How to paint shadow areas in Watercolor
I have only just realized that subscribers to my blog receive notification and the text of each blog via email as well. How clever this program and my webmaster Doris is! But we have also only just realised that this text is sent on a white background. So when the text is yellow (as it was in my previous posts) it is hard to read against the white background. The yellow text looks excellent against the black background of my blog page!
All the colours are now altered in the previous text that was sent via email. So that they are good to read – in your mailbox and on my website.
Article 3 – How to paint shadow areas in Watercolor
Using my Priming Method I lay in at least one underwash of yellow.
My shadow mix is often warm in color temperature. So I will sometimes use
- Scarlet Red
- Aureolin
- and a touch of Thalo Blue.
I let this mix favor the Scarlet Red. But if I want more strength in my mix – I will sometimes add a touch of Alizarin Crimson to the mix.
I use Schmincke watercolors exclusively for the reasons mentioned in my previous posts.
When working in shadowed areas that I want to glow with warmth – I find I am often adding more red and more yellow in subsequent washes. Blue is ideal to use to help describe shadows. But blue dulls my beautiful glow down so much more than I imagine it will. So use it cautiously – in fine washes initially.
The trick is to have your yellow underwash glowing in a multiple fine washes of yellow. The darker your shadow – the more saturated you will need your yellow hue. Remember to keep your washes fine. If you use thick layers of paint – the paint will lift when you lay in your subsequent washes (shadow washes).
This will give you a fabulous glow from underneath which looks incredible. Check out the gallery in my website and you will see what I mean. Click on the image below.
Some of these paintings are available as Giclee Fine Art Prints.
Instructional Art DVD’s and Video Downloads
Click on any of the DVD images below to find more in-depth information on the contents of each of the DVDs and Video Downloads.
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DVD: Watercolor Masterclass Volume One: “Painting Life-Like Leaves and Vibrant Greens” – for all skill levels
US$54.50 -
One-on-One Watercolor Workshops with Susan Harrison-Tustain – for all skill levels
US$54.50 -
Painting Watercolor My Way with Susan Harrison-Tustain – for all skill levels
US$54.50 -
Watercolor Portrait Workshop with Susan Harrison-Tustain – for all skill levels
US$54.50