From the Artist: The scene was inspired by the ancient, awe-inspiring Namib Desert in Namibia. Memories of the colors and textures of the sand and rocks immediately came to mind when I saw this project. This incredible system is alive with movement, both from the wind and animal life but unforgiving to anyone who does not respect it.
From the Painting Guide: This project's colors do indeed suit the Namib Desert's natural palette, particularly the burnt sienna -- and the phthalo blue for the endless, cloudless sky as you've captured it.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Texture in a Watercolor: One of the fundamental ways to get texture in a watercolor painting is to work on a rough paper, rather than a smooth one. Not only does the texture of the paper show through the paint, but if you work with very fluid paint (rather than with dry brush techniques) you can let it accumulate in the small indentations in the paper to create darker spots of color. Another option is to use a granulating pigment, that is a pigment that doesn't like to stay mixed with a binder and tends to separate out. (You can also buy granulating medium to create this effect with any color.)
Flat Color: One of the trickier things to do with watercolor is to get a large area of a single color (as in a sky) a single, flat color, without any tide marks (created when you add new paint to a wet area). I do it by first dipping my brush in clean water and applying a very thin layer of water across the area to be painted, just to slightly dampen the paper. Then I take a big brush, load it with lots of paint, and paint across the area in as few strokes as possible.
If need be, use masking fluid to mask off part of the painting or use your other hand to stop your brush going over it. Mix up more paint than you'll think you'll need so you don't have to stop half way to mix up some more.
From the Painting Guide: This project's colors do indeed suit the Namib Desert's natural palette, particularly the burnt sienna -- and the phthalo blue for the endless, cloudless sky as you've captured it.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Texture in a Watercolor: One of the fundamental ways to get texture in a watercolor painting is to work on a rough paper, rather than a smooth one. Not only does the texture of the paper show through the paint, but if you work with very fluid paint (rather than with dry brush techniques) you can let it accumulate in the small indentations in the paper to create darker spots of color. Another option is to use a granulating pigment, that is a pigment that doesn't like to stay mixed with a binder and tends to separate out. (You can also buy granulating medium to create this effect with any color.)
Flat Color: One of the trickier things to do with watercolor is to get a large area of a single color (as in a sky) a single, flat color, without any tide marks (created when you add new paint to a wet area). I do it by first dipping my brush in clean water and applying a very thin layer of water across the area to be painted, just to slightly dampen the paper. Then I take a big brush, load it with lots of paint, and paint across the area in as few strokes as possible.
If need be, use masking fluid to mask off part of the painting or use your other hand to stop your brush going over it. Mix up more paint than you'll think you'll need so you don't have to stop half way to mix up some more.