Composition and perspective

Today, I'll show how to paint the picture from the begining. Trochę o szkicu, kompozycji i wreszcie o perspektywie. A bit of a sketch,composition and finally about perspective.

I started from a small thumbnail sketch on a piece of paper. At this point, only I know what it represents :) I did it on the basis of a photo found on the Internet representing the interior of the country house. I made several sketches and I found interestingone of them land it also inspired for new ideas, so I started to transfer it to a larger format.

I prepered 35cmx50cm paper planning to draw a delicate contours and paint watercolors. In the meantime, I had various ideas which I put on the paper. After some time the paper was realy dirty soI decided to create a more accurate drawing which then I would transfer to a new paper and paint watercolors. I started drawing more loosely, wipe, improve. Such a study is useful for determining darkest and brightest spots. Here I am not sure yet what to put in the foreground - a table, a dog, a rug?

Now, I will explain why I'm doing this that way and not otherwise. I used the classical division rule - three equal parts. I tried to put importent elements on the main lines and preferably at the intersection of these lines. Here, the composition is in the process of setting so I see now that I have to move and add more elements.

The image must be a story. The elements should guide the eye from place to place. The viewer has a tendency to "read" picture like a book so I start from the left side where I probably put a dog. The lines will direct the eye to the right to a person sitting in the other room, then fly around and read out the situation that she is likely to live in the country, she is resting now or something like that. Anyone can of course interpret my image in a completely different way, I do not care:)

Here I show how to set a horizontal line of the horizon. Now it is at the height of the eyes of the person sitting in the background, it means that may eyes ere at this height too - so I'm sitting. Crossing the lines is the intersection point and better when it is moved to the side - not on the center.

One point perspective that is shown here is as simplest because as the name suggests - there is only one point where go all lines parallel with our eyes. It is used as when we look straight at the wall. All lines perpendicular to the wall meet at one fixed point. Horizontal line is very important, because all the lines above it step down and all the lines below it go to the top. It's easy to make mistakes forgetting about it.

The lines on the wall and parallel to it are like on a technical drawing. The points of intersection of these lines produce 3D ilusion of the image. For now, I will not be inquired into the details of geometry. At the beginning to feeling a bit - the farthe the smaller and the best is to draw from nature holding pencil in hand.

I showed here the way in which I start painting larger formats in more realistic way with the proper perspective. Such drawing can be then transferred to paper or underpaintings with different ways- using a grid, the backlight - depending on the situation.
I often paint without such detailed drawings - I use expression, improvise, I sketch landscapes lightly selecting the most important points. Watercolors are more lively and light this way.

The simple harmony of colors

Today, I'd like to show the harmony of colors which are yellow and blue, plus a third color similar to one of them.

Geranium 21cmx30cm (8"x12") - I used yellow, cobalt, and ultramarine in the shadows . Cobalt is a bright pigment and in conjunction with other gives grays but doesn't make it darker.























St. Roch Church in Białystok (21x30) - I did an experiment here. First, with a black watercolor pencil I painted whole picture in a mochromatic way. I didn't draw with it but put it on a piece of paper and using damp brush painted with it as with a regular watercolor. Watercolor pencil after drying does not dissolve as usual watercolor so after it dried I could impose other colors. I painted yellow lights and blue shadows. Green was created by mixing these colors in different proportions, but I added also an olive green. Finally, on the damp paper I darew some black marks with watercolor pencil.























Large Watercolor 33cmx48cm (13"x19") - I used lemon yellow, prussian blue, indigo, and a few orange spots on plants at the window. Watercolor was painted in three layers, each darkening another one in place that seemed to me to be too bright. I used the razor blade and sandpaper to obtain white accents.

The examples above show a rather simple but good color harmony. There are two colors which one is a dominant color, the third nearly one of them (blue plus yellow and orange, yellow and blue plus cobalt, blue, plus yellow and green).






















At the end something totally different. Portrait of a girl I recently drew. In addition to the regular drawing with 2B pencil I used graphite powder. In this way, great smooth transition is achieved, the delicate skin and foggy background.

Preparation paper for watercolor painting

This film describes how to prepar paper for watercolor painting. You can watch the video and description of the various stages below.

For a few days I had trouble starting the presentation. Here I give some explanations in traditional form.

Sometimes I do the drawing first - before I stick paper to the board. when I don't have the mood and make mistakes I just take a new card and do not have to detach it. It is hard to wipe off pencil if its overdrawed end watercolor go dirty. It is better that the picture was as delicate. This order is not necessary but possible, and who will.

Next I tear off pieces of the tape. Touching tape with wet hands is gluing the reel.

I am filling the bath with water and dip my sheet for 5 - 10 minutes. Paper has to get wet and soft but dissolves the glue which is a component of paper, so it is not advisable to soak it too long.

I gently remove paper from water. It is soft now so I let water drip for a moment.

I put paper on a towel and gently let the water soak in it After a while the paper is damp but not wet, it is not shinnig.

Now, I'm moisturizing previously prepared pieces with the wet sponge and tape the paper, clamp it firmly. If the tape is badly affixed to the paper it will bend.

Now I leave the paper for the night to dry. On the next day I start to paint. This is my method that I like to work that way. I often prepar few sheets of clean paper or with sketches and I have a spare ready to paint. I use plywood as a drawing board. In some areas, tape did not want to keep.
When my painting is done and dry it must be cutted off so the size of paper that I prepared at the beginning declines. I soak the tape which is left on the board and scrape it off with spatula.