Watercolor Landscape

WatercolorLandscape

Studio Art

Watercolor Paint made with a water-

soluble binder such as gum arabic, and thinned with water rather than oil, giving a transparent color.

Traditionally used in a light to dark manner, using the white of the paper to determine values.

Usually transparent, and appear luminous because the pigments are laid down in a relatively pure form with few fillers obscuring the pigment colors.

Landscape Art that depicts natural scenery such as mountains,

valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view.

Landscape

Watercolor

Medieval Stained Glass Art of stained glass reached height

between 1150 and 1500 Created for great cathedrals to

enhance the beauty of their setting and to inform the viewer through narrative or symbolism

Subject matter was generally religious, though "portraits" and narrative scenes also give valuable insights into the culture of the time

Sand and wood ash (potash) are basic ingredients for making glass

Mixture is melted into liquid, when cooled it becomes glass

Glass is colored with powdered metals that are added to the mixture

Contemporary Stained Glass: Louis Comfort Tiffany

American artist best known for his work in stained glass

Most associated with Art Nouveau period Used cheap jelly jars and bottles because

they had mineral impurities finer glass lacked When he was unable to convince fine

glassmakers to leave the impurities in, he began making his own glass

Used opalescent glass in a variety of colors and textures to create a unique style of stained glass

Created his own company that is known world wide for its stained glass lamps, windows, and other interior items.

Impressionism: 1865-1885Before Impressionism – paintings were highly detailed, painted in the studio and featured historical or biblical subjects.

Subjects included: landscapes, cityscapes and portraits that appeared to be quick preliminary sketches representing the play of light

Painted candid glimpses of subjects showing the effects of sunlight on things at different times of day.

Claude MonetImpression Sunrise

1873Oil on Canvas

Impressionism: 1865-1885Characteristics include small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on changing light, ordinary subject matter, inclusion of movement, and unusual visual angles.

“En plein air”: painters left the studio & set up easels outdoors

Brought new ideas about light & it’s affects on color

Claude MonetThe Grainstack Series:

Grainstacks at the End of Summer, Morning Effect

1890Oil on Canvas

Impressionism: Claude MonetFrench artist, 1840 – 1926

One of the founders of Impressionism

Most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to “en plein-air” landscape painting.

Water Lily - Pond1899

Oil on Canvas

Impressionism: Claude MonetObserved variations of color & light caused by daily or seasonal changes and painted the same subject again and again at different times of day/year

Work characterized by: different colors showing affects of light, loose brushstrokes, soft atmospheric edges, lots of texture

Woman with Parasol1875

Oil on Canvas

Post-Impressionism: 1885-1910

Artists showed greater concern for expression, structure and form

Wanted art to be more substantial, not dedicated to capturing a passing moment

Rejected the emphasis the Impressionists put on naturalism and fleeting effects of light.

Vincent van GoghThe Starry Night

1889Oil on Canvas

Post-Impressionism: 1885-1910

Extended Impressionism while rejecting its limitations…

Heightened use of vivid colors

Thick application of paint with distinctive brush strokes

Real-life subject matter

Artists were more inclined to emphasize geometric forms, to distort form for expressive effect, and to use unnatural or arbitrary color Vincent van Gogh

Café Terrace at Night1888

Oil on Canvas

Post-Impressionism: Paul CezanneFrench artist, 1839 – 1906

Work laid the foundations of the radically different world of art in the 20th century.

Can be said to form the bridge between late 19th century Impressionism and the early 20th century's new line of artistic enquiry, Cubism. Mont Sainte-Victoire

1885-1900sOil on Canvas

Post-Impressionism: Paul CezanneUsed planes of color and small brushstrokes that build up to form complex fields – direct expression of the observing eye and an abstraction from observed nature – Cubist like geometric patches of color

Over 60 paintings of Mont Sainte-Victoire over a decade

Interested in simplification of naturally occurring forms to their geometric essentials: to "treat nature by the cylinder, the sphere, the cone"

Mont Sainte-Victoire1885-1900s

Oil on Canvas

TASKFor this project you will be creating a watercolor landscape painting.

You can choose whether you would like to go in a direction that utilizes medieval and contemporary stained glass styles, or if you’d prefer to paint in the style of the Impressionists or Post-Impressionists.

TASKYou will also focus on: The compositional tool the Rule of Thirds The Element of Art: Space – specifically creating

depth by using foreground, middle ground and background

STEP 1: ReferencesResearch and print landscape reference images. As you look, think about what type of landscape you want to create. Things to take into consideration…

Differences in terrain, climate, vegetation, wildlife, etc. Is there any architecture? Is there a strong foreground, middle ground and

background? You need at least 2 different images that you will

incorporate together.

When choosing references: Choose between 2 and 3 different images that you will

combine into one final composition Be sure they are good quality with detail where needed Remember your paintings should be light, so don’t

choose nighttime or dark scenes

Step 2: PlanningFor this project, more than any before, PLANNING is ESSENTIAL. Use more than one reference image Create 4 different compositional sketches in sketchbook

Remember the Element of Space Use the Rule of Thirds

Step 2: PlanningWhen creating a composition, use the Rule of Thirds: Compositional rule in the visual arts image should be imagined as divided into nine equal

parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines

important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections

aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would

Rule of Thirds

Step 2: PlanningWhen planning consider your use of SPACE

FOREGROUNDMIDDLE GROUNDBACKGROUND

Foreground

Middle Ground

Background

Step 3: Final DrawingOnce I’ve approved your composition, you may begin to draw VERY LIGHTLY on final watercolor paper with pencil

Dark pencil lines will show through on your watercolor.

TOO DARK!!! NO!!! VERY LIGHT!!! YES!!!

Step 3: Final DrawingIf you’re creating an Impressionist or Post-Impressionist landscape, you will need to lightly draw in shapes and areas where you will have color and value shifts.

Don’t worry about the details, the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists didn’t include a lot of fine details in their paintings.

Step 3: Final DrawingIf you’re creating an stained glass landscape, you will need to lightly draw in the “fragments” of glass where there are shifts in color and value.

Again, don’t worry about the details, stained glass does not have a lot of fine details, but how you fragment the glass will be very important to a successful painting.

Step 4: Practice Watercolor

Using the techniques demonstrated in class, create a watercolor art card. Use colors that you may be using in your final watercolor painting. This is your opportunity to get familiar with the medium before you begin.

Step 5: Painting Apply watercolor using

the techniques discussed and practiced in class – reference color planning, make use of test strips and your color wheel while you apply color.

Remember to work from background to foreground

AND! Don’t start to dark, it’s easier to add color than it is to subtract!!!

Step 5: Painting As you are painting, work in washes of color and using

the glazing or wet-in-wet techniques, enhance and build on your colors and values

Step 6: Inking For Stained Glass: After you have applied color to your

“fragments” and the painting has dried, use a fine tip sharpie to trace over the fragmented lines between the “glass” to mimic the style of stained glass.

Step 6: Dry Brush For Impressionism and Post-Impressionism: After you

have applied color to your landscape and the painting has dried, use the dry brush technique or colored pencils to add some more detail into your painting.

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Watercolor Landscape

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Transcript of Watercolor Landscape