December is Here Already

Peaceful Snow
by Artist Rita A. Squier

Original Watercolor Painting
Size: 4x6 inches

140 lb. Saunders Waterford Cold Pressed Paper
Maimeri Blu Watercolor Paint
Winsor & Newton Brushes

I cannot believe December is here already!  Where did the year go?  Where did my November blog posts go?  I thought I blogged at least twice?  I plan on painting everyday this month.  This little painting I painted yesterday, December 2nd.  As soon as I completed it, I signed it.  Then I remembered the charity I was going to donate it to wants the paintings signed only on the back.  So, I painted three more 4x6 watercolor paintings today.  Which I have photographed, but I haven't decided which one to donate yet.

Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting

No More Outlines in Watercolor

Whether you need to fill in a large space or a small space with watercolor, it is better to fill in most of the area with a large brush then go back and smooth out the edges while the paint is still wet.

If you outline the entire area and then fill in the middle, most likely when the paint dries you will see the outline.

A massive area of watercolor paint, big or small, takes longer to dry than a thin narrow line.

Your outline will dry with a hard edge that will show once you have filled in the interior section.

Show Opens Today

Inaugural UB Alumni Art Show
March 1 - 23, 2012

Opening Wine & Cheese Reception
Today, March 1st at 5:30 pm in the Gallery

Arnold Bernhard Arts Center
University of Bridgeport

Bridgeport, CT

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I have 5 paintings on exhibit in this show!

If you're in the area, check it out.

Hot Hot Pink

Verzino Dew Drop

by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches

ACEO - Art Card

A sneak peek at one of my most recent dew drop paintings.

Beginner Lily

Tuesday Nights Beginner Watercolor Class Project:

The Water Lily

Last night I taught my beginner watercolor students how to paint a water lily. We went for bright and colorful. A cheery little project with a fun plastic wrap technique for the water.

Simple. Colorful. Fun.

Tonight's advance class will be painting a barn.

Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Just Paint!

Grab a brush, fill a few containers with clean water, choose your favorite palette and find a piece of watercolor paper.

Sit down in your favorite painting place and simply ... Paint!

No worries, no cares, have fun and enjoy yourself.

Just do it ... just paint.

My Studio

This is where I sit and paint most of my watercolor paintings. I have a good sized art table with two lamps on adjustable arms. An East facing window and a South facing window. Excellent natural light through out the day makes this a cheery place to paint.

Wildflowers Flowers

Cosmos 2 - July 6, 2010

by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches

ACEO Art Card

I loved the first Cosmos painting done just a few days before, I just had to paint them again!

Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Brush Handle Repair

It is not a good idea to leave your watercolor brushes sitting in water or to seal them up after using them. Eventually, the enamel will begin to crack, chip and flake off. This does not mean it's the end of a good brush. Don't through it away, don't stuff it in a drawer never to be used again.

Simply take masking tape and wind it around the handle of the brush where the enamel has begun to chip and flake off. This will help extend the life of a brush tremendously.

When I first started taking watercolor painting classes, I did not take good care of my brushes. After class I would pack my stuff up, often times tossing my brushes into a ziplock bag. I did not seal the bag, but I left the brushes in the bag. I never left my brushes soaking in the water.

When I used the brushes at home, I would place them in a cup, bristle end up. The water would soak through the ferrel and into the handle of the brush. I believe this is what caused the tip end of the handle to crack and chip off.

After class as soon as I get home I now open up my brush holder and after using my brushes at home, I allow my brushes to air dry flat. This method has definitely extended the life of the enamel on the brushes.

And yes, the taped yellow brush does have the end tip sawed off. This helps it fit in my travel case.

Painting A Day - Saturday

Cherry Droplets - June 5, 2010

by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Painting

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches

Not long after this lovely little painting was created, it was in the hands of its new owner. The little droplets look so three dimensional.

Fruity Dew Drops

Blueberry Drop - June 3, 2010

Raspberry Drop - June 3, 2010

by Artist Rita Squier

Original Watercolor Paintings

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches

Two miniature paintings for June 3rd, a pretty pink and lovely blue fruity dew drops. The start of a brighter collection of dew drops as requested!

Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Photographing Little Watercolors

I photograph my little watercolor paintings on an open book. This could actually apply to anything small. It gives you an idea of scale, it's on an open book, it cannot be very big. I chose my Swedish Pippi Longstocking book because I did not want people to get caught up in reading the words on the page.

I do not have a big fancy photography set up. A window, a book, a canvas panel, a trash can and my digital SLR camera. My key ingredient is the South facing window. The best pictures are taken on an overcast day or a bright rainy day. Bright sunshine washes the pictures and creates too much drama and harsh shadows. Overcast and rain bring out the colors of the artwork with very little photo editing.

I also prefer to take my photographs in the late afternoon. The time of day changes with the seasons. In the winter time between 3 and 4 pm works great in my part of the world. As the days get longer I can stretch the time from 3 to 6:30 pm.

I love the open book, something about the black letters and white background of the book helps the camera to automatically adjust the settings. I set my camera to No Flash and zoom all the way in. By doing this, I can also achieve some of the effects you would get on the macro setting, but the flash does not pop on.

I needed to find something that was just below the height of the window sill and wouldn't you know it my little studio trash can works perfect. Other heights, had me struggling with the shadows of the window frame. The table top is one of the many canvas panels I use for taping down my paper when I create watercolor paintings. Place the open book on top and voila, perfect little backdrop with a super quick and easy set up. The height is perfect, just below the sill the light shines down onto the open book and lights up my work nicely. I am able to easily take 4 or 5 photos at interesting angles and also straight down with ease.

I love the variety of angles, steep angles, twisted angles. Variety is the spice of life!

Now you know the secret to my Etsy Shop photos.

Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Dry Brush Technique

You can add texture to a watercolor painting by using the dry brush technique. This works with cold pressed and rough watercolor paper. Hot pressed watercolor paper is perfectly flat and ironed out. This can be done with any color of watercolor and it does not matter if it is a transparent or opaque color. The trick to behind the dry brush technique is in the amount of water to paint ratio. No you are not using a totally dry brush, you never want to paint with a totally dry brush, always wet your brush before dipping it into watercolor paint.

You want to use less water and more paint. Dampen your brush and blot some of the water out, pick up some color and lightly drag the side of your brush across the top surface of your paper. The bumps and dips in the paper will help create the textured look. It can be done with either a round or flat brush. Practice a bit and give it a try.

Dry brush is great for creating texture in landscapes.

Tuesday's Tips & Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Working with Opaque Watercolors

Watercolor is a challenging medium to work with to be successful you really need to learn your palette and several key factors of how the paints work together.

While learning to use watercolors, do you find yourself creating a lot of muddy color? If so, one of the factors could be the use and mixing of opaque watercolors. I am not against using opaque colors, but it is much easier to create mud if you do use opaque colors. The reason is mixing two or more opaque colors together or mixing one opaque color with too many transparent colors. The colors are brilliant on their own but too many opaques can ruin a painting.

Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Go Big, Go Bold with Bigger Brushes

Find yourself always reaching for those little brushes? Getting all caught up in the fine little details of things? Set aside your little brushes and reach for your bigger brushes. This idea alone rattles the nerves of many of my students. With watercolor painting, the fewer strokes you use to accomplish something, the fewer strokes you use to fill in an area, the fresher the end result will be.

I've done a ton of paintings on a 1/4 sheet of watercolor paper using a 1 1/2 inch wash brush, a 3/4 inch one stroke brush and a number 8 round. To paint larger areas with fewer strokes you need bigger brushes. The larger brushes hold more paint and more water for more continuous swashes of color. You can still add in small touches of color with the corner of the flat brush or the tip of the round brush.

Go big, go bold, let those big brushes do the work for you.

Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Plastic Wrap Painting

Today's tip is more of a technique. Challenge yourself!

I started with a 1/4 sheet of watercolor paper taped to a board.

Have a roll or large piece of plastic wrap at the ready.

1. Using a large wash brush wet your paper top to bottom with clear water.

2. Add in splotches of your favorite colors, wet into wet, deep rich colors.

3. Place your piece of plastic wrap onto the wet colors.

4. Press the plastic wrap, squish it around, crinkle it in places.

5. Now allow the paint to dry completely with the plastic wrap in place.

6. When the paint is dry, remove the plastic wrap.

7. Create a painting from the images and textures left behind.

I turned mine into a bouquet of flowers.

Try it and share with me know what you come up with, I would love to see it!

Early Morning Riser

The Rooster

by Artist Rita Squier

Watercolor Painting

11 x 15 inches

I teach watercolor painting classes. I find my lesson inspirations from all different sources. This painting was done in one of my classes on the night of my husband's birthday several years ago. I allowed him to choose the subject matter for that night's class. This class lesson was adapted from a book on chinese painting and simplified to be able to demo and paint it in one two hour class.

Right now, it just screams "Good Morning Sunshine!"

Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Organize and Analyze

I still cannot believe we are starting a new year, 2010! I am going to continue my Tuesday's Tips & Techniques for Watercolor Painting through the new year. We may as well start it off on the right foot with organization.

It's time to go through your stash of watercolor paints. Separate the used tubes and the dried out tubes of paint from those that are still good. I'm tossing my pretty much squeezed dry tubes into their own special container, perhaps next weeks tip will deal with those. The hardened dried out tubes will also get tossed into their own container. Separate the good from the bad. Look over all the colors you have. Notice the colors you use most. Maybe there are a few brand new tubes of paint in there filled with colors you have yet to try. Organize your tubes of watercolor paint by color and brand. Make mental notes of what brands you like, which brands you don't like.

What to do with those colors you don't like anymore? Perhaps you can swap colors and tubes of paint with a fellow artist.

It's time to analyze your current stock of colors to see what you have and evaluate what you may need.

Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Lose the Fear, Enjoy the Process

My tip for the very last Tuesday of 2009 is basically ... Just Paint!

We have all been wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it's time to just relax and paint something. Paint anything!

Don't fear the blank sheet of watercolor paper. Here's a plan to start. Following the rule of thirds, draw a horizontal line 1/3 up from the bottom of your piece of watercolor paper. Wet the top 2/3 with clear water. Now let your mind wander. Dip those brushes into colors of paint. Create something, create anything. Create a landscape. Start with a sky. Add in a pale background. Use medium tones for a middle ground and darker tones for a fore ground.

Forget your fears, forget the craziness of the holiday season and loose yourself in a painting. Enjoy the process!

I hope you have enjoyed my weekly Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting. I have really enjoyed creating them! Hope you continue to follow me through the new year.

Tuesday's Tips and Techniques for Watercolor Painting

Protecting Your Art

Okay, so you've painted a bunch of paintings, maybe matted a few but they're not ready for framing. Perhaps you don't plan on framing them, you want to either sell them at art shows or give them away as gifts. Whether or not you mat them, you can slip them into Crystal Clear Bags. I love these bags and use them for my own artwork. They're acid free and lignin free and perfect for keeping fingerprints off of your art. They come in tons of sizes and you can find them easily at http://www.clearbags.com

They have a peel away strip that reveals a sticky adhesive to close and seal the flap on the bag. I prefer the ones they call Protective Closure Bags the sticky part is on the bag and not on the flap so you can easily slide your art in and out even after you've sealed it, because it is re-sealable. The ones with the sticky on the flap are great for odd sized pieces where you can fold the flap down tighter on a piece of art that is smaller than the bag.