Watercolor Painting Lesson – How To Paint With 4 Pigments

About Cyrille

Once upon a time … August 96, weary of the ordinary pleasures of the seaside, I left my wife and children playing on the beach and went to write a few letters to our friends in France. My children’s felt pens were lying on the table, so I used them to sketch a few scattered scenes to illustrate my letters. I sent out about 20 letters. Back home, at the end of the holidays, I received a very enthusiastic phone call : “your letter was great and we absolutely loved your drawings ! You should become an artist”. In the space of a few days, I received 18 identical phone calls. Eighteen ! That’s a lot !

“Bet I will !”

It was then and there that I decided to become a painter before even having touched a single paint brush. I started with my wife’s watercolor box, my kid’s gouache paint brushes and began my own experimenting. Not taking a few watercolor lessons and learning it all on my own could be considered a total waste of time, but instead, I just see the good side of it: I created my own style !

To be honest, I should tell you that this little talent, stumbled upon at the age of 42, was written in my genes. My mother received the first prize of the Beaux-Arts drawing contest. This small heritage has been transmitted intact to my children who already draw remarkably well.

October 96, when I decided to become a painter, I spent about 9 months painting game birds in still lives. Woodcocks, partridges, ducks, suspended head down on a wall in the very classic (French) manner. Why French manner ? In France, artists have always painted game birds hanging from one leg. I discovered when I exhibited in the U.K., that British birds were hung upside down, hooked by the head.

You already know that Brits are very strange. Why else would they be sitting in the passenger seat of the car to drive on the wrong side of the road?

My watercolor game birds stood out, perhaps, by their light, the freshness of their colors and by the meticulous attention given to each detail. Each individual feather was painted without omitting any reflected light or any shadow. I was painting for my own pleasure, taking all the time I needed to go to the end of my dreams, creating beauty…..

Follow this link to learn more about Cyrille and to view more of his work

HOW TO PAINT WITH 4 PIGMENTS BY CYRILLE JUBERT

My palette :

cobalt blue, yellow ochre, magenta et indigo. The indigo will allow me to create dense colors, close to black, while melting it with ochre and magenta. The cobalt melted with the same two pigments, will give me light shades of grey close to white.

Watercolor paper:

Arches 140 Lb Hot pressed 12″ x 16″ . For once, I did not stretch my paper before painting.

Drawing:

“A beautiful watercolor is first a great drawing”. I drew my portrait in Paris, to be able to paint at once in front of my students with a light 3H graphite pencil.

Learn to see

The most important teaching of this page is perhap’s to learn how to look at the reflected colors on your subject, in deep or light shades. Try “to see” with an artist eye who exagerate contrasts and colors. It is rather easy if you start with photos. When you will be more familiar with this way of seeing, perhap’s ill you look at life differently.

REFERENCE PHOTO

On the left :

The photo portrait of a drathar. Concentrate your eyes on his left ear. Do you see the blue reflection on the top of it ? and one inch on the richt, the violet-blue lock that become purple and ochre blond in the sun light ? Now look at the top of the skull. Do you see the blue, violet or purple shades, where the fur reflects the dark sky, while the fur on the forehead reflects the ocre and orange colors of the sunset?

On the right:

The same photo contrasted with photoshop to exaggerate these reflections. I drew blue, yellow and red lines pointing to the strongest shades in the dog’s fur.

First glaze

The first glaze will give roughly the prevailing colors in the fur.My aim for that portrait painted in a workshop was a demonstration. So I ovedid a bit, and exaggerated the colours. But I think now that it gave a more artful portrait. Glazes after glazes, these strong colors will melt. Notice that from the first brush stroke, each lock is painted in the sense of the fur. From the beginning to the end, whatever the size of the brush, you should always comb the hair and remember that each brush stroke will be seen by transparency. On the right side, this strong color close to black is a mix of indigo, ochre and magenta.

Succeed the Eyes

Is there anything worse than this blind mask ? Before to go on with the fur, I had to create the eyes of the dog to give a soul to the portrait. If the eyes turn out well, the whole painting will be successful.

As I paint in watercolor without adding white gouache, I have to search for the most intense light in the reference photo and always think to preserve it in my painting. My first brush stroke in the eyes will be for this white sparkle in the middle. I shall use a very light glaze of cobalt blue. So light, that I dont see the pigments when it is done. Nevertheless, I think it is really necessary.

Working on the iris, I paint a very light glaze of ochre and let it dry. The next glaze will add a mix of ochre and magenta on the edge of the iris. Then I start to paint the pupil with a mix of my three colors, close to a dark brown-red. I did not try to find the exact shade at my first glaze, not even the exact shape.

Colors are relative data:

Their values change with their immediate surrounding. Consequently, I shall take my time before to finish the inside of the eye. While painting the eye lids with a very light glaze of indigo, I create a humid light reflection, even if it is not in the photo. I know that such a tiny detail will bring more life in the eye.

Now thet my first glaze of the pupil is dry, using a very dark mix of pigments based on indigo, I paint the edge of the sparkle in the eye and what is pehaps the heart of the pupil.

NB: I painted these eyes during the workshop. As we used to scan the portrait only once a day, I cannot show you images of all the stages. I shall try to create a special watercolor lesson, step by step, on “painting the eyes”.

A few steps further, details of the same eye. As you may see, instead of adding a glaze on the iris to get closer to its brown red color, I chose to keep the transparency of the thin original ochre layer and added red-brown streaks. They give at the same time more volume to the eye.

The lower eyelid was not painted in one horizontal brush stroke, but with small vertical strokes to give matter and volume. On the upper eyelid, you see my three basic colors : blue, yellow and magenta.

On the eyebrow but also on the top of the head, I paint the wooly fur with “tremolo” brush strokes. Even if I paint stronger glazes over it, your eyes will see it and feel the impression of wool.

On the final image, the basic colors are still there, as strong as at the beginning: The magenta and indigo mixed in a deep violet blue sing beside their opposite colour ochre.

A very humid nose

Most of the time, ahealthy dog has a very humid truffle. The nose of the dog will allow the painter to give light, life and brio to his portrait. So take your time to succeed it. Underneath, a blow-up of the first glazes. The above of the nose has been painted wet on wet, with a light cobalt shade and a darker mix on the right side, where you can see a few magenta and ochre pigments. With a large brush I sucked part of the cobalt pigments to give more light on the top.

On the left, you see the first glaze of the nostril. On the right, the attempt to paint its relief. It seems perhaps difficult to realize, but it is not. Have a closer look. You have streaks to the right crossing streaks to the left. Easy and quick, but giving a great effect, even with darker shades painted over it.

The proof underneath !

As the fur was getting more color and contrast around the nose, I dared to give more value to my nose. I damped again all the top of the truffle and part of the fur around it, before to add a mix of cobalt and magenta, wet on wet , wthout laying any pigment on the light. The hole of the nostril is painted with indigo, magenta and ochre, wet on wet first. Then dry on dry. The darker the shadows, the brighter the light.

This detail shows the fine work on the dog moustache. Once more you can see brush strokes of pure colors, whose shades are changing by superposition.

Complementary colors

The blind mask of the beginning take sense as soon as the eyes appear. The whole head is searching for its balance between truffle and eyes. Consequently, You have then to counterbalance colors and masses.

A dog portrait close to “Fauvism”

Notice the background:

Nearly pure ochre at the bottom right, pure cobalt on the top left and a violet blue (cobalt-magenta) at the bottom-left painted wet on wet.

Dedicated to my friend, Nina Gagarin.

I hardly worked 3 days on this portrait during this workshop in Palm Beach. So it is not really finished. I could hardly be concentrated enough during the workshop hours, while each one of my students was hoping for my particular attention and advices on their own work. On sunday, I painted about 10 hours as on monday morning, I had an appointment in a gallery to present my paintings. This Fine Art gallery uses to present each year in Palm Beach, the Willian Secord’s dog paintings. Beyond my prints and press-book, I needed a portrait to loud me to the sky. Please, tell me I succeed ! I did not meet him, but he saw my work. Next year perhap’s ?

Last glance Look at this photo in B&W. Interesting, is not it ?

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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How to paint a tiger lilly pink flower in Watercolor Demonstration By Lori Andrews

Watercolor painting demonstration of a tiger lily done with the glazing technique.

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

Introduction to Watercolor Painting Supplies For Beginners

Watercolor painting is probably the most convenient of all the painting mediums. All you really need to get started is a box of paint, a few brushes, water and some paper. There are no toxic solvents or mediums to be concerned about and your brushes can be cleaned with a little soap and water. This convenience makes watercolour painting one of the most economical painting mediums as well. This article will provide an introduction to the more popular supplies that a beginner should consider investing in.

PAINT

Watercolor paint is made by mixing powdered pigments along with a water soluble binding medium. In the beginning you will do fine by using a cheaper brand of paint, but you will definitely enjoy a much better painting experience if you use artist quality paints. Artist quality paints use more high quality pigment and are noticeably richer and more vibrant. After you become more comfortable working with watercolors, you should then consider upgrading to artist quality paint. Paint is available in both pan and tube form. The main difference between the tube and pan paints is that the tubes have more glycerine and they tend to be more water soluble.

BRUSHES

There are generally two types of brushes that are available to artists: your soft hair brushes like natural sable and squirrel hair and your hard hair bristle brushes. Soft hair brushes are the most popular choice amongst artists and highly recommended. Bristle brushes are sometimes used with techniques that require you to scrub the paint into your paper or other support. Among the soft brushes used by artists, sable is the most popular. These soft hair brushes are resilient and effective at holding a lot of paint. Because of the high quality of these brushes, they also come with a high price tag. This of course leads artists to seek a cheaper alternative. This cheaper alternative comes in the form of synthetic soft hair brushes. As the name implies, these brushes are not made with animal hairs. They are made from man made materials and consequently, are not of the same quality as the sables. They are still a pretty good alternative and many artists use them.

BRUSH SHAPES

Now that you are a little more familiar with the types of hair brushes are made with, lets us cover the shapes brushes are available in.

Round Brushes

As the name implies, the hair of these brushes are round and can be shaped into an excellent point. Depending on the size of the round brushes, they can be used for detailed work or for applying washes.

Wash Brushes (or Mop Brushes)

This is a brush that forms a mop like shape and is used primarily for applying washes.

Flat Wash Brush

The flat wash brushes are square and flat in shape and closely resemble the brushes you use for house painting. These brushes are made for applying washes over large areas and can also be used for modifying existing washes.

Large Flat Wash Brushes

The large flat wash brush looks very similar to the regular flat wash brush only its a little larger, usually about 2 inches wide. This brush is also excellent for laying down washes over large areas.

PAPER

Watercolor paper comes in a variety of different sizes, weights and textures in order to accommodate the various preferences artist have. Whatever paper you decide to use, it needs to be very strong and have a certain degree of absorbency to prevent breaking and tearing.

Absorbency

Watercolor paper is made to have certain degree of absorbency depending on the amount of sizing used in the manufacturing process. The more sizing used, the less absorbent your paper will be. If you are not happy with the level of absorbency in your paper, you can always purchase your own sizing and apply it yourself.

Acidity

You should look for papers that are acid free with a neutral PH. This will lessen the darkening of your paper as it ages.

Weight and Surface

Watercolor paper is available in three different surfaces: Hot pressed, cold pressed and rough. Hot pressed paper has a smooth surface, cold pressed paper has a semi-rough surface and rough paper has, you guessed it, a rough surface. The weight of the paper refers to the weight of a ream (480 sheets) of paper.

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