Showing posts with label Arne Westerman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arne Westerman. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Emotional Connections

Curious watercolor by Meera Rao 10x14"

I painted this earlier in the year, about a year after her first birthday. It took me that long to get the courage to draw and then paint. I used several photographs as reference but one photograph that my daughter took of her niece became the basis of this painting. Her days are packed with play and curiosity and I am pretty pleased that I captured that sparkle in her eyes   I painted her eyes first and once I was satisfied with it, painting the rest of her became easier and pleasurable. 

Now I have to get busy and paint her 2nd year portrait as well as her newborn sister :) I hope to have at least one painting for each every year. It definitely  has been most satisfying to paint my grand daughter.  Arne Westerman in his book 'Paint Watercolors filled with Life and Energy' says "the artist must know that his emotional connection is only the starting point for a meaningful piece of work. There must be passion that drives the painting, followed by the creation of a solid composition. Thus the final rectangle will not simply be a statement of feeling or mood or a picture of something. It will be a complete painting with shapes, values, rhythm, color and balance, as well as subject matter. "  And I hope in the end my grand daughter will like it too ! 

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Sixteen Rules to Forget

Koi  (final) watercolor on Yupo 11x14

A month and a half ago when I was getting ready to frame the paintings for my show at the library, I had to stop and go back over my earlier version of  the Koi painting, further deepening the shadows (the photograph unfortunately still doesn't capture the darks well enough) and adding some more details to the fish and the water.  I like this newer more vibrant version :). Under glass with  'museum white' double mat really gives the painting a wonderful 'finished' look. I can never  get over how matting and framing dresses up a painting!!! 

I must admit I have been washing, painting, rewashing and painting again on regular paper for a few years  but  its easier on Yupo.  Yupo paper  has helped me be bolder with trying out various options for a painting --especially going darker, then coming back and saving the whites. It has helped me take chances and  try out different solutions on the same painting till I am satisfied. I play with shapes, values, colors or other elements with abandon. Recently I reread Arne Westerman's book "Painting Watercolors Filled with Life and Energy." and it reaffirmed for me the method in my madness. At the end of the book he has  a chapter on Six Things to Remember and Sixteen Rules to Forget (my favorite)! I am sharing shortened versions of both below (and that will also help me remember better .)

Remember these: 
1. Paint only those things you feel connected to.
2.  Consider the uniqueness of your idea.
3.  See your work as a rectangle -not a person or a thing in the middle of a rectangle.
4.  Simplify.
5.  Use light like a film director.
6.  Use color with boldness. 

Forget These Rules: Rules (in italics) and my summarized version of his  refreshingly candid comments/explanation (not in italics) 
1.  Be careful to avoid "ouzles" in your painting. -Don't worry-its one of the exclusive qualities of watercolor.
2.  Design is simply a matter of picking the right formula. Not really. Just keep it simple. 
3. Watercolor is an unforgiving medium. Nonsense. You can paint, wash it off, restate and wash again.
4.  Expensive brushes are better and last longer. Not necessarily.  Experiment and find brushes just right for you.
5.  Paper must be stretched before painting. Not true.
6.  Don't use opaque white paint. Thats cheating.  A silly rule aimed to prove how difficult it is to paint 'transparent color.' The Old Masters used white paint. Cerulean blue, red & orange cadmiums, and yellow ochre are as opaque as white. 
7.  Always erase your pencil lines.  Not necessary.  It adds interest and texture.
8.  Be careful with the paper's surface.  Good watercolor paper takes a lot of abuse and its the results that count.
9.  Be neat and tidy.  Wrong.
10. Don't waste film, paint, paper and other supplies. Better to waste than lose a great opportunity.
11. Don't paint from photographs. Paint on the scene or work from photographs. Go either way without guilt.
12. Always work light to dark.  Not true. Develop as you go. 
13. Make every brushstroke count. No. You will play it safe and go nuts.
14.  Watercolor requires tremendous control. Not true. If you don't like it wash it off.
15.  Don't paint a vertical subject in a vertical format. Not necessarily.
16. Always stay inside the lines.  The term "crossing the line" suggests adventure. 

I close with these words from Arne Westerman: "You are an artist. Go to work." 
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