Art Technique - Watercolor

Fishing Boats on the Beach, Vincent van Gogh, Watercolor, 1888


One of my Freshmen Art I classes is playing with watercolor as we create our "head shots of the Gods" for the DMA student art exhibition in April. I have been encouraging them to play with the medium and discover what techniques they can incorporate into their skill set. Some think that watercolor is challenging because it is a lively material. It can be. The beauty of watercolor is the clarity of the paint and the "life" it has when it hits the paper. It definitely takes some practice to explore its qualities and it is easy to overwork the paint and end up with a muddy blob.

I am encouraging my young painters to check out this website and look at some of the painting demonstrations. It might give you some ideas that you will want to incorporate into your portraits! I've put two images in this post, one I did at a workshop and a watercolor by Vincent van Gogh. He handled the paint much like I have been demonstrating for our portraits - big patches of local color (a solid hue) with outlining to define shapes. I'm excited to see what you discover when we get back from spring break!

Snagged, Christine Miller, Watercolor, 2007

Drawing - Fun for All!

As an art teacher, I hear it all - from "I love to draw" to "I can't draw a straight line!". Drawing is a learned skill like many other endeavors, and this exhibit features drawing manuals from the 18th - 20th centuries. During this time period art instruction was not a specialty subject like it is now, but was part of a well-rounded education. When we draw, we "see" the world in a unique perspective. Through the use of our body and mind to record what we see, the barriers of inside and outside become blurred - we create a special experience for ourselves regardless of the artistic outcome. People these days take drawing too seriously when it is truly meant to be a fun, creative activity. Our ancestors appreciated it for what it was - a part of a well-rounded education!