The most important area in the painting is of course, the center of interest, which in this case, is the entire cluster of buildings. The structures are small, and I'm working in transparent color, so controlling the edges is very important.

Many artists will use opaque pigments which allows them to make corrections in a transparent watercolor painting. Two of my favorite artists, Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent used opaque paint with amazing results.

So if I do make a mistake in this section of the painting I could easily use opaque paint to correct it. However, for me the challenge is the beauty of transparent layers, the most important aspect of painting in transparent watercolor.

In an example from an older painting, you can see the concept of painting "through" objects instead of "around" objects. The first wash was painted freely without regards to edges..

The edges are created in the next wash. Painting one edge is better than painting two edges. Fifty percent less work!

In the current painting, I have green grasses and red structures. These are complementary colors. Painting the green through the red structures, and then the red over that results in a loss of intensity. So, if I want intense reds, painting through is not an option.
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As you recall, I left a hard edge in the previous step. There is not a great difference in this section from that section as far as depth is concerned, so the edge should be soft. In the last step I chose to "overpaint" the edge to soften it. In this section I softened the edge very lightly with water.

The next decision to make is how I will want to handle painting the edges of the structures. I want distinct but not hard edges on the sides of the buildings, and soft edges at the bottom, so that they look like they are "in" the ground instead of "on" the ground.

​To do that I had to keep the bottom of each building wet and wait for the "sides" to dry enough so that the edge would be distinct. I will deal with the rooftops later. 

In the next steps I will be dealing with the larger areas of the painting which present different challenges!

In this painting, I will be painting around objects, leaving the white of the paper intact. Many artists will use masking fluid, a rubber cement-like substance to protect the white of the paper. I don't like to use masking fluid because I find it difficult to remove without smearing it with color, or destroying the paper.

The goals here are: to create soft edges, to incorporate warmer colors and more intense colors because I will now be working toward the foreground, and to create hard edges in the structures.

There are several ways to soften an edge in watercolor painting:
1. Scrub with a stiff brush. This is dependent on the hardness of the paper you are using. Heavy scrubbing can destroy the paper. 
2. Match the value of the edge when painting the next section. This takes a slow and careful wash that will affect the blending of the colors.
3, Over painting–painting past an edge. Because the change of value and color is not extreme, painting one section into another will leave a well-defined but a softened edge.

I want a definite yet soft edge, and softer away from the center of the composition. I painted past the edge of the first wash and carefully painted around the roof of one of the structures and then, while still wet, painted some darker tree shapes near the structure.
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​While the wash was still wet, I lifted areas behind the trees by using a dry brush to remove some of the color. Near the darker tree mass in the background, using a wet brush, I lifted a path leading to the right background and to soften some of the edges in that area. 

​The next section will deal with the same issues, painting around several small buildings, scrubbing areas to soften an edge.

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.

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. 

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!

Most of the paintings that I do are "full color" which means that I use all of the colors on my palette.

My palette consists of 2 reds, 4 blues, 3 yellows and some earth colors such as Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber. Occasionally I will add an extra color depending on the subject matter. Using my entire palette of colors enables me to make subtle changes of value, temperature and intensity while painting.

It is important to know and understand the different types of pigment available in transparent watercolor paints. There are three different types: 
1. earth colors
2. dyes
3. metals

Earth colors are pigments made from clay. For example, Burnt Sienna is a reddish brown color made from clay that has been taken from mines in Sienna, Italy for hundreds of years. 

Burnt Sienna contains a large proportion of anhydrous iron oxide. It is made by heating raw sienna, which dehydrates the iron oxide, changing it partially to haematite, giving it that rich reddish-brown colour. 

However, the mines are running out of this "dirt",  forcing paint manufacturers to develop this color with different materials. These materials can contain impurities which will affect the pigment in the painting process. 
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For that reason, I prefer to only use pigments that are made from natural iron oxide. This information is found on the back of the paint tube. 

Dyes are made from chemicals that are heated to different temperatures to obtain a variety of  colors.

Metals like Cadmium and Cobalt, are mixed with additives and heated to different temperatures, then ground into pigments.

In watercolor painting, these three different types of pigments do not "like" each other. In other words, trying to mix them to obtain a smooth, even color will not produce the effect you are trying to achieve. If you want a smooth even blending of colors, I recommend that you use pigments in the same group. If you want the colors to separate to create an interesting texture, then use pigments from the different groups.

​For my painting, I want the colors to separate to create textures that suggest the subject matter. In this example below I used phthalocyanine green–a dye, and cadmium yellow light–a metal, and some burnt sienna –an earth color.

The most important part of a painting is the drawing. If the drawing is not correct, no amount of value or color or details will make the painting successful. Because the drawing for this subject consists mostly of various structures, getting the perspective and placement of these elements is vital.
 
​How do I choose a pencil? Pencils are made from graphite (a form of carbon) combined with clay. The more clay, the harder the pencil. Hard pencils are defined by the letter “H”. The higher the number, the harder the pencil. Soft pencils are defined by the letter "B". The softer the pencil the higher the number. 2B is soft, 3B is softer, etc.

Higher clay content in a pencil makes it more difficult to erase.  You can use a light touch when drawing with a hard pencil, but the lines will disappear when you apply a wash over them. If you press down too hard so that the drawing is still visible, the pencil lines will create a groove in the paper that will fill with pigment when you paint over it, making the lines impossible to erase.

A softer pencil will work better.  Keep in mind, if you use a pencil that is too soft, the lines can smear when you paint over them.

My personal choice is a 5B pencil. It is dark enough to be seen as I paint, yet soft enough to be erased.

Erasing itself is another issue in watercolor painting, and another reason to plan your preliminary drawing carefully. If you use an eraser that is abrasive, you will alter the surface of the paper, changing the texture of the paper and how the wash itself is absorbed.

The kneaded eraser is the least abrasive, and therefore my first choice. If that does not work, and a more abrasive eraser is necessary, I will use one only when the painting is finished, keeping in mind that the paint can be erased also.

Why erase pencil lines at all? There is a difference of opinion regarding drawings in watercolor and in all other medium. For some reason the "experts" have decided that the drawing in a watercolor painting can remain visible and become part of the finished painting. For all other medium this is not considered acceptable. Personally, I do not want any part of the drawing to interfere with my finished painting. 

Remember Rule #42-The success of a painting occurs before you pick up your brush.

​Next step-what colors should I use? 

Now that I've chosen my subject matter, I want to choose a paper that works best for this particular painting. There are many variables to consider when choosing watercolor paper. 
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Initially, all watercolor papers are made the same way, with the exception of rice paper. Sizing or glue is added to the pulp to hold the paper together. The amount of sizing varies from brand to brand making each paper unique. With some papers, an additional sizing is added after the paper dries. This is surface sizing.

Another factor in choosing papers is the texture. Papers are categorized as hot pressed, which is smooth, cold pressed which is textured, and rough, which is very textured.

Generally if you want to do a very detailed painting, hot pressed is preferrable. When painting on hot pressed paper, the "wash" when applied does not spread and tends to stay on the surface. This enables you to put down a wash in a precise manner. The disadvantage of this kind of surface is that additional layering tends to make the colors less transparent and  "muddy".

The cold pressed and rough papers will absorb pigments into the paper more than the hot pressed. When you apply a wash the colors will spread more. These papers allow for more variations of value and color. Because the wash sinks into the paper, you can apply more layers. These papers also emphasize the textures of the subject you are painting. 
 
The surfaced sized papers are more versatile. Because the sizing is water soluble, it can be removed with water. You can create a painting with more detail  if you leave the sizing on, or remove it to allow you to paint more freely.

Paper comes in several standard weights: 90 lb, 140 lb, 240 lb and 300 lb. The weight of the paper is determined by the weight of 500 sheets of standard size paper which is 22" x 30".  I always use 300 lb paper because it is thicker and will not buckle as much when wet. Also because of its thickness more layers can be applied.

During the painting process I will also want to do some lifting or removing of pigment. Lifting can be done when the paper is still wet, or can be removed after the wash has dried. For this process a paper that has a good amount of internal sizing is best. If the paper does not have enough sizing it can easily tear.

So, considering all the properties of watercolor papers available to me, the paper I chose for this subject is Moulin Du Roy, a cold pressed paper with no surface sizing and medium internal sizing. 

I will discuss the drawing shown here, in the next blog.

Normally I keep my blogs short. With most of us isolated due to the virus, I am going to do an extended blog over several entries explaining not how to paint, but why I paint the way I do in a more detailed manner.

Those of you who are familiar with my work know that my favorite subject is rocks and water. My second favorite subject is —nothing! By nothing I am referring to subjects that have little positive space. Positive space is anything that has shape and form, i.e cylinder, cone, sphere, cube or ribbon shape. The Dutch watercolorists were masters at this. The subtle differences in value, temperature and intensity are the key to making these paintings work.

The subject for this painting is a view from an overlook we captured during a drive my wife and I took to Galena, Illinois. 

I will be using a full sheet of watercolor paper. The standard size paper is 22" x 30".

Every watercolor painting I do demands a different approach. Generally, the method I feel is best is painting the entire composition in a single wash, working from light to dark. 

For this kind of composition I will use what I call the "paint by number" approach. This approach consists of painting sections of the painting. The problem with this approach is that you will be judging color, value, etc. next to the white of the paper, and that you will be painting hard edges. Because of that, you need to have a good idea how it will change once you paint the next section.

I also like to keep the composition "open", in that as the painting progresses, I want the option of making adjustments. That is the creative part of painting.

I have a few sections done and will post each section and explain my thinking on a daily basis.

​Below is the subject and the adjustments that I made to the composition which I will explain in my next blog. To be continued!

Thank you to the Aurora Art League for inviting me  back. I always enjoy the enthusiastic participation and thoughtful questions. 

The evening's presentation was a lecture on Composition. During the discussion, we covered ten methods I find necessary for creating a center of interest in a composition. They can be found in my book "Principles and Techniques for Drawing and Painting". 

As I prompted the group for ideas, one member suggested complementary colors as a possible method. Initially I thought that I might have to add that to the list! However, after some thought and experimentation, I found that it actually comes under one of the existing ten methods. 

In the first example, which of the above squares is the center of interest?

Red and green are complementary colors, but because they are used equally, no one square is more important than another.
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The second set of squares has just one red square, which is more important, not because it is a complementary color but because it is unique, which is one of my existing ten  methods.

What is the center of interest in this painting? The red and green complements?
​Even though the wading bird is very small, it is the center of interest because of animation–living things (people, animals) are of more interest, and will always capture our attention first.

West of the Fox Valley is a little town called Kaneville. On any given Friday afternoon, in a large, sunny classroom in the Community Center, a part of once was  the old Kaneville High School, students are learning about and creating watercolor paintings, as well as enjoying the camaraderie of fellow artists. 

Classes are held every Friday afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. They are open to all students of all levels of expertise. We have continuing students of every level, all very enthusiastic and welcoming. In each session there will be a critique of work completed the previous week, a new demo, then time to create your own watercolor painting. Consider starting or continuing your art journey and join us on Friday afternoons.

​Contact me at rjkwatercolors@gmail.com for more information, and a list of supplies you will want to bring to your first class!

Thank you to all who came out  Saturday, December 7th for the Christmas in Kaneville festivities. And thank you for all the raffle ticket submissions. The Kaneville Historical Society is grateful for the donations. The $128.00 in raffle ticket sales will help continue their upkeep of the Benton House and the Farley House, and in the preservation of historical artifacts important to the local story of Kaneville.

The winner of the demonstration painting is Lynette Werdin, our matriarch
​of Kaneville, and the vice-president of the Kaneville Historical Society. Congratulations, Lynette!

                 Set up                                         In Progress                     Visitors & Questions                        

Lynette purchasing what would be the winning ticket!
​And the final demonstration painting.