Watercolor: Realistic Painting

Learn to paint step by step

Daniel Tennant

• Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN: 9781600581243
• eBook ISBN: 9781610598712
• Topic: Arte
• Subtopic: Tecniche artistiche

Creating a piece of artwork that might be mistaken for a photograph is the goal of many aspiring artists. With this 32-page guide, even beginners can learn methods for painting with amazing realism and accuracy. Accomplished artist Daniel Tennant explains the basics of using gouache and airbrushing and provides in-depth information on essential techniques such as gradating, using stencils, and creating a metallic effect. He also offers instruction on common elements of traditional still lifes, guiding readers from applying the initial layer of color through adding texture to detailing with shadows and highlights. The book also features several inspiring projects, each broken down into numerous, digestible steps so artists can easily follow along.

PAINTING DIFFERENT TEXTURES

Increase the realism of your paintings and create visual interest by including a variety of textures, patterns, and surfaces in your compositions.

HOW TO PAINT WALLPAPER WITH CAST SHADOWS

1 Paint the background with yellow ochre and zinc white. At this point, it is pointless to draw the design of the wallpaper because it will be covered with gouache.

2 Draw the design of the wallpaper over the background. You can use the slide projection method (see page 4) or create your own design.

3 Paint the pattern with the desired colors. Gouache is superb for making wallpaper in a painting, because it was once used for surface-pattern design work.

4 Airbrush a light shadow of a plant over the design with black watercolor. Using watercolor instead of gouache allows the wallpaper to show through the shadow.

HOW TO PAINT SILVER

1 Establish the basic light and dark patterns by leaving the white of the board for the brightest highlights and applying dark gouache—alizarin crimson, burnt umber, and ivory black—in the background with a brush. The bowl is placed on top of a book, which is reflected in the silver.

2 Apply the middle tones and some lighter tones of burnt sienna and yellow ochre, cobalt blue and zinc white, burnt umber and zinc white. Define the strawberries with cadmium red light. Then lighten the book, leaves, and underside of the bowl with yellow ochre and permanent green light.

3 Using ivory black watercolor, airbrush shadows on the strawberries and on the left and underside of the bowl. Note that the foreground objects are reflected in the silver bowl.

4 Airbrush white highlights onto the silver bowl. Then paint the highlights on the strawberries with a #1 brush using permanent white gouache.

HOW TO PAINT AN APPLE AND A STRAWBERRY

1 The first step in any painting is to complete the underpainting. Paint the apple and strawberry with their local colors—the strawberry is straight cadmium red, the apple is yellow ochre and some permanent green light in areas. The lighter areas of the apple are cadmium yellow mixed with zinc white. (These colors will be lightened as the painting progresses.)

2 Isolate the apple with a stencil. Airbrush the red patches with cadmium red gouache and then the shadows with ivory black watercolor.

3 Apply the shadows on the strawberry and the cast shadows from the fruit with the airbrush and ivory black water-color. Then remove the stencil and use strong, directional lighting from the left to create a three-dimensional feeling. Airbrush ivory black watercolor over the shaded areas.

4 Establish the highlights and add finishing touches. Add a stem to the apple with ivory black, permanent green, light yellow ochre, and zinc white gouache. Then define the seeds on the strawberry with yellow ochre and ivory black. Apply pure permanent white gouache to the centers of each highlight to make them as white as possible.

HOW TO PAINT A PERSIAN RUG

1 With an HB pencil, sketch the drawing on illustration board. Be sure to make the design accurate and complete. With realistic paintings, the key to an exact likeness is to observe the small details, such as subtle shading, textures, details, and surfaces.

2 Complete the underpainting with dark colors. Paint the colors of the rug in the same color as in the final painting but much darker in key. This way, light reds can be applied over darker reds, lighter blues over dark blues, and light yellows over darker yellows, allowing the darks to show through and creating an interesting rug texture.

3 When the underpainting is dry, paint over the same area to establish the medium tones (local colors) of the rug. Apply these tones with a small watercolor brush in hundreds of stippled dots. The paint is a creamy consistency—not too thin or too thick. Gouache is excellent for painting light colors over dark colors because of its inherent opacity.

4 When the middle t...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Materials and Tools
• Creating the Drawing
• Handling Darks and Lights
• Gouache Painting Techniques
• The Airbrush
• Stenciling
• Airbrushing Basic Forms
• Painting Different Textures
• Shadows and Highlights
• Thoughts on Painting
• Planning A Painting
• Demonstration: August Afternoon
• Demonstration: Still Life With Lantern
• Demonstration: Still Life With Satin Pillow
• Demonstration: Last Light
• Demonstration: Still Life With Blue Cloth
• Demonstration: Heirlooms With Cherries
• About the Artist
• Copyright Page