Advancing with Watercolor: Italia - "The Street"

Fluency and the visual language

Everyone of our paintings begins with an idea - an inspiration and i feel it is practical for the artist to think about the idea to some degree before starting to paint. Some of the things I think about before touching the brush to paper are

What is my message and where is my focus.?? Ok two things but very closely related . To often I see students feel the tug of inspiration and jumper right into the painting. Or in many times just copying the scene. Here is what I do.

I sometimes title my painting first or think of a single sentence or even a single word that seems to embody my inspiration. That is typically expresses in a small area of the painting and so I try to recognize this . Further more as I compose I align this area on the third - well most of the time. Most of us are familiar with the rule of thirds - I will explain it below. This helps me compose my subject and gives me a clear guide post within the painting. This guide post is so important as it sustains our intent even if our view changes, time passes, or other distractions interfere.

This weeks title A walk in Ortigia…

My subject is a side street in the ancient city of Ortigia, and a pedestrian. The light creates a pleasing and effective play off of the buildings and a counterbalance in the shadows…giving us a mood.

Gradation involves manipulating the color while it is wet - it looks quite easy but in fact is challenging. It is an extension of working wet into wet which requires us to sacrifice some control and allow watercolor to do its thing.