Examples of painting works. Coloring of paintings by famous artists: secrets of oil painting techniques

Painting technique- a set of techniques for using artistic materials and means.

Traditional painting techniques: encaustic, tempera, wall (lime), glue and other types. Since the 15th century, the technique of painting with oil paints has become popular; in the 20th century, synthetic paints with a polymer binder (acrylic, vinyl, etc.) appeared. Gouache, watercolor, Chinese ink and semi-drawing technique - pastel - are also classified as painting.

WATERCOLOR

Watercolor(from Italian “aquarello”) - means painting with water-based paints.

There are many artistic techniques in watercolor: working on wet paper (“A la Prima”), working on dry paper, pouring, washing, using watercolor pencils, ink, working with a dry brush, using a palette knife, salt, multi-layer painting, using mixed media.

Types of watercolor techniques:

dry - painting on dry paper, with each layer of paint drying before applying the next one

raw, wet watercolor, alla prima - painting on wet paper. The wet-on-wet technique uses the flow of watercolor and creates unusual color effects. Using this technique requires knowledge of the moisture level of the paper and experience in using the technique itself.

Alla prima (ala prime) (derived from the Italian alla prima - at the first moment) is a type of oil and watercolor painting technique that involves completing a painting (or a fragment thereof) in one session, without preliminary markings or underpainting.

Filling is a very interesting technique in watercolor. Smooth color transitions allow you to effectively depict the sky, water, and mountains.

The palette knife is used not only in oil painting, but also in watercolor painting. With a palette knife you can emphasize the outlines of mountains, stones, rocks, clouds, sea waves, and depict trees and flowers.

The absorbent properties of salt are used to produce interesting effects in watercolors. With the help of salt, you can decorate a meadow with flowers, get a moving air environment in the picture, moving tonal transitions.

Multilayer painting is rich in color. Multilayer painting uses all the artistic techniques of working with watercolors.

Watercolor is one of the most complex painting techniques. The main quality of watercolor is the transparency and airiness of the image. The apparent simplicity and ease of painting with watercolors is deceptive. Watercolor painting requires mastery of the brush, mastery of seeing tone and color, knowledge of the laws of mixing colors and applying a layer of paint to paper. There are many techniques in watercolor: working on dry paper, working on wet paper (“A la Prima”), using watercolor pencils, inks, multi-layer painting, working with a dry brush, pouring, washing off, using a palette knife, salt, using mixed media.

Watercolor, despite its apparent simplicity and ease of drawing, is a very complex painting technique. Watercolor painting requires mastery of the brush, mastery of seeing tone and color, knowledge of the laws of mixing colors and applying a layer of paint to paper.

For watercolor work, paper is one of the most important materials. What is important is its quality, type, relief, density, grain size, sizing. Depending on the quality of the paper, watercolor paints are applied to the paper, absorbed, and dried differently.

PENCIL

Pencil is a material for drawing. There are black graphite and colored pencils. Pencil drawings are done on paper using shading, tonal spots, and light and shade.

Watercolor pencils are a type of colored pencils that are water soluble. The techniques for using watercolor pencils are varied: blurring a drawing with a watercolor pencil with water, working with a watercolor pencil soaked in water, working with a pencil on wet paper, etc. It is more difficult to do a drawing.

With a pencil you can get infinitely many shades and gradations of tone. Pencils of varying degrees of softness are used in the drawing.

Work on a graphic drawing begins with a constructive drawing, i.e. drawing the external contours of an object using construction lines, usually with a medium-soft pencil H, HB, B, F, then in a tone drawing, in which there are no contour lines of objects, and the boundaries of objects are indicated by shading; if necessary, softer pencils are used. The hardest is 9H, the softest is 9B.

When drawing with a pencil, it is advisable to make as few corrections as possible and use an eraser carefully so as not to leave stains, so the drawing will look fresh and neat. It is better not to use shading in a pencil drawing for the same reasons. To apply tone, the technique of shading is used. Strokes can be different in direction, length, spacing, and pencil pressure. The direction of the stroke (horizontal, vertical, oblique) is determined by the shape, size of the object, and the movement of the surface in the drawing.

A pencil portrait turns out very realistic and filled with light. After all, with the help of a pencil you can convey many shades, depth and volume of the image, and chiaroscuro transitions.

The pencil drawing is fixed with a fixative, so the drawing does not lose its clarity, does not smear even when touched by hand, and is preserved for a long time.

OIL

Oil painting on canvas is the most popular painting technique. Oil painting gives the master an unlimited number of ways to depict and convey the mood of the surrounding world. Pasty or airy transparent strokes through which the canvas is visible, creating a relief with a palette knife, glazing, the use of transparent or opaque paints, various variations of color mixing - all this variety of oil painting techniques allows the artist to find and convey the mood, the volume of depicted objects, the air environment, and create the illusion space, convey the richness of shades of the surrounding world.

Oil painting has its own peculiarity - the picture is painted in several layers (2-3), each layer needs to dry for several days depending on the materials used, so usually an oil painting is painted from several days to several weeks.

The most suitable material for oil painting is linen canvas. Linen fabric is durable and has a vibrant texture. Linen canvases come in different grain sizes. For portraits and detailed paintings, fine-grained, smoother canvas is used. Coarse-grained canvas is suitable for painting with a pronounced texture (stones, rocks, trees), impasto painting and palette knife painting. Previously, painting used the technique of glazing, applying paint in thin layers, so the roughness of the linen layer gave the painting elegance. Nowadays, the technique of impasto strokes is often used in painting. However, the quality of the canvas is important for the expressiveness of the painting.

Cotton canvas is a durable and inexpensive material, suitable for painting with paste strokes.

Oil painting also uses such bases as burlap, plywood, hardboard, metal, and even paper.

Canvases are stretched on cardboard and on a stretcher. Canvases on cardboard are thin and usually do not come in large sizes, and do not exceed 50*70. They are lightweight and easy to transport. Canvases on a stretcher are more expensive; finished canvases on a stretcher can reach a size of 1.2m by 1.5m. The finished painting is framed.

Before working with oil, the canvases are glued and primed. This is necessary so that the oil paint does not destroy the canvas, and so that the paint adheres well to the canvas.

Oil paintings are most often done by placing the canvas on an easel. Oil painting uses a palette knife technique. A palette knife is a tool made of flexible steel in the form of a knife or spatula with a curved handle. Different shapes of the palette knife help to achieve different textures, relief, and volume. You can also apply even, smooth strokes with a palette knife. The blade of a palette knife can also be used to create fine lines - vertical, horizontal, chaotic.

PASTEL

Pastel(from Latin pasta - dough) - a technique of painting and drawing on the rough surface of paper and cardboard with pastels. Pastel is one of the very unusual types of visual materials. Pastel painting is airy and gentle. The subtlety and elegance of the pastel technique gives the paintings a lively, sometimes fabulous and magical quality. In the “dry” pastel technique, the “shading” technique is widely used, which gives the effect of soft transitions and delicacy of color. Pastel is applied to rough paper. The color of the paper matters. The background color, appearing through the strokes of the pastel, evokes a certain mood, weakening or enhancing the color effects of the drawing. Pastel paintings are fixed with fixative and stored under glass.

The pastel technique gained wide popularity and reached its peak in the 18th century. Pastel has the property of imparting extraordinary softness and tenderness to any subject. Using this technique, you can create any subjects - from landscapes to drawings of people.

The advantages of pastel are great freedom for the artist: it allows you to remove and cover entire layers of painting, stop and resume work at any time. Pastel combines the possibilities of painting and drawing. You can draw and write with it, work with shading or a painterly spot, with a dry or wet brush.

Pastel types:

dry- produced from pigment by pressing without adding oil

oil- made from pigment with linseed oil by pressing.

waxy- produced from pigment by pressing with the addition of wax

The techniques for working with pastels are varied. Pastel touches are rubbed in with fingers, special brushes, leather rollers, silk square brushes, and soft swabs. The pastel technique is very subtle and complex in its overlays of pastel “glaze” color on color. Pastel is applied in spots, strokes, and glazes.

To work with pastel pencils, you need bases that hold the pastel and prevent it from falling off. Pastels are used on rough types of paper, such as torchon, whatman paper, sandpaper, on loose, fleecy cardboard, suede, parchment, and canvas. The best base is suede, on which some classic works are written. Pastel drawings are secured with special fixatives that prevent the pastel from falling off.

Edgar Degas was an unsurpassed pastel master. Degas had a keen eye and an infallible drawing, which allowed him to achieve unprecedented effects in pastels. Never before have pastel drawings been so reverent, masterfully careless and so precious in color. In his later works, reminiscent of a festive kaleidoscope of lights, E. Degas was obsessed with the desire to convey the rhythm and movement of the scene. To give the paints a special shine and make them glow, the artist dissolved the pastel with hot water, turning it into a kind of oil paint, and applied it to the canvas with a brush. In February 2007, at a Sotheby’s auction in London, Degas’s pastel “Three Dancers in Purple Skirts” was sold for $7.87 million. In Russia, masters such as Repin, Serov, Levitan, Kustodiev, and Petrov-Vodkin worked in pastels.

SANGUINE

The color range of sanguine, a material for drawing, ranges from brown to close to red. With the help of sanguine, the tones of the human body are well conveyed, so portraits made with sanguine look very natural. The technique of drawing from life using sanguine has been known since the Renaissance (Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael). Sanguine is often combined with charcoal or Italian pencil. To ensure greater durability, sanguine drawings are fixed with a fixative or placed under glass.

Sanguina has been known since antiquity. It was then that sanguine allowed the introduction of flesh color into the drawing. The technique of drawing with sanguine became widespread during the Renaissance. Renaissance artists developed and widely used the “three pencils” technique: they painted a drawing in sanguine or sepia and charcoal on toned paper, and then highlighted the desired areas with white chalk.

Sangina(from the Latin "sanguineus" - "blood red") - these are pencils of red-brown tones. Sanguine is made from finely ground burnt sienna and clay. Like pastel, charcoal and sauce, sanguine is a soft material that is shaped into tetrahedral or round crayons during production.

With the help of sanguine, the tones of the human body are well conveyed, so portraits made with sanguine look very natural.

The technique of working with sanguine is characterized by a combination of broad strokes and shading with strokes of sharply sharpened sanguine blocks. Beautiful sanguine drawings are obtained on a toned background, especially when charcoal and chalk are added to the base material (the “three pencils” technique).

For the drawing, choose sanguine of a shade that better suits the characteristics of nature. For example, it is good to paint a naked body with reddish sanguine, and a landscape with grayish-brown or sepia-colored sanguine.

Sometimes sanguine is combined with charcoal, which produces cool shades. The contrast of warm and cold shades gives a special charm to such works.

To ensure greater durability, sanguine designs can be secured with a fixative or placed under glass.

TEMPERA

Tempera(from the Latin "temperare" - to connect) - a binder of paints, consisting of a natural or artificial emulsion. Before the improvement of oil paints by J. Van Eyck (15th century), medieval egg tempera was one of the most popular and widespread types of painting in Europe, but gradually it lost its importance.

In the second half of the 19th century, the disappointment that came with later oil painting served as the beginning of the search for new binders for paints, and the forgotten tempera, the well-preserved works of which speak eloquently for themselves, again attracted interest.

In contrast to oil painting and old tempera, new tempera does not require the artist to have a specific system for painting, giving him complete freedom in this regard, which he can use without any damage to the strength of the painting. Tempera, unlike oil, dries quickly. Tempera paintings coated with varnish are not inferior to oil paintings in terms of color, and in terms of immutability and durability, tempera paints are even superior to oil paints.

Graphic materials and techniques are varied, but, as a rule, the basis is a paper sheet. The color and texture of the paper play a big role. Colorful materials and techniques are determined by the type of graphics.

there are answers to all these questions. Here are the basics of where to start painting. Follow these tips, do the exercises and you will no longer be afraid of a blank slate. You will receive the necessary knowledge and basic skills. Painting will become closer, clearer and will bring a lot of pleasure.

Part 1. Preparatory

1. Find an inspiring subject to draw

It happens that you have already prepared everything, but you cannot find an object that would inspire you. This should be taken care of in advance. Something interesting is probably lying around in cabinets and desk drawers. Look for items at estate sales, consignment stores and grocery stores. Study paintings by your favorite artists.

The selection should include items that are pleasant to look at: this is important for creating successful work.

An interest in color and shape will motivate you as you work on your painting. There is a connection between feelings for an object and the ability to reveal your abilities. You can do more than you think.

For the first picture, a simple one-color symmetrical vessel, such as a regular coffee cup, will do. Illustration from the book

2. Get to know brushes and paints

Take a soft round brush and a bristle brush in your hands and compare their bristles. Squeeze some acrylic paint from the tube onto the palette. Try applying undiluted paint with different brushes to canvas or watercolor paper. The strokes should be bright and bold. Feel the differences in strokes with different brushes. Add a little water and apply the strokes again. Medium consistency paint has the same color intensity as undiluted paint, but its texture is smoothed out. And do this exercise again with a weak paint solution. Notice how quickly the paints dry the first, second, and third times.

Illustration from the book

Try applying paint with different brushes - soft oval, synthetic thin, bristly flat. Try each brush until you are confident that you know which brush to use to achieve the design you have in mind.

Illustration from the book

3. Useful techniques for working with the palette

The colors in the paintings we see are usually obtained through mixing: the pure color from the tube is usually too intense. These techniques will make it easier for you to get the color you want.

1. 1 Squeeze the paint from the tube onto the edge of the palette, leaving space between the colors. Use the center of the palette for mixing. Make batches farther apart to prevent unwanted mixing.
2. Apply pure color to the brush from the edge of the palette, and not from above or from the middle of the squeezed out “sausage”.
3. Intense dark colors such as black (although it is not scientifically considered a color) should be added with caution; even a small amount can significantly change the color being mixed.
4. You need to mix the colors together until the mixture becomes completely homogeneous.
5. Don't skimp on the paint. Squeeze out as much as you need - usually this is a circle the size of a ruble coin (for whitewash - the size of a five-ruble coin). Paint consumption is an integral part of the painting process. If you save too much, you will never learn how to use paint.

4. Learn to get neutral colors

In any picture there are neutral colors - “visually gray”. Due to their low intensity, they are invisible at first glance, but they are the most useful tool for creating a harmonious color composition. Let's see how to achieve this.

Mix blue and orange in any proportion. Now let's try to change the color temperature by proportionally warm and cool colors in the mixture. If the result is more purple, try making a rusty color by adding more orange paint and then whitewash for a lighter peach color. If the first step produces a rusty color, add blue to create a cool color, close to purple, and then white to create a light violet-gray.

Repeat the previous steps for another pair of complementary colors - yellow and purple, red and green.

Pairs of complementary colors are connected by short vertical strokes. The colors of each pair are mixed with each other to create two neutral colors, each of which was dominated by one of the parent colors - these are located to the right of the corresponding parent. Illustration from the book

5. Primary, secondary and tertiary colors

Draw a circle, then divide it into three equal sectors. Paint the upper sector with cadmium yellow medium, the lower right one with ultramarine blue, and then mix the main red from naphthol crimson and cadmium red light and paint the lower left sector with it.

On the color wheel of primary colors, draw semicircles with centers at the intersection of the sector boundaries with the outer contour of the color wheel. Fill these semicircles with secondary colors, placing them above the “parents”: cadmium red light above the border between red and yellow, dioxazine violet above the border between red and blue. Add yellow to the green FC and fill in the green semicircle above the border between yellow and blue.

The primary color, when mixed with the adjacent secondary color, produces a tertiary color. Add one triangle on each side of the semicircle, making a total of six. Color in each triangle based on the labels.

Primary, secondary and tertiary colors. Illustration from the book

Part 2. Drawing

6. Start with abstractions

Abstraction is an interesting and simple way to prepare for working on a realistic piece. It is important to choose 3-4 colors that you like in order to feel an emotional connection with the painting. Draw a continuous angular or rounded line over the entire surface of the sheet with a simple pencil. It may intersect several times.

Paint the shapes in the drawing with the colors and shades, paint consistency and brush that you like. Listen to your inner voice. The main task is to do it the way you like, forgetting about everything else.

Illustration from the book

7. Smear pattern

Beginners are often unsure how to apply strokes. The arrows in the figure show the direction that will help to achieve good depth in the depicted space using the example of a mug.

Smear diagram and result. Illustration from the book

8. How to apply eye shadow

Shadows play a key role in creating a three-dimensional image: first of all, you need to learn to see and write them. There are four types of shadows:

• Own shadows located on objects. These are areas of dark tone that contrast with the illuminated parts of the depicted form. They usually have a sharp edge at the outer edge and a smooth transition at the edge of the light-colored areas of the subject. They play the main role in creating volume.
• Halftone areas- narrow, with a soft contour, located on the border between its own shadow and the illuminated area of ​​the object. These shadows are the middle tone between the contrasting dark and light tones of the subject.
• Falling shadows- silhouettes of an object, “fallen” or thrown by it onto any surface other than itself. They give the impression that the object is on some surface.
• T Eni at the point of contact- the darkest area of ​​the falling shadow, lying next to the object. They are responsible for the “stability” and mass of the object. These shadows are also called the accent - the darkest area among the dark tones. An accent is the dark counterpart of a highlight, the lightest area among the highlights.

To paint a shadow, apply black paint or paint of a darker color than the base color. And in the second step, cover this darkened area with the main color. The halftone black should show through under the new coat of paint, creating a colored shadow. If you want to make the shadow darker, apply more black from the clear edge of the shadow and mix with the color in the midtone.

Shadow using a cylinder as an example. Illustration from the book

9. How to apply highlights

To create a realistic highlight, use a dry brush with white paint to paint the lightest area on the subject as many times as necessary to achieve sufficient brightness. In the middle of the highlight, place a small dab of thick paint for extra brightness.

Two examples of highlight overlay. Illustration from the book

10. Paint pictures in your imagination

While going about your daily activities, paint pictures in your imagination. Mentally look for correspondence between the surfaces and textures you see around you and the way you work with a brush and apply paint.

If there are several publications on a particular issue, you need to familiarize yourself with all publications in order to understand how the point of view on the issue under study has changed.

Collection and processing of factual material (sketches, sketches, sketches and compositional searches)

Collection of factual material is a crucial stage in preparing the practical part of the course work. Its quality largely depends on how qualified and complete the factual material is selected.

subject training disciplines are sketches, sketches, sketches, compositional searches for plastic forms, decorative panels, samples of execution techniques, source images for computer graphics, reproductions of works of art.

Factual material for course work on general professional disciplines– these are data from an experimental study based on the results of practical activities at school.

Collection and processing of natural material (sketches, sketches and sketches), compositional searches are a labor-intensive stage in the course work. In order to speed up the processing and systematization of material and the successful completion of work, students are given the right and opportunity to use educational, scientific laboratories and workshops, library funds and reading rooms.

Preparation for defense and defense of course work

Completed and properly formatted coursework is submitted to the supervisor no later than two weeks before the defense at the department. The work supervisor checks the work, signs it and presents it to the head of the department. Based on the submitted documents, the head of the department decides on the admission of the work to defense. Permission for admission is issued on the title page of the course work and signed by the head of the department. If the head of the department does not consider it possible to admit the student to the defense, the issue is resolved at a meeting of the department with the participation of the head and the author of the work.

In this case, the decision on admission to defense is made by the head of the department based on the decision of the members of the department.

The work accepted for defense is returned to the student to correct comments and prepare abstracts for defense.

Defense of course work is held at an open meeting of the department, in which scientific supervisors of the work, faculty teachers, students, etc. participate. All those present can ask the defender questions about the content of the work and participate in its discussion.

No more than 20 works are submitted for defense at one meeting. No more than 15 minutes are allotted for the defense of one work, including 5-7 minutes for the student’s report.

The graduate's report (1-1.5 pages) contains:

Work theme;

Goal of the work;

The relevance of the topic being studied, its rationale;

Characteristics of the volume and structure of work;

Sequence of the practical part;

Conclusion.

The report is presented freely and clearly; the student does not read the text, but logically presents his observations and conclusions.

The student’s answers to the questions of those present, their completeness and depth influence the assessment of the course work.

After the author of the work speaks and answers the questions, the leader speaks with his feedback. After discussing the work, the student is given the opportunity to respond to comments made. Course work is assessed on a four-point system: “excellent”, “good”, “satisfactory”, “unsatisfactory”. In doing so, members of the department are guided by the following criteria:

Professionalism of skills and abilities in performing the practical part;

Defense of the work: the student must show how deeply he has comprehended the topic, the ability to navigate scientific problems related to the topic of the work: the student must demonstrate the ability to briefly and clearly express his thoughts, give comprehensive answers to questions, logically and correctly conduct scientific debate;

Design of work: compliance with the design rules recommended by these regulations, spelling, punctuation and stylistic literacy; correct bibliographic design.

The student needs to know that the grade consists of many indicators; the decisive indicator is the defense itself. Discussion of the results of the defense of each work is held at a closed meeting of members of the department. The decision on evaluation is made by a majority vote, the voice of the head of the department is counted as 2 votes. The results of defending coursework are announced on the same day after approval of the defense protocol by the head of the department.

In case of an “unsatisfactory” grade, the student has the right to defend the work again within the next semester after making additions, corrections, and revisions, but no more than once.

The general results of defending coursework are necessarily discussed at the department. Based on the results of the defense, the department can recommend individual works for publication in collections of student scientific works.

The theoretical part of the course work is kept for 2 years from the date of defense in the methodological office of the faculty, where it can be used (on a common basis with educational and scientific literature) by students, teachers, teachers, etc. The practical part is stored in the exhibition fund and is used for exhibitions and as a teaching aid in the classroom.

Withdrawal of materials, changes, and additions to the course work are not allowed. If necessary, the author of the work has the right to make copies of materials available in the work.

The article discusses some issues of working with watercolors in painting classes. Watercolor is attractive for its accessibility and purity of color relationships. Despite the apparent simplicity of the work, watercolor is a complex easel painting technique. Particular attention is paid to materials, tools, and technological aspects of watercolor painting: glazing, “alla prima,” and “raw” methods. When working on long studies, the first one is more often used. For painting en plein air, in quick sketches, the “alla prima” method is more suitable. It is necessary to understand that mastering the skill of watercolor painting is not learned from books. Everything is learned through long-term practical work and personal experience. Therefore, practice is the best method of mastering the technique of watercolor painting.

tools

painting materials

writing method

watercolor painting

1. Beda G.V. Basics of visual literacy: Drawing. Painting. Composition. Ed. 2nd, revised and additional M.: Education, - 1981. - 239 p.

2. Vasiliev A.A. Still life painting: watercolor: Textbook. Benefit. Ed. 3rd, revised and additional Krasnodar: Kuban State Publishing House. University, 2004. - 98 p.

3. Volkov Yu.V. Working on painting sketches. M.: Education, 1984. - 31 p.

4. Skripnikova E.V. Still life: composition, drawing, painting: textbook / E.V. Skripnikova, A.I. Sukharev, N.P. Golovacheva, G.S. Baimukhanov. – Omsk: Omsk State Pedagogical University Publishing House, 2015. - 150 p.

5. Skripnikova E.V., Golovacheva N.P., Sukharev A.I. Still life painting: A tutorial. – Omsk: BOUDPO “IROOO”, 2015. - 92 p.

6. Shchetinin I.D. Watercolor: A Practical Guide. Kurgan: Publishing house "FORT DIALOGUE - KURGAN", 2009. - 31 p.

Watercolor technique is studied by students at the art faculties of pedagogical universities in the first year. In painting classes, students are given not only painting tasks: finding the general color of the setting, color-tone relationships between objects and background, conveying the volume of objects in certain lighting conditions, studying the laws and rules of aerial perspective, but also composition and drawing. Firstly, the task is to learn how to compose a production: determine the proportions of the sheet format, find the size of the image in it, place objects on the pictorial plane relative to each other. Secondly, learn to understand and draw objects of various designs and shapes, taking into account the angle and horizon line, study the laws and rules of linear perspective. In our article we consider only issues of watercolor painting technology: materials, tools, various technological techniques.

Watercolor is attractive for its accessibility and purity of color relationships. Despite the apparent simplicity of the work, watercolor is a complex easel painting technique. To master and understand it, you need to carefully study the materials and tools (paint, paper, brushes). After all, this is where any creative process begins.

Watercolor (from lat. aqua- “water”) - paints diluted with water, and in a professional artistic environment - works of painting made with such paints. The color pigments used to make watercolor paints are the same as those used in other paints. But the watercolor pigment is extremely finely ground, brought to a state where, while in water, it does not settle to the bottom for a long time. Glue - the binding substance of this pigment - must dissolve in water, be colorless, and elastic. Various plant adhesives (gum arabic, dextrin, cherry glue, honey, etc.) are used as a binder in watercolor paints; they also contain a plasticizer in the form of glycerin. Glycerin prevents the paint from becoming brittle and drying out, as it retains moisture. Sometimes ox bile is added to watercolors so that it lays easily on the paper surface and does not roll off during writing, and an antiseptic (phenol) that prevents the destruction of paint from mold.

Watercolor paints easily dissolve in water, can be washed off and provide a transparent layer that does not interfere with the reflection of light from the paper. But some paints are more transparent (carmine, scarlet, emerald green, etc.), they dissolve more completely in water and lie more evenly on paper. Others (cadmium yellow, lemon, etc.) have density and “covering power”, forming surface coatings.

It is better to store watercolor paints in a cool place, out of direct sunlight, so that they do not harden due to dry air.

Modern industry produces watercolor paints in a wide range. And, no matter how rich the palette of colors, they would not be enough to convey the variety of colors of the world around us. The artist expands the color palette by mixing paints, both mechanically and optically - by applying one layer of paint to another. It is necessary to study the properties of various paints, check their covering capabilities, color and light fastness. It is necessary to try out all possible combinations of paints, both individually and in mixtures with each other; understand what makes the “dirt” in mixtures, and what shades you should pay attention to.

“Pure” watercolor painting is painting with paints without the use of white. Since watercolor paints are transparent, the paper itself (less often cardboard) serves as the “whitewash.” Paper for watercolor painting is made in different grades in terms of density and texture. The color, density, and texture of paper are of great importance. The best paper for watercolors is thick paper with a grainy surface that is well glued and bleached. There are varieties from fine-grained to coarse in texture, reminiscent of burlap. The texture contributes to the depth of color, makes it possible for watercolor paint to easily lie on the surface of the sheet in even and transparent layers, and retain moisture in the pores longer. This paper can be used for many hours of sketches, and it also allows you to wash away bad spots. Paints do not adhere well to paper with a smooth surface and are easily washed off with a brush when applying subsequent layers; it is difficult to carry out a long sketch on it.

The uniform distribution of watercolor paint on the surface of the paper is hampered by the presence of grease stains. Therefore, before painting, the paper must be washed with distilled water using a few drops of ammonia. Yellowed paper can be bleached by washing it with a swab soaked in hydrogen peroxide.

During work, you should take care of the whiteness of the paper in bright places (glare, white surfaces of objects, etc.). To preserve light areas, you can scrape the recorded areas with a razor blade, a knife, and on a damp surface, with the handle of a brush. Another way is to cover the saved highlights and highlights with rubber cement. After finishing work on the sketch, the glue can be easily removed with a soft pencil eraser.

The color of the paper is the background, always participating in the construction of the color of the entire picture. A good paper for watercolor painting is paper that has a high level of whiteness, since its surface reflects light well through layers of paint and gives them brightness, revealing nuances of tone. Pre-tinting white paper is also used in watercolor painting. Tinted paper unifies the painting and creates a coloristic foundation for the sketch. Its tone depends on the tasks the artist solves. In watercolors, paper is often tinted with coffee or chicory decoctions of varying strengths. Tea gives beautiful shades.

To prevent the paper from warping from moisture, it must be glued to the tablet. Moistened paper is placed on the tablet, which is secured on top with a frame. When dry, the paper stretches evenly and does not warp. To keep the paper moist for a longer time, you can place damp material underneath it. For small sizes of watercolor paper, you can use an eraser. An eraser is a tablet of a certain size and a larger frame surrounding it.

In the plein air it is convenient to work on so-called gluings. Gluing is a stack of sheets with thick cardboard or plywood at the base. Sheets of paper glued together at the ends form a block. The used top sheet is removed, revealing a new one for work.

Watercolorists have traditionally used squirrel, kolin and bristle brushes, but these days there are good synthetic hair brushes available. These brushes are practical to use, their hair is not inferior to kolinsky brushes, and they have increased wear resistance and greater durability. They can be either round or flat in shape. In watercolors, round brushes are most commonly used. Kolinsky brushes are considered the best; they are more durable and elastic, and wrinkle less. The quality of the brush is checked in this way. The brush is dipped into water, then, after removing it from the water, it is shaken. If the tip of the brush is sharp, then the brush is considered suitable for work.

To paint with watercolors, you need to have brushes of different sizes (from No. 8 to No. 16). The large round brush is the main tool in watercolor painting. It can be used to apply large volumes of paint or write with the tip of a brush. At first, you can make do with a large brush, with which the artist works freely and widely, in large relationships. As experience in working with watercolors accumulates and educational and creative tasks become more complex, the artist must expand his set of brushes.

The palette is of great importance when working with watercolors. The palette should be pure white. To prevent the paint from being absorbed, the palette must be hard, even and smooth. They use a palette made of white glass in a wooden frame, covered with white oil paint on the bottom, or made of white porcelain or earthenware. You can use white ceramic tiles, plates, metal plates painted with white paint as a palette; Plastic palettes may also work, and are available in some watercolor paint sets.

Often students use paper as a palette. Paper is not suitable for these purposes. Water quickly deteriorates paper, becomes wet and makes it difficult to do the job. The disadvantage when working with such a palette is that loose, soaked paper takes away the most valuable things from the paint mixture - well-dissolved pigments, binding components; particles of paper, glue and unwanted chemicals get into the paint mixture, which deprives it of transparency and gives “dirt” to the painting "

There are no special easels or sketchbooks for watercolor painting. Paints can be carried in any flat boxes. It is advisable to carry brushes separately, wrapped in a cloth or placed in a “brush carrier”. When you carry brushes in a sketchbook, they deteriorate and lose their shape. Water can be carried in wide-necked flasks.

Painstaking, thorough preparation of materials and tools for watercolor painting should not be a burden.

There are several technological ways to work with watercolor paints. But there are two main methods: the glaze method and the “alla prima” method. When working on long studies, the first one is more often used. For painting en plein air, in quick sketches, the “alla prima” method is more suitable.

Glazing as a method of multi-layer painting is based on the use of the transparency of watercolor paint, its properties of optical composition of colors when applying one transparent layer of paint to another. By applying one layer of paint to another, you can obtain more saturated shades of one color, as well as form complex composite colors. With the glaze method, depth and color saturation are achieved by successively covering a well-dried transparent layer with another layer of paint.

A long study using the glazing method is carried out in a certain sequence. First, a light linear drawing is made with a pencil or a thin brush in any one color, then large planes of the image are laid out with a brush, but not in full force, but as a preliminary coloristic preparation for subsequent painting. From the very beginning of working on a sketch, one must try to convey all the relationships of nature as accurately as possible. It is necessary to establish a connection between all the colors of nature, constantly compare the tone of the paint in terms of saturation and lightness.

During work, you should constantly compare the color relationships of the depicted objects, both in real life and in the sketch, and according to the relationship of mutual characteristics: compare the light of one object with the light of another, shadow with shadow, etc. It is necessary to determine the main contrasts in nature - the places and objects that are the lightest and the darkest in tone strength, in order to immediately establish the difference between the lightest and darkest areas of nature. Most often this happens in the foreground or specially designated “main” objects of nature. When performing a sketch, you cannot limit yourself to working on one place, trying to finish it right away, without any connection with the rest of the environment. In nature, everything is interconnected, and it is impossible to truthfully take the color of the depicted object in isolation from its environment.

You should always conduct a sketch according to the principle - from the general to the specific. Having opened the entire sketch with light, wide spacers (except for light places and highlights), making sure that the relationships taken are correct, you can begin further work - sculpting the shape of objects, laying out half-tones, shadows, reflexes. When working with watercolors, it is advisable to work from light to dark. Usually, the depicted objects are first covered with widely light layers of paint, which in terms of tone strength correspond to the lightest illuminated places of the depicted objects. Then the shadows are applied. After this, halftones are determined by comparing them with each other.

With the glaze method, the paint layer, with all its multilayers (preferably no more than three layers, otherwise the paints lose transparency, resulting in so-called dirt) must remain thin and transparent in order to transmit light reflected from the surface of the paper. Already at the first registration, it is necessary to clearly outline the contrasts - the greatest differences in aperture ratio and the ratio of warm and cold tones.

It is advisable to use body, covering paints at the end of the work to create greater materiality, objectivity, and heaviness. It should be remembered that when drying, watercolor paints somewhat lose their color strength - they lighten by about one-third of their original strength. Therefore, it is necessary to make the necessary colors more saturated, brighter, in order to avoid the dullness of the painting.

Another method of watercolor painting is the “alla prima” method, in which they paint immediately, without sequential application of layers of paint, each detail begins and ends in one step. All colors are taken at once in full force, which allows the use of mechanical mixtures of paints, i.e. compose the desired color from several colors on the palette. When working with the “alla prima” method, multiple registrations are not used. This method is more acceptable in the open air. Most often, watercolor artists use both methods.

To create light transitions of color, especially in shadowy places, in touching objects and planes, it is necessary that the edges of the applied strokes merge. To do this, the paper is pre-moistened with water. This method is called working “raw”.

To slow down the drying of paints during work, you can use solutions of glycerin, soap or honey in the water in which paints are diluted.

It is necessary to understand that mastering the skill of watercolor painting is not learned from books. Everything is learned through long-term practical work and personal experience. Therefore, practice is the best method in mastering the technique of watercolor painting.

Reviewers:

Medvedev L.G., Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Arts of Omsk State Pedagogical University, Omsk;

Shalyapin O.V., Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Drawing, Painting and Art Education at the Institute of Arts of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education "NGPU", Novosibirsk.

Bibliographic link

1. If you have experience in pencil, you can safely start learning to paint;
2. If you have zero experience, then first we recommend that you take a Basic course at a painting school for adults. After completing this course, it will be much easier for you to practice painting;
3. If you have serious experience in drawing with pencil and paints, you can begin, under the guidance of an experienced teacher, to create your own portrait, copy masters, or develop your own ideas.

Painting works

Natalya Kudryavtseva 3 months of training (oil);	Nastya Khokhlova 3 months of training (pastel)	5 months training (oil)	Nastya Trosnova about 6 months of training (pastel)

Elya Grudina (12 years old) 6 months training (oil)	Katya Popova (16 years old) 8 months training (oil)	Tanya Nigai (24 years old) 7 months training (oil)

Elena Orlova about 2 years of study (watercolor)	Valya Shvets (27 years old) 4 months of training (pastel)	Valya Shvets (27 years old) 8 months of training (pastel)

Graphic arts

At the Art-Idea school, adults and children can study painting.

School of painting

Works done with a palette knife

Coming to painting school, we usually assume that we will be drawing on a piece of paper and using a brush! This is our usual idea. Interesting fact: The Italian school of painting does not recommend the use of brushes for a beginning artist. At first, they learn to depict something in general and only with a palette knife. The brush diverts attention towards little things that are not yet needed at an early stage of learning.

Learning colors is a lot of fun! You've probably heard that different colors have different effects on people. So red color can excite, and blue calms, yellow brings joy, and green brings harmony. In the life of a modern person, there is often a lack of pure bright colors, hence the depressed mood and despondency. Painting training in this sense, it is healing for most people, adding vibration and harmony to their lives of those colors that they are missing! There is even such a direction - art therapy, where people are treated with the help of color. Thus, painting often harmonizes not only the soul, but also the human body!

Painting training passes into Studios No. 1(m. sq. Vosstaniya) or Studios No. 2(metro Prosveshcheniya Ave. or metro Grazhdansky Ave.)