Project 4 — Dawn and Dusk at the Lake
What Will I Learn?
- how to lay flat and graduated washes over the whole page
- several techniques for suggesting trees
- how to put together a simple all-over wash, a suggestion of some trees and a silhouette of a foreground subject to make 2 simple paintings
I call this sort of simple painting a “silhouette” painting. At sunrise, sunset or in fog, all you can really make out are silhouettes, so this gives you a simple strategy for building paintings of your own. Lay an interesting base wash that suggests sunrise, sunset or fog, and then trace and transfer silhouettes of subjects that interest you to invent a scene. This is a great way to start designing paintings of your own!
Project Prerequisites:
- all lessons in the Getting Started module
- How to Transfer a Drawing lesson from the Spring Chickadee Project
- Mechanics of Mixing lesson from the Spring Chickadee Project
- Achieving Soft Edges lesson from the Marbles on the Sun Project
- Blending Color within a Shape lesson from the Rainbow Rose Window Project
Supplies You Will Need:
- supplies listed in the Required Materials list for Watercolor Jumpstart set up and ready to paint
- pencil and kneaded eraser
- woodless pencil or graphite stick (optional, but handy) or a regular pencil
- two 1/16th (one-sixteenth, 5 1/2 x 7 1/2″) sheets of watercolor paper for the project
- two support boards, so you can leave your projects taped down as you alternate working on them
- Five 1/16th (one-sixteenth, 5 1/2 x 7 1/2″) sheets of watercolor paper for the lesson on laying washes
- Two or three more 1/16 sheets, or the backs of other practice paintings for the lesson on techniques for trees
- several scrap pieces of watercolor paper for testing and practicing colors and brushstrokes (if you are just starting out you may not have any such “scraps” yet; but as you go along save all your exercise and practice sheets and use the backs as your “test sheets”)
- a rigger (liner) brush or a dip pen with a drawing nib (optional)
Course Content
Getting Started
- Gqthering Your Supplies
- How to Tear Large Sheets of Watercolor Paper
- How to Properly Rinse and Care for Your Brushes
- How to Make a Painting Support Board
- How to Remove Masking Tape Without Tearing Your Paper
- How to Set Up Your Workspace
Project 1 — Spring Chickadee
- Project 1 Overview
- How to Transfer a Drawing to Watercolor Paper
- How to Make and Apply Vibrant, Juicy Color
- Exploring Brushmarks
- The Mechanics of Mixing Watercolors
- How to Spatter Watercolor Paint
- Project Lesson — Spring Chickadee
Project 2 — Marbles in the Sun
- Project 2 Overview
- Achieving Soft Edges in Watercolor
- Introduction to Shadows and Highlights
- Project Lesson — Marbles in the Sun
Project 3 — Rainbow Rose Window
Project 4 — Dawn and Dusk at the Lake
- Project 4 Overview
- Laying Flat and Graduated Washes
- Glazing Over a Previous Wash
- Five Techniques for Trees in Watercolor
- Project Lesson — Dawn and Dusk at the Lake
Project 5 — Daisies in a Jar
- Project 5 Overview
- Reserving Whites and Lights, Part 1 — Intentional Blooms
- Reserving Whites and Lights, Part 2 — Lifting Wet and Dry Paint
- Reserving Whites and Lights, Part 3 — Negative Painting
- Reserving Whites and Lights, Part 4 — Using Resists
- Project Lesson — Daisies in a Jar