Does your Sky really have to be BLUE?
Skies are such an important part of a landscape. They can add colour, excitement and movement to your painting. Using colours in your sky creates cohesion in your work and makes it flow. And yes, the sky can be the star of the show or simply a supporting character. It's all up to you.
Let's go on an Adventure. . .
Imagine you are in a world that does not have a blue sky. Now let your imagination go wild. What are some of your favourite colours? They can be your new 'sky'.
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| Sample Size for testing |
1. Cut some sample watercolour papers 4.5 x 5.5 inches (make sure they are the 'good' paper that you would use for your paintings. You want to know how your colours are going to work on a finished project. This is a sketchbook type exercise but has real implications for a major project)
2. Tape your papers down so they are ready to go
3. Mix puddles of colours you would like to try. Make sure they are wet and creamy. You need intense colour
4. Wet your paper with clean water.
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| Dropping in the Dark next to the Red, leaving some white spaces |
5. Use a large wash brush to lay down your colours. For the sample size, it should be at least an 8 round. Large enough to carry lots of paint but still controllable in this small space.
6. Work quickly.
7. Let your papers dry on their own. No blow dryer.
Sounds easy. But . . . you will find you learn a ton of things as you work.
Some of the things I noticed were:
- I liked leaving some white areas
- I didn't like some colour combinations until I added a setting (ie. trees, bushes, mountains) It is hard to evaluate a square of colour by itself.
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| When I first looked at the sampe on the right, I didn't like it. Now I do. 🙄 |
- I loved some of the ways the colours blended into each other. Others were not so nice.
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| The purple really looks nice in the lover have of the picture |
- I tried wetting some areas and leaving some dry. I found I was not in love with the sharp edges. I tried to soften them with paper towel but that didn't alway work.
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| I didn't really like those sharp edges. |
- It was very easy to 'fuss' with things. But it is really important to let things dry and not fuss.
- I like using mixed darks as they variegated nicely as they dried.
- Some of the backwashes were my favourite spots.
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| Same examples - note the nice backwash in blues of the top left sample. |
See what I mean. You learn lots of STUFF.
Keep your study samples. I put my samples into my sketchbook and then made notes about them.
I am sure you noticed I didn' t list the pigments I used. Rather than copy my colours, chose your own colours and try them. This is how you learn what your 'palette' can do. I have a basic palette that I use for Outdoor Sketching and a larger palette for my studio work. If you are looking for palette suggestions check my Dec 25, 2023 post "Major Change, Adding a New Colour to my Palette".
Paints are expensive so don't rush things. Buy a few and test them out. This is one activity that will help you learn more about your paints and save you some money in the long run.
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Magic happens when Pen meets Watercolour!
Online Drawing Lessons with Wendy Mould, AFCA, CDM.
Magic happens when Pen meets Watercolour!
Online Drawing Lessons with Wendy Mould, AFCA, CDM.
Enhance Your Drawing Skills – Make your Pen Dance with Watercolour
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