Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Cool Effects with Waxed Paper

Enjoy creating abstracts? Want to try your hand at an abstract watercolor but don't know where to start? Grab a roll of waxed paper, tear off a few strips. Trim it into whatever shapes you feel like creating.

Start by creating a wet into wet watercolor background. While the paint is still wet, lay down pieces of waxed paper. Allow to dry. Peel off the waxed paper to reveal the cool texture left behind.

Use this as a base for your abstract painting. I added a few circles and a rectangle using lost and found edges. Experiment and have fun with it!

Use your imagination ... I'd love to see how your experiment turns out.

Naming A Painting

Death of a Frog

by Artist Rita Squier

Abstract Painting

Watercolor, India Ink & Gouache

Size: 11 x 15 inches

Naming a painting is sometimes more difficult than painting the painting itself. Here is a painting I created either in or in preparation for one of the abstract watercolor classes I teach. At the time it was created and when I was preparing to show it to my students, it did not have a name. I was holding up the painting, talking about it and the techniques. I looked at the ink splotch in the middle of the painting and thought it looked like frog's legs, as though he was trying to leap through the painting but got stuck. The title just came to me ... Death of a Frog. I know a little bit morbid and so unlike me. But the title just stuck, just like the frog was stuck in the center of the painting.

This painting and more are available in my new Abstract Art section of my Etsy Shop.

Enjoy!

Abstract Watercolors

The Window

by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor & Wax Resist Painting

Size: 11" x 15" inches

This is a cool abstract watercolor painting created with wax ... white candle wax, plastic wrap, kosher salt and cotton string.

Rainy Days and Butterflies

Butterfly in Green Blue

by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting

Size: 5 x 7 inches

Summertime reminds me of butterflies fluttering about the garden. Today, it is pouring rain. It is coming down in buckets. I wanted to post a cheery bright butterfly, so I did. However the rainy day helped me choose the color.

Lost and Found Edges

Garnet and Lavender Flowers

by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting

Size: 11 x 15 inches

Matted: 16 x 20 inches

Here is an excellent sample of a painting created mainly with lost and found edges. I started out with a wet into wet background wash of three colors. Once the wash had dried, I created the illusion of flowers with lost and found edges using the same three colors.

This painting is available.

Abstract Watercolor Painting

Ink Drips

by Artist Rita Squier

One of the abstract paintings I created in a class I taught on abstract watercolor painting last fall. It was such a fun class!

The painting is 11x15", 140 lb. watercolor paper with artist quality watercolor paints and india ink.

More paintings done in my classes can be seen on my website:

http://rasquier.com/class

Tuesday's Tips & Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Learn Your Palette - Color Mixing Chart

This chart is an excellent resource to have on hand. It is great for learning how the various colors in your own palette mix and react with each other. It also shows you the numerous colors you can create at a glance. I have created one of these charts for each of my palettes.

On a quarter sheet of watercolor paper (11 x 15") you can easily create a chart for 10 to 14 colors. Count the number of colors in your palette and create a grid that has one extra square across and down. If you have 10 colors in your palette you want your grid to be 11 squares across and 11 squares down. Place an X in the top left square, this square will remain blank. Outside the grid label each color in either rainbow order or the order you have them on your palette starting with the second block. Place a swash of clean color next to the coordinating names. Then mix each color evenly on your palette with each of the other colors and place them accordingly on the grid.

Remember the game Battleship? Plot your course in a similar fashion.

For a 10 color palette, I created a grid 8.25" x 8.25" of 3/4" squares 11 across and 11 squares down. I drew 2" lines for the names of colors. All done in pencil. I also added the brand name of the paint and the type of paper to the bottom corner. I used a 1/2" flat wash brush to mix and paint the colors into the grid. For the 14 color palette, I created a grid 7.5" x 14.75" with the squares being 1/2" high by 3/4" wide.

Abstract ACEOs

Splat II

by Rita Squier 

This is the latest in my series of abstract ACEOs called Splat II.   This original watercolor painting is only 2.5" x 3.5" and done on 140 lb. watercolor paper.

Just a little reminder:  ACEO = Art Cards, Editions & Originals.  They are created by artists to trade amongst each other and to sell to those who would love to purchase fine art from a variety of artists but do not have a large budget to spend on art.  Art Cards are a wonderful way to start up an art collection.  It can become an addicting hobby and luckily most art cards are sold at affordable prices, so if you don't have one to trade, they are easy to buy. 

Big City - Big Watercolor Painting

The Big City is a full sheet 22x30 inch abstract watercolor painting.  I love this painting!  I really enjoyed painting it too.  It is filled with life and vibrant color.  It can be a representation of almost any city, whatever city you want it to be, it is.  This painting is filled with a variety of watercolor techniques.  It includes wet into wet washes, dry brush techniques, wet on dry, dry on wet, splattering of color.  This painting is for sale, it is posted on my own website:  http://rasquier.com  Email me if you're interested in giving this fine painting a good home.  If you're a watercolor painter and you haven't done a full sheet watercolor painting yet ... give it a try! 

One thing I should have mentioned in my Tuesday's Tips and Techniques yesterday ... when you're done painting, clean your palette.  It is always good to start with a fresh clean palette.  If it is dirty, you will either get muddy colors or it will take too long to clean up and by the time you're done, you may not want to paint any longer!

Cupid's Footprint

Christmas has come and gone and pretty soon we will be celebrating New Year's Eve.  I had a very quiet Christmas home alone, sick with the flu.  I did have the company of two kitties and a slew of old black and white movies.  Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses.  I'm hoping all remnants of the flu will be gone by New Year's Eve, I don't want to miss out on any champagne celebrations.  

As I was trying to decide what to blog about today, I began flipping through images in iPhoto on my computer.  I came across this painting and in the comment section I had typed Cupid's Footprint.  This abstract painting was painted on Valentine's Day 2008.  I used the wet into wet technique to create an interesting background.  Then I applied strips of waxed paper while the paint was still wet.  I allowed everything to dry completely, then peeled away the wax paper to reveal a pretty cool texture.  I drew three circles and a rectangle.  I used the lost and found edges technique, varying lights and darks to create this pretty cool abstract painting now titled Cupid's Footprint.  I think this will be the inspiration for a new series of ACEOs.  I'll keep you posted!