Watercolor Forum POSTING INSTRUCTIONS

[Yorky]

Welcome to the Watercolor Forum!

As you've discovered, there are several sub-forums where you can post your work here which may be a little confusing at first. We're glad that you have decided to share your artwork with us but before you do, please consider the following guidelines:

The Watercolor Gallery

FINISHED paintings created with watercolor paints, watercolor pencils, or gouache go here. They may be painted on any surface compatible with watercolor such as paper, gesso, YUPO, clayboard, and illustration board. Small enhancements using other media to add highlights, draw lines, create resists, make corrections, etc., may be acceptable. Please post images of your work with the Uploader or Attach them — the use of off-site links as a substitute to show your images is unacceptable and not in keeping with the intent or spirit of this site. Members may start one new painting thread per day; but it may contain several paintings. All works posted here will be open to critiques and comments unless you indicate otherwise.


The Watercolor Studio

Want to show us the watercolor paintings you are working on? Are you stuck and don't know where to go with a painting? Then enjoy some company and get help from your studio friends while completing your works in progress (WIPS), join in our painting Challenges and KIUAN exercises, or follow demos of techniques by your fellow watercolor artists. You'll also find some fun group activities such as the Invitations to Paint, Paint-alongs, and WIP-alongs here! Please post images of your work with the Uploader or Attach them — the use of off-site links as a substitute to show your images is unacceptable and not in keeping with the intent or spirit of this site.

One Painting Thread Per 24 hrs Posting Limit

Due to the popularity of the Watercolor Gallery and Studio and the high volume of threads started each day, we must limit the number of new threads in the each sub-forum to ONE per 24-hour period for each member; however, you may include more than one painting in that thread. This ensures fairness for all and prevents forum flooding which pushes other threads off the first page.

Info to Include in Your Threads

It is a big help to those who view your painting if you include the following info when you post it:

Type of Watercolor Paint, including any additions (e.g., Watercolor Artists Paints, Daniel Smith and Da Vinci, small highlight of Gesso on rim of vase etc.).
Type of Paper (Manufacturer and weight, e.g. Arches Cold Pressed 300 lb Paper)
The Size (in Inches or Centimeters, but please state which)
The Reference Source (e.g., Your own Photo or Sketch, Plein Aire, Imagination, Photo from Reference Image Library—please give credit to the Photographer if you are not using your own photo.)
Any Other Comments (e.g., colors used, how you feel about it, etc.)

NOTE: When you submit paintings to the Gallery or the Studio, we assume that you are inviting comments unless you state otherwise in your introductory paragraph. All works posted here will be open to critiques and comments unless you indicate otherwise. If you're not ready for critiques, just tell us to go easy with our comments!


The Learning Zone

Ask technical questions about watercolors and materials used with them and get answers. Share painting tips here. Take an on-line workshop by participating in our Classrooms and teaching threads. Access the Wet Canvas Watercolor Handbook and a vast Library of Articles, Teaching threads, and Learning Demos. Please post images of your work with the Uploader or Attach them — the use of off-site links as a substitute to show your images is unacceptable and not in keeping with the intent or spirit of this site; however, links to useful resources continue to be welcome.

Palette Talk

In this sub-forum, you can meet your fellow artists on a more personal level by sharing information and photos, and join in off-topic and chat threads such as the Daily Wash. Artwork generally is not posted here, other than occasionally in reference to an announcement or recognition of a member's achievement. We love to share your success! Members should post only their own works of art here, except when other artists' works are part of a discussion of a special event they participated in such as an Art Show.

Using the Uploader & Attachment Features:

When inserting images, please use the uploader if possible, so that your picture is shown in a large size rather than a thumbnail. Uploaded images also are preferred because they can be seen when replying to a thread by scrolling down, whereas attached images cannot be seen when replying. The file attachment feature shows a thumbnail on many screens that must be clicked on to see a larger image.

Please refrain from linking to pictures off site as well because, if your website goes down or the images are removed from the site for any reason, they no longer show up in the thread here at Wet Canvas, rendering the thread (or post) and its comments useless.

Please resize your picture before uploading, it makes the process much quicker. For help with this see the videos on Resizing and Uploading in the Learning Zone.

The size limit allowed for images on WetCanvas! is 800 by 800 pixels. However, images posted that are larger than the 600 pixels high make viewing difficult as many members will only be able see part of it and will have to scroll the screen. Please help keep WC! user-friendly by using these features.


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Watercolor Challenges

In the Watercolor Forum a Challenge is a call to engage in a competition with another Member or Members to test their abilities in a demanding but stimulating undertaking.

A Challenge will be a finite event which is structured by any or all of the following:

• The number of finished paintings to be submitted. (agreed upon by the competitors)
• The specificity of subject matter. (agreed upon by the competitors)
• The regularity of posting finished works. (once a week, once a month, etc.)
• A predefined time line with a specific starting and ending date. (i.e. one month, one year, etc.)
• Optionally, the Challenge will have a finite number of competitors, i.e. between two Members or groups of Members.

More simply stated, a Challenge will have a defined time frame (start and end), a focus or theme, and be completed works (not WIPs or getting/needing instruction).

Each Challenge's *Rules* must be worked out in advance among the competitors and then posted with the initial Challenge Thread (so that all Members understand the rules of engagement). Typically, the participants negotiate their rules among the group by using the Private Messaging system.

A Challenge will be considered "Established" when the structure has been defined. Established Challenges will be posted in the Gallery because they contain finished works submitted for “comments and critiques”.

Threads that do not meet any of the above criteria will be considered "Open-Ended". Any open-ended threads containing the word Challenge in their titles will not be considered true Watercolor Challenges in keeping with our definition. In order to avoid confusion, open-ended threads should not include the word challenge in their titles. We recognize that although there may be challenging elements included in the opening post of such threads, they cannot be considered Challenges as defined above and the title wording will need to be changed. These threads will continue to be posted in the Studio in accordance with our Posting Guidelines; however, when a work is finished, it then could also be posted as a stand-alone thread in the Gallery.

Paint-Alongs, WIP- Alongs, Invitations to Paint, etc., are not considered Challenges as defined above and should always be posted in the Studio.

These Guidelines apply to our Subforums and they are intended to run alongside the WetCanvas! User Agreement.

Quote:
WetCanvas! is a wonderful resource, which breaks down barriers — but like a national park or a beautiful work of art, it is necessary to have rules to preserve it. You will find these rules are committed to keeping Wet Canvas! a place of mutual respect and friendship where people love to be.WetCanvas Rules of Conduct, 2011