Make Every Brushstroke Powerful

5 Aug 2010 by cjordan

Have you ever approached a painting as if each stroke
would be your last? Practitioners of calligraphy approach
their art something like this, and the results are fresh and
spontaneous, not overworked. Calligraphy has a long and
rich history in Asia, and it has made a powerful impact
abroad, with its ability to create a feeling of movement on
paper. For Katherine Chang Liu, former president of the
National Watercolor Society, the most lasting impact of
practicing calligraphy as a child in Taiwan was her
relationship with the brush itself. "The
brush becomes an extension of your
finger," she says. "It becomes
something you don't have to learn how
to use; you just naturally work with it
and write with it."

For calligraphy artists, the line is

As The Sun Rises supreme. Its weight and how it flows
by Freda Lee-McCann, over the paper surface are most
15 x 21, watercolor on arches. important. Some schools of thought
believe the line should be orderly and
uniform; others take an expressive approach—it becomes like a dance, and
there is a strong gesture from the writer or artist that is more emphasized than
the form itself. Great Wall II
by Freda Lee-McCann,
"The traditional Chinese saying is, 'You control the brush—you don't let the 15 x 22, ink and watercolor
on rice paper.
brush control you,'" says artist Freda Lee-McCann. As a child, McCann
practiced calligraphy every day, and she still devotes an hour to the form
before every painting session. Since moving to the United States in the 1960s,
she has created artwork that combines Eastern and Western styles. "A piano
player does scales first to warm up his or her fingers, to gain control," the
artist explains. "It is the same for me. I start out doing calligraphy, making
sure my hand and brush are one. Once I have more control, I can start
painting."

For Liu, who works abstractly, her background in calligraphy is evident in the
prominence of the brushstroke in her work. "It informs the spirit of the
painting," she says. "Whether it is quiet or there is some kind of momentum-
the brushstroke needs to do something for me." McCann applies her
calligraphy experience to traditional Chinese paintings, contemporary mixed- Written on Stone
by Freda Lee-McCann,
media work, and watercolor landscapes built on lines of varying widths and
23 x 30, mixed media
color. "I'm more comfortable with line," she says. "It is what I have been on rice paper.
doing all my life. Layering colored lines underneath each other instead of
putting down flat areas of color is a different kind of mark making. It creates a texture that makes
the work interesting."

A brushstroke can communicate powerfully in

any medium. Even without an understanding
of the characters, marks made with a
calligrapher's ink resonate with the viewer.
"Good calligraphy makes you feel comfortable
just to look at it," says McCann. "How it
flows, the spacing, where it is not too uneven,
and flows without being frantic, balanced
without being stiff. You've probably seen
paintings like that—with just a few strokes it
beautifully tells a story without a lot of details.
Paper Window #1 It gets the feeling across. It takes years of
by Katherline Chang Liu, 2008, 20 x 20, practice."
acrylic. Courtesy Jenkins Johnson Gallery,
San Francisco and New York.
McCann is right—painting a composition that
comes together in a balanced, compelling way doesn't happen overnight. Luckily, American
Artist is there to provide guidance along the way. Our featured artists, instructors, and authors
share their knowledge so that you can improve your practice—and make every stroke count.

Break Through Your Creative Roadblocks

12 Sep 2010 by cjordan

When I feel creatively blocked or

Collage materials can be added to add visual interest
and texture to a painting surface. Artwork by Misty Mawn.
showcases in every issue.
bored, I revert back to childhood
and start to play. Doodling,
writing stream-of-conscious text,
or painting loosely—all of these
can loosen you up and inspire you
to take risks. Working with mixed
media can yield the same results,
which explains its ever-growing
appeal among artists of all
backgrounds. From beginning to
end, working with various media
can lead to unexpected results.
That's what I like about it the
most, and those divergent but
altogether interesting approaches
are what Cloth Paper Scissors
Editors and artists from Cloth Paper Scissors discuss
how to work through various creative processes,
including how to manipulate working surfaces to
achieve certain effects. Printmaking, collage, and dyeing
—every one of those methods allow you to take your
work in new directions. If you choose to dye your
surface, keep in mind that although all water-based
media are intermixable, waterproof or solvent-based Salt produces white, star shapes on
the surface of a watercolor painting.
inks get gummy when mixed. 
Adding elements Artwork by Jacqueline Sullivan.
like salt, sand, and
charcoal to a watercolor painting can produce interesting
effects as well. Salt pushes paint away, leaving star-shaped
dots. Sand does the opposite, leaving dark marks on the
paper surface. This can lend a sense of depth and texture in
your artwork, leading to a piece that a viewer will want to
reach out and touch—or, better yet, purchase!

Traditional practices and techniques will always have their

place in an artist's skill set, but working with a sense of
adventure is what can really lead to creative breakthroughs.
Printing images on paper can be Cloth Paper Scissors is the mixed-media resource that can
the first step for a new artwork. help you expand your creative repertoire and watch your
Artwork by Moira Ackers. work grow in new ways.

Filed under: Watercolor, Mixed Media, printmaking

Learn to Paint the

Unexpected
4 Jul 2010 by cjordan

Artists are the sharpest of observers, attuned to a person's

passing gesture or the play of light and shadow on a building
façade—but not everything that catches our eye is a painting

Winter's Approach
oil, 34 x 26, 2008.
All works by Joseph Alleman.
waiting to happen. For Utah watercolorist and oil painter Joseph Alleman, the stories that hold
his interest are reflections of his passions and his environment.

As a suburban teenager Alleman had a penchant for quiet, still fields, and unadorned old
buildings. As a practicing artist whose studio is 15 minutes from the nearest town, those same
youthful interests remain. "What I see and paint—I've seen them hundreds of times before," the
artist says. "They become interesting when they begin to have a story or mood. When the clouds
are just the right color grey or the roof has finally crashed through the barn I've seen all winter
long."

Alleman's scenes are spare, and what draws the viewer in is the
mood he evokes with basic elements. White Barns is a simple scene
of a cluster of farm buildings hemmed in by rich green grass and a
dilapidated fence. Perhaps the buildings are abandoned, perhaps
not, but the view feels almost unbearably still. There's an eerie
foreboding that compels you to look and look again.

In Tornado and Stalwart, Alleman has chosen local workmen as his

subjects. The titles belie the fact that the figures are stooped and
aged with features that aren't as well defined as the badges of their
labor. They look weary, but there is a sense of resolve and dignity
that makes Alleman's larger-than-life titles somehow fitting.
Stalwart
watercolor, 10 x 7,
"There's more to them than what you'd see in passing," the artist
2006. explains. "They have a story and lived a life, and it's not the kind of
life where you race to get
ahead. They are trying to
hold onto something that's not glamorous or fast-
paced, but it's worthwhile."

Depicting subjects—scenes that are not necessarily

picturesque or figures that are not traditionally
appealing—beautifully drives Alleman. "I like finding
the beauty in a subject that isn't necessarily
'beautiful'," he says. "In life, we aren't often
surrounded by bouquets of flowers. Don't get me White Barns
watercolor, 12 x 16, 2008.
wrong—bouquets of flowers are nice and have their
place in our lives. But I'm more interested in the subtle
aspects of beauty—texture, shape, sometimes the subject matter,
and sometimes the subject matter as an opposing force in terms of
beauty."

According to Alleman, being able to appreciate subject matter that

is often overlooked comes from trusting your instincts. "There are
scenes or objects that I see, and I know there's a painting there. But
it takes a while to find the story. I watch and wait for that

Journey at Dawn
watercolor, 13 x 9, 2003.
interesting mood or moment. Sometimes it happens, and sometimes it never happens. But if you
see something—act on that instinct. You may not know the whole story or how it will work out,
but the moment is there and gone."

The Best of Watercolor is a special edition of Watercolor magazine that can help you attune your
artistic instincts, so you recognize unique subject matters with ease and depict them confidently.
Each article offers insightful tips on materials and techniques from artists such as Jamie Wyeth
and Bo Bartlett, ensuring that the next time you paint, every stroke of your brush will be better
than the last.