Watercolor Signatures with “Confidence”

Hello everyone thanks for joining me.

            Today we will talk about the importance of signatures in watercolor art.

To get started, we must prepare our minds for learning something new. To do that, we must forget what we have heard - forget what our friends have told us, and to remember that the simple fact toward achieving success in watercolor painting, is through its “simplicity.’’ No other medium can boast such a claim. 

What your Signature looks like really does matter

            A signature is a symbol that represents a person's name, their existence, their legacy. That symbol represents the distinct identification of you, your individuality, and of your self-awareness. No other symbol can represent your existing on this planet as much as your signature can. A signature carved into a rock out in the middle of a desert shows the world that you, the individual, had existed, placed hands on that rock at some time in history, and it gives meaning to our existence in this world. The same thing can be said about scribing your individual symbol to your artwork. It tells the world that you existed, that you placed hands upon it, that you created it, and that you left your legacy, your emotions, your unique individualism within it. 

It says that I was there

            Why do some artists then never fulfill their artwork with their individual symbols? Whether finished or not, we must show the world who placed mind and soul to brush and pigment and left behind that work. This act not only helps to identify who the creator was, but it also supports culturalism as a progressive existence. Collective cultural patterns of emotional significance can be explored through artwork created centuries ago. Through one single painting, a cultural atmosphere can be speculated and written into history books. This presents a further understanding of the ages, how people lived, what the emotional atmospheres were, and it is finalized by the symbol of those who recorded it. We as artists have an obligation to the cultures of today and of tomorrow, to record the emotional atmospheres as we recognize them. This, along with our signature, our individuality, our being, can be analyzed centuries from now and provide historians with realistic emotional atmosphere and cultural perspectives of our times.

            The importance of our signature upon our artworks must be realized. But, how should we be scribing our symbols for more accurate assessment, identification and legacy purposes? Mere initials of our being just won’t do. There are far too many people on this planet with the same initials. No, we must provide as much information about ourselves and our being, along with our recording of realistic and accurate cultural interpretations we see today.

Master Watercolor Artist Jim McNeil Existed. Gone, but not forgotten.

            Signing your name legibly and for all to identify for centuries to come makes more sense than a mere scribble of unrecognizable letters. Will you proclaim that that artwork is yours, and of you, by you, and for all to remember, with confidence? Or will you scribble unrecognizable letters to your work and claim no distinct responsibility of it? As you have learned, it is more beneficial to create a readable symbol of you. Didn’t you have the confidence during your creation of the artwork? Then, show that by providing your full and distinct individuality in the way of a confidently and legible signature applied to your work. 

Respect your Signature, Apply with Confidence.

            Whether you choose to brush-in your signature, scratch in your name or use a calligraphy pen to adorn your symbol to your work, do so with pride, and do it with legible confidence. Providing your full first name with the last name, or signing your first name with your middle name and your last name, will provide for better clarity than the lazy scribble or indecipherable initials. Also, creating an image symbol, of say an owl, to represent your name instead of your name is just silly. Be responsible for what you create for centuries to come. Know that your symbol, your being, your legacy will be understood as it should be. Imagine that what you say today, will provide interpretation, speculation and imagination three-hundred years from now. Now if that isn’t legacy, I don’t know what is. People will read your name, and they will attempt to understand you as you are today. 

Make it clear, make it confident, and make it last.

Watercolor Reflections and Shadows with “Confidence”

Hello and welcome to another exciting discussion about watercolors.

            Today we will explore the wonderful techniques of creating reflections and shadows in watercolors.

Reflections & Shadows

Getting started, we should prepare our minds for what’s to come. In preparation, we must forget what we have heard - forget what our friends have told us, and remember that the simple fact toward achieving success in watercolor painting, is through its “simplicity.’’ No other medium can boast such a claim.

     

     

Light + Object = Reflection

 

    What exactly is a reflection anyway? We see them every day; we even paint their mystique images. I don’t know about you, but I am always taken in by the sheer beauty of a reflection, especially when appearing on a surface of a beautiful still pond. To understand how to paint realistic reflections, we must first understand the characteristics of the phenomenon. 

            The first thing to understand about reflections is that most objects on earth do not emit their own light. Well, some strange fish do, and also some strange fungi, but we aren’t interested in that today. Instead, most objects reflect the light that hits the object from a different light source, not of their own making. For instance: a big red barn does not emit its own light. That would be really neat, but it doesn’t. So, let’s assume that the sun does that, which it does. Therefore we see the big red barn because light hits the barn and then that light reflects off of the barn into our eyes, which gives us the colorful image of the color spectrum. Now think about this for a moment? Light from the sun hits the big red barn which transmits a reflected light ray of the barn into a small pond nearby, this reflected light ray then continues on by reflecting off of the pond surface into an endless direction until the light rays either become further reflected or eliminated and absorbed into a mountain side. I know light rays are totally neat aren’t they? They literally keep going on until they can’t. How does this help us paint better reflections? Well, that’s easy, all reflections conform to physics. Physics tells us that light rays reflect, or diffuse in certain ways. The angle of the reflection is what really matters here and we want to make sure that our reflections look as realistic and believable as possible.

Can you tell where the light source was coming from?

            It is the angle of reflection that interests us most. So, now imagine that big red barn again. The first important aspect we must consider is the angle from the light source to the big red barn. Where’s the sun, and where’s the barn? The light will hit the barn on an imaginary straight line from the sun. Then, the reflection of the barn will also be transmitted on the same imaginary line. However, because that imaginary line hit an object, it must reflect, or in better terms, it must bounce off of it. But it can’t go straight through it. It must be reflected according to the eyes perspective. If you can see the reflected light side of the barn, you can see the reflection. The same thing goes for reflections in ponds, lakes, and bodies of water. The reflection from the water should be closest to the eyes on the imaginary line. Then follow that imaginary line from the water to the object. Hit the object and bounce off towards the light source. It’s that easy. If you can imagine the angle of the imaginary line after it hits an object, you will be able to demonstrate an accurate example of a reflection. But ultimately that reflection must end at the viewer’s eyes. 

 Shadows of Objects

           

          The same thing can be said about shadows. However, instead of a shadow having elements of light, it has elements of dark matter. A shadow is simply a cast reflection of an objects dark matter, on the direct opposite side of the light source. Draw an imaginary line from the light source directly to and through the object and it is on the opposite side of the light that gives you the location of the shadow.

           

          To create realistic reflections, here are a few pigment considerations. All reflections are determined by the colors of the reflected object. The light rays get absorbed by the object and in turn reflect its true color combination. However, often times a reflection combines with the color matter of the object reflecting it. For example reflections in the water. The reflection of the red barn will have all of the same colors, but also must include a portion of the watercolor. So, using a slightly darker grayer/bluer tone of the reflected object in the water will present a better truism.  Also, note that if the water surface is rough, the reflected light will then be transmitted in irregular directions. This appears as a broken or blurred reflection image in the water. For shadows, they are normally the same color of the object that the other object reflects upon. For instance: the red barn will not have a red shadow on the green grass. It may have a slight tint of red, but the majority of the shadow will be a tone of dark green to dark-grey/green.

Wet Reflections

Light and Shadows

      Physics is a wonderful art in itself, and understanding the basic characteristics of what we see every day, will help us recreate those natural occurrences in our master-pieces.

Understanding the elements creates confidence. Your confidence will take you to new heights. Good luck and create some amazing reflections and shadows. Don’t forget that reflections occur on most objects. So look carefully and find those reflections.

Watercolor Wet-into-Wet Technique with “Confidence”

Welcome back and thanks for joining me.

            Today we will unlock the techniques of wet-into-wet watercolors.

We must start by preparing our minds for understanding. To do that, you must forget what we have heard - forget what our friends have told us, and remember that the simple fact toward achieving success in watercolor painting, is through its “simplicity.’’ No other medium can boast such a claim. 

Wet-Into-Wet Technique

            The wet-into-wet technique allows for smooth color transitions and is often used in the beginning stages of most paintings. The wet-into-wet technique can safely be used at any stage to deliver subtly blended color effects. When used in the beginning stages, the paper is moistened in all of the areas where the pigments will be applied. The areas left dry will not present the same effects. The pigment follows the water flow, and artists will use that flow pattern in a way that best suits their image design. To do this with wet-into-wet, the artist slants their paper in the directions they want the pigment to flow. Again, remember, the pigment flows wherever the water flows. This is important for creating certain patterns and designs on the paper. For example: to create a sky using the wet-into-wet technique, you must first determine the direction that would best illustrate the natural flow of clouds, sun rays, and the effect of distance. It is common to create skies with the paper slanted right-side down or left-side down. The pigment and water will seek the path of least resistance, and that path is down.

           

           

Hot Press (Smooth-Paper)

Controlling the effects of wet-into-wet techniques requires an understanding of how well water flows and saturates the particular paper you are using. Water runs faster and more freely on surfaces with less grain. Rough grained papers tend to soak up the water much faster, and also tends to pool your pigments into the valleys, leaving the raised grain (hill) portions unpigmented. Applying practice and experimentation on smaller sample pieces of paper will help you determine the overall characteristics before you begin your masterpiece. 

            The best characteristics that the wet-into-wet technique offers, is the soft-blending of colors and the soft-edges. I begin all of my paintings using the wet-into-wet technique. I use this technique as a reference for the rest of my painting. I first begin with a completely wet paper, the areas I want to be left dry I cover with masking fluid, other than that, the whole paper is always wet. I always begin at the top of the paper and work down, remember that water runs down-hill. As I move across and down the paper, I work in all of the different colors that will serve as a guide later on. Once I have applied my very first wet-into-wet wash I leave it to dry. When I come back, I have a subdued smoothly blended under-layer image of my painting. During this first wash, I make sure that I apply my colors as close to the final color darkness as possible. I also apply all of my reflections, and shadows within this first wash. The only thing left to do after the first wash dries, is to go back through and apply the sharp-edges, highlighted areas, and to create the defining elements.

Starting the defining elements after the first wash

Fun with Water/Pigment Fluidity

            Wet-into-wet is a very fun and spontaneous technique. It can be used to make amazing images. Because of its ability to create soft edges and color-blending, it is an ideal technique for not over-stating things. I am a firm believer that watercolors should be suggestive in appearance and not equal to the appearance of a photograph. The very nature of combined water and pigment should be felt. Hard crisp edges go against the true nature and characteristic of a medium of fluidity. 

            Tilt your papers and watch that pigment flow. Create wonderful soft edges, reflections, and shadows. Make your work suggestive, smooth, and blended.

Watercolor Skies with “Confidence”

Hello everyone thanks for joining me.

            Today we will talk about the importance of skies in watercolor art.

The Sky tells all.

         To get started, let’s prepare our minds for learning something new. To do that, you must forget what you have heard - forget what your friends have told you, and remember that the simple fact toward achieving success in watercolor painting, is through its “simplicity.’’ No other medium can boast such a claim. 

Superb! If we tend to always hold onto what we think is right, we make it difficult for ourselves to learn new perspectives. Learning new perspectives allows our capabilities to expand.

            It is my mission to expand your capabilities in watercolor, but, expand them with confidence. Confidence is what takes us into the unknown. The unknown is where the creativity within us will be found. And it is through creativity that will set you apart from everyone else. It is a path that all successful artists must take.

           

Do you feel that Emotion?

 

        Skies are one of the most important elements of realism in art. I am not talking about realism as portrayed in a perfectly recreated photograph painting. No, I am talking about realism as an element of feelings, emotions, and life. 

            Before we go any further, there is one thing I want you to do right now. And that is to stop using the word sky. I know, you think this is a strange request, right? However, instead of using the word sky, replace it with the word mood. Mood suggests a state of mind. It is through the sky that exhibits the greatest sense of emotion and feeling within a work of art. Look at any painting that offers a glimpse of the sky, and decide if that sky sets the whole mood for the rest of the painting? Yes, if that artist truly understood the significance of the sky, as portrayed as mood, emotions, and feelings, then that mood (the sky) should have set the tone and atmosphere of the entire painting.

Without the sky, what other element would create mood?

           

       Often times the mood (sky) is not thought of as something so delicately required. Instead, artists get so caught up into over-expressing a material object within their work, and that object had no impact on the paintings overall tone, atmosphere, emotion or feeling. Ask yourself, what emotion would you feel from a stormy sky? What emotion would you feel from a bowl of fruit? I hope that the stormy sky invoked the strongest of emotion. 

             Now that you understand the real significance of the sky, you should also understand how to respectfully present it. Artists have many ways of painting in their skies. Some paint them in before anything else, and others wait until the end. Whatever method you choose to use, there are a few techniques that you can employ to strengthen the mood. Skies do not need to be created with such realistic detail, as can be found in photographs. Sometimes you will lose a lot of potential mood by overstating something, especially the sky. Skies are full of color, that color creates the mood. An angry sky has deep dark colors, and a weak sky may have just one simple soft color. Whatever colors you choose to use, must be reflected throughout the rest of the painting. This is the one key element that helps mood flow. For instance, a painting of a white house in winter, with a sky colored in the shades of orange and yellow tones makes no sense. Is it summer or is it winter? Create the mood, but do it realistically. It has to make sense. Yes, a summer sky in a winter scene is creative, but the mood gets confused. 

The sky sets the mood for the entire painting.

            The best practice for creating skies with perfect mood is by observation. Observe what looks real, add some strengthening mood elements to it, and let those elements flow throughout the rest of the painting. For creative and imagined skies, any color works, but again, those colors used in the sky should be reflected throughout the rest of the painting. Through my personal experience, I paint in my skies immediately, before anything else. This gives me something to follow, the mood for the rest of my painting. I highly enjoy creating my skies with tones of indigo. I often mix in some shades of raw sienna, cobalt blue, cobalt violet and a hint of light reds. For my all blue skies, shades of cobalt blue, cobalt violet, and shades of raw sienna are used. Whatever colors you choose to use, just be sure that you emphasize the mood of the painting using the sky. It is a very important element.

The Mood, the Atmosphere, the Emotion.

            Good luck, enjoy, and create some spectacular moody paintings.