Watercolor Painting Demonstration – Fluffy Young Duckling

About the Artist

My name is Dawn McLeod Heim, author of the book “Step-by-Step Guide to Painting Realistic Watercolors“.

Over the years I have had numerous inquiries and requests to create a website not only geared towards learning how to paint watercolor in a realistic manner, but also a place that fellow watercolor enthusiasts can have the opportunity to purchase and paint the class projects that I have taught my students.

My Website: http://www.watercolorpaintingandprojects.com/

Gaining a better understanding
	When I first began teaching, the students in my class ranged from beginners to award winners. After demonstrating my watercolor techniques on a painting that I had already been working on, I answered all their questions and they were finally ready to sketch and paint.
As I walked around the room to see how they were doing, I noticed that some students were having difficulty gauging the amount of pigment to use when mixing their colors, while others had trouble seeing and understanding values, and the students who were new to watercolor were lost because they hadn’t yet learned the basics. There were even a few students admit they didn’t know how to draw.
I decided the best thing to do was to teach those who were new to watercolor separately, starting with the basics. I needed to design a way of teaching that would accommodate all their needs, boost their confidence, and enable them to produce artwork they could be immediately proud of.
Developing my method of teaching
Once my beginning students had learned the basics, I was then able to incorporate them into my regular ongoing classes. I knew they still needed guidance and with a class size of 14 students all learning at different levels, I needed to figure out a method of teaching that would accommodate them all. After several weeks of jotting down notes, my interpretation of a “Class Project” was born.
The goal of my “Class Project” was to provide my students with as many visual aides and tools possible to make their learning process not only smooth and easy, but also successful.
Award winning results
I am pleased to say that after putting this method of teaching to the test over the years, the results have been remarkable. Not only have my students sharpened their skills and techniques, but they have also gained the confidence in themselves to create artwork on their own. They are now selling their paintings, entering shows and winning awards!

Fluffy Young Duckling

Painting Terms and Techniques
Mix colors Load your brush Rinse your brush Blot lightly Blot well	Charging in small areas Soften outside edges Soften inside edges Clean moist brush

Palette, Brushes, and Paper

The following is a list of colors, brushes, and paper that I used and recommend for achieving equivalent results to that of the finished rose.

Palette

Permanent Rose (W&N) Permanent Brown (DS) Burnt Umber (W&N) Burnt Sienna (W&N) Cadmium Yellow (W&N) Indian Yellow (W&N)

Brushes

no. 5 round, for softening your edges no. 6 round, with a nice point no. 8 round, if you plan to enlarge the drawing and work on a larger scale

Paper

5″ x 7″ ( 12.7cm x 17.78cm) of Arches 300 lb. Cold Pressed watercolor paper Scrap piece of Arches 140 lb for testing your colors and values

Color Key

[ 1 ] Permanent Rose + Permanent Brown (tad) (lt.) [ 2 ] Indian Yellow (lt./med.) [ 3 ] Burnt Umber + Permanent Brown (med.) [ 4 ] Burnt Sienna + Indian Yellow (med.) [ 5 ] Permanent Rose + Permanent Brown (med./dk.) [ 6 ] Cadmium Yellow (med.)

Line Drawing

Transfer this line drawing onto your watercolor paper, enlarging or reducing it as needed.

	Step 1
The Underpainting
When you are finished with Step 1, your duckling will look like this.
Mix colors [ 1 ], [ 2 ].
With your kneaded eraser, remove enough graphite from the duckling to make the lines barely visible.
Beak
Load your brush with [ 1 ] and paint the beak, carefully painting around the areas that need to remain white, and softening the one inside edge with a clean moist brush, as shown in the illustration. Rinse your brush and blot well.
Fluffy down feathers
Duckling head Load your brush with [ 2 ] and, starting at the beak, paint upwards along the eye line, and as far as the illustration shows you to. Take a separate brush loaded with water, blot lightly, and soften upwards to the top of the head. Let that area dry completely. Paint the small area to the left of the beak in the same manner, keeping the eye area a very pale value. Let dry completely. Rinse your brush and blot well.
Duckling body Load your brush with [ 2 ] and paint along the top of the chest stopping at the top of the beak. Quickly take a separate brush loaded with water, blot lightly, then charge the water from your brush into [ 2 ]. Paint with this combination until you reach the wispy feathers at the end of the chest. With [ 2 ] still in your brush, quickly paint the large area surrounding the beak as far as shown in the illustration, allowing the left edge to gently charge into the water. Quickly take a separate brush loaded with water, blot lightly, and gently charge the water into [ 2 ]. Paint with this combination to the ends of the wispy feathers on the wing. Let dry completely. Rinse your brush and blot well.
Take your brush that has a fine point, load it with [ 2 ], and paint all the wispy feathers surrounding the duckling (a small section at a time), softening the lower edge with a clean moist brush. Let dry completely.

	Step 2
Adding the Details
When you are finished with Step 2, your duckling will look like this.
Mix colors [ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 4 ].
Beak
Load your brush with [ 1 ], and using the beak illustration as a guide, paint only those areas as shown, softening some of the inside edges with a clean moist brush. Let each area dry completely before painting the one next to it. Rinse your brush and blot well. Let dry.
Fluffy down feathers
Duckling head Load your brush with [ 4 ] and, starting at the beak, paint upwards and along the top of the eye line as shown in the illustration. Quickly rinse your brush and blot well. Load your brush with [ 2 ], and charge [ 2 ] into [ 4 ]. Paint only a short distance with this combination. Rinse your brush and blot well. Take a separate clean moist brush, and soften upwards as far as shown in the illustration. Let dry completely.
Paint the eye area next. Load your brush with [ 4 ], blot once, and carefully paint along the top and around the white shape as shown in the illustration. Quickly rinse your brush and blot well. Load your brush with [ 2 ] and gently charge [ 2 ] into [ 4 ]. Paint a short distance, switch back to [ 4 ]and finish at the neckline. Quickly take a separate clean moist brush and soften all the inside edges. Rinse your brush and blot well. Let dry completely.
Duckling body Paint the chest area first. Load your brush with [ 4 ], and paint a short distance across and down the chest. Quickly take a separate brush loaded with [ 2 ], and charge into the lower edge of [ 4 ]. Paint down the chest a short distance, then soften with water. Repeat this across the rest of the chest and down the wing. Charge [ 2 ]into the wing, and soften to the ends with water. Continue to paint upwards, causing [ 2 ] to charge in with [ 4 ]. Soften with water.
Load your brush that has a nice point with [ 4 ], and paint all the wispy ends of the fluffy feathers along the top of the head, the chest, and along the back, as previously done in Step 1.

	Step 3
The Finishing Touches
When you are finished with Step 3, your duckling will look like this.
Mix colors [ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ].
Beak
Load your brush with [ 1 ], and paint the light pink areas, softening some of the edges with a clean moist brush as shown in the illustration. Let each area dry completely before painting the one next to it. Rinse your brush and blot well. Let dry. Load your brush that has a nice point with [ 3 ]. Quickly paint all along the top of the beak. Keep the lower edge moist. Blot your brush well. Quickly load your brush with [ 5 ], and gently charge into [ 3 ], then soften the edge with a clean moist brush. Let dry completely.
Rinse your brush and blot well. Load your brush that has a nice point with [ 5 ], and paint the nostril hole. Let dry.
Fluffy down feathers
Duckling head Load your brush with [ 6 ]and, starting at the beak, paint upwards and along the top of the eye line as far as shown in the illustration. Soften the edge upwards with clean water. Let dry completely. Rinse your brush and blot well.
Load your brush with [ 4 ], and paint the area that separates the head from the chest. Rinse your brush and blot well. Load your brush with [ 6 ] and charge into [ 4 ]. Soften upwards a short distance with a clean, moist brush. Let dry.
Load your brush that has a nice point with [ 3 ], blot, and paint the narrow area under the eye line, using very tiny brush strokes.
Duckling body Load your brush with [ 4 ]. Paint across the top of the chest to the beak, and as far down as shown in the illustration, softening the edge with water. Rinse your brush and blot well. Let dry.
Paint the area directly under the beak next. Load your brush with [ 3 ], and paint the small dark area as shown in the illustration. Do not rinse out your brush, but blot it well. Quickly load your brush with [ 4 ], and gently charge into the surrounding edges of [ 3 ]. Paint with this combination as far as shown in the illustration. Rinse your brush and blot well. Load your brush with [ 6 ], and charge into the left and right side of [ 4 ]. Paint as far as shown in the illustration, softening the edges with water.
Load your brush with [ 6 ], and paint the area to the upper right of the beak, softening with water. Rinse your brush and blot well. Let dry completely.
Paint the wispy feathers. Load your brush that has a nice point with [ 4 ], and blot. Dip the tip of your brush into [ 2 ] and, using wispy brush strokes, paint the individual feathers on the head, the chest, and the areas shown on the back. Let. dry. Take a separate clean, moist brush and randomly soften across the feathers you just painted. Let dry completely.
TIP
When painting the wispy feathers, try to keep the lines as narrow as possible, and stroke your brush upwards and away – not downward toward yourself – using a quick motion. Try not to make them straight. If you find they are wider than you would like them to be, try blotting your brush once to remove some of the color, and/or try using a lighter pressure with your brush.
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Watercolor Techniques – Learn How To Paint with Watercolors

Watercolor painting is a very exciting medium. It’s easy to get started. All you really need is some paint, a few brushes, some water and paper and you are good to go. It is one of the most convenient painting mediums in existence to day. It is no wonder why it is such a popular option for beginners. Of course, you are going to need some advice and direction in order to get started, so I put together this post that covers some of the more basic watercolor techniques.

I have also included several excellent videos that demonstration watercolor painting techniques below. Enjoy!

Basic Watercolor Techniques

Flat Wash Technique

The flat wash painting method is a common one. This technique is usually used when large areas of your support need to be covered. It is important to lay out the watercolor wash evenly and uniformly. First, you dampen the area of your paper where you will be applying the wash. Be sure to have an adequate amount of water and pigment available before your begin. If you should have to stop for any reason, it will be rather difficult to match your layers. It is better to have more than less available. The angle at which you apply the watercolor wash is important. If the angle is too steep your wash will run down the paper. If the angle is too level, then there won’t have enough movement. Use a large brush for this technique and start your first stroke at the top of the paper. Continue applying the watercolor wash going down the paper, but alternate sides as you move down.

Glazing

Glazing in watercolor is when you apply a thin transparent color over a completed dry layer of color. This technique creates unique and interesting blends of new color. You will need to use a non-staining, transparent color for this watercolor technique. You will need to use a soft brush and try not too apply that much pressure.

Wet In Wet

Wet in wet is simply applying a wet wash over a wet surface. You start by evenly wetting the paper with a brush or spray bottle. Have a sponge handy to absorb any excess water. You want your paper to be evenly saturated. Then apply your watercolor.

Dry Brush

With the dry brush technique, you begin with a dry piece of paper. Then pick up some dry pigment with just a touch of water and apply to your paper.

The dry brush method is only recommended when you want to draw focus or create texture in your painting. It’s always a good idea to use different brush techniques in a single painting. This results in a more interesting painting.

Lifting Off

Artists use this technique when they want to remove watercolor from a certain area of the panting. It is usually done by first wetting the area that needs to be removed with a clean sponge and then absorb the color with a tissue. If you find that the color does not come off right away, then let the water soak in a bit longer and try again. If you still are unable to remove the color, dampen a bristle brush and gently scrub the area. Use extreme care when utilizing this method as it is possible to damage your paper.

Watercolor Painting Videos

Painting a Flat Wash in Watercolor

How to paint a flat wash in watercolor. Artist Debbie Johnson demonstrates her technique of a flat wash -- to lay down a flat, even area of color with watercolor.

How to Stretch Your Paper

Here is an old method for stretching paper that also prevents hard edges.

Watercolor Dry Brush Painting

A dry brush technique in watercolor painting uses very little water. Learn how to paint with a dry brush in this free art lesson video.

Watercolor Salt Technique

Demonstration of salt application on watercolor paper.

Soft Focus Watercolor Techniques

Learn techniques to create beautiful, soft-focus watercolor paintings on damp paper. Techniques include positive painting, negative painting, lifting, and using gouache. Presented by Elizabeth Flue

Recommended Watercolor Painting DVD’s

If you aren’t a big fan of learning from books, then I highly recommend you check out the following watercolor painting dvd’s from Creative Catalyst Productions. Creative Catalyst produces some of the highest quality DVD’s in the world and well worth every penny. I recommend Creative Catalyst throughout my website and in my newsletters and stand by them 100 %. Click the links below to see the pricing & ordering details for each video, including free previews.

The Traditional Watercolor Approach by Cheng-Khee Chee, Vol.2

Saturated Wet Technique by Cheng-Khee Chee, Vol.3

Improvisational Splash Color Technique by Cheng-Khee Chee, Vol.4

Crinkling Paper Technique by Cheng-Khee Chee, Vol.5

Marbleizing and Monoprinting Techniques by Cheng-Khee Chee, Vol.6

Recommended Books on Watercolor Painting Techniques

Sensational Sketches In Six Simple Steps by Sandy Sandy

Light and Dark Values

They Create Dimension, Drama, Texture and Shape

No matter what medium or technique you use to depict your subject, always try to use a full range of values. Value is the lightness or darkness of a color. You can simplify value by thinking light, medium and dark. A good drawing should have all three. A tool I use frequently in drawing and painting is a value scale. You could easily make up your own any number of ways. The first one I made out of a page from a Pantone color formula guide mounted on a piece of foam core. The second one, The Don Rankin Value and View Finder, is available through Cheap Joes’ Art Stuff. I like this one because there are holes in the card where the values are and you can hold it right over the area you’re evaluating to get a really good match.

“Value drawings are one of the artist’s best friends.” ~ Harley Brown

Homemade Value Chart

Don Rankin’s Value and View Finder

Sensational Sketches In Six Simple Steps

* STEP 1 ~ Block In Shapes

I recommend using a good quality spiral sketchbook, at least 6″ x 8″ or bigger with a medium weight drawing paper. I like the Strathmore 300 series, 9″ x 12″. You’ll also need a soft drawing pencil (2B – 4B) and a kneaded eraser.

This drawing shows you how to hold the pencil when you first start your drawing. It’s so much easier to first block in shapes this way and keeps you loose without getting caught up in details too early.

* STEP 2 ~ Refine and Add Detail

Ok, now you can tighten up a little and hold the pencil like you would to write. Add some of the main details. Correct and refine your sketch, but don’t get too nit picky!

Keep in mind that this is an exercise. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece!

When out of the studio sketching, I stop with this step and add the wash later. So all you need to take out with you is a pencil, eraser and sketchbook!

“A pencil is quiet, clean, odorless, inexpensive, and lightweight. I can slip it in my pocket and take it with me everywhere – my secret friend.” ~ Sherry Camby

My motto is: “KISS ~ Keep it sensationally simple!”

* STEP 3 ~ Dampen The Paper

I start this next step by generously wetting the surface of my bird with clean water. I go right up to the edge of the figure so the paint will flow to that point and the strokes will blend together.

* STEP 4 ~ Flood The Wash

Here I use a thirsty, *dry brush that’s loaded with watercolor paint. I usually use a combination of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna to make a gray, but any dark color will do. I’m more concerned with value than hue. (See the section on value below.) I start squinting a lot from this point on. This makes it easier to see big shapes and values. I float the pigment into the wet area, giving the figure shape by rendering values and a few details.

*dry brush ~ The brush is damp, yet dryer than the paper. This is done by loading the brush with thick paint and then using a tissue at the ferrule of the brush to squeeze out excess water. The brush then becomes “dry”, but there’s still lots of pigment on the bristles. See “PARTS OF AN ARTIST’S BRUSH” here.

Hue ~ another word for color

Value ~ the lightness or darkness of any color, the three main values being:

Light, medium, dark

* STEP 5 ~ Add Calligraphy

When the area is damp or dry, I add a few more calligraphic strokes. You can soften some hard lines by quickly moistening some strokes with a little clean water and a *dry brush.

* STEP 6 ~ Add Background Value

Sensational Sketches ~ Drawing Lesson

All I’ve done here is add a background wash after the bird is dry. I do the same thing as in step three. I quickly wet the entire surface where I want my wash to be with clean water, again being careful to stay in the lines. Then squinting, I float in my pigment with a *dry brush.

Some wrinkling of the drawing paper will occur.

Remember, it’s only a sketch!

About Sandy Sandy

The Singular Artist with a Double Name

Sandy holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Moore College of Art and also attended The Art Institute in Philadelphia. At Moore, Sandy studied watercolor independently with nationally known watercolorist, Ranulph Bye, whose legacy is the Brandywine and New Hope Schools. More recently, Sandy has been drawn to the teachings of Edgar A. Whitney, and has studied with many modern day masters who once were Whitney’s students. For over seventeen years, Sandy was the owner and art director of Alpha1 Studio, an advertising, illustration and sign company. Since 1996, she has been painting full time and operates her studio from her NJ Pine Barrens home. Collectors of her original paintings can be found throughout North America.

Sandy’s Website Address: http://www.sandysandy.com

Beautiful Watercolor Painting and Demonstration…

I came across a very beautiful and interesting watercolor painting and demonstration today that I had to share.

It was created by the very talented artist, Lori Rase Hall.

There are many quality photographs along with detailed instructions.

Click here to check it out.

Step by Step Watercolor Painting By Alistair Butt

Below is a wonderful step by step watercolor painting demo by the very talented artist Alistair Butt. Please take a moment to visit Alistair’s site when you are finished reading through this demonstration. There a handful of other demonstrations on his website, tips on painting supplies, limited edition prints for sale and more.

	Alistair Butt’s paintings are principally of coastal and landscape scenes, with a distinctive feature of his work being the skilful way that he includes interesting detail yet without compromising the sense of mood and the special qualities of light. His style is true to the great traditions of British landscape painting, and indeed all his inspiration comes from subjects within the UK. “From Cornwall and Kent to Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales, each area provides an endless source of material for my paintings, and each has its own identity and feeling,” he says.
Stage One
A drawing of the subject was produced on pre-stretched Bockingford 250lb watercolour/watercolor paper. Before any painting is started all the white areas of the painting are masked, in this case all the swans (I used colourless masking fluid from Winsor & Newton). Next the whole paper area is given a wash with plain water and while this is soaking into the paper I’ll pre-mix the first wash colours/colors on the palette. The first wash is to establish the sky and remove the remaining white areas of paper. A light grey/blue for the sky which was extended down to the river as this colour/color would become the highlight areas on the river and the beginnings of the shadows placed in the foreground.
Stage Two
Two methods can be used for the this stage. The first is to mask all the foreground leaves and paint the background first or second (as I have done here) is to paint the leaves first and then mask before painting the background. The leaves are created from three washes, each of changing colours/colors working from light to dark.
Stage Three
All the leaves painted in stage two had masking fluid painted over them plus highlight areas on the water were also masked. Having pre-mixed the colours/colors needed, the background was painted using two wet into wet washes, the first wash was allowed to dry before applying the second, softening any edges that were too sharp using clear water. I also painted the reflections while the correct colours/colors were on the brush. Some loosely applied detail was added to the middle distant trees.
Stage Four
With the masking fluid still on the leaves I painted the foreground tree trunk with four washes. Starting with the highlight colours/colors then starting the modeling with a mid to dark colour/color wash followed by adding the details, like the branches, splits in the bark etc before the final shadow wash. The masking fluid from the leaves was then removed and some softening of the edges is done. More detail for the reflections on the river is added before a darker version of the sky colour/color is washed over the whole river.
Stage Five
Moving to the foreground. The whole area is given a wash to establish the sunlight parts of the grass and tree on the right
Stage Six
Two darker washes followed in the tree and on the grass to start creating the shadows cast from trees to the right hand side. The washes were a mixture of wet into wet and wet on dry.
Stage Seven
Further detail was added to the tree on the right. The final grass shadow wash was added and as sharper edges were required the details like the twigs on the grass, gate and the plants by the river edge were painted last.
Stage Eight
The final part (having removed the masking fluid that covered the swans from the beginning) was to paint the swans. The swans were painted with four washes, the first being a warm wash to capture the sunlight on the swans with the following three for the modeling and shadow areas working from light to dark and allowing each wash to dry before progressing, whilst being careful not to paint a shadow wash over a swan standing in sunlight. The details for the heads and legs being the last parts to be painted.

All Images and Text are © Copyright, Alistair Butt