Art Techniques | 8 March 2016Watercolor: Working From A Photograph Share article facebook twitter google pinterest What a photograph captures is not always the same as what the human eye captures. When we put our paintbrush to paper, sometimes it can be hard to replicate what a camera can replicate so easily. Water Paper Paint: A Creative Card-Painting Kit, shows you how to easily replicate what you find in a photograph. The eye of the camera sees in a nonobjective way, capturing light and the subject differently than the way we perceive our surroundings. Try painting as the lens sees. Materials photograph H pencil low-tack painter’s tape tracing paper ruler or square round brushes watercolor paints piece of cold-press paper or card jars for water paper towel or fabric blotter palette Process 1. Choose a card or cut or tear the watercolor paper to size. The format of your photograph determines the paper dimensions and image area. Use low-tack painter’s tape to tape the outside edges around the image area. This makes a clean edge on the finished painting. 2. To assist with image placement, draw a grid on tracing paper using a square or ruler and place it over the photograph. Then lightly draw a corresponding grid on the watercolor paper using an H pencil (fig. a). Making and using a grid is optional. 3. Sketch the composition lightly in pencil. Draw the main shapes and divisions of light and dark. 4. Use a large brush and broad strokes to paint the main section of the piece (fig. b). Follow the direction of your drawn shapes. As you paint, focus on seeing value, light, and shape rather than objects or subject matter. Furthermore, trees may not look like trees in the photo but perhaps like a diminishing band of shapes that are a middle value and green (fig. c). If you can try to think about elements rather than the actual things, the final piece may depict the illusion you imagined (fig. d). Buy from an Online Retailer US: This inspiring, everything-in-one card-painting kit blends traditional watercolor painting techniques with a fresh, contemporary sensibility. Learn unique techniques and design ideas for making beautiful, hand-painted greeting cards from the full-color 32 page book. Once you’re ready to try the techniques out yourself, you’ll be all set to go with the included 4 blank greeting cards, 6 postcards, 4 tubes of watercolor paint, and two paintbrushes. This kit is a wonderful launch point for making eye-catching greeting cards that will inspire all who receive them. Share article facebook twitter google pinterest If you have any comments on this article please contact us or get in touch via social media.
