Deb Ward Art
Painting Demonstration
Many times I’ve been asked -
“How long did that picture take you to paint?”
“How do you know what to paint?”
“How do you know where to start?”
“What kind of paints do you use?”
So, I decided to do a little painting demonstration to show the process through all the various stages. Please forgive the quality of the photos – I didn’t think it all the way through from the beginning, so some of my photos leave a lot to be desired – but you should be able to follow along!
One
I decided to paint a Venetian balcony from a photo my daughter gave me. I have enlarged and drawn it onto the watercolor paper. The gray material covering portions of the paper is called “frisket” or “miskit” and is a type of resist which will keep that portion of my paper white.
Two
I have wet the entire paper with clear water – you can see it shine with the light on it.
Three
After wetting the paper, I have begun adding paint colors that represent the stucco of the old building. After the initial wash had dried, I re-wet the paper and added another wash of color and sprinkled some salt for texture.
Four
Here I have begun to bring color into the doorway.
Five
Another wash of color in the doorway, pots and shadows.
Six
More definition has been added to doorway and shadows – beginning to get the feeling of depth.
Seven
The miskit has been removed.
Eight
Flowers and leaves have been added – the picture is complete.
Total time for painting (not including drying time): 4.50 hours
Watercolor paints used were primarily from Daniel Smith.
