Now I Can Paint!

My main concern in this painting is creating the effect of aerial or atmospheric perspective. Our atmosphere
is comprised of water vapor that forms on tiny dust particles in the air. The more atmosphere we look through, the more it affects how we perceive colors. Because water molecules are blue, the colors appear to be more blue as they recede further into the background.

This atmosphere is like a veil of light blue color. Looking at a dark valued color through this "veil" will lighten the value of that color. The opposite is also true.  Looking at a light valued color through that "veil" will make that color darker in value. As a result, the values of all objects will have less contrast, resulting in softer edges.

An edge is formed when two different colors or values meet. If the contrast between them is extreme, it will create a hard edge. If there is less contrast between colors or values, the edge will be soft.

As I mentioned in the first blog, I will be painting in segments as opposed to painting in my usual manner. The plan is to work from background to foreground, or top to bottom. While this approach  does not allow me to be able to keep the edges soft from section to section, it does make it easier to keep the edges soft within each section.

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I want to make the colors in the background cooler (or bluer) and the edges softer. Also, because I want the background to have more movement, I will change the values from lighter to darker from left to right.
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Wetting the sections enables me to keep the edges soft in that section, and gives me enough time to control the color and values.

The problem with this approach is that it creates a hard edge at the bottom of the section. 

This is a large format 22 x 30 inches painting area. The entire section must remain wet from start to finish.  Watercolor paint will change in value from dark to light as it dries. Depending on how quickly the paint is drying, I sometimes have to spray the area to keep the wetness consistent. Knowing how much it changes is critical. That can only be learned by experience. Paraphrasing artist Herb Olson, if it looks correct when it's wet, it isn't.

​This is just the background section, but it has to have depth within it. I have to think about a background plane, which is bluer, and a foreground plane that is not as blue, all within the same section.

The next step will be more difficult because of the structures. I will have to deal with the hard edge created in the first step and then keep the edges soft in the next step while creating harder edges for the buildings.
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​Stay tuned!