Color Landscape

Due: 3 days

Medium: Watercolor on watercolor paper

Objectives:

• Learn to control the watercolor medium to mix a wide range of specific colors.
• Develop skill with watercolor to paint both larger areas and small details.
• Create depth using atmospheric perspective through color shifts -- More vibrant, and usually warmer, as the objects are closer to you; less saturated, less intense, and cooler as they move away.
• Learn to paint gradations/transitions of color

Steps: 
1. Complete your graphite landscape drawing, using your photographs as reference for tonal values. Make sure you have a full range of tonal value.
2. Complete your watercolor scales:

• Value scale of a color straight out of the pan (ex. blue)
• Value scale of another color, preferably a color that you had to mix first (ex. yellow-green)
• Intensity scale, with two complementary colors on either end, blending towards a neutral color in the center (brown or gray mixed from the two complements)
• Scale from a warm light version of a color (Add yellow and more water) to a cool dark version of a color (add blue). (Example, a light yellow-green transitioning to a dark blue-green).

3. Make a grid of 1” squares on watercolor paper, and mix to match the colors of a master landscape painting of your choice (from the reproductions in the room).

4. Trace your landscape drawing onto 11 x 14" watercolor paper. Use a hard pencil (2H or HB) and draw lightly. Close most of your shapes.

5. Use the palette of the master painting to paint your BHS landscape. You may use additional colors as necessary, but apply what you learned from the mixing-to-match about mixing specific colors.

6. Once you've completed the watercolor painting, experiment with gouache, another water-based medium.

7. Use gouache to add pattern, texture, and stylistic effects to your watercolor painting. Anything goes, but work thoughtfully to make a strong finished piece.