ArtRage Watercolor Class

[vapsman88]

At Digital Art Academy an ArtRage Watercolor basics class just started today:

http://www.digitalartacademy.com/cou...se-watercolor/

I am enrolled and it is very helpful for learning to handle the Watercolor presets in ArtRage 3 Pro, which is the best implementation of Digital Watercolors in my opinion.

~John

[screenpainter]

Please let us know how successful you feel this class was at conveying the process of watercolor in artrage. I know I would be very interested in hearing your opinion and seeing your results. I'd love to take it, just to see what they offer, but I don't currently have a spare forty two dollars.

[vapsman88]

I will give feedback as the class progresses and I plan to post paintings as I go.

~John

[screenpainter]

Thanks John. Very cool.

[vapsman88]

Here is my first painting in the class:

It is using a variation of the 'Heavy Bleed" for the base colors on seperate layers and blending with the "Pencil Blender" by SomeoneSane. Then dropping the layers and blending some more.

~John

[screenpainter]

thanks for sharing the pic. your art looks great. how much did you learn from the class? Did they recommend someonesane's pencil blender? or was that your addition? who is teaching the class?

[vapsman88]

The teacher is Karen Bonaker, and she has an extensive background in both traditional and digital painting. Also I have taken several of her courses at DAA and she is an excellent teacher.

I believe Karen has SOS's Pencil blender in her presets but i discovered it some month's ago and liked it very much. It gives a great granulated blending effect.

The first week was mostly learning the UI and experimenting with the WC Presets and creating new ones.

~John

[screenpainter]

It's really a beauty. I love the watery look of the background and the shadows under the pears. How do you do the white highlights on the pears? Do you use white watercolor for them or just work the color up close and let the paper show through? Do you use a photo reference?

I gave the pears technique a try as well.
You and Karen might enjoy a preset I made for adding a few watercolor splats. It's based on my freckles sticker but adjusted for watercolor drops. Enjoy.

Wish I could have taken the watercolor class with you, that would have been fun.

[vapsman88]

Nice effect on the painting.

Actually I had some pears on hand and used them partially. Also I have been studying Barbara Fox's paintings and trying to replicate that look somewhat.
http://barbarafoxwatercolors.blogspo...till-life.html

As for the white highlights, as in traditional I left it unpainted, though on the background layer I had to carefully erase in the area of the highlight.

Thanks for the presets, I will try them out and let the class know about them.

~John

[screenpainter]

Barbara Fox is amazing. Thanks for the link. Sorry didn't know yours was an original set up... so I won't plagiarize it, but it was fun to do the study and I learned some new techniques.