Advancing with Watercolor: Brushwork - Winter Trees - Calligraphy

BRUSHWORK - WINTER TREES

Winter Trees - one of the most beautiful and challenging subjects. I like to see trees in the wintertime because we can see the underling branches - the structure of the tree. This structure then becomes a major inspiration for brush strokes and compels me to think “How I can record the Gesture of the tree ?”The watercolor brush then literally follows the twists and turns of the branches. This is a major part of the 4th painting

When snow has fallen on top of the trees it is yet another beauty and also a new challenge - this is the challenge we will focus on this week - how to capture the now show on the branches...

I have chosen 4 subjects that I think represent different approaches to this subject. Each is a combination of wet technique and dry technique.
Even though they’re is a good amount of details in these subjects I have relied on using just the brush and put the pencil aside.

Over time the brush becomes the extension of the your hand, and ultimately of your heart -

WHAT WILL YOU NEED THIS WEEK

To start I am using three small pieces of paper, roughly 8“ x 10“. Two of them are horizontal and one a vertical. This week I am taping down the edges of the paper as I want to work with more dry technique. I am using the same board made of Gator board so that I may tilt and manipulate the painting it as I paint it.

Brushes

In selecting the brushes, I consider the brushes ability carry an uniteripted line which we will use in depicting winter branches. I also use my “old mop” brushes or creating the new fallen snow on the fallen tree. The rounds are my brushes of choice here - besides the 2 mop brushes I will use the sabelette 4, 8 and 10. The smaller flat brushes are also useful in painting branches and limbs 1/2 inch and 1/4.

The sabelette I choose would be from Kingart (though they appear now to be out of stock)

https://www.kingartco.com/products/kingart-original-gold-9020-series-golden- taklon-ultra-round-1

I am using either Paynes Gray, Sepia, or Nuetral tine in these exercises . Reducing the color choices plays a significant role in our ability to find a path to a subject. Sometimes a limited palette is just enough. A variety of colors and be used more freely once we have an approach to the subject. The texture of the paper plays a critical roll as we develop our dry technique - I am using Saunders Waterford 140ilb rough surface...

Tape, spay bottle, paper towel, hair dryer

WHAT WILL WE DO THIS WEEK

We will develop 4 images this week - each a painting of winter trees - that snow in different states on different trees. The paintings immerse us in snow covered branches. We will talk about edges, texture and gesture in this series and develop our technique along these lines