Learn to paint step by step Making stencils « Using an airbrush Replicating textures = Creating realism BY DANIEL Ko TENNANTinne Chia mara Su onan aa nk a. SaasRealistic Painting There is a deep fascination with artwork that looks true to life. The aspiring painter often wonders how other artists are able to create works that are so persuasive. This book will show you step by step how these lifelike effects are achieved. Although other mediums can be used to achieve similar effects, I prefer gouache, or opaque watercolor. Gouache allows you to apply light colors overa darker underpainting—a method not possible with some mediums such as transparent watercolors. I also will show you how to work from photographs and use an airbrush to create amazingly detailed paintings. With practice, you will be able to build on your newly acquired skills and develop your own techniques for creating images with striking realism, —Daniel K, Tennant CONTENTS Materials and Tools, 2 Thoughts on Painting 16 (Creating the Drawing 4 Planning a Painting. 7 Handling Darks and Lights 5 Demonstration: August Afternoon. Is Gouache 6 Demonstration: Sil ife with Lantern 20 The Airbrush 8 Demonstration: Sil Life with Satin Pillow 22 Stenciling. 10 Demonstration: Last Light 24 Airbrushing Basic Forms 11 Demonstration: Still Life wth Blue Cloth 26 Painting Different Textures. 12 Demonstration: Heitlooms with Cherries 28 Shadows and Highligh 1s “acd His.MATERIALS AND TOOLS Foro ptimum resu T ts, always buy the best materials and tools you can afford. Inferior materials will make the project more difficult, which can be discouraging, and higher-quality materials will last longer. HERING SUPPLIES Bele paitig, mae sure you have al your basi uples. uct water and al of paper towels Ran a ins andy your bases between clr, GOUACHE Gouache is opaque watercolor (for more information, see page 6). For the best results, use high-quality, professional-prade paints, and select ‘only those colors that are considered permanent. (Some pigments are fugitive, meaning that they fade when exposed to sunlight, I recom: rend tubes over cakes because they are brighter, easier to mix large quantities of color, and have the best selection of colors. BUCKET OF WATER “To ensure bright colors, use a bucket of water to rinse your brushes between colors. [recommend a gallon-sized bucket or can. PENCILS. ‘An HB pencil is good for preliminary drawings. HB lead is soft ‘enough to leave a solid drawing, and gouache is not repelled when applied over i ERASERS Standard rubber or kneaded erasers are good for cleaning up your drawings. The side of a kneaded eraser can be used for erasing lage areas, and the eraser can be shaped to a point for erasing small areas. CHECKING YOUR COLOR PALETTE For the lessons in this book, you will need the colors listed belon alae crimson Indian yellow 2 ulvamarine be burnt senna watercolor Svokt Sunt umber 2 ary Back 2 wri geen Steed ret 2 ry back watercolor 3 yelon cere Seadmiam yellow a Naples elon 3 zne white Serle ue 2 permanent white (Use tine white fo Chinese orange pater rain Permanent Soba ue Gea geen watercaler whitey case ‘ther oles ta fade) ILLUSTRATION BOARD A hotppressed (smooth) surface is recommended over a textured sur- face. Itallows you to create your own textures, and it also provides for the greatest amount of detail. The heavier the ply of the board, the better. (Four-ply is recommended.) Another option is museum board, which comes in an eighty weight. (Also see page 3.) BRUSHES Tecommend only using red sable/synthetic hair watercolor brushes and a large flat watercolor brush for large areas. (One of each standard size—00, 0, 1,2, 4,and 6—should ba sufficient. (1 imiost often use a #2 brush.) A long. haired rigger brush is good for making thin lines. The large flat watercolor brush is excellent for laying in backgrounds quickly BUYING BRUSHES Good trates are expensive, ityou wash hem toraughiy ater each pag ss they shoul ls ong wile Rise he rashes in Takewar (evr hod water, ané il sap Rise hem 2g ‘at ey dy with a sh and smoothly and for covering large areas. Setectine 4 PALETTE. Wicker palte you chars held fave enbagh wails ole i your pi cols nt 2 spaclous tates or ining Alas place your Celine same order bn your alt to arid ‘ating ine searching or Your desiree whe pai. PALETTES ‘There ate many types of palettes available, My favorite isa china slane tile, which is made from baked ceramic and has 10 paine well. Iti portable, easy to clean, and has plenty of room for color mixing. ‘A damp sponge laid over the entice tle will keep the paint wet for at least 24 hours. On extremely hor days, the sponge should be satur ated with water. Other palette options include an enamel butcher's tray or a piece of plate glass or Plexiglas with toned paper placed underneath to help gauge colors. Because gouache dries quickly, squeeze out only those colors that you will need in the next hour or $0, (You can also drip some water from an eyedropper over the paints to keep them moist.) I keep white and black at opposite ends of the palette so they don't get mixed into che colors. I often mix up tints and shades of colors as well. For example, might have light blue, blue, dark blue, black, and white on the pal- exte when painting grapes. The fewer colors mixed, the brighter the ppaint—and the painting—will remain,ise THINNERS You can hin gounche wih water and acne medion fra mae water! paint mprov- ow fhe ols ang om abi fo water slows he ying time of gouache, malta the ak, ‘alain to id alr THINNERS The only dilurane needed for gouache is water, Tap water is fine if iis free from chemicals or other additives. Some artists prefer to use distilled water. If desired, add ‘one drop of ox gall to every two ounces of water. Ox gall i a pale, odorless wetting agent that slows the drying time, allowing, for softer blending. With ox gall, the paint flows more evenly and daes not puddle WORK SURFACE When painting, you must have a secure platform for che painting surface. You can paine on an easel or table, but Tuse a verti- ‘al standing easel because it slants slightly forward at the top, so paint does not drip ‘onto the painting, It also allows me to step away from the painting and view it from a distance oF view the painting reflected in a mirror, which gives me information I could not see otherwise. An easel prevents distor- tion due to the foreshortening that occurs when drawing on a table USING & MAULSTICR My malik tach toa sala Srew fe 0 he ent) $e topo eel 1 fn sing lo ay poston. You ca se wap te un 3 Sot lt at eat Be placed onthe palating when you are ‘thing on ager sree, PAINTING SURFACES There are many surfaces from which to choose when paiting with gouache, depending onthe effect you wart to achieve, An important point to remember is that gouache must be applied to a sturdy ‘Support, Pape that i tee thin and Fimsy wll cause the paint fo crack ‘Gouache can be painted on gesso panel if tadtional gesso is used, (suggest staying away from acrylic gesso.) Ilusration boards, museum mounting boards, and heaw drawing or watercolor papers (140 pound or heaven are highy recommended. The most papular surface f hot peseed, which is smooth. You can also buy col pressed (ght tooth) oe rough (heay tooth) surfaces. Hot pressed surfaces lt you create your own textures, whereas textured surfaces already dictate to some degree the lok of your painting Fr highly realistic paintings, a hot-pressed surface fs super {Gouache has stong covering ability. By painting on toned surfaces, some atts lt smal areas of ‘the toned support show though to create an overall color harmony. Toulouse-Laure often used tis cffect with his beautiful gouache paintings of Parisian ie inthe late 1800s. CoLD-PRESSED Cold-pressed HOT-PRESSED Hatgessed wotrsic paper hase tire waterclr paper low or the Sndalows er ora ectnigues. grates deta SMOOTH BOARD Asmanh TONED BOARD Toned ius (atgrseailutston oar is ation oad ean bea nes the es suface for chaning pre- part ofhe paling also works ‘allows fr bth bush tch- cise deta The plat-inishsrace well wi chorea igligheé with igus nd excele eta fees ke an nase. ite nova, LIGHTING The est light is that which simulates daylight. There ate many color-alanced Tights that wil do this. Because Iam lft handed, | have row of tes bulbs and 2 ron of fluorescent tubes placed behind ny right shoulder so my hand doesn’ cre ‘xe a shadow when I paint. The bulbs are [stached to a white reflector board to cre ‘te sft, indrct lighting outa reat them on te paning. Keep 2 sheet of ache 4 oes Feacrat ook Fateh eee MAULSTICK AA maulstick isa long, lightweight wood or aluminum dowel used by painters as a rest for the hand while working, The maulstick steadies the painting hand and keeps it away from the painting surface. It can also be used as a guide for painting straight lines. > ssTubio LcHTINGCREATING THE DRAWING Painting is much easier when youhave done the proper ‘groundwork. I never start a piece until [am absolutely sure of what I intend to ddo with each square inch of the painting surface. I recommend that you begin with a complete drawing of your subject. Try to get as much information in the pencil drawing as possible, and then transfer the drawing to the painting surface. Important: Be sure to keep your final drawing until the painting is complete. TRANSFERRING THE DRAWING After the draning is completed on drawing Paper, you can transfer i to the panting support. An easy way to do this is with ‘racing paper. wig iter othe paper in lace or ape Sree Two Turn the racing paper oe ad trace ovr the ine again te: pt ale Imes tracing mich ese. you doh have ‘re you ean tape he eavig ws winton) Hew You Shou hae pal caving on bath sides ‘te acing paper. Then he racing paper ‘vr andtape it your slat supa (ey ‘hovl! be te same 2), Step THREE Revace te eae dawlag eth a cold pene ans te yap on back he pape tthe pain surace. Te aloe pci enabes yout see whieh nes You have area raced ove you ae inte ‘oe, youl be ables whee you Hopped PENCIL DRAWING alas wrk atthe daving on craving papers bncause eases am eamage the paiming setae. THE GRID SYSTEM ‘The grid system is also effective for transfer ring drawings or photogeaphs to a painting surface. Artists throughout history have used the grid system to accurately duplicate an image ina painting. This system can also be used to enlarge or reduce the image. For example, if you have a photograph that you would like to duplicate, but want to paint it twice a large, you can use the grid system to draw the subject at 200 percent. PRojEcTION ‘Another way to transfer an image i o project t ‘onto the panting surface and then lightly trace (over it with an HE penci. There are thee dit ferent devices that can be used for projection (2) the opaque projector, which can project an ‘opaque image, uch asa photograph or drawing: (2) the overhead transparency projector, which works well with black, white or inked drawings transfered to acetate on a copy machine: and (3) the slide proctor, Use an HB pent ig rama 1° rid on he daw ing paper should have the same number of eeares ‘the grid on the orginal. The suns ean be the same Sie or reduced renforge tothe desea se EPR EEE PEE Ughty raw tne image rom exch square of he rig al the gaes on he paper desea, suber ows a bth gris The numbers ma io aw nthe carrespondng squares. PROJECTOR ANGLE Eau tat the ange of the project paral othe ange fh ‘to arid dstaring he image The projected image's es shoul bw paral othe supports ops.HANDLING DaRKS AND LIGHTS One of the advantages of gouache is its unique covering power—but the paint needs to be controlled carefully so that you don’t lose the drawing beneath it. There are a number of effective ways do this. DRAWING DARK OVER LIGHT (One way to keep a drawing from being lost when painted over with gouache is to first paint the background and then use the tracing paper method (see page 4) to transfer the drawing onto the completed backgeound. For example, if you are painting a farm scene, you could paint the sky and then redraw the buildings over the sky you've painted. You ‘could also paint around the buildings. (To paint around a tree, how ever, is impractical) Another approach is t0 ink over the drawing and paint over it with light washes. This way, you can still see the <érawing through the paint. Thinned aerylics can also be used t0 define the drawing. Generally, I paint around things, but if I cover the drawing, [redefine it by using the tracing paper method, STEP ONE tei tam one | pan they an ‘roma with ivory tack {ouene ad ie white {ove mina opt a ‘rious tT stow, pure white ne gouache painted vera elpty moist forgroan Srer Two Then tue ened background DRAWING LIGHT OVER DARK Gouache is great for working from dark to light colors. For example, when painting silver objects, I paint them pure black, then dark gray, light gray, lightest gray, and finally, pure white. To those who have never used gouache, it may seem strange to paint in this order, but this is the easiest and most effective way to use gouache, When painting an object completely black, you'l lose the drawing tunderneath, but ths isnot a problem. You can use the tracing paper method to retrace the drawing; however, you will coat the back of the drawing with light-colored chalk or pastel or white charcoal The lighter color will transfer onto the datk gouache underpainting, restoring the original drawing in full detail, (Note the importance of keeping the final drawing until the painting is finished.) Sver ONE Fist) ‘ink in he bckgrou table with 9 cok Bie gvace ad ie ‘ite gun mise. For Yelow are, but sins, 2nd aie white gouache Thon aint th apo wih 2 soli ye of ey lack, Ster Two tow! frames, art shows, posters, and your own imagination, Training your artist's eye i lifelong habit that gets eesier with practice, REFERENCE MATERIALS [As mentioned previously, photos are used as references for litle pentngs. There are many sources that can provie ideas: postcars, catalog, travel brochures, family photos, magazine ad, art boks, calendars, move stil Invest in props that you wil use over and oer, such 2s 2 drape, vase, bow, o table. Also, buy a good 35mm camera or digital camera and earn how to use it. Carty a srall sketchbook and always be onthe prowl for nee material When you see a potential subject, ask youself how you would paint Ty panting it In your headGOUACHE Gouache, a French term meaning “opaque,” is simply opaque watercolor paint. Its brightness comes from the color itself unlike transparent watercolor, which gets it brilliance from the reflective qualities ofthe paper. Gouache can be used thinly ike transparent watercolors, but it is generally used as a matte, opaque paint. Gouache provides an actual pain layer, while transparent watercolor isa stain, Often referred to as “body color,” the film of gouache appears thicker than it really is. WHar IT IS Gouache is made from pig. ment, binder usually gum arabic), wetting agents, ‘other minor additives, and a preservative. More pigment is used in making gouache than in transparent water: colors, which makes them ‘opaque. An opaque extender {aluminum hydrate, blanc fixe, or precipitated chalk) is also added to the pigments to increase their opacity and improve the handling qual ties. Precipitated chalk is THINGS TO AvoID Overaluted gouache—Generaly, gouache is meant to be used opaquely Flimsy suraces—A painting surface thet buckles, bends, or too tin an cause the paint to chip and erack Diy rinse water far brushes—Keeping the water clean will maximige the biliance of names, such 38 "peacock Dive” or “Bengal pigments ro brighten them. rose," were used erginaly for design werk. ‘They were not meant to be permanent. ‘Stick to tradtlonal colors and don't use g ute colers (those that fae in ight ‘grade paints; cheaper paines Cheap brands. of paint—Poor quality Ikis best to use professional are made from inferior gouache will shift dramatically fom the ingredients, tend to crack, = wet othe ry sate, Arist grade paints wil and are les permanent than las longer. high-grade paints. " Worn brushes—For quality brushstrokes and clean lines, use brushes that are in Of all the mediums avail- 00d condition, thle, there is nothing that compares with the opay Cheap rhea ae bod tm the , Statandwilcae ch tan As boy best hes tt ou can duck drying time, and abil- ity to achieve minuce detail of gouache. In addition, ‘gouache paintings do not PAINT CHOICES Gouacbe is availabe in tubes and cakes, yellow over time, verexpasure—Avod spaying your paint: ings in ciectsunight or under fluorescent neither a ig noe a practi! 3 he ibe ear. lighting. Utra-volet (UV) light will eause some colors to fade, HOW TO USE GOUACHE Heavy Remember this phrase: “Dark colors dry lighter, ght colors dry dark.” Gouache changes Ga as it dries, so take into account the slight color shift, lk, is good pactice to always mix coeoere xtra pain this way wl be ready when you need (Gouache canbe stored for several Gretna coy te weeks. Baby food jars make perfect containers) tle, ayer. OvenpiureD Gouacit ‘lied co tiny, ache wil rm, treating ips and ther unwanted PAINT CONSISTENCY The LOADING PAINT Load the tip BRUSHES. Use th proper bush oper conisteny for gouache sof thebush—ratr tan he etre. forthe proper ob—arge uses Simro hear create pant ——_‘head—wit paeThis els tocre- fo arg ras, mom rushes for Shou brush ot esi and appear ate fn Tins an ives you eater meu reas, nd sal brushes for anus ental nal eae 6GOUACHE PAINTING TECHNIQUES Gouache can be used in many different ways and can be mani lated to produce various effects. Great artists who have used gouache include Diirer, Van Gogh, Poussin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Mird, Rouault, and Shahn. SoLtD COLOR Appi eve with age bush, ouace is perc for ereatng sag lat areas of clr. ‘aig ox elt th nt water wl help fo eve 9 poset saree bru dat ounce, hake lo gt ack ets win your tgs. sparing creates ts ‘ure on suaces such 2s oc, weed, ceramic. clo bas fo reat sue, bea fon aa it anather. Ths ve ane wih le, sae B SPATTERING EXAMPLE Inthis aa ofthe painting, MASKING Masking anata with rating pe i 38 ‘atering was Wed 3 Np eels mane. The fo ‘rund racks were speckled wih fleet clos. The spt tering technique mate tes very persuasive. As wth any paimieg teimqu, der eco it wl ok gina. STIPPLING EXAMPLE Stipling con b wed ce- ae the ison of carpet an tertred bok binding The Back bok was painted ack, and ten ark ay was tip pled oer the Wack Light gry was sipped oer the dark ‘ay, and te al highs white ware Spe CROSSHATCHING Croseaohing is a god way to en gouache because ies quik Load the ver fp rath wih pan wie of th excess 308 hen a7 {hep ait sones, weaving (warp and wae i ‘ees, terizotl,an ogee shes, eat o at presedisraon bar, he sh ges lng, making {hin opaque stoke ties. The iggr works wel x pining od gras, asses, telephone wie, abe wire ecg, Dr anying tat eure 3 an, Hoe DayoRusiing 2 Byung wit {ves the same eect ste red sable ut on rer eae This ecu fp pining frends ‘ith weeds and grasses. alo works wl fo aie weds Load aed sable bush wth pl ni aes ey, pred the hale othe bros yeu {eng ary Sal rsh make palTHE AIRBRUSH There are four essential clemems for airbrushing—an airbrush, air hose, compressor, and paint. Your budget will dictate your selections. Keep in mind that when properly cared for, good-quality supplies will last a lifetime. ‘The airbeush isa small pen-sized tool that uses compressed air 10 spray paint Ie was invented in 1893 by Charles Burdick, whose origi nal intention was to use it for watercolor painting. It became popular, however, for photo retouching and, for many years, continued to be used mainly in the graphic arts field. Only inthe past 40 years has the airbrush entered into a new major tole asa tool for the Fine artis. “The airbrush is an excellent tool for artists who want to expand their working capabilities, Ie extends the possibilities and effects of any medium that can be sprayed through i. There are some effects—such as fog, controlled spattering, delicate blendings, glazes with watercol- ‘or—that would be impossible to achieve without the airbrush, AIRDRUSHES (8) Oslin modt—paies the est spay (8) Sie cup, {oa scuonmadehaows fot quick calor enanes() Large, gravid cap ‘moet bls ot of pai (0) Gravy modelos aver 92) SINGLE ACTION VS. DOUBLE ACTION Single action and double action deseribe the trigger controls of the airbrush. An airbrush is ether one or the other (except for the oscil lating type, which isin a category by itself), With a single-action ‘model, both air and paint eome out when you press down on the ‘rigger. The paint spray is changed by adjusting the serew on the back of the handle (on some models). You have to stop painting to adjust the amount of spray. With a double-action model, when you push down on the trigger you get air, nd by pushing down and pull ing back, you get air and paint. The farther back you pull, the more paint you get. The double-action aiehrush is preferred because i pro Vides more control, 8 EXTERNAL MIX VS. INTERNAL MIX With an external-mix airbrush, air and paint are mixed (atomization) ‘outside the body of the airbrush. With an internal-mix model, they are mixed inside the body. The internal mix is recommended because it creates a much finer spray and does not create large dots of paint. The externalsmix models have a grittier spray. In general, less-expen- sive hobby airbrushes are external mix. All professional, double- action airbeushes are internal mix. HOW TO START AIRBRUSHING The airbrush should be advanced enough that you can grow into it ‘Again, a double-action, internal-mix model is recommended. The air hove is necessary to give pressure 0 the airbrush. Purchase what lever type is recommended for your airbrush and compressor. The compressor is the most important consideration. You will aiebrush at 20-30 pounds per square inch (PSI). PST is the pressure at which air flows through the airbrush. Ifthe pressure is t00 high, the paint will be hard to contro: if too weak, the paint will hardly come out, A good compressor will have a pressure regulator that automat cally keeps the air pressure constant, For paint, you will use thinned gouache, Ie should be the consistency of milk—or slightly heavier. If itis too thick, it will come out in spatters; if t00 thin, it wll ru COMPRESSORS AND AIR SOURCES Compressors are the most popular sources of air power. Run by small mocors that range from 1/16- to 1/2-horse power, chey run either “silently” or continuously. A silent compressor has a storage tank, when it reaches the proper PSI, ie shuts off. You can spray in silence until the pressure drops and the motor has to maintain the pressure. The smaller, continuous-ranning compressors are noisy and ‘not as powerful. The silent compressor is the most expensive model but highly recommended for lifetime of use. Some of the larger compressors ate oil free, which are maintenance free and also highly recommended, Another type of air source is the COs tank. These are large tanks of compressed carbon dioxide. They last for quite a while but eventu- ally have 0 be refilled. They can be refilled at scuba or party supply shops. Many art studios prefer CO, tanks because they are so quiet. ‘The third option—bur not a practical one—is the “canned air” sold atart stores. Canned air is quite expensive for whar you get. The pressure in one can of ait will probably not last long enough for one ‘major project. RESPIRATORS You mst prot your ungs wile arshing Pane pert até become store Hence, he neces 2 resp. A respite, fas ever your mou and ree an iter at inte Dares of ait There re itera Kinds of ers alate, The mare epen Sve pes have charcoal thereon iting pe 0PREPARING THE PAINT GGouache should have the consistency of milk, o slightly heavier, to flow smoothly through the alt brush. To test for the proper thickness, use the “orp technique.” Load 2 brush {ull of paint, watch fow the paint drips off the brush It should drip at a steady rate—not a rapid “dripcrip-ip" Tike water, nor 2 slow crip lke pudding. After few tres, you will be able to tell ifthe paints too thin or thick simply by the sound ofthe dripping. If gouache dries in the airbrush, simply fl the color holder with warm water, et it sit for 5 minutes, and then blow the water out bits of gouache do not dissolve readily, use a toothpick to ream them out. Don't use anything metalic because it can scratch the airbrush. AIRBRUSHING EXERCISES Using the airbrush is nor diffi cise daily and you will become proficient. It, but it requires practice to master. Each of these exercises is designed for a specific skill. Practice each exer- == ——— —— ——————— i TT PARALLEL LINES racing paral ns ekond Ie ipa for contol rate the maton of tepig ‘the tes Wom aching each aber aed making them con ‘tet in hha ‘VARYING LINES mnths exercise, begin spraying the ne we ouing he ot less othe paper. Ae you ah tine, raul ul be osha ay, craig ‘hike soer ine. Vanyinc DOTS The father say te arash is ftom te papt the tage the spray. Make fre dete at ‘te top, meion she mile, and sal cla tetom: ett ConsisteNT DOTS 1 making dso te same size at each imesectn fe id. When you ean ake the same-sized dt, ou wl Kw hat you Nave god can- trl ofthe ash MAKING Xs Mating X8 across te paper wi test your eye-tandcornaton ona sity a make eve stoke nes wt quck stop. Rmembey, be ends nt as Import as tsing he cpa fe arash. ied a UES AND CURSIVE WRITING Making edwin cursive ae gon ecnigues a, ‘ereoping cordatin. Smacth,crved lines requ goed ‘sonst eon METALLIC EFFECT 1 Tocreatea meta eect, {ist ut a 2" square stove out of eadbar. Then pace the sel ever th pape ant ey ack gouache at 9 ‘agonal in wo oppose comes HARD EDGES create hard edges by pacing various ejects ect on he paper Were rafting tap, 2 ice of Paper lr, an piece of cardhoar have been ed hard ees. METALLIC EFFECT 2 Tate sold be a ih stip ‘pala paper inte milo ath gre. Wve ou shea with he exer, paper sol ek te 2 pane! fmt sures SOFT EDGES You ca actaw sot ge y spraying ‘overt at alerted of he pape. The resray Sates te ees Use paper, res cairo een GeavuareD CoLow Spaying» yatuted exer a tetiomar ie versa echnigae used tw creat tackounds, sis, of ayhing that egies SPATTERING The tsi ft spay cpa the Sl seting. The lowe be reset ge he ot at. Na: Tis can ny be doe wit atreses at have 3 spate cpaSTENCILING There are two ways to paint with an airbrush—frechand or with stencils. Each method provides a dif ferent look. Frechand techniques are excellent for producing soft shadows, mellow gradations, and soft, fine lines. Stencils work well for items that have hard edges, straight lines, or areas where precision is required. Srexcn. Fim Steels provide complete onto fe spray, are ipo ueswork wih ‘his tecque. There are aoe pes of sen ing mati an trent syst sing tem. Hr, 2 piece of rose tne fon Inga progres, a stn sbeiget ot with 2 yy sharp at ne Fat ior tormaton on making 2 stn se page 26) USING EVERYDAY OnJECTS ontiayy objets — | APPLYING MASKING FLUID Apply tid mask | CREATING PATTERNS Use tom paper pater te an also be used as secs, such sa poce ace ot 2 | ing hid wit a snap bush When the Mids you mst images lots iy Fat ay the jc lt nthe suppor. Spay | con pi oer. When th pany, remove te make | the pining, th soe he pata The recy down atthe lth. Wat rte pint oy, and__|_ ing ld by bing ft Wherever tea was apple, the | crisper the ees, St 10AIRBRUSHING Basic FORMS The four basic forms —sphere, cylinder, cube, and cone—have been recognized as the four elements (singular oF combined) that make up almost anything an artist draws or pains, Being able to render these forms with an airbrush (on illustration board) helps in creating more advanced objects, such as an apple, orange, house, box, or fence post. SPHERE ee - Daw a cic pon ovray it wih > Remove te cene ofthe stencil an Spray the ip-nana sie of spay» permanot white gouache Steneing fm ab pete to ces shading with ory gna stan. erat ate, CYLINDER 4 ine eine string St Rove the test cutau aed say a Remove the second cutout snd spray ‘Aaa permanent white gouache beh over theo ennai and — De top. oe ight 0 he 3 linger, and suber te exon. then remove the steel, CUBE aw eeu ad overiy twit sten- “Remove he ist ett, Remove the second cutout thn spay Spay he hid att pit een Cling im Toen mae estos non- 2. brush at sl ofthe ce. eat nd second cutouts, creating ing Berm inthe rer hy wil be graye. ‘no drs of aims ‘ et CONE 7X a Draw he one. Pace stencing fin“) Remove the ctu atthe tom an amor te see othe sid and hte permanent white sosche Whigs verte bard and mate we cutouts yay at orea. When repace be spay that oe, tat side ob cone, sd then ema on te ene tne sein 1"PAINTING DIFFERENT TEXTURES Increase the realism of your paintings and create visual interest by including a variety of textures, pat- terns, and surfaces in your compositions. HOW TO PAINT WALLPAPER WITH CAST SHADOWS Paint he patter wt ne fos Gosche (supe ina panting, because it was tee ered for srfce-patern design work HOW TO PAINT SILVER tuber, an ivory black—in the back {rnd wit rsh The Bo ie placed ist step in ay painting ito Isolate he apple wth stn complet the underpaining. Pint Airbus he apache wit at ium ed guacho andthe wih ry lack watercolor. inishing touches. Aad 2 the apple with vr black, armanent seen ih ow ouoche Then det Sawer with yl Wack. Anny pre shaded seas, face the centers ofeach ppt (these clos willbe ightened asthe {emake them a white 35 posse paining progresses) chaos 2HOW TO PAINT A PERSIAN RUG HOW TO PAINT WOODHOW TO PAINT GLASS HOW TO PAINT OLD BOOKSSHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS Shadows and highlights add dept, excure, and visual interest o a painting, Make sure to carefully observe objects, thei shadows, and their highlights. Consistent shadows and highlights will ad credibility to your work, Notice thatthe closer an object isto a wall or surface on which its shadow falls, the more defined its shadow will be. Highlights also vary depending on the lighting and surface of objects. Use shadows and highlights to capture textures and dramatic contrasts. SOFT-EDGED SHADOWS ote tbe sn, elongate shadows east rom Placing the bast of srowberies uber Inti ain, th st background This is rama example of st edges the ser compote The igs coming fom te wal creas aso cast shadow shadow east ye ag ug eontass wih shadows cas on a background wall. The from the vi restig cat safow an hee bacgrond ares Tne sadam the u's fa the ee tne wal Remember hat shacows are roids a sense dep and dimension aa the ows one et lieays cect opposte he gh source. tthe paling and cana wi te Dal bakyrund an crete se be sat renders att, ges te bast han shacaus pats. 2 dimension, fesigrtte ‘and wiher ‘inthe compen, SHADOWS ON HARD-EDGED OBJECTS Haxp Epces each ‘apple in is stiles paid with a separate nc tales ep, har ges hat ioe the ent Da sik shiny ‘hin The shatows ate place ofr. Now ome apts havea subse Wi me satowee fg, ie resi of feted i ges of the jogs ate allows yu to see dea iin he shadows. Use ged shadows. A eehand ges stand mis the or iia p HIGHLIGHTS Thre are ines, awe ween DIFFUSED HIGHLIGHTS Rober sines, iaiahs an also be the the purest white stable wl mae the Nights shou” wil eGtued, so, an lowing Witte sas, he Iighest rea, Tae are sances in palating when the wi npatnce. Were, the Dghlghs on the ceanlc ae Nght nthe apes ate sprayed on wih permanent gest pets wil sing be tnt of he clas fhe tard an ol restig te fling thar, baked ceramic white ratte so pow oe food othe sbjet Too many pre we Mghlpn canbe dsacing. hats shiny. Soc sis. Arh ini highs ate apg the ‘ry contr ofeach glow sighted wi 2 sal brash 2d pure permanant wie 1sTHOUGHTS ON PAINTING Myths often surround the painting process—for example: painting is always inspired; accomplished artists find painting easy and always succeeds painting is always fun; good artists only paint when they feel like its and creating a ‘200d painting is unpredictable. Let's dispel some of the myths. First, an artist does not have to be inspired to paint. A successful painting is predictable and logical, particularly in the realistic style Thave often dragged myself into the studio, no feeling like doing ‘much of anything. But then things start developing and I do feel inspired! Another common experience is “artist's slump.” Sometimes, about halfway through a painting, [feel as if iti a loser and I simply want to heave it—hut I force myself to persevere. This is something, all artists have to learn to overcome. LAYING THE GROUNDWORK When beginning a realistic painting, keep the following tips in mind (1) Resolve the drawing—composition, design, and balance—efore you pick up a brush, There should be no guesswork; painting has enough challenges without having to worry about the fundamentals. (2) When you get frustrated, pur the work away for a few days. Don't, throw anything out when you're upset—it could be a mistake. (3) Use 4 mirror to look at your painting in progress. Ir gives a completely new view of your work. (4) When painting, find a comfortable place where you can make a mess. (5) Make color charts and keep them handy for mixing colors, These charts are important, One summer I ‘made 1,200 color mixtures and placed them in a notebook for refer. ence. (6) Finally, use this book as a reference for techniques and tips. ‘The order in which you tackle a painting is crucial, so follow the su. ‘gestions throughout, and you will succeed, SU tei Bookshop ("507 oust on skein bans, pte ellen COMPOSITION Composition refers simply co the way objects are placed in a paint ing. When beautifully painted, an unimportant item can become ‘a masterpiece. The same is true of a composition; a teuly original composition can turn a good painting into a great painting, Here are some suggestions for improving your composition skills: 1) Study the great masters. Place tracing paper over their work and traces then examine where they placed items in their paintings. 2) Try overlap- ping objects. 3) Place some objects apart from all others to draw your eye to them. 4) Make some objects bigger and some farther away t0 create depth. 5) Let shadows and intersting lighting create a mood Base | placed prominent 7 Spleen the ght Think of your ating 3 (under lighting, noon lighting, sie lighting, back lighting). These 7 atcueupareee tips can make something commonplace appear exciting and unique is alnce. yu place someting Composition skills ie ty pacing someting onthe somata caueralnce the "WHEN othe posing and experiment ing. Over time, each artist develops his or her own way of design: ing a composition. li siting ean expt of eamatie ging. The man gh sure was cea {igh andthe secondary Iighong wa laced at et. Fra mar thre diners {esing your wor, ey bourcing pt io the shadows ina of eeny drt: You ‘an hae coor een the shadow You ‘an oe a eect boat made ett wits area, lustaton bara, ana even ‘minum ol etched oer 2 ard to ‘pease cles in th shaflows. Th igh ine lass Is alnced by the ear ody of {he obter, and th re eee whe abs Inore balance toe To paid warm ackgroun piming wos have more xa Bl wosce tat placed he basket sghty {othe fe of cans best to ava plo ing the mai sajet in the very center of the panting. Thi sometimes cad 3 “ull xe pe of composton, ad is ‘he wanes design fr a woke ie at (alhoogh can wort wll avers Gl eri nother example of pacing ter example clo amooy ie pit ie na ited pale Tis aiming ons of many browns and eat oes 50 won ou af col color, thy fell stand eu Dont get stuck Inve horzonai mas, ether Completing a verealy aes pai ean be a reesing ange Vera ating ger rally hae more tension tan herzoal pans. 16PLANNING A PAINTING A logical, sequential method of painting climinates guesswork. A painting is done in layers— usually no more than five. Always start with the most distant layer, then the closer layer, and so on, until you reach the layer closest to the viewer. BACKGROUND Tee background is anays ated MIDDLE GROUND When te background fe com- fs, wheter Wi sl le ot andseape. The aceroend plete, pain the midl round er, the mile gros tstishes he depth he plating and provides a Isto sloping young woman. The next ayers he ore inderpaiing over which laser ejects arpa. Pant ground, which complete te ating Pat the pants the backyund in ayers—tn shy, he fathest hil he th rund rater sar and pointe in const tothe (1 acround, 2 me ground, and (3) eeproue test ler il teres on enh hil tan he Fld, oma salts ahd wor den Shots Your level ot saccess wil ntease with each pale, ‘reaning (401 60" gouache on museum boat, pat ealecton ECHOING LINES This re figure panting was meat to symbolize summer. The roling hls repeat the crate of te Hoy ofthe oung woman 7DEMONSTRATION: AUGUST AFTERNOON Draw the subject on 30" 40" itusatin boar wth nH pan (an H8 makes» ea ie tat dvs aot sean Liphy inet the backgroud ars ané work tte deta te youn Et, With a arash, say 4 tire of carlean be, Mapes Yellow, nn white {at gouache) inte sky to aeleve an atmasperc elec. ‘Auush he ellen of he hy te water with cere lean lv, tin white, nd cabal tue, Pain the elements rom back to ront—at is, paint noobs farthest away rst. aint the background ‘and of al pines with vida poen an lack gvaehe {ocrete a dep, col ole, Ovr thi, us a bush fo Than paint the middle groune—an overgrows Inesdew uch wihgoldenage,brown-nyed Sean, Bnd grasses—wit very dark vidan ana ery Back Then asthe retections ofthe tree nthe stream with miatre of vin, ceralean le, hay lack, 3nd white. Remember: Wit gouache, It is best paint from dak ght. Ad highlights of sine whit mined with nd van oe Ba styelow ete mined wih visian, aswell 5 white Yellows and ovender termite arsh ve the thumps of need inthe meadow with raneparen saree sap poem ad ivory black wteedar. Thon establish the reiectons inthe water by painting amature of ‘ian, yellow chr, a ary ack Is im es ar pit he sky 0008 ‘imber, abate, and ate white, Other pebbles Shores ad trans Shadow tram the i. Then ay inthe base es tanes {nd davon the ha. Te esh tones ar cad 0 Uthit, an yelow acre The bai bart senna and Troy black: Bot have ben pine with a medium sited watercolor bush (8). bles witha mintre of burnt Spend ine painting the lash ones to contrat wth he hits on te fee ana ereat ac lec. Appl some pre wht To he halt gauge theGrass ax Hain DETAIL Pat thes on bar, pvt coltonDEMONSTRATION: STILL LIFE WITH LANTERN The most important pect ofa seen Stang drawing. Taster, ‘he atawig thot pressed ilustation boar 2s opined on pare 4 Pain the background fathe. Ten complet wh or 3 smal ate Hote that the ug at sponta no ‘hading ox hgh. Because gouache is iis being use in wth a wansparet wat colors you can se the ut hey soul est or mi burt umber and ery il trough te shadows Shaiews ‘he dea ouache. rush a east shadow orr the lower prion of lat using ry ack USING STENCILING FILM Pain nthe base colors ofeach bjet—excen fr the apples and pets, which are touched: These bate colors ae darker than he objec wil rman ppygootche ‘ih waterolr bushes. The grapes are wderpainted with a mista of cobalt ke and Meee ee mec iene ai vary lack gouache ‘ed gouache, and ten spray ele sie with ay Black eva ‘pecker, stom, a hghigs ih 3 bh. See “Making » Ss Paring Tue APELE Win sayin wih mai, sci ie +70) 20Sint Live wrrtt LANTERN (74367 gouache Fina, pian pears, eran, an mermer Atays work Hom Back | it metodo painting.DEMONSTRATION: STILL LIFE WITH SATIN PILLOW hry nae, ‘he plow with ‘ef colors am beeing. Caplte he highlights on he ing Then pint the rawberies ae the apo te in the sput with pare ry lack; he sh bane te tape Canplt al the iver a th thes aples. Then ihe Howes Pate tps ef be stawberes ‘stound Ian itusaly str he shapes.TIN Pro (21409 esac on ie shag the 2a iiaDEMONSTRATION: LAST LIGHT Pain the sky with st whe. ius he Yalow otate oer he bluesy with zine white nd cetilea ie mie ing with nape tow. Ty 6 ing paper wechigue. See ty loud area) they sou net appear cegaund. Pala te large pine Wes, the ds Lay in a mas blue of cobalt blue an zinc white, creating the foepraund snow sal watarsior roe. The 4 Ten othe rod and that grow in ont ofthe ar burnt umber an wary house rte ishing touches. Pit 2 landscape i layers to avid many tchical dt ‘estes. Woes the sky is complete, pan te ant wees log the haizn, nt fine aes ae ivory back and ian. The background backTrees, House, BARN aNb SNow Deratt ony whoa sunt hing sno pure white aoe or Bites of now on sunny fap. tecalque fused forthe Last Licirr 16°20) gousee on isan Beard election of Fran ant Kay Wiens Tocomplte he pining, re-establish te Nghighs and hen ad the asses and veslges of he gM aking dramatically across th eld Then epithe weeds i Iiute dts tough the pining, (Se eas above.) This enhances te inl renter aumbers,DEMONSTRATION: STILL LIFE WITH BLUE CLOTH MAKING A STENCIL SteP ONE You an make soci with {ie matt fe easy and inexpensive; ls, Sty large ie, Step Two Plce the tracing paper over Sec of newpct nd et ote shapes 2 plece ot hear se {8 cating bar to Step Taree ‘hat hepa wil not Tien te see tare a make the pies down on oor pant a hit afew time. Te lt wl make ites ch. Step Four use ‘Us erating tape atte tne (ro {heehee sa ate be ‘he plain. Ara brushing, iw th ait {oy andthe cre ting ay pit, Neat iti a haaer. The heat redscee te wie ‘toh the drawing wth an HB peel on nt presse iat paintings bern. “a | ante background witha arush an lak, brn umber, Naples el, alzrn trimeon anion gouache, Paint the forepound witha brash, sing earl Alter etaihing the clot pattern, us ansparet lack watercolr a eeate D snatews one overhanging eth. Again, he aihash san excallent tol fer Sonling watercolor washer ever guscheDEMONSTRATION: HEIRLOOMS WITH CHERRIES Work out al the dtals of you campesiton na drawing. Then use an HB pent Aly vor black, iain rinse, and ltramatine Rue goeache tthe background te ranster your sawing to an elgh ply maseum bar. The beard wil be 2 sua witha #4 walter arash. Aarushi onthe ight sie using burt sienna tarkor shadow ith ivory Sock povache Stat filing inthe potters ofthe foreground rg with vary back ad ol at. Now a ther clos othe rug. Take your ine prtecig the designs wit ls, To de the other colors you wil ase ater, ange the cakes clo ea oni the rede and brawes, Mi eh calor with touche Sack make dk, resting an Stems Appi ayer a ca calor ih yellows, ues, nd ede These are the clare © sie ofthe rug hatin shadow. Nai ow the tapes deal ae si ibleBooks DETAIL ‘STEP ONE crate an underpin fr the age books nthe foreground with STEP TWO Pinter th books wt tito the ela in stp one ow lithe bun ner, zn we, an a och of vary Black e not use permanent wie when gold designs wit yellow ochre, cafmiun yellow, ant zn wits. Spay he shacawed king oles, a5 may cause ter colt fe reas with lack watercaer, ne then a pare wits highs in god desis ae Te ee ee. Gee a be we Dok athe forsgound (Se “Boks Det” shove and compete echeries an agli ac (oe "hei eta” on pgs 20. “uta rom neon age Tr ntemanaton) 1 ait sins the i enrs ad ple es wins Hopes ew sn eo sci gsc mi Ten py ure ary bch others aes ath ser pesine pang a Peete tebons in he center, plating hom wt fl png ab ius east hae pieces; accurately entering tet reflective slaces ety te cresting 2 sass oe SveP ONE When rndeng ay "Hil appear ft ond ier vrith an uncepainin. For hse cherie, cadmium ree ‘rs apliod man eater stop. As pol, hates CHERRIES DETAIL STEP TWO Adtrush a wath a alzarin rinse, nd hn awash of ary ackwatercoar ofr be ight ‘hadowed sie ofthe chee, Then ach up he oe. i ‘ry of alain crimson on the back wih gouache. manent wht gouathe fostering Shen. fs in is painting 30 “he eects ck wera ade previo). ose matures tr ach, exalt iu, and Naples yaliow for he mi tones complete he ude. ty developing the are teapot in the background an the sive pece ait ibe covred with pit 120 “sver Detail telow an How to Pant iver on page 12). The com st their ight using ry lack watercolor, Add pemaent wit gouache Nghlghte with 9 #1 waterealar bresh SitveR DETAIL STEP Two Mosk ot he spout ané the pit tad the hae with er bse, etlean ie, and ne whe. ‘Spay on nian yellow wateetr tor seme Pa mt {wang and ory bac les ‘sree ince igh where te ight Yulee at's rte, cole isthe tra etsAbout the Artist . Daniel K, Tennant was bom in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and he attended Syracuse es farce arene ane ea ete te creme Inez angered Wea books aad be Getdred our of the mort techni prea wits Gitnhnas antyrinein citer ao the US and abroed His work he ben published on exlendarslimied edition print and book eerie me le eee tee ence teres ee et ne eae eet er eee apace een erence eet eerie cee epee cere ee ele nee aera a dren and is fll-sime painter ving in Central New York State with his wife, Karen, Tennant has alee red so Seeearelpaia citer eter aera bee ay eng ines ; artist My paintings ate statements about things that are important to me. In this age of advanced cel oe chips gy Seman a oe tare ca oaths eo i Specks stay Toe top Se aaa wT prod pa Ut i is painted well and offers art of the highest caliber. I have been using opaque watercolors for over i bis , TAELAL INT CFE E IS Gy ed