Home Editorial A Study-to-Studio Watercolor Demo: Oak Creek at Briar Patch XXII

A Study-to-Studio Watercolor Demo: Oak Creek at Briar Patch XXII

watercolor studio from plein air study — Julie Gilbert Pollard, "Oak Creek at Briar Patch XXII," 2020, watercolor, 11 x 14 in., Available from the artist, studio from plein air study

by Julie Gilbert Pollard

(Learn more landscape painting techniques with Julie Gilbert Pollard’s art video workshops, available here.)

Preliminary Plein Air Study

In this example, my study will serve as inspiration — and a point of departure — for a larger, more complex studio piece, but it can also be considered the most basic and simple way to paint a watercolor using the traditional “light to dark” process. Although my goal was not to produce a finished painting, if you’re interested in painting fast and loose, without having to employ multiple layers, various techniques, and complex steps, this process offers a great starting point you can tweak to suit your goals and personal style.

Photo reference for landscape composition — My view of the subject: From the complex landscape, I decide on a simple composition.

Step 1: I make a loose sketch, blocking in the largest shapes only.

Step 2: I paint the lightest lights, saving a few pure white areas of paper.

Step 3: Next, I paint the mass shapes of the medium-value tones.

Step 4: Finally, I add the darkest values to pull the composition together.

Back in my studio, I’ll use the study and a photo of the same spot, but from a slightly different view and time of day, to make another sketch and painting. For the finished piece, I’ll include more detail and more creative color. Having the simple study as a roadmap can help me find my way if I get bogged down or confused about how to transfer the mental image I have for the painting onto my surface. Continue reading…

To start, I make a drawing, taking care to create an asymmetrical composition. I strategi-cally place several dots of masking fluid to save important areas of the white paper. — Step 1

Step 1: To start, I make a drawing, taking care to create an asymmetrical composition. I strategically place several dots of masking fluid to save important areas of the white paper.

how to paint a watercolor landscape — Step 2

Step 2: Although I sometimes choose an approach arbitrarily, I more often decide on one that seems well-suited to the subject and the ambiance I want the painting to embody. For this piece, I decide to use a more or less “direct approach,” meaning that I’ll finish each area as much as possible before moving on to the next. I begin by painting the topmost rocks. By comparing these rocks with the same rocks in the finished painting, you can see that very little, if any, more work has been done on them.

direct approach watercolor painting — Step 3

Step 3: I continue painting the rocks, including those partially submerged, using creative, unexpected colors in appropriate values. Using negative painting, I suggest their forms around the whitewater that’s splashing up in front of them. The colors I use may be striking — quite different from the colors actually evident in the scene— but the shapes and values are the critical elements. Color is just icing on the cake.

how to paint water with watercolor — Step 4

Step 4: I now move into the chaotic water. Although it may appear tumbling and unruly, the water has form and structure, with distinct shapes I identified in the initial drawing. I take each water shape as it comes, using brushstrokes that mimic the rhythm and movement I not only see, but feel.