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Thread: Watercolor WIPs- Sharing and Learning

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    Watercolor WIPs- Sharing and Learning

    After some discussion earlier in September, I'm starting this thread as an attempt at sort of making a home for watercolor works on these forums. I'll be posting my attempts here, and I'm really very interested in seeing how others might be working in Artrage as well. A lot of the art and tutorials I see here are focused on the oils and pencil tools, which is cool. I just figured a place where we could learn, experiment, and teach each other about the watecolor tool, as well as techniques adapted from some of the other tools, might be helpful.

    I'll start it off by sharing something I've been working on tonight. "Blue Haze". In this piece, I wanted to experiment with using the sticker spray and PS brushes, imported textures, and the Smear blender brush. After I had lay down and spread around a lot of color, I went in and carved out a picture with the pencil too. I then went back in and did more highlights and shadows with the watercolor tool to emphasize the composition. Lots of fun, and perhaps something relatively watery in parts- particularly the "clouds" up above. Thoughts?
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  2. #2
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    Your mind never cease to add discoveries to the aim of producing the most credible watercolors effects ... and You do succeed, one way or the other!
    Panta rei (everything flows)!

  3. #3
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    Good work, Steve, I like it.

  4. #4
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    I too! Great lesson.

  5. #5
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    This is so nice and so well painted. The sky is beautiful, well done Steve
    Sometimes...I remember better with my eyes closed

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  6. #6
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    SteveB.. I applaud your efforts to establish a place for watercolors...as that was my medium of choice for over 30 years I am always looking at your experiments although I have not really tried much your continued great successes are an inspiration to give it a go. This one in particular has that great wet in wet look to the background and then establishing the forms in a drybrush style over it really gives an authentic look.. just needs a few more splatters and drips.....

  7. #7
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    Very watercoloristic that shows what's possible. You have captured the essence. Good job!
    My real name is Neal Gilbertson, AKA Gilbert Neilson, AKA Jibes.
    I'm a musician too. Please come hear my music at:
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  8. #8
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    Beautiful painting, love your use of pencil in this one too.

    Just a thought. You may find people a little reluctant to add their own works in a thread in the 'gallery section', probably best to start the thread in the 'art projects' section for community participation.
    "I paint because I love to cut mats" (Arthur Alexander)

  9. #9
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    really fine piece of watercolor in my estimation. love it. love the washes...impressive wet on wet.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    Ah, that's good advice Juz. Perhaps I'll simply repost this piece in that section? Seems a bit funny to do so, but it might be a better venue- and no better time than the present to get things going. Re: pencils- I was inspired by looking at a lot of Nickullus' works recently, where he does a lot with good lighting/highlights to help create drama.

    Thanks for the compliment screenpainter. The smudge tool, in particular, was a lot of fun to work with- swirling it around, mixing the two colors together, then pulling it out like taffy. !! Honestly, I found the stickers useful too, once I got the hang of it.

    Both of these ideas actually came to me while doodling in SKP. SKP doesn't have very powerful blend modes, and so all their brushes basically work a lot like the stickers in Artrage. In an attempt to get something done in it, I worked with what I was given. That helped me create the method that I used in Artrage, where I had found it so difficult to work with the sticker tools, as they work so differently from the normal brushes. I guess that's the difference of a bit of cross-pollination!

    Mostly, I keep trying out different techniques because I'd like to work out some techniques that can be done a bit more rapidly, in order to create a good painting. I really feel like I should be able to create a good wet into wet study in an hour or so-- just as long as a normal piece done with natural media. That's sort of one of my goals, but right now its still taking me 2-3. Of course, for a bigger, more detailed piece I expect it to take longer, but right now, in general, the watercolors are taking longer than I want, even when the effects are something I'm relatively happy with.

    I mean, the computer's a tool-- it offers rather unsurpassed flexibility, but I'd also like it to be offering a boost in speed/productivity as well.

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