A - A crumpled paper technique is used to create texture and is done by applying paint to paper and crumpling the paper into a ball. The result of the technique adds texture and an aleatory effect to the rendering.
Example of using crumpled paper technique in watercolor
A - A suction painting is a technique where paint is applied to one side of a paper and then folded in half and pressed together to allow a print to be created. The technique is a variation of mono printing.
A - Watercolor can be used on canvas that has been treated to accept watercolor paints. Traditional canvas would not work well because of the translucent quality of watercolor paints.
A - Splattering is a technique used by artists to create random dots and marks by tapping a brush or flicking a brush loaded with paint onto the canvas or paper. It is a popular technique used in a variety of styles ranging from landscapes to abstract expressionist artworks.
A - Inking refers to the use of liquid India ink that is usually associated with comic book art. Inking is done over a penciled in rendering either to stand on its own or to be later enhanced with color. India ink is still preferred over ink pen as the quality and opaqueness is better than most pens.
A - Crayons are some of the commonly used art mediums that young beginning artists are first intorduced to, but real artists do use the medium. Melted crayon art is a popular use for crayons or artists grade crayons can be used for better color saturation. I have found that lower grade art supplies usually known as "kids art supplies"in the form of crayons, colored pencils and paint lack heavier pigments than professional grade art suppplies, but if your looking for lighter values of color they can be just as valued an art medium as their more expensive counterparts.
"The Ghosts" - Crayola crayon and watercolor on paper.
Art by Mark Valdez
A - Blocking in is a casual reference to applying an area of paint to fill in a space or shape. The technique is often done as a preliminary step or undercoat of paint for later embellishment.
A - Layering in painting allows for multiple layers of paint to be built up to create more depth or to increase the amount of color saturation in the paint. Layering is done by starting with very light layers of paint and is increased in strength as each layer is applied. Layering is most common in water based paints but the technique can be used in other mediums such as pencil or pastels.
A - Stencils cone in all shapes and sizes and can be used for creating premade letters, symbols or images . Artists can use stencils to supplement art work or even create art around a specific stencil image. Stencils are great for beginners to create simple artworks and can be used in a variety of art mediums..
Q - How long should it take to create a watercolor painting?
A - There is no optimal time period for creating a painting. Larger works with lots of detail or layering can take hours to create. Smaller works with limited subject matter can take only a few minutes to paint. I have always felt that watercolor is best when created with a minimum of brush strokes. Overworking a painting can be the most common mistake beginning artists can make. Watercolors, even complex works are most effective when brushstrokes are limited and the paint is allowed to flow on its own. A good approach to follow is an abandonment of some control and "accidents" in the paint are allowed their own opportunity to happen.
A - Easels can range from a simple table top type to a full studio easels. For occasional painting a lightweight wood or better yet a metal aluminum tube easel works well. Lighter easels have the advantage of portability and most are foldable and have retracting or telescoping legs for storage. Find the the size and type that fits best with your need and type of medium you work with.
A - Add a small number of drops of glycerine into your paint water bowl to slow drying time. This is useful when working with wet into wet techniques in watercolor painting.
A - Scraping or scratching is used in painting to remove small areas of paint from the paper or canvas surface. Mostly used in watercolor painting but is used in other mediums as well. The technique is to simply scratch out paint with a sharp knife to allow the underlying paper or canvas to show thorough.
A - An artist viewfinder is a small sized cardboard or plastic with a space rectangular or square cut out and used to create a visual frame reference. Some viewfinders sold commercially include a grid overlay for more help with perspective and preportions. Viewfinders can help artists see what a completed scene might look like before painting.
A - Masking tape or paper friendly painters tape can be used to block out paint from the canvas or paper and is used as a resist. It can simply be used to create an even border or to add a defined area to be painted over.
A - A wash off effect can be achieved by spraying painted area with a water bottle to wash off a certain amount of paint giving a lghtenen or mottled appearance.
A - Sponges can be used in abstract art, landscapes, still life and other forms of art. Typically, sponges are used to create texture to foliage or to add texture to rocks, mountains, trees and so on. The basic technique is similar to dry brushing where the paint is relatively dry and added onto the sponge and is used to press the paint onto the canvas or paper. Sea sponges are a favorite in sponge painting but any form of sponge can be used for varing effect. Sponge painting can be used in most paint mediums such as watercolor, oil or acrylic paints.
A - Joan Miro was a Spanish artist born in Barcelona in 1893-1983. Miro was a prolific and complex artist and his works represent largely abstract expressionist and surrealist styles of painting. Just some of his most famous works include Blue II, Pinture, The Hunter, and The Farm.
A - Orphism is a variant of Cubist painting style which focused on bright colors and pure abstract art in their rendering. The style was also influenced by the color schemes found in Fauvism.
A - Texture in art is a dimensional aspect to art applied by various painting techniques to the canvas or paper. It is a technique used to give art more interest and even a sense of three dimension to the artwork.
A - Generative art is art created with the use of computer program that is independently generated. The essential feature is that the art is being created without human interaction based on independent computer algorithms.
A - Environmental art is art that looks to ecological issues and political references cocerning the envirnoment which then is expressed in artistic terms The use of objects or representations of nature is typical in environmental art.
A - Kitchen sink realism was a movement by a group of disillusioned artists in Britain from the 1950s and 1960s who focused artworks on everyday occurance and scenes. The movement was also represented in other art forms such as drama, literature, television and film. Artists somewhat described in the movement as social realists who painted scenes of domestic life and the banality of lower class existence.
A - Op art was created in the 1960s and relied on optical effects based on various shapes and forms usually of geometric recurring design giving the viewer a sense of motion in most instances.
