Transparency - where we can see the white paper underneath the color.
Serendipity - we can mix on the paper and not completely know what is going to happen - usually much better than if we had carefully mixed and painted. This is especially good for anything in nature - as it is always moving and trying to reproduce a picture of nature usually comes out stilted.
We tried working wet on wet, first painting water onto the dry paper and then dropping paint into it. We did this first with one color, then two, and finally with three, letting them mingle to create new colors.
And we painted a picture, using the concept that dry paper stops the run of the wet paint so we can leave a dry strip to paint areas of wet paint without having them run into each other.
Next week we'll look at the transparency factor - using a technique called 'glazing'.
A word about paper: you will need a sheet of 140 lb. weight watercolor paper.
Buy either Arches or Fabriano. Strathmore is a no no. Canson isn't usually as good as the better grades. But that one sheet of paper should last you through the watercolor portion of class into the acrylic part.
Some resources for ordering materials:
www.dickblick.com www.aswexpress.com www.cheapjoes.com www.danielsmith.com
Plus we have the art store on University ave betwe