Zoom Art

$25 for the two classes together               

($15 if you choose a single class)

Adding cast shadows to objects we draw or paint can be a perfect finishing touch.  I love looking at cast shadows as an opportunity to take our work to a new level.  Through our intentional use of applied color mixes and techniques we can “ground” objects, while adding interest to our art.  Since it’s autumn I’ll take advantage of some beautiful objects we find this time of year.  
Sometimes I get questions from people about certain topics. I think it’s good to take a bit of time every once in a while to deal with specific subjects.  Cast shadows can be frustrating for people or they can add a light, sparkling finishing touch to a piece.  Let’s take it up a notch!    

WATERCOLOR PAINTS: Azo  Orange, Aureolin, Quinacridone Gold, Quinacridone Red, Scarlet Lake,  Quinacridone Pink, Burnt Sienna, Sap, and Phthalo Green.

WATERCOLOR  PENCILS: Prismacolor Permanent White, Prismacolor Permanent Cream, Pale  Geranium Lake, Inktense Poppy, Inktense Tangerine, Dark Flesh, Dark  Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Orange, Dark Cadmium Orange, Burnt Ochre,  Permanent Green Olive, Earth Green Yellow, and Chrome Oxide Green.

WATERCOLORS: I  used multiple paints in the three weeks, but some I highlighted include  Aureolin, New Gamboge, Quinacridone Gold, Quinacridone Red, Scarlet  Lake, Light Red, Azo Orange, Burnt Sienna, Cobalt Blue, Winsor Blue  Green&Red Shade, and Sap Green.

WATERCOLOR  PENCILS: or use Dry colored pencils if you prefer.  I will use a  variety of yellows, oranges, browns, reds, and greens.  I can give you a  specific list if you want, but just use a variety of your own.

GRAPHITE PENCILS: use 2, 3, or 4H.  Additionally, you can add H, HB, B, or any 2-4B if you want.

INK PEN: 01, 05, or 08

NOTE: I WILL SHOW YOU AN ADDITIONAL MEDIA I LOVE, BECAUSE THE COLORS ARE SO GORGEOUS FOR AUTUMN. The media is…

LIQUID ARTIST INKS: There is no need to purchase them!   I’m using watercolor paints and watercolor pencil for the main  demonstrations.  I’m just going to add a little of these in the pieces  to show you how they work. I’ll show Daler Rowney’s FW Artist Inks:  Crimson, Scarlet, Olive Green, and Burnt Umber and Dr.PhMartin’s Bombay  Inks: Yellow Ochre and Magenta.

Things to think about when drawing or painting trees:

--Trunk is always thickest at the bottom.

--Think of leaves as “clumps” or “clouds”.  These are the group of leaves generally in sections on the different branches.

--Identify two or three paints or colored pencils for the highest value clouds, which will visually come toward the viewer.

--Identify lower intensity color, color complements, or cooler colors to add BEHIND the high value clouds. 

--With  negative painting or drawing define the edges of the high value clouds  with the clouds that border them.  These clouds will visually look like  they are behind the high value clouds.

--Continue  this process.  Some clouds will be high value (visually move forward),  some more mid-value, and some lower value with lots of shading color.   These will visually look farthest back.

--Remember  to leave some gaps with paper shining through.  You can keep some of  these empty, to come forward and suggest sunshine.  Add background color  (like sky blue) as “peak through” spots, 

   which suggests the area behind the tree.

--Add  branches with a small, dry brush or colored pencil or add some in  graphite to also peak through, seeing into the interior of the tree.

   Below are the scratch mini demos as they progressed, which hopefully  will show the progression of steps.  Look to find the clouds in higher  value, mid value, and darker, the branches, and the peek   

  through  areas.  Try to find these in the beech demos, too, because they  obviously are done more carefully (not in a few minutes in class!).

This  week we’re going to compose a drawing and painting to place our  Carolina Wren on a branch in autumn.  The branches I chose were a crabapple and an oak branch.  In each setting I used the photo references  above as a general guide, but altered them to simplify the scene and  combine appealing elements (such as the leaves, crabapples, and acorns)  in a good composition for our artwork.

My  crabapple with Carolina Wren art: In this piece I used the crabapple  branch above but didn’t include all sections of the branch. I also  removed some leaves to place our wren in the setting full of  crabapples and leaves.  I used a combination of graphite and washes of  watercolor paint over the graphite pencil.

My  acorn branch with the wren: In this piece I altered the photo reference  quite a bit.  I wanted to include a few acorns at different angles to  show off the subtle color and beautiful details in their tops.  I  embedded the acorns in a vignetted background to suggest the oak leaves  on the tree.  I again placed the wren as if it were perched on my  composed branch.   In this piece I combined graphite pencil with  watercolor pencil used both wet and dry.

As well as using Graphite Pencils I will add  watercolor paints in the crabapple branch.  I will add watercolor  pencils in the acorns and oak branch.  While I will continue with my  usual watercolor paints and pencils, I have listed below some watercolor  paints and pencils I will focus on.

Watercolor  Paints in the Wren on the Crabapple: Aureolin, Quinacridone Gold, Sap  Green, Quinacridone Red, Scarlet Lake, (Possibly a touch of Alizarin  Crimson if you have it), Light Red, Burnt Sienna, a touch of Sepia in  the eye, and Cobalt Blue.  You may choose to add Titanium White for the  highlights or not.  

Watercolor  Pencils in the Oak Leaves and Acorns: *Note: all are my Albrecht Durer  Watercolor Pencils unless indicated—Cream, Burnt Ochre, Pale Geranium  Lake, Earth Green Yellowish, Light Yellow Glaze, Middle Flesh, Venetian  Red, Middle Purple Pink, Olive Green Yellowish, Raw Umber, Light Cobalt  Turquoise, Dark Brown, Derwent Watercolor Gray Blue, Indigo, Graphitint  Slate Green, and a variety of warm grays