wre epeeeteny Learn the basics of watercolor painting Starting with a sketch = Creating soft blends Composing a painting = Learning special techniques BY CAROLINE LINSCOTTWatercolor 1 The unique properties of watercolor make it an exciting, spontaneous, and interesting medium. Because itis mixed with water, it has wonderful translucent qualities—and often unexpected effects, Once you understand the way watercolor works—and have learned to let it work for you—you will be amazed at how easy itis to create beautiful paintings. You'll even learn to appreciate the “happy accidents” that occur with watercolor, which often add alot of character and interest to your paintings. In the pages to follow, I wil sroduce you to some basic watercolor applications and a few tricks of the trade, covering a wide range of fascinating subjects. I hope that these examples will inspire you to pick up a brush and begin painting. So are you ready? Let’ get started! —Caroline Linscott Choosing Your Painting Materials Start with a Sketch Creating Sot Blends ‘Adding Detail Color Creates Moods Focus on Howers Looking at Leaves Duterfly Fantasy CON TEIN TS Special Techniques. 4 Painting Outdoors. 6 Composing Dynamic Paintings 8 Adding tie to Stil tite 10 Rendering Water 12 Painting Furand Feathers 14 Capturing the Charm of Children 4 26 28 30 uChoosing Your Painting Materials T REALLY ENJOY going to art stores and browsing through the huge selection of supplies, looking at all the beautiful paint colors and feeling the different brushes. But how do you know ‘what to buy? My advice is to buy the highest quality materials you ean afford. Its better to have just a few professionalygrade supplies than it is to have many student-grade items. High- quality materials will last longer, be casier to use, and help cre- ate better works of art. I will cover the basies of choosing, materials here, but for further information, refer to Watercolor & Acrylic Painting Materials by William F. Powell in Walter Foster's Artists Library series. Paint Preferences TUBES OR PANS? Tubes are Thave two different sets of watercolor paints: a box of reat for panting large areas and poling washes because you can dry pans for outdoor work and a selection of semi-iqud pene ere ccereamaeaes tubes for studio painting. A set of pan colors lets me view weigh and congue wich the whole rainbow of eolor choices ata glance, bot T think ec ere ecto it’s fun to go through all the separate tubes and pick out eol- ors that appeal to me. [also take great pleasure in squeezing out the thick colors from tubes and mixing pools of rich, bright colors Paper Foundations ‘You can buy watercolor paper in sheets blocks, oF pads, but I anouctt paper nas like to pick out my own individual sheets ‘The sizes vary, but I SNeryeousetenare usually choose a standard size, such as 22" x 30”. Papers also eecerere vary in thickness, which is expressed in weight: the heavier the ings cs ber for weight, the thicker the paper. For most of the paintings in this subjects wichout a book, I used a 140-Ib, cold-press paper, which has a medium ll “weight and is soft and absorbent. avncyzinc THe » simpurvine - Edtt Concur THESRETCH ater Tes tpn rendering mangasape _( aig veneer aren “yt oe "mp oe 1 ech ere iectiea’ / Ortaca then trie \ bh sarees Smears { » cerns ‘ets me ‘shor pe { \ SraRTED hen Tee Row Seingtrcta /. | Schnee mochot methane bloc in the general which colors trepapen, | ( Shope nd sso Sines ) \ Theoubect at then cecharee ai share torn RVR ( Syieteting ses : adjusting the fines.> BUILDING THE FORM. Once the steteh i complete, opty the color slowly, ‘working rom ight to darko build depth Took to the photo for reference only often hat you are the artist and you make the decisions This is tone ofthe greatest pleasures of painting! Using Photo References Sketching or painting from life is ideal, but this isnt always: practical. Your subject may not sit still, or the light you want capture may change too quickly. TIhat’s when photo references come in handy. I encou: much as possible, but you can also use pictures from books o you to take your owa photos as magazines. I keep a collection of images in an idea file (some times called an artist's morgud). Then, whenever I caa’e think of anything to paint, [look through the file for ideas. (Note: Don't copy the photos exactly just use them for general refer ence. You may inftinge on copyright laws if you reproduce someone else’ photo exactly)Creating Soft Blends SOME OF THE MOST FREE-FLOWING and translucent effects I've achieved in watercolor were done by painting wee into-wet—either wet paint onto wet paper or wet paint into wet paint. With wet-into-wet, colors bleed together, creating softly blurred edges and wonderful atmospheric effects. I also use washes of wet color onto wet paper t0 quickly lay in large areas of diluted color. Washes are an excellent way to paint backgrounds—skies and water in particular Controlling the Flow of Paint When painting wet-into-wet, both the amount of control you have and the effects achieved will vary, depending on how wet or dry the watercolor paper is, When I w: the colors to flow and merge freely, as in the ocean sunset at right, [ wet the paper first and then apply color with a wet brush, For more subtle blends, as in the leaf below, I just dampen the paper. Sometimes I apply color and tile the paper to control the direction of the flow of paint. crapuareD Making a Background Wash > conTRoLLeD FLOW In thi detail ‘of the ocean sunset, applied a weelnro-wet ‘wah of ultramarine rose forthe top part Awash is a useful technique in which heavily diluted color is applied over a large area of a painting, For a graduated wash, as shown above, I first lay in a horizontal band of color at the top of the paper and then make successive, overlapping strokes with water only. The color from the first stroke will flow downward, creating a beautiful graded effect. For a solid wash, I apply the paint in slightly overlapping horizontal strokes, reloading the brush with paint often enough to keep the color smooth and even.‘OCEAN SUNSET often use a limited palette (a | did here) for painting wetinto-et because then f'm nota key to overblend oF “muddy” the colors Letting the Colors Bleed [paint wet-into-wet quickly and freely, letting the colors bleed, Sometimes the most interesting color blends occur by accident, In fact, much of the appeal of working wer-into-wet is discovering the spontaneous effects that are produced by just letting watercolors be watercolors. It is fun to see what happens when the col- ors run and intermingle, ‘This deal ofthe shy in the paling Above shows where Tallowed transl Permanent rose {nd indian yellow fe blend o form & peach tone and treating smooth bend Gon" & voAdding Detail PAINTING WET-NTO-DRY—applying wet paint onto dry paper—gives me more control over the flow of the paiat, so I can ereate finer detail than I ean when painting wee-into-wet. Using a drier brush is another way to add details in cither directly onto the white paper of over a background wash that has been allowed to dry. The contrast berween darks and lights and berween soft blends and crisp details ercates interest and adds depth to my paintings Using Less Water for Finer Details With more paint and less water on my brush, I am able to paint fine lines and make accurate, refined strokes. This allows me to create very realistic, detailed renderings, as I did with the girl in the garden below: Layering translucent colors wet-into-dry (called glazing) also creates much darker and richer colors than painting wet-into-wet, which helps give my detail areas more definition, flowers isan example of how 1 ‘create depth by combining wet and Gry eechniques | used wetinto-wet swathes of dark, muted shades for the background and lighter drier foreground. reserved the greatest etal and purest colors forthe Mowers ln the Yoreground. wetintodry almost exclusively Ia {his finely detaed painting. 1 ete hil’ skin and the kien fr ‘Then tused a very dry brush for the detailed texture ofthe bricks of wetintosdry using a small, Se pointed brush forthe petal. Artist's Tip io Ol en vadibe eanseaaecrtaie Nar ne? Ba Yet nos (a Phe lig Pate eo , WIG DAFFODIL Qe Rendering Buds and Stems [believe that the stem of a flower deserves as much attentio as its petals, Although every stem may not be visible in the painting, it’s important to imagine where they join the flowers to ensure that the flowers appear anchored. I have shown a few examples here to get you started, A.ROSEBUD Roses ditinctve pointed tp. Here tused a mix of| permanent rose and Iran yellow to paint fone section ta me, Slowing ‘ry before painting the next section. {ROSE STEM The stom ofa rore har Simple leaves and ‘many thorns. used Sap green, ultrax {he darks, sap green for the mideones, and sap green mixed with cadmium yellow ight for the lights Tee the lighter highlights. HOLLYHOCKS Instead of panting every ower fom a stright-on view, varied their postions to create a more dynamic and realise presentation. 12Painting Different Flowers In the chart below, I have illustrated some of the differences and similarities among three flower subjects: a daisy, a rose, and an iris. With practice, you will learn which techniques are best suited to 1 particular type of flower. Whichever methods you use, begin with a sketch of your subject, and then block in the dark and lighe areas. > PEACH BLOSSOMS. each blossoms grow short stems bude arene ae clearly defined as rosebuds reso my brushstrokes center is turned so that i¢ doesn't face straight head. Experiment with diferent anges and ‘Compositions, even when doing a simple study through, adding color mostly around and between the petals to create the shape painted the shadows with a mix of cobale ble and volt 1 used cadmium yellow igh, sap green, and burnt sienna forthe center jetting the colors bled into each other Finally, | painted the back: aground using a wetinto-wee application, ¢ See om ROSE This is one of the more dificult lowers ta draw. Take your time, and realy study how the petals fold and overlap. focused on base shape then refined them by adding curves and details. \ applied alzarinerienson exdmiu ve Indian yellow wetsinto-wet to each petal. For ‘defined edges.! painted one petal at atime, ting each area dry before working on the next. [Notice how the combination of dark and light the petalrand thor the whole fower—with the lightest highlights onthe tps of the petals IRIS Afr blocking in te base shapes ofthe ‘ower, | indicated areas where the shadows fll because {preter to work around the lightost arens.Then | worked out the shapes and angles of ehe petal before applying any color. (Using a ware color achanve of Indian yellow, ‘Faw slong and burnt sienna | Bulk the pete gradually, leting the pane dry between aye rdded cobalt ve forthe shadows and saved the white ofthe paper forthe ighesthighighs. flower to accentuate it Here | ured a rmall Bow! 38a template for painting the blue cree. Notice {hat the contrasting blue background spotlights the bright yellow iesLooking at Leaves WHETHER YOU PAINT LANDSCAPES outdoors or still 4 4 SHINY LEAVES lifes in the studio, your paintings will benefit from an in-depth rendered each eat study of leaves. Although leves are often overlooked in favor \ Canepa se Of the more dramatic beauty of flowers, I find them to be seen, working Kat quite attractive in thee own right. I Hke to gather some spec! Secstghen a een mens from my garden and look closely at what details make ‘aed te wot cach leaf unique. This way, I can replicate the leaves in my siepacer on sige paintings, sum strikes Painting a Variety of Leaves Leaves come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and hues, so no two are painted. Cadman yellow tt exactly the same way. Here I have wr wewewas &= w&Z demonstrated some of the most com- ‘mon shapes and colors. advise you t0 study the patterns of theie veins and the we = Ww | = variations in their texture, Making each leaf unique will keep your paintings from looking formulaic Utrera ramarie Copa < NARROW LEAVES burnt inna WITH LIGHT VEINS Here | applied a blue ER nd yllow undor- Painting: then I used layers of sap green for the leaves, letting ome ofthe back round colors show fhrough to suggest a fab rramarite Sew ww Uitremarite Cobalt — Carseat P VARIEGATED | EAVES Using a com trolled wetinte-wet ‘colors to create the Gohl teary ww => < FERNLIKE FRONDS With » small round brush, painted from the outside to the inside, burat Utramarine eure seats Mixing Greens for Leaves and Foliage ‘Malang a color chart vl hep you depict the myriad shades of green found in leaves ad flage.1 ‘made each green sample by mining the color above with the color below ft for example, the fst 0b shade was made by ming cadrium yellow ight wit utrararne Bue‘A. CURLED LEAVES For these leaves that cur In ferent directions, vared the color values, ‘making the undersides ofthe leaves darker chan Expandi Your Use of Color As you establish the forms of your sub- jects, remember that cool colors are often best for shadow areas (that recede), and warm colors are more suit- able for light areas (that come forward) Even if the only color you are using is green, you can create cooler hues by adding more blue or warmer hues by adding more yellow ‘Combining Leaves and Flowers You can achieve a variety of moods and ‘effects when combining leaves and flow crs in a painting, I often use leaves to create a dramatic backdrop to set off the flowers, as in the sunflower painting below, But T also use them to subtly frame and complement the blossoms (Gee pages 20 and 21). ‘Try both meth ‘ods—I think you will be pleased with A LEAF AND FLOWER In this detail ofthe 5 ofets the yellow flower | painted the under- side of the leaf with ich mixture of sap green, ‘burn senna, and ultramarine Bue. Autumn Palette The colors of fil provide a completely cifrent subject for stud For the late autumn leaves below | vied burt senaa fd learn ermson, with a touch of sp (pen for hig. vod SUNFLOWERS Painting survowers I always a great joy Hore I used deep green forthe leaves to contrast vvily with the petal’ golden-yellow huesBUTTERFLY FANTASY Unleash your creativcy and et your imagination roar! Watercolor Is wonderful for this decorative syle of pantingSpecial Techniques WATERCOLOR IS IDEAL for experimenting with different techniques and special effects—for example, one of my favorite techniques is using ordinary table salt to ereate mottled textures, as I have done on the ow! on the opposite page. By using the simple methods shown below, you will be able to produce a wide range of fascinating textures, create white areas and highlights, and even correct mistakes, Creating Texture ‘Variations in eexture make paintings more dynamic and lifelike, and they are a lot of fun to create. I add textures to my paint- ings for two reasons: cither to ada visual interest with a special effect or to copy the textures found in nature, such as fur, bark, or sand. Some special effects are achieved by adding paint, and some by taking paint away; some require special artist's materials, such as a palette knife (a special tool for mix ing paints), and some can be done with simple houschold items, such as a toothbrush. I hope you will try some of these techniques and see what effects you come up with! Correcting Mistakes Contrary to popular bel there are several ways of making changes ‘or correcting rors in vaterclor you havent gone 10 fr with your painting you can aly put the whole thing under cool running water and get sponge of the pain. Foe smaller areas wipe off the ear with ‘wet sponge (as shown below) of cotton swab, or gemty scrub of the coor with a wet rush the paint has aready dred, you can scrape off tal leshes or can up ragged edges with a sharp knife or a razor bade SPATTERING This technique of flcking paint on ‘the paper is particulary good for creating grain textures Fora ne spatter, oad 3 toothbresh ‘with ay thik pain and ran your thumb oF Tinger over che bristles Fora coarser texture, use a bristle brush and tap Ie sharply on your finger or the handle of another brush, (Use some seratch paper to cover the parts of your paling that you don't want to get spattered) SPONGING Sponges not only remove paint well butchey also male great tool for applying Color and creating texture You can dab the paint ton lightly for an open texture or press more Tirmiy and even ewist the sponge fora more solid fect. Layering diferent shades of color wil add ‘mare depth and intrest to your painting 18 LIFTING OUT This sa method of removing ‘whice.To create rot cova shapes, blot the ‘Wet paine with a crumpled tisue or paper towel ‘Toremove dry paing wet che brush lightly serob ‘away the paint where desired and then blot with 2 Usiue of paper towel (Note that some colors fain more than others do, se they wil ote ‘out a8 completely) [ADDING SALT Sat slightly repels paint, creat ing dappled patterns. Sprinkle table salt or ery tals of ea sale onto wet paint allow the painting to dey and then gently brush off the sale The Fesultsyou achiowe wil vary depending on what the underying colors, how wet the paint how large the salt crystals ae en MASKING FLUID This sa great way to retain Spply mating fd inthe desired are Teary-The mask wil protect che paper from any paint appled over When the paint dry, rub ‘fhe mask with your ger Because the Mus Spplied witha brush, che stroes of white ie painterly elect " KNIFE PAINTING A painting knife or palette Ine ean be uted to remove colori long, ewes ing linen auin these blades of grass; While the pnt ssl wet, stroke the edge of the knife {hrough the color, working from bottom to top. (fou can also apply paine with palette kite, Just use the pain straight from the tube.)4 COMBINING TECHNIQUES. Here Tused almost sl the tech- rnigues described on page 18. After laying in washes fr the owl and the branches, used sale go create the spotting inthe feathers.Then | used 2 painting kite for eh ‘he uppertete corner for the leaves, ches in ‘sponge {STARTING OUT SMALL When {you try a new technique, start with {tn easy subjec, such a5 Sand, which Treated by spattering lane use spattering for textures of bricks, pebbles, foliage, bark, and dire Foads: Practice on apiece of scrap Paper fist, to get a feel for the Fechnique before you use ina painting.Painting Outdoors ‘THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE going outdoors and painting Simplify the Subject from life, Painting on location is an excellent way of observing nature, Watercolor is perfect for a and watercolor is particularly well suited for outdoor painting, The loose, impressionistic style. 1 supplies are easily portable, and the medium’s delicacy is perfect for approach outdoor paintings capturing impressions of light and atmosphere, by first simplifying the ele- jc shapes— that is, by painting in the large masses of light and dark. (You could become overwhelmed if you try 10 paint every leaf and petal you see) Below are a few tips for painting groups of plants and flowers in their natural set- ting, as in the garden scene at left ae A SUGGESTING FORM | often Just enough information to suggest the planes general frm. the larger masses of color me Pawn ret ‘A FOCUSING ON COLOR For iarge bunches of lowers, focus on sees PAINTING ON LOCATION I made a quick watercolor sketch nthe Meld and fished this palnting inthe studio, 2Capture a Sense of Spring Choose subjects that truly interest you, even if it’s sim ply your own backyard! I love painting spring gardens, The rains have made the air clear and the sun is gaining steengeh, bathing everything in soft light. The colors of the new vegetation are always vibrant; the bursts of color really enliven the garden. To convey a spring feeling and censure that my painting is full of life, I keep my colors pure and fresh, Permanent rose and cobalt wolet tes sand Sap. green 4 SPRING PALETTE These are arden at lef love the Bright Pinks and purples, andthe greens nd touches of yellow add contrast Picking a of Day to Paint ‘An important lament of painting outdoors choosing a time of day to paint Morning and ‘evening colors are general ck aternoon cole are warm-—so choose a time tat sats your mood and plete “The photo at right was taken inthe lat afternoon hen the shades are strong. Some af the bes ‘ies to pant are the morning an the le ater: ‘neon or early evering when the sun ses at an ange creating lng santng shadows and excting contrasts of color and ht Notice how the fecendad shadows af the trees frm a dappled pater of darks and Fights adding interest to an ‘there at expan of green and providing 3 sence of cept aComposing Dynamic Paintings AN ATTRACTIVE PAINTING not only has appealing subject matter, it also has a pleasing composition. Composition refers to the way objects are placed and how they relate to one anoth- cr. A good composition will scem balanced and harmonious, and it will ead the viewer's eye into the picture. Creating a Center of Interest Your paintings should have a center of interest, or “focal point,” but you don’t want the viewer to ignore the rest of the painting! I try to make sure that my compositions lead the ey through the painting and toward the focal point. I often arrange the clements in a triangular pattern, oF I lead the viewer’ eye along a curving path or a row of trees, [also use color to create interest—for example, pure colors tend to attract attention; so do contrasts between dark and light. < POOR DESIGN Im tis seth, ll he slements are crowded Ineo the center and are onthe same plane-The tree's Shape and branches foe unilore, and compo- ston. The center of interest is off tothe on different plan and are overlapped, tnd the eye Is fed Into the scene, > comPosine WITH DIAGONALS For this beach scene, arranged the main slomenes ina triangle tocreate a senre of ‘movement. The eye It Arawn Uhrough che Irmapinary eagle io ured touches of red here and there 2 ttract the eye painting‘Arranging the Elements Thelieve the hest way to work out a composition before you begin painting is to number of quick, “thumbnail” sketches or small watercolor studies of your subject. Don’t worry about drawing all the details at this point; just focus on the general forms. Move the elements around, varying their sizes, shapes, and colors until you find a composition that works for you. (Keep in mind the various methods for creating a center of interest.) Try combining elements from several dif ferent photographs to create an original painting, Ret you don’t have to be a slave to your references; compose the scene the way you want it to be. (This is known as artistic license’) ner, 'Y PLANNING A COMPOSITION | put alot of orethoughe into this Tear composition before actualy painting iI broke the scene down into three major elements: (1) the erain depot and surrounding foliage are the center of interes, (2) the rallroad tracks invite the vewer deep Inco the Picture field, and (3) the foliage onthe eft acts asa counterbalance and keeps the eye from wandering out ofthe painting. > seLecTiING A FORMAT This photo I used as rence for the paint ing below. changed by cropping ou the tnincereting fore round and adding Blighty to focus Imore auarey onAdding Life to Still Life STILL LIFES ARE COMPOSED of inanimate objects, such as pottery, fruit, nicknacks, or even a favorite teddy bear—but they are by no means lifeless! Aa effective stil life setup has movement and vitality. [like to paint still lifes because they give me the opportunity to make glass look fragile, silver look reflective, and apples look good enough to eat, It's fun to: make objects appear realistic through the use of light and shaclow (which creates depth), the careful placement of objects, and the use of color to convey mood, Setting Up a Still Life Creating @ harmonious setup takes advance planning, The com- position should draw the viewer in and direct the eye from object to object. I often use diagonal lines to lead the eye around the painting, (Avoid placing objects evenly spaced in a row; horizontal lines lead the eye out of the picture.) I also make the objects relate to one another by overlapping and staggering them on different planes. des for Sell Life Setups © Teepe (© dsc int © Cay ee > 6000 AND BAD ae SETUPS The setup ents of varying Shapes and sins, {© Frits ard eps, was poorly composed, ‘with unimaginative horironta ines and dull viewing angles. ‘inding a Theme A successful still life usually has some kind of theme. I often choose objects that are related by type or by function, such as a bow! of fruit or a collection of pottery: The elements ean also be tied together by color or shape—either because they are visually similar (such as ork in the example on page 2 use they make exciting contrasts (a example at right). You may also choose a very personal theme, selecting objects that have particular meaning or senti- mental value to you, such as a child’s first shoes and drinking cup or a group of beloved books. in the > ENLIVENING THE voided making this Fel fe too stati by srouping objects of very diferent shapes 24UNITING THE ELEMENTS Here | sed similar patterns and colors to tie the objects together, creating & more harmonious composition, — Choosing a Light Source ‘When seting up asi it, ighting almost as smportant as the objects themseves Light defines ‘he forms by creating highlights and shadows and ‘ast shadows, whether long or short. can be an Interesting element the compastionTry using 2 Portable np witha exible neck to experiment ‘with ciferent lighting anges and eflects NNotce how the direction ofthe light acts the cast shadows inthe examples at ight The light source i high and behing the fst orange creating strong highlight on the let and a short cast had ‘ow tovard the fron. The ight source low and 1 the lof the second orange, the shadow is Jong and cast toward the rt Keep these points ‘2 mid 0 help make your pangs look ealstic 25Rendering Water WATER IS A DRAMATIC and dynamie painting subject because it has so many moods and takes on so many forms— and watercolor is the perfect choice for painting water scenes. ‘The fluidity of the medium makes it easy to capture the differ- ent reflective qualities of water—whether ies a calm and peace- ful pond, a moving and invigorating stream, or a turbulent and violent sea. I begin by determining the mood I want to convey in my painting, and then I choose the appropriate colors and techniques to mateh that feeling, Depicting Wave Action ‘Crashing waves are an excng subject to pant The ation is very powerful and the play of Ight and eolr has a dramatic impact. Lbegn by simplifng the wave into a base cured shape Then | use contrasts of fight and dark colors and hard and sft edges to create the form ofthe wave, Keep in rind that darks rece and ights Speed a smuwarer Svea spec techniques help me captre te Feed and move Sone ing ot _ment of ocean waves. | add salt to the wash behind the waves to. ee Cie! he nn pray Or somcees|ue sanper oa rrr reagan atramaring toverape bck he pant to est o reece a a re eae 2 sf ees roe the wares gov wh 2 paper towel mcucerne Crete scr by ng water othe ee of the wish bere Soa the weerane ts cred ir efecto merge: Notice that the water reflects the sy colors a ll & Parmanent Ultraman lie & Painting Reflections Tam fascinated by the way water reflects an image of anything above its surface, including the sky and clouds. I always make the reflection mirror the colors and tones of the surroundings, but the shape and size of the reflection depends on whether the water is still or mo > waren uLies Foret pated te ng, When painting sil water, eep in watering lee mind thatthe reflections are the same size and shape as the ‘isan my palette, abject being reflected. But in moving water, the curved surface Seber wetine wet na etng te cars tice dow te paper of the ripples and waves lengthens and distorts the reflections. 26Painting Fur and Feathers TLOVE ANIMALS—and I love to paint them with watercolor because the medium is so versatile. I can depict the softness of fur with wet-into-wet washes, and I can easily duplicate the texture of hair and feathers with drybrush. It’s fun to explore the realistic ef- fects that can be produced with different brushes and techniques. Suiting the Technique to the Texture When T'm painting a subject from a distance, I merely suggest the fur oF plumage, concentrating on the subjec’s form instead. Bue when I'm painting from a eloser view, | apply special techniques t0 achieve a more detailed rendering. Below are some examples of animal textures. |A RENDERING THE EYE Ifyou ‘apture the lok in an animals eyes, Yyourreallyeapeure ts Ikeness. es fot ficult todo if you study your Feferonce carefully and Simpify the parts into basic shapes. then applied the layers or glazes of aor, leaving the highs white. > COMBINING TECHNIQUES have shown the varying textures Innis hawk by using smooth, wet strokes forthe beak and eye and rougher dryorush for the Read feathers. SF ua feathers, stare with a wet-nto- wee wash, and then apply layers ‘ot wetsincondry to bulld up the Sopth and color. Define the dark ledges of the feathors ast using a fine, dry brush Ey apply one layer of drybrush over’ smooth blends and soft edges of another, varying the colors and the length of your strokes. ‘Smooth out any rough areas by going over the strokes witha dry fan brushCapturing the Charm of Children IT'S HARD TO FIND a more appealing subject than chil ae x’ N s. dren. I have enjoyed painting my own children since they were just babies, Because each piece freezes a moment in time and preserves it forever, I now have a very unique, per sonal record of their childhood, When painting your own children or grandchildren, try to caprure their youth and innocence by keeping the colors light, bright, and fresh. > CHECKING. Tas guidelines ws ‘or Targerin relation to the face than le does for aduts, (Sketches by Wiliam FPowel) < ze > SKETCHING MOVEME! f 4 etree ere J. 4 4 Start with a Good Drawing As with any subject, I always start with a good drawing, I sug- ‘gest you practice sketching children as often as you can. Observe them engaged in different activities, making: many quick sketches so you learn to see what makes children unique, Pay special attention to their proportions as you draw, so your final paintings will look like real children instead of small adults, puTTINGA CHILD INA SCENE Ineluding a eid in a caster than painting a Specie portrait. T chose this pose to focus on the general forms and sn tones Bout eapeuring 3 0Creating Flesh Tones My approach to painting flesh tones is to decide on a the paper pop forward.wie My Cpy ns ee feud wT About the Artist Caroline Linscott has been interested in art and fascinated by color for as longa she can remember. A professional artist who paints primarily in watercolor, Caroline has remarked, “Iam very fortunate tobe doing what ove and do best. fel as though Pm on an escalator with no end insight as to where my art journey will take me” Although Catone minored in art in college, she didn't begin painting in watercolor until about 1989, A longtime admirer of fine watercolor painting, Caroline started taking local art lasses in Sedona, Arizona, and she became “hooked” on the medium, Caroline now lives in Southern California, where she teaches watercolor to children and adults. Carolin is also very active on local arts councils and in the arts community, and she served as president of Women Artists ofthe West for thre years, ending her tenure in 1998, She is also the author of a book titled Art of the American West. he % Poe . a FRE LIET CLe ESET UFO EIS Bi, Wat ee ; porta mens velsaliafPRANrs consee i pedeHOM, MOC RS Ai) Ride rpoae i. D2 ¢ —_— a ae ." bs ; Walter Foster Art Instruction Program 14 ; How to Draw & Paint Series |The titles inthis classic Walter Foster series contain progressive visual demonstrations, expert advice, and simple written ew ¢ echo ae estat erp eset age eet pre Leste eek perettnn erento ee periec ae ie to walk the reader through the artistic process step by step, from preparation work and preliminary sketches to special techniques and final details. Organized into six categories of instruction, these books provide insight into an array of media and subjects yt nn genet) [weer =) Plow ‘ a . Fe . ( \ ; CH) Faas epee te ote nanee fry re Wack omens) anlar ea rca Artist's Library Series “These titles offer both beginning and advanced artists the opportunity to Drawing Made Easy and Watercolor Made Easy Series very aspiring artist should have the opportunity to ‘experience the joy oflearning to draw and paint without having to deal with intimidating, complicated lessons. ‘The books in these series simplify even the most complex ‘concepts, making it easy forthe beginner to gain an in-depth understanding of pencil or watercolor. These enjoyable, informative guides will teach you all you need to know about tools and materials and demonstrate basic strokes and techniques. Then you'll discover a wealth of step-by-step projects allowing you to put your newfound skills to work. Water Foster produtsareavaable sartand craft sores everywhere. Fora list of ies, st our weit stwnvatertotercom, Water Foster Publishing. ne 3 Weg, suite A levine, CA 92618 Main Line 99380-7510 ‘Tol Free 8004260059, ‘© Waller Foster Publishing, ne Al ight reserve eed (PR ARTE conscotet: mei hs velspmneIn this book, Caroline Linscott Ke offers the perfect introduction to the exciting world of watercolor! paintings that will inspire you to explore the medium further, Caroline covers a wide range of popular subjects and introduces a ‘numberof basic art concepts and painting techniques all clearly explained and illustrated. Then you'l be ready for Watercolor 2, where youl fin step-by- step demonstrations to help you further your painting sil J © Disaver an array of special igus that wi lp you render tetas end ring your paintings of Inside you'll find an array of Pind valuable ps jor creating a sense of lines ad dept al your mater «olor pain eae the bases of pining any subject by starting with simple htc ond Inulin up ts form with values. ‘Sn 1:71. 660048507 win: