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The girl is 16 years old. She not so long ago graduated from the city art school, the same one in which at one time I studied myself. According to my student, in the classroom at school she received a large base of knowledge and skills, but would like to continue to improve in watercolors.
To be honest, I am very interested in the topic of watercolor techniques. Looking at what miracles different artists do, you are simply amazed at their ability and skill! After all, every artist-watercolorist is unique in its own way. Moreover, for watercolors invented a lot of additional tools and materials. And, looking at the work of the authors, often only one handwriting can recognize many of them.
Until recently, in addition to working with children 7-12 years, I already had experience of teaching among adult students, so the request of a young student did not put me in a dead end. Moreover, I immediately asked the girl what kind of techniques or methods of working with paints she would be interested in. I myself have worked in many of them, so I could tell and share my secrets of drawing.
In response, I heard that she painted watercolors mostly with small strokes, mostly still lifes or something in the open air. But in school they had lessons and " wet " techniques, although not regularly, rather, as an elective. Then I offered to start with a lesson "wet". Chose to sample just such a night owl, got paper, paint and brushes.
There are several ways to wet the paper. You can do this with a large brush on both sides, or spray water from the spray. And someone just dip a sheet in water and waiting for that saturated.
A few words about the paper. I took a cheap watercolor drawing paper with a texture of "flax". This is a great paper for simple compositions. Of course, it is not as good as the floor lamp, but divorces and soft transitions on it are very interesting. My student used paper denser and more expensive than mine.
Before you start to draw, I put under our sheets soaked in water and evenly spread rags. This prevented the paper from drying out too quickly. Large brushes, we made large spots, and then, when the drawings are a little dry, thicker paint applied parts with a smaller brush. At the end of a very thin brush modified feathers, eyes and beak.
In General, the girl showed a good level of knowledge, but her drawing shows that there are some gaps in skills. In this technique, the main thing is not to overdo it and less "carry" with a brush in the same place, so that the layers of paint do not merge into a brown mass. Well, it still turned out well, another time we will try to approach the watercolors from the other side.
In the next lesson, I decided to do otherwise. Not far from the wet equipment, I suggested to draw a city landscape. However, I set the task differently. We did not direct too many stains, making only the main spots, alternating warm with cold tones.
When the paper dried up, I took a black liner, handed the same student, and we began to draw all the details as if working in monochrome technique. Here I wanted to show the girl that working with paint can only have the main blurred spots, and at this stage the picture will carry a large share of information. But then you have to include a significant proportion of imagination and improvisation, because the paint job is terminated.
By the way, the post-processing after the big blurry fills you can do not necessarily a liner. Someone like to take a very thin brush and work on top of watercolor hair lines. Another artist will continue to paint with ink or even a pencil. In General, there are options.
As a result, we got such works. Mind you, my apprentice comes out pretty good shading and detail. Affect 4 years of school! It will be necessary to continue the theme of post-work, but in the next lesson I will offer her something else. I have a lot of ideas that are waiting in the wings.
Be sure to follow our publications, soon I will continue to write about the success of this capable girl on the way to artistic heights. Because only I know the tricks and ways of painting very much!
The article used the pictures from the lessons of the author
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