8th grade watercolor painting

Step by Step

Choose a picture

• One we can display,• One you like, and • One that challenges you to mix colors and use

the techniques that you have learned. • Ignore lettering. If it helps.

• Cut it out in a rectangle.• Plan a safe place to keep it. If it gets lost, you

start over.

Class of 05

8th Grade Watercolor • Effort:

– Challenging picture choice, drawing, and painting – Finished in a timely manner.

• Craftsmanship: – Shows mastery of drawing, color mixing, watercolor techniques– framed well

• Composition: – Design is interesting and balanced– Frame helps the looks of the artwork.

• Understanding: – Formatted the page correctly.– Chose a design that would show mastery of color, value and

brush techniques.– Framed and labeled on front with name and homeroom. Taped

magazine picture on the back.

Trim, then format your paper so it’s congruent to the shape of your picture.

• Cut 2” off the height and length of the watercolor paper.

• Lay picture (that you chose) in the upper left corner of your paper

• lay a yardstick so it connects the corners of the small picture. Mark where the yardstick reaches the edge of the big paper.

• Fold at the mark. Cut on the fold to remove that much paper.

Draw the contours• Show yourself where you want to draw by

doing a preliminary layout, making sure to use the entire formatted area of the drawing paper.

• If you need to, draw the negative spaces on a plastic overlay and/or grid it out.

• Draw lightly.• Show yourself where you want to change

color. • Skip pencil shading

Plan your painting, Step 1

• Evaluate your chosen picture to see where you need to use the prepared surface (pre-treating) techniques (putting on rubber cement or crayon, or scratches) to make your picture better.

Plan step 2: Paint wet and/or large, light areas…

• Colors that you want to blend and flow together: minglings…wet (blendy) techniques

• Large light shapes…washes: Graded and Flat like for backgrounds

Plan step 3: crisp-edged areas

• Wet on dry techniques: (Wait for an area to dry and paint over dry, painted areas)

• first: large light, then small light items

• next: large dark, then small dark

• Last: details (lines and textures) with dry brush painting, stippling

Plan step 4 : any Post treat as needed.

• rub off any rubber cement or frisket

• Scratch

• erase

• or over paint with dry brush (stippling)

Steps in watercolor painting, summarized

1. Prepare the surface.

2. Work wet, large washes, or light areas

3. Work dryer, small, or dark areas next (When you need to, be sure to wait for paint to dry.)

4. Do post treating.

Before you paint…

• See Mrs. Sturm to discuss your plan.

As you paint…

• Don’t use colors straight from the paint set. Test all colors before using them on your painting.

• Observe all the shades and tints of color value in the magazine picture.

• Match them exactly, or make them a bit stronger. Watercolor tends to dry a bit lighter than when you put it down.

Remember,

• Your watercolor painting is not a photograph. It is your interpretation of the photo using watercolor.

8th Grade Watercolor • Effort:

– Challenging picture choice, drawing, and painting – Finished in a timely manner.

• Craftsmanship: – Shows mastery of drawing, color mixing, watercolor techniques– framed well

• Composition: – Design is interesting and balanced– Frame helps the looks of the artwork.

• Understanding: – Formatted the page correctly.– Chose a design that would show mastery of color, value and

brush techniques.– Framed and labeled on front with name and homeroom. Taped

magazine picture on the back.