Watercolor Workshop Eps 13 Foggy Worker 

Thanks! I actually started as an oil painter & still love them. My first watercolors were terrible...I had to find a complete new mental approach to watercolor, and discover that paper selection is critical to getting good results. The paper IS your white paint, your support, and your texture factor. Also one needs to not worry about corrections...just enjoy the brushwork! Oh, and work small at first....an 8x10 is much less stressful than a huge sheet & much cheaper!

UR WELCO...KEEP UP THE GD WORK! N LOVE TO C UR OIL WORK TOO!

Lol, you too kind! I do refer to many little techniques as "tricks"! No secrets here. I'm happy to share what others have taught me & what I have learned through my experiences over the years. I hope I can get back to making more shows soon... Thanks!

Robyn Beltrametti maps.app.goo.gl/?link=www.google.com/maps/place/Regis%2BJ.%2BBoudreau,%2BD.P.M.,%2B230%2BCentral%2BSt%2B%25237,%2BAuburndale,%2BMA%2B02466/@42.3452194,-71.2491244,17z/data%3D!4m2!3m1!1s0x89e383a84319879d:0x62a894590b10bc28&apn=com.google.android.apps.maps&amv=914018424&isi=585027354&ibi=com.google.Maps&ius=comgooglemapsurl&ct=ml-psugc-lu-i&mt=8&pt=9008&cid=4253795513066623048&_icp=1

Thank you so much!

+zrimot33 I miss the bright-white reflection too...however the only time you get this is on a certain angle, in very bright light. In a more shadowed, or indirect situation, the "white" hull will reflect a very much darker, gray reflection. In "most" cases, reflections are darker than the object reflected. Very dark, almost black things reflect a somewhat lighter image. I have dozens of photos that are great examples of all these situations...sorry I can't leave them here as they are very interesting. Looking at a real subject and breaking down everything you see into brushwork & color selection is the absolute best source of your information.

+Keith Whitelock thanks Keith! Yes I was thinking about it...the Fresnel reflection is probably the answer... Keep up te good work!

Jonalexher I am using a Canon GL2, MiniDV Std Def camera, a wired mic, and all is edited with AvidExpress Pro. The trick is getting the camera where I want it so you can see the paper well. I have had to make a "boom" of sorts attached to a step ladder to shoot down on my table. I monitor the whole thing on an old portable tv set up in front of me so I can see what the camera sees. Then I have keep my head from under the camera! If all goes well I have some workable footage to edit...that is another animal altogether! It takes many hours to edit these...that is why they can't come fast and furious!

***** Thank you, Keith! I'll look into this! You have a really nice set up going on and the outcome is great, I like the idea of monitoring the whole thing as it goes and setting up a custom "boom" Thanks for all the tips, and keep the videos coming!!

Ehren Bond Somewhere in these comments I have included a paint list...just drop me a note at watercolorworkshop@comcast.net and I'll forward a shot of the finished painting...along with my paints list!

Thanks, not an insult at all.....Foggy scenes can vary in shadow a good bit depending on the altitude of the fog...very dense fog will indeed diffuse the light source. I suppose one would need to study the actual scene to determine the true contrast of shadows, but in this case the painting was from memory, so I have used some artistic license to add some dimension to the boat...usually the reflections are darker than the object being reflected, so I try to capture that effect too. A bright sunny day will just heighten the contrasts, so we deepen the shadows and then we add sharp cast shadows as well...hey! not a dumb question!

+Keith Whitelock Thanks so much for the explanation - not much in the way of mists or fog out here in New Mexico...so I was just wondering. Please, keep up the workshops - it's very helpful!!! Many, many thanks, m.

Keith Whitelock

Thanks...for the show, I use an 8x10 or so size...it is something that I know I can paint in less than an hour and still all of the watercolor techniques work. I buy full sheets of Arches cold press (22x30) and cut the in half and any smaller size. I sometimes use the full sheet...that is a lot of space to fill, and the larger area means some washes and such are harder to control. Some teachers recommend working boldly in large scale...that has merit, but it means more intimidation, expense, larger brushes, storage and transportation issues. One must pick a size that just feels right within the working space, the time allotted, and the situation. Is the erk just a study? A pleinair work? A studio piece...a demo? I like miniatures, so I paint many more of them than large format works. Find your comfort zone with size and enjoy the painting!

Thank you Keith, the question is because when I paint I don't know what size to choose for my work, your opinion is very good, What weight of paper do you use? Thank you

I use both 300lb and 140...the 300 is much harder to see through when tracing the sketch...the 140 buckles more and really needs to be secured on a board with tape all around...that is not a true stretch, but it works really well. Both may need to be ironed flat before matting and framing.

ukulelefatman Thanks Eric...when I use a wet-into wet passage, I look for a certain sweet-spot in regard to wetness of the paper. I chase that sweet spot all the time as humidity, air movement, and paper size & texture affect this. Essentially I need enough water on the paper so that it glistens, yet is not actually soaked(surface wetness is what this is all about)...next I have to paint into this wash quickly with the color wash that is slightly darker than I want in that place when it is dry...they always dry lighter. It's tricky...a very wet wash will soak in more and dry lighter...the different colors used, as in a sky, will blend more...perhaps too much. Too much water can soak back in around edges and create caterpillar looking back-runs. The bigger the paper, the more problematic it becomes. Usually I will just paint a good clean water wash over one side of the paper and give it a little time to "settle"...before it actually starts to dry, and still has some shine, I'll paint in those sky colors and clouds. The tricky bit is finding that perfect time and the obvious problem of adding yet again more water with these next passages of paint! The more you paint, the more comfortable you will be with this, and it remains a problem to be wrangled with by all watercolorists with every new painting! All the best to you and your Dad!

***** Thanks, much appreciated!

+Heidi Thompson Hi, good luck with your project...hope it turns out great for you both. I use WinsorNewton & Grumbacher's Finest mostly....the only issue with "student" grade paints is that some of the colors may be prone to fading. The expensive pigments usually hold up better over time.

NatSkie86 There are several companies that make this...I'm using WinsorNewton Art masking fluid now...not sure how the others work, but I imagine they are similar.

***** I'm reminded of the old addage:"..the great thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from..."Don't get too hung up on brush size...as long as the brush points well and is not too big to paint a small thing, or too little to cover a broad area, it will be fine. If anything, a larger brush holds more paint and can paint more until it needs reloading.My hands are not huge, so you can always relate the brush tip to the relative size of my fingers...Thanks for watching!

Paper is Arches 140 or 300lb Cold Press (it is cotton paper)...after I remove the masking fluid, the paper is a little rough...that dried fluid pulls up surface fibers. So what you saw me doing was painting plain, clear water (was using a brand new white-bristle brush) over that area to lay down those fibers. I let that dry completely, then I can paint over it with better results!

I use Arches....yes, some soft English papers do not like the masking fluid...I have had it tear up the paper as well.

Morgan Cooper Hi, I am using one I built myself...it has two 18" florescent tubes under the glass...these work great for most work, but 300# paper is so heavy that small details cannot really be seen...I only get the essential outlines established & then I redraw anything else. Not much light comes through that heavy paper!

Thank you I enjoy your vids very much

Morgan Cooper I actually built the light table I use...I do some wood-working as a hobby!

White areas need to be saved...that is what the masking fluid does...it acts as a removable mask to protect the original paper. It rubs away and the original paper surface is now available for paint.

I use Arches 140 or 300 cold press...usually the thicker 300 for larger works...

Well...sometimes! There is a paradox with some reflections...while "most" reflections are very similar to the object concerned, very dark things may appear lighter, and very light bright things can reflect darker. It depends on viewing angle, lighting direction, and water quality. Just study the real subject or reference photo for the answer.

I was struggling today with this on my painting.