Drawings for watercolor paintings.
Stephen Morgana
composition right on drawing paper, and then when I am happy with it
transfer it to watercolor paper by tracing it. Unfortunately the
traced drawing comes out looking lifeless and rigid. This is not a
problem if the paint completely covers the drawing, but usually I like
the drawing to show through the paint. On some paintings I have just re-
drawn the drawing from scratch on the watercolor paper, but then the
drawing does not come out exactly the same, plus it is still not as
spontaneous as the original drawing. Other times I have tried doing the
original drawing just once directly on the watercolor paper, but then
there is a limit to how many changes you can make before erasures hurt
the surface of the paper.
Has anyone else out there had experience with this? Any suggestions?
--
Stephen
http://homepages.infoseek.com/~scm2000
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Nita Leland
in its naturalness. When you trace exactly, you tighten up. See if you can
make the tracing reflect your personal drawing style. Be selective when you
trace and don't copy every line exactly or use the same pressure on all
lines.
--
Nita
nle...@erinet.com
Nita Leland Studio
Please visit my Exploring Color Web Site at http://www.nitaleland.com
Stephen Morgana <scm...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:7j6hcr$mbt$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
burnin...@my-deja.com
Stephen Morgana <scm...@my-deja.com> wrote:
> When I'm working on a painting, I like to get the drawing and
> composition right on drawing paper, and then when I am happy with it
> transfer it to watercolor paper by tracing it. Unfortunately the
> traced drawing comes out looking lifeless and rigid. This is not a
> problem if the paint completely covers the drawing, but usually I like
> the drawing to show through the paint. On some paintings I have just
re-
> drawn the drawing from scratch on the watercolor paper, but then the
> drawing does not come out exactly the same, plus it is still not as
> spontaneous as the original drawing. Other times I have tried doing
the
> original drawing just once directly on the watercolor paper, but then
> there is a limit to how many changes you can make before erasures hurt
> the surface of the paper.
>
> Has anyone else out there had experience with this? Any suggestions?
Try using 300 lb paper.
tin...@home.com
If you have ever watched figure skating you know
then that they practice for the final show before
the judges. Some skaters mention how they knew the
second they left the ice that the move would
succeed or fail. You may want to consider the same
type of approach. Use the sketch as practice, even
if you do it a dozen times in pencil and or water
colour, all or in parts. Then choose a time jump
in and let go.
Your process indicates that you want to exercise
control. If that is part of your personality you
may not be able to change that and you will
continue to have the usual problems, but, you
recognize the stiffness resulting from your
process, so a part of you wants to let go.
Create loose sketches in pencil or colour. Use
these loose sketches as your source material,
don't trace, don't square up let go and improvise
in the final work. I know it's a scary thing, but
if you make a mistake remember the rule of art is
the ability to recover from your mistakes,
integrate them into the work, it's amazing what
can result.
have fun.
__________tinman end_________
Stephen Morgana wrote:
>
> When I'm working on a painting, I like to get the drawing and
> composition right on drawing paper, and then when I am happy with it
> transfer it to watercolor paper by tracing it. Unfortunately the
> traced drawing comes out looking lifeless and rigid. This is not a
> problem if the paint completely covers the drawing, but usually I like
> the drawing to show through the paint. On some paintings I have just re-
> drawn the drawing from scratch on the watercolor paper, but then the
> drawing does not come out exactly the same, plus it is still not as
> spontaneous as the original drawing. Other times I have tried doing the
> original drawing just once directly on the watercolor paper, but then
> there is a limit to how many changes you can make before erasures hurt
> the surface of the paper.
>
> Has anyone else out there had experience with this? Any suggestions?
>
Larry Seiler
older traditional use for watercolor, that is..as a way to enhance
drawings. A neat thing you might want to try sometime is one I play with
from time to time.
First.....I like doing incredibly fast drawings with a regular bic medium
black ink ballpoint, and then going over with watercolor pencils,
watercolor, etc;
but...this one is fun. I take a mechanical drawing pencil, that has a
button you push down at one end and lets lead put in. One stick of lead at
a time. This is a drafting pencil where you would sharpen the lead with
sandpaper or a special sharpener. At any rate......I take rounded
toothpicks, and stick one in. I bought some sepia tone brown waterproof
ink, and dip in and then draw with the toothpick and ink. It creates a
nice Rembrandt-like period of time drawing, and washes of color look really
nice.
You could start by very lightly drawing with about a 4-H pencil, then go
over with the sepia ink toothpick/mechanical pencil. You won't be able to
help having anything but what would appear spontaneous with the ink and
toothpick. That may prove helpful for your situation, and be fun as well.
Larry Seiler
artist's site- http://cwinc.net/larryseiler
WetCanvas Artists page- (shorter and quicker loading)
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Gallery/S/Larry_Seiler/index.html
ACT ministry home page-
http://netministries.org/see/charmin.exe/CM00117
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress
depends on the unreasonable man." George Bernard Shaw
Saint35
--
-- Thank you and God bless you! Rose
"Rose's Art and Antiques Gallery": http://members.aol.com/asrosas2 &
"Eucharistic Adoration News" Homepage: http://members.aol.com/saint35
Hutto
On Thu, 3 Jun 1999, Stephen Morgana wrote:
> Has anyone else out there had experience with this? Any suggestions?
Too much planning, not enough painting.
Don't worry if your drawing (on the wc paper) doesn't look EXACTLY like
your skectches. I'd suggest you remove the planning/tracing step
altogether, and work directly on the wc paper's surface to develop the
image. If you don't want extraneous pencil lines to show, begin with a
hard lead, like 4h, for your planning, and redraw with a softer lead for
the finished drawing.
A lot of people fail to realize that drawing is a major step in watercolor
painting. I prefer to exploit the fact that as much drawing went into the
image as painting. I use a wide range of leads, even 4b and 5b (for
bleeding effects). I always draw the images directly onto the wc paper.
The only prep work I do is in the form of object studies and compositional
sketches.
This might make you nervous at first, but you will grow to prefer it in
the end. Mainly because it allows you to relax and PAINT rather than
obsess on flawlessness. Another major trick to learn in watercolor
painting is how to deal with 'accidents'. The more relaxed you are, the
better you'll be able to adapt to unavoidable accidents.
The best lesson you could ever learn is a huge drop of crimson
accidentally falling from your brush into a wet area of light green. :)
Some people panic, some people think the work is ruined and they waste the
sheet and start again. You have to get to the point at which spontanaeity
is the best possible ocurrence in watercolor. The 'happy little accident'
- (That's a Bob Ross joke from way back in my first watercolor class. :)
hehe. It's probably only funny in context...oh well :))
Before I get long-winded, I'll close. Relaxation is key!
Hutto
burnin...@my-deja.com
Hutto <ja...@isis.msstate.edu> wrote:
>
> On Thu, 3 Jun 1999, Stephen Morgana wrote:
>
> > Has anyone else out there had experience with this? Any suggestions?
>
> Too much planning, not enough painting.
>
> Don't worry if your drawing (on the wc paper) doesn't look EXACTLY
like
> your skectches. I'd suggest you remove the planning/tracing step
> altogether, and work directly on the wc paper's surface to develop the
> image. If you don't want extraneous pencil lines to show, begin with a
> hard lead, like 4h, for your planning, and redraw with a softer lead
for
> the finished drawing.
Try a charcoal pencil.
>
> A lot of people fail to realize that drawing is a major step in
watercolor
> painting.
If you have a very tight style, true.
> I prefer to exploit the fact that as much drawing went into
the
> image as painting. I use a wide range of leads, even 4b and 5b (for
> bleeding effects). I always draw the images directly onto the wc
paper.
> The only prep work I do is in the form of object studies and
compositional
> sketches.
That soft of a lead will tend to discolor some of the clearer pigments.
No problem if that's what you're looking for.
>
> This might make you nervous at first, but you will grow to prefer it
in
> the end. Mainly because it allows you to relax and PAINT rather than
> obsess on flawlessness. Another major trick to learn in watercolor
> painting is how to deal with 'accidents'. The more relaxed you are,
the
> better you'll be able to adapt to unavoidable accidents.
>
> The best lesson you could ever learn is a huge drop of crimson
> accidentally falling from your brush into a wet area of light green.
As long as you don't mind a warm grey, no problem.
:)
> Some people panic, some people think the work is ruined and they waste
the
> sheet and start again. You have to get to the point at which
spontanaeity
> is the best possible ocurrence in watercolor.
As long is it's reasonably well controlled by someone with a lot
of experience in how the colors will mix on the paper, no problem.
Being spontaneous in watercolor takes a lot of practice :)
> The 'happy little
accident'
> - (That's a Bob Ross joke from way back in my first watercolor class.
:)
> hehe. It's probably only funny in context...oh well :))
>
> Before I get long-winded, I'll close. Relaxation is key!
>
> Hutto
>
>