Clouds and more clouds...

Cloud studies again... 

My biggest frustration with my students is that time flies when we are together. 

I always hope they'll get  to the goal in each class, which turns out a little difficult when time is short. Then I think back when I started painting some time ago and I remember how diffuse it was for me at that time and the long it took until I started feeling something when working. I tell them to be patient, that they should know that it takes time and work to understand and make progress little by little. 

My conclusion is that I can only hope to awaken their interest, to make them come back each time, to persevere and get more curious every day. I also hope that they will follow my advice one day; when I tell them to go home to work on it. Only their own interest can make them persever and be a independent painter. I'm only here to help them get started, after that the explorations must get personal.

After a session like this, I hope they will start to pay attention to how the sky looks, hopefully each day. 

When we look with care we register what we see, in our minds. Look as if you are drawing and you will be able to use the information you so manage to keep in your brain next time you work on that subject. If you have time, make a quick study of it and you will store it like your property in your mind. 

In Paris the clouds are seldom very attractive, not much volume or colors in them. There are effect of course, and sometimes we are lucky to observe a beautiful sunset spreading its orange and pink light on the clouds and buildings. But they are rarely "coton like" clouds against a contrasting blue sky. I mostly admire that kind on vacation in the regions of south-east France or Bretagne, or places like Mauritius, where the atmospheric reactions are multiplied by the ocean. I would say that the sky is like a treasure above us!...

"Still life VIII"...

"Still life VII"...

"Still life VI"...

Still life exercise for class...

I'm having like a "break", from my usual obsession about drawing and painting! I hope this will give me energy and lust later on. But here I had a great pleasure preparing this watercolor for my students this afternoon. I see that as a good sign... 

Task for my students...

Last session of learning to use watercolor with my students, was focused on applying layers, "glaces", of primary colors as a back ground and on top of it paint the subject (this time a painting of Henry Rivière). I used more colors than the primary colors on top coats (+burnt sienna and raw umber) on which I stil used layers of glaces (dry on each other) but also wet on wet to get a little more texture.
The whole technic is a bit long to explain here, but the main issue for my students was to get the right notion of applying color on the paper without going back messing with the different brushstrokes,  and without adding too much water every time they make a brushstroke, ending up with a soaking wet paper. They have to try to get the confidence to "apply and let dry".
Many times it dries nicely even though we don't see it right the way, we have to give the pigment a chance to react on it's own, without touching what we just did every time.
Don't forget that the more we practice the more we get it "right", the less we need to modify what we just did.
I didn't reserve any whites on this one, but I used the light parts of the paper as if they could have been the white paper itself...

Another "water and transparencies" study...

Figure drawing session...

After struggling for a few month with my old pencil, and ending up with a feeling of frustration about the static position I've put myself all that time. Not knowing how to take a step forward, not even being able to concentrate any more. I'm now ready to try some new stuff without any expectations in particular, apart from to force myself to move on.
These are done with graphite used with water. The only problem today was that I had not a very good paper for this and I also found the graphite turning too light when dried. It was difficult to get nice darks. I might search for something else.... indian ink maybe... or why not watercolor?(!) Not a "new" medium, but it could be a new way of using it. Bigger sizes and like these without drawing, my idea is to use more monochrome colors than a usually do. :D

Watercolor sketch during lesson...

Sketch from yesterday's watercolor session with students...

... and giving it another try with more color, less whites.

My first advices are; not to draw too small and not to forget to use the negative space (surrounding spaces of subject and surrounding the details like the flowers and leaves) just as much as you use the subject itself.  The negativ space should be interesting before you start to paint. When you have composed the subject on the paper; watch out so that it is not situated in the middle with an equally looking space around it. Also let the subject go "out of the page" so that we don't get the impression that you cut of some of it, to avoid the borders of the paper.
Specially for flowers look at the "outside contour" instead of the flower itself. Leave whites out, start with light and mid colors, but put in some dark quickly to get the contrasts fast so that you know your range of values and colors. It's easier to continue this way; as you don't have to "cover it all up" with light colors as we could tend to do, when the theory say we "should start light and bild up with darker".
You can let the brush do the shapes, just press it against the paper and the shape o fa leave will show up, let the pigments react leaving the shape alone, (don't go back and fuss, unless you are really not happy with what you just did). You can use round brushes, but also square ones for the vase here I liked using a square brush for the geometrical shapes. I also use synthetical brushes, they contain less water which avoids drowning the surface in water like we can do in the beginning.
Hoping this can be of a help... but of course, also draw first, to understand the shapes.
Then, eventually, we can paint loosely and freely...

Good luck!

Watercolor figure sketches today...

New subject for students...

A quick and sketchy start of execution for this weeks subject prepared for my students...

I didn't plan much here, and no previous drawing, as I lacked time yesterday. When painting the washes, I think of leaving the white out for the flowers. If I happen to crop those whites, by mistake, I try to react to that error to find a new solution. As long as this is possible it will give a nicer result than if trying to correct, clean or fuss with the pigments and paper. Too many corrections on one spot will be easily noticed, while you might not pay attention to a flower that isn't "accurate" compared to the reality.

I show the first washes on wet paper here, they're perfect to start with, as I would like a "loose feeling" during the execution and in the result. I start with wetting the paper and ad pigments to it, to get a diffuse first layer, while giving some shapes of the subject. After that it's easier to feel the subject already in place, and you ad layers of colors; mixing wet on wet and dry layers.
It's difficult to keep execution "easy" and loose if you lack experience, if you don't know the reactions of the paper or the pigments, and don't know how to judge the state of humidity of the paper and react to that. A lot of efforts and exercises are demanded, if you really want to understand how to use watercolor.
Understanding of what is going on when you paint and how to control what you do, while you are able to simplify what you see, takes time and a lot of studying and practicing.
I recommend my students to draw a lot! Because if you are wondering about what shapes you see at the same time that you concentrate on mixing colors, control pigments and water, while you above all; should interpret your emotions in front of your subject...  the task is too huge!
Drawing gives you a understanding of what you see, a more accurate view, and you become more creative. Without it you reduce your possibilities; it's a tool you should possess.
And later, after long time of practice, it's all about interpretation, expression, creation. The technical part should be a second nature!
I hope I'll get there one day. : )

Subject from last session with students...

Subject and "mini demo" for study of branches of "mint in glass of water"...

Watercolor in mixed technique. Painting first "wet on wet" + adding paint on the first dried layers of paint with some more wet on wet on smaller parts; to confirm shapes and contrast built up in the first washes.
Not forgetting to make a quick study, drawing the subject in values, first and painting as loosely as possible while avoiding repetition of shapes (we tend to repeat shapes and gestures when we lack experience), studying the mixing of greens and trying to add other colors into these mostly green subject at first sight...

... to be continued...

(sorry for the poor quality of these iphone pictures)