stiff. • Wax
TECHNIQUES
• Wax resist
• Glazing
1
Make your initial pencil sketch and
apply wax to any areas of the paper that
2
are to remain white in the finished Paint a cadmium yellow wash using the 1 in (25 mm) brush. Use this
painting – for example, on the flowers wash even on what will become the lilac-colored flowers on the
and on the area between the jug and its right-hand side of the scene, but not on those on the left. You will
handle. This is known as a wax resist. not get a rich, pleasing lilac if these areas are covered in yellow.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

5 Jug with lilacs | 59
3 4 5
Paint the flowers that have been left Use cerulean blue on the yellow area Drop water on the lilac flower to
white with Old Holland bright violet below the main lilac flower to make create the balloon effect of the
using the No. 12 brush. Use this a green. Paint the flowers at the top petals. Use the No. 9 brush with
color on the other lilac flowers too, center of the scene with Old Holland cerulean blue to make the petals
over the wet yellow wash. This will green. This reacts to the wash below of the yellow flowers. Dab and lift
change the yellow into a soft pink. and becomes a rich yellow. out as necessary.
6 7 8
Paint the stems and leaves with a Paint the flowers lying below the Use the squirrel brush to blend
midrange green, such as Hooker’s jug with cadmium yellow. Add some alizarin crimson on the yellow to
green, using the No. 9 brush. These cerulean blue while the yellow is create the jug’s round, shiny, hard
green elements anchor the scene, still wet to create a secondary shade shape. Add some cerulean blue to the
bringing the other colors together. of green. Push the yellow over to the jug handle to make a green color.
Add definition to the flowers. left-hand, sunny side of the scene. Keep the edges soft and matte.
60 | STILL LIFE
9 10 11
Paint the leaves of the flowers Create a darker green by mixing Use the tip of the No. 5 brush
on the mid left-hand side of the Hooker’s green and burnt umber. to paint the petals on the yellow
picture with a lime-green mix Use this color to negative paint flowers with a burnt umber and
of Hooker’s green and cadmium the flowers. This means creating cadmium yellow mix. Create
yellow, using a No. 5 brush. Use the shape of the flowers by warm shadows on the flowers
the ballooning technique from painting the area around them. with a mix of raw umber and
Step 5 to render the petals. Be careful not to overpaint. Old Holland bright violet.
“The brighter the light

source, the lighter the
shadows should be.”
12 13
Paint the background on the left with a mauve-gray mix Add some of the mauve-gray mix to the top of the
of French ultramarine and light red, using the 1 in (25 mm) picture, using the 1 in (25 mm) brush. This will make
brush. Blend well. Add some cadmium yellow to the mix the flowers stand out. As you come down into the
as you come down the paper to render sunnier areas. flowers, switch to the No. 5 brush.
5 Jug with lilacs | 61
14 15 16
Define the leaf on the right Add some light cadmium red to Use the squirrel brush to dab
by painting around it with the the mix as you come forward into some Old Holland bright violet
mauve-gray mix, using the the scene. Negative paint the onto the main lilac flower. It
1 in (25 mm) brush. Add some flowers near the jug using the 1 is best to use this color dry,
cadmium yellow to the mix to in (25 mm) brush. As objects otherwise it could spread
outline the shape of the lilac move away from direct shadow, excessively. Leave the shapes
flowers on the right. they get a paler, softer effect. soft and undefined.
17 18
Paint the flowers to the right of the jug with a mix of Negative-paint and define the shapes of the petals
Hooker’s green and cadmium yellow. Create a textural with the same warm green mix. Use the 1/2 in
effect with another, warmer, green mix of Hooker’s (12.5 mm) brush. Blend the color in well with the
green and burnt umber. Soften with the squirrel brush. No. 5 brush.
62 | STILL LIFE
19 20
Paint the lowest flower Return to the flowers
in the vase, on the left- below the jug. Paint
hand lower side, with their dark areas with
an acid-green mix of the Hooker’s green
Hooker’s green and and burnt umber mix.
cadmium yellow. Use Then use the same mix
the No. 5 brush. in the central areas.
21
Paint the right side of
the jug with a French
ultramarine glaze using
the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush.
Soften the glaze with the
squirrel brush and use it
around the handle of the
jug, too. Use the mauve-
grey mix on the top and
bottom of the jug handle.
Dip the 1/2 in (12.5 mm)
brush in water and use it
to take out the central line
of the jug. Leave to dry.
Jug with lilacs

22 Paint the leaves to the right
of the jug and at the center of
the scene with the Hooker’s
green and burnt umber mix.
The dramatic areas of white
created with the wax resist
convey the strength of the light
Use the same mix with the pouring in from the left. The
squirrel brush to darken the soft, fluid effect characteristic
foliage on the right-hand side of watercolors has successfully
of the painting. Soften the captured the delicate, intermingling
edges with a little water. tones of the flowers.
64 | STILL LIFE
EQUIPMENT
6 Baskets of fruit • Rough paper
No. 9, No. 12, 1/2in (12.5
Vibrant color is the most striking feature of this study of summer berries. Since mm) and 1 in (25 mm)
flat, squirrel
each basketful of berries is painted as one object, rather than as individual pieces • Alizarin crimson,
of fruit, they are identified principally by their colors (reds and blues). The hues French ultramarine,
cadmium red, Old
used in the rest of the painting therefore need to be complementary to them Holland gamboge,
cobalt blue, cadmium
(greens and yellows). The soft forms of the berries are contrasted with the sharp yellow, raw umber, Old
lines of the baskets, and the symmetry of the foreground is broken up by the Holland turquoise blue
deep, burnt umber,
berries of various sizes scattered on the ground. Windsor violet
TECHNIQUES
• Wet in wet
• Lifting out
1 2
Paint the fruit on the right of the top basket and the cherries Soften the edges of the individual fruits. Use alizarin
in the bottom basket with alizarin crimson, using the No. 12 crimson on the strawberries outside the lower basket, and
brush. This cool base will give the fruit a pleasing shine. French ultramarine on the blackberries in the top basket,
Blend it in. Create highlights by leaving some white areas. on the No. 12 brush. Painting blue on pink makes a lilac.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

6 Baskets of fruit | 65
3
Paint the blueberries in
the lower basket with
French ultramarine using
the No. 12 brush. Add
a little water with the
No. 9 brush to obtain
a ballooning effect and
create the shapes of
the individual fruits.
4 5
Focus on the top basket next. Paint the fruit on the top left with cadmium Use cadmium red on the right-hand side of
red on the No. 12 brush, then add Old Holland gamboge on top. The the lower basket to suggest reflections of the
resulting warm orange-yellow mix will isolate the pink. Use the same color from the strawberries. Paint these with
mix on the top right-hand corner. Soften the colors with a damp brush. pure gamboge, then add some cadmium red.
66 | STILL LIFE
6 7
Make a cooler red by mixing alizarin crimson and cadmium Paint around the redcurrants in the bottom basket with pure
red. Use this color and the No. 5 brush to paint shadows cadmium red on top of the pink, using the No. 5 brush.
on the fruit in the left-hand side of the top basket, as well This layering of colors allows the pink highlights
as for the strawberries on the right-hand side. to come through. Soften with the squirrel brush.
8 9
Drybrush the seeds on the strawberries at the bottom right Paint the top left-hand corner of the top basket with
of the bottom basket with pure cadmium red using the gamboge, using the 1 in (25 mm) flat brush. Use the same
No. 12 brush. Paint the shaded side of the strawberries color on the front of the top basket, the front right-hand side
using the same color. Let the paint dry. of the lower basket, and the area behind the basket.
10
Paint the top right-hand side of
the picture with a green mix of
French ultramarine and gamboge,
using the 1 in (25 mm) brush.
Apply this mix in strokes
on to the yellow in the top
center, to the left of the top
basket, and on the right-hand
side of the bottom basket.
11 12
Paint the area to the left of the top basket with a French Paint the top basket’s blackberries with a mix of French
ultramarine, gamboge, and cadmium red mix, using the 1 ultramarine and alizarin crimson. Use the tip of the No. 9
in (25 mm) brush. Use a gamboge and cadmium red mix brush and the roughness of the paper to define the berry
on the table and at the bottom of the picture. Blend it in. forms. Strengthen the raspberries with cadmium red.
68 | STILL LIFE
13
Dab some cobalt blue on the blueberries at
the bottom left of the lower basket with
the No. 9 brush. Use the darker blue mix
of French ultramarine and alizarin
crimson to define the shaded side of the
blueberries in the center of the basket.
Blend with the squirrel brush.
GROUP STUDY
The trick in a painting like this
is to treat the fruit as a group
and not be sidetracked by
intricate details on individual
berries. By keeping the berries
soft and loose in feel, you create
a more interesting painting.
15
Drybrush the rim and the
wooden slats of the top
basket with raw umber
14
Strengthen the strawberries outside the basket using both the 1in
with cadmium red and alizarin crimson on the (25 mm) and the 1/2 in
No. 12 brush. Paint the bottom right and top (12.5 mm) brushes. Use
left of the top basket, as well as the strawberry the No. 1 brush on the
leaves, with a soft green mix of cadmium lower basket to render its
yellow and cobalt blue, using the No. 9 brush. wooden structure.
16 17
Use the green mix from Step 10 along the rim of the Paint the length of the rim of the lower basket with
top basket and on the right-hand side of the bottom a bright color such as Old Holland turquoise blue deep,
basket. Use the 1 in (25 mm) brush for these details. using the No. 5 brush.
18 19
Go back to the green mix again to paint the table with Paint the top right-hand corner with Windsor violet.
the 1 in (25 mm) brush. Mix French ultramarine and Use the green mix on the 1 in (25 mm) brush for the
burnt umber for shadows – for example, around the rest of the background. Add more gamboge to this
strawberries outside the basket. Use the No. 12 brush. mix for the area to the left of the top basket.
70 | STILL LIFE
20 21
Add some cadmium red to the raspberries on the Darken the background with the green mix on the 1 in (25
lower right-hand corner of the top basket using mm) brush. Define the blueberries on the lower left-hand
the No. 5 brush. Use the same color to soften the side with the French ultramarine and alizarin crimson mix
look of the blackberries. on the No. 5 brush. Paint the shadows with burnt umber.
“Ensure the baskets look

strong enough to support
the fruit inside.”
Baskets of fruit
The colors of the berries are clean and vibrant but
22
Lift out the stalks of the currants in the lower basket vary in saturation, creating a natural and pleasing
with the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush dipped in range of tones. Painting the berries wet in wet
water. Use the green mix on the front of the lower and as a group, rather than individually, helps to
basket to give the impression of depth. make them look soft and juicy.
People and Animals
“Even as a sketch, a good

portrait should capture
the essence of the sitter.”
74 | PEOPLE AND ANIMALS
People and animals

The main point to remember when painting people about anatomy and then overcomplicate things. If you
and animals is to approach them in the same way you can see the subject simply as shapes, light and shade,
would anything else. As soon as you start to think of and color – just as you do with less demanding
them as complicated organic structures, you may worry subjects – the path forward will become much clearer.
SEEING IT SIMPLY
When it comes to living beings, the desire to
depict each element accurately can lead to them
being painted as separate, disconnected shapes.
Try to see the bigger picture when looking at
both people and animals, and you will see how
all their parts are linked to one another.
This illustration shows how the Once color has unified the shapes Girl reading The colors and tonal relationships here produce depth and
figure in this work is treated merely and tones, the figure is placed light within the setting. The figure is handled in the same way as all the other
as a shape along with all the others. harmoniously in its environment. elements in order to produce a painting with a figure rather than a portrait.
SETTING
When you paint people and animals, it is
important to consider them in their setting. You A strong tone
do not want them to be isolated and cut out with produces a
a line around them, since this will give them no striking
sense of form. The edges of living beings need to silhouette of
the face.
be softened and blended with their surroundings
to create a feeling of volume. Edges that face the
light tend to look hard, while those away from
the light or in the shadows look soft. However,
edges that you wish to emphasize should be
harder, to draw attention to them. Brush marks
suggest the
sound of the
flute.
Girl playing flute This picture uses paint The lower half
marks and brushwork to suggest the sound of the figure
the flute is making. The face melts into the dissolves into
background, and attention is drawn to the the painting.
silhouette. This makes the hands and flute
the main focus of attention.
Introduction | 75
TEXTURE AND FOCUS

This portrait of a little girl places a great deal of
attention on likeness. The success of the painting lies
in the use of texture, specifically the smooth, soft
face of the child and the dog’s coarse hair. Softened
edges help blend the figures into their surroundings,
and the strong light on the right of the picture
provides the areas of focus, which shift from the
child’s face to the dog and then to the child’s hands.
The wiry coat of the dog

has been captured using dry
brushwork on rough paper.
Soft edges The use of sharp This forms a contrast with
blend into the contrasts helps the softened, blended edges
background. focus attention. of the girl’s suede boots.
Girl with dog This portrait of a child is also a portrait of her pet dog.
The two elements are blended together to create a single unit, which is The light creates big
then linked to the large armchair. Contrasting textures have given the shapes that link
girl and dog quite distinct characters. everything together.
The scope of texture and feeling evoked by watercolor makes

Gallery it the ideal medium for portraits of people and their pets.
Seated woman
For this head study of a seated woman, the artist
has simplified all of the details and created a delicate,
intimate portrait of the sitter in a reflective mood.
Anne Telfer
Portrait with terrier

In this detailed portrait, the
sitter is in the critical part of the
painting and yet has been merged
with the furnishings of the elegant
room. The dog adds a touching
insight into the personality of the
sitter. Glynis Barnes-Mellish
Cow in pasture
In this charming study, cool petrol
greens enhance and complement
the warm browns of the cow’s fur.
Balance has been brought to the
painting by reducing the strength
of the greens to draw attention to
the cow. Winslow Homer
Gallery | 77
Mrs. Gardner in white

In this unusual portrait, the sitter is almost
entirely covered up and concealed. The artist
has cleverly kept all the areas of pattern and
color, as well as the strongest tonal contrasts,
behind the subject’s face so that we focus our
attention there. John Singer Sargent
Equestrian portrait Trevor reading

The focus in this double The facial expression in
portrait is as much on the horse this study has been painted
as it is on the rider, suggesting with great enthusiasm and
a close working relationship animation. By choosing an
between the two subjects. intense complementary color
Glynis Barnes-Mellish scheme of green and red, the
artist has given the subject a
strong personality. Anne Telfer
EQUIPMENT
7 Ganges bathers • Rough paper
• Brushes: No. 5, No. 9, 1/2
in (12.5 mm) and 1 in (25
This setting features both horizontal and vertical direction. The strong horizontal mm) flat
• Yellow ocher, alizarin
lines of the steps and the reflections on the water create the impression of stillness. crimson, cerulean blue,
The vertical lift of the columns at the top of the painting gives a formal feeling to French ultramarine,
viridian, raw umber,
the scene, while the vertical color reflections at the bottom of the composition burnt sienna, brilliant
pink, Prussian blue,
add a rational static influence to an otherwise chaotic setting. The diagonal lines burnt umber, gamboge,
of the women in the foreground link to the other figures, bringing movement back sap green, cadmium
yellow, cadmium red,
into the painting and maintaining interest all the way to the bottom of the picture. cadmium orange
• Liquid-latex masking
fluid
TECHNIQUES
• Wet on dry
• Splattering
1
Make your initial pencil
sketch, and apply the
masking fluid to any areas
of the paper that are to
remain white in the
finished painting. Let the
fluid dry before continuing.
2
Use the No. 12 brush to paint
BRUSH CARE a mix of yellow ocher, alizarin
crimson, and cerulean blue for
Wash your brush
the stone walls. Start at the
immediately after applying
the liquid-latex masking top and work down, creating a
fluid. Also, be sure to use warm mix on the paper. This
an old nylon brush for this color is good for peeling paint
task, since a hair brush and brickwork. Use a mauve
would be ruined. mix of alizarin crimson and
cerulean blue for the column.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

7 Ganges bathers | 79
3
Add the mauve mix as a wash to the faces of the woman in
the center and the man behind her. Paint a wash of alizarin
crimson and yellow ocher, blending it to suggest the softness
of skin tones. Use the No. 9 brush for the foreground faces.
4 5
Using the No. 12 brush, apply French ultramarine to the Apply a viridian and yellow ocher mix to the right of the
top right of the picture area, beyond the pillar. Create the center column with the No. 9 brush. For the steps, use
base coat of the darkest shadows on the steps by adding the stone mix from Step 2. Load your brush with water
viridian, again with the No. 12 brush. and splatter the steps to create a sun-bleached effect.
6 7
Paint the steps and stonework Use light dabs of the mauve mix
with the stone mix, using the No. on the faces to give them a little
12 brush. Add a little cerulean bloom. Strengthen it with a
blue to the area at the top of touch more yellow for the legs,
the steps on the left. Use a raw using darker and lighter tones
umber and French ultramarine to define musculature. Mix
mix over the green shadows. French ultramarine and burnt
Give the steps a granulated sienna to paint the marl-gray
look by adding the mauve mix. robe of the figure on the left.
8 9
Using the No. 5 brush, paint the robe of the Use the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) flat brush to paint the shaded area to the left
central character on the steps with French of the column with a mix of alizarin crimson, Prussian blue, and burnt
ultramarine and alizarin crimson in turn. Use umber. To define the steps in that area, use pure alizarin crimson wet-
brilliant pink for the robe in the foreground. in-wet. Add viridian to the right of the column with the same brush.
7 Ganges bathers | 81
10 11
Apply yellow ocher to the right-hand steps with the 1 in Add yellow ocher to the green shadows. Mix sap green and
(25 mm) brush. Add gamboge to the sari in the foreground burnt sienna to create a gold-green for evening shadows. Add
with the No. 5 brush. Use the mauve mix for shadows on a shadow of burnt sienna to the right-hand column. Define
the bodies, and burnt sienna to give faces a golden look. the steps with the gold-green and the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush.
“The way in which

forms such as bodies
link the whole work
is hugely important.”
12
Paint the reflections of the pink towel with brilliant pink,
and the golden sari with gamboge. Use a cerulean blue
and viridian mix for the water. Mix viridian and cadmium
yellow to make an acid green to paint below the gray
figure. Use a mauve wash on the center column.
14
Add the gold-green from Step 11
for shadows where the steps
meet the water, using the wet
tip of the 1 in (25 mm) brush to
break it up. The water at the very
13
With the No. 5 brush, use the mauve bottom left should reflect the
mix for the front of the headdress of the picture’s top left, so use a mix of
woman in the bottom-right foreground, burnt umber, French ultramarine,
and cadmium red for the rest of it. Use and alizarin crimson. Add burnt
a mix of yellow ocher, alizarin crimson, sienna to the green at the bottom
and cerulean blue for her dark skin tone. left to make it less bright.
16
Strengthen any colors where needed.
Remove the latex resist from all areas,
revealing clean white paper.
Ganges bathers
By constantly shifting from one diagonal element
15
Paint the details of the gold sari with burnt sienna; use the marl- to another, a path of interest is carved through the
gray mix from Step 7 for the same woman’s hair. Add the final horizontal line of the steps. This emphasizes the
shadows with browns and cadmium red. Using the No. 5 brush, vertical elements of the composition and helps
add a cadmium orange separator between the foreground figures. unite the figures in this heavily populated scene.
EQUIPMENT
8 Nude • Cold-pressed paper
No. 12, 1/2 in (12.5 mm)
A painting of a familiar form, such as the human figure, can be greatly enhanced and 1 in (25 mm) flat,
squirrel, sable
by an interesting composition. Although the nude is the main point of interest in • Alizarin crimson, yellow
this painting, it is portrayed in a setting rich in other elements that add interest in ocher, cadmium yellow,
cadmium red, emerald
terms of both rhythm and mood. The strongly lit table and bowl in the foreground, green, cerulean blue,
Windsor violet, lemon
for example, act as a barrier to the figure of the girl, yet draw the eye diagonally yellow, burnt umber,
toward her, while the late-afternoon shadows, echoed in many of the dark areas of French ultramarine,
cadmium orange,
the painting, help link the various parts of the composition. burnt sienna, sap
green, Prussian blue
TECHNIQUES
• Painting skin tones
• Painting light
1 2
Apply a skin wash of alizarin crimson and yellow ocher. Paint the leg and ankle with pure alizarin crimson. Bring
Use the 1 in (25 mm) brush for the face, back, arms, and the foot forward by adding an orange mix of cadmium
foot. Push away the color on the face with a soft, damp yellow and cadmium red for the heel, using the No. 5
brush. Paint the nose with the tip of the No. 12 brush. brush. Add the same mix to the side of the girl’s face.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

8 Nude | 85
3 4 5
Paint the drapes with a cadmium Paint the sofa to the right of the Use the three-color mix from Step 3
yellow, cadmium red, and emerald girl’s arm with yellow ocher, using and a 1 in (25 mm) brush to paint the
green mix, using the No. 12 brush. the 1 in (25 mm) brush. Add box. Leave untouched areas around
Use cerulean blue on the 1 in (25 mm) Windsor violet above this to the edges and add alizarin crimson
brush for the top half of the scene. define the top of the sofa. to the right-hand side of the box.
7
Apply a second wash on the skin.
6
Use the squirrel brush to paint the Paint the girl’s body with a mix of
right-hand side of the bowl with burnt umber, alizarin crimson, and
Windsor violet; use alizarin crimson a little cerulean blue, using the 1 in
on the left. Add lemon yellow to the (25 mm) brush. Use the same mix –
left of the Windsor violet to give though with less blue – around the
texture to the porcelain. Blend it in. ear and on the hair.
8 9
Add Windsor violet to the box using the No. 12 brush. Pull Use an emerald green and cadmium yellow mix on the rim of
the color down to the underside of the bowl and mix it with the bowl. The inside rim is a mix of emerald green, cadmium
French ultramarine. For the edge of the table, use Windsor yellow, and cerulean blue. Paint the detail on the bowl with
violet at the front and cadmium yellow on the top right. cadmium orange and cerulean blue, using the No. 5 brush.
10
Use a gold mix of cadmium yellow
and emerald green for the area to
the left of the neck. Paint the hair
with pure burnt umber, then add
11
some Windsor violet for extra Paint the girl’s spine with Windsor violet,
warmth. Pull the lilac down into and her back with burnt umber. Using
the orange on the edge of the girl’s the No. 12 brush, lighten this color with
face with the No. 9 brush. Use the burnt sienna (acting as an orange) over the
squirrel brush to blend the colors shoulders and down the arm. Blend it in.
so that there are no hard edges. Define the top of the box with burnt sienna.
8 Nude | 87
12 13
Paint the tops of the cushions with French ultramarine using the Dab the green sections of the bowl’s front
No. 12 brush, and the bottom halves with a burnt sienna and sap rim decoration with a mix of sap green and
green mix. For the throw below the girl’s foot, use a mix of alizarin French ultramarine, using the No. 5 brush.
crimson and Windsor violet. Leave a white highlight below the foot. Use burnt sienna for the orange sections.
Some Windsor violet on the left side of
bowl, away from the edge, adds sheen.
CONVINCING SKIN TONES

Yellow ocher is a good color for using in skin
tones. Because it is softer than raw sienna and
is a sedimentary pigment, it will granulate and
create nice effects and color when combined
with alizarin crimson and cerulean blue. This
softness of color is essential to produce lifelike
skin tones.
14
Paint the eyebrow and the
hair over the ear with a near-
black mix of burnt umber,
alizarin crimson, and
15
Prussian blue on the No. 5 Add some cadmium orange to the sole of
brush. Use pure Prussian the girl’s foot. While this is still wet, apply
blue for the hair band. some Windsor violet on the toes; extend
Define the girl’s side with a this color to the cushions with the No. 5
mix of Windsor violet and brush. A dab of cadmium orange on the
the near-black. Blend it in. cheek and ear will give depth to the face.
16 17
Paint the throw with a mix of burnt umber and alizarin crimson, Use the same mix to paint under the table.
using the No. 12 brush. For texture, dab in a darker mix (with Blend it with a clean brush to define the edges.
more crimson). With the 1 in (25 mm) brush, paint the foreground Add more blue and alizarin crimson to the
area of the table with a mix of Windsor violet and the near-black. near-black mix to give more depth to this area.
19 Lift out highlights in

the girl’s hair with the 1/2
in (12.5 mm) brush.
Add a little burnt umber
Nude
The strong white light in this
painting focuses your eye on the
and Windsor violet mix girl’s face and traces patterns
18
Mix burnt sienna and Windsor violet, and above the top rim of the throughout the whole composition.
apply this color as a third wash over the bowl. Dab some French Using rivers of light as a counterpoint
girl’s body, from the neck down the back. Use ultramarine on the to the shaded areas has created a
a soft sable brush for this. Dab a little bit of cushions with the sable striking, dynamic image within a
this mix on the edge of her left shoulder, too. brush to add detail. calm, harmonious setting.
EQUIPMENT
9 Girl with rabbit • Rough paper
• Brushes: No. 5, No. 12, 1/2
in (12.5 mm) flat, squirrel
The main concern in this image is the softness of the child’s skin and the animal’s fur. • Alizarin crimson, yellow
ocher, cerulean blue,
Wet in wet is used to render the rabbit’s coat, by delicately and lightly dragging the cadmium red, cadmium
brush over the rough surface of the paper and working into a damp wash. Because of yellow, burnt umber,
burnt sienna, French
the sunlight and shadows, this image has a varied pattern. The alternation of light on ultramarine, Prussian blue
dark and dark on light switches the emphasis from one area to another, creating a
rhythmic composition. By using negative and positive shapes to define the areas of TECHNIQUES
interest, all the important elements of the painting are clearly stated. • Softening edges
• Positive and negative
shapes
1
For the first wash, use a
soft mix of alizarin crimson
and yellow ocher over the
face. Use clean water on the
2
No. 12 brush to blend the Let the wash dry, then add cerulean blue to the mix and
color over the face and hands, paint a second wash. Apply it over the eye sockets and the
leaving a highlight right-hand side of the face. Take the time to achieve the
for the nose. right degree of softness to the skin.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

9 Girl with rabbit | 91
4
Use pure yellow ocher on the tip
of the squirrel brush to paint the
3
Apply cadmium red to the corners fleshy areas around the girl’s eye,
of the eyes and down the center at the edge of her nose, and
of the face to create warmth. Add underneath her mouth.
the same color to the girl’s nostrils,
mouth, lips, and fingertips.
5 6
Add alizarin crimson with a wet Use a little cerulean blue below
brush to both cheeks – up to the the mouth, going into the yellow,
yellow on the left, and to the long and also in the eyes. For the right-
strand of hair on the right. Because hand eye, which is in shadow, mix
alizarin crimson is a cool color, use cerulean blue and alizarin crimson.
it at the sides of the face, keeping This opaque blue will give a hint
the focus in the middle. of softness. Allow the paint to dry.
7 8
For the hair on the left of the painting, Use a mix of cadmium
apply pure yellow ocher with the 1/2 in yellow and cadmium red
(12.5 mm) flat brush, using the paper’s around the right of the
rough surface to break up the marks. Take face. For the hair at the
care not to touch the rabbit. top left, add cerulean blue,
which is a little green in
color. This stops the hair
from looking too brassy.
Apply pure yellow ocher
to paint the hair falling
across the girl’s face.
9
Mix a mauve from
cerulean blue and alizarin
crimson for the hand.
Use this to define bone
structure, blending and
softening it with the No. 5
brush. Apply the mauve to
the base of the hand, as
well as to the thumbnail.
“Portrait work requires a softer,

warmer palette than that used
for landscapes or still lifes.”
10 11
The next step is to add some key mid-dark colors to create Apply pure alizarin crimson to the lips, and
structure. Use burnt umber for the area around the eyes blend it with water to vary the tone. Remember
and nose. Blend it with water. You will use more of this to leave some highlights too, as you did on the
color on a child’s face than on that of an older person. nose in Step 1.
NEGATIVE PAINTING
Negative shapes are the background spaces between things.

They enable us to see the positive shapes, as well as helping
to create them by carving out the object’s outer edges. While
applying the paint to the paper, you must remember to keep
a very firm eye on the untouched paper and take note of what
negative shape is being created.
12 13
Blend a burnt umber and cerulean blue mix into the Paint the line between the hair and the left-hand cheek
eyebrows. Use alizarin crimson in the corners of the eyes. with a mix of burnt umber and alizarin crimson. Blend it
Mix Prussian blue with alizarin crimson for the eyes; add into the hair. Use this for the shadow on the right-hand
burnt umber to make a soft-black mix for the pupils. cheek too. Add cerulean blue to the hair on the right.
14 15
Blend the cerulean blue that was added to the hair with Retouch the pupils with the soft-black mix, and define the
the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush to give texture to the hair, and eyes with the Prussian blue and alizarin crimson mix on
add some yellow ocher. Dab at the picture with clean the No. 5 brush. Use the burnt umber and cerulean blue
tissue to break up the marks. mix for the eyelids and areas above and below the eyes.
16 17 18
Add a little cadmium Add shadow beneath the Use the soft-black mix for the hair on the left.
red to the nostrils, using nose with a mix of cerulean Apply alizarin crimson to the lips with the
a very light touch, with blue, yellow ocher, and No. 5 brush. Go back to the soft-black mix to
the No. 5 brush. alizarin crimson. strengthen the eyes and define the eyebrows.
19 20
Use yellow ocher to strengthen the stray hair, Paint the rabbit’s ears with the soft-black mix, and use a mix
then emphasize the bottom lip with pure of cerulean blue and alizarin crimson for the shadows on its
alizarin crimson. Apply a cerulean blue and fur. Add yellow ocher to it on the paper, and add the details
yellow ocher mix to the dark areas beside with the soft black. Mix burnt umber, Prussian blue, and
the girl’s mouth and nose. alizarin crimson for the muted gray of the rabbit’s fur.
21 22
Paint the lower part of the hair on the left with burnt umber. Work Apply a touch of alizarin crimson with the
down toward the top of the rabbit’s head, since this negative No. 5 brush to the tip of the rabbit’s nose.
painting will further define its shape. With a damp, clean brush, Paint its eye with the soft black. While the
drag color into the fur on top of the rabbit’s head to soften it. rabbit dries, you can work on the sweatshirt.
23
Make the gray marl for the
sweatshirt with a mix of
burnt sienna and French
24
ultramarine. Apply it with the Add shadows to the hair at the left of the
No. 12 brush. Strengthen all face with the soft black, using the No. 12
the colors of the rabbit. brush. Apply burnt sienna to the left of
Making sure the 1/2 in (12.5 the hair and below the rabbit’s ear. Blend
mm) brush is clean and not it in. Use yellow ocher on the 1/2 in
too wet, use it to lift (12.5 mm) flat brush for the lighter hair
out the rabbit’s whiskers. color. Lift out highlights with a wet brush.
25 26 27
Add a little pure alizarin Use the soft black around the Return to the girl’s
crimson to the right of the nose. chin too. Add some of the sweatshirt, adding more
Use burnt sienna to strengthen alizarin crimson and cerulean of the original gray-marl
the eye, then paint soft black blue mix underneath the chin mix to darken it slightly.
in the corners of the mouth. area and blend it in.
28 29
To paint the shadow on the girl’s hand, use Gradate the ears of the rabbit to give them some
the mix of alizarin crimson, yellow ocher, and definition. Work from black to brown, using the
cerulean blue, as in Step 2. drybrush technique.
30
Finally, add a mix of
cerulean blue and yellow
ocher to the hair at the top
of the picture, and further
define the shape of the
eyes using burnt sienna.
Girl with rabbit

Because it is such a close-up view,
this picture incorporates a very simple
description without unnecessary details.
This means that the areas of interest have
room to be expressive, while remaining
loose and freely handled.
Interiors
“It is vital for a

painting of an interior
to evoke a mood.”
100 | INTERIORS
Interiors
This subject leads perhaps to the most beautiful neglected as a subject matter in their own right.
paintings of all in terms of arrangement. Traditionally, They are a blend of still-life and landscape painting,
interiors have been backdrops for other subjects, combining the sense of scale of the latter with the
notably portraits, and have therefore been rather compositional elements of the former.
HARMONY AND SIMPLICITY

In a small room, light and color are reflected all
around, creating a harmonious overall scheme.
This means that small interiors are less varied
chromatically than large ones. An interior that
is filled with strong colors provides the perfect
opportunity to simplify the details of the scene,
allowing shape and color to dominate.
Girl on sofa An overall color scheme is

produced here by the curtains, which fill
the room with a yellow glow. This creates a
sensation of warmth that is fitting for a nude.
If the room were to appear cool, your reaction
would be one of discomfort for the model.
COLOR INTEREST
You can create interest in a seemingly empty
picture through use of color. This will divert the
eye away from shapes that may otherwise look
dull. In a painting that has an overall bias towards
a particular color, you can use color dominance to
provide unity. Having a major color theme in a
painting will bring a sense of harmony.
Farmhouse dining
room The warm colors
used in this painting
are calmed down
through the addition
of blues and purples.
These cooler colors
help to convey a sense
of stillness.
Flower market, Lucca This painting has been created with colors
intended to provoke an emotional response. The muted cool colors
contrast strongly with the bright ones to build visual excitement.
Introduction | 101
MOOD
At first glance, this painting seems like a simple
interior of an almost empty room, but there is a real
sense of atmosphere. This is created through tone –
from almost black beneath the window, to bright
white above the chair – as well as color: the hints
of orange in the wall are complemented by the blue
in the stone floor and pale bricks.
Strong, dark colors Faint shapes and colors The brilliant turquoise Placing the area of focus on the workman’s
draw attention from the outside imply a greater green complements hammer adds a human element to the painting.
middle of the room. sense of space. the reds in the walls. Suddenly the room seems more interesting.
Chair with hammer To produce a vibrant color in this painting’s main brighter and creates vibrancy in a picture that would otherwise seem quite
area, the turquoise green of the tarpaulin has been complemented with empty. Although no person appears in the picture, the hammer on the chair
warm red-browns. This strong color contrast makes the turquoise even evokes the feeling of an unseen presence.
102 | INTERIORS
The flexibility of watercolors makes them just as good for interiors as

Gallery they are for portraits, capturing the personality and beauty of any room.
Work shed
This painting has used
color for aerial perspective, as
well as a more obvious linear
perspective, to create the vast
scale of the space. This effect
gives the piece a haunting,
empty quality.
Glynis Barnes-Mellish
Hallway reflections
By limiting the palette to a
complementary arrangement
of blue and orange, the
artist has made a pleasant
relationship of objects and
produced a charming study of
a very simple scene. Sara Ward
Kitchen interior
This painting plays with the idea of
looking into a room to lead us through one
interior to another. Our visual pathway is
controlled with areas of interest before
finally arriving at the small figure at the
window. Johannes Hendrik Weissenbruch
Gallery | 103
Hotel room
The dramatic light and
harmonious feel of this picture
are created through the use
of a strong color scheme.
Brilliant sunlight is suggested
by bathing the room in yellow.
Glynis Barnes-Mellish
Wye Valley kitchen

This picture shows how a paintable
interior can be found almost anywhere.
There is a strong sense that we have just
walked into this room and found an
interesting collection of objects and
colors. Sara Ward
Windmill interior
The through-the-keyhole composition
of this painting works beautifully to
produce a balanced asymmetrical
design. The careful structure in the
linear perspective contrasts with the
fluid brushwork while leading us to the
contrast at the window. John Absolon
104 | INTERIORS
EQUIPMENT
10 Cloisters • Cold-pressed paper
No. 12, 3/16 in (6 mm), 1/2 in
This tranquil scene may look complex from an architectural point of view, but by (12.5 mm), and 1 in (25
mm) flat, squirrel
singling out the underlying colors, you can plan your washes and simplify the • Indian yellow, alizarin
composition. Although the vaults are graceful, they need to be broken up visually crimson, cobalt blue,
French ultramarine,
to avoid a tunnel effect. Creating an interplay between washes of warm and cool Windsor violet, burnt
sienna, cadmium red,
colors helps to establish a sense of perspective, while horizontal shadows cutting burnt umber
across the floor and ceiling slow down the pathway through the tunnel. Adding
two monks to the scene creates a focal point and helps to provide a sense of scale. TECHNIQUES
• Wet in wet
1 2 3
Paint around the arches on the left Add alizarin crimson on the right- Paint around the foreground arch
and along the right-hand wall with hand wall, using the 1 in (25 mm) with a rich-brown mix of Windsor
Indian yellow, using the 1 in (25 mm) brush. Use the squirrel brush to violet and burnt sienna on the 1 in
brush. Leave the ledges and the floor paint the floor: the furthermost part (25 mm) brush. Blend it in. Color
untouched. Use a clean, wet squirrel with cobalt blue; the midfield with the area inside the arch with a soft-
brush to lift out color from the stone alizarin crimson; and the foreground brown mix of Indian yellow and
bricks in the wall and the vaults. with French ultramarine. Windsor violet on the No. 9 brush.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

10 Cloisters | 105
4 5 6
Darken the inside of the lower left- Continue using pure Indian yellow, Paint the lower portion of the scene
hand arch with another layer of pure this time with the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) with the soft-brown mix from Step
Indian yellow on the No. 9 brush. brush, on the vaults in the middle 3, using the 1 in (25 mm) brush.
Use the same color to paint the distance and background. Lift Soften the color with the squirrel
details in the stonework, such as out the shapes of the two monks brush, then use the same mix for
the capitals. with the clean No. 9 brush. the shadow cast by the two monks.
7 8
Define the ribs of the vaulting with the tip of the No. 12 Paint the ceiling in the foreground with an Indian yellow and
brush and a rich, warm mix of Windsor violet, Indian alizarin crimson mix with the 1 in (25 mm) brush. Use pure
yellow, and cadmium red. burnt sienna to highlight the receding arches on the left.
106 | INTERIORS
9 10 11
Cool down the scene by painting the Add a Windsor violet and burnt Use the 1 in (25 mm) brush to
tile details with French ultramarine, umber mix to the ceiling for extra apply Windsor violet in broad
using the 3/16 in (6 mm) brush. Paint depth. Use a mix of Indian horizontal strokes at the bottom of
the floor with a French ultramarine yellow and cadmium red on the the picture. Paint the shadows of
and Windsor violet mix, then burnt No. 9 brush to pick out the the monks on the right-hand wall
sienna, on the 1 in (25 mm) brush. receding ribs of the vaulting. with the same color. Blend it in.
“Touches of bright color add

light to shaded areas.”
12 13
Paint the monks with a base mix of cadmium red and Touch up the vaults with the warm mix from Step 7 on
burnt umber on the No. 9 brush. Use an alizarin crimson, the No. 12 brush. Use the rich-brown mix of Windsor
burnt umber, and French ultramarine mix for their robes, violet and burnt sienna on the No. 5 brush for the fine
and Windsor violet and cadmium red for their shadows. details. Dab burnt sienna on the ribs of the vaulting.
10 Cloisters | 107
14
Use a mix of French ultramarine
and burnt sienna on the bottom
right of the picture with the 1 in
(25 mm) brush. Apply French
ultramarine on the left, then
warm it up with Windsor violet.
Add a mix of burnt sienna and
French ultramarine for the
shadows of the monks.
Cloisters
The golden tones of the sunlit stone are
complemented by violet shadows, creating
a vibrant painting. The strong shadows
and bright side light break up the obvious
linear perspective and help to weave a
diagonal path through the painting.
108 | INTERIORS
EQUIPMENT
11 Cottage kitchen • Cold-pressed paper
No. 12, 1/2 in (12.5 mm)
The dramatic contrast between bright light spilling through a window and intense and 1 in (25 mm) flat,
squirrel
shadow transforms a simple country kitchen into a striking painting. Because • Indian yellow, alizarin
there are many separate elements in this scene, it is important to establish space crimson, cerulean blue,
cadmium red, emerald
division and a sense of balance. These can be achieved with careful use of tone green, French
ultramarine, sap green,
and by grouping the small elements together in the light areas, so that they do not Windsor violet, burnt
look disjointed. The bowls and rolling pin on the table are linked by the shadows sienna, cadmium yellow,
burnt umber
they cast, helping to create an energetic composition.
TECHNIQUES
• Layering
• Dry on dry
1 2
Paint the bowl with Indian yellow on the No. 9 Apply alizarin crimson on the casing of the window with the 1
brush. Use alizarin crimson on the No. 5 brush in (25 mm) brush. Make highlights by lifting out the color
for the rim and the stripe on the bowl. Color with paper or a damp brush. Add cerulean blue to create a lilac,
the dish on the sill with Indian yellow too. and blend with the damp brush using diagonal strokes.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

11 Cottage kitchen | 109
3 4
Paint the apples with cadmium red, then with an emerald Paint the right side of the table with French ultramarine on
green, cerulean blue, and Indian yellow mix. Use a mix of the No. 12 brush. Use the eggshell mix from Step 3 for the
Indian yellow and alizarin crimson on the eggs. Paint the window’s midhorizontal, and an Indian yellow and sap
rolling pin with Indian yellow and cadmium red. green mix and the No. 5 brush for the rest of the frame.
“Keep the design simple

and avoid too much detail.”
5 6
Apply a neutral-brown wash of Indian yellow and Windsor Paint the area under the windowsill with pure Indian yellow
violet over the wall and cabinet, using the 1 in (25 mm) using the 1 in (25 mm) brush. Apply the neutral-brown
brush. Use pure Windsor violet at the very top, then blend mix on either side of the window, and a mix of alizarin
it in, allowing the color to grow lighter as you come down. crimson and French ultramarine over the cupboard doors.
110 | INTERIORS
DRAMATIC TONES
Don’t worry about preserving
pale areas that are not in direct
light. Each time a layer dries,
you will see some shapes recede
in the painting, making the white
areas seem brighter. You can
redefine and sharpen the edges
between light and dark at a later
stage, creating a more tonally
dramatic painting. This allows
you to work loosely and fluidly.
7
Make a mauve mix of Windsor
violet and burnt sienna for the
8
recessed wall and the area Dip the squirrel brush into
above the window. Apply it clean water, and use it to
with the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) soften and lift out some
brush. Soften the left edge of color from the right-hand side
the casing with pure cadmium of the dresser. This will help
yellow on the No. 9 brush. prevent an irregular edge.
9
Paint the front and left-hand
side of the table with the
mauve mix, using the 1 in (25
mm) brush. Use the same
mix below the table, toward
the bottom of the picture.
10 11
Paint the shelves with a cadmium red, cadmium yellow, Mix Indian yellow, burnt sienna, and Windsor violet for
and sap green mix, using the 1/2 in 12.5 mm () brush. Dab use on the left dresser door with the 1 in (25 mm) brush.
a little alizarin crimson too. Use the mauve mix on the 1 Dab some French ultramarine on the left-hand side of the
in (25 mm) brush for the shadows below the shelves. shelves with the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush to create depth.
11 Cottage kitchen | 111
12 13
Paint the spoon in the bowl with the mauve mix on the 1 Darken the shelves with a burnt sienna and French
in (25 mm) brush. Use a mix of Windsor violet and ultramarine mix on the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush. Be
French ultramarine on the bottom right-hand corner of careful not to lift any color beneath. As you move toward
the window, and Indian yellow for the window frame. the light source, add more Indian yellow to the mix.
14 15
Paint the front edge of the Use pure Windsor violet on
table with the mauve mix the No. 5 brush to paint the
using the 1 in (25 mm) brush. shadows in front of the bowls.
For the struts of the chair, use Break the line of the windowsill
a mix of French ultramarine with pure burnt umber. The
and burnt umber. With the dark jar behind the main bowl
No. 5 brush, apply French also provides a break between
ultramarine to the chair frame. the two yellows.
112 | INTERIORS
16
Drybrush the area to the
right and to the bottom of
the table with the neutral-
brown mix from Step 5
using the 1 in (25 mm)
brush. Use the same mix to
darken the dresser doors.
17
Paint around the bowl and other objects
on the shelves with a dark mix of burnt
umber, alizarin crimson, and French
ultramarine on the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush.
Use the same dark mix and brush for the
shaded areas to the left of the cupboard.
18 19
Use a mix of Windsor Use a clean wet brush to lift out the
violet and alizarin objects on the shelves. Darken the top
crimson on the No. 5 of the dresser, the ceiling, and the area
brush for the apples on to the left of the dresser with the neutral-
the right. Strengthen brown mix of Indian yellow and Windsor
the stripes on the main violet, using the 1 in (25 mm) brush.
bowl with pure alizarin
crimson. Create the
shadow of the rolling Cottage kitchen
pin behind the main This composition focuses on the objects on the
bowl with Windsor table. Interest in this relatively small area of the
violet, then apply a overall painting is highlighted by a careful use
burnt umber wash over of tone and by using the light from the window
the rolling pin itself. to unify these everyday items.
114 | INTERIORS
EQUIPMENT
12 Diner • Cold-pressed paper
No. 12, 1/2 in (12.5 mm)
This painting is separated into two equal halves by the blue counter. In order and 1 in (25 mm) flat,
squirrel
to create visual interest, it is necessary to introduce elements that break up that • Lemon yellow, cerulean
symmetry. It is hard to alter the relationships between shapes when painting an blue, French ultramarine,
burnt umber, Prussian
interior, but you can subtly alter color and tone to create variety within the blue, manganese blue,
emerald green, cadmium
shapes themselves. Here, the green hues used in the bottom half of the painting yellow, cadmium orange,
are repeated in smaller areas of the top half, helping to break up what would alizarin crimson,
cadmium red, cobalt
otherwise be a rigidly symmetrical composition and to create a sense of rhythm. blue, yellow ocher,
burnt sienna
• Masking tape
TECHNIQUES
• Dry on dry to control
edges
1 2
Put some masking tape on your sketch to preserve the large counter area, Brush water on the damp wash to add light
which will be painted later. Using broad horizontal strokes, apply a lemon in certain places, such as on the wall behind
yellow wash over everything using the 1 in (25 mm) brush. The yellow the counter. Lift out some paint from the
works as a unifying element for all the colors that will be used later. milkshake maker with the damp No. 12 brush.
BUILDING THE IMAGE

12 Diner | 115
3 4
Add cerulean blue with the 1 in (25 mm) brush to Paint around the stools with a mix of cerulean blue and French
make a green for the items on the back shelf. Use ultramarine using the 1 in (25 mm) brush. Use the same mix on the
French ultramarine over the drink dispenser and No. 5 brush for the edges of the stools. The stools will be painted red
for the darker areas of the wall on the right. later, and this layer will help you achieve a range of tonal variations.
5 6
Apply burnt umber at the top of the picture with Make a near-black mix of burnt umber and Prussian blue, and use it on
the 1 in (25 mm) brush. Use a French ultramarine the 1 in (25 mm) brush to paint the area below the counter. The burnt
and burnt umber mix to darken the blackboard. Use umber adds warmth. Use this mix around the stools too. Once the
the one-stroke technique to make straight lines. paint is dry, remove the tape, which has helped create straight lines.
116 | INTERIORS
“The best watercolors are

those that do not appear
to be heavily overworked.”
7 8
Paint the counter with manganese blue, using the 1/2 in (12.5 Paint the top right-hand corner of the wall with burnt umber.
mm) flat brush. Apply the color in broad horizontal strokes, Blend it in. Use the near-black mix on the 1 in (25 mm)
making sure you work around the white napkin areas. brush for the top of the picture. Add French ultramarine to
Leave the painting to dry. and around the milkshake maker and the drink dispenser.
9 10
Paint the plant on the right of the shelf with emerald green, Make a hot brown by mixing cadmium orange and a
and the flowers with cadmium yellow. Use cadmium orange little burnt umber. Add some cerulean blue to the mix
on the No. 5 brush to the left of the flowers, and alizarin for the shadows on the top left of the cabinet doors,
crimson for the vase and the area to the left of the shelf. using the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush.
12 Diner | 117
11 12
Paint the shadows to the left of the milkshake maker and Lift out some of the base before adding more color; this
under the drink dispenser with the near-black mix, using will brighten up the subsequent layer. Add cadmium
the No. 5 brush. Use the same mix with the 1 in (25 mm) yellow on the apples, followed by alizarin crimson. Paint
brush as a dark neutral base before using brighter colors. the top of the drink dispenser with cadmium red.
13 14
Tear a piece of watercolor paper with a ruler in order Use a more diluted version of the near-black mix of
to achieve a straight edge. Use this as a guide to paint burnt umber and Prussian blue to soften the area
the edges of the shelf. Paint these with the near-black immediately below the edge of the shelf. Use this
mix using the No. 9 brush. as a shadow color.
118 | INTERIORS
15 16 17
Paint the area to the right of the Add a little cadmium orange to Strengthen the blackboard with
drink dispenser with cerulean the near-black mix to paint the French ultramarine. Paint the
blue using the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) late-afternoon shadows. Apply walls with the near-black mix,
flat brush. Use the same color on this to the area on the right of applying it quite dry on the 1 in
the central section of the back the blackboard and to the (25 mm) brush to suggest
shelf, between the milkshake right of the drink dispenser texture. Use the same mix to
maker and the drink dispenser. with broad vertical strokes. define shadows.
NATURAL SHAPES
Whenever possible, let shapes form
gradually from your washes of color rather
than giving them an outline. It is better to
work with shapes that develop naturally
than to keep correcting hard edges once
they have dried.
18
Paint the front edge of the
counter with manganese blue
using the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush.
Use this color for other dark
areas of the counter, which will
make the surface look shiny.
With the No. 9 brush, paint
the cutlery with a steel-colored
mix obtained by adding some
French ultramarine to the near-
black mix. Use the same color on
the left of the counter and
on the tops of the silver pots.
12 Diner | 119
19 20
Paint the counter’s skirting board with cobalt blue, Use the near-black mix for the area under the counter.
which is a cool color. Use it also on the No. 9 brush Run some water through the middle, then add more of
for the shadows of the stools, diluting it as you move the mix with the 1/2 in (12.5 mm) brush. Paint the edge
further away from the source of the shadows. of the seat on the left with this mix too. Blend it in.
22
Make a rich red by mixing burnt
umber and alizarin crimson.
Use it on the No. 5 brush
around the edges of the seats
and for the shadows on the left.
21
Use the No. 12 brush to paint the leather While the red is drying, lift
seats with pure cadmium red. Leave some some out from the left-hand
white areas on the right of each stool for side of the stools with a damp
highlights. Apply a second coat of red. brush for a soft shine.
120 | INTERIORS
23
Paint the supports of the stools with
a strong yellow ocher using the No. 5
brush. Use pure burnt umber for any
24
dark details – for example, the bolts Warm up the shadows of the stools with burnt sienna using the
at the base of each support. You will squirrel brush. Add a little burnt sienna to the left, shadowed
need a fine brush for this detailing. side of the stool stands, layering the colors. Let it dry.
26
Create reflections on the counter –
for example, around the salt cellars –
by lifting out some color with a clean,
stiff brush. Use a small brush to lift
out highlights from the glasses in front
of the milkshake maker.
Diner
The dominant green hue in this painting
25
Paint the area around the top of the stools with the near-black mix complements the red seats of the stools, heightening
of burnt umber and Prussian blue using the 1 in (25 mm) flat brush. their impact. The odd number of seats – along with
Add more burnt umber for the dark shadows at the foot of stools the fact that they are off-center – helps redress the
using the No. 5 brush. symmetrical division created by the counter.
122 | GLOSSARY
Glossary
Alternation across it, so that areas of white on the color wheel. The over the dry paper’s surface
Placing light tones directly paper show through. complementary of a secondary to produce broken marks.
next to dark tones, or color is the primary color that This method is useful for
alternating them, in a picture. Cold-pressed paper it does not contain. Green is creating texture.
Paper with a slightly textured mixed from blue and yellow, so
Artists’ colors surface that has been pressed its complementary is red. Element
The highest-quality watercolor by cold rather than hot rollers Any component or feature
paints, these contain more fine during its manufacture. It is Direction of a painting. It may be the
pigment than students’ colors, sometimes called NOT paper. The visual pathway through a focus of the picture or any
so produce the most permanent painting, direction controls supplementary part.
results. They are also more Color mix the way you look at a picture.
transparent, which means they Paint that has completely Horizontal direction creates Feathering
create more luminous paintings. dissolved in water to make calmness; vertical direction Painting lines with water, then
a pool of color. creates stability; and diagonal adding strokes of color over
Balance direction creates excitement. the top at an angle. The
The relationship between Color wheel strokes of color are softened as
elements in a painting. Correct A visual device for showing Dominance the paint bleeds along the
balance gives a sense of the relationship between The greater importance given water lines.
stability to a composition. primary, secondary, and to one part of a scene rather
intermediate colors. than any other. Flat wash
Broken wash A wash produced by painting
A wash produced by letting a Complementary colors Dry brushwork overlapping bands of the same
loaded brush glance over the Colors that are located Loading a brush with very color so that a smooth layer of
top of the paper as it is drawn directly opposite each other little paint and dragging it uniform color is produced.
Glossary | 123
Glazing palette or on paper that by mixing primary colors and it has dried. This technique
Painting one transparent color occurs if the pigments they secondary colors together. Also is often used to create soft
over another that has been contain are of different called tertiary colors. highlights and is usually
allowed to dry completely. The weights. The resulting done with a stiff, wet brush.
first color shows through the granulated mix is speckled Landscape format
second to create a new color. and pitted. Paper that is rectangular in Linkage
shape and is wider than it Unifying different elements
Gradation Hake brush is high. It was traditionally within a picture.
Change used within a painting A flat wooden brush with used for painting large-scale
to create visual interest. goats’ hair bristles. Hake landscapes. Luminous paintings
Gradation in texture or the brushes are good for painting Paintings that take advantage
size of brushstrokes helps washes and covering large Layering of the natural transparency of
to build a focal point. areas of paper quickly. Painting one color over watercolors, which lets the
another color that has been white paper shine through
Graded wash Hot-pressed paper allowed to dry. Unlike with the paint.
A wash laid down in bands Paper with a very smooth glazing, the colors used can be
that are progressively diluted surface that has been pressed dark and opaque, so that the Masking fluid
or strengthened so that the between hot rollers. underlayer of paint does not A latex fluid that is painted
wash is graded smoothly from show through the layer of onto paper and resists any
dark to light or vice versa. Intermediate colors paint that covers it. watercolor paint put over it.
The colors that appear between Once the paint is dry, the
Granulation the primary and secondary Lifting out masking fluid can be rubbed
The separation of paints when colors on a color wheel. Removing paint from the away to reveal the paper or
they are mixed together in a Intermediate colors are made surface of the paper after layer of paint it covered.
124 GLOSSARY
Negative shapes Pan colors: red, yellow, and blue. long, dark brown hairs have a
These shapes are the visible A small block of solid, semi- Any two can be mixed together great capacity for holding paint
spaces between objects. They moist paint, a pan comes to make a secondary color. and create a fine point.
are used to produce positive in a plastic box that can
shapes in lighter tones by be slotted into a paint box. Resist Scale
painting what is behind them. Paints are also available A method of preserving The size relationship between
in half-pans, so a wider highlights on white paper or a the various elements and their
Neutrals selection of colors can particular color by applying surroundings in a picture.
Colors produced by mixing be fitted into a paint box. a material that repels paint. It is often used to emphasize
two complementary colors Materials that can be used as key elements in a painting.
in equal proportions. By Portrait format resists include masking fluid,
varying the proportions of Paper in the shape of a masking tape, and wax. Scraping back
the complementary colors, rectangle that is taller than Using a sharp blade to remove
a range of semi-neutral grays it is wide. It was traditionally Rhythm layers of dry paint in order to
and browns, which are more used for standing portraits. Visual pathways that lead the reveal the white paper below
luminous than ready-made eye through a painting. and create highlights.
grays and browns, can be Positive shapes
created. This term refers to shapes Rough paper Secondary colors
of solid, three-dimensional Paper with a highly textured Colors made by mixing two
Opaque paints objects that have their own surface that has been left to primary colors together. The
Dense, nontransparent paints color and tonal value. dry naturally, without pressing. secondary colors are green
that obscure the colors they (mixed from blue and yellow),
are painted over. When Primary colors Sable orange (mixed from red and
opaque paints are mixed The three colors that cannot Sable fur is used in the finest- yellow), and purple (mixed
together, the results are dull. be mixed together from other quality paint brushes. The from blue and red).
Glossary 125
Sedimentary pigments Splattering prevent the paper buckling Wax resist

These pigments are opaque Flicking paint from a loaded when you paint on it. A method of using candle wax
and nonstaining. They are paintbrush onto a picture to to prevent the surface of the
heavier paints that tend to produce blots and patterns Students’ colors paper from accepting paint.
granulate by settling into the useful for texture. A cheaper range of paints Once applied, the wax cannot
pits in the paper’s surface. than artists’ colors. Student’s be removed.
Squirrel brush colors do not contain the
Separator A very soft brush made from same high level of pigments Wet in wet
A dark shape that is painted squirrel hair. Squirrel brushes as artists’ colors and therefore Adding layers of color onto
between areas of similar tone do not hold much paint but do not produce wet paper or paint that is still
to help break them up. are good for softening and such good results. wet. This method makes it
blending colors. possible to build up paintings
Sizing Tone quickly with soft colors, but
Sealing a paper’s fibers with Strengthening The relative lightness or it is less predictable than
glue to prevent paint from Building up layers of paint to darkness of a color. The tone painting over paint that has
soaking into the paper. make colors stronger. This is of a color can be altered by already dried.
Blotting paper is unsized and frequently done because paint diluting it with water or mixing
is therefore very absorbent. colors become paler when they it with a darker pigment. Wet on dry
are dry. Adding layers of paint on top
Softening Toned paper of color that has already dried.
Blending the edges of a Stretching Paper that has a colored Painting in this way produces
paint stroke with a brush A method of wetting paper surface. White paint has to vivid colors with strong edges,
loaded with clean water to with a damp sponge, taping it be added to colored paints so the method can be used to
prevent paint from drying to a board, and letting it dry to make the lightest tones build up a painting with a high
with a hard edge. flat. Stretching paper helps to on such paper. degree of accuracy.
126 | INDEX
Index
A
Absolon, John:
color chart 12
color wheel 16, 122
complementary colors
EF
element 122
Grand Canal 20
granulation 123
Windmill interior 103

alternation 18, 122
animals and people 72-5
16, 122
interiors 100-1
intermediate colors
Equestrian portrait 77
Farmhouse dining room
100
HI
Hallway reflections 102
picture gallery 76-7 (tertiary colors) 16, feathering 122 Harebells and poppies 50
projects 78-97 123 figures: Homer, Winslow:
see also figures; primary colors 16, 124 in an interior 100 Cow in pasture 76
portraits repetition 114, 120 importance of setting Hotel room 103
secondary colors 16, 74 interiors 98-101
B
balance 32, 38, 52, 76,
124
sedimentary pigments
125
in a landscape 78-83
nudes 84-9
see also people and
picture gallery 102-3
projects 104-21
108, 122
Ballet dancers 19
Bamboo huts 25
still lifes 49
composition 20-1
interiors 100-1
animals; portraits
flat wash 122
Flower market, Lucca
JKL
Jug with lilacs (project)
Barnes-Mellish, Glynis: Composting quinces 50 18, 100 58-63
Equestrian portrait 77 contrast 18 focus/focal point 18, 19 Kitchen interior 102
Hotel room 103 Cottage kitchen (project) French vineyard Lakeside in autumn 26
Lavender 51 108-13 (project) 28-31 landscape format 123
Logging horse, Italy 26 counterchange see landscapes 22-5
Orchids 51
Portrait with terrier 76
Street market, India 27
alternation
Cow in pasture 76
Cupids 48
G
Ganges bathers (project)
projects 28-45
latex resist see masking
Work shed 102 78-83 fluid
Black hollyhock 51
Baskets of fruit (project)
D
Davina 18
Garden table (project)
52-7
Geese 18
Lavender 51
layering 108-13, 123
lifting out 32, 36, 70,
64-71 Diner (project) 114-21
Boats on a lake (project) Girl on sofa 100 104, 105, 110, 112,
38-45 direction 21, 78, 122 Girl playing flute 74 119, 120, 123
broken wash 122 see also visual Girl reading 74 light 88, 90, 102-3, 107,
brushes 13 pathways Girl with dog 75 108, 112
hake 13, 123 dominance 100, 122 Girl with rabbit (project) light-to-dark 9, 18, 21
sable 13, 124 chromatic dominance 90-7 linkage 48, 123
squirrel 125 28, 49, 100 glazing 62, 123 Logging horse, Italy 26
direction dominance Golden Gate Bridge luminous paintings 123
C
Chair with hammer 101
48
tonal dominance 24
dry brushwork 29, 33,
(project) 32-7
gouache see opaque
paints M
Cloisters (project) 104-7 35, 39-40, 41, 66, 68, gradation (graduated Marshland farmhouse 26
color 16-17 90, 112, 122 wash), use of 17, 21, masking fluid 123
blending and mixing 7 dry-on-dry technique 24, 27, 38-45, 96, 123 brush care 78
color mix 122 108, 112, 114-21 size gradation 25 use of 78, 82
Index | 127
masking tape, to
preserve areas 114-15
materials 12-13
toned paper 125
people and animals 72-5
S
Sargent, John Singer:
T
Telfer, Anne:
McDowell, Phyllis: projects 78-97 Mrs. Gardner in white Seated woman 76
Lakeside in autumn 26 see also figures; 77 Trevor reading 77
mood, creating 24, 99, portraits scale 25, 124 tertiary colors 16
101 perspective: scraping back 124 see also intermediate
Mrs. Gardner in white aerial 17 Seated woman 76 colors
77 with color 17, 43, sedimentary pigments texture:
102, 104 125 paper and 34, 75
N
negative and positive
graded tones 17, 24
linear 21, 107
and scale 25
Sennen Cove 27
separator 31, 125
setting 74
portraits 75
tone 18-19
Trevor reading 77
shapes 90, 93, 124 photographs, subject shapes: Tulips 49
negative painting 39, references 15 figures and 74 Turner, J. M. W.:
41, 61, 93 planning 8, 14-15, 20-1 negative and positive Upnor Castle, Kent 27
neutrals 124 Plant pots and watering 90, 93
Nolde, Emile:
Harebells and poppies
50
can 48
portrait format 124
portraits 74-5, 90-7
simplifying 74
Sheep 15
size gradation 25
UVW
Upnor Castle, Kent 27
Marshland farmhouse see also figures; people sizing 125 visual pathways:
26 and animals sketches and in landscape 21
Nude (project) 84-9 Portrait with terrier 76 sketchbooks 14, 20 in still life 48, 49
positive and negative skin tones 84-9, 90-7 see also direction
OP shapes 90, 93, 124 softening 125

splatter technique 42,
Ward, Sara:
Hallway reflections
opaque paints 124
Orchids 51
paints 12
R
reflections:
79, 125
still life 46-9
combined with a nude
102
Study in white 50
Wye Valley kitchen
artists’ colors 12, 122 mirrors 102 84-9 103
opaque paints 124 shiny surfaces 120 in an interior 108-13 water, reflections 40,
pan 124 in water 40, 43, 44, picture gallery 43, 44, 81
students’ colors 12, 81 50-1 wax resist 58, 125
125 resist 124 projects 52-71 Weissenbruch, Johannes
paper: see also masking fluid; Street market, India Hendrik:
cold-pressed (Not) wax resist 27 Kitchen interior 102
13, 122 retouching 55 strengthening 125 wet-on-dry technique
hot-pressed 13, 123 rhythm 124 stretching paper 125 52-7, 78-83, 125
landscape format 123 in still life 48 studies, aid to wet-in-wet technique
portrait format 124 Robson, Carole: composition 20 28-31, 51, 64-71, 90,
rough paper 13, 124 Black hollyhock 51 Study in white 50 104-7, 125
stretching 125 Composting quinces 50 subjects: Windmill interior 103
surfaces 13 Sennen Cove 27 choices 14 Work shed 102
texture and 34, 75 photography and 15 Wye Valley kitchen 103
128 | ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Acknowledgments
PUBLISHER’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Dorling Kindersley would like to thank: Simon
Daley for jacket series style and Ian Garlick for
jacket photography.
PACKAGER’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Sands Publishing Solutions would like to thank:
Andy Crawford for the photography; Neil Lockley for
his invaluable editorial work at the photo shoots and
beyond; John Noble for the index; Phyllis McDowell,
Carole Robson, Anne Telfer, and Sara Ward for kind
permission to reproduce their paintings; and Glynis
Barnes-Mellish for being such a joy to work with.
PICTURE CREDITS
Key: t=top, b=bottom, l=left, r=right, c=center
p.26: © Private Collection/The Bridgeman Art Library
(t); Phyllis McDowell (br); p.27: Carole Robson (t);
© Whitworth Art Gallery, The University of Manchester,
UK/The Bridgeman Art Library (cr); p.50: Carole
Robson (t); © Private Collection/ The Bridgeman Art
Library (bl); Sara Ward (cr); p.51: Carole Robson (cr);
p.76: Anne Telfer (tl); © Private Collection/ Christie’s
Images/The Bridgeman Art Library (bl); p.77: Anne
Telfer (cr); © Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum,
Boston, MA, USA/The Bridgeman Art Library (tl);
p.102: Sara Ward (br); © Haags Gemeentemuseum,
The Hague, Netherlands/The Bridgeman Art Library;
p.103: Sara Ward (cl); © Victoria & Albert Museum,
London, UK/The Bridgeman Art Library (br).
All jacket images © Dorling Kindersley.

Watercolor Workshop IIpdf

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Watercolor Workshop IIpdf

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Watercolor Workshop IIpdf

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What are the main subjects covered in the document?

What are the main subjects covered in the document?

What techniques for painting in watercolor are discussed?

What techniques for painting in watercolor are discussed?

LViZgXdadg

SIMPLE STEPS TO SUCCESS

Senior Editor Angela Wilkes

Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited.

A catalog record for this book

DK books are available at special discounts when

Color reproduction by Wyndeham Prepress, London

People and Animals 72

No. 5 round 1 in (25 mm) ﬂat

This softer round

No. 14 round 2 in (50 mm) hake

The pitted surface

Watercolor is so ﬂexible that it

WORKING FROM PHOTOGRAPHS

A wide variety of photographs

This sheep was

Experimenting with the various aspects of the sheep

Sheep In the ﬁnal painting,

Color tint area

COLORS THAT WORK TOGETHER

COLOR FOR PERSPECTIVE

Warm colors, such as reds

LIGHT AND DARK

The lightest tones

Davina In this painting, the strong tonal

CONTRAST AND ALTERNATION

Geese Key to the design of this painting are the

The lightest and

Gondola scene Both of the studies

Grand Canal The ﬁnal composition

The lighter tones create

The viewer’s eye is drawn

MOOD AND DRAMA

Graded tones of green create a sense of

PERSPECTIVE AND SCALE

Bamboo huts This painting is completely harmonious

Watercolor paints suit landscapes perfectly, because they

Logging House, Italy

Upnor Castle, Kent

Street market, India

“The wet-in-wet wash

BUILDING THE IMAGE

DIRECTING THE FLOW

Don’t be afraid to take the paper in

BUILDING THE IMAGE

“Avoid going into

SETTING THE SCENE

Golden Gate Bridge

BUILDING THE IMAGE

“Take time to consider the

Potted plants and watering

The ﬂowerpots on The large pot is linked

The spiral creates

Cupids This subject is set against a

The visual pathways are directed around the painting so

Still-life subjects can be found all around you, and watercolor is a