The Watercolor of the Community Church

I did get to move along a little on this. Half the grandsons went sailing and half were immersed in World Cup Soccer.

Putting it into black and white version was sure a help. I did it partly because it is going to be reprinted in black and white and I needed to see how that would look. The other is that it sure gives you a quick and dirty look at the values!

I certainly want to rewash the lawn...darkening it at the right lower edge and grading it lighter at the driveway to give it a little curve down the hill and make the contrast a little better against the driveway. And I think I'll try to make the sign out front show up a little more with contrast by putting more dark behind that area. I think.

I did scrub out the light clouds which are not very visible in black and white but I've decided that is okay. I used a "fabric dye" brush by Loew Cornell which is what Ann Abgott recommended last April in her watercolor class. She likes them better than Fitch scrubbers...more gentle on the paper. I agree.

Community Presbyterian Church of Lac du Flambeau, WI. 9 x 12 140 lb. Arches cold press.

First Glazes on Watercolor

You can see below in the 3 previous pictures of the little church watercolor that the roof line is nice and pristine after the wash of the sky.

Now I am proceeding with some yellow and gray washes on the building and on the roof. I am not going for as much "detail" as I sometimes do on an architectural piece. In actuality the "commission" is for a black and white image to put on the cover of a church directory. So at first I was going to do a ink drawing. But there is already an ink sketch of the church done by someone else and so I thought this might be more fun. I'll have to try to run off black and white copies when I am done with it to see how the value contrast is coming along. Another few hours should complete this.

Right now it's just "floating" and when I start putting in the trees and lawn and the cute little sign out to the right side the painting will begin to take "root". I will also scrub out and soften up the clouds that I lifted slightly while the sky wash was wet and give them a little depth as well.

I haven't really done a watercolor architectural piece since I did that gift for my friend Mary last winter. So this is such a treat! This one is smaller (to fit on an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of copy paper). It's on Arches cold press watercolor paper. My all-time favorite.

"Out For Lunch": Gouache and Watercolor

Some one of my blogger friends sent me the original photo that is the inspiration for this painting (with permission to use it) I added the figures and redesigned the space some. (I am fond of umbrellas.)

This is what I worked on in Karen's class today. Watercolor and gouache.

I learned more about how to manipulate the two mediums. And why many artists prefer to work with white gouache and watercolor rather than buy gouache paint.

The answer is that the combination of the transparent paint and the opaque paint has a special quality you don't get with gouache alone (which is flatter and chalkier). AND I learned that you can do a wash with gouache over watercolor or over other colors of gouache.
Karen had us do some preliminary exercises on wet paper adding watercolor and then white gouache. Blending and allow some surprises to happen. She often then uses this as an inspiration for a painting.

She also worked on a floral in the afternoon which she drew first using both transparent watercolor and adding gouache with it both wet and dry.

I was not in the mood for a floral so I used the drawing that I brought with me for my work in the afternoon. I still have a long ways to go and with gouache you have the opportunity to re-do so many things. I am particularly unhappy with the grays in the background behind the umbrellas...I'd like some muted and softer shapes but not what is there. I need to work through the figures so they do not distract from the center of interest but lead into it. I need to resolve both the left and right sides of the painting in the same way..interesting shapes but not pulling away and not too much detail or contrast. A nice day and a great group of people. (No rain today but no sunshine either. We all have our fingers crossed for the plein air tomorrow morning!)