Paynes Prairie
6x8 inches
oil on panel
silver frame
300.00
Purchase HERE
Art Notes Blog HERE
Painters Tip
Using watercolor for studies
This post is for painters who do not use Water Color as a medium
I have discovered that watercolor makes a great medium for miniature studies both in the field and in studio. All of you WC painters are laughing at me as you read this. DUH!!! I have never been a fan of the medium, so I have ignored the possibilities to my shame. I still could never see myself doing serious work with WC but as a study medium it is perfect for me or any other oil painter.
It works particularly well in small format because it is easy to control. One of the things I have never liked about WC is the lack of saturation in most paintings I see. They are pale and insipid, lacking the rich quality of color that acrylics or oils can give. In using the small format of 5x7 or smaller, I noticed that I am able to increase the saturtion quite easily by doing multiple layers in some areas, leaving other areas pale, creating interesting atmosphere.
My discovery of the potential of WC came thanks to my sponsor,Jack Richeson & Company, who sent me a couple of sets of Stephen Quiller Water Colors to try out. They sat around the studio for a couple of months. As many of you know, I do hundreds of tiny studies every year. I use various methods and medium for these miniature paintings, including markers,pens,acrylics, and colored pencils. One of my students gave me a nice little watercolor pad of paper to use for studies. One day I thought humm.... WC paper, WC paint. Why not give it a whirl?
Now I am hooked and having a splendid time doing miniatures with WC. I can see why it is such a popular medium because it is so much faster than other mediums. To do the same painting in acrylic or oil would take about twice the time. For field work it is a great way to do quick painting references you can take back to the studio and work from for oil paintings.
Old dogs can learn new tricks :>)
No comments:
Post a Comment