WATER COLORS AT THEIR BEST

Water colors, simply means paint that is soluble with water.

Some pigments are transparent and others or opaque but still water based. Each has its own purpose in painting, The opaque paints cover each other up quite like oils when they dry. Some paint with a thicker texture. Some dry to a

permanent solid and can't be lifted.These are the characteristics of water based paints.

Transparent water color: Paints as a dye and soaks into the surface of the paper. Transparent uses lots of water and colors and are designed to move through each other giving interesting effects. Transparent can be thinned out and used as a glaze on top of other colors. It is most popular because of the softness it can create when wet paint is applied over a wet surface.

Opaque Water Colors: There are several different Opaque watercolors.

Gouache: A little more fluid but best for large areas where the colors need to dry to an evenly velvet finish. Large brilliant colored areas without streaks. Covers well over darker surface and holds color well. Very light fast for permanency.

Casein: In all intents and purpose casein is like a gouache. It is probably a brand name difference. It covers the same.
The most valued difference is it comes back to life if when re-wet.

Tempera: A less expensive gouache used mainly on schools and posters. Kids like it because it's easy to use and washable.

Egg Tempera: An older technique used by mixing egg yolk into the paint (usually gouache) for permanency. The technique is used by artists like Andrew Wyeth, and is becoming popular today because of the polychromatic effects, that it gives the painting. Wyeth painted up to 12 different colored washes over a white wall. The egg makes the paint permanent when it dries.
Fresco: Painting over the top of wet plaster. When it dries the colors are embedded in the plaster and is very permanent.The last supper by Leonardo de Vinci is a fresco. The Sistine Chapel that was painted by Michelangelo is a fresco. Very popular in early times on large wall murals.

Acrylics: Some say this is the best of all worlds. They are close to oils as any othe medium. Vivid in color, they cover well and the can be used like a transparent watercolor. They work well on board or paper. They are very permanent like oils. Those who use acrylics swear by them.

When I was an illustrator in Chicago we all painted in acrylics. If and when you learn to use they are wonderful. The drawbacks of this media is that it dries fast and the palette will change because you have to keep mixing the colors your using. When it dries it can't be revived. You can paint over the other colors but it's hard to match them. It is hard to get the paint out of the brushes so don't use your good watercolor brushes unless you clean them well.

Do some of your own research, and try some or mix them up with each other.

More to come...

Cloyd

TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Maybe you should try something different!

I went an art exhibit where all the work was done on a computer.
Great colorful designs with hints of objects carefully placed throughout the picture with marble coloring flowing throughout the background- they were beautiful. It made me stop and wonder; if they were made with a machine, were they really acceptable pieces of art?

Why not. After all the computer is just another pencil. It can't operate itself. It takes great skill to make it do what you want.

That goes with other types of art. Sometimes we become purists and do the same thing over and over, not trying to excite our audience. We could mix a lot of ideas and art styles together as well as mediums. The trick is to make it work.

If I listed the number of ways you could achieve a finished piece how many have you tried?

• Watercolor
• Oil
• Oil Pastel
• Pastel
• Pencil (Colored)
• Gouache
• Casein
• Tempera
• Pen and Ink
• Egg Tempera
• Acrylic
• Fresco
• Charcoal / Conte'
• Computer
• Sculptor
• Ceramic
• Magic Markers
• Crayon
• Woodblock
• And the one you come up with
• Spray Paint
• Airbrush
• Cut Paper

This list will give you an Idea of what's out there. Everything on the list has been tried and made an artist successful. Settle on one our use a mixture of all.
Who knows you may find something that works for you.

Lots of ways to achieve great results.

Cloyd Bedke

JUST DO IT

Back to blogging.

I took a short break to teach al workshop on how to paint a picture. The good part of the workshop was that the students were all very different but excited about doing something they could hang on their wall. (That's always the case though).

Three major questions arose from the class.

Without a doubt the scariest idea was " what do I paint"?

Number two was, "how do I get started"?

Number three, "now what do I do"?

It's like driving a car.

Find a car to drive and get over your fear.

Make sure it's a car you like.

Get in and start it up... put it in gear and, the rest takes care of itself.

Oh, sure you'll bang it up before you really learn how to drive but two or three times around the block and your ready to head down the highway.

Remember, there is always something new to learn. The highway is full of people just like you. Skill comes with a lot of hard work and experimentation. You must work at it daily before you do it well. The hardest part is if you don't know what a car is, you have to go out and look around. There's a lot to look at, and confusion will set in.

Decide in the beginning what kind of painter you want to be. Look around at other paintings; figure out what makes them work; do small sketches to feel out the darks and lights; then do it. Work on interesting compositions and color placement. Go to workshops and let someone coach you. Everyone needs a coach.

Your desire to paint will lead to your expertise.

More later,

Cloyd