BeckerArt FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter Sept. 17th, Light to Dark

Published: Tue, 09/17/19

Hello

Welcome to the FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter #225, Light to Dark

In the next 3 weeks, I will be demonstrating 4 times, at 4 different locations. 1st I will be in Lemont Illinois, demonstrating Sept.18th for the Lemont Art Guild. The next day Sept. 19th I will be demonstrating for the Lake Superior Watercolor Society, in Duluth, MN. I then head to Dillman's for my 4-day workshop (spaces still available). Sept. 26th I do a BeckerArt Paint Party at Dillman's. The next day Sept. 27th I judge the Wisconsin WRAP exhibit and demonstrate. This exhibit and demo will also be held at Dillman's. The following week on October 7th I will be demonstrating in Green Bay for the Northeast Wisconsin Watercolor Society.
Check out below or any of the highlighted links to get info on each demo.

If you get the chance to come to any of my demonstrations in the next 3 weeks you will be pleased to know that I have some wonderful sample handouts to give away to you. Check out the image below to see some of the wonderful Holbein and Legion Paper products I will be giving away.

The painting above is one the many that will be in my Never Forget the Armed Forces Exhibition which will be held in my gallery in McHenry, Sunday, November 10th. More information will be coming soon.

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Yes to a Sue MacFarlan Class, at the Civic Center in Libertyville,
Thursday, September 19th 1pm to 3:30pm

Yes to Open Studio by Gary Wigman, at the BeckerArt Gallery in McHenry, Saturday, September 21st 9:00 am to 11:30 am

Light to Dark

The one statement I say the most to my students has always been Light to Dark. It's the one thing in watercolor that really makes the most sense with the process of painting a watercolor. Yes, you can also start with real darks but painting light to dark is the easiest way to work in watercolor.

Why is light to dark the easiest way to paint a watercolor? Because if you start with light colors you get the ability to paint through the dark objects making it a lot easier to do large clean crisp washes. The painting steps below shows I went light throughout the entire background if I had to go around each dark tree the background would not have such a clean wash.

This light to dark happens a lot in landscapes and a lot of the times the painting process is also from background to foreground. This makes it really easy to do light to dark because as you go from the back which is light and then you come forward constantly getting darker with each wash. This lets you cover over your light washes with your dark washes.

Follow the step by step below to see how this light to dark works when painting a landscape that has many many objects.

Light to Dark!
David

This is the photo reference I used for this exercise

Step 1 After you have drawn in your pencil sketch you put in your first layer of light color wash

Step 2 While it was still wet I decided to spatter it a little more darker tones with a flick of the brush

Step 3 I next start with the first layer of medium toned dark's, going right over the background lights.

Step 4 The darkest dark is established next and then you start painting in your dark objects.

Step 5 The final touches are the large shadows and tiny small dark details and if you don't mind opaque colors then you can also put in some small detailed lights, like the small leaves I put over the dark's.

Above are a few Gifts I will be handing out from Holbein and Legion Papers at the next couple of demonstrations I will be conducting in the next 3 weeks. Check out my schedule just below.

WORKSHOPS and DEMOS in 2019

Lemont Artists Guild DEMONSTRATION, Homer Glen, IL, September 18th for info Click Here

Lake Superior Watercolor Society DEMONSTRATION, Duluth, MN, September 19th for info Click Here

Dillman's Watercolor WORKSHOP, Lac du Flambeau, WI, Sept. 23d - 26th For Information Click Here

BeckerArt Paint Party at Dillman's PAINT PARTY, Lac du Flambeau, WI, Sept. 26th For Information Click Here

Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP) JUDGE EXHIBIT/DEMO, Dillman's, Sept. 27th For Info Click Here

McHenry Community College CLASSES October 2, 9, 16, 23 Classes are SOLD OUT

Northeast Wisconsin Watercolor Society DEMONSTRATION Green Bay, WI, Oct. 7th for info Click Here

LaGrange Art League WORKSHOP, LaGrange, IL, October 18th - 20th For Information Click Here

Product of the Week
General Sketch and wash pencil

This all-surface, water soluble graphite pencil performs and looks like traditional graphite in its dry state. If you run a damp brush over the pencil lines they completely dissolve, and you can brush the liquid graphite throughout your design like paint.Create bold, dark marks or several tonal values with the stroke of a brush. Water adheres the graphite to your paper so you can add color over it and your color stays pure. Additional uses: Apply patterns on painting surfaces using this pencil instead of graphite paper.Sold individually, order 12 for a full box

Artist of the Week

Misure Nien
I found this artist by accident while looking for another artist.
First artist I have ever found that rubs out their lights like I started doing with the stencils. Love this watercolorist works.

BeckerArt Brushes

Click Here to Purchase BeckerArt Brushes

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For any other info please email me at david@davidrbecker.com