About Steve Fleming

Good art is the result of hard work and dedication. It only happens when the artist finds his or her own story to tell and then learns to do so with his or her own unique language.

I am an artist who works in watercolor and acrylic, and I teach both for The Art League in Alexandria, Virginia, as well as workshops across the country and abroad. My goal as an artist is to be creative; my goal as a teacher is to help my students learn to interpret the world around them, not to promote the belief the goal of art is the perfect rendering of a subject. One of my core messages: art is a creative process and is not just the sum total of the work we sell. In this era of digital cameras, I caution artists to look — really look both inside and outside — for the subject matter that lights our artistic fires. Otherwise, our work will be lacking everything but technique.

Click over to my blog for behind-the-scenes insight into some of my paintings in progress, musings and a few complimentary lessons for you to take and learn from.

Enjoy. — Steve Fleming

Creative Jumpstart

The “Creative Jumpstart” section of  Steve’s blog is designed to help all artists, regardless of medium, with ideas to get them thinking in expressive ways. They are intended to take about 30 minutes to an hour to finish and are warm-ups not finished paintings. Each one has a specific focus, such as gestural drawing with color accents, and they will be of value to artists of all levels. I plan to do at least 1 per week and hope to challenge readers to really broaden their horizons and move beyond their comfort zones. Along the way the artists will enhance their skills in drawing, color usage and have general less fear when being creative.

Follow this link to learn more!

Give Some thought to the Color Palette and the Effect Can be Remarkable

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Every time you decide to paint, a major decision is going to be how to use color. This is not as simple as use a dark blue for the sky or make a red piece a purple piece; those are selective choices inside a bigger arena. What I am talking about is are your values, the lightness and darkness of your colors, going to be concentrated in the lighter values, the middle, or a broad range, or are you going to use very bright intense colors, grayed colors, or a stark light and dark palette. This color decision is very important and one that is overlooked in the paintings of the painter who is just reproducing the perfect photo. In this world a big decision is to change the color of the trashcan from blue to dark blue, wow not that’s creative.

In this lesson I will be painting the same wonderful sunlit New England building, each time handling the color and values differently. I think you will see how the changing of the color palette and the contrast of value can really make a huge difference in the mood and feeling of your painting.

In the first painting I have used a very narrow value range and focused on early spring light greens and yellows.  The shadow on the building is a very light value mixed from Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Violet and a hint of Raw Sienna.  Since it is a white building I want the shadow to look white and I really tried to get a feeling of the warm bounce light that would be visible with this much sun on such a clear day.  I accented the feeling of sun with the warmth in the windows.  The green on the trees and in the foregrounds were mixed with the same colors, Hansa Yellow, New Gamboge, Cobalt Blue and some Raw Sienna in the details of the tree trunks.  I scraped out the Trees with a small penknife.  The foreground gradation is a warm mix of Hansa Yellow, New Gamboge, and Cobalt Blue with Olive Green mixed in to the field on the right.  I splattered wet Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna into the field with a round brush when the colors were still wet.

Remember to keep the values of the painting light, to use vibrant colors, to really pay attention to the lightness and the color of the shadow this color is  not purple or a flat lifeless grey.

For the second painting I have chosen a more neutral color palette, Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, Raw Sienna, Cobalt Violet.  The value range of the painting is much darker and is more focused in the middle ranges.  I will be using very little white although there will be the occasional highlights around the painting.  I decide to add some water to the painting and from the very start I know I want to have a real dark agitated edge at the waterline and I make sure that I apply the paint with the side of my brush to get a nice active edge.

There is much more brushwork in the foreground and I have put a lot more interest in the lower portion of the painting.  I think it would be really boring if it were a graded field like in the first painting.

The building is a mix of Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna with some Raw Sienna to warm up some of the walls.  I painted around the one window to give the effect of being able to see through the window.  I textured the roof with a light mixture similar to the color on the walls, I use the side of a round brush to apply the paint and then splattered some color on it to give some details.  Where the trees meet the dark side of the building I lose some edge between the building and the trees and cut around some little highlights to give the painting depth.  I also cut around some random shapes at the bottom of the facing wall of the build again this gives that area some strong depth.  Working in grayed colors is not easy; first if you don’t remember to vary your colors the mixtures will be boring, and if you rub the paint too much you will get very flat and uninteresting passages of color.  Remember to grade your major shapes and to vary your details, brushwork and colors.  A grayed color palette can produce a boring painting if you don’t put enough effort into subtle changes.  It requires a very thoughtful approach but can result in very nice paintings.  Just look at Andrew Wyeth.

In the third version, I am trying to get a very strong stark feeling of light. Using a value range from lightest light to darkest dark and very rich colors with lots of active brushwork and scraping, I have produced a much more powerful painting.  The light jumps off of the paper.  The shadow on the house is a touch darker but is still transparent and I made it using the same mixture I used in the first version, Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Violet, and a hint of Raw Sienna.  I occasionally will use some Cadmium Scarlet to gray the mixture and it adds a nice warmth.  After running the cast and form shadows on the house I dropped in some Raw Sienna at the top of the shadow and let it bleed down into the wash.  I think I went a little too far but better some than none.  On the left side of the house, with the porch, I have lightened the shadows and put more warm colors in.  This gives a much better feeling of bounced light.  Note the pieces of white paper I have left at the bottom of the tree line this both adds interest and a sense of depth.

The foreground is painted with very rich middle valued colors, which are heavy on pigment and light on water.  Too much water and the colors will be too diluted and weak.  I made a big change in color across the foreground from very rich Raw Sienna on the left with a touch of Sap Green, and in the middle I moved the mixture to a dominance of Sap Green and then back to a more Raw Sienna/Sap Green mixture on the far right.  The bottom of the painting is a mixture of the field colors plus Ultramarine Blue, and Burnt Sienna and this is applied with very little water and very aggressive brushwork.  I scraped out the weeds and rocks with a scraper and a knife.  A point to remember is that when I put together these mixes I am not over brushing them on the palette creating a one dimensional boring mix, but rather I am just mixing them a little and trying to preserve each color as a distinctive part of the mix.  Try not to over mix your colors and you will have more vibrant and translucent washes.

The last version of the house is light filled but the colors are very warm and summery.  The trees in the background have a more modeled feeling than in the previous versions and the value range is very wide.  The brushwork in the back of the painting is supported by the amount of detail in the foreground.  This is necessary if you want the background to stay in place and not come forward.  The heart of the painting is in the foreground with its scattered pieces of light and active brushwork.  The paint was applied with the side of a number 16 round brush, I use a Silver Black Velvet brush they are great and fairly inexpensive.  I really moved the brush along and varied the color and angle as much as it made sense.  Too many direction changes and the foreground will get very confusing.  I splattered a few darks in and scraped the smaller weeds.  The shadows on the house are the same mixes as before but I did shorten the shadows.  The tree line behind the house was started with New Gamboge and I added cool dark greens on top of the yellow the get a strong-modeled form.  The rich warm tones in the trees are a mixture of New Gamboge, Raw Sienna, and probably Cadmium Scarlet.

The trees were painted in one continuous process, no time out for drying.  Just keep using less water as the process goes on and keep changing the color and brushwork.  I scraped the trees out with a knife and added some dark details with a number 6 Script Liner also from Silver Black Velvet line.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson on how changing the color and values can really add to your interpretation of a repeated subject.  If you like a theme than get some mileage out of it and really let go of the one approach is best attitude.

By Sue Doucette

Once you have arrived at your location and found a subject you like, begin by making two or three “thumbnail” pencil sketches, being sure to state your values clearly. (Values are your lights and darks. Three to four shades between white and your darkest dark are enough. These quick drawings will guide you as you are painting.) This is the time to clarify your composition as well. These drawings are quick and spontaneous and should measure about 3″ or 4″ square. After you’ve completed your thumbnails choose the one you like the best, then set up your equipment. Now you are ready to paint.

Set up your work station so you are not looking directly into the sun. Clip your paper to your board in preparation for sudden gusts of wind and keep your thumbnail sketch handy. Remember when painting with watercolor, to leave the white paper where your whites will go, then sketch your subject matter onto your watercolor paper. It is helpful to spray the back of your paper with water before painting. This will keep it from curling up when the front becomes wet.

The background is where you will start your painting. Sometimes an underpainting is done to certain areas of a watercolor. An example of this is a warm mix of Gamboge with Rose Madder Genuine. Apply this with your two inch wet brush to a large area (such as the sky.) After this dries, paint Cobalt Blue over this. Use large confident brushstrokes without painting back and forth over the same area. This will keep your painting from appearing overworked. The warm underpainting will shine through the cooler blue, giving the sky much more interest. By the time you have reached this point you will notice the light is constantly changing. This is when your thumbnail sketch will be very helpful in keeping your painting on track! Remember to refer to your sketch often.

Next paint your middle ground. Don’t fill in the details yet; just get the colors and values in place. This can present a challenge as the paint dries quickly outside (although very humid weather prolongs the drying time.) This is something you will become accustomed to, the more plein air painting you do. If for instance, you are painting a boat in the harbor, get the basic shapes and colors in place. Save the white of the paper where you have planned your whites. Concentrate on placing the lights and shadows, using your thumbnail as your guide.

As you begin your foreground, make sure there is something there to differentiate it from the middle ground. This can be done by adding something which may, or may not, actually be there. Examples of this might be a person, tree, seagull, etc..) Again just get your colors and values defined.

Once your background, middle ground, and foreground have been painted you may begin filling in the details; the name on the boat, the detail on the flag, the eyes on the bird. You will have a clean fresh painting, unlike anything painted indoors, and hopefully you will have enjoyed the spontaneity of plein air painting!

One suggestion before I end, I would like to share with you: When you return to your studio, dampen the back of your painting with water, then press between two boards (I use the smooth sides of two pieces of masonite). Place some heavy objects such as books, on the top piece of masonite and leave overnight. I use five plastic gallon jugs filled with cement to weight it down. In the morning your painting will be completely flat, and you can admire your work, while recalling the pleasure creating it gave you.

Sue Doucette, Author/Artist

http://www.CapeCodWatercolor.com

I have been painting with watercolor for twenty five years, and I am happy to share what I have learned with you. Many artists want to keep their painting “tricks of the trade” secret, but I am happy to share with you what I know. My hope is that you will come to love painting with watercolor as much as I do!

Please visit my website http://www.CapeCodWatercolor.com and check the “news” section for my monthly Helpful Hints For Painters. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. I also paint commissioned watercolors, and can work from your photograph.

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About Steve Fleming

Good art is the result of hard work and dedication. It only happens when the artist finds his or her own story to tell and then learns to do so with his or her own unique language.

I am an artist who works in watercolor and acrylic, and I teach both for The Art League in Alexandria, Virginia, as well as workshops across the country and abroad. My goal as an artist is to be creative; my goal as a teacher is to help my students learn to interpret the world around them, not to promote the belief the goal of art is the perfect rendering of a subject. One of my core messages: art is a creative process and is not just the sum total of the work we sell. In this era of digital cameras, I caution artists to look — really look both inside and outside — for the subject matter that lights our artistic fires. Otherwise, our work will be lacking everything but technique.

Click over to my blog for behind-the-scenes insight into some of my paintings in progress, musings and a few complimentary lessons for you to take and learn from.

Enjoy. — Steve Fleming

Creative Jumpstart

The “Creative Jumpstart” section of  Steve’s blog is designed to help all artists, regardless of medium, with ideas to get them thinking in expressive ways. They are intended to take about 30 minutes to an hour to finish and are warm-ups not finished paintings. Each one has a specific focus, such as gestural drawing with color accents, and they will be of value to artists of all levels. I plan to do at least 1 per week and hope to challenge readers to really broaden their horizons and move beyond their comfort zones. Along the way the artists will enhance their skills in drawing, color usage and have general less fear when being creative.

Follow this link to learn more!

Abstracting the Shapes, Simplifying the Message

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(“On the Rocks, Bass Head Light” watercolor on paper) The idea in this painting was to create on big shape using the shadow shapes and using that compound form to move the viewer from the upper left corner of the painting down through the figures and out on to the rocks where the people are moving about on the rocks. It leaves some really nice white pieces of paper to contrast against the abstracted shape.

When painting it is easy to become so involved in the subject matter with all of the details, textures, and colors presenting so many possibilities that our paintings never quite have focus or a feeling of unity. Sometimes we achieve nothing more than to present to the viewer either a collection of random thoughts about a place or detail laden color drawing. We paint around the subject never quite making a point. The work lacks creativity and artistic involvement, and the painting lacks a dominance of major shapes. By not focusing on the major shapes we are forced to paint a collection of things and this is a difficult and tedious task.

Sometimes it is a worthwhile exercise to minimize the complexity of the subject matter and reduce the shapes down to three to four major shapes. We need to look at each of these shapes for the quality of their shape, what relationship they have to the other shapes in the painting and what would be the best way to contrast these shapes against one another. Several ways I contrast shapes is by color, value, and texture.

If I am looking for a really dramatic statement I push the relationships between the shapes as far as I can. I use big value jumps, lots of line and texture at the edge of the silhouette, and look for color chords that are rich, expressive, and complementary. I make sure that the edge of the shape is where I create focus and is where I define the identity of the objects. Remember if you put good information at the edge of the shape then you need less details in the interior of the object. Although you have reduced the subject matter down to major shapes in the design phase, you will be able to clarify some of the individual shapes inside the big shapes during the painting process. The goal will be to keep a big shape feel to the painting.

(“Rockport Village” 18 x 24 Watercolor on paper) I have used all of the areas of light and invented a few more and the tied them all together into a shape that moves the viewer up into the painting. Along the path of the light I have added details, textures and color to create a reason for the white paper. It is one shape made up of multiple objects.

It is important to understand that although a shape can be a singular object, it doesn’t have to be. It makes for a really great painting when you can tie several related objects together and create a very expressive shape. As an example Try linking figures together as one value shape, or take a row boat, a figure, a rock and a pole and hook them together into one shape. When we begin to see objects in terms of their potential joining with other things to make larger more dynamic shapes we make a huge jump towards becoming creative shape makers. I believe this is one of the great goals of an artist. This allows you to rearrange the scene in front of you to tell your story with clarity and focus. I believe very strongly that no amount of detail and finish will make a poorly conceived painting work.

(“Camden Harbor” 18 x 24 watercolor on paper) This scene is very complicated and I took all the pieces and made on shape out of them. They are related to each other by a similar value, dark middle value, and again I have only put in the details that are necessary to move you through the painting.

What makes a good shape? A good shape should have a significant difference in it’s width and height. It should have movement or direction, a static shape is not as exciting a one that moves through the picture space. Good shape should have a variety of edges, hard, textured, and soft or blended. It should have a exciting silhouette, exaggerate the position of elements to improve the edge.

Remember the edge of the shape is what defines it, not the interior, so put a lot of interest and defining information at the edge. It is good to try to get some gradation across the shape for instance from warm to cool or intense to less intense, or one hue to another hue. A good shape should tie into the background or foreground at several points, try to invent a rock, a fence, or a figure to help attach the major shape into the adjacent shapes. Lastly and of utmost importance this wonderful shape must not have major value jumps across it. You can have some slight changes in value, but you can’t jump from light to dark to light to dark or the shape will fall apart into value pieces. You can make many color changes and they will not tear up the shape but big value changes will destroy the continuity of the shape.

(“Plains Virginia”, Shacks, 15 x 22 watercolor on paper) The dark shape is a very dynamic one it has a nice variety of edge and definitely moves across the paper.

To begin a painting with a focus on the big shapes it is best to start with a value pattern in your sketch book. Look at the subject matter and mentally organize the different pieces of what you are looking at. Think about which small shapes could be moved around or joined to other shapes. The goal is to connect minor pieces together as one big interlocked shape. At this stage don’t concern yourself about which shapes are lighter or darker in value because you will change their value for the purposes of the painting. Also mentally try to eliminate the shapes which are not going to help in creating good big shapes. Remember this is going to be your painting and you are under no edict from the painting gods to paint everything you see in front of you. Only use what you need.

Once you have thought about what to make your big shapes roughly sketch them onto the page in your sketch book. Analyze and adjust the shapes to follow the rules of a good shape. Remember to incorporate the unique features of the subject matter to enliven the silhouette. Make sure the shapes have an interesting relationship to the other shapes in the painting. Always work from the largest shapes to the smallest shapes and leave out all consideration for the details of the shapes until all of the shapes are well established on the page. Try to have all of the major shapes be a different size, make sure exterior angles are not the same and make sure shapes do not enter and leave the paper at a similar place on the opposite side of the paper.

Assign each shape a value and try to keep your lightest value shapes next to your darkest value shapes this will create the strongest focus and contrast. It is always a good idea to put your center of interest where the strongest value change is located. Once you have the design finished sketch it on the watercolor paper and paint it remembering to follow the value organization. Put some change of color, texture or value in each shape and watch that the edges have variety. Keep the painting simple. When your are done try reversing and rearranging the values of the major shapes and changing the color chords. This will result in some exciting variations on a simple theme.

(“Avon North Carolina” 18 x 24 Watercolor) The shapes are the light and I have played with them to create a nice passage through the painting. Keep thinking movement and attaching objects by using similar values. You will get this abstract shape idea.

(“Avon North Carolina” 18 x 24 watercolor on Paper) This is the same subject as the painting above I just took a lot of liberties with the shapes and colors, but I really have thought of good shapes and movement. Art is about invention and interpretation so loosen up on those shapes and have a good time. Allow yourself to make a few clunkers to get to the gems.

Exercises

• Take a subject with a strong shadow pattern and just paint the shadow areas. Play this pattern against a light middle value
• Take a black and white newspaper photo and with a small view finder, a 35mm slide holder is perfect, pick a interesting dark shape and use for the shape in your painting.
• Extract the key elements from the photo and make one large shape against a light midtone background

About Mara

I enjoy being an artist! And I’ve been at it longer than this internet blogging stuff. In fact, blogging is all new to me! So I will start by telling you a little about myself. Our nest is not quite empty because we still enjoy the presence of our college-aged kids at home. And because they are busy with work and school I am able to enjoy uninterrupted painting sessions during the day-light hours instead of in the middle of the night like I did when they were little. A bit here, a bit there and I keep my projects alive! One project I’m working on is a cookbook. Originally written for my husband and children, I re-structure classic recipes we love, to make them healthier. I’m also writing and illustrating a series of children’s books. Finding time to Draw, paint, and teach has been a challenge while raising a family but finishing a project is very rewarding to me. And I hope you like my artwork and lessons and enjoy watching my progress with various projects!

Please follow this link to visit Mara’s website to view more of her art lessons.

How to Mix Grays in Watercolor for Atmospheric Perspective

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I have gotten several inquiries about mixing warm grey and cool grey with watercolor. It’s really very simple to do with the three primary colors of blue, red, and yellow.

Some art teachers say, “Never use black”. I say, “Use whatever you want if you like it!”.

But if you go outside and really look at grey shadows on the ground or on the side of a building you will notice that they are not really light black…I mean if you look really, really hard! Shadows and grey actually have a lot of different colors in them. Some are warm grey (with yellows and reds) and some are cool grey (with blues and greens).

An example of cool grey would be snow-covered fields on a cloudy day.

An example of warm grey would be a bonfire on a beach with a fiery orange sunset.

Or you could have both warm and cool grey in a cold, dark cave looking out the opening into the warm sunshine.

Above are three greys. The one on the left is cool with more blue in the mix. The middle one is neutral with equal amounts of blue and red. The one on the right is warm with more red in the mix.

I hope you’re not tired of perspective…because there is another kind of perspective that shows distance called Atmospheric Perspective. When you look at mountains or water far in the distance it looks faded. Colors look bright up close and cool and faded when they are far away, especially on a hazy day.

This lesson will prepare you for painting a beautiful lake scene in a few weeks. Start by tearing some strips of paper. Place strips one at a time on a piece of watercolor paper as a guide to draw the outline of the top of some mountains. Start about 1/3 from the top of your watercolor paper.

Use another torn paper strip or flip the same one over and draw a second row of mountains a little above the first one.

Do a third and forth row, a little closer together than the first two because things look smaller in the distance.

Draw one last line on the bottom that is a little more flat. If your lines are too dark erase them a little with an eraser.

Now mix a bunch of warm grey (Look back up to the beginning example of the three grey colors I mixed in the first picture) with the three primary colors. Test your color on a scrap piece of watercolor paper and paint in the first row of mountains.

Add a little blue to your mixture to make a more cool grey. Paint in the second row of mountains.

For the third row of mountains add a little more blue plus some more water to your mixture to make the paint thinner. This will look lighter when you apply it to your white watercolor paper. Paint the third row of mountains.

Now add even more water to your paint mixture, test it on a scrap watercolor paper to make sure it looks very light. Paint the fourth row of mountains.

I noticed that my second row of mountains looks a little too dark. So I am going to lighten that section by applying clear water with my brush, then blotting it with a paper towel. I could do it again if it is still too dark.

Now the sky! Prepare your paint mixture first, by adding some blue back into it and maybe just a touch of red. Test it. Add a touch of yellow if it is not grey enough (if it looks too purple). Remember it should look very pale and not very colorful because it is far away on a hazy day.

Then paint clear water onto the entire sky area.

Turn your paper upside down and start from the bottom (top of the sky) and paint in your sky paint mixture onto the wet area (wet into wet). Let it settle so it is darker toward the edge of the page. Let it dry.

There. You have a mountain ridge on a hazy day! Try painting in a foreground that gets more intense with color as it gets closer to the viewer. See what you can do and have fun!

By Susan Harrison-Tustain

I developed my Priming Method over a period of many years, and I now teach this watercolor technique to all of my students. It is a simple but very effective 3 step process:

The first step is to apply water to the region you wish to paint and then allow the moisture to be absorbed into the paper.

Next, while the paper is still barely damp from step one, i.e. the sheen of the surface has just disappeared, lay in another light wash of clear water.

In the 3rd and final step of the Priming Method, while the previous wash is still wet and shiny, lay in your pigmented wash. Before moving on to apply further washes it is extremely important to ensure your watercolor paper is BONE DRY.

That’s it! 3 simple but extremely effective steps to mastering watercolors.

My Priming watercolor technique is successful because it allows pigment to be absorbed as far as possible into the inner layers of the paper. I use this method at the early stages of a painting. As the painting advances and I feel I have reached the tonal depth I desire – I then change to a wet-in-wet method for the middle few washes.

Before I create my finest detail with dry brush I fine-tune the colors I have achieved by laying in final washes to adjust color temperature, depth of hue or change of color as I see necessary.

Once totally dry I then use the age-old dry brush method to establish fine detail where needed. Naturally, you can’t wash over dry brushing unless you intend to lift off some of it. Dry brush sits on the surface of the paper and is easily dispersed. You can of course use this to your advantage but generally my dry brush layer is my final layer.

I never have a problem with the fibers in my paper lifting despite using anywhere from 2 – 20 washes! Take a look at my work. I hope you agree this glowing method speaks for itself.

Here is a simple experiment you can try at home. Draw three 1 inch circles. Use my Priming Method in the first circle, Wet in Wet in the second and Wet on Dry in the third. Why not use a transparent yellow for this so you can play with the glow of this in subsequent washes?

Now allow all of the circles to become bone dry. Use a dryer if needed. To check for dryness: Once the heat from the dryer has gone from the paper, touch the paper with the ball of your hand. If it feels cold – there is still moisture in there. If it feels room temperature, then it should be dry.

Now lay in clear water washes over all three of the circles. If you have used transparent colors and my Priming Method – you will find there is very little pigment movement. The Wet on Wet will lift a little more easily and of course the Wet on Dry will move very easily. Now add further washes and hues to your Priming Method circles and see how the yellow underwash glows.

Where my final tones are to be light – I use very little yellow. Naturally where the final tones are dark – I may use three or four priming sets of washes to create enough depth of yellow so it can glow through even the richest dark hues.

Yellow underwashes take away the raw look of colors and establish a look of substance that can almost feel palpable.

Susan Harrison-Tustain is an internationally acclaimed watercolor artist and teacher. For more information you can visit her website at http://www.susanart.com or take a look at her best-selling watercolor lessons on DVD at http://www.susanart.com/pennyfarthing

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