Projects, Skill Level 3
Project 3-1: When Life Gives You Lemons
Last Updated 4 August 2018
Skill Level 3: A watercolor requiring intermediate skill
Source Photo
Photo of Watercolor
When Life Gives You Lemons
Pigments
Yellows: Nickel Titanate Yellow (NiTiY— PY53, Daniel Smith)
Hansa Yellow, Medium (HaYM — PY97, Daniel Smith)
Hansa Yellow, Deep (HaYD— PY65, Daniel Smith)Brown:
Brown: Van Dyke Brown (VDBr — PBr7, Daniel Smith)
Violet: Cobalt Violet, Deep (CoVD — PV 14 M. Graham)
Blue: Ultramarine Blue (UlB — PB29, M. Graham)
Elements
Lemon Skin: HaYM
Lemon Pith: NiAzY
Lemon Pulp 1: NiTiY
Lemon Pulp 2: HaYM
Lemon Pulp 3: HaYD + CoVD
Juicer: VDBr + UlB, various dilutions
Background: CoVD, dilute
Shadow: VDBr + UlB
Paper
8 ½" x 11", Arches Hot Press 356 gsm, stretched paper, cut from roll, hot press side
Painting Time
About 8 hours over two days.
Techniques
I made a sketch using the RGPT technique.
I added clear water to receive the background pigment, reserving whitespace for the lemons. By the time I was done with this the paper was ready to receive the background pigment.
I used a dilute mixture of CoVD for the background, applying it in splotches to the damp paper and letting the splotches spread into one another.
I loaded HaYM onto a dip pen and applied it to create the thin line of skin showing on the cut lemon.
I used the same mixture for the skin of the whole lemon, graduating the wash from shadow to light. At the top end of the lemon I used clear water only, but allowed it to contact the graduated wash as as to gradate the color from light to dark.
I returned to begin create the lemon pulp using HaYM while reserving white space for the many tiny reflections on the pulp and for the membrane between segments.
While this was drying I returned to work on the whole lemon, adding a dilute wash of VDBr + UlB to build up the shaded side of the lemon.
After the first application, I returned to the half lemon to begin adding HaYM + CoVD for the darker shade of pulp where it occurred.
I alternated between the whole and half lemons to allow for sufficient water to evaporate from each so that previous work would not be spoiled.
Near the completion of the half lemon, I added NiTiY to the reserved whitespace to create the pith, membrane, and lighter reflections from the pulp. Usually, lighter colors are added first, but NiTiY has significant opacity. This property in concert with the reserved whitespace made it possible to add NiTiY near the end of the composition with good effect.
I used a small bit of VDBr in a dip pen to lightly trace the outline and shadow of the lemon seed in the cut lemon. I allowed some water to contact the VDBr near the bottom of the seed to create a shadow. After the seed dried I used a #1 round synthetic brush to lightly scrub out the seed highlight, and to give the seed a round appearance. A nylon scrubber would have been much to harsh for this purpose but synthetic brushes have sufficient abrasion to lift pigment without over-scrubbing delicate areas.
I used VDBr and UlB + VDBr in several applications to create the shaded side of the whole lemon.
Now I began to work on the juicer using a neutral mixture of UlB +VDBr, starting with dilute washes and building up to more concentrated ones. I made sure to reserve space for the reflections of the lemon in the juicer. The only difference between neutral gray and silver is the gradation of shade to simulate reflection. I reserved whitespace for these reflections and graduated pigment to blend them from shade to light. A mixture of UlB + VDBr is reasonably non-staining and easy to lift. (If you want a staining gray that will not lift try Perylene Marroon + Phthalo Blue.)
I then added the lemon reflections to the juicer using HaYM and graduating it toward the paper near the outside of each reflection.
I used a concentrated mix of VDBr + UlB for the holes in the juicer and used a dip pen to apply it.
After I was satisfied with progress on the juicer, I used a #1 round synthetic brush to enhance and soften the highlights. For the thin reflective lines I used a dip pen loaded with VDBr + UlB to back fill the highlight which tended to be a bit to wide. This allowed me to firm up very thin lines.
Finally, I added the shadows using VDBr + UlB. I went back and added an additional application for the occlusion shadow and used more concentrated mixtures to create the juicer bottom.
Differences Between Source Photo and Watercolor
The holes in the juicer are not as perfectly elliptical as they should be.
I made no effort to simulate the marble background and other extraneous features of the photo.
Project 3-2: Too Perfect
Last Updated 4 August 2018
Skill Level 3: A watercolor requiring intermediate skill
Source Photo
Photo of Watercolor
Too Perfect
Pigments
Red: Perylene Maroon (PeM — PR170, Daniel Smith)
Yellow: Yellow Ochre (YOc — PY43, Windsor & Newton)
Green: Phthalo Green, Yellow Shade (PhG — PG36 , Daniel Smith)
Elements
Avocado Meat, Green: YOc + PhG,YS
Avocado Meat, Yellow: YOc
Avocado Husk: PeM + PhG,YS
Avocado Pit: PeM + PhG,YS + YOc
Shadow: PeM + PhG,YS
Paper
10¼" x 14" Arches Hot Press Block 300 gsm/150 lb paper.
Painting Time
About 3 hours in a single day.
Techniques
I drew a hand sketch based on the guide photo. I eliminated the wire mesh basket and changed the orientation of the avocados somewhat. I also added a view of the stem (which was missing on the guide photo). The guide photo was used mainly for color.
I first laid in clear water on the half avocado and then added YOc wet into wet.
Then I added some PhG,YS + YOc for the outer green and let the colors blend and dry.
I then worked on the pit, mixing PeM + PhG,YS + YOc to get a yellow brown. I first started with a dilute YOc followed by the pit mix, reserving the YOc for the shine on the pit.
I then tilted the paper so that pigment would run to the shadow side of the pit. In that incline, I added more pit mix for the shadow.
I then added more pit mix to the shadow side of the pit shepherding the pigment migration with a brush.
After the pit was dry, I used the husk mix to add the cast shadow after from the pit onto the avocado meat.
I then worked on the husk using PeM + PhG,YS mixed to a green-brown. I applied it wet into wet. I then mixed a more concentrated batch for the shadow on the husk.
When dry, I scrubbed a bit of the mix for the stem in a position I wanted. I then added YOc and when it was dry I came back an accented with the husk mix to get a realistic looking stem.
I also used this mixture for the shade and shadow of the whole avocado, applying the thickest/darkest mix for the cast shadow closest to the fruit.
Finally, I dropped in the Avocado Pit mix wet into wet with a #1 round and allowed it to diffuse. Where needed, I used a little brush work to blend the spots.
Differences Between Source Photo and Watercolor
I made no attempt to add the wire rack of the source photo.
Interestingly, in the Avocado Pit mix, the PhG,YS seems to be the first into the paper, meaning that when I try to lift or blot it, the PhG,YS is left behind. This is especially notable in the background. The easiest to lift is the YOc. This is especially true on the pit where a little blotting on the upper half left a lot of green behind.
I was not planning to add a background, but my wife wanted one after I had already painted the avocados. It is always dangerous to added a light background against a dark foreground since the pigment can easily migrate. I kept these issues to a minimum by wetting the paper without contacting the foreground and only later closing the breech between them. This seemed to work quite well, but a close look at the interface shows some minor bleed. It would have been much cleaner to lay in the background before painting the avocados.
The shadow was initially mixed too thin and really began running to the border. I blotted it, but the PhG,YS especially had already stained the paper. I blotted, scrubbed, and lifted what I could and then went back with a thick mixture to keep the migration down to a minimum.
Project 3-3: Leave It To Cleaver
Last Updated 4 Aug 2018
Skill Level 3: A watercolor requiring intermediate skill
Source Photo
Photo of Watercolor
Leave It To Cleaver
Pigments
Yellow: Naples Yellow (NpY — PBr24, M. Graham)
Red: Perylene Maroon (PeM — PR170, Daniel Smith)
Blue: Phthalo Blue (PhB — PB15, Daniel Smith)
Green: Phthalo Green (PhG — PG36, Daniel Smith)
White: Watercolor Paper
Elements
Onion Maroon: PeM + NpY
Onion Brown: PeM + NpY + PhG,YS
Onion Root, Onion Lines: PeM + PhG,YS + NpY
Onion highlight at root: NpY
Handle Black: PeM + PhB, concentrated
Shade/Shadow: PeM + PhB, dilute
Paper
10¼" x 14" Arches Hot Press Block 300 gsm/150 lb paper.
Painting Time
About three hours over three days.
Techniques
I used the RCPT technique to generate a sketch.
I used masking fluid for the rivets and the tang under the handle. I also used this to mask out the etched writing on the handle.
I allowed this to dry overnight.
The next day, I used PeM + PhB and diluted to make a staining gray, which I applied on the silver.
I used more water and blotting where necessary to put in the highlights on the metal.
I then painted the black of the handle, reserving white for the highlight.
I then painted the onion, first with dillute PeM + NpY + PhG, YS.
Then to redden the onion skin a bit, I glazed PeM + NpY over the top.
I let this all dry.
The next day, I removed the masking fluid and painted the rivets and tang.
After this was dry, I added the shade and cast shadow using PeM + PhB. For the cast shadow on the blade, I reinforced the darker value with a second application of PeM + PhB.
I then mixed some concentrated PeM + NpY + PhG,YS for the onion root. I put a JinHao fountain pen nib into a Speedball holder and — using it as a dip pen — I applied the water color with this technique for the onion root. I made subsequent applications with this technique using PeM + NpY for the lighter color roots.
I also applied some NpY to the reserved highlight at the root.
To smooth the outline of the handle and onion, I applied the appropriate colors to a JinHao nib in a Speedball holder and went over each outline. This gave me a very smooth outline not achievable with a brush.
I used a #2 Black Gold or 1/2" filbert scrubber brush as the situation demanded, to remove pigment for the highlights. I used used these to soften the edges of the cast shadow, using water and blotting as necessary.
I signed the composition, loading PeM + PhB onto the JinHao nib. It was mixed just a bit darker than the surrounding pigment and the signature was placed at the butt of the cleaver.
Differences Between Source Photo and Watercolor
The hues differ between the photo and the watercolor because I used a four-color hard copy of the photo (I actually prefer the hues of the watercolor to the original photo).
I discovered that my fountain pen nibs fit my Speedball nib holder. I do not like Speedball tips (so this was an exciting discovery for me). I then began using a JinHao nib loaded with the appropriate colors to smooth out the outlines since the brush can leave them a bit rough. Unfortunately, like every new technique I discover, I tend to over use it before reigning in my exuberance, and that's what happened on the outline of the onion. I had to then go back over it and smooth and soften it. I wasn't completely successful, and if you look, you can see where the hue of the outline doesn't quite match the hue of the interior.
I have learned over time that masking fluid simply cannot be applied with the necessary resolution required for fine print. It is different in that respect than watercolor or ink. So, I just sort of blobbed it on to reserve white for the later print. My idea was to use a dip pen and negative ink around the print, but for fine print this was too difficult. So, I used a light gray (PeM + PhB, dilute) for the print and then put a darker gray on top of all. This met with limited success, but oddly, it worked well enough.
I forgot to reserve white space for the top of the onion and ended up scrubbing a bit of silver (not very successfully) and then painting the onion top over the blade. It came out darker than desired, but caused no real harm to the composition.
Later applications of color to the onion were inadvertently applied to the top of the highlight at the root. I subsequently had to scrub them off before applying my yellow. This made the highlight darker and less defined than I wanted.
PREVIOUS TOPIC : Projects, Skill Level 2
