Wet in Wet washes. Warm North Grand Teton piece.

Resource is a photo I took at sun down.  Value study placed in photo shop, then to gray scale

This is the back of the paper.  Water was added to the back with a 11/2" sky flow flat brush.

Color was mixed first on my palette, being sure to mix enough color to do the entire first wash.

 Water was added to the front of the paper painting water around the whites.

Note the heavy bead of pigment and water collecting at the top of each dry left white area. 

Also I used the color mixtures in Zalton Szablo'a Color by Color to make part of the color selection for this piece.  The color was perfect for a warm sundown.
Colors used: Cobalt Violet for its granulation and Manganese Blue for the same reason. Aureolin was also used for the warm yellow and Quinacridone Burnt Orange.

Also my cell phone.

My daughter called at the beginning of the wash to let me know the grades of her children. 

My Grand Children. The phone was set on speaker phone and we carried on a great conversation and completed the first wash. 

I don't always advice this; however I always take my children phone calls. 

Here the bead has been taken out with a dry round brush.

The painting is still very wet. The slop of the mountain has been added using Ultra Marine Blue. 

 Adding middle to foreground trees. Pigment is heavy with less water. The painting is still very wet. Note how the trees spread easily. 

More trees, varing value and hue. 

Here I show my board and the paper being held down with clips. 

As the paper stretches (and it will) I pull the paper tighter and re-clip.

I choose not to stretch the paper for wet in wet painting. Simply because I can not put water on the back of the paper to add extra moisture .

Note the form of the rocks starting to emerge. 

Also the shape in the large white area is starting to draw my attention. 

In the next washes I add more shapes in the whites to diminish this shape.

As one of my great students would say "Its lonely".

Close up of the resource.

Here I have drawn in the shapes with a pencil and measured out the masses of the form.  

In the painting, the Tetons have been moved up, the trees varied and overlapping shapes have been added to the foreground.

Here the white trunks of the tree have been added by using the bevel at the end of the brush. I almost always start at the bottom of the tree trunk and push up with the handle of the brush. If it makes a dark line its still to wet. It it creates a white line it is still damp and pliable. 

If nothing happens the painting has become to dry.  

Magic of watercolor isn't called so for no reason.

Timing is wonderful, everyone will learn it in one form or another. 

Its like telling some one what salty taste like. 

Experience is essential in everything we do. 

Be it good or bad. Just grow with it happily.

Friendly harmonious shapes have been added in the back ground whites. 

Remember the lonely shape.

 

Another Great Happy Day. 

Wet in Wet washes, Taggart Lake Trees

 Note the value study. Middle values are very close the same as the background and the foreground.
The variation is this piece is the saturation strength of the trees in the foreground compared to the background. 
Be sure to place lightest lights and darkest dark in the fore ground. This will give the illusion of the foreground appearing close to us.

The Old Truck and Color Scheme Paintings

Students this, photo of the old truck can be tweaked. OK orchestrated to meet your personal interests.
You may zoom in and do a portion of the photo add your favorite shape, line qualities. etc.

I will use contour drawing from my resource. Be mindful of your format size and your paper format.
Paper size will be 1/4 sheet watercolor paper.  You are welcome to vary the format size, long narrow, square, etc.

 Fun  
You can zoom in, crop, etc. etc. etc.

Sister Ellis I will do the one directly below.

 Here are some other variations.

Color Scheme Studies:
Paintings were completed in different color schemes. The first three paintings were completed using the Delicate Triad: Aureolin, Quinacridone Rose and Cobalt Blue.    The last piece was completed using the Desert Triad: Yellow Ocher, Indian Red and Cerulean Blue.

                                    

Richard Bird Beloved instructor

Richard Bird lovingly called (Dick) is one of those wonderful human beings that come into our lives and leaves a lasting impression for good.
He was one of my first instructors at Ricks College now known as Brigham Young University Idaho. My Watercolor experience has been greatly influence by his instruction in the watercolor media and design principles.
Not only has he taught how to develop an artistic skill but his example of how to live life and love the gifts provided by a loving father in heaven has richly influenced my life.
Thank you Dick.

"Every Person's Work Is A Self Portrait". Design lessons to help students find their personal design preferences.

Great Summer and Featured Artist in October

September 5, 2011
This summer has been the best for me.
Several weeks have been spent painting plein air.

I also attended two workshops one with Scott Christensen and Charlies Reid.
One of the great advantages of workshops are the comradeship with other artist one,  watching how some one else holds their brush, mix their pigments on or off the palette a philosophy an attitude the power driven joy of making a piece of art work happen and sharing it.
Knowing people from around the world. The circle of art indeed is a complete whole it enriches my life.

I also took my Grandchildren fishing, another world full of joy unto itself. 

On October 6th I have been asked by the Eastern Idaho Chapter of the Idaho Watercolor Society to be the featured artist, for the annual watercolor show. This is a great honor. The show will be at the Arts Council in Idaho Falls, be sure and look up their web site for directions and time.
I will put the show on my blog.

Behind Every Cloud