Thursday, 18 July 2013
Watercolor Painting
Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (Commonwealth and Ireland), also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle.
The traditional and most common support for watercolor paintings is paper; other supports include papyrus, bark papers, plastics, vellum or leather, fabric, wood, and canvas. Watercolors are usually transparent, and appear luminous because the pigments are laid down in a relatively pure form with few fillers obscuring the pigment colors. Watercolor can also be made opaque by adding Chinese white. In East Asia, watercolor painting with inks is referred to as brush painting or scroll painting. In Chinese, Korean, and Japanese painting it has been the dominant medium, often in monochrome black or browns. India, Ethiopia and other countries also have long traditions. Fingerpainting with watercolor paints originated in China.
10:17
Unknown
Watercolor Painting
Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (Commonwealth and Ireland), also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle.
The traditional and most common support for watercolor paintings is paper; other supports include papyrus, bark papers, plastics, vellum or leather, fabric, wood, and canvas. Watercolors are usually transparent, and appear luminous because the pigments are laid down in a relatively pure form with few fillers obscuring the pigment colors. Watercolor can also be made opaque by adding Chinese white. In East Asia, watercolor painting with inks is referred to as brush painting or scroll painting. In Chinese, Korean, and Japanese painting it has been the dominant medium, often in monochrome black or browns. India, Ethiopia and other countries also have long traditions. Fingerpainting with watercolor paints originated in China.
Pencils, a
Brief Overview
Pencils range in hardness and blackness from 9H to
9B. Pencil manufacturers use the letter "H" to indicate a hard pencil
and "B" to designate the blackness of the pencil's mark. The letter
"F" indicates that the pencil sharpens to a fine point. 9H pencil is
the hardest pencil available. 9B is the softest pencil you can get and it will
create the darkest lines. My ‘pencil kit’ ranges from 2H to 2B, but I recommend
using up to a 6B for deep shadows and bold, dark lines. You will find that any
harder that 2H is quite difficult to use and may create dents in your paper.
For fine details, you will often require a sharp
pencil, or a mechanical pencil. Using a sharp or mechanical pencil with keep
all your strokes fine and small.
Paper &
Other Materials
You will also require good quality paper, an eraser
and a sharpener. Make sure you have a clean and uncluttered desk to draw on, or
if that is impossible or you are outside, draw on a solid clipboard with a
bulldog clip to stop your paper from flying.
You might find the kneaded rubber eraser to be an
invaluable tool for eliminating erroneous lines and softening tone as you have
a lot more control than a generic rubber. Using a patting technique you can
gently lighten areas which are too dark, or to harmonize incongruent tone. (Or
you might find it a complete waste of money, as personally, I hate kneaded
erases, they are too malleable, and when molded to a fine point never stay that
way.)
Your papers’ texture can drastically determine the
kind of drawing you will create, and may require different pencils. Drawing
realistically, with plenty of details requires smoother paper, characterized by
not very much tooth (texture) so that the individual pencil strokes are barely
evident. Rough paper holds more graphite than smooth paper, allowing your
drawings to have deeper shadows, and more contrast, though the grainy texture
of rough paper makes it difficult to render fine detail. Drawing on smooth
paper requires softer pencils to create dark shades.
Medium paper give the best of both worlds (purchase
it if you are unsure of your own preference), paper with enough ‘tooth’ to
grasp the graphite without producing a metallic sheen, but smooth enough to
allow for the application of relatively fine detail. I draw on 100% cotton Rag
paper, which is long lasting and gives me the freedom to watercolour my
drawings.
Holding Your
Pencil
To draw with a pencil skillfully you must be able to
hold your pencil in a comfortable position where you have optimal control. If
you have pain in the hand or shoulder after a long drawing session, it could be
an indication of holding your pencil ‘incorrectly’. Don’t grip relentlessly to
your pencil, and drive it into your paper with your entire body weight! The
paper is not your enemy, soothe it with delicate, beautiful pencil stokes and
it with reward your poise with a lovely drawing.
There is no real ‘correct’ way to hold a pencil when
drawing; it is a matter of personal preference, and comfort. Experiment with
different grips (perhaps the way you hold your fork or maybe in a similar way
to how you hold chopsticks).
Drawing
Techniques
The technique you use will habitually be determined
by the initial purpose of your drawing, or the aspirations you have for the
illustration. Sketching for a watercolour would require an entirely different
technique than that for a detailed photo-realistic drawing. You have most
likely seen the techniques cross-hatching, circles, scribbles and contour lines
and you may have even experimented with a couple, but have you ever completed
your final work with these techniques?
THE RULES
·
It won’t hurt to go over them
·
Objects appear smaller as they move back away
from your eye and equally objects drawn larger appear closer!
·
Lines and surfaces are their largest closest to
the picture plane.
·
Lines or edges that are parallel appear to meet
as they recede from the picture plane.
·
All vertical lines are parallel when using one
point perspective (the viewer is not looking up or down at the objects)
·
Objects drawn in front of one another appear
closer (overlapping!)
·
Images further away will appear lighter, with
less contrast and detail.
09:55
Unknown
Pencils, a
Brief Overview
Pencils range in hardness and blackness from 9H to
9B. Pencil manufacturers use the letter "H" to indicate a hard pencil
and "B" to designate the blackness of the pencil's mark. The letter
"F" indicates that the pencil sharpens to a fine point. 9H pencil is
the hardest pencil available. 9B is the softest pencil you can get and it will
create the darkest lines. My ‘pencil kit’ ranges from 2H to 2B, but I recommend
using up to a 6B for deep shadows and bold, dark lines. You will find that any
harder that 2H is quite difficult to use and may create dents in your paper.
For fine details, you will often require a sharp
pencil, or a mechanical pencil. Using a sharp or mechanical pencil with keep
all your strokes fine and small.
Paper &
Other Materials
You will also require good quality paper, an eraser
and a sharpener. Make sure you have a clean and uncluttered desk to draw on, or
if that is impossible or you are outside, draw on a solid clipboard with a
bulldog clip to stop your paper from flying.
You might find the kneaded rubber eraser to be an
invaluable tool for eliminating erroneous lines and softening tone as you have
a lot more control than a generic rubber. Using a patting technique you can
gently lighten areas which are too dark, or to harmonize incongruent tone. (Or
you might find it a complete waste of money, as personally, I hate kneaded
erases, they are too malleable, and when molded to a fine point never stay that
way.)
Your papers’ texture can drastically determine the
kind of drawing you will create, and may require different pencils. Drawing
realistically, with plenty of details requires smoother paper, characterized by
not very much tooth (texture) so that the individual pencil strokes are barely
evident. Rough paper holds more graphite than smooth paper, allowing your
drawings to have deeper shadows, and more contrast, though the grainy texture
of rough paper makes it difficult to render fine detail. Drawing on smooth
paper requires softer pencils to create dark shades.
Medium paper give the best of both worlds (purchase
it if you are unsure of your own preference), paper with enough ‘tooth’ to
grasp the graphite without producing a metallic sheen, but smooth enough to
allow for the application of relatively fine detail. I draw on 100% cotton Rag
paper, which is long lasting and gives me the freedom to watercolour my
drawings.
Holding Your
Pencil
To draw with a pencil skillfully you must be able to
hold your pencil in a comfortable position where you have optimal control. If
you have pain in the hand or shoulder after a long drawing session, it could be
an indication of holding your pencil ‘incorrectly’. Don’t grip relentlessly to
your pencil, and drive it into your paper with your entire body weight! The
paper is not your enemy, soothe it with delicate, beautiful pencil stokes and
it with reward your poise with a lovely drawing.
There is no real ‘correct’ way to hold a pencil when
drawing; it is a matter of personal preference, and comfort. Experiment with
different grips (perhaps the way you hold your fork or maybe in a similar way
to how you hold chopsticks).
Drawing
Techniques
The technique you use will habitually be determined
by the initial purpose of your drawing, or the aspirations you have for the
illustration. Sketching for a watercolour would require an entirely different
technique than that for a detailed photo-realistic drawing. You have most
likely seen the techniques cross-hatching, circles, scribbles and contour lines
and you may have even experimented with a couple, but have you ever completed
your final work with these techniques?
THE RULES
·
It won’t hurt to go over them
·
Objects appear smaller as they move back away
from your eye and equally objects drawn larger appear closer!
·
Lines and surfaces are their largest closest to
the picture plane.
·
Lines or edges that are parallel appear to meet
as they recede from the picture plane.
·
All vertical lines are parallel when using one
point perspective (the viewer is not looking up or down at the objects)
·
Objects drawn in front of one another appear
closer (overlapping!)
·
Images further away will appear lighter, with
less contrast and detail.
How to Draw coffee Paintings
Did you know that coffee provides an inexpensive "paint" that can
yield dramatic artwork? This activity will give your child a hands-on
experience with natural dyes like coffee, as well as giving her a tactile
experience that will reinforce learning and result in lots of fun along the
way!
What
You Need:
Coffee grounds, used. The longer the grounds steep in the water the darker the
"paint" will be. Instant coffee crystals work well to make different
shades of color.
- Paper
- Bowls for shades
- Paper towel
- Strainer
- Paintbrush
- Newspaper
- Apron or old shirt
- Crayons – white and green
What You Do:
- Put a couple of tablespoons of coffee grounds in a bowl and cover it with water. Let it soak.
- Have your child sketch a picture of a house or animal. Outline the house or the animal in white crayon. Have her press hard on the crayon and fill in as much of her outline as possible.
- Use the green crayon to draw a line for her house or animal to stand on. This is the horizon. She can also make leaves or grass. Remember to have her press hard on the crayons while drawing.
- Using the paintbrush, have her use the coffee "paint" to paint across her colored sketch. It doesn't matter if some of the grounds get onto the paper. The wax in the crayons will resist the coffee dye and keep the color of the crayon.
Let the picture dry
- Have your child again paint over the parts of the picture that she wants to be darker. Using the same shade over dry paper will darken the shade.
- Strain the grounds from the leftover paint and have your child use her fingers to spread the grounds on one portion of the picture.
- Keep picture flat to dry. It is fine if some of the grounds drop off after the picture dries. Now you should have a beautifully stained drawing with the white image still shining through!
Did You Know?
- Coffee painting uses the natural dye in coffee to stain the paper.
- Coffee is only one natural stain or dye. Tea also creates stains. The gills, and dark parts of mushrooms produce some amazing shades of color. Ask your child if she can think of other liquids that dye paper or cloth.
09:42
Unknown
How to Draw coffee Paintings
Did you know that coffee provides an inexpensive "paint" that can
yield dramatic artwork? This activity will give your child a hands-on
experience with natural dyes like coffee, as well as giving her a tactile
experience that will reinforce learning and result in lots of fun along the
way!
What
You Need:
Coffee grounds, used. The longer the grounds steep in the water the darker the
"paint" will be. Instant coffee crystals work well to make different
shades of color.
- Paper
- Bowls for shades
- Paper towel
- Strainer
- Paintbrush
- Newspaper
- Apron or old shirt
- Crayons – white and green
What You Do:
- Put a couple of tablespoons of coffee grounds in a bowl and cover it with water. Let it soak.
- Have your child sketch a picture of a house or animal. Outline the house or the animal in white crayon. Have her press hard on the crayon and fill in as much of her outline as possible.
- Use the green crayon to draw a line for her house or animal to stand on. This is the horizon. She can also make leaves or grass. Remember to have her press hard on the crayons while drawing.
- Using the paintbrush, have her use the coffee "paint" to paint across her colored sketch. It doesn't matter if some of the grounds get onto the paper. The wax in the crayons will resist the coffee dye and keep the color of the crayon.
Let the picture dry
- Have your child again paint over the parts of the picture that she wants to be darker. Using the same shade over dry paper will darken the shade.
- Strain the grounds from the leftover paint and have your child use her fingers to spread the grounds on one portion of the picture.
- Keep picture flat to dry. It is fine if some of the grounds drop off after the picture dries. Now you should have a beautifully stained drawing with the white image still shining through!
Did You Know?
- Coffee painting uses the natural dye in coffee to stain the paper.
- Coffee is only one natural stain or dye. Tea also creates stains. The gills, and dark parts of mushrooms produce some amazing shades of color. Ask your child if she can think of other liquids that dye paper or cloth.
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