Section 1
Watercolor paints are made from natural pigments such as clay and minerals. They can also be made of synthetic pigments which are ground down and then put together with water like glue.
Transparent: watercolors that are transparent are the ones that allow light to shine through the water color and it let's the white of the paper reflect, it gives your work a clean glow.
Opaque: watercolors that are opaque block the light that comes through the watercolor paper, the light bounces off, this gives your work or the colors a dull look.
Non-Staining: watercolors settle on the surface of your paper. Once dried this colors allow you to lift it and see the white of the paper, the white showed in the painting is really the white of the paper.
Staining: watercolor is absorbed by paper before it evaporates. Once dried this colors won't let you see the white of the paper they will leave a stain of the color. It won't settle correctly, the color blurs the parts where it is painted.
Sedimentary: watercolors are also transparent, semi-transparent, semi-opaque and opaque. They fall in this categories because of the sedimentary pigment that settles randomly in the paper.
Cold Press: cold press is ideal when you want to paint textures or you want the texture tu stand out. It absorbs the water very quickly and little bumps might form in the paper.
War Press: this type of paper is very thin and smooth. Not good for textures. Water absorption is very few and it takes time. This types of paper allows you to play more with the paint; for example re-wetting edges of the paint.
We stretch the paper when painting with watercolors so it will dry straight and wont wrinkle.
Transparent: watercolors that are transparent are the ones that allow light to shine through the water color and it let's the white of the paper reflect, it gives your work a clean glow.
Opaque: watercolors that are opaque block the light that comes through the watercolor paper, the light bounces off, this gives your work or the colors a dull look.
Non-Staining: watercolors settle on the surface of your paper. Once dried this colors allow you to lift it and see the white of the paper, the white showed in the painting is really the white of the paper.
Staining: watercolor is absorbed by paper before it evaporates. Once dried this colors won't let you see the white of the paper they will leave a stain of the color. It won't settle correctly, the color blurs the parts where it is painted.
Sedimentary: watercolors are also transparent, semi-transparent, semi-opaque and opaque. They fall in this categories because of the sedimentary pigment that settles randomly in the paper.
Cold Press: cold press is ideal when you want to paint textures or you want the texture tu stand out. It absorbs the water very quickly and little bumps might form in the paper.
War Press: this type of paper is very thin and smooth. Not good for textures. Water absorption is very few and it takes time. This types of paper allows you to play more with the paint; for example re-wetting edges of the paint.
We stretch the paper when painting with watercolors so it will dry straight and wont wrinkle.
Section 2
Painting Tools
Sponge: The sponge is used to create variation of textures and different effects while painting. It can also be used to add water to your painting ir clean up what came out wrong or un wanted pain.
Palette Knife: is a blunt tipped knife with a flexible thin blade that is used to mix colors. It is also used to. Mix colors and clear the paint from the paper. It is ideal to create smooth mixtures, it also creates different textures and you might not know but artist use it to scratch their names or signature in their paintings.
Paintbrush: most common tool, there are many different types of them. Some round, flat, long, short etc. It is used to paint backgrounds small details or just paint. It depend on the size and type of the brush. Each works differently and has a different purpose.
Painting Techniques:
Wet on wet: painting technique that you apply many layers of wet paint on top of more wet paint. This technique has to be done very fast because it you need to finish it before the first layer drys. I am using this technique when painting the portrait or the face since for the color of the face I need this technique to mix some color but I need my drawing to still maintain wet.
Wet on dry: wet on dry it is a technique similar to the one before but instead of applying onto the paint that is still wet you apply the other layer when the paint drys. This type of technique takes time since you have to wait for the layer to dry to apply the nest layer and again wait and then apply. Very effective to paint floral, gardens, leafs etc. I will use this technique when painting landscapes because it is great to paint flowers, grass and trees.
Dropping in:
Under-painting: under-painting is the first layer of your painting before anything is drawn or details are put you have to put an under-painting. Artist use it to create tonal values and an effective painting a monochrome version of your final drawing like a blurry drawing. Under-painting can be done in any colors but is better if you use browns or grays. It is done by painting like a blurry version of the original drawing but with lighter colors no details and with colors that dry fast.
Tins and Shades: Tints is when you lighten each color of the color wheel. Tints can be pastels colors or any color which you make it lighter. Shades in the other hand are the darkest ones, you simply mix every color with black and you have shades. This colors are used for different purpose first if you want to paint something light you should use tints and if you want to shade something or make it darker you should use shades.
Complementary Colors: complementary colors are colors that in the wheel are on th opposite side. If you take the wheel you will see how greens complementary color is red and blue complementary color is orange and yellow complementary color is violet. This colors are used to create textures, to shade and create more depth in your paintings.
Picking Color Schemes: You need to pick a color scheme so that your paint will look more professional and have more structure. Color scheme work so that you won't mix colors that don't go together. For example if you are painting the grass you need a color scheme of greens. This colors will make your painting look better but at the same time they will match. For my painting I will use different types of colors schemes. Greens, blues, reds and violets.
Layering: to layer it is to paint in layer. When you layer when painting with water colors is that you paint in layer first one thin than on top another and the cycle continues. This creates texture and perspective in you painting.
Sponge: The sponge is used to create variation of textures and different effects while painting. It can also be used to add water to your painting ir clean up what came out wrong or un wanted pain.
Palette Knife: is a blunt tipped knife with a flexible thin blade that is used to mix colors. It is also used to. Mix colors and clear the paint from the paper. It is ideal to create smooth mixtures, it also creates different textures and you might not know but artist use it to scratch their names or signature in their paintings.
Paintbrush: most common tool, there are many different types of them. Some round, flat, long, short etc. It is used to paint backgrounds small details or just paint. It depend on the size and type of the brush. Each works differently and has a different purpose.
Painting Techniques:
Wet on wet: painting technique that you apply many layers of wet paint on top of more wet paint. This technique has to be done very fast because it you need to finish it before the first layer drys. I am using this technique when painting the portrait or the face since for the color of the face I need this technique to mix some color but I need my drawing to still maintain wet.
Wet on dry: wet on dry it is a technique similar to the one before but instead of applying onto the paint that is still wet you apply the other layer when the paint drys. This type of technique takes time since you have to wait for the layer to dry to apply the nest layer and again wait and then apply. Very effective to paint floral, gardens, leafs etc. I will use this technique when painting landscapes because it is great to paint flowers, grass and trees.
Dropping in:
Under-painting: under-painting is the first layer of your painting before anything is drawn or details are put you have to put an under-painting. Artist use it to create tonal values and an effective painting a monochrome version of your final drawing like a blurry drawing. Under-painting can be done in any colors but is better if you use browns or grays. It is done by painting like a blurry version of the original drawing but with lighter colors no details and with colors that dry fast.
Tins and Shades: Tints is when you lighten each color of the color wheel. Tints can be pastels colors or any color which you make it lighter. Shades in the other hand are the darkest ones, you simply mix every color with black and you have shades. This colors are used for different purpose first if you want to paint something light you should use tints and if you want to shade something or make it darker you should use shades.
Complementary Colors: complementary colors are colors that in the wheel are on th opposite side. If you take the wheel you will see how greens complementary color is red and blue complementary color is orange and yellow complementary color is violet. This colors are used to create textures, to shade and create more depth in your paintings.
Picking Color Schemes: You need to pick a color scheme so that your paint will look more professional and have more structure. Color scheme work so that you won't mix colors that don't go together. For example if you are painting the grass you need a color scheme of greens. This colors will make your painting look better but at the same time they will match. For my painting I will use different types of colors schemes. Greens, blues, reds and violets.
Layering: to layer it is to paint in layer. When you layer when painting with water colors is that you paint in layer first one thin than on top another and the cycle continues. This creates texture and perspective in you painting.
Section 3
Portrait: a portrait it could be a painting, photography, sculpture of a person. Really a persons face which their expression is very notorious and can convey what they are feeling.
Landscape: landscapes is a painting or drawings of nature, a natural scenery. Usually a wide view of the scenery. For example mountains, lakes, rivers, gardens, oceans. They are usually painted with watercolors or acrylics.
Still Life: it is a painting of an inanimate object. This objects could be natural or hand made. For example: food, flowers, rocks, shells, glasses, books, furniture etc.
Realistic Art: realistic art is the one that tries to make everything as real as possible with no abstract or exotic elements. It first started in France in the 1850s. Realistic paintings paint everyday activities of people no dramas neither romance.
Abstract Art: abstract art uses shapes, forms, lines and different types of colors. This type of art creates a matter but the ones who view the painting might not recognize the object since it is created with a degree of independence from visual reference or normal viewing. It started in the 19th century since many artist wanted to create alternative ways to paint object and matter.
Non-objective Art: this type of art that dose not represent an concrete object, person and natural resource. It is another way to call the abstract art. This non-objective art is usually shapes, color, brush strokes, size and scales. With no specific purpose or destination which create an abstract painting but since it is nothing it is called a non-objective.
Imitationalism: Imitationalism is of a theory of aesthetics in which a work of art is considered best when it portrays a person place or thing the most accurately. Or in order to be even considered art is must look like something (person, place, or thing.
Emotionalism: emotionalism theory is an aesthetic and critical theory of art which is mainly concerned with the expressive qualities of art work. According to the theory, the most important thing about a work of art is the vivid communication of moods, feelings, and ideas.
Formalism: In art history, formalism is the study of art by analysing and comparing form and style, the way objects are made and their purely visual aspects. In painting formalism emphasizes compositional elements such as color, line, shape and texture rather than iconography or the historical and social context.
Landscape: landscapes is a painting or drawings of nature, a natural scenery. Usually a wide view of the scenery. For example mountains, lakes, rivers, gardens, oceans. They are usually painted with watercolors or acrylics.
Still Life: it is a painting of an inanimate object. This objects could be natural or hand made. For example: food, flowers, rocks, shells, glasses, books, furniture etc.
Realistic Art: realistic art is the one that tries to make everything as real as possible with no abstract or exotic elements. It first started in France in the 1850s. Realistic paintings paint everyday activities of people no dramas neither romance.
Abstract Art: abstract art uses shapes, forms, lines and different types of colors. This type of art creates a matter but the ones who view the painting might not recognize the object since it is created with a degree of independence from visual reference or normal viewing. It started in the 19th century since many artist wanted to create alternative ways to paint object and matter.
Non-objective Art: this type of art that dose not represent an concrete object, person and natural resource. It is another way to call the abstract art. This non-objective art is usually shapes, color, brush strokes, size and scales. With no specific purpose or destination which create an abstract painting but since it is nothing it is called a non-objective.
Imitationalism: Imitationalism is of a theory of aesthetics in which a work of art is considered best when it portrays a person place or thing the most accurately. Or in order to be even considered art is must look like something (person, place, or thing.
Emotionalism: emotionalism theory is an aesthetic and critical theory of art which is mainly concerned with the expressive qualities of art work. According to the theory, the most important thing about a work of art is the vivid communication of moods, feelings, and ideas.
Formalism: In art history, formalism is the study of art by analysing and comparing form and style, the way objects are made and their purely visual aspects. In painting formalism emphasizes compositional elements such as color, line, shape and texture rather than iconography or the historical and social context.