I can’t get the kids to tidy up their mess so we might as well paint it. Actually, it’s not fair for me to blame anyone else for my still-life arrangement. It’s unusual but the colours and shapes offered some very interesting challenges.

My morning demonstration was quite comprehensive as I painted three objects and we reviewed ideas from the first three weeks of the term.

In general, we are trying to keep our process as simple as possible and to paint with economy, striving for the essence of the objects. Getting the value right is always important. For example, I think my little shadow shape is a bit too dark just above the thumb of the pink mitten.

In the blue mitten, I eased off on the shadow above the thumb. Have you noticed that I’ve made the mittens lighter than I see them? I want them to be focal points and stand out from the surrounding objects.

There was some consternation when the classes arrived and saw the strange still-life. However, these everyday boots, toques and mittens really engaged the students.

Tuesday AM Critique

Tuesday PM Critique

Last Saturday, I set up two still-lifes with a backdrop in between. I showed one of them in Saturday’s post and this is the other side. The still-lifes are very similar but not completely identical.

I promised to show a few more steps in the development of my watercolour studies. The interesting challenge was the colour change on the objects. I’ve varied my approach slightly on the two objects.

The willingness to simplify is very important. We don’t have to show every single little detail or reflection to express the essence of the objects. Timing and patience are significant, as well. Sometimes, we have to wait for a wash to dry before painting a new one over it. If we desire a soft edge transition, we have to add our second colour or value while the first wash is wet. I know. There’s a lot to think about.

The Tuesday classes didn’t have the luxury of a full day as did the Saturday group but all worked hard and did a great job.

Tuesday AM Critique

Tuesday PM Critique

A Sustained Saturday at my studio is a full day class. Most of the participants are watercolour painters but you’ll also see a lovely pen and ink drawing when you scroll down to the photo of our critique wall. Many of the Saturday group are regulars and it was nice to see everyone for our first session of the new year.

I reminded everyone of how I like to draw symmetrical objects, beginning with two-dimensional geometric shapes. I then ’round them off’, giving them a full and more three-dimensional look. See the small bowl at the bottom of the second image.

The watercolour element of my demonstration focused on the colour changes in the objects. I haven’t shown any steps here but the classes this Tuesday will work from the same still-life and I’ll show a few steps in that post.

Everyone agrees about one thing when it comes to a Sustained Saturday. They love having the whole day to work without feeling rushed. Of course, when I announce the last thirty minutes before critique, the groans sound identical to those of a three-hour Tuesday class.

Sustained Saturday Critique

Once a year or so, I invite the stuffed animals to join us and they’re always eager to be in the limelight for the day. Little do they know, they’re the perfect subject for an exercise that concentrates on analysis, soft-edge techniques, brush-handling, colour mixing and patience.

ANALYSIS: We all love to paint with our hearts and let our emotions flow onto the paper but with watercolour, perhaps more than any other medium, we also have to think. I’ve used my pencil drawing to divide up the bear into component shapes. This is my analysis and plan for painting the bear. As you can see, I’ve left slivers of white paper between the shapes. This has been done to show the students my analysis. It’s also intended to help with the use of soft-edge techniques. By separating the shapes, they can not run into one another when wet. The students will not leave white between their shapes but I hope they will think carefully about their plan as they draw.

Analysis always involves simplification. What is the essence of the object? I’m not trying to show every minor detail and I’m not trying to show texture.

SOFT-EDGE TECHNIQUES: “What happened! I tried what the instructor showed us and it didn’t work.” There’s a lot to think about with even the simplest soft-edge techniques. I painted each shape one at a time with the lightest wash. While wet, I touched in the middle tone and, in a few spots, a darker tone, as well. All three washes were prepared ahead of time. My support board was at a slight angle with the top of the sheet higher than the bottom. I used a suitable paper; Saunders 140lb, cold press. I tested my colours and painted several swatches as practice before working on the actual study.

By the way, It’s not essential to start with the lightest shapes first but it helps me gauge the middle tone of the darker brown areas.

BRUSH-HANDLING: I use a pad of paper towel which I keep directly under my palette. It’s there to help me maintain my brush. For example, If I clean my brush in the water jar and then go directly to my dark wash, the dark wash will be diluted by all of that water so I’ll remove some of the water first on the paper towel. I have to change the paper towel regularly. As you can see, it’s already soaked after painting only ten or so fairly small shapes.

COLOUR MIXING: One of the challenges of this exercise is to mix enough of each colour. If you run out before finishing a group of shapes, it can be difficult to match the colour on a second attempt. I try to make more than I think I’ll need. I’d rather have some left over than not have enough.

And don’t forget to make your middle tones dark enough! Watercolour always dries lighter.

PATIENCE: Do you like to eat your red Smarties first? Sometimes, the students can’t resist doing the details such as the eyes, nose and mouth right away. I wait until the end and paint them over the earlier washes. I was a bit sneaky, though, in the last step and left two small bits of white paper untouched. They’ve become highlights in the bear’s eyes.

I haven’t deviated from the exercise and this is what happened. Of course, I could have painted this bear in many different ways but, if you want to learn some specific skills from an exercise, stick with it and don’t change horses midstream. Yesterday, many of the students were doing the stuffed animals for the first time and followed the exercise. Others had done this before and approached the subject in their own way.

Tuesday AM Critique

Tuesday PM Critique

OUT OF THE BACK is an exhibition of nine gallery artists, including myself, at the Earls Court Gallery in Hamilton, Ontario. It’s going to be an exciting mix of media and styles. I’ve submitted three of my gouaches from last summer’s painting trip to Newfoundland. If you’re in the neighbourhood between January 12 and February 18, please drop in.

Earls Court Gallery is located at 215 Ottawa Street North in Hamilton, Ontario. Click here for directions.

Contact Robert Daniels • robert.daniels@sympatico.ca
T: 905-527-6685 F: 905-527-6210
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10 am – 5 pm • Saturday 10 am – 4 pm

We’re back in action at the studio with the first day of Winter term. It was nice to see everyone. I wanted to greet the classes with a warm and cheerful still-life because today was the coldest day of the winter to date. It’s also cold and flu season and I succumbed to a chest cold a few days ago. I didn’t want to inflict it on the group so I prepared a small demonstration ahead of time and, standing well back, discussed my suggestions before everyone began their paintings.

My demonstration shows a first wash in each area. For instance, I painted the lemon a light yellow and touched in a darker value for the core shadow.

I’ve also left my pencil lines unerased. I usually start placing the objects and establishing relationships with blocky, rectangular shapes. Gradually, I round them off and refine the drawing. I draw lightly with a soft pencil such as a 2B.

We reviewed concepts that come up in every class such as simplification of form, light and shadow and wire-frame drawing.

Most of the students do a thumbnail study in their sketchbooks to sort out their composition and we talked a bit about compositional concerns. I kept my presentation reasonably brief and everyone got on with the business of working out the kinks after a month without regular classes. Check out what they did below.

Tuesday AM Critique

Tuesday PM Critique

Happy New Year everyone! The nice people at the Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts have invited me to submit work to their annual Salon show which runs from January 4-29, 2012. I’ll be showing two of my colourful gouaches, painted in Newfoundland last summer. The Salon show is always exciting with a tremendous variety of work from many different artists.

Drop by for the Opening Reception on Thursday, January 5 from 6-9 pm. Propeller is located at 984 Queen Street West in Toronto and may be reached at (416) 504-7142.

Our EARLY BIRD SPECIAL has been extended until December 21. Sign up before then and save $100!

Join us for a wonderful painting holiday in this lovely historic town located in the heartland of old Spanish Mexico. San Miguel de Allende is very safe, friendly and welcoming with wonderful restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. The bright colours, colonial architecture and lush parks and gardens offer stimulating subject matter that attracts artists from all over the world.

View the full information page here. Take a look at some photos from last year’s workshop.

Yesterday was the last Tuesday of my Fall term. Usually, these are ten-week courses but our painting holiday in Puglia, Italy forced me to shorten it to eight weeks. This is the same still-life I used for Saturday’s class; just another point of view. A few steps of my demonstration are shown here. In Saturday’s post, I added a fairly long written description of my process but I didn’t show any steps. Hopefully, these images will be worth a thousand words.

We wrapped up our term in style. Most of the morning students lunched together after class at Piri Piri, our local excellent Portugese restaurant. In the evening, we sipped a bit of wine and munched on Advent Stollen, a yummy German Christmas cake contributed by Katherine. Everyone deserves my thanks for working hard at their painting and drawing and cheerfully submitting to my critiques at the end of each class. Here’s the work from yesterday:

Tuesday AM Critique

Tuesday PM Critique