Splash 14 - The Best of Watercolor _ Light & Color ( PDFDrive )

thick watercolor paper from Spain (6’ × 6’ [2m × 2m]). After drawing the
basic composition, I painted very loose large shapes as underpainting. At
this point, contrast of light, shadows and color were essential. I slowly
enhanced the color for correct values. It took one week to complete.

Afternoon Stroll | David L. Stickel

15” × 23” (38cm × 58cm)

Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed Arches

Lines of Foam and Waves

I’ve always been fascinated with the majesty of the ocean and with the
foam the surf kicks up and leaves behind as it retreats back to its source of
the never-ending waves. The expanse of the pier at Ocean Isle Beach, North
Carolina, especially captivated my attention. Then the eye transverses to
the lines of the foam and waves, crisscrossing, ultimately finding their way
to the light of the sun. Lining up a series of overlapping reference photos, I
felt again the sensation of standing in the surf, gazing at inexpressible
beauty.

5
Not So Wild Life

Sinatra | Kay Smith
15” × 22” (38cm × 56cm)
Transparent watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed paper
This cat’s Sinatra blue eyes beckoned me into an unusual store. Special
Effects is the store’s name, and elegant reflections from antique crystal
glassware and lamps bounced light into (and out of) this rescue cat’s white
fur. The luminosity was conveyed by working dark to light, wet-on-dry,
without any masking.

Milk Goats of Sannenland | Linda Erfle

17” × 22” (43cm × 56cm)

Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed Arches

An Initial Yellow Wash Creates
Radiant Light

The radiant light and the expressions of the animals grazing in pristine
pastures near a small village in the Swiss Alps was captivating. The subjects
seemed to glow as clear, bright sunlight struck them and their surroundings
causing color to reflect back onto the animals. The paintings were
completed in my studio from photos I had taken, and then rearranged to
suit my compositions. Beginning with paper that was wet on both sides and
a large brush, I applied a pale yellow wash that would glow through
subsequent layers of paint and help to capture the essence of sunlight. As

the paper dried to damp, I continued on, indicating general shapes and
using increasingly darker pigment to define them.

Swiss Cow | Linda Erfle
28” × 20” (71cm × 51cm)
Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed Arches

Three Horses | Brenda Cretney

18” × 23” (46cm × 58cm)

Transparent watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches

Darker Darks Make Lighter Lights

The three horses in this picture live at my friend’s farm. The photos I used
were taken on a day when the sun was especially strong in the back
pasture, flooding it in a beautiful sunny yellow. To make the light in the
painting lighter, I used the contrast of darker darks. At the time I did this
painting, the horse in the middle, P.C., had no idea he was over thirty years
old. Old horses enjoy eating good grass just as much as young ones.

The Farm | Wen-Cong Wang

20” × 28” (51cm × 71cm)

Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed Arches

Combination of Warm and Cool
Creates Richness

In the northwest of China near the border, there is a small, beautiful village.
It is said that the locals are the descendants of Genghis Khan. Following the
nomadic traditions, they follow their livestock to fresh new pastures in
summers and come back during harsh winters. In the fall the ever-changing
light and color always take my breath away. At dusk the colors of the
setting sun are flooding in, painting the cattle and pinewood cabins a bright
gold and transforming the village into a sparkling fairyland. My choices of
yellows and purples suggest a complementary color scheme along with
many colorful neutrals to balance the contrast. The combination of warm

and cool creates a richer and more luminous feeling of rays. To make the
most of the fluidity of the pigments and water, I stretched the paper and
straightened up the board to acquire the effect on the background.

Morning Glow | Jean Kalin

18½” × 21” (47cm × 53cm)

Transparent watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches

Classic Munsell System for Color
Scheme

The white of the paper is the light in transparent watercolor. Outside
sunlight falling on my cat was a special moment to photograph. While
painting, the background was kept soft to contrast with his textured coat,
while the quilt was added to bring in color. For twenty years I have used the
Munsell system for my analogous color schemes. Here the dominant color is
blue-green with blue and green adjacent colors. Red is the complement with

gold and magenta discords. Wet-into-wet underpainting is perfect for soft
hair. I carefully added layers of color and the quilt designs. The final touches
are dry brushed with whiskers scratched out with irregular edges to show
sun sparkle.

Corbi | Susan Crouch

6¼” × 8½” (16cm × 22cm)

Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed Arches

Masking Helps Capture Backlighting

Corbi is my thirteen year old golden girl. She’s with me in the studio each
day, lying on the floor with her rope or tennis ball nearby. This watercolor
was painted from my photo with the hope of capturing her gentle spirit. I
loved the backlight and decided to accentuate it by preserving the whites
against a variety of values. After masking the outer portion of her head, the
background was floated in and then dried before painting the foreground.
Throughout the painting I focused on linking similar values for visual
passage. Colors were chosen with contrast in mind, playing the blue-green
background against her reddish brown coat.

Lose edges and link similar values to find a visual pathway through your painting.
—Susan Crouch

Big Baby Beef | Christopher Leeper

14” × 21” (36cm × 53cm)

Transparent watercolor with gouache accents on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-
pressed Arches

Batch Shapes of Similar Color
Temperature

This painting was done from a photo taken at a county fair. It was inspired
by the combination of rim lighting and reflective surfaces. Although there
are interesting colors present, it is really a painting designed around the
interesting shapes and value contrasts created by the lighting conditions. I
looked for shapes of similar value and temperature and painted them at the
same time, for example, the roof shadows and trees in the background and
the dark shapes on the cattle. The title was suggested by my wife as a joke.
I’m not sure what it means, but it just seemed to fit.

Meana | Ross Lynem

19” × 13” (48cm × 33cm)

Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed Arches

Local Art Proves an Inspiration

While traveling in Holland I came across the most amazing paintings of
cows. These quirky, whimsical creatures soon became my obsession in a
series of paintings. The glowing light and the look of surprise on Meana,
owned by Hettie Koens of the Netherlands, won me over. I chose an
analogous palette of blue through purple with pink accents. I began with her
eyes and then slightly exaggerated her humorous expression. Finally, to add
impact, I chose color complements for the glowing background. I named
Meana after my mother-in-law because they are both so lovely.

While painting, pay close attention to the wee small voice within. It has not failed me yet.
—Ross Lynem

Blue Raven | Fahmi Khan

7” × 10” (18cm × 25cm)

Watercolor on paper

Technique Merges With Symbolism

This watercolor was a demonstration session from memory. The idea was to
use one brush (flat) and two colors (blue and very little black). Emphasis
was given to freedom of movement and how to control value in quick
gestural strokes. Dark and light values were controlled through layering and
the ratio of pigment to water. This painting also represents light and dark
on a symbolic level. In Native American culture the raven is a symbol of
both light (helper of humanity) and dark (the sometimes evil trickster), thus
my choice of this bird to represent the current theme.

Papillon | Michelle Goll Smith

6” × 6” (15cm × 15cm)

Transparent watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches

Glazing Produces Dark Fur

The warm, summer sun was shining through the window and lighting my
little Papillon’s fur in such a way that he seemed to glow. Quickly, I snapped
several photos to capture the fleeting moment. Using Quinacridone Gold,
Permanent Rose, Burnt Sienna and French Ultramarine Blue, I did an
underpainting for the black fur. Over that, I applied several glazes of Burnt

Sienna mixed with French Ultramarine Blue and lifted some of it off where I
wanted highlights. A bit of masking fluid was used where the sun was
illuminating his fur and whiskers.

Go | William Rogers

11” × 15” (28cm × 38cm)

Transparent watercolor with gouache accents on 140-lb. (300gsm) rough
paper

Capture Action From Video
Reference

Go is from a series done in the studio using video and digital reference I
shot from the starting gate at the local racetrack. I have a twenty-year
personal history of racing horses—a source of intimate visual experience.
Initial studies in pencil, charcoal and watercolor gave me a feeling for the
action and movement during the mid-afternoon light. Using my DVD player
set at eye level next to my easel helped me to see and capture the light
and atmosphere of the event. I used transparent watercolor on dry paper,

allowing the color to have more intensity, softening edges where needed.
For finishing touches I added splashes of gouache and final accents and
highlights.

Harpy Eagle | Soon Young Warren

22” × 30” (56cm × 76cm)

Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed paper

Simple Color Scheme for a Grand
Creature

A zoo visit became a special event when I saw this majestic black and white
bird. Its silhouette high against the sunlight grabbed my attention—a harpy
eagle. She disappeared into the dark dense tree, but when her headdress
caught the sunlight, the awesome sight made my heart soar. Without the
light, it was an ordinary black and white bird, but with light hitting the
feathers, the eagle’s brilliant definition boasted of its grand presence. I
frequented the zoo often to capture the perfect image. To paint the eagle’s
grandeur, I kept the color scheme simple. After applying masking fluid on

lighter feathers and the highlights of the eye, I applied many glazes of color,
a mixture of red and blue for the head, adding more blue to its body to
finish the painting.

6
Our Designs and Devices

Going Green | Dave Maxwell
21” × 29” (53cm × 74cm)
Transparent watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches
An ancient English motorcar with chrome surfaces reflects midday sunlight
from a surrounding enclosure of buildings, providing shapes for whimsical
abstract designs. Who knew realism could be such fun? I was shocked to
learn that this spacious limousine was built by Triumph, known for jaunty
two-seat roadsters.

Absolution V | Joyce Stratton
48” × 36” (122cm × 91cm)
Acrylic and collage on wood panel

How Do You Paint a Concept?

This painting was done in my studio, focusing on the word absolution to
direct the tone and feeling I wanted to convey. Absolution means
forgiveness, represented in my painting with many thin glazes of cream and

blue, giving it a light, airy quality. I used a mixture of Prussian Blue,
Magenta and Titanium with a little Azo Gold. I finished with collaged
mulberry paper with the addition of printed words, symbols and line
elements of charcoal and graphite.

Metaphor #6 | Elizabeth M. Hamlin
15” × 11” (38cm × 28cm)
Transparent watercolor on hot-pressed paper

Broken Glass Brings New Ideas

About three years ago I started exploring the intricacies of painting glass
using colored bottles. Then a major crisis occurred in my life, and I had to
do something different. So I broke the bottles into pieces and looked for a
new background and surface. One early morning, the table in front of my

studio window caught the low winter sun shining through the shards. This
cast long, colorful shadows, creating two sets of abstract shapes. A little
rearrangement to better integrate the glass and shadow shapes—and a new
transparent series was born.

Konbanwa | Judy Welsh

22” × 30” (56cm × 76cm)

Watercolor and watermedia on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed paper

Repetition Leads to Invention

This painting is based on items I have collected from my travels to Japan.
Konbanwa (“good evening”) expresses the light, color, patterns and
textures of objects painted over and over again. Repetition helps me subdue
my control issues and allows for inventiveness. Ukiyo-e, the Japanese
woodblock print, was new to seventeenth century Japan, and it impacted
artists internationally. It particularly inspires me. The subject matter was
predominantly images of the Kabuki theater and the geisha. The bold
shapes, strong lines, traditional subject matter and splashes of intense color
are the very qualities I incorporated into Konbanwa.

Recycle | LaVonne Tarbox Crone

30” × 22” (76cm × 56cm)

Transparent watercolor with gouache accents on 300-lb. (640gsm) hot-
pressed Arches

Color Expresses Strong Emotions

This painting evolved from a photo of my late son’s mountain bike. I initially
left the background white. After much contemplation, I used shades of red
because of the loaded emotions around the bike and the fact that my son
was killed in an accident. Layering the red to emphasize how dark it can

get, I wanted it to appear wet and dripping. Transparent watercolor was the
magic that made the yellow jockey wheel appear to glow. Gouache came
into play to clean up details and add intensity. Striving to take the values
from pure white to black seemed to fit this image of the bike my son built.

The Secret of the Old Clock | Sue Pink

22” × 15” (56cm × 38cm)

Transparent watercolor with opaque accents on 140-lb. (300gsm) hot-
pressed paper

Allow Your Right Brain to Begin a
Painting

During the quiet hours of the evening, I randomly choose paints and allow
the right side of my brain to experiment with color and texture. When colors
intermingle and drip, I force additional movement by lifting and turning the

paper or by misting. When an image begins to emerge, I start to consider
the composition. The light values become more intense as I create dark
values. I’ve painted myriad clocks over the years, so I tend to “find” clocks
in many of my paintings during this stage of development. This painting was
influenced by a series of books I read in my teenage years by Carolyn
Keene, specifically The Secret of the Old Clock.

Cosmic Dancer | Cristina Del Sol

25” × 19” (64cm × 48cm)

Transparent watercolor, acrylic inks with collaged accents on heavy Yupo

Experiment With Textural
Underpainting

I love the creative process. Experimenting with textural underpaintings in
white gesso, a flowing godlike figure emerged. Glazes of golden and blue-
green watercolors established temperature contrast, imparting a spiritual
quality as the gesso shined through. Adding lighter and darker shapes within
increased value contrast and created the illusion of light filtering through
the figure. To reinforce the center of interest, two geometrical shapes in
opaque turquoise and orange acrylic inks were collaged. These opaques

were repeated elsewhere for unity. Finally linework was added.

I tried to symbolize universal energy, where light is the destination and dark the mystery.
—Cristina Del Sol

Steam’n the Roundhouse | Charlene Gerrish

34” × 27” (86cm × 69cm)

Transparent watercolor

Sunlight Transforms Dull Black Iron

My husband and I were in Portland, Oregon, to “chase” and photograph the
700 (circa 1935) on one of her final runs from the soon-to-be-demolished
Brooklyn Roundhouse. We got there as the steam started spewing from the
massive black engine nicknamed “The Lady.” Early-morning sunlight poured
through the antique clearstory windows as the 700 powered up. Dull black
iron was transformed to shades of purples and blues while the sunlight

illuminated one side of the engine. I started by leaving sections of the paper
white, and working wet-on-wet from light to dark. No masking or white
paint was used. Before the train had even backed out of the roundhouse, I
knew that I would be desperate to capture and share this moment in
watercolor.

Chaos of Commitment | Cathy Hegman

22” × 29” (56cm × 74cm)

Transparent watercolor with ink and watercolor pencil accents on synthetic
paper

Chaotic Line Work Expresses
Concept

This is a painting about the pressures and chaos of the commitments we
face in our lives. I tempered my watercolor paints with powdered graphite
and powdered charcoal to give them a grainy effect. I used India ink and
watercolor pencils as accents, reinforcing my concept with the use of chaotic
line work. I wanted to give the painting a somewhat dirty appearance in
order to make the more colorful figures the center of attention. I worked
with a somewhat limited palette and employed very high contrast in the
values to achieve a strong result.

Gawkers Slowdown | Doug Meythaler

14½” × 20½” (37cm × 52cm)

Watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed paper

The Glow of Color and Light

Car shows are a wonderful place for me to be inspired. The well-polished
cars glow with color and reflected light. Taking lots of pictures, I try to show
the subject from an unusual vantage point. For this shot I climbed up the
base of a lamppost. Back in my studio I do a study sketch, often moving
things around to work out the best composition. After it’s drawn out on
watercolor paper, I slowly start building up glazes. I make sure I take
special care to preserve my whites by carefully working around them.

Show’s Over | Lorraine Watry

19” × 13” (48cm × 33cm)

Transparent watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches

Light Played the Band Instruments

Chaperoning for my son’s high school marching band, I started taking
pictures of all the instruments, replete with brilliant reflections from the
afternoon light coming off the field. I was excited to find the green-gold
reflections in the tuba and helmet in this otherwise limited color palette.
After combining two photos, I did a very detailed drawing, masked areas to
protect them and used a variety of grays. My favorite gray was a mixture of
Cobalt Blue, Permanent Rose and Aureolin Yellow. Now I am an avid fan of

painting metal and of marching bands.

To paint realistic metal you must first become an abstractionist.
—Lorraine Watry

7
Landscape View

Ocean and Ahern | Robert Leedy
19” × 28” (48cm × 71cm)
Transparent watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches
Countless times, I passed this scene in the small, beachside community of
Atlantic Beach, Florida, whether riding my bike or walking the dogs. One
morning after an early rain shower, the rising sun created rich, warm
backlighting balanced by a cool foreground. After an initial wash of yellow in
the sky, a mixture of Cerulean Blue creates a dominant, unifying mark
across the paper.

Rainforest. The Tree on Top | Heleen Cornet

34” × 44” (86cm × 112cm)

Transparent watercolor on canvas

Watercolor for Wet Rainforest

I live on the small island of Saba in the Caribbean Sea, with its magical
mossy rainforest at its top. Surrounded by the sounds of birds, dripping
water and wind, I can paint the whole day. It is muddy, often cold and very
wet, but the light and colors are amazing. This painting is based on studies I
made on the top of the mountain. The watercolors float and work for
themselves. Since rainforests and watercolors are based on the same
element—water—there is a perfect match.

A Walk in the Woods | Catherine Hearding
25” × 21” (64cm × 53cm)
Transparent watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed paper

Pulled Branches With Color

The contrast of light and shadow on the snow was the inspiration for this
piece as I took a walk with my camera to capture the details. The
foreground shadows were poured using three colors (Cobalt Blue, Winsor

Red and Winsor Blue). To create the branches, I drop a pool of color onto
the paper and drag the watery color out with the tip of a palette knife into
branch shapes. While the pools are still very wet, I drop other colors into
them and let the colors mix freely.

Haukeli3 | Oddvar Wold
19” × 13” (48cm × 33cm)
Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) rough paper

Patient Layering for Brilliant Fall
Colors

This watercolor is one of several I painted in my studio after a trip to the
mountains in October. The whole mountain was in brilliant fall colors with a

little mist over the top. This scene gave me what I like best: light, color,
scale and especially drama. Using wet-into-wet and wet-on-dry techniques,
I put on layer after layer to build up the light, color, shadow and contrast.
The picture shows one of the old hotels in the mountains between western
and eastern Norway. The hotel is no longer in service.

Taos Shadows 2 | Mark E. Mehaffey

21” × 29” (53cm × 74cm)

Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) rough Arches

Don’t be Afraid to Push Your Colors

My wife, Rosie, and I were vacationing with friends, and the day we visited
the Taos Pueblo it was totally cloudy. I could see the potential for dramatic
shadows, but they just were not there. The next morning was bright and
sunny, and I made the whole group take me back to the Pueblo. I spent two
hours getting the reference photos I needed. However, when I viewed
them, the strong New Mexico sun had bleached out the warm color of the
adobe. So back in my studio I took the liberty to “push” both the light and
dark contrast and the saturation of the color.

Reckoning | Jonathan Frank

19” × 27” (48cm × 69cm)

Watercolor and India ink on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches

Painting the Smell of a Storm

This painting was born the moment I stepped to the edge of this awesome
cliff in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, and smelled the thunderstorm in
the distance. My challenge was to create an atmosphere with the highest

sense of drama and emotion. Deepening the colors in the distance it focuses
the light on the foreground—the here and now. I particularly like the notion
that one doesn’t know if the storm is coming or going.

Blue Winter Morning | Sachin Naik

20” × 15” (51cm × 38cm)

Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed paper

Accurate Drawing is Foundation of
Color

Blue Winter Morning was painted on location on the university campus of
my city, Pune. This landscape was mostly painted with a wet-into-wet
method and a few simple washes after doing an accurate drawing on-site. A
detail study sketch was done before beginning working with color. This
monochromatic landscape had a very interesting glowing light on the walls
with a wonderful, cool blue feel everywhere due to the cold season. No