Welcome to Watercolor Animals, part of the Colorways series. I have always been drawn to using animals as subject matter for my art. Their playful innocence and majestic beauty consistently inspire me. I love capturing their essence and bringing them to life on paper. In this book, we will explore several approaches to painting animals in watercolor. Exploring color is one of the aspects I enjoy most about painting. You can create compelling and eye-catching pieces when you’re not afraid to add color in a meaningful way. This book is intended to inspire you to give it a try and provides you with the skills to do so successfully. Whether you have no experience with watercolors or you already love the medium, I hope this book helps you appreciate what can be done with watercolor paint. No formal education is necessary to enjoy making art, and I will encourage you throughout this book to experiment and create your own personal style! Some common fears when working with watercolor are its permanence and unpredictable nature. In reality, however, nothing about watercolor is very permanent—and there are many tips and tricks to help you use its unpredictability to your advantage. In the pages of this book, I will show you how to control the medium, to an extent, but also how to embrace what you cannot control. The natural variation and unpredictability of the medium is part of its unique beauty! We’ll get started by exploring some of my favorite tools and techniques, as well as basic color theory. Of course, once you know the rules, I encourage you to break them! You will find a total of twelve unique projects, with helpful photos and instructional steps, to help guide you on your watercolor journey. Please don’t forget to enjoy the process! Step-by-Step Painting Projects Galaxy Whale Peeking Pet With a "Pop" of Color Betta Fish in Dark Waters Pair of Parakeets in Pastels Silhouette Animals Iridescent Beetle Freestyle Elephants Colorful Dog Setting Yourself Up for Success: Preparing for a Painting Session A lot of rules can feel overwhelming, so just remember that this is about enjoying yourself during the process. I encourage you to play and experiment along the way with techniques and colors. You may even surprise yourself! Natural light is your friend. If you are not blessed with your own studio space, that’s OK—you can do just as well at a kitchen table or in your living room. Just make sure you have good natural lighting. Finding Source Photos Since most of us are not professional photographers, you will probably need to rely heavily on the Internet, personal photos of your pets, or a friend’s photos. If you are looking for pictures online, there are a plenty of royalty-free stock photography sites out there that are filled with generous photographers and images of almost any animal you can think of. For the projects that feature your own pets, this is a no-brainer. Sketching I often sketch freehand, but for accuracy’s sake, I also use the techniques outlined here. Remember that unless you’re attempting to paint a specific animal and capture its unique personality, it’s OK if the artwork is not precisely accurate to the source photo. Do what makes you feel most comfortable. One of the most common sketching techniques is to use a grid, as shown in the “Peeking Pet with a Pop of Color” project on pages 40-47. USING MASKING FLUID Apply the liquid to the desired areas of your paper using an old paintbrush (small rounds work well). Eliminate bubbles, which may allow paint to reach the paper. Once dry, paint over the mask. Allow the paint to dry, and then rub away the mask with a clean finger or rubber cement pickup eraser. The masking fluid will leave behind clean, crisply preserved areas of white paper.
✔ Author(s): Shaunna Russell
✔ Title: Colorways: Watercolor Animals: Tips, techniques, and step-by-step lessons for learning to paint whimsical artwork in vibrant watercolor
✔ Rating : 4.6 out of 5 base on (521 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 1633228088
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
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