Green!

Greens in the landscape are so utterly lovely, especially in the spring. Because of their dominance in most landscapes and the variation in each hue amazingly complex, these lovely colors can be a very real challenge for the painter. Because so many of my students have expressed their frustration with green, I developed a workshop to address the problem.

First we mixed greens from blues, yellows and black:

Then we altered tube greens:

Then they matched greens in leaves. This sketchbook is from a workshop I taught in Tuscany. I had some painters who were just beginning and this was a nice way to begin.

Next I demonstrated the use of greens in trees. The example was from the same trip as the image above.

Finally, if time permits, we use the information in a landscape. This one was done on location at Rancho Los Alamitos, California.

The only way I know to figure something out is to go from the simple to the complex. The first step can be tedious if you don't pay attention to what you are doing and these charts can become valuable on location, especially for the grayed greens.

I LOVE painting trees so this workshop is a delight to teach!

Watercolor Musings: Final Step - Integrated Collage

Watercolor Musings: Final Step - Integrated Collage: "Formerly Known As Dietrichs by Judy Schroeder The final step for this piece was somewhat going back to the beginning. I didn't like the for..."

Final Step - Integrated Collage

Formerly Known As Dietrichs by Judy Schroeder

The final step for this piece was somewhat going back to the beginning. I didn't like the foreground so I re-collaged that part. This opportunity is what makes collage so appealing. Don't like something? Just collage again and re-do! The foreground was repainted and then I added detail to the buildings, put in shadows, added people, toned down windows, etc. This is a good example of making the whites more special by eliminating most of them. Hard to do sometimes when we are admonished, "Save your whites!" I firmly believe that every painting"rule" should be intentionally broken at least once.

I haven't done one of these integrated collages for a couple of years and writing this blog has me interested to do more. I find that working in multiple ways (watercolor, watercolor and ink, stained collage, integrated collage) helps everything in painting. I don't want to do the same painting over and over - it would bore me and if I'm bored I'm sure it is obvious to viewers.

Have fun! If you try this method, please send back a note. I'd love to see results!

Note: You can see by the title that I'm not a fan of Starbucks taking two spots in our plaza. They already were part of a remodel of a beautiful bank building and then pushed out a small local coffee shop. Sometimes progress isn't!

Watercolor Musings: Integrated Collage - Step 3

Watercolor Musings: Integrated Collage - Step 3: "Step 3: More paint is added The addition of paint in the sky area begins to put more emphasis on the light coming through the windows onto ..."

Integrated Collage - Step 3

Step 3: More paint is added

The addition of paint in the sky area begins to put more emphasis on the light coming through the windows onto the sidewalk. I especially like the results when the transition from stained rice paper to watercolor is discovered rather than the first thing seen.

This scene, in the historic section of Orange, California, is perhaps the most painted spot in the city. The notch between the two taller buildings makes for a nice negative space. It was a newspaper building for years and years and the alley beside it was the place where the "newsies" or newspaper boys would fold the papers and go off on their routes on bicycles. Later it was an architect's business, then a local coffee shop and now? It's a Starbucks...even though we have one diagonally across the plaza. Sigh....

Final version coming tomorrow.

Watercolor Musings: Integrated Collage - Step 2

Watercolor Musings: Integrated Collage - Step 2: "Drawing and the beginnings of watercolor are added The second step is a contour drawing of the subject and the the addition of watercolor. ..."

Integrated Collage - Step 2

Drawing and the beginnings of watercolor are added

The second step is a contour drawing of the subject and the the addition of watercolor. It's necessary to work as dryly as possible since the watercolor can "creep" beneath the collaged papers and go just where you don't want it! The image is both within the collaged areas and into the white. You can see that on the building on the left at the roof line and where the posts extend into the darker area. The white paint on the building on the right and in the left foreground is permanent white gouache which is much preferable to white watercolor.

I'll post step three tomorrow!