Personal Art Blog

Sharing the lessons I teach at the Artist Guild and the personal discoveries in my art.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Watercolor Study - Linking Light.



Watercolor Exercise - linkage.

12x9  watercolor an paper  NFS

This is a friend's studio and this painting was done
to help her understand how to manage linking
the light path in her paintings.

Artist note.
This exercise is great for making either the
LIGHT or DARK
dominate in a painting using linkage.

1. Draw simple outlines with overlapping areas
    where possible.
2. Decide on light pattern - linking shapes where
    possible even if only by a small area.
3. Start with local colors in middle values
4. Hit your darkest areas. Add ones that are not there
    to help your design. ( I made the window dark)
5. Add any texture or patterns last.

Obviously the top of the table, easel and chair were
not white, but for this exercise I left them untouched
to add some punch to the design. I had moved the
furniture around to fill the space better. Pale washes
of color can be added for a more traditional finish.
The goal is to keep the light areas connected and
NOT to get SPOTTY.

Although unfinished, I hope you can see
this exercise can work well  in all medias. It is fun to do!

Thanks for the emails asking if all was well with
my blog having no posts
for a few days. My hubby had been quite unwell, but
I am happy to say that he is getting better.
Life is good again.







Posted by Picasa

20 comments:

  1. Great exercise and points to keep in mind while painting. Even if it is only a study, it has beautiful light and colors!

    ReplyDelete
  2. So glad your husband is doing well, Julie. Not fun when they get sick, for sure. Love that you help your friends with their art too. A good lesson and one I hope will stick with me. I'm not so great at following smart rules in art. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a great exercise Julie and what a superb little painting that resulted!
    Best wishes
    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  4. LIfe is always better when both spouses are well! Glad your husband is on the mend and I hope it wasn't too serious.

    Great exercise and just what I try and do if possible. Spotty is never good (unless that is what you are after):):):)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am glad things are going better.

    Thanks for the lesson. The result is eye-catching.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This little painting is spectacular! I just love how you developed the patterns. Linking the lights or darks is something I try to do in every painting but don't always succeed. You had the will power to stop before it got spotty. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have been quiet, but I seen all your work that you have posted, and you know you are great source of inspiration. Love almost everything you do.

    Hug!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Glad to hear your hubby's doing better, Julie!
    Thanks for the tip on linkage. I've heard of this before, so I am overdue to practice it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Julie,
    So happy to hear your husband is better. The light in the painting is beautiful. Watercolor is definitely on of your many talents.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great lesson for today on lights and darks Julie. Best wishes to your hubby.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good to hear your husband is better ! Your painting is fabulous , and a part from the gorgeous light, I think the pattern on the curtains adds so much ! xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm so happy that your hubby is well, Julie!!! and of course, a wonderful exercise on lights and darks....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Amazing how the light pattern you chose gives so much life to the painting. How fun to do the same one and connect the darks.........oh, wait, we would need 48 hour days!
    Glad your husband is feeling better. Thank you for a great post.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great lesson! I am copying for my file to practice. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

    ReplyDelete
  15. A terrific example of the importance of connections in composing compositions. The simplicity shows the lesson well.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Best wishes to your hubby for a full recovery. It's so nerve-wracking when someone you love is not feeling well.

    Once again, Julie, thank you for generously sharing information. I've learned so much from you, and I look forward to each new post. I've read a little about notan, which seems to emphasize linking darks. It didn't occur to me that the same thing could be done with lights. Since I struggle so with composition, I'm eager to give this a try. Thank you again, Julie.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dear Julie - so generous of you to share this exercise. I have studied about linkage before but you made it so very clear. I am glad your hubby is better and life is good again. Take care and have a beautiful day.

    ReplyDelete
  18. A great exercise - I think I need to do this in my life drawings! Food for thought! Thank you, Julie.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks for breaking the linking process down so clearly. Makes for strong underlying structure in the painting. I just love the study you did for your friend.

    ReplyDelete

I love that you are taking the time to comment and thank you for it. I am sure other readers will enjoy them too. If you cannot comment through this format then email me at juliefordoliver@gmail.com
Cheers,
Julie