Watercolor on Location A Single view - Two Moods

Working with Edges

WATERCOLOR ON LOCATION - EDGES AND MOOD �1

IntroductionIn this tutorial we will use a view of the center cafe at Faneuil Hall Marketplace to

demonstrate the variety of edges in watercolor and in the completed paintings show their importance to creating mood and quality of light.

When I speak of edges I am talking about the edges of shapes we create in the painting - it could be the edge of a building, or a tree, or a cloud. When we are beginning with watercolor we paint all of our shapes with hard edges - it is the way we can exercise the most control. Occasionally accidentally our shapes run into each other and behold we are now looking at shapes with lost and found edges. This creates an interesting effect - the sensation on atmosphere in our painting - with a tangible quality to it. This tangible quality can be exaggerated or minimized to create mood in our paintings.

Edges effect the mood

For me mood is a vary important result in my painting. I try to think about the mood I want to projects and that helps me to look for the visual indicators in my subject and also thinks about how I will maximize them in my painting. Mood is and interesting phenomena. If considered in your painting it can have a powerful effect on your audience. Mood is the result of many parts in the visual arts. Shape, tonal values, color and yes edges. These combine in a painting (intentional or accidental) to make the mood more or less tangible.

Types of edgesThe types of edges are basically 4. Smooth edges, Soft edges, rough edges, and lost and

found edges. There are many artists who paint all of the shapes with smooth edges - the result is something like a jig saw puzzle. One shape next to another shape. The edges meet it a very static cold way. More sophisticated painting employs a variety of edges. Thinking about your use of edges in your paintings will add depth and nuance to your paintings. Thinking about this as you form your watercolor plan will show you a proper sequence which will allow you to take full advantage of these different types of edges. This is because each type of edge requires a different state of dryness in the paper and a different state of dampness in the brush.

How we create these types of edges

WATERCOLOR ON LOCATION - EDGES AND MOOD �2

We create these 4 types of edges with yes 4 different techniques. Lets examine them and practice them here.

1 - Smooth edges: These are created by applying a brush fully loaded to dry paper. This is the way most of us start painting with watercolors. Lets create some examples by painting a Pine tree. This method is comfortable because we are in control - no real surprises here. A recognizable pine tree but does it interact with the atmosphere???

2 - Soft edges. Soft edges are created by using a loaded brush into a very wet area. This technique is called wet into wet and as the description implies the paper and brush are very wet. This technique is ideal suited to creating atmospheres and very soft shapes. As you can tel with the Pine tree.

There is a variation of this technique which we call dry into wet. This time we work into a wet area but our brush is not loaded but rather dry. As a result the brush acts more like a sponge depositing color and absorbing water. The form is mush more readable and still the edges are all soft. The atmosphere is truly reacting with the tree

WATERCOLOR ON LOCATION - EDGES AND MOOD �3

3 - Rough edges are created by using a dry brush onto dry paper. In fact the rougher the paper the better this technique works. While working with this technique you will hear and feel your brush scraping the dry paper. The result is broken marks which can be left alone to imply a texture such as a rock surface or some rough surfaces or can be added to with more strokes such as I have done with the pine tree.It appears to be snowing - in July??

4 - Lost and found edges are realized when the smooth edges of a shape hit a wet area and dissolves only to be revealed again at a dry area. To achieve this technique we spot wet the area we are painting leaving some dry areas and create our shapes into this partially wet area. The result creates the illusion that the very atmosphere is moving in and out of our object. We will use this technique extensively in our rainy day painting

All methods are worth knowing and using in our watercolors. I would practice these examples to get a sense of the wetness in your brush and on the paper. Then look at the material you are trying to paint - clouds, sparkling water, shadows…which of these techniques works best. Which technique works best for the mood you are trying to project?

A Bright morning at Faneuil HallStanding in front of the Cafe Pulse we see people moving in and out - bright sunlight

passes through the scene land directly on the figures. This is a clear bright day and so the

WATERCOLOR ON LOCATION - EDGES AND MOOD �4

mood and technique we employ will emphasize this. I believe the scene calls for a high tonal contrast. That means strong lights against strong darks. Bright colors - especially on our main

figures, and sharp smooth edges .

I start by creating a drawing. I am loosely describing the trees expecting these to be capture more through painting. I do spend time getting a good balance with the figures, lighting, and signage - I feel these will give me a sense of brightness, and busy energy which when coupled by hard edges and high contrast will give me the light of the day.I have to say I always move into the painting with more confidence when my drawing is good.

The first washes are light in the background and foreground then some brighter accents into the clothing of the people moving through the scene.I do leave whites though most of these will be painted out at some point.I have found that I don’t think of clothing when I am putting the figures in - when the time comes to paint them I look around and pick from what I see infant of me - it seems to work well this way.

WATERCOLOR ON LOCATION - EDGES AND MOOD �5

With the lights established I measure my midtowns against them. I start with the bright green foliage above then into the shadows below. Broad strokes into the foliage but as I near the figures I slow down and with to a smaller brush for these difficult definitions.The painting starts to present itself when I introduce the darks against the lights.

I carry the darks downward creating a beautiful shadow pattern cast by the cafe. The figure in the foreground is a very helpful component to the painting - she is in the shadows so does not intrude but helps to create distance in the painting. Putting like objects - in this case people 0 in the foreground, mid ground, and distance helps to create that illusion.

WATERCOLOR ON LOCATION - EDGES AND MOOD �6

A Rainy day at Faneuil HallToday the weather is overcast with occasional rain. Lucky for us the rain is light and

does not interfere with our painting watercolors. Today we will translate the same scene as last week only it will be a rainy day. That means that tonality of the painting will be much

more muted and the contrast in values will be less dynamic. The colors will also be muted and there will be a dominance of soft and lost and found edges.

In the drawing I spend the same amount of time with the various elements. Figures in the near, mid, and distance - lighting, umbrellas, and signage. The big change that I make is in the eye level. It is set about 2 inches higher. I do this because I want to make a big deal with the reflections and putting everything higher in the painting will allow me to do this.

I wet the paper in a spot manner cutting around the umbrellas and begin to apply some muted green to indica foliage - look at all those soft edges. Also some lost and found edges

WATERCOLOR ON LOCATION - EDGES AND MOOD �7

I start to move down into the figures and buildings - the figures are darker and emerge out of the rain but just look at the edges - some edges merge with others some edges sharp and focused other edges completely lost. This must all happen on the fly and there is very little time for thought.I follow the placement of figures with a wash of warmer gray to the ground and while it is still wet I add reflections dry into wet. The soft edges contrast so nicely to the lost and found edges above.

Lastly I add some dry color to the distant lighting the banner above and the umbrellas. The mood is effective and I can feel there rain in this picture - made possible by the proper use of edges.

WATERCOLOR ON LOCATION - EDGES AND MOOD �8

Examples of edges from the Masters

Joseph Zbukvic A master of mood

Alvaro Castagnet a master of light and shadow

WATERCOLOR ON LOCATION - EDGES AND MOOD �9