Dry Weed Nest
6x6in watercolor on aquabord
waxed. NFS
Artist Note
I was asked to explain about
line in watercolor
and how it is used.
This one is for you, Edith!
Traditionally, water-colorists have used a pencil
to draw their subject. Often they will go over
the pencil line with a stronger paint line
where they want to describe the form
with more emphasis. Line can change from
thin to thick, straight to round,
over or under a mass of color.
In my nest above I used line
with opaque paint over a dark base.
It is called "form line" because it
follows the direction of the form
A curve is a curve or
straight is straight...etc.
I mixed different values
to create the weaving of the grasses.
In the painting below,
Winslow Homer used the form
line around parts of the boat
creating an outline, and
creating an outline, and
even lightly around the sail
at the back.
This was to create a separation
between boat and water.
So form line and outline are the same
thing, but used for different reasons.
This was to create a separation
between boat and water.
So form line and outline are the same
thing, but used for different reasons.
If you look at the clouds
you will see the edges
are formed from the
mass of the sky color.
No line. But the weeds
and lines on water are
line. The way he painted
the dark shadow under the
right end of the boat
could be a lyrical line...
it is expressive and
yummy as it dissolves into an area of shadow
Andrew Wyeth, below, has obvious lines which
emphasizes the flow and direction of the water.
They merge into an area of color. No longer a line.
Sargent, below, has the lady on the right
with lines to describe the folds of her
clothes, but on the lady on the left
he used a softer line and
gently massed in with color.
Ask why one and not the other?
Most likely to direct the eye to her
first, but he did add a sharp line on the
bonnet to bring some focus
back to the other one..
Line can be an important way to
add some direction and emphasis.
Sargent used lyrical or expressive lines to
describe the flounces in the one below.
And left it "as is".
And left it "as is".
Many of the popular artists of today
like to use the line all the way through
their painting as a style -instead of using them for
direction or emphasis.
See Stefan Duncan below
My personal fav is
Shirley Trevena who is
brilliant
at mixing all types of line and mass.
Explore all the lines in this one.
It is fun to look through art
magazines trying to find the
different types of LINE.
If you stuck all the way through this - I thank you!
Edith - hope you enjoyed it.
