Home Forums Explore Media Watercolor The Learning Zone Why aren’t my watercolors glowing?

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  • #990012
    LunarMoth
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        Hi everyone!
        Okay, so I am used to painting pictures with opaque colors in them, they have both watercolor and guoache in them with illuminated elements. These pictures I believe look fairly nice and I am happy with them.:)
        But recently I got a hold of some watercolor books from the library and I started watching some teaching video’s in watercolors. I like the way those pictures look, their like impressionist pictures, loose and free but still show an image. My dilemma is though that I notice these pictures seem to glow – the colors are bright and vivid. But no matter how hard I try, I really can’t seem to get this effect in my own paintings. I never really mix more than 2 colors, cause I know it can result in mud. I try and leave some white paper in spots. But still my pictures look dull.:confused: Wich has me now wondering is there something I’m just not doing right? Is it the quality of paper I am useing? Cause I’m useing a cheaper quality for practice. Or could it be my paints!? I know that some of the colors I picked out are opaque and some are semi opaque, only a few of them are semi transparent. Will these opaque watercolors cause my pictures to look dull? Am I not useing enough water? Most of the time I paint on dry paper that I dampen with my brush.

        Here are the colors I am working with from Winsor and Newton, Lukas, Grambaucher and Reeves. They are all artist grade but the prussian blue from Lukas, burnt sienna from Reeves and colbalt blue from Grambaucher, these three are student grade, cause I can’t afford to replace them yet.

        Cadmium lemon LK
        Naples yellow from WN line
        Cinnabar red LK
        Winsor red deep from WN line
        Genuine Rose LK
        Dioxine Violet LK
        Indanthrone blue LK
        Colbalt blue GB st
        Prussian blue LK st
        Turquoise LK
        Olive green LK
        Caput mortumm deep LK
        Burt Sienna RV ST

        Can any of you on WC tell me what it is I am or am not doing?:confused:
        Thanks!

        Brigette

        For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
        Psalm 92:4 kjv :angel:

        #1169544
        Studio-1-F
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            I think ;) what folks are talking about when they talk about watercolor paintings “glowing” is the property of the light being able to bounce off the pure white of the paper below, right through the veils of color, and on into the viewer’s eye.

            So try this:
            — use only very high quality bright white paper
            — use only those of your colors designated as “transparent”
            — try both watery washes and thicker passages of color

            Show us too, if possible.

            Jan

            #1169568
            Mayberry
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                A “glowing” look often has to do with contrasts – light and dark contrasts as well as warm and cool contrasts. This can be accomplished with cheaper paper and paints, but you have to be consciously deciding where the lightest lights are going to be, the darkest darks, the hottest hots, and the coolest cools, and work with the limitations as well as the strengths of your materials. A blue that paints out rather weak can be pumped up by placing it near some scintillating yellow-orange passages.

                #1169564

                … Wich has me now wondering is there something I’m just not doing right? Is it the quality of paper I am useing? Cause I’m useing a cheaper quality for practice. Or could it be my paints!? …

                Cadmium lemon LK is semi-opaque
                Naples yellow from WN line is a mixture usually containing zinc oxide which is opaque
                Cinnabar red LK is opaque and not lightfast
                Winsor red deep from WN line is opaque
                Indanthrone blue LK is semi-opaque
                Burt Sienna RV ST is opaque

                I would think the problem lies with some of you pigments. Not my style, but from the advice I have read, you need to use transparent or semi-transparent to get the ‘glow’ you are seeking. You might find this handprint.com reference useful “the secrets of glowing color

                It is only on a basis of knowledge that we can become free to compose naturally. -- Bernard Dunstan
                blog.jlk.net

                #1169569
                Mayberry
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                    An important point made in that Handprint article:

                    “Paint colors change their apparent brightness, transparency or hue depending on the context in which they appear. This is really a color design problem rather than a color mixing or paint problem, and painters should clearly understand that “luminosity” is fundamentally a skillfully created illusion, and not the inevitable appearance of certain kinds of paints.”

                    #1169549
                    juneto
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                        I would guess ,not enough water for gradations . Go for transparency. See the paper through the paint . Your paint is okay.
                        Yes and strong contrasts too .
                        June:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

                        Follow your Bliss and the Universe will open doors for you , where there were only walls. Joseph Campbell


                        http://blogmomcom.blogspot.com/

                        #1169556
                        sashntash
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                            I think ;) what folks are talking about when they talk about watercolor paintings “glowing” is the property of the light being able to bounce off the pure white of the paper below, right through the veils of color, and on into the viewer’s eye.

                            So try this:
                            — use [B]only[/B] very high quality bright white paper
                            — use [B]only[/B] those of your colors designated as “transparent”
                            — try both watery washes and thicker passages of color

                            Show us too, if possible.

                            Jan

                            As Jan said, the glow comes from the light bouncing off of the white paper below, back up through the paint and into the viewer’s eye.

                            To the best of my knowledge, that will only happen if you are using transparent colors.

                            No matter how much you water down opaque or semi-opaque colors, you won’t get that glow.

                            I have now put all of my opaque and semi-opaque colors in a separate palette for when I want them and my main palette has only transparent and semi-transparent colors.

                            Many watercolorists us only transparents, but many others use transp, semi-transp, opaque and semi-opaque. It all depends on your personal preference and what you are trying to achieve.

                            But it is important to know which of your colors are trans/semi-transp and which are opaque/semi-opaque. If you know which are which, then you can choose which to use for the current objective.

                            Also.. the same color from 2 different manufacturers can be different depending on how they process the pigment. One color could be semi-transparent in one brand and semi-opaque in another brand. Handprint.com is an excellent resource for figuring out what is what !!

                            There is nothing wrong with opaque and semi-opaque watercolors, they just act differently.

                            And… opaque/semi-opaque watercolor paints are totally different from gouache…..

                            As you gain more experience, you will know what kinds of paintings you prefer and what kinds of paints you need to achieve a certain look.

                            Susan
                            in beautiful North Carolina
                            Retired and loving every minute of it !!!
                            Time to play......

                            #1169565

                            As Jan said, the glow comes from the light bouncing off of the white paper below, back up through the paint and into the viewer’s eye….

                            I call urban legend and myth. Please see and read handprint.com the luminosity myth

                            It is only on a basis of knowledge that we can become free to compose naturally. -- Bernard Dunstan
                            blog.jlk.net

                            #1169572
                            virgil carter
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                                It’s said beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and so it may be also for “glowing color”!

                                Rather than berate opaque and staining paints, however, I’d offer a couple of approaches to consider besides the tired “use transparent, single pigment paints so the white of the paper will show through”:

                                  [*]Use highly saturated/intense passages, juxtaposed with grayed passages, particularly complementary or near-complementary passages (this is called intensity contrast);
                                  [*]Use highly saturated/intense passages, juxtaposed with other saturated/intense passages, particularly complementary on near-complementary passages (this is called hue contrast);
                                  [*]Use highly saturated/intense warm passages, juxtaposed with other cool passages–but ensure one is dominant and the other is secondary (this is called temperature contrast).

                                Be very cautious and limiting with allowing strong value contrasts of light vs. dark (they are so powerful that they often dominate the hues). Similarly, also be cautious and limiting with allowing very much use of white paper, since the whites will often overpower the hues.

                                If you want your work to be colorful, you have to think about how to make your hues dominant. Hope this helps,

                                Sling paint,
                                Virgil

                                Sling paint,
                                Virgil Carter
                                http://www.virgilcarterfineart.com/

                                #1169580
                                LunarMoth
                                Default

                                    Thanks everyone!
                                    Claudejgreengrass, thanks by the way for the link. It will take me a while to read all of it, but I’m sure it will help me out.
                                    I really think after going back and looking at my paintings though, that my problem may lie in not diluting my pigments with enough water. Cause I noticed in some watery clouds I did, I got the effect I am looking for; where as the rest of the painting looks quite dull and boring, the clouds stand out and glow almost. But I am now wondering if I should have gone with more transparent colors.
                                    Most of the books I have read and the video’s I have watched, say that it really doesn’t matter which colors you use. I’m not so sure now that they were right? Cause I think it does matter in a way. I don’t know? There sure is a lot to learn in watercolor.

                                    Brigette

                                    For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
                                    Psalm 92:4 kjv :angel:

                                    #1169581
                                    LunarMoth
                                    Default

                                        Thanks for all the helpful advice, Virgil Carter. I will try it all out. Thanks!

                                        Brigette

                                        For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
                                        Psalm 92:4 kjv :angel:

                                        #1169545

                                        What a great question you’ve asked, LunarMoth! And, as I’m sure you’ve realized already, there are no simple answers.

                                        I think you’ve received some great advice which ALL contributes to glowing compositions.

                                        Understanding how your pigments mix is one of your challenges. Studying Jeanne Dobie, I learned a great deal about mixing “Octanic” colour (bright and clean) vs. “Mouse” colours (neutrals) and how to use them. I highly recommend her book, Making Color Sing.

                                        Basically, you need to understand the bias of your pigments in order to arrive at a colour that you intended to mix.

                                        For instance, mixing ultramarine blue which has a red bias with hansa yellow light that has a green bias will result in a DULL green… why? Because the red and green biases are mixing complements and create neutrals when mixed together.

                                        However, if you mixed phthalo blue gs (PB15:3) with your hansa yellow light, the two green biases will work together creating a very bright and clear green.

                                        Once you’ve learned to mix your bright colours, mixing your neutrals is the next step in your journey. And as Virgil has suggested, when you place a neutral next to your local colour, it will appear to be brighter!

                                        I like the illusion of strong light because it also contributes to a “glowing” composition… ensuring that your lightest lights and darkest darks span the values range of 1-10 is a good way to achieve that.

                                        Unfortunately, there isn’t a single solution that will help you… but perhaps you can focus on a specific technique or exercise until you’re comfortable with it… and then, move on to the next…

                                        Whole books have been written on this very topic… so don’t despair… asking your question is the very first step in your journey to achieve your goal… have fun with it…

                                        Char --

                                        CharMing Art -- "Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art." Leonardo DaVinci

                                        #1169548
                                        brusher
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                                            Hi Lunarmoth:
                                            Sounds like (1) using opaque/semi-opaque paints, and maybe (2) overmixing or over-layering too many different colors together, are the obvious culprits. I had this problem for a very long time, and didn’t realize what was wrong until recently. If you use transparent colors only and test your mixes on a swatch of paper (to see if they have gone “too gray”), I think your paintings will “glow” more. Paper or the grade of paint is not really an issue. Of course, getting our watercolors to “glow” more is something that EVERY artist chases after!! And yes, tones and contrast will help the painting glow and “pop”! Let us know how you do, and if it improves.

                                            #1169552
                                            M.L. Schaefer
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                                                It is very important to know how your colors react with other colors, either side-by-side or mingled/mixed. That should be one of the first things you experiment with. Also, how best to use your opaques…. You’ve kind of touched a nerve with me, as I am working on two “projects” right now. A drawing project (I’ve taken a Leopard and turned it into a Mountain Lion), and the correct colors to use. And working with opaques on a rose and on a crocodile. Many roses have translucent petals, others have velvety surfaces on the petals…I am working on how to paint the velvet while still retaining color and light…I am laying down a diluted Naples Yellow (Old Holland – I have two, Schmincke and Old Holland, the Old Holland is way less chalky than the Schmincke and I have to use less water). Then I take a rather thick mix of Permanent Rose, and a teeny bit of a pale yellow and brush it in in places. Then I use a teeny drop more of water where I placed the Naples or left some white, and watch it spread and do its magic. Or sometimes, put a very diluted Naples and drop that in on top of what I have painted, and see what it does! With opaque colors, it is always a mistake to “slather it on” – use it carefully, don’t be afraid of water, water makes the opaque move on the paper causing wonderful effects. But, as always, it is a contrast of light vs. dark…you want to retain a lot of light in the petal, juxtaposed with your darks on the petal. A careful balance, but one well worth experimenting with. Yes, you can achieve a light and glowing painting with opaques…it takes some practice, and gives a very lovely look. I like to paint with all kinds of watercolor…and I do love to experiment!

                                                :heart: Margarete

                                                Whoops, another one of my infamous edits. I ONLY paper mix, letting the colors melt together, no palette mixing. That way your pure transparent colors do not lose their intensity and lets the opaques work with the pure colors better. AND I use dry paper (with opaques, don’t need to worry about hard lines so much :) ). Hope this all helps some.

                                                When he, the Spirit of truth is come...he will be your Guide... Holy Bible (Old and New Testament)
                                                Under the Concrete are Flowers Yet to be Born...from a Chilean Poem

                                                #1169582
                                                LunarMoth
                                                Default

                                                    Thank you so much! CharM, Brusher, Margarete, I’m finding that all of your sugestions are very helpful. I will take all of this into mind when I sit down this evening and start painting again. Thanks!
                                                    And I’ll be sure to fill you all in on how it goes. Thanks again for the help.

                                                    Brigette

                                                    For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
                                                    Psalm 92:4 kjv :angel:

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